Essentials of Hinduism

Essentials of Hinduism

Panchanga

The Hindu Calendar:

According to Bhagavatha Purana, Lord Brahma is the Creator of this Universe. Each Creation or Kalpa has 1000 cycles and lasts for 4,320,000,000 Human Years. Each Cycle lasts for 4,320,000 years and consists of 4 Yugas. The Four Yugas are: Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga and Kali Yuga. The Satya Yuga lasts for 1,728,000 Years – During this Period, Only Dharma prevails and Adharma is unknown. The Treta Yuga lasts for 1,296,000 Years – During this Period, Dharma falls short by one-quarter of the Total Period. The Dvapara Yuga lasts for 864,000 years – During this Period, Dharma is reduced by Half. Kali Yuga is the Present Time Period, and this Yuga lasts a Total of 432,000 years – during this period, only One Quarter of Dharma remains. We have now passed 5000 plus years in the Kali Yuga.

PANCHANGA SUMMARY:

Panchanga:

Panchanga – Pancha Anga – Five Limbs – Is the Almanac of Hinduism. It is so named because, it deals with the Five Hindu Divisions of Time. A Panchanga is used to determine the most auspicious Time to start important undertakings in Life – Marriage Ceremony, a Journey, Commencement of a New Business etc. Panchanga considers the various Permutations and Combinations of the Five Units of Time and determine the Auspicious Moment to start an Event. The Five Limbs of the Panchanga are: (1) Vara (Solar Day) (2) Tithi (Lunar Day) (3) Nakshitra (Lunar star) (4) Yoga (Planet Conjunction) (5) Karana (Half of a Lunar Day).

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Week (Vara):

The Hindus follow Seven Days a Week System and each Day of the Week is known as a Vara. The Seven Varas of a Week are Ravivara (Sunday – special to the Sun – Surya Worship), Somavara (Monday – special to Moon –Shiva Worship), Mangalavara (Tuesday – sacred to Mars - Karthikeya Worship), Budavara (Wednesday – sacred to Mercury – Vishnu Worship), Brihaspathivara (Thursday – sacred to Jupiter – Hanuman Worship), Shukravara (Friday – special to Venus – Devi Worship) and Shanivara (Saturday – sacred to Saturn – Sanishvara worship).

Tithi:

In One Month there are 30 Thithis. There are 14 Thithis in the Sukla Pakshas (light half) and Krishna Paksha (dark half). The Names of the 14 Thithis are: Prathama (First), Dvitiya (Second), Tritiya (Third), Chaturti (Fourth), Panchami (Fifth), Shasti (Sixth), Saptami (Seventh), Ashtami (Eighth), Navami (Ninth), Dasami (Tenth), Ekadashi (Eleventh), Dvadashi (Twelvth), Thriodashi (Thirteenth), and, Chaturdashi (Fourteenth). The Two other Thithis are the Sukla Paksha Thithi and the Krishna Paksha Thithi.

The Sukla Paksha Thithi occurs on the Fifteenth Day of Poornima (Full Moon – bright night) when the Moon is in between the Sun and the Earth. Krishna Paksha Thithi occurs on the thirtyeth day of Amavasya (New Moon - dark night) when the Earth is in between the Sun and the Moon.

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Nakshathras:

There are a Total of 27 Nakshatras. The Names of the 27 Nakshatras are:

Asvini (Asvathi), Bharani (Barani), Kruttika (Krittika), Rohini (Rohini), Mrugasira (Mrigashirsha), Arudra (Ardra), Punarvasu (Punarpusa), Pushyami (Pushya), Asresha (Aslesha), Magha (Maka), Purvaphalguni (Poora), Uttaraphalguni (Uthra), Hasta (Hastha), Chitra (Chithira), Swati (Swathi), Visakha (Visaka), Anuradha (Anusha), Jyeshtha, Moola, Purvashadha, Uttarashadha, Sravana, Dhanishta, Satabhisha, Purvabhadra, Uttarabhadra, Revati.

