Ganapati's Treatise on Auspicious Moments

Muhurta Ganapati 2

The eternal Lord Shiva, embraced by the daughter of the Himalayas Parvati as if by a golden desire-granting vine, reigns supreme; He is the very Tree of Plenty that bestows all fruits of desire. || 1 ||

I bow to the Lord who wears a garland of skulls Shiva, who impels the world toward the performance of sacrifices and sacred rites, and who created the Muhurta a specific auspicious unit of time, roughly 48 minutes to guide the people. || 2 ||

Having bowed to the feet of Ganesha—who is the form of the entire universe—to the feet of my Guru, to the embodiment of Sacrifice, to my parents, and to all the great sages who authored the Samhitas traditional collections of Vedic hymns or astrological laws; and having understood the foundational texts composed by Garga, Atri, Vashistha, and Angiras, and having reflected upon the Ratnamala The "Jewel Garland," a famous astrological text with its elegant verses and the various astrological compendiums; || 3 ||

And setting aside complex technical codes to provide ease of practical use for the quick enlightenment of students, I compose this work using simple and concise words based on the meanings declared in the astronomical texts to ensure the success of all undertakings. I, who am a knower of the established astronomical truths Siddhanta, whose intellect is proficient in the Vedas and various arts and sciences, who is honored by the lords of the Gauda region modern-day Bengal/Bihar area, and who is repeatedly worshipped by the foremost of kings; || 4 ||

Born from the lineage of Shri Ramadasa, the son of Shri Ravala Harishankara, endowed with humility, I, Vidyanidhi Ganapati, a knower of the traditional mathematical sciences, compose this book titled Muhurta Ganapati. || 5 ||

Now, the Calculation of the Year

Take the Shaka era year The traditional Indian calendar starting in 78 CE in two places. Multiply one by 22. Then, divide it by 4281 represented by the cryptic words "Sunanda-Abdhi," where Sunanda=9, Abdhi=4, etc., though the text provides the numerals 4281. Add the result to the product of the Shaka year and 1875 represented by "Arrows-Mountains-Elephants-Moon". Divide the sum by 60. The remainder gives the number of elapsed years in the cycle. According to the Jovian measurement the 60-year cycle of Jupiter, these years follow the sequence starting with Prabhava. || 7 ||

Now, the Names of the Sixty Years

1. Prabhava, 2. Vibhava, 3. Shukla, 4. Pramoda, 5. Prajapati, 6. Angiras, 7. Shrimukha, 8. Bhava, 9. Yuva, 10. Dhata, 11. Ishvara... || 8 ||

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