Determination of Lunar Days

Determining the Lunar Day 20

According to the Old Vasishtha original: "Vridhavasishthikah"; referring to an ancient legal authority: When the solar transition Sankranti the moment the sun enters a new zodiac sign occurs between sunset and the actual time of the transition, the period of merit punyakala is considered to be primarily on the preceding day. However, if it occurs at night: whether in the evening pradosha, at midnight nishitha, or in the latter half of the night, if the sun enters Capricorn Makara during the day, that is the time of profit. Some learned scholars say that if it occurs in the evening or at midnight, one should bathe on the following day. This is the view found in the Nirnayamrita and the Parijata. The Southerners referring to the legal traditions of South India also favor this. However, in the opinion of Hemadri, and according to Apararka and the Bhattas referring to the influential family of scholars like Kamalakara Bhatta, if the transition occurs at midnight, the merit belongs to the previous day or the following day depending on the specific hours. If the sun has set, and the transition occurs in the evening or at midnight, then both days are considered meritorious. According to the words of Bodhayana, the period of merit can span two days. For the month of Dhanus the month of the Archer/Sagittarius, the rules change; when the transition occurs at night, divided into early and late parts, the end of the day is considered meritorious. In the customs of the Gujarat region, this is the preferred consideration.

The fourth day of the bright half of Magha Magha roughly corresponds to January–February is known as the Jasmine Fourth Kunda Chaturthi. It should be observed when it coincides with the evening pradosha. This is because the Goddess is pleased when the rite is performed at that time. On this fourth day of Magha, one should worship the deity in the city. On this "Jasmine Fourth," one should worship Shiva with jasmine flowers kunda. A person who fasts during the day and eats only at night nakta-vrata obtains great prosperity.

The fifth day of the bright half of Magha is Shri Panchami a day dedicated to Lakshmi or Saraswati. It should be accepted as the previous day’s alignment. On the fourth day of Magha, having worshipped the Goddess of Prosperity Shri, one should perform the worship on the fifth with jasmine flowers for the sake of abundance. According to the school of Madhava, this should be the earlier alignment. In the bright half of Chaitra, the Shri Panchami follows different rules.

The seventh day of the bright half of Magha is the Sun’s Chariot Seventh Ratha Saptami. It should be observed when it coincides with the pre-dawn light arunodaya. If the sixth day lasts for two hours into the morning on the following day, then by the power of that moment, the dawn belongs to the seventh. This Magha Seventh is considered equal in merit to a solar eclipse.

Rama 20

Bathing at the rise of the sun on this day yields great fruit; such are the words of Vishnu. One should offer a lamp upon the water to the deities. This day is also the start of a Manvantara a vast cosmic age in Hindu mythology. The seventh day of the bright half is always considered "triple" or particularly sacred. When it coincides with the star Rohini, it is especially significant for ancestral rites.

The eighth day of the bright half of Magha is Bhishma Ashtami. As stated in the Padma Purana cited by Hemadri: those who perform the water libations tarpana and ancestral rites shraddha on this day after the seventh has passed will be blessed with progeny. Even the Narada Purana says: the eighth day of Magha destroys a whole year’s sins. On this day, people of all castes should perform the libations. The mantra for the libation is:

Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, the hero, of true speech and conquered senses; through these water-offerings, may he obtain the merits of a rite endowed with sons and grandsons. To him of the Vyaghrapada clan, of the Sankriti lineage, to the sonless Bhishma, I give this water. To the incarnation of the Vasus, the son of Shantanu, I give this offering to Bhishma, the lifelong celibate.

This libation can be performed even by those whose fathers are still living jivach-pitrika normally, water libations for the dead are only performed by those whose fathers have passed away; Bhishma is a universal ancestor figure for whom this rule is waived. Doing so brings pleasure to Bhishma and removes sins. This is the view of the Divodasa.

The tenth day of the bright half of Magha is Jimuta Saptami there may be a scribal error here mixing the 7th and 10th. The twelfth day of the bright half of Magha is Bhishma Dvadashi. The full moon of Magha is also significant. The seventh, eighth, and ninth days of the bright half of Magha have been explained.

The fourteenth day of the dark half of Magha is Shivaratri The Great Night of Shiva. It should be observed when the lunar day coincides with the evening pradosha or the middle of the night. If it coincides with sunrise, the earlier day is taken if it covers the midnight hour. In Hemadri’s view, the earlier day is preferred; in Madhava’s view, the later. In various rulings, the evening coincidence is emphasized for some, while the midnight coincidence nishitha is for others. According to the Madhaviya: when the sun sets on the thirteenth day and the fourteenth day begins, one should observe the Shivaratri vow.