The
hindu calendar used in ancient times has undergone many changes in the process of regionalization, and today there are several regional Indian
calendarA calendar is a system of organizing days for social, religious, commercial, or administrative purposes. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months, and years. The name given to each day is known as a date. Periods in a calendar are usually, though not...
s, as well as an
Indian national calendarThe Indian national calendar is the official civil calendar in use in India. It is used, alongside the Gregorian calendar, by The Gazette of India, news broadcasts by All India Radio, and calendars and communications issued by the Government of India.The term may also ambiguously refer to the...
.
Nepali calendarThe Nepali Calendar is a traditional solar calendar used in Nepal for both civil and religious purposes. The year begins in the month Baishakh; usually around 14 April....
,
Bengali calendarThe Bengali calendar or Bangla calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used by the Bengali people. It is used in the eastern Indian states of West Bengal, Assam and Tripura and in Bangladesh...
,
Malayalam calendarMalayalam calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Kerala, India. The origin of the calendar has been dated as 825 CE....
,
Tamil calendarThe Tamil calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Tamil Nadu. It is also used in Pondicherry , and by the Tamil population in Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. It is also used by Telugu speaking people in Tamil Nadu...
, Telugu calendar, Kannada calendar etc. are some prominent regional Hindu calendars.
Most of these calendars are inherited from a system first enunciated in
Vedanga JyotishaThe ' is an Indian text on Jyotisha, redacted by Lagadha .The text is foundational to the Vedanga discipline of Jyotisha. It is dated to the final centuries BCE...
of Lagadha, a late BCE adjunct to the
VedasThe Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
, standardized in the
Surya SiddhantaThe Surya Siddhanta is one of the earliest siddhanta in archeo-astronomy of the Hindus by an unknown author. It describes the archeo-astronomy theories, principles and methods of the ancient Hindus. This siddhanta is supposed to be the knowledge that the Sun god gave to an Asura called Maya. Asuras...
(3rd century CE) and subsequently reformed by astronomers such as
AryabhataAryabhata was the first in the line of great mathematician-astronomers from the classical age of Indian mathematics and Indian astronomy...
(499 CE),
VarahamihiraVarāhamihira , also called Varaha or Mihira, was an Indian astronomer, mathematician, and astrologer who lived in Ujjain...
(6th c. CE), and Bhaskara (12th c. CE). Differences and regional variations abound in these computations, but the following is a general overview of Hindu lunisolar calendar.
Day
In the Hindu calendar, the day starts with local sunrise. It is allotted five "properties", called
angas. They are:
- the tithi
In vedic timekeeping, a tithi is a lunar day, or the time it takes for the longitudinal angle between the moon and the sun to increase by 12°. Tithis begin at varying times of day and vary in duration from approximately 19 to approximately 26 hours. There are 30 tithis in each lunar month, named...
(one of 30 divisions of a synodic month) active at sunrise
- the vaasara, vaar (ravi-vaar, som-vaar, etc.) or weekday
- the nakshatra
Nakshatra is the term for lunar mansion in Hindu astrology. A nakshatra is one of 27 sectors along the ecliptic...
(one of 27 divisions of the celestial eclipticThe ecliptic is the plane of the earth's orbit around the sun. In more accurate terms, it is the intersection of the celestial sphere with the ecliptic plane, which is the geometric plane containing the mean orbit of the Earth around the Sun...
) in which the moon resides at sunrise
- the yoga (one of 27 divisions based on the ecliptic longitude of the sun and moon) active at sunrise
- the karana (divisions based on tithis) active at sunrise.
Together these are called the
panchāngas (
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
:
pancha = five). An explanation of the terms follows.
Vaasara
Vaasara refers to the days of the
weekA week is a time unit equal to seven days.The English word week continues an Old English wice, ultimately from a Common Germanic , from a root "turn, move, change"...
and bear striking similarities with the names of the week in many western cultures:
| No. |
Sanskrit name of the weekday |
English & Latin names of the weekday |
Celestial object |
| 1 |
Ravi Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
vāsara
रविवासर |
Sunday Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. For most Christians, Sunday is observed as a day for worship of God and rest, due to the belief that it is Lord's Day, the day of Christ's resurrection....
/dies SolisSol was the solar deity in Ancient Roman religion. It was long thought that Rome actually had two different, consecutive sun gods. The first, Sol Indiges, was thought to have been unimportant, disappearing altogether at an early period. Only in the late Roman Empire, scholars argued, did solar cult...
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Ravi Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
= SunThe Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
|
| 2 |
Soma Soma , or Haoma , from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma-, was a ritual drink of importance among the early Indo-Iranians, and the subsequent Vedic and greater Persian cultures. It is frequently mentioned in the Rigveda, whose Soma Mandala contains 114 hymns, many praising its energizing qualities...
vāsara
सोमवासर |
MondayMonday is the day of the week between Sunday and Tuesday. According to international standard ISO 8601 it is the first day of the work week. According to the Islamic and Hebrew calendars, Sunday is the first day of the week...
/dies LunaeIn Greek mythology, Selene was an archaic lunar deity and the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. In Roman mythology, the moon goddess is called Luna, Latin for "moon"....
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Soma In Hinduism, Chandra is a lunar deity and a Graha. Chandra is also identified with the Vedic Lunar deity Soma . The Soma name refers particularly to the juice of sap in the plants and thus makes the Moon the lord of plants and vegetation. He is described as young, beautiful, fair; two-armed and...
= MoonThe Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
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| 3 |
Mangala In Jyotish astrology, Mangala is the name for Mars, the red planet. Mars is also called Angaraka In Jyotish astrology, Mangala (Devanagari: मंगल) is the name for Mars, the red planet. Mars is also called Angaraka In Jyotish astrology, Mangala (Devanagari: मंगल) is the name for Mars, the red...
vāsara
मंगलवासर |
Tuesday Tuesday is a day of the week occurring after Monday and before Wednesday.According to international standard ISO 8601, it is the second day of the week, although in some traditions it is the third....
/dies MartisMars was the Roman god of war and also an agricultural guardian, a combination characteristic of early Rome. He was second in importance only to Jupiter, and he was the most prominent of the military gods worshipped by the Roman legions...
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Mangala In Jyotish astrology, Mangala is the name for Mars, the red planet. Mars is also called Angaraka In Jyotish astrology, Mangala (Devanagari: मंगल) is the name for Mars, the red planet. Mars is also called Angaraka In Jyotish astrology, Mangala (Devanagari: मंगल) is the name for Mars, the red...
= MarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
|
| 4 |
Budha In Hindu mythology, Budha is the name for the planet Mercury, a son of Chandra with Tara or Rohini. He is also the god of merchandise and protector of Merchants....
vāsara
बुधवासर |
Wednesday Wednesday is a day of the week in the Gregorian calendar. According to international standard ISO 8601, it is the third day of the week. This day is between Tuesday and Thursday...
/dies MercuriiMercury was a messenger who wore winged sandals, and a god of trade, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is related to the Latin word merx , mercari , and merces...
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Budha In Hindu mythology, Budha is the name for the planet Mercury, a son of Chandra with Tara or Rohini. He is also the god of merchandise and protector of Merchants....
= MercuryMercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System, orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits...
|
| 5 |
Guru A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
vāsara
गुरुवासर
or
BruhaspatiBṛhaspati also known as Brahmanaspati and Deva-guru , is the name of a Vedic deity...
vāsara
बृहस्पतिवासरः |
ThursdayThursday is the fourth day of the week according to the ISO 8601 international standard adopted in most western countries. In countries that use the Sunday-first convention and in the Judeo-Christian calendar it is the fifth day of the week. It falls between Wednesday and Friday...
/dies IovisIn ancient Roman religion and myth, Jupiter or Jove is the king of the gods, and the god of the sky and thunder. He is the equivalent of Zeus in the Greek pantheon....
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Guru (Brihaspati) Bṛhaspati also known as Brahmanaspati and Deva-guru , is the name of a Vedic deity...
= JupiterJupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
|
| 6 |
Shukra Shukra , the Sanskrit for "clear, pure" or "brightness, clearness", is the name of the son of Bhrigu, and preceptor of the Daityas, and the guru of the Asuras, identified with the planet Venus, one of the Navagrahas...
vāsara
शुक्रवासर |
Friday Friday is the day between Thursday and Saturday. In countries adopting Monday-first conventions as recommended by the international standard ISO 8601, it is the fifth day of the week. It is the sixth day in countries that adopt a Sunday-first convention as in Abrahamic tradition...
/dies Veneris Venus is a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty, sex,sexual seduction and fertility, who played a key role in many Roman religious festivals and myths...
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Shukra Shukra , the Sanskrit for "clear, pure" or "brightness, clearness", is the name of the son of Bhrigu, and preceptor of the Daityas, and the guru of the Asuras, identified with the planet Venus, one of the Navagrahas...
= VenusVenus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
|
| 7 |
ShaniSanskrit Śhani शनि, Kannada Śhani ಶನಿ ದೇವರು,Shani/Sani , is one of the Navagraha or Jyotiṣa . Shani is embodied in the planet Saturn and is the Lord of Saturday....
vāsara
शनिवासर |
Saturday Saturday is the day of the week following Friday and preceding Sunday.Saturday is the last day of the week on many calendars and in conventions that consider the week as beginning on Sunday, or the sixth day of the week according to international standard ISO 8601 which was first published in...
/dies SaturnisIn ancient Roman religion and myth, Saturn was a major god presiding over agriculture and the harvest time. His reign was depicted as a Golden Age of abundance and peace by many Roman authors. In medieval times he was known as the Roman god of agriculture, justice and strength. He held a sickle in...
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ShaniSanskrit Śhani शनि, Kannada Śhani ಶನಿ ದೇವರು,Shani/Sani , is one of the Navagraha or Jyotiṣa . Shani is embodied in the planet Saturn and is the Lord of Saturday....
= SaturnSaturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
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The term
-vaasara is often realized as
vaara or
vaar in
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
-derived languages. There are many variations of the names in the regional languages, mostly using alternate names of the celestial bodies involved.
Nakshatra
The
eclipticThe ecliptic is the plane of the earth's orbit around the sun. In more accurate terms, it is the intersection of the celestial sphere with the ecliptic plane, which is the geometric plane containing the mean orbit of the Earth around the Sun...
is divided into 27
nakshatraNakshatra is the term for lunar mansion in Hindu astrology. A nakshatra is one of 27 sectors along the ecliptic...
s, which are variously called lunar houses or
asterismsIn astronomy, an asterism is a pattern of stars recognized on Earth's night sky. It may form part of an official constellation, or be composed of stars from more than one. Like constellations, asterisms are in most cases composed of stars which, while they are visible in the same general direction,...
.
These reflect the moon's cycle against the fixed stars, 27 days and 7¾ hours, the fractional part being compensated by an intercalary 28th
nakshatra.
Nakshatra computation appears to have been well known at the time of the Rig Veda (2nd–1st millennium BCE).
The ecliptic is divided into the
nakshatras eastwards starting from a
reference point which is traditionally a point on the ecliptic directly
opposite the star
SpicaSpica is the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, and the 15th brightest star in the nighttime sky. It is 260 light years distant from Earth...
called
Chitrā in Sanskrit. (Other slightly different definitions exist.) It is called
Meshādi or the "start of
AriesAries is the first astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the zodiac between the zero degree and the 29th degree of celestial longitude. The Sun enters Aries when it reaches the northern vernal equinox, which is usually on March 21 each year, and remains in this sign until around April 20...
"; this is when the
equinoxAn equinox occurs twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun, the center of the Sun being in the same plane as the Earth's equator...
— where the ecliptic meets the equator — was in Aries (today it is in Pisces, 28 degrees before Aries starts). The difference between Meshādi and the present equinox is known as ayanāngsha or fraction of ecliptic. Given the 25,800 year cycle for the
precession of the equinoxesIn astronomy, axial precession is a gravity-induced, slow and continuous change in the orientation of an astronomical body's rotational axis. In particular, it refers to the gradual shift in the orientation of Earth's axis of rotation, which, like a wobbling top, traces out a pair of cones joined...
, the equinox was directly opposite Spica in 285 CE, around the date of the Surya Siddhanta.
The
nakshatras with their corresponding regions of sky are given below, following Basham. As always, there are many versions with minor differences. The names on the right-hand column give roughly the correspondence of the
nakshatras to modern names of stars. Note that
nakshatras are (in this context) not just single stars but are segments on the ecliptic characterised by one or more stars. Hence there are more than one star mentioned for each
nakshatra.
| # | Sanskrut,Hindi,Marathi nameSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
संस्कृतम्,हिन्दी,मराठी | Malayalam name
മലയാളം | Tamil nameTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
தமிழ் | Telugu nameTelugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
తెలుగు | Kannada nameKannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
ಕನ್ನಡ | Western star name |
| 1 |
Ashvinī Asvini is the first nakshatra in Hindu astrology, corresponding to the head of Aries, including the stars β and γ Arietis.The name aśvinī is used by Varahamihira...
अश्विनी |
Ashvati
അശ്വതി |
Aswini
அஸ்வினி |
Aswini
అశ్విని |
Ashwini Ashwini may refer to*Ashwini Akkunji, Indian athlete*Ashwini Bhave, Indian Actress*Ashwini Kalsekar, Indian Soap Opera Actress*Ashwini Nachappa, Indian Athlete*Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, Hindustani classical music vocalist...
ಅಶ್ವಿನಿ |
β Beta Arietis is a star in the constellation Aries, marking the Ram's second horn. It has the traditional name Sheratan , and the Flamsteed designation 6 Arietis...
and γGamma Arietis is a triple star system, 204 light years distant, in the constellation Aries. It has the traditional name Mesarthim, of obscure origin, and has been called "the First Star in Aries" as having been at one time the nearest visible star to the equinoctial point...
ArietisAries is one of the constellations of the zodiac, located between Pisces to the west and Taurus to the east. Its name is Latin for ram, and its symbol is , representing a ram's horns...
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| 2 |
Bharanī Bharani is the second nakshatra in Hindu astronomy, corresponding to 35, 39, and 41 Arietis. In Jyotiṣa, Bharani is ruled by Shukra ....
भरणी |
Bharaṇi
ഭരണി |
Baraṇi
பரணி |
Bharani
భరణి |
Bharaṇi
ಭರಣಿ |
35 35 Arietis is a star in the constellation Aries. Its apparent magnitude is 4.65.-References:*...
, 39, and 4141 Arietis or c Arietis is a star in the constellation Aries. It does not possess a Greek letter Bayer designation, since this star was once part of the now-obsolete constellation Musca Borealis, but is sometimes designated c Arietis.41 Arietis belongs to the spectral class B8Vn, and has a stellar...
ArietisAries is one of the constellations of the zodiac, located between Pisces to the west and Taurus to the east. Its name is Latin for ram, and its symbol is , representing a ram's horns...
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| 3 |
Krittikā The star cluster ', sometimes known as Kārtikā, corresponds to the open star cluster Pleiades in Indian astronomy and...
कृत्तिका |
Kārttika
കാർത്തിക |
Kārthikai
கார்த்திகை |
Krithika
కృత్తిక |
Krithika
ಕೃತಿಕ |
PleiadesIn astronomy, the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters , is an open star cluster containing middle-aged hot B-type stars located in the constellation of Taurus. It is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and is the cluster most obvious to the naked eye in the night sky...
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| 4 |
Rohini
रोहिणी |
Rōhiṇi
രോഹിണി |
Rōhiṇi
ரோகிணி |
Rohini
రోహిణి |
Rohini
ರೋಹಿಣಿ |
AldebaranAldebaran is a red giant star located about 65 light years away in the zodiac constellation of Taurus. With an average apparent magnitude of 0.87 it is the brightest star in the constellation and is one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky...
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| 5 |
Mrigashīrsha Sanskrit mr̥gáśiras the 5th nakshatra or lunar mansion as used in Hindu astronomy and astrology is the constellation Orion. Its position is described in the Surya Siddhanta....
म्रृगशीर्षा |
Makayiram
മകയിരം |
Mirugasīridam
மிருகசீரிடம் |
Mrigashīra
మృగశిర |
Mrigashīra
ಮೃಗಶಿರ |
λLambda Orionis is a star in the constellation Orion. It has the traditional names Meissa or Heka. "Meissa" derives from the Arabic "Al-Maisan" which means "The Shining One". This term was used for Gamma Gemini , but was somehow also mistakenly applied to λ Orionis and the name stuck...
, φ OrionisOrion, often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous, and most recognizable constellations in the night sky...
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| 6 |
Ārdrā Ardra is the name of a nakshatra in Hindu astrology, the 4th or 6th depending on numbering scheme used.The Sanskrit name ãrdrã translates to "the moist one".It is associated with the star Betelgeuse ....
आद्रा |
Ātira or Tiruvātira
ആതിര (തിരുവാതിര) |
Thiruvādhirai
திருவாதிரை |
Arudra
ఆరుద్ర |
Aridra
ಆರಿದ್ರ |
BetelgeuseBetelgeuse, also known by its Bayer designation Alpha Orionis , is the eighth brightest star in the night sky and second brightest star in the constellation of Orion, outshining its neighbour Rigel only rarely...
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| 7 |
Punarvasu Punarvasu is a Nakshatra in Hindu astrology, which refers to the two brightest stars in the constellation of Gemini: Castor and Pollux.In Malayalam Punarvasu is termed Punartham...
पुनर्वसु |
Puṇartam
പുണർതം |
Punarpoosam
புனர்பூசம் |
Punarvasu
పునర్వసు |
Punarvasu
ಪುನರ್ವಸು |
CastorCastor is the second brightest star in the constellation Gemini and one of the brightest stars in the night sky. Although it has the Bayer designation "alpha", it is actually fainter than Beta Geminorum...
and PolluxPollux is an orange giant star approximately 34 light-years from the Earth in the constellation of Gemini . Pollux is the brightest star in the constellation, brighter than Castor...
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| 8 |
Pushya Pushya is a nakshatra in Indian astronomy. It corresponds to γ, δ and θ Cancri, in the Cancer .-Naming practices:Under the traditional Hindu principle of naming individuals according to their birthstar , the following Sanskrit syllables correspond with this Nakshatra, and would belong at the...
पुष्य |
Pūyam
പൂയം |
Poosam
பூசம் |
Pushyami
పుష్యమి |
Pushya
ಪುಷ್ಯ |
γ Gamma Cancri is a star system in the constellation Cancer. It has the traditional name Asellus Borealis ....
, δDelta Cancri is an orange giant star approximately 180 light-years away in the constellation Cancer. It has the traditional name Asellus Australis which in Latin means "southern donkey colt"...
and θTheta Cancri is a binary star in the constellation Cancer, 494 light years from Earth.θ Cancri is classified as an orange K-type giant with an apparent magnitude of +5.33. Since it is near the ecliptic, it can be occulted by the Moon and, very rarely, by planets...
CancriCancer is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for crab and it is commonly represented as such. Its symbol is . Cancer is small and its stars are faint...
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| 9 |
Āshleshā
आश्ळेषा / आश्लेषा |
Āyilyam
ആയില്യം |
Ayilyam
ஆயில்யம் |
Āshleshā
ఆశ్లేష |
Aslesha
ಆಶ್ಲೇಷ |
δ, ε, η, ρ, and σ Sigma Hydrae is the 4th-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Sigma Hydrae belongs to spectral class K1+III and has apparent magnitude +4.44...
HydraeHydra is the largest of the 88 modern constellations, measuring 1303 square degrees. It has a long history, having been included among the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy. It is commonly represented as a water snake...
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| 10 |
Maghā Magha may refer to:* Magha , a month in the Hindu calendar* Magh , the same month in the Bengali calendar* Magha , an 8th century Sanskrit poet, who wrote Shishupala-vadha...
मघा |
Makam
മകം |
Magam
மகம் |
Makha
మఖ |
Maghe
ಮಘೆ |
RegulusRegulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo and one of the brightest stars in the night sky, lying approximately 77.5 light years from Earth. Regulus is a multiple star system composed of four stars which are organized into two pairs...
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| 11 |
Pūrva or Pūrva Phalgunī
पूर्व फाल्गुनी |
Pūram
പൂരം |
Pooram
பூரம் |
Pūrva Phalgunī/Pubba
పూర్వా ఫల్గుణి / పుబ్బ |
Hubba
ಹುಬ್ಬ |
δ and θ LeonisLeo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for lion. Its symbol is . Leo lies between dim Cancer to the west and Virgo to the east.-Stars:...
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| 12 |
Uttara or Uttara Phalgunī
उत्तर फाल्गुनी |
Utram
ഉത്രം |
Uthiram
உத்திரம் |
Uttara Phalgunī/Uttara
ఉత్తర ఫల్గుణి / ఉత్తర |
Utthara
ಉತ್ತರೆ |
DenebolaDenebola is the second brightest star in the constellation Leo. It is an A-class star that is about distant from earth, and has a luminosity about twelve times that of the sun. Its apparent magnitude is 2.14...
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| 13 |
Hasta
हस्त |
Attam
അത്തം |
Astham
அஸ்தம் |
Hasta
హస్త |
Hastha
ಹಸ್ತ |
α Alpha Corvi is a star in the constellation Corvus. It has the traditional names Alchiba or Al Minliar al Ghurab ....
, βBeta Corvi is the second brightest star in the constellation of Corvus. It also has the name Kraz....
, γGamma Corvi is the brightest star in the constellation Corvus. Its traditional name is Gienah, which it shares with Epsilon Cygni...
, δ and εEpsilon Corvi is a star in the constellation Corvus. It has the traditional name Minkar, from Arabian ألمنخر almánxar meaning "the nostril of the crow"...
CorviCorvus is a small constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for raven or crow. It includes only 11 stars visible to the naked eye...
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| 14 |
Chitrā
चित्रा |
Chittira (Chitra)
ചിത്തിര (ചിത്ര) |
Chithirai
சித்திரை |
Chitta
చిత్త |
Chittha
ಚಿತ್ತ |
SpicaSpica is the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, and the 15th brightest star in the nighttime sky. It is 260 light years distant from Earth...
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| 15 |
Svātī Svati is the Sanskrit name of Arcturus, and also of the nakshatra associated with Arcturus in Hindu astrology....
स्वाती |
Chōti
ചോതി |
Swathi
சுவாதி |
Swathi
స్వాతి |
Swarhi
ಸ್ವಾತಿ |
Arcturus |
| 16 |
Vishākhā
विशाखा |
Vishākham
വിശാഖം |
Visakam
விசாகம் |
Vishākhā
విశాఖ |
Vishakhe
ವಿಶಾಖೆ |
αAlpha Librae is the second brightest star in the constellation Libra . It has the traditional name Zubenelgenubi. The name, from Arabic الزبن الجنوبي , means "southern claw" and was coined before Libra was recognized as distinct from Scorpius...
, βBeta Librae is the brightest star in the constellation Libra. It has the traditional name Zubeneschamali and the Latin name Lanx Borealis...
, γGamma Librae is a star in the constellation Libra. It has the traditional name Zuben-el-Akrab, meaning "Shears of the Scorpion". The name is a modification of the Arabic al-Zuban al-Aqrab...
and ι LibraeLibra is a constellation of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for weighing scales, and its symbol is . It is fairly faint, with no first magnitude stars, and lies between Virgo to the west and Scorpius to the east.-Notable features:]...
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Anurādhā Anuradha may be:*A disciple and a cousin of Gautama Buddha, see Anuruddha*a lunar mansion in Hindu astrology, see Anuradha *a film, see Anuradha...
अनुराधा |
Anizham
അനിഴം |
Anusham
அனுஷம் |
Anurādhā
అనూరాధ |
Anuradha
ಅನುರಾಧ |
β Beta Scorpii is a star system in the constellation Scorpius. It has the traditional names Acrab, Akrab or Elacrab, all come from al-'Aqrab, the Scorpion, for the whole constellation, as well as Graffias, a name it shares with Xi Scorpii...
, δDelta Scorpii is a star in the constellation Scorpius. It has the traditional name Dschubba Delta Scorpii (δ Sco, δ Scorpii) is a star in the constellation Scorpius. It has the traditional name Dschubba Delta Scorpii (δ Sco, δ Scorpii) is a star in the constellation Scorpius. It has the...
and πPi Scorpii is a triple star system in the constellation Scorpius. It is approximately 459 light years from Earth.Pi Scorpii A is a contact binary of the Beta Lyrae type. Both its members are hot, blue-white B-type dwarfs. Together they have a mean apparent magnitude of +2.89. Their rotation...
Scorpionis |
| 18 |
Jyeshtha
ज्येष्ठा |
Kēṭṭa (Trikkēṭṭa)
കേട്ട (തൃക്കേട്ട) |
Kettai
கேட்டை |
Jyeshtha
జ్యేష్ఠ |
Jesta
ಜೇಷ್ಟ |
α, σ Sigma Scorpii is a star system in the constellation Scorpius. It has the traditional name Al Niyat, although this name is sometimes also applied to Tau Scorpii, or to the asterism formed by both Sigma and Tau. Sigma Scorpii is 735 light years from the Sun.The primary component of the system,...
, and τTau Scorpii is a star in the constellation Scorpius. Tau Scorpii also has the traditional name Alniyat or Al Niyat, which it shares with σ Scorpii. The name derives from the Arabic النياط an-niyāţ meaning "the arteries"....
Scorpionis |
| 19 |
Mūla Mula is the 19th nakshatra or lunar mansion in Vedic astrology and corresponds to the stars ε, ζ, η, θ, ι, κ, υ, λ, μ and ν Scorpii in the tail/sting of Scorpius. The symbol of Mula is a bunch of roots tied together or an 'elephant goad' and the Deity associated with it is Niriti, god of...
मूल |
Mūlam
മൂലം |
Mūlam
மூலம் |
Moola
మూల |
Moola
ಮೂಲ |
ε Epsilon Scorpii is a star in the constellation Scorpius. Patrick Moore introduced the name Wei but this seems to be a misreading; Wěi , meaning the Tail, was originally the name of a Chinese asterism or Xiù comprising the stars ε, μ1-2, ζ1-2, η, θ, ι, κ,...
, ζ, ηEta Scorpii is a star in the constellation Scorpius.Eta Scorpii is a yellow-white F-type giant with an apparent magnitude of +3.32. It is approximately 72.0 light years from Earth....
, θTheta Scorpii is a star in the constellation Scorpius. It has the traditional name Sargas, of Sumerian origin....
, ι, κKappa Scorpii is a star in the constellation Scorpius. It has the traditional name Girtab, which is the Sumerian word for 'scorpion' and has survived through the Babylonian star catalogues....
, λLambda Scorpii is the second brightest star system in the constellation Scorpius, and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky. It has the Bayer designation λ despite being the second brightest in its constellation...
, μThe Bayer designation Mu Scorpii is shared by two star systems, in the constellation Scorpius:* μ¹ Scorpii* μ² ScorpiiThey are separated by 0.1° in the sky....
and νNu Scorpii is a star system in the constellation Scorpius.It is at least a quintuple star, probably a septuple, consisting of two close groups that are separated by 41". The brighter group, Nu Scorpii A and B, is split by 1.3" and composed of spectral type B2 subgiants...
Scorpionis |
| 20 |
Pūrva Ashādhā
पूर्वाषाढा |
Pūrāṭam
പൂരാടം |
Pūradam
பூராடம் |
Pūrva Ashādhā
పూర్వాషాఢ |
Poorvashada
ಪೂರ್ವಾಷಾಢ |
δ Delta Sagittarii is a star system in the constellation Sagittarius. It has the traditional names Kaus Media, Kaus Meridionalis, and Media. Kaus Media is 306 light years from Earth and radiates with a total luminosity of 1180 times that of the Sun...
and εEpsilon Sagittarii is a binary star that lies 144.64 light-years distant in the constellation Sagittarius. It has a faint, 14th magnitude, companion, Epsilon Sagittarii B, 32 arcseconds distant....
SagittariiSagittarius is a constellation of the zodiac, the one containing the galactic center. Its name is Latin for the archer, and its symbol is , a stylized arrow. Sagittarius is commonly represented as a centaur drawing a bow...
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Uttara Ashādhā
उत्तराषाढा |
Utrāṭam
ഉത്രാടം |
Uthirādam
உத்திராடம் |
Uttara Ashādhā
ఉత్తరాషాఢ |
Uttharashada
ಉತ್ತರಾಷಾಢ |
ζ Zeta Sagittarii is the third brightest star system in the constellation Sagittarius. It has the traditional name Ascella from a Late Latin word meaning armpit....
and σSigma Sagittarii is the second brightest star system in the constellation Sagittarius.Its modern name Nunki is an Assyrian or Babylonian name recovered by archaeologists and made public by R.H.Allen....
SagittariiSagittarius is a constellation of the zodiac, the one containing the galactic center. Its name is Latin for the archer, and its symbol is , a stylized arrow. Sagittarius is commonly represented as a centaur drawing a bow...
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Shravana Shravana is the 22nd nakshatra or lunar mansion as used in Hindu astronomy and astrology. It belongs to the constellation Makara or Capricorn....
