The Panchang :
The Hindus follow the Panchang which is a spiritual and
scientific calendar .It provides a listing of festivals,
weather predictions, events, epidemics and personal fortune.
The word "Panch" means five and "ang" means aspect.
Panchang is an ancient Indian Calendar system based on
Astrological facts. Calculations are done based on the
position and movement of the planets, stars and
constellations. These are used to determine the most ideal or
auspicious time for carrying out various activities like
getting married, stepping into a new home, attending work for
the first time, etc. The Panchang is also a readymade guide
that gives us the dates of important hindu festivals. It gives
the exact time when a particular task can be undertaken to
reap maximum benefits. It defines a particular time of a day
using the five parameters - the day, the tithi, the star, the
yoga and the karana corresponding to that day.
Panchang- is it a necessity?
* Any new venture started on an appropriate tithi will fetch
prosperity.
* Any deed done on the right day of the week will enhance
longevity.
* Any deed done on a day with a favorable star will alleviate
a person from all sorts of ill effects.
* Diseases will disappear if deeds are performed at a time
with good and beneficial yoga.
* A deed done during good and beneficial karana will help in
the achievement of the objective and remove hurdles and
impediments.
The Panchang is a tool that can maximize the chances of your
efforts yielding positive results and help you achieve your
goals. You can use Panchang as a ready reckoner for important
days and also to tell you the most ideal time for you to start
on your ventures so you get the most out of them.
Constitution of Panchang:
The time between two consecutive risings of the sun is the
Solar day .
The time between two consecutive risings of the moon is taken
as Lunar Day or Tithi.
The panchang measures time in lunar months whose names reveal
the secret path of stars and constellations. The face of the
new moon is called "Amavasya" and it ushers in the new month.
The first fortnight of the full moon is known as Shuklapaksha
or "the bright half" as the moon waxes; while the dark half
fortnight of the month is called Krishnapaksha during which
the moon wanes. Poornima marks the end of Shuklapaksha.
Months in the lunar year according to the Panchang:
The Hindu calendar usually has 12 months each
given the name of the solar month in which it
begins. However there may even be 13 months as
each month begins with the new moon.
When two moons occur in the same solar month, the
two lunar months will both be known by the same
name, but will have "adhika" placed before the
name of the first month. Occasionally a solar
month may occur with no moon., when this happens,
the solar month is known as a "ksaya" month.
The twelve months of the lunar year correspond to
the following:
۞ Chaitra (March - April)
۞ Vaisakh (April - May)
۞ Jyeshta (May - June)
۞ Aashaadh (June - July)
۞ Shravan (July - August)
۞ Bhadra (August - September)
۞ Ashwin (September - October)
۞ Kartik (October - November)
۞ Margasheersh (November - December)
۞ Paush (December - January)
۞ Maagh (January - February)
۞ Phagun (February - March)
The Days in the Lunar year are:
The Panchang lists four weeks of seven days for a
lunar month, identified with planets and gods.
Panchang Name |
English
Name |
Planet |
Name of
God |
Somvar |
Monday |
Moon |
Shiva |
Mangalvar |
Tuesday |
Mars |
Ganapati, Parvati |
Budhvar |
Wednesday |
Mercury |
Krishna |
Guruvar |
Thursday |
Jupiter |
Dattaguru |
Shukravar |
Friday |
Venus |
Lakshmi |
Shanivar |
Saturday |
Saturn |
Hanuman |
Ravivar |
Sunday |
Sun |
Sun God |
Nakshatra:
The
ecliptic is divided into 27 nakshatras, which are variously
called lunar houses or asterisms. These reflect the
moon's cycle against the fixed stars, 27 days and 7¾
hours. Nakshatra computation appears to have been well
known at the time of the Rig Veda (2nd–1st millennium
BC).
The
starting point for this division is the point on the
ecliptic directly opposite to the star Spica called Chitrā in
Sanskrit. (Other slightly-different definitions exist.) It
is called Meshādi or the "start of Aries". The ecliptic is divided
into the nakshatras eastwards starting from this
point.
The nakshatra-s with their corresponding regions of sky
are given below, following [Basham]'s Appendix: Astronomy.
As always, there are many versions with minor differences.
The names on the right-hand column give roughly the
correspondence of the nakshatra-s to modern names
of stars. Note that nakshatra-s are (in this
context) not just single stars but are segments on the
ecliptic characterised by one or more stars. Hence you
will find many stars mentioned for one nakshatra.
