Determination of Lunar Days

Determination of Lunar Days 1

|| Salutations to the blessed Lord Ganesha || Now begins the writing on the determination of the lunar days original: "tithi nirnaya." The calculation of the correct day for rituals based on the lunar calendar. regarding the nature of the first day of the New Year original: "Samvatsara." The traditional Hindu year.. || In that regard, after the Sun enters the sign of Pisces, the "time of merit" original: "punya kala" occurs during the following auspicious hours. If this occurs at night, specifically after midnight, then the merit period falls on the preceding day. || If it occurs exactly at midnight, the merit is shared across two days. This is the general rule. ||

The beginning of the year occurs on the first day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra. How should it be observed? If the first day spans across two sunrise periods, the earlier one is chosen. "On the first day of the bright half of Chaitra, at the moment of sunrise, Lord Brahma created the world." Because of this, this is the birthday of the world. At this time, because secular works are forbidden, one enters a state of ritual purity. On this day, one should celebrate the birth of the year, the arrival of spring, and honor King Bali. || 1 || So says the sage Vashistha.

The beginning of the Nine Nights original: "Navaratra." A festival dedicated to the Goddess. should not be performed if the first lunar day is joined with the new moon. Even if the second day lasts only for a single "muhurta" original: a unit of time roughly 48 minutes, it is preferable because it possesses the qualities of the second day. This is according to the Devi Purana.

In this same context, the gift of providing water is mentioned:
"When the month of Phalguna has passed and the great festival of Chaitra has arrived, on a meritorious day designated by a priest, one should begin the charity of water original: "prapa-dana." The ritual setting up of water stations for travelers.."
Regarding this, a donor gives a "Vessel of Dharma" original: "dharma ghata" into the hands of a priest, representing Vishnu and Shiva.
Rama.

"By the giving of this vessel, may all my heart's desires be fulfilled. Just as the sun is situated in the month of Jyeshtha, I give this water with sesame seeds to the ancestors; may it remain inexhaustible." || 2 ||

On the third day of the bright half of Chaitra, the Goddess Gauri is united with Lord Shiva. On that day, one should celebrate a great festival. That day should be chosen even if it overlaps with the fourth day. Even if it lasts only a "muhurta," this is the rule for the vow of Gauri, according to Madhava. Here too, the vow of the "Bedsheet of Auspiciousness" is mentioned.

Now, the determination of the days for the incarnations original: "Avatars." The descents of God onto Earth. such as the Fish is stated. The rituals for ancestors are performed on the 3rd, 10th, 8th, 9th, 12th, 11th, and 7th days of the dark half of the months of Pausha and others. In the bright half, these rituals should be performed in the morning; in the dark half, they should be performed in the afternoon. This is from the words of Garuda. According to time and place, in both halves of the month, they should span the afternoon. If there is an intercalary month original: "Mala Masa." An extra month added to the calendar to keep it in sync with the solar year., the ancestor rites original: "Shraddha" should be performed in both months.

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Except for the entry of the sun into a new sign, the transition of the seasons, and the beginnings of the world-ages, one should perform all ancestor rites as a human duty. || 1 || The ancestor rites for the beginning of world-ages are obligatory. The lunar days for these are considered eternal. The New Moon, the beginning of an era, the sun's transit, and the Great Ancestor Festival are proclaimed as the "Eternal Days."

The third day of the bright half of Chaitra is the Fish Incarnation original: "Matsya-jayanti".
Some say it is the fifth day of the bright half of Chaitra that the Lord took the form of a Fish.
On the 12th of the bright half of Jyeshtha, Lord Hari took the form of a Tortoise original: "Kurma".
On the 9th of the bright half of Chaitra, Hari took the form of a Boar original: "Varaha".
The Lion-Man original: "Narasimha" appeared on the 14th of the bright half of Vaishakha. || 12 ||
In the month of Bhadrapada, on the 12th of the bright half, Lord Hari appeared as the Dwarf original: "Vamana".
On the 3rd of the bright half of Vaishakha, he appeared as Rama, son of Bhrigu Parashurama.
On the 9th of the bright half of Chaitra, he appeared as Rama, son of Dasharatha.
On the 2nd day of that same month, the Lord became Balabhadra Balarama. || 4 ||
On the 8th of the dark half of Shravana, Krishna appeared as the protector of the world.
On the 2nd of the bright half of Jyeshtha, he will become Buddha and Kalki. || 5 ||

Among these, the dates for Vamana, Rama, the Fish, and Krishna fall in the afternoon. The Tortoise, Lion-Man, Buddha, and Kalki are celebrated at night or when the time is equal to the previous day. || 6 || In some scriptures, there are different arrangements of the stars and deities due to different cosmic cycles.

On the 5th of the bright half of Chaitra begins the vow for the Maiden. On the 3rd of Vaishakha or Phalguna, or the 5th of Chaitra, or similarly the 13th of the bright half of Magha, the 7th of Kartika, or the 9th of Margashirsha—these dates are for those immersed in the world. They bring welfare and make one's gifts inexhaustible. || 3 ||

On the 8th of the bright half of Chaitra is the birth of the Goddess Bhavani. This day should be taken when it is joined with the 9th. One who worships Bhavani on this 8th day will never be born again from a human womb but will always remain in bliss. The 8th day joined with the 9th, and the 9th joined with the 8th...