श्रवण |
Tiruvōnam
ഓണം (തിരുവോണം) |
Tiruvōnam
திருவோணம் |
Shravanam
శ్రవణం |
Shravana
ಶ್ರಾವಣ |
α, β and γ AquilaeAquila is a stellar constellation. Its name is Latin for 'eagle' and it is commonly represented as such. In mythology, Aquila was owned by the Roman god Jupiter and performed many tasks for him....
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Shravishthā or Dhanishta Dhanishta is the twenty-third nakshatra in Hindu astronomy, corresponding to α to δ Delphini. It is also known as Dhanishtha or Avittam...
श्रविष्ठा or धनिष्ठा |
Aviṭṭam
അവിട്ടം |
Aviṭṭam
அவிட்டம் |
Dhanishta
ధనిష్ఠ |
Dhanishta
ಧನಿಷ್ಟ |
α Alpha Delphini is a multiple star in the constellation Delphinus. It also has the name Sualocin, which was given to it as a practical joke by the astronomer Niccolò Cacciatore; the name is the Latinized version of his given name, spelled backwards.In Chinese, , meaning Good Gourd, refers to an...
to δ DelphinusDelphinus is a constellation in the northern sky, close to the celestial equator. Its name is Latin for dolphin. Delphinus was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains among the 88 modern constellations recognized by the International Astronomical...
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Shatabhishā Shatabhisha, also known as Chathayam or Sadayam , or Shatabhishak or Shatataraka is the 24th nakshatra in Hindu astronomy. It corresponds to the star γ Aquarii...
or Shatataraka
शतभिषक् / शततारका |
Chatayam
ചതയം |
Sadayam
சதயம் |
Shatabhishām
శతభిషం |
shathathara
ಶಥತಾರ |
γ Gamma Aquarii is a star in the constellation Aquarius. It has the traditional name Sadachbia, from an Arabic expression سعد الأخبية sa‘d al-’axbiyah "luck of the homes " in Hindu system it is also called Sadhabhisk in devnagari, sadhayam in tamil.In the catalogue of stars in the Calendarium of Al...
AquariiAquarii is a name given to the Christians who substituted water for wine in the Eucharist. It is claimed that the practice widely in vogue at an early time, even among the orthodox...
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Pūrva Bhādrapadā Pūrva Bhādrapadā is the twenty-fifth nakshatra in Hindu astrology, corresponding to α and β Pegasi.It is placed under the domain of Bṛhaspati, the deity represented by the planet Jupiter....
पूर्वभाद्रपदा / पूर्वप्रोष्ठपदा |
Pūruruṭṭāti
പൂരുരുട്ടാതി |
Pūruruṭṭādhi
பூரட்டாதி |
Pūrva Bhādra
పూర్వాభాద్ర |
poorvabadhra
ಪೂರ್ವಾ ಭಾದ್ರ |
αAlpha Pegasi is the third brightest star in the constellation Pegasus and one of the four stars in the asterism known as the Great Square of Pegasus. It has the traditional name Markab .Markab is a relatively average star nearing the end of its stellar evolution on the main sequence...
and βBeta Pegasi is a star in the constellation Pegasus. Its traditional name is Scheat, a name that has also been used for Delta Aquarii....
PegasiPegasus is a constellation in the northern sky, named after the winged horse Pegasus in Greek mythology. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations.-Stars:...
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Uttara Bhādrapadā Uttara Bhādrapadā or Uttṛṭṭāti is the twenty-sixth nakshatra in Hindu astrology, corresponding to γ Pegasi and α Andromedae.It is ruled by Shani, the deity identified with the planet Saturn....
उत्तरभाद्रपदा / उत्तरप्रोष्ठपदा |
Uttṛṭṭāti
ഉത്രട്ടാതി |
Uttṛṭṭādhi
உத்திரட்டாதி |
Uttara Bhādra
ఉత్తరాభాద్ర |
Uttharabadhra
ಉತ್ತರಾ ಭಾದ್ರ |
γ Gamma Pegasi is a star in the constellation of Pegasus. It also has the traditional name Algenib; confusingly however, this name is also used for Alpha Persei....
PegasiPegasus is a constellation in the northern sky, named after the winged horse Pegasus in Greek mythology. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations.-Stars:...
and αAlpha Andromedae , which has the traditional names Alpheratz and Sirrah , is the brightest star in the constellation of Andromeda. Located immediately northeast of the constellation of Pegasus, it is the northeastern star of the Great Square of Pegasus...
AndromedaeAndromeda is a constellation in the northern sky. It is named after Andromeda, the princess in the Greek legend of Perseus who was chained to a rock to be eaten by the sea monster Cetus...
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Revati Revati is the twenty-seventh nakshatra in Hindu astrology, corresponding to ζ Piscium.It is ruled by Puṣan,one of the 12 Ādityas...
रेवती |
Rēvati
രേവതി |
Rēvathi
ரேவதி |
Rēvathi
రేవతి |
Revati
ರೇವತಿ |
ζ PisciumPisces is a constellation of the zodiac. Its name is the Latin plural for fish, and its symbol is . It lies between Aquarius to the west and Aries to the east...
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An additional 28th intercalary nakshatra, Abhijit (अभिजित्)(α,
εEpsilon Lyrae , also known as the Double Double, is a multiple star system approximately 162 light-years away in the constellation of Lyra.-Star System:...
and ζ Lyrae -
VegaVega is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, the fifth brightest star in the night sky and the second brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere, after Arcturus...
- between Uttarasharha and Sravana. Last two (third and fourth) Padas of Uttrashada and first two (first and second) Padas of Sravana are considered to be Abhijit. Unless specifically mentioned it is not included in the list of the 27 constellations.
The
nakshatra in which the moon lies at the time of sunrise of a day is the
nakshatra for the day.
Yoga
The
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
word Yoga means "union," but in astronomical calculations it is used in the sense of "alignment." First one computes the angular distance along the ecliptic of each object, taking the ecliptic to start at
Mesha or Aries (
Meshādi, as defined above): this is called the longitude of that object. The longitude of the sun and the longitude of the moon are added, and normalized to a value ranging between 0° to 360° (if greater than 360, one subtracts 360). This sum is divided into 27 parts. Each part will now equal 800' (where ' is the symbol of the arcminute which means 1/60 of a degree). These parts are called the
yogas. They are labeled:
- Vishkumbha
- Prīti
- Āyushmān
- Saubhāgya
- Shobhana
- Atiganda
- Sukarman
- Dhriti
- Shūla
- Ganda
- Vriddhi
- Dhruva
- Vyāghāta
- Harshana
- Vajra
- Siddhi
- Vyatīpāta
- Varigha
- Parigha
- Shiva
- Siddha
- Sādhya
- Shubha
- Shukla
- Brāhma
- Māhendra
- Vaidhriti
Again, minor variations may exist. The
yoga that is active during sunrise of a day is the
yoga for the day.
Karana
A
karaṇa is half of a
tithiIn vedic timekeeping, a tithi is a lunar day, or the time it takes for the longitudinal angle between the moon and the sun to increase by 12°. Tithis begin at varying times of day and vary in duration from approximately 19 to approximately 26 hours. There are 30 tithis in each lunar month, named...
. To be precise, a
karana is the time required for the angular distance between the sun and the moon to increase in steps of 6° starting from 0°. (Compare with the definition of a tithi above.)
Since the
tithis are thirty in number, one would expect there to be sixty
karanas. But there are only eleven. There are four "fixed"
karanas and seven "repeating"
karanas. The four "fixed"
karanas are:
- Kinstughna
- Śakuni
- Catuṣpāda
- Nāgava
The seven "repeating"
karanas are:
- Bhava
- Bālava
- Kaulava
- Taitula
- Garaja
- Vāṇija
- Viṣṭi (Bhadra)
- Now the first half of the first tithi (of the bright fortnight) is always Kimstughna karana. Hence this karana is "fixed".
- Next, the seven repeating karanas repeat eight times to cover the next 56 half-tithis. Thus these are the "repeating" karanas.
- The three remaining half-tithis take the remaining "fixed" karanas in order. Thus these are also "fixed".
- Thus one gets sixty karanas from eleven.
The
karana active during sunrise of a day is the
karana for the day.
Months of the lunisolar calendar
When a new moon occurs before sunrise on a day, that day is said to be the first day of the lunar month. So it is evident that the end of the lunar month will coincide with a new moon. A lunar month has 29 or 30 days (according to the movement of the moon).
The
tithiIn vedic timekeeping, a tithi is a lunar day, or the time it takes for the longitudinal angle between the moon and the sun to increase by 12°. Tithis begin at varying times of day and vary in duration from approximately 19 to approximately 26 hours. There are 30 tithis in each lunar month, named...
at sunrise of a day is the only label of the day. There is no running day number from the first day to the last day of the month. This has some unique results, as explained below:
Sometimes two successive days have the same
tithi. In such a case, the latter is called an
adhika tithi where
adhika means "extra". Sometimes, one
tithi may never touch a sunrise, and hence no day will be labeled by that
tithi. It is then said to be a
tithi kshaya where
kshaya means "loss".
Month names
There are twelve months in Hindu lunar Calendar:
- Chaitra
Chaitra is a month of the Hindu calendar....
(चैत्र, चैत)
- Vaishākha
Vaishakha or Baisakha is a month of the Hindu calendar. It is the first month of the Nepalese calendar and the Bengali calendar . In the Indian national calendar Vaisakha is the second month of the year, beginning on April 21 and ending on May 20.In the Hindu solar calendar, Vaisakha begins in...
(वैशाख, बैसाख)
- Jyaishtha
Jyeshta is a month of the Hindu calendar, also known as Jeth or Iethe. In India's national civil calendar, Jyestha is the third month of the year, beginning on 21 May and ending on 22 June...