Ashvinī |
β and γ
Arietis |
Bharanī |
35, 39,
and 41 Arietis |
Krittikā |
Pleiades |
Rohinī |
Aldebaran |
Mrigashīrsha |
λ, φ
Orionis |
Ārdrā |
Betelgeuse |
Punarvasu |
Castor
and Pollux |
Pushya |
γ, δ and
θ Cancri |
Āshleshā |
δ, ε, η,
ρ, and σ Hydrae |
Maghā |
Regulus |
Pūrva
Phalgunī |
δ and θ
Leonis |
Uttara
Phalgunī |
Denebola |
Hasta |
α to ε
Corvi |
Chitrā |
Spica |
Svātī |
Arcturus |
Vishākhā |
α, β, γ
and ι Librae |
Anurādhā |
β, δ and
π Scorpionis |
Jyeshtha |
α, σ,
and τ Scorpionis |
Mūla |
ε, ζ, η,
θ, ι, κ, λ, μ and ν Scorpionis |
Pūrva
Ashādhā |
δ and ε
Sagittarii |
Uttara
Ashādhā |
ζ and σ
Sagittarii |
Shravana |
α, β and
γ Aquilae |
Dhanishthā |
α to δ
Delphinis |
Shatabhishaj |
γ
Aquarii |
Pūrva
Bhādrapada |
α and β
Pegasi |
Uttara
Bhādrapada |
γ Pegasi
and α Andromedae |
Revatī |
ζ
Piscium |
An additional
28th intercalary nakshatra, Abhijit (alpha, epsilon and
zeta Lyrae - Vega - between Uttarasharha and Sravana), is
in between Uttarashada and Sravana. Last two (third and
fourth) Padas of Uttrashada and first two (first and
second) Padas of Sravana are considered to be Abhijith.
The nakshatra in which the moon lies at the time of
sunrise of a day is the nakshatra for the day.
Vaasara:
There are
seven days of the week:
۞ Ravi vāsara (Sunday)
۞ Soma vāsara (Monday)
۞ Mangala vāsara (Tuesday)
۞ Budha vāsara (Wednesday)
۞ Guru vāsara (Thursday)
۞ Shukra vāsara (Friday)
۞ Shani vāsara (Saturday)
There are many other variations of these names, using
other names of the celestial bodies of the Sun, Moon,
Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. In common
language, the word 'vaasara' is replaced by 'vaara', so
Friday is 'Shukravaara' etc
Month and
year of the solar calendar:
Now that the days are
defined, we shall speak of how the solar calendar reckons
its months and year.
As has been previously noted, the sun is observed to
travel along the ecliptic. The ecliptic is now divided
into twelve parts called rāshi-s, starting from the point
of Meshādi defined above and moving eastwards. The names
of the rāshis correspond to those in the West, and may
indicate a common Sumerian origin. Greek astronomical
interchange, as in the Romaka Siddhanta, also led to a
degree of homogenization. This table lists the rāshis
along with their zodiac equivalents:
(Rashi)
Saur Maas
(solar months) |
Ritu
(season) |
Gregorian
months |
Zodiac |
Mesha |
Vasant
(spring) |
April/May. |
Aries |
Vrushabha |
May/June. |
Taurus |
Mithuna |
Grishma
(summer) |
June/July. |
Gemini |
Karka |
July/Aug. |
Cancer |
Simha |
Varsha
(monsoon) |
Aug./Sept. |
Leo |
Kanya |
Sept./Oct. |
Virgo |
Tula |
Sharad
(autumn) |
Oct./Nov. |
Libra |
Vrushchika |
Nov./Dec. |
Scorpius |
Dhanu |
Hemant
(autumn-winter) |
Dec./Jan. |
Sagittarius |
Makara |
Jan./Feb. |
Capricornus |
Kumbha |
Shishir
(Winter-Spring) |
Feb./Mar. |
Aquarius |
Meena |
Mar./Apr. |
Pisces |
The day on
which the sun transits into each rāshi before sunset is
taken to be the first day of the month. In case the sun
transits into a rāshi after a sunset but before the next
sunrise, then the next day is the first day of the month.
(Minor variations on this definition exist.)
The days are then labeled 1, 2, 3…. till the first day of
the next month.
Thus we get twelve months with varying lengths of 29 to 32
days. This variation in length occurs because the earth's
orbit around the sun is an ellipse, but also because of
some variability in the transit point falling before or
after sunrise. The months are named by the rāshi in which
the sun travels in that month.
The new year day is the first day of the month of Mesha.
Currently, it occurs around April 15 on the Gregorian
calendar.
This is the structure of the Hindu solar calendar.
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