पूजामादाय सन्ध्यायां प्रगतायां यथागतम् । अन्धकाराः समुत्तस्थुर्वेताला वपुषा यथा ॥ २४ ॥
pūjāmādāya sandhyāyāṁ pragatāyāṁ yathāgatam | andhakārāḥ samuttasthurvētālā vapuṣā yathā || 24 ||
Translation
When Twilight had taken her worship and gone as she came, the darknesses rose up, like vetālas in bodily form.
Word by word
- pūjām
- her worship
- ādāya
- having taken
- sandhyāyāṁ
- Twilight
- pragatāyāṁ
- had gone
- yathāgatam
- as she came
- andhakārāḥ
- the darknesses
- samuttasthur
- (samuttasthuḥ) rose up
- vētālā
- (vetālāḥ) vetālas
- vapuṣā
- in bodily form
- yathā
- like
Meaning
Twilight is worshipped at the evening rite (sandhyā); having received her offerings she leaves, and darkness rises like the vetālas, the ghouls of the cremation ground, taking shape. The other commentary: her attendants, appearing in bodies after she has gone.