(ज्येष्ठ, जेठ)
- Āshādha
Aashaadha is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Aashaadh is the fourth month of the year, beginning on 22 June and ending on 22 July. The month is known as Aadi in Tamil...
(आषाढ, आषाढ़)
- Shrāvana
Shraavana is a month of the Hindu calendar, also known as Sawan. In India's national civil calendar, Shraavan is the fifth month of the Hindu year, beginning in late July and ending in the third week of August. In the Tamil calendar, it is known as Aavani and is the fifth month of the solar year...
(श्रावण, सावन)
- Bhaadra or, Bhādrapada
Bhaadra or Bhadrapada is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar , Bhaadra is the sixth month of the year, beginning on 23 August and ending on 22 September. Known as Purattaasi, it is the sixth month of the Tamil solar calendar...
(भाद्रपद, भादो)
- Āshwin (अश्विन्)
- Kārtika
Kartika , is a month of Hindu and Bengali calendars, named after the Hindu god, Kartikeya....
(कार्तिक, कार्तक)
- Agrahayana or, Mārgashīrsha
Agrahayana or Margashirsha, is a month of the Hindu calendar and Tamil calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Agrahayana is the ninth month of the year, beginning on 22 November and ending on 21 December. Since Vedic times, this month is known as Maargashirsha after the Nakshatra ...
(मार्गशीर्ष, अगहन)
- Pausha
Pausha is a month of the Hindu calendar In the Indian national calendar, Pausha is the tenth month of the year, beginning with the solstice on 22 December and ending on 20 January....
(पौष)
- Māgah
Maagha is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Maagh is the eleventh month of the year, beginning in January and ending in February....
(माघ)
- Phālguna
Phalguna is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Phaalgun is the twelfth month of the year, beginning on 20 February and ending on 21 March .In lunar religious calendars, Phaalgun may begin on either the new moon or the full moon...
(फाल्गुन)
Determining which name a lunar month takes is somewhat indirect. It is based on the
rāshi (Zodiac sign) into which the
sun transits within a lunar month, i.e. before the new moon ending the month.
There are twelve
rāshi names, there are twelve lunar month names. When the sun transits into the
Mesha rāshi in a lunar month, then the name of the lunar month is
Chaitra. When the sun transits into
Vrishabha, then the lunar month is
Vaishākh. So on.
If the transits of the Sun through various constellations of the zodiac (Rashi) are used, then we get Solar months, which do not shift with reference to the Gregorian calendar. The Solar months along with the corresponding Hindu seasons and Gregorian months are:
(Rashi)
Saur Maas
(solar months) |
Ritu
(season) |
Gregorian
months |
ZodiacIn astronomy, the zodiac is a circle of twelve 30° divisions of celestial longitude which are centred upon the ecliptic: the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year...
|
| Mesha |
Vasant
(spring) |
March/April |
AriesAries is one of the constellations of the zodiac, located between Pisces to the west and Taurus to the east. Its name is Latin for ram, and its symbol is , representing a ram's horns...
|
| Vrishabha |
April/May |
TaurusTaurus is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is a Latin word meaning 'bull', and its astrological symbol is a stylized bull's head:...
|
| Mithuna |
Grishma
(summer) |
May/June |
GeminiGemini is one of the constellations of the zodiac. It was one of the 48 constellations described by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations today. Its name is Latin for "twins", and it is associated with the twins Castor and Pollux in Greek mythology...
|
| Karkata |
June/July |
Cancer Cancer is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for crab and it is commonly represented as such. Its symbol is . Cancer is small and its stars are faint...
|
| Simha |
Varsha
(monsoon) |
July/Aug |
LeoLeo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for lion. Its symbol is . Leo lies between dim Cancer to the west and Virgo to the east.-Stars:...
|
| Kanya |
Aug/Sept |
VirgoVirgo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for virgin, and its symbol is . Lying between Leo to the west and Libra to the east, it is the second largest constellation in the sky...
|
| Tula |
Sharad
(autumn) |
Sept/Oct |
LibraLibra is a constellation of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for weighing scales, and its symbol is . It is fairly faint, with no first magnitude stars, and lies between Virgo to the west and Scorpius to the east.-Notable features:]...
|
| Vrishchika |
Oct/Nov |
ScorpiusScorpius, sometimes known as Scorpio, is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for scorpion, and its symbol is . It lies between Libra to the west and Sagittarius to the east...
|
| Dhanur |
Hemanta
(autumn-winter) |
Nov/Dec. |
SagittariusSagittarius is a constellation of the zodiac, the one containing the galactic center. Its name is Latin for the archer, and its symbol is , a stylized arrow. Sagittarius is commonly represented as a centaur drawing a bow...
|
| Makara |
Dec/Jan |
CapricornusCapricornus is one of the constellations of the zodiac; it is often called Capricorn, especially when referring to the corresponding astrological sign. Its name is Latin for "horned male goat" or "goat horn", and it is commonly represented in the form of a sea-goat: a mythical creature that is half...
|
| Kumbha |
Shishir
(Winter-Spring) |
Jan/Feb |
AquariusAquarius is a constellation of the zodiac, situated between Capricornus and Pisces. Its name is Latin for "water-bearer" or "cup-bearer", and its symbol is , a representation of water....
|
| Meena |
Feb/Mar |
PiscesPisces is a constellation of the zodiac. Its name is the Latin plural for fish, and its symbol is . It lies between Aquarius to the west and Aries to the east...
|
The
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
grammatical derivation of the lunar month names
Chaitra etc., is: the (lunar) month which has its central full moon occurring at or near the
nakshatra Chitrā is called
Chaitra. Similarly, for the
nakshatras Vishākhā,
Jyeshthā,
(Pūrva) Ashādhā,
Shravan,
Bhādrapad,
Ashvinī (old name
Ashvayuj),
Krittikā,
Mrigashīrsha,
Pushya,
Meghā and
(Pūrva/Uttara) Phalgunī the names
Vaishākh etc. are derived.
The lunar months are split into two
pakshaPaksha , is a fortnight in a month of the Hindu lunar calendar. Literally meaning side or period, that is either side of the Full Moon Day or Purnima...
s of 15 days.
The waxing paksha is called shukla paksha,
light half, and the waning paksha the krishna paksha,
dark half. There are two different systems for making the lunar calendar:
- amavasyanta or mukhya mana system - a month begins with a new moon, mostly followed in the southern states
- purnimanta or gauna mana system - a month begins with a full moon, followed more in the North.
Extra months
When the sun does not at all transit into any
rāshi but simply keeps moving within a
rāshi in a lunar month (i.e. before a new moon), then that lunar month will be named according to the first upcoming transit. It will also take the epithet of
adhik or "extra". For example, if a lunar month elapsed without a solar transit and the next transit is into
Mesha, then this month without transit is labeled
adhik Chaitra. The next month will be labeled according to its transit as usual and will get the epithet
nija ("original") or
shuddha ("clean"). [Note that an
adhik māsa (month) is the first of two whereas an
adhika tithi is the second of two.]
Extra Month, or adhik mas
māsa (mas = lunar month) falls every 32.5 months. It is also known as purushottam mas, so as to give it a devotional name. Thus 12 Hindu mas (māsa) is equal to approximate 356 days, while solar year have 365 or 366 (in leap year) which create difference of 9 to 10 days, which is offset every 3rd year. No adhik mas falls during Kartik to Magh.
A month long fair is celebrated in
MachhegaunMachhegaun is a village in Kathmandu District in the Bagmati Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 2871 .-History:...
during
adhik māsa. It is general belief that one can wash away all one's sins by taking a bath in the Machhenarayan's pond.
Lost months
If the sun transits into
two rāshis within a lunar month, then the month will have to be labeled by both transits and will take the epithet
kshay or "loss". There is considered to be a "loss" because in this case, there is only one month labeled by both transits. If the sun had transited into only one
raashi in a lunar month as is usual, there would have been two separate months labeled by the two transits in question.
For example, if the sun transits into
Mesh and
Vrishabh in a lunar month, then it will be called
Chaitra-Vaishaakh kshaya. There will be no separate months labeled
Chaitra and
Vaishākh.
A
kshay māsa occurs very rarely. Known gaps between occurrence of
kshaya māsas are 19 and 141 years. The last was in 1983. January 15 through February 12 were
Pausha-Māgha kshay. February 13 onwards was
(adhik) Phālguna.
Special Case:
If there is no solar transit in one lunar month but there are two transits in the next lunar month,
- the first month will be labeled by the first transit of the second month and take the epithet adhik and
- the next month will be labeled by both its transits as is usual for a kshay māsa
This is a very very rare occurrence. The last was in 1315. October 8 to November 5 were
adhik Kārtik. November 6 to December 5 were
Kārtik-Mārgashīrsh kshaya. December 6 onwards was
Paush.
Religious observances in case of extra and lost months
Among normal months,
adhika months, and
kshaya months, the earlier are considered "better" for religious purposes. That means, if a festival should fall on the 10th
tithi of the
Āshvayuja month (this is called
VijayadashamīVijayadashami also known as Dasara, is one of the most important festivals celebrated in various forms, across India, Nepal and Bangladesh...
) and there are two
Āshvayuja months caused by the existence of an
adhika Āshvayuja, the first
adhika month will not see the festival, and the festival will be observed only in the second
nija month. However, if the second month is
āshvayuja kshaya then the festival will be observed in the first
adhika month itself.
When two months are rolled into one in the case of a
kshaya māsa, the festivals of both months will also be rolled into this
kshaya māsa. For example, the festival of
MahāshivarātriMaha Shivratri or Maha Sivaratri or Shivaratri or Sivarathri is a Hindu festival celebrated every year on the 13th night/14th day in the Krishna Paksha of the month of Maagha or Phalguna...
which is to be observed on the fourteenth
tithi of the
Māgha krishna paksha was, in 1983, observed on the corresponding
tithi of
Pausha-Māgha kshaya krishna paksha, since in that year,
Pausha and
Māgha were rolled into one, as mentioned above. When two months are rolled into one in the case of a
kshaya māsa, the festivals of both months will also be rolled into this
kshaya māsa.
