SB 5.22.9 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

अथ चापूर्यमाणाभिश्च कलाभिरमराणां क्षीयमाणाभिश्च कलाभि: पितृणामहोरात्राणि पूर्वपक्षापरपक्षाभ्यां वितन्वान: सर्वजीवनिवहप्राणो जीवश्चैकमेकं नक्षत्रं त्रिंशता मुहूर्तैर्भुङ्क्ते ॥ ९ ॥

Verse text

atha cāpūryamāṇābhiś ca kalābhir amarāṇāṁ kṣīyamāṇābhiś ca kalābhiḥ pitṝṇām aho-rātrāṇi pūrva-pakṣāpara-pakṣābhyāṁ vitanvānaḥ sarva-jīva-nivaha-prāṇo jīvaś caikam ekaṁ nakṣatraṁ triṁśatā muhūrtair bhuṅkte.

Synonyms

atha — thus ; ca — also ; āpūryamāṇābhiḥ — gradually increasing ; ca — and ; kalābhiḥ — by the parts of the moon ; amarāṇām — of the demigods ; kṣīyamāṇābhiḥ — by gradually decreasing ; ca — and ; kalābhiḥ — by parts of the moon ; pitṝṇām — of those on the planet known as Pitṛloka ; ahaḥ — rātrāṇi — the days and nights ; pūrva — pakṣa — apara — pakṣābhyām — by the period of waxing and waning ; vitanvānaḥ — distributing ; sarva — jīva — nivaha — of the total living entities ; prāṇaḥ — the life ; jīvaḥ — the chief living being ; ca — also ; ekam ekam — one after another ; nakṣatram — a constellation of stars ; triṁśatā — by thirty ; muhūrtaiḥ — muhūrtas ; bhuṅkte — passes through .

Translation

When the moon is waxing, the illuminating portions of it increase daily, thus creating day for the demigods and night for the pitās. When the moon is waning, however, it causes night for the demigods and day for the pitās. In this way the moon passes through each constellation of stars in thirty muhūrtas [an entire day]. The moon is the source of nectarean coolness that influences the growth of food grains, and therefore the moon-god is considered the life of all living entities. He is consequently called Jīva, the chief living being within the universe.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The moon with its waxing and waning phases, creates day for the devatās during the waxing phases, and creates day for the Pitṛs during the waning phases. The moon called life itself, supporting the life of all beings, passes through one constellation in thirty muhūrtas (one day). The waxing and waning phases are day and night for the devatās, and night and day for the Pitṛs. This means the waxing phase is suitable for worship of devatās and the waning phase is suitable for worship of Pitṛs. The moon is the life of all beings because it produces food in the form of plants. Śruti says annaṁ hi prāṇināṁ prāṇāḥ: food is the life of all beings. [Note: Annaṁ prāṇāḥ is found in Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa 3.2.3.4.9.] The moon is called jīvaḥ because it is made of immortal nectar necessary for living.