Jyotirvidabharanam (Kalidasa)

Now, in the Shardulavikridita Shardulavikridita: A complex Sanskrit poetic meter meaning 'the play of the tiger,' often used for grand or authoritative statements meter, the author describes the "Burnt" or Inauspicious Lunar Days Dagdha Tithis: Specifically identified days of the lunar month that are considered "consumed" or "burnt" by the Sun's position, making them unfit for auspicious activities. The phrase "destruction of darkness" original: "dhāntadhvaṃsa" refers to the Sun. The "method of the destruction of darkness" is that which brings about the end of night. The word "vidhi" is derived from the root meaning to arrange or create; thus, it refers to the Sun as the creator of light.

The "storehouse of the essence of clouds" original: "balāhaka-rasāgāra" refers to the house or zodiac sign of Pisces In Indian astrology, Pisces is a water sign associated with the ocean and the source of rain-clouds. Even in alternative readings of the text, the meaning points to the sign where the waters gather. According to the lexicons, "rasa" can mean water or a place of residence. When the Sun reaches this sign, the calculation follows:

When the Sun—the performer of the destruction of darkness—is in the house of the cloud-essence [Pisces] or the house of the bow [Sagittarius],

then the second lunar day, which sits like a crescent on Shiva’s head, is considered "Burnt."

The "digit residing on Shiva’s head" original: "hara-mauli-saṃsthita-kalā" refers to the second day of the lunar fortnight Dvitiyā: The second tithi or lunar day. Shiva is traditionally depicted wearing the thin crescent of the second-day moon in his matted hair. This poetic description is used here as a technical marker for that specific day. When the Sun is in the sign of Pisces original: "mīnārke" or Sagittarius, the second lunar day is clearly defined as "burnt." In this same manner, as the Sun moves from the sign of Pisces through the other signs of the zodiac, different lunar days are identified as inauspicious in a specific alternating sequence. As stated clearly: when the Sun enters Aries, the fourth lunar day...