Vaishnava calendar
| Month | Predominating Deity-name of month |
| Agrahayana Agrahayana or Margashirsha, is a month of the Hindu calendar and Tamil calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Agrahayana is the ninth month of the year, beginning on 22 November and ending on 21 December. Since Vedic times, this month is known as Maargashirsha after the Nakshatra ...
|
Kesava |
| Pausha Pausha is a month of the Hindu calendar In the Indian national calendar, Pausha is the tenth month of the year, beginning with the solstice on 22 December and ending on 20 January....
|
Narayana Narayana or Narayan or Naraina is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu, and in many contemporary vernaculars a common Indian name. Narayana is also identified as the original man, Purusha. The Puranas present divergent views on Narayana...
|
| Magha Magha may refer to:* Magha , a month in the Hindu calendar* Magh , the same month in the Bengali calendar* Magha , an 8th century Sanskrit poet, who wrote Shishupala-vadha...
|
Madhava Mādhava may be*a Sanskrit patronymic, "descendant of Madhu ".** especially of Krishna or Parashurama as incarnations of Vishnu, see Madhava *** an icon of Krishna...
|
| Phalguna Phalguna is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Phaalgun is the twelfth month of the year, beginning on 20 February and ending on 21 March .In lunar religious calendars, Phaalgun may begin on either the new moon or the full moon...
|
Govinda ' and ' are names of Krishna, referring to his youthful occupation as a cowherd. He is regarded as the Supreme Godhead in the Vaishnava tradition and also by much of the pan-Hindu tradition...
|
| Caitra Caitra is a translation tool developed by the University of Edinburgh. This Computer Assisted Tool or CAT tool is provided from an online platform, accessed from http://tool.statmt.org/ or http://www.caitra.org. It's based on the AJAX Web.2 technologies and the Moses decoder...
|
VishnuVishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
|
| Vaisakha Vaishakha or Baisakha is a month of the Hindu calendar. It is the first month of the Nepalese calendar and the Bengali calendar . In the Indian national calendar Vaisakha is the second month of the year, beginning on April 21 and ending on May 20.In the Hindu solar calendar, Vaisakha begins in...
|
Madhusudana |
| Jyeshta Jyeshta is a month of the Hindu calendar, also known as Jeth or Iethe. In India's national civil calendar, Jyestha is the third month of the year, beginning on 21 May and ending on 22 June...
|
Trivikrama |
| Ashadha |
Vamana Vamana is described in the Puranic texts of Hinduism as the Fifth Avatar of Vishnu, and the first incarnation of the Second Age, or the Treta yuga. Also he is the first Avatar of Vishnu which appears with a completely human form, though it was that of a dwarf brahmin. He is also sometimes known as...
|
| Sravana Sravana may refer to:* Shravana, a Hindu nakshatra* Shraavana, a month...
|
Sridhara |
| Bhadra In Hinduism, Bhadra is a goddess of the hunt and one of Shiva's servants....
|
Hrishikesa |
| Asvina |
Padmanabha Padmanabha may refer to:* Padmanabha , one of the aspects of Vishnu or God with a lotus issuing from his navel on which Brahma sits...
|
| Karttika Kartik may refer to:* Kartika , a month in the Indian national calendar and Bengali calendar* Kartik * Karttikeya, the brother of Ganesha in the Hindu mythology...
|
Damodara Damodar is the 367th name of Vishnu from the Vishnu sahasranama. The various meanings of the name are given as follows:...
|
Year of the lunisolar calendar
The new year day is the first day of the
shukla paksha of
Chaitra. In the case of
adhika or
kshaya months relating to
Chaitra, the aforementioned religious rules apply giving rise to the following results:
- If an adhika Chaitra is followed by a nija Chaitra, the new year starts with the nija Chaitra.
- If an adhika Chaitra is followed by a Chaitra-Vaishākha kshaya, the new year starts with the adhika Chaitra.
- If a Chaitra-Vaishākha kshaya occurs with no adhika Chaitra before it, then it starts the new year.
- If a Phālguna-Chaitra kshaya occurs, it starts the new year.
Another kind of lunisolar calendar
There is another kind of lunisolar calendar which differs from the former in the way the months are named. When a full moon (instead of new moon) occurs before sunrise on a day, that day is said to be the first day of the lunar month. In this case, the end of the lunar month will coincide with a full moon. This is called the
pūrnimānta māna or "full-moon-ending reckoning", as against the
amānta māna or "new-moon-ending reckoning" used before.
This definition leads to a lot of complications:
- The first paksha of the month will be krishna and the second will be shukla.
- The new year is still on the first day of the Chaitra shukla paksha. The next paksha-s will be the Vaishākha krishna, Vaishākha shukla, Jyaishtha krishna and so on, till Phālguna krishna, Phālguna shukla and Chaitra krishna, which is now the last paksha of the year.
- The shukla paksha of a given month, say Chaitra, comprises the same actual days in both systems, as can be deduces from a careful analysis of the rules. However, the Chaitra krishna paksha-s defined by the two systems will be on different days, since the Chaitra krishna paksha precedes the Chaitra shukla paksha is the pūrnimānta system but follows it in the amānta system.
- Though the regular months are defined by the full moon, the adhika and kshaya lunar months are still defined by the new moon. That is, even if the pūrnimānta system is followed, adhika or kshaya months will start with the first sunrise after the new moon, and end with the new moon.
- The adhika month will therefore get sandwiched between the two paksha-s of the nija months. For example, a Shrāvana adhika māsa will be inserted as follows:
- nija Shrāvana krishna paksha
- adhika Shrāvana shukla paksha
- adhika Shrāvana krishna paksha and
- nija Shrāvana shukla paksha
after which Bhādrapada krishna paksha will come as usual.
- If there is an adhika Chaitra, then it will follow the (nija) Chaitra krishna paksha at the end of the year. Only with the nija Chaitra shukla paksha will the new year start. The only exception is when it is followed by a kshaya, and that will be mentioned later.
- The kshaya month is more complicated. If in the amānta system there is a Pausha-Māgha kshaya, then in the pūrnimānta system there will be the following paksha-s:
- Pausha krishna paksha
- Pausha-Maagha kshaya shukla paksha
- Maagha-Phaalguna kshaya krishna paksha and a
- Phālguna shukla paksha.
- The special kshaya case where an adhika māsa precedes a kshaya māsa gets even more convoluted. First, we should remember that the Āshvayuja shukla paksha is the same in both the systems. After this come the following paksha-s:
- nija Kārtika krishna paksha
- adhika Kārtika shukla paksha
- adhika Kārtika krishna paksha
- Kārtika-Māgashīrsha kshaya shukla paksha
- Māgashīrsha-Pausha kshaya krishna paksha
- Pausha shukla paksha
followed by the Māgha krishna paksha etc., as usual.
- The considerations for the new year are:
- If there is a Chaitra-Vaishākha kshaya shukla paksha:
- if an adhika Chaitra precedes it, then the adhika Chaitra shukla paksha starts the new year
- if not, the kshaya shukla paksha starts the new year
- If there is a Phālguna-Chaitra kshaya shukla paksha then it starts the new year
It must be noted, however, that none of these above complications cause a change in the day of religious observances. Since only the name of the
krishna paksha-s of the months will change in the two systems, festivals which fall on the
krishna paksha will be defined by the appropriate changed name. That is, the
MahāshivarātriMaha Shivratri or Maha Sivaratri or Shivaratri or Sivarathri is a Hindu festival celebrated every year on the 13th night/14th day in the Krishna Paksha of the month of Maagha or Phalguna...
, defined in the
amānta māna to be observed on the fourteenth of the
Māgha krishna paksha will now (in the
pūrnimānta māna) be defined by the
Phālguna krishna paksha.
Correspondence of the lunisolar calendar to the solar calendar
A
lunisolar calendarA lunisolar calendar is a calendar in many cultures whose date indicates both the moon phase and the time of the solar year. If the solar year is defined as a tropical year then a lunisolar calendar will give an indication of the season; if it is taken as a sidereal year then the calendar will...
is always a calendar based on the moon's celestial motion, which in a way keeps itself close to a
solar calendarA solar calendar is a calendar whose dates indicate the position of the earth on its revolution around the sun .-Tropical solar calendars:...
based on the sun's (apparent) celestial motion. That is, the lunisolar calendar's new year is to kept always close (within certain limits) to a solar calendar's new year.
Since the Hindu lunar month names are based on solar transits, and the month of
Chaitra will, as defined above, always be close to the solar month of
Mesha, the Hindu lunisolar calendar will always keep in track with the Hindu solar calendar.
The Hindu solar calendar by contrast starts on April 14–15 each year. This signifies the sun's "entry" into Mesha rashi and is celebrated as the New Year in
AssamAssam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
,
BengalBengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
,
OrissaOrissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
,
ManipurManipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of...
,
Keralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
,
PunjabPunjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
,
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and
TripuraTripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...
. The first month of the year is called "Chitterai (சித்திரை" in Tamil, "Medam" in Malayalam and Bohag in Assamese, Baisakh in Bengali/Punjabi and
NepaliNepali or Nepalese is a language in the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family.It is the official language and de facto lingua franca of Nepal and is also spoken in Bhutan, parts of India and parts of Myanmar...
. This solar new year is celebrated on the same day in
MyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
,
CambodiaCambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
,
LaosLaos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
,
NepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
and
ThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
due to Tamil influence on those countries.
