As soon as the sacred offerings for the ancestors were made according to the ancient rites, he moved forth with the gentle, nourishing Saumya nectar. With this divine nectar, he satisfied the ancestors—the Saumyas, the Barhishads, the Kavyas, and the Agnishvattas—granting them fulfillment through these sacred libations. The sages remember the fire of the seasons, knowing that the year itself is composed of the seasons, and from these seasons, the divisions of time—the periods—are born. The ancestors themselves are identified with the seasons, while the half-months are called their sons. The grandfathers are the seasons, and the new moons are considered the sons of the year. The great-grandfathers are remembered as gods, and the five-year cycles are the sons of Brahma. Among the ancestors, the Barhishads, Kavyas, and Agnishvattas are recognized as three distinct groups. Those householders who perform sacrifices, especially the haviryajnas and seasonal rites, are known as Barhishads and are well established in the wisdom of the Puranas. Householders who are sacrificers are also called Agnishvattas and seasonal sacrificers, while the Kavyas are the lords of the Ashtakas. Now, let us consider the five-year periods. Within these, the year is associated with Agni, the Parivatsara with the Sun, the Idvatsara with Soma, and the Anuvatsara with Vayu. Rudra presides over the Vatsara. These five years together form the yuga, established by the flow of time, and the Moon moves among them, pouring out nectar as it passes. These are the duties of the gods, both those who partake in soma and those who thrive on heat. Pururavas, in his time, satisfied all these deities through his offerings. Since Soma is produced month by month in a special way, that which bears svadha is offered to the ancestors who drink soma; thus, he obtained the nectar, soma, and honey. After drinking the nectar of soma, the Sun, with a single ray called Sushumna, nourishes the soma of the soma-drinkers. All the earlier phases, stretching into the past, are likewise nourished by this ray, each portion day by day. As this happens, the dark phases of the moon diminish while the bright phases increase; thus, by the Sun’s energy, the Moon’s body is nourished. On the night of the full moon, the moon appears as a bright, complete circle. Nourished in this way, soma increases day by day in the bright fortnight. The gods first drink the nectar soma, and afterwards, the ancestors partake of what remains. For fifteen days, the Sun, with the Sushumna ray, drinks the soma, nourishing each portion day by day. As Sushumna nourishes, the bright phases of the moon increase, causing the dark phases to wane. In this way, soma is continually nourished and replenished, waxing and waning, in both the bright and dark fortnights. Thus, this soma, cherished by the ancestors, is remembered as earth-formed and beloved, flowing in fifteen nectar-bearing streams. Now, let me explain the junctions of the lunar phases, and how these phases are joined together, like the knots in a reed. In the same way, the year, months, and fortnights—both bright and dark—are recognized, with their distinctions marked by the full moon, the knots, and the junctions. The lunar phases of the half-month, beginning from the second day, and the ritual of kindling fire, are performed at these phase junctions. Therefore, at the beginning of the lunar phases, at the junctions starting from the first day, in the evening and at Anumati, two lavas (brief moments) are considered the proper time; two lavas are also known as the time for Rakā in the afternoon. The phase of the waning fortnight, after midday when evening arrives, is called the full-moon time. When the sun stands at vyatīpāta, above the line, it marks the end of an age; and when the moon rises at this moment, also above the line, it is a significant conjunction. When, during the full-moon vyatīpāta, one sees both sun and moon together at the start of the lunar day, they are thus established. At that time, having observed the sun, one should calculate the proper moment for sacred rites, which is known as the sixth period. On the full-moon night, at the junctions of night, the moon is full in the bright fortnight; thus, the moon becomes full at night on the full-moon day. When, during the day, the sun and moon both witness the full moon at their mutual vyatīpāta, then, because of its fullness, it is regarded as the full-moon day in the afternoon. Since the ancestors and the gods together approve of this time, it is called 'Anumati,' and because of its fullness, it is known as the full-moon. Because the moon shines so brilliantly on the full-moon night, and because of its radiant coloring, poets call it 'Rākā.' When the sun and moon dwell together in the same constellation, that fifteenth night is called Amāvāsyā, the new moon. When, at this Amāvāsyā, the sun and moon come together in conjunction, their mutual appearance is called 'Darśa' because of their visibility. On Amāvāsyā, two lavas are considered at the phase junctions; this is called the two-syllabled Kuhū, and this time is known as the festival juncture. On that Amāvāsyā, when the moon is seen from midday onward and then again at night, and when the sun arrives, the moon rises together with the sun in the morning. When, after midday, the sun sets having joined with two lavas, the moon of the bright fortnight emerges from the solar disc. When the sun and moon are separating from each other, the time between them is the moment for the Anvāhāri offering and the Vaṣaṭ rituals of Darśa; this marks the season’s commencement and the festival time on Amāvāsyā. When the moon is waning and pale on Amāvāsyā during the day, that is why the daytime Amāvāsyā is taken as the one in which the sun is present. It is called 'Kuhū' by the cuckoo because, at that time, the phase is completed; thus, this Amāvāsyā is known as Kuhū, named after that moment. When only a slender remnant of the moon remains, like the measure called Sinīvālī, Amāvāsyā enters the sun; at that time, it is called Sinīvālī. Thus, Anumati, Rākā, Sinīvālī, and Kuhū—these four sacred times are recognized. The two-lava period is called Kuhū, and Kuhū is known by that measure, marking the sacred rhythm of time and the fulfillment of the lunar cycle.