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धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम्। तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते।।8.25।।

dhūmo rātris tathā kṛiṣhṇaḥ ṣhaṇ-māsā dakṣhiṇāyanam tatra chāndramasaṁ jyotir yogī prāpya nivartate

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 8, Verse 25
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
Attaining the lunar light through smoke, night time, the dark fortnight, and the six months of the southern path of the sun (the southern solstice), the yogi returns.

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: smoke, night, the dark half of the lunar month, and the six months of the southern path, departing then, one attains the lunar light and returns, again using specific symbolic conditions, this time associated with the path of eventual return.

In life: some seasons of confusion, stagnation, or unclear direction are real and not shameful, but they're also not meant to be permanent, the language here implies eventual return and further movement, not a final dead end.

Teaching: if you recognize yourself currently in a murkier, less clear season, take some comfort that this text frames even that path as leading eventually back toward further opportunity, not as a permanent failure state.

dhūmaḥsmoke
rātriḥnight
tathāand
kṛiṣhṇaḥthe dark fortnight of the moon
ṣhaṭ-māsāḥsix months
dakṣhiṇa-ayanamthe sun’s southern course
tatrathere
chāndra-masamlunar
jyotiḥlight
yogīa yogi
prāpyaattain
nivartatecomes back

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
8.25 धूमः smoke? रात्रिः night? तथा also? कृष्णः the dark (fortnight)? षण्मासाः the six months? दक्षिणायनम् the southern path of the sun? तत्र there? चान्द्रमसम् lunar? ज्योतिः light? योगी the Yogi? प्राप्य having attained? निवर्तते returns.Commentary This is the Pitriyana or the path of darkness or the path of the ancestors which leads to rirth. Those who do sacrifices to the gods and other charitable works with expectation of reward go to the Chandraloka through this path and come back to this world when the fruits of the Karmas are exhausted.Smoke? night time? the dark fortnight and the six months of the southern solstice are all deities who preside over them. They may denote the degree of ignorance? attachment and passion. There are smoke and darkcoloured objects throughout the course. There is no illumination when one passes along this path. It is reached by ignorance. Hence it is called the path of darkness or smoke.