Year numbering
The epoch (starting point or first day of the zeroth year) of the current era of Hindu calendar (both solar and lunisolar) is February 18, 3102 BCE in the
proleptic Julian calendarThe proleptic Julian calendar is produced by extending the Julian calendar to dates preceding AD 4 when its quadrennial leap year stabilized. The leap years actually observed between its official implementation in 45 BC and AD 4 were erratic, see the Julian calendar article for details.A calendar...
or January 23, 3102 BCE in the
proleptic Gregorian calendarThe proleptic Gregorian calendar is produced by extending the Gregorian calendar backward to dates preceding its official introduction in 1582.-Usage:...
. According to the
PuranasThe Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
this was the moment when
KrishnaKrishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
returned to his eternal abode. Both the solar and lunisolar calendars started on this date. After that, each year is labeled by the number of years
elapsed since the epoch.
This is a unique feature of the Hindu calendar. All other systems use the current ordinal number of the year as the year label. But just as a person's true age is measured by the number of years that have elapsed starting from the date of the person's birth, the Hindu calendar measures the number of years elapsed. , 5111 years had elapsed in the Hindu calendar. However, the lunisolar calendar year usually starts earlier than the solar calendar year, so the exact year will not begin on the same day every year.
Year names
Apart from the numbering system outlined above, there is also a cycle of 60 calendar year names, called
SamvatsaraSamvatsara is a Sanskrit term for "year". In Hindu tradition, there are 60 Samvatsaras, each of which has a name. Once all 60 samvatsaras are over, the cycle starts over again...
s, which started at the first year (at elapsed years zero) and runs continuously:
- 1. Prabhava
- 2. Vibhava
- 3. Shukla
- 4. Pramoda
- 5. Prajāpati
- 6. Āngirasa
- 7. Shrīmukha
- 8. Bhāva
- 9. Yuva
- 10. Dhātri
- 11. Īshvara
- 12. Bahudhānya
- 13. Pramādhi
- 14. Vikrama (2000-2001)
- 15. Vrisha (2001-02)
- 16. Chitrabhānu (2002-03)
- 17. Svabhānu (2003-04)
- 18. Tārana (2004-05)
- 19. Pārthiva (2005-06)
- 20. Vyaya (2006-2007)
- 21. Sarvajeeth (2007-08)
- 22. Sarvadhāri (2008-09)
- 23. Virodhi (2009-10)
- 24. Vikrita (2010-11)
- 25. Khara (2011-12)
- 26. Nandana (2012-13)
- 27. Vijaya
- 28. Jaya
- 29. Manmadha
- 30. Durmukhi
- 31. Hevilambi
- 32. Vilambi
- 33. Vikāri
- 34. Shārvari
- 35. Plava
- 36. Shubhakruti
- 37. Sobhakruthi
- 38. Krodhi
- 39. Vishvāvasu
- 40. Parābhava
- 41. Plavanga
- 42. Kīlaka
- 43. Saumya
- 44. Sādhārana
- 45. Virodhikruthi
- 46. Paridhāvi
- 47. Pramādicha
- 48. Ānanda
- 49. Rākshasa
- 50. Anala
- 51. Pingala
- 52. Kālayukthi
- 53. Siddhārthi
- 54. Raudra
- 55. Durmathi
- 56. Dundubhi
- 57. Rudhirodgāri
- 58. Raktākshi
- 59. Krodhana
- 60. Akshaya
This system contains the concept of leap year also.Every 4th year will have 366 days and the others only 365.The starting point is Meshadi, ( 1st of the month MESHA).It is also calculated a day by day mode.beginning from 1 presently it runs 1864000+.... days.This means these much days have passed in the present Kaliyuga (1/10th of Chathur yuga total)
Eras
Hinduism has of four eras or ages, of which we are currently in the last. The four are:
- Krita Yuga or Satya Yuga
The Satya Yuga , also called Sat Yuga, Krta Yuga and Krita Yuga in Hinduism, is the "Yuga of Truth", when mankind is governed by gods, and every manifestation or work is close to the purest ideal and mankind will allow intrinsic goodness to rule supreme...
- Treta Yuga
Treta Yuga is the second out of four yugas, or ages of mankind, in the religion of Hinduism, and follows the Satya Yuga of perfect morality and precedes the Dvapara Yuga. The most famous events in this yuga were Lord Vishnu's fifth, sixth and seventh incarnations as Vamana, Parashurama and...
- Dvāpara Yuga
Dvapara Yuga or Dwapara Yuga is the third out of four yugas, or ages, described in the scriptures of Hinduism. This yuga comes after Treta Yuga and is followed by Kali Yuga...
- Kali Yuga
Kali Yuga is the last of the four stages that the world goes through as part of the cycle of yugas described in the Indian scriptures. The other ages are Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga...
They are often translated into English as the golden, silver, bronze and Iron Ages. (
YugaYuga in Hindu philosophy is the name of an 'epoch' or 'era' within a cycle of four ages. These are the Satya Yuga, the Treta Yuga, the Dvapara Yuga, and finally the Kali Yuga. According to Hindu cosmology, life in the universe is created, destroyed once every 4.1 to 8.2 billion years, which is...
means era or age.) The ages see a gradual decline of
dharmaDharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
, wisdom, knowledge, intellectual capability, life span and emotional and physical strength. The epoch provided above is the start of the
Kali Yuga. The
Kali Yuga is 432,000 years long. The
Dvāpara,
Tretā and
Krita (Satya) Yuga-s are two, three and four times the length of the
Kali Yuga respectively. Thus they together constitute 4,320,000 years. This is called a
Chaturyuga.
A thousand and a thousand (i.e. two thousand)
chaturyuga-s are said to be one day and night of the creator
BrahmāBrahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
. He (the creator) lives for 100 years of 360 such days and at the end, he is said to dissolve, along with his entire Creation, into the Eternal Soul or
ParamātmanHindu philosophy is divided into six schools of thought, or , which accept the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures. Three other schools do not accept the Vedas as authoritative...
.
A samkhya view of the timespan of a yuga is given by Swami
Sri Yukteswar GiriSri Yukteshwar Giri is the monastic name of Priyanath Karar , the guru of Swami Satyananda Giri and Paramahansa Yogananda. Sri Yukteshwar was an educator, astronomer, a Jyotisha , a yogi, and a believer in the Bhagavad Gita and the Bible...
, the
guruA guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
of
Paramahansa YoganandaParamahansa Yogananda , born Mukunda Lal Ghosh , was an Indian yogi and guru who introduced many westerners to the teachings of meditation and Kriya Yoga through his book, Autobiography of a...
. This is detailed in his book,
The Holy ScienceThe Holy Science is a book written by Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri in 1894 under the title Kaivalya Darsanam. Sri Yukteswar states that he wrote The Holy Science at the request of Mahavatar Babaji...
. According to this view, one complete yuga cycle is equal to one complete "precession of the equinox", a period of approximately 24,000 years. The ascending phase consists of a 1200 year Kali, 2400 year Dwapara, 3600 year Treta and 4800 year Krita (Satya) yuga. The descending phase reverses this order, thus both ascending and descending phases equal 24,000 years. According to calculations given in the book, the most recent yuga change was in 1699, when the Earth passed from Kali Yuga (the lowest material age) to Dvāpara Yuga (the second age associated with electrical, atomic and finger forces). We are in an ascending spiral right now, and will pass into the Tretā Yuga in 4100 CE. According to the book, the motion of the stars moving across the sky (a.k.a.precession) is the observable of the Sun's motion around another star. The quality of human intellect depends on the distance of the
SunThe Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
and Earth from a certain point in space known as the Grand Center, Magnetic Center or Vishṇunābhi (the navel/center of Lord Vishnu)
VishnuVishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
. The closer the Sun is to it, the more subtle energy the
Solar SystemThe Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
receives, and the greater is the level of human spiritual and overall development. As the Sun moves around its companion star, it brings us closer to or drives us farther away from Vishnunabi, resulting in the rising and falling ages here on Earth.
Yukteswar tells us that the calendars of the higher ages were based on the Yugas, with each era named after its Yuga. Hence, the year 3000 BCE was known as descending Dwapara 102 (because the last descending Dwapara yuga began 102 years earlier in 3102 BCE). He stated that this method was used up until the recent Dark Ages, when knowledge of the connection with the yugas and the precession cycle was lost; "The mistake crept into the almanacs for the first time during the reign of Raja Parikshit, just after the completion of the last descending Dwapara Yuga. At that time Maharaja Yudhisthira, noticing the appearance of the dark Kali Yuga, made over his throne to his grandson, the said Raja Parikshit. Maharaja Yudhisthira, together with all the wise men of his court, retired to the Himalaya Mountains... thus there was no one who could understand the principle of correctly calculating the ages of the several Yugas". Thus, Yukeswar assumed that Raja Parikshit was not trained in any vedic principles even though he alone ruled the world many years. Thus, he interpreted that Yugas are not calculated correctly. Consequently, he gave the theory that when the Dwapara was over and the Kali era began no one knew enough to restart the calendar count. They knew they were in a Kali Yuga (which is why the old Hindu calendar now begins with K.Y.) but the beginning of this calendar (which in 2006 stands at 5108) can still be traced to 3102 BCE, (3102+2006=5108) the start of the last descending Dwapara Yuga. To this day there is still much confusion why the Kali starts at this date or what the correct length of the Yugas should be. Yukteswar suggests that a return to basing the Yuga calendar on the motion of the equinox would be a positive step.
History
The Hindu Calendar descends from the Vedic times. There are many references to calendrics in the Vedas. The Vedānga (adjunct to Veda) called Jyautisha (literally, "celestial body study") prescribed all the aspects of the Hindu calendars. After the Vedic period, there were many scholars such as
ĀryabhataAryabhata was the first in the line of great mathematician-astronomers from the classical age of Indian mathematics and Indian astronomy...
