Commentary with Language Translation - Chapter 1

Actions involving weapons, poison, fire, or combat are considered auspicious In this context, "auspicious" means the timing is effective for these specific harsh activities, while general celebratory actions are inauspicious on these days. On the fifth lunar day, all auspicious deeds achieve success; however, one must never give a loan (debt), as money given on this day is lost. On the sixth, all celebratory and nourishing acts are auspicious—except for oil massage, travel, ancestral rites, and using tooth-sticks twigs used for dental hygiene. Crafts related to war, architecture, jewelry, and clothing are also favorable. On the seventh, those deeds mentioned for the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th days are successful. On the eighth, deeds useful for battle, architectural work, crafts, royal duties, writing, matters concerning women, gems, and jewelry are auspicious. On the tenth, the deeds mentioned for the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th are successful. On the eleventh, all religious acts such as fasting and vows, festivals for the deities, architecture, military actions, and crafts are auspicious. On the twelfth, all religious and nourishing deeds for both stationary and moving beings are successful. On the thirteenth, the aforementioned deeds of the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th are auspicious. On the full moon (Purnima), sacrificial rituals, nourishing acts, celebrations, military preparations, architecture, marriage, crafts, and all jewelry-related matters are successful. On the new moon (Amavasya), only ancestral rites (Pitru-karma) should be performed; some scriptures allow for "fierce" Ugra-karma (fierce actions like exorcism or combat) deeds, but other celebrations or nourishing festivals should not be conducted. || 3 ||

The lunar days are named Nanda, Bhadra, Jaya, Rikta, and Purna; they range from inauspicious to mediocre to excellent.
In the bright and dark fortnights, they are respectively excellent, middling, or low; they become "Siddha" (perfected) when falling on Friday, Wednesday, Tuesday, Saturday, and Thursday. || 4 ||

In the three cycles of lunar days, the five classifications—starting with Nanda—follow in order: for example, the 1st, 6th, and 11th are Nanda; the 2nd, 7th, and 12th are Bhadra; the 3rd, 8th, and 13th are Jaya; the 4th, 9th, and 14th are Rikta; and the 5th, 10th, and 15th are Purna. Their results correspond to their names e.g., Nanda means "joyous," Rikta means "empty". Furthermore, in the bright fortnight (Shukla-paksha), the first third (1st to 5th day) is inauspicious because the moon is weak; the second third (5th to 10th) is middling, and the final third (10th to the full moon) is auspicious. Conversely, in the dark fortnight (Krishna-paksha), the first third (up to the 5th) is auspicious, the middle third (5th to 10th) is middling, and the final third (11th to the new moon) is "low" or unfavorable. The meaning of the fourth line of the verse is that Nanda (1, 6, 11) on a Friday, Bhadra (2, 7, 12) on a Wednesday, Jaya (3, 8, 13) on a Tuesday, Rikta (4, 9, 14) on a Saturday, and Purna (5, 10, 15) on a Thursday are "Siddha" (perfected) days. The purpose of this is that "A Siddha Tithi destroys all defects," original: "Siddha tithir-hanti samasta-doshan" meaning it grants success by removing astrological flaws like "month-void" or "burned days." || 4 ||