UpAkarmA in Aani , Aadi and AvaNi : Part 2

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Dear BhakthAs :

 

Our AchAryAs have gone over this issues carefully .

The older issues of Nrusimha Priya contain pertinent

comments on SampradhAya sishtAs like the Azahgaiya Singars

and Sri Melpakkam Narasimhachaar swamy about the

subject of UpAkaram anushtAna day determinations

and other vrathAnushtAnam days such as Sri Rama Navami,

Nrusimha Jayanthi ,JanmAshtami et al .The Current

Jeeyar of Ahobila Mutt has written one of the most

outstanding monographs on this subject .

 

Prior to commenting on the substance of the AchAryA's views

on UPAAKARMAA alone ,let us get acquainted at a basic

level with some definitions and background nomenclature .

This is compiled with the view to address the information

needs of Youngsters based on a discussion I had with

Sri Kesava PrasAd following the conclusion

of th ePittsburgh Conference on "Sri VenakatEsa MahimA " .

 

A .First , Let us list the names of Soura

and ChAndra Maasams that make up an year :

 

Souram(365 days) Chaandra Maasam (354 days

 

1.Mesha : Chittari------Chaithra:Chaithram

2.Vrushabha:VaikAsi-----VaisAka:VaisAkam

3.Mithunam :Aani--------JyEshta:JyEshtam

4.Karkatakam:Aadi-------- AashAda: AshAdam

5.Simha: AavaNi-------- SrAvaNa:SrAvaNam

6.kanyA: PurattAsi----- BhAdrapAdha:BhAdrapAdham

7.TulA: Iyppasi-------- Aasvayuja:Aasvayujam

8.Vruscchika:Kaarthikai-Kaarthika: Kaarthikam

9.Dhanu: Maargazhi------Maargaseersha:Maargaseersham

10.Makara:Tai-----------Pousha:( tEsha:)/Pushyam

11.Kumbha:Maasi---------Maaga: Maagam

12.Meena:Panguni--------Paalguna:Paalgunam

 

B.The Two Ayanams :The 6 month time period from Aadi maasam

start is recognized as DakshiNaayanam and the remaining

six month starting from Tai maasam is UttarAyaNam .

 

C. Ruthus : This 12 month period is split in to six two month

time divisions : Vasantha ( Chititrai+VaikAsi ) ,

Greeshma ( Aani+Aadi ) , Varsha ( AavaNi+Purattasi) ,

Saraddth ( Iypaasi+Kaarthigai ) ,Hemantha ( Maargazhi+Tai) ,

and Sisira ( Maasi+Panguni ) Ruthus .This is under

the Soura system or solar calendar .

 

D.Maasams( Months) : Three kinds of Mala Maasams:

 

These are (1) AthimAsam (2)samasarpaMaasam and

3) amhaspathi maasaam .They have some dhOshams

fro the observance of selected karmAs .

 

The above three kinds of months are hence known as

Mala maasams and there are restrictions on

doing subha kaaryams in these months or portions

of these Months . Rest of the Months are amalaa (blemishless)

months for performance of subha Kaaryams . In a mala maasam ,

where two Full moons or two New moons occur , then that

month is not fit for any subha kaaryam .Vasantha ruthu is

the only exception ,where its two months ( Chitthirai

and Vaikaasi) have no mala maasa dhOshams at all and hence

all subha kaaryams can done in these two months .

 

Another exception is for samskArams like

pumsavanam ( done in the 8 th month of Conception )

or anna prAsanam ( first feeding of solid food for the child

done after the sixth month of birth) , no mala maasa

restrcitions apply here as well .

 

D.1: When two amAvAsyais (New Moon ) occur in any one

of the Soura Maasam , that maasam is called

an ATHI MAASAM .

 

D.2: When there are two Maasa PiRappu ( beginning

of two months ) in a chAndhra Maasam ,then that

Maasam is known as AMHASPATHI MAASAM .Usually ,

it occurs in the chAndhra maasam of Kaarthikam .

 

D.3 : The month before Amhaspathi maasam is

known as Samsarpa Maasam . One can do karmAnushtAnam

in this month ( Karma Samsarpathi ithi) and

hence , the name .

 

E.Kaala VibhAgam( Time Divisions ):

 

Naazhikai or 24 minutes time intervals from Sunrise to

Sunset are our units as indicated by Sri Anand .

 

The whole day has 24 hours or 1,440 minuts . That time

period is broken up into 60 Naazhikais . The day or pakal

consists of 30 Naazhikais and the night the remaining 30

Nazhikais .

 

The day is divided into 5 time units of 144 minutes

( six Naazhigais ). These are PrAtha:( Sunrise to

the next six Naazhikais) , Sangavam (six naazhikais

after Praatha: Kaalam ) , MadhyAhanam , AparAhNam

and SaayAhanam ( concludes with sunset ) . The 4th

Kaalm ( AprAhNam ) is very important for Sraadhams

and latter must be started after MadhyAnam and ended

before AprAhNam .

 

F. The 27 Constellations ( Nakshathrams ):

 

The sequence is Asvini , BharaNi , Kritthikai ,

RohiNi , Mrugaseersham , ThiruvAthirai ,

Punarvasu , Pushyam, Aayilyam , Makam , Pooram .

Utthiram , Hastham , Chitthirai , SvAthi , VisAkam ,

Anusham , Kettai , Moolam ,Pooradam ,

UTTHIRAADAM , SRAVANAM , AVITTAM ,

Sathayam , PoorattAdhi , UthtirattAdhi , Revathi .

 

We will not cover Thithi , Thithi Dhvayam,

Soonya Thithi and Athithi here .These are important for

performance of TarpaNams , Sraadhams and GrahaNa snAnams ,

SangramaNa kaala anushtAnams . The monthly calendar

(panchaangam of Nrusimha PriyA journal carries

these details every month ).You can to

Sri Nrusimha PriyA ( Tamil or English or Telegu

editions ) by writing to Sriman Jaganaathan or

Sriman Dileepan .

 

I will focus on the UpaakarmA occuring in Aani or Aadi

or AavaNi in the next posting .

 

V.Sadagopan