Yoga:

There are 27 Yogas in a Month. These are called the Nityayoga and yield good or bad results. They too have deities presiding over them. The Names of the 27 Yogas are: Vishkambha, Prithi, Ayushman, Soubhagya, Shobhana, Athiganda, Sukurman, Dhruthi, Shula, Ganda, Vruddhi, Dhruva, Vyaghatha, Harshana, Vajra, Siddhi, Vyathipatha, Variyan, Parigha, Shiva, Siddha, Sadhya, Shubha, Shukla, Brahma, Aindra, Vydhruthi.

Karana:

Karana is half of a Thithi. Therefore, there are Two Karanas in One Thithi and 60 Karanas in a Month. There are 11 names for Karanas, Seven are considered as Moving and Four as Stationary.

Like the other Limbs, the Karanas are also considered as presided over by various Deities and are good or bad accordingly. The Names of the 11 Karanas are: Kimstugna, Bhava, Balava, Kaulava, Theithula, Garaja, Vanik, Bhadra, Shakuni, Chathushpada, Nagava.

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A Panchanga will provide the Following Details for each Day (as applicable):

Rahu Kala:

This is considered to be an inauspicious Time Period every Day to perform important Functions or Activities like, Marriage, performing Grahapravesa (Moving in) to a New House, Starting a New Job etc. This Period occurs at different Times each Day of the Week. An easy way to remember is a Simple Sentence that has a Meaning – Mother (Monday: 7.30 AM to 9 AM) Saw (Saturday: 9 AM to 10.30 AM) Father (Friday: 10.30 AM to 12 Noon) Wearing (Wednesday: 12 Noon to 1.30 PM) The (Thursday: 1.30 PM to 3 PM) Turban (Tuesday: 3 PM to 4.30 PM) on a Sunday (4.30 PM to 6 PM). All Good Deeds are performed outside of this Rahu Kala Periods.

Amavasya:

This is a New Moon Day and is considered to be a Good Day for performance of important Activities. This Day occurs once a Month. This is a day Tarpana needs to be performed for the Dead Ancestor(s). Panchanga identifies Amavasya every Month. During Every Year, the Diwali falls on a Amavasya Day in the Tula Month (October or November).

Purnima:

This is a Full Moon Day. Panchanga identifies Purnima every month. Satyanarayana Puja is performed on a Purnima Day.

Ekadasi:

This is a Day many Spiritual Hindus practice Fasting – Some skip one Meal, Some don’t eat at all on a Ekadasi Day. No rice consumption on this day. Panchanga identifies the Ekadasi Day every Month. A Special Ekadasi known as the Vaikunta Ekadasi occurs once a Year in the Dhanur Month (December-January). It is Firmly Believed by Hindus that for a Person dying on a Vaikunta Ekadasi Day, this Person’s Soul goes to Vaikunta for sure.

Pradosha:

Pradosha Day occurs twice a Month on the Trayodashi Thithi and is identified in the Panchanga. Importance of this Day and detailed Vedic Chanting done for Lord Shiva is narrated in the earlier Chapters.

Planetary Position of the Nine Planets:

Each month of the Panchanga provides the position (Rasi) of the Nine Moving Planets that is required for the study of Astrology (Jyotisha) forecasts.

Chapter Re-cap:

1) Everyone has to try to have an Overview Knowledge of the Panchanga.

2) People who are Spiritually Oriented usually avoid the Rahu Kala when they perform Important Activities.

3) Panchanga is a Good Reference Material to know the New Moon Day, Full Moon Day, Important Festivals like Diwali, Shravana Day (Annual Thread Changing Day) and so on.

4) Panchanga is necessary to do Astrology (Jyotisha) forecasts to know the position of the nine planets.

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This article is a snippet from the Book Essentials of Hinduism, Authored by G.S Nilakantan. Hinduism for All is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.