Word meanings
- dhūmaḥ
- smoke
- rātriḥ
- night
- tathā
- and
- kṛṣṇaḥ
- the dark fortnight of the moon
- ṣaṭ-māsāḥ
- six months
- dakṣiṇa-ayanam
- the sun’s southern course
- tatra
- there
- cāndra-masam
- lunar
- jyotiḥ
- light
- yogī
- a yogi
- prāpya
- attain
- nivartate
- comes back
Translations
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.
But if he departs in gloom, at night, during the fortnight of the waning moon and in the six months before the winter solstice, then he reaches only lunar light and he will be reborn.
Following this Path, the yogi, having reached the lunar light, returns, smoke, night, as also the dark fortnight and the six months of the Southern solstice.
जिस मार्गमें धूमका अधिपति देवता, रात्रिका अधिपति देवता, कृष्णपक्षका अधिपति देवता और छः महीनोंवाले दक्षिणायनका अधिपति देवता है, शरीर छोड़कर उस मार्गसे गया हुआ योगी (सकाम मनुष्य) चन्द्रमाकी ज्योतिको प्राप्त होकर लौट आता है अर्थात् जन्म-मरणको प्राप्त होता है।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.