(5th century CE),
VarāhamihiraVarāhamihira , also called Varaha or Mihira, was an Indian astronomer, mathematician, and astrologer who lived in Ujjain...
(6th century) and Bhāskara (12th century) who were experts in Jyautisha and contributed to the development of the Hindu Calendar.
The most widely used authoritative text for the Hindu Calendars is the
Sūrya Siddhānta, a text of uncertain age, though some place it at 10th century.
The traditional Vedic calendar used to start with the month of agrahayan (agra=first + ayan = travel of the sun, equinox) or Mārgashirsha. This is the month where the Sun crosses the equator, i.e. the vernal equinox. This month was called mārgashirsha after the fifth nakshatra (around lambda orionis). Due to the
precessionPrecession is a change in the orientation of the rotation axis of a rotating body. It can be defined as a change in direction of the rotation axis in which the second Euler angle is constant...
of the Earth's axis, the vernal equinox is now in Pisces, and corresponds to the month of chaitra. This shift over the years is what has led to various calendar reforms in different regions to assert different months as the start month for the year. Thus, some calendars (e.g. Vikram) start with Chaitra, which is the present-day month of the vernal equinox, as the first month. Others may start with Vaisakha (e.g. Bangabda). The shift in the vernal equinox by nearly four months from agrahaayana to chaitra in sidereal terms seems to indicate that the original naming conventions may date to the fourth or fifth millennium BCE, since the period of precession in the Earth's axis is about 25,800 years.
Regional variants
The Indian Calendar Reform Committee, appointed in 1952 (shortly after Indian independence), identified more than thirty well-developed calendars, all variants of the
Surya Siddhanta calendar outlined here, in systematic use across different parts of India. These include the widespread
Vikrama and
Shalivahana calendars and regional variations thereof. The
Tamil calendarThe Tamil calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Tamil Nadu. It is also used in Pondicherry , and by the Tamil population in Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. It is also used by Telugu speaking people in Tamil Nadu...
, a solar calendar, is used in
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and Kollavarsham Calendar is used in
Keralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
.
Vikrama and Shalivahana calendars
The two calendars most widely used in India today are the
Vikrama calendar followed in Western and Northern India and
NepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, and the Shalivahana or
Saka calendar which is followed in
Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
,
KarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
,
MaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
and
GoaGoa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
.
Both the
Vikrama and the
Shalivahana eras are lunisolar calendars, and feature annual cycles of twelve lunar months, each month divided into two phases: the 'bright half' (
shukla paksha) and the 'dark half' (
krishna paksha); these correspond respectively to the periods of the 'waxing' and the 'waning' of the moon. Thus, the period beginning from the first day after the
new moonIn astronomical terminology, the new moon is the lunar phase that occurs when the Moon, in its monthly orbital motion around Earth, lies between Earth and the Sun, and is therefore in conjunction with the Sun as seen from Earth...
and ending on the
full moonFull moon lunar phase that occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. More precisely, a full moon occurs when the geocentric apparent longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180 degrees; the Moon is then in opposition with the Sun.Lunar eclipses can only occur at...
day constitutes the
shukla paksha or 'bright part' of the month; the period beginning from the day after the full moon until and including the next new moon day constitutes the
krishna paksha or 'dark part' of the month.
The names of the 12 months, as also their sequence, are the same in both calendars; however, the new year is celebrated at separate points during the year and the "year zero" for the two calendars is different. In the Vikrama calendar, the zero year corresponds to 58 BCE, while in the Shalivahana calendar, it corresponds to 78 CE. The Vikrama calendar begins with the month of
Baishakh (April), or
Kartak (October/November) in Gujarat. The Shalivahana calendar begins with the month of
Chaitra (March) and the
UgadiYugadi or Ugadi or "Samvatsradi" , Konkani/Marathi: युगादी yugādi, , formed by sandhi of yuga "age" and ādi "beginning": the beginning of an age) is the New Year's Day for the people of the Deccan region of India. It falls on the different day every year because the Hindu calendar is a lunisolar...
/
Gudi PadwaGudi Padwa or Gudhi Padwa , is the Marathi name for the Hindu holiday of Chaitra Shukla Pratipada. It is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month to mark the beginning of the New year according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar...
festivals mark the new year.
Another little-known difference between the two calendars exists: while each month in the
Shalivahana calendar begins with the 'bright half' and is followed by the 'dark half', the opposite obtains in the
Vikrama calendar. Thus, each month of the
Shalivahana calendar ends with the no-moon day and the new month begins on the day after that, while the full-moon day brings each month of the
Vikrama calendar to a close (This is an exception in Gujarati Calendar, its month (and hence new year) starts on a sunrise of the day after new moon, and ends on the new moon, though it follows Vikram Samvat).
In Gujarat, Diwali is held on the final day of the Vikram Calendar and the next day marks the beginning of the New Year and is also referred as ‘Annakut’ or Nutan Varsh or Bestu Varash.
In the Hindu calendar popularly used in North India the year begins with Chaitra Shukala Pratipadha (March – April).
National calendars in South and South East Asia
A variant of the
Shalivahana Calendar was reformed and standardized as the Indian National calendar in 1957. This official calendar follows the
Shalivahan Shak calendar in beginning from the month of
ChaitraChaitra is a month of the Hindu calendar....
and counting years with 78 CE being year zero. It features a constant number of days in every month (with leap years).
The Bengali Calendar, or Bangla calendar (introduced 1584), is widely used in eastern India in the state of
West BengalWest Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
,
TripuraTripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...
and
AssamAssam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
. A reformation of this calendar was introduced in present-day
BangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
in 1966, with constant days in each month and a leap year system; this serves as the national calendar for
BangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
.
NepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
follows the
Bikram SambatThe Nepali Calendar is a traditional solar calendar used in Nepal for both civil and religious purposes. The year begins in the month Baishakh; usually around 14 April....
. Parallel months and roughly the same periods apply to the
Buddhist calendarThe Buddhist calendar is used on mainland Southeast Asia in the countries of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Burma and Sri Lanka in several related forms. It is a lunisolar calendar having months that are alternately 29 and 30 days, with an intercalated day and a 30-day month added at regular intervals...
s used in Burma,
CambodiaCambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
,
LaosLaos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
,
Sri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and
ThailandThe Thai lunar calendar , or Dai calendar , Tai calendar, is Thailand's version of the lunisolar Buddhist calendar used in the southeast Asian countries of Cambodia, Laos and Burma, for calculating lunar-regulated holy days...
.
Correspondence between calendars
As an indicator of this variation, Whitaker's Almanac reports that the Gregorian year 2000 CE corresponds, respectively with:
- Year 5101 in the Kaliyuga calendar;
- Year 2544 in the Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
NirvanaNirvāṇa ; ) is a central concept in Indian religions. In sramanic thought, it is the state of being free from suffering. In Hindu philosophy, it is the union with the Supreme being through moksha...
calendar;
- Year 2543 in the Buddhist Era (BE) of the Thai solar calendar
The Thai solar calendar, Suriyakati was adopted by King Chulalongkorn in AD 1888 as the Siamese version of the Gregorian calendar. It is the legal calendar in Thailand, though Thai lunar calendar dates continue in use. Years are now counted in the Buddhist Era that is 543 years greater than...
- Year 2057 in the Bikram Samvat
The Nepali Calendar is a traditional solar calendar used in Nepal for both civil and religious purposes. The year begins in the month Baishakh; usually around 14 April....
calendar;
- Year 1922 in the Saka calendar;
- Year 1921 (shown in terms of 5-yearly cycles) of the Vedanga Jyotisa calendar;
- Year 1407 in the Bengali calendar
The Bengali calendar or Bangla calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used by the Bengali people. It is used in the eastern Indian states of West Bengal, Assam and Tripura and in Bangladesh...
;
- Year 1362 in the Burmese Calendar
The traditional Burmese calendar is a lunisolar calendar based on both the phases of the moon and the motion of the sun. Within each month of the Burmese calendar, a major festival, often Burmese Buddhist in nature, is held...
;
- Year 514 in the Gaurabda
Gaurabda is the name of moon calendar used by Gaudiya as part of the liturgy.It is used as the main calendar of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.-Reasons to follow a lunar calendar:...
Gaudiya calendar;
- Year 1176 in the Malayalam calendar
Malayalam calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Kerala, India. The origin of the calendar has been dated as 825 CE....
or Kolla Varsham calendar.
See also
- Hindu astrology
- Hindu chronology
Hindu chronology may refer to:*Indian astronomy*Hindu calendar*Yuga - in Hindu philosophy, the name of an "epoch" or "era" within a cycle of four ages...
- Hindu units of measurement
Vedic and Puranic units of time span from the Paramáńu to the mahamanvantara . Its clearly given in Hindu Vedic knowledge that the creation and destruction of the universe is a cyclical process and the timespan of the universe is 311.04 trillion years...
- List of Hindu festivals
- Panchangam
A panchāngam is a Hindu astrological almanac, which follows traditional Indian cosmology, and presents important astronomical data in tabulated form. It is sometimes spelled Pancanga, Panchanga, Panchaanga, or Panchānga, and is pronounced Panchānga...
- Panjika
The panjika , is the Hindu astronomical almanac, published in Maithili, Assamese, Bengali and Oriya. In colloquial language it is called a ‘panji’. In other parts of India it is called a panchangam...
Further reading
- Reingold and Dershowitz, Calendrical Calculations, Millennium Edition, Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
, latest 2nd edition 3rd printing released November 2004. ISBN 0-521-77752-6
- S. Balachandra Rao, Indian Astronomy: An Introduction, Universities Press, Hyderabad, 2000.
- "Hindu Chronology", Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition
The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition is a 29-volume reference work, an edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. It was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. Some of its articles were written by the best-known scholars of the time...
(1911)
- Shriramana Sharma, Hindu Calendars
External links