The differnet dates for the UpakarmA for Differnet Veda SaakhAs

[Guest guest]

Dear VedAbimAnis :

 

Sri Anand 's question is a very legitimate one that

has troubled Sri VaishNavAs some five and half

centuries ago and Sri Mani"s response touches on

the points cited by our PurvAchAryAs starting

from Thozhappar , one of the key disciples

of the First Jeeyar of Ahobila Mutt .

 

These differneces are based on the different ways

of defining the months as one of the five kinds :

Soura , ChAndra Maasams , BhArhaspathyam ,

sAvAnam and Naakshathrikam .

 

The length of the year ( the number of the days in

the year ) , the Number of New Moons and Full Moons

per month in each of the five kinds of months differ .

 

The Soura Maasam calculations are made based on the entry

of Sooryan in the twelve Raasis such as Mesham .

SourA tadition is a Vaidheehic tradition .The Soura

year has 365 days .

 

In the ChAndhrA tradition of naming months ,

calculations are made based on the time period

from Sukla Prathamai to AmAvAsyai ( new Moon )

and the month is counted to encompass this time period .

Chaandhra Tradiiton is also a Vaidheehic tradition .

The chAndhra year has 354 days.

 

In the Saavanam tradition , the month has 30 days

in contrast to the above two traditions .This is for

Vaisyas and is used to compute monthly interest

based on 30 days time intervals .This is also

used for payroll and accounting purposes .This

tradition has 360 days in its count of the year .

This is not a strictly Vaidheehic tradition .

 

In the BrAhaspathya tradition , the movement (gathi )

of Bruhaspathi is used to compute the length of the month .

This tradition is used by those residing on the north

side of the VindhyA mountain . This tradiiton has 361

days in its count for the year .

 

In the Naakshathrikam tradition , the month is 27 days

long and coincides with the number (27) of constellations .

This type of count is of limited use . KshathriyAs

use it . This one has 324 (12x27 )days for each of

its year .

 

As you can readily see , among the 5 ways of dividing the

calendar on a Monthly pattern , the SourA and ChAndhrA

tradition is relevant for Vaidhika and VrathAnushtAnams .

 

Among the two , Soura count is preferred for KarmAs

prescribed by Smruthis ( Pithru Kaaryams )and the

ChAndhrA methodology is considered appropriate for

VrahtAnushtAnams ( Sri Rama Navami , JanmAshtami ,

SravaNa dwAdhasi observance et al ) .There is a group of people

who accept both the SourA and ChaandhrA as being fit for

the observance of Pithru Kaaryams .

 

Then comes the complications of where you live in India

and what kind of Veda SaakhA you are heir to . According

to tradition , it matters whether you are on the north

side of VindhyA mountains or on the West side of NarmadhA

river . The Veda SaakhA followed varied depending on

that specific location.For instance , the Yaju: sAkhA

adhyAyis dominated in DakshiN adesam (AndhrA , Tamil Naadu

and karnAtakA . Atharva Vedam was prevalent in Kashmir

and some parts of Northern India.It was either Rg Vedam

or Saama Vedam depending on the particular bank of

the NarmadhA river ( riparian boundary ) .

All of these led to differnet dates for observance

of the UpAkarmA as well .That is why the sampradhAyam

of the family and AchArya Paramparai becomes THE guiding

factor .The way pointed out by the poorvAchAryAs of

a particular tradition is hence followed faithfully .

 

Our PurvAchAryAs determined according to the Smruthis

and sruthis , the dates for observances and blessed us

with NirNaya GranthAs . One of the great AchAryAs

for Yajur vedam is one , who had the name of Sri Venaktanaathan ,

who was a direct disciple of the famous First Jeeyar of

Ahobila Mutt revered as Adhi VaNN SatakOpa Yatheendhra

MahA Desikan .Sri VenaktanAthan was also known as

MaNaRpAkkam Thozhappar . The time was 14th Century .

 

H.H. Adhi VaNN SatakOpa Jeeyar had Thozappar

as his devout disciple hailing from the Haaritha

Vamsam known for its strict observance of

AchAram and anushTaanam .Thozappar was well versed in

VedAs , Smruthis , VedAnthams and SadAchArams as he

inherited the sath sampradhAyam from his father ,

Sri RanganAtha sUri and his grandfather ,

Sri SarasvathI Vallabhar . Thus , their inheritance

was a kula dhanam for Thozhappar .They all belonged

to Yajur Vedam and Aapasthampa Soothram .

 

While Thozhappar peformed grantha chathushtya kAlakshEpam

under the sacred feet of the First Jeeyar , he demonstrated

his medhA vilAsam ( acute intelleigence in grasping

the grand doctrines of Sri VaishNavism ) .The AchAryA

was so pleased to have Thozhappar as his disciple that he

instructed him to create granthams that could help

Sri VaishNavAs understand and practise dharma sAsthrams

thru nithya , Naimitthika KarmAnushtAnams .Thozhappar

placed the AchAryA's command on his head (sirasA vahitthu )

and composed 8 granthams and placed the fruits of his

scholarship at the sacred feet of Adhi VaNN SatakOpa Jeeyar .

These 8 granthams are :

 

1&2 . Asoucha sathakam and its commenatary known as

Asoucha NirNayam .They deal with the theetu ( days

to stay away from some sacred observances following

the death of a member of the family ). MaNavALa maamuni

took sanyAsam to be rid of these limitations that

would have interfered with his worship of Sri RanganAthA

at the temple .

 

3&4 . Pithrumetha Saaram and its commentary known as

sudhIvilOchanam .These two granthams deal with anthyEshti

and the Agni kaaryam after some one shakes their mortal

coils ( dahanna SamskAram and AparakriyAs ).

 

5.Smruthi RathnAkaram: Daily observances ( Nithya KarmAs )

 

6.Dasa NirNayam : Deals with UPAAKARMAM and Sri Jayanthi

celebration day et al.

 

7 and 8 . Gruhya Rathnam and KantabhUshaNam : Deals

with samskArams like GarbhAdhAnam and Pumsavanam .

 

The AchArya SaarvabhoumA , H.H . the First Jeeyar was so

pleased with his disciples' granthams that he honored

latter with the title of Vaidhika Saarvabhoumar .

 

These 8 are known as Aahnika Granthams and serve as

the lighthouse for Sri VaishNava SadAchAra NirNayam .

The great commentaries and clarifications that

followed came from the triad of Azhagiya Singars

( 25th , 26th and the 27th ) .The 26th Azhagiya Singar's

( Sri Rangaantha Yatheendhra MahA Desikan ) granthams

were protected and elaborated on by the 42nd Azhagiyasingar

( InjimEttu Azhagiyasingar ) and passed on to his successors

( the DEvanaarviLAgam , MukkUr and the Current Azhagiyasingar ).

 

The present Azhagiyasinghar , a great scholar and student

of the 42nd Jeeyar has released a superb Ahnika grantham ,

which houses the teachings of his PurvAchAryAs .This was

released in the year 1989 for the benefit of the Sri VaishNavA

community . This is the grantham that one has to look to

for addressing the queries of Sri Anand , who has received

BharanyAsam from this mahAN . I will cover this subject

on " AvaNi avittam " and its appearance outside the month of

AvaNi occasionally in terms of the differences in the lunar

and solar counts of the months as touched by Sri Mani in

my next posting .

 

Sri NaarAyaNa Yatheendhra MahA DesikAya Nama:

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan