Sri Ranganatha Paduka on Sri Jayanthi

[Guest guest]

> According to Sri Ranganatha Paduka (July 2000 Issue, pages 4-5), Sri

> Pancharathra Vaiganasa, Munithraya Sri Jayanthi falls on Wednesday, the 28th

> of August.

 

Dear Sri Madhavan,

 

Sri Ranganatha Paduka's calculations are only valid for Indian Standard

Time. Once again, if one wishes to observe these dates properly, one must

make the appropriate calculations for one's part of the world.

In the U.S., we don't get up when the sun rises in India, do we?

> In the Munithraya Sampradayam it is important to observe Sri Jayanthi on

> Janmashtami. Since on Tuesday Sapthami veda extends up to 10.24 naazhigai,

> Janmashtami cannot be observed.

 

This is true for India. But in the U.S., there is no 'saptami vedha' on Tuesday,

so Janmashtami falls on Tuesday. Let's look at the numbers for Eastern Time in

the U.S. Saptami ends at 3:04 AM, before sunrise on Tuesday. ashTami lasts from

well before sunrise on Tuesday until 1:55 AM the next day. So for the entire day

from sunrise onwards, it is 'ashTami'.

 

Since there is no presence of saptami whatsoever after sunrise, there is

no dosha.

 

If we look at Sri Tirukkudandai Desika's analysis in 'SrI jayantI nirNaya',

we can derive the following rules (already stated by Sri Sudarsan

Parthasarathy):

 

Sri Jayanti should ideally be celebrated when 'ashTamI' and 'rohiNi' coincide.

These are the tithi and nakshatra under which Sri Krishna was born.

 

1) It is ideal if this combination of tithi and nakshatra lasts from before

sunrise, throughout the rest of the day and night.

2) If this is not the case, the second choice is for the combination to be

present before moonrise, even if there is the 'vedha' dosha (i.e., presence

of saptami or krittika on that day).

3) If even this cannot be found, if even a little bit of ashTami/rohiNi

coincidence

is found, it should be reckoned as Sri Jayanti.

 

There are a few more rules if the coincidence spans two days, and there are

'vedha' doshas in other circumstances. In some cases, it is prescribed to

observe two days -- both janmAshTami *and* SrI jayantI, as separate vratas.

 

It is not correct to say that 'janmAshTamI' is what is generally observed

in the munitraya sampradAya. It is the coincidence of the 'ashTami' and 'rohiNi'

that are important and in many cases preference is given to 'rohiNi'.

 

References consulted:

(1) SrI jayantI nirNaya, by Sri Tirukkudandai Gopala Desikan

(2) Ahnika GranthaH, ed. and publ. by Sri Villivalam Krishnamacharya

(present Srimad Azhagiya Singar in his purvashrama).

 

This is not to argue that it is wrong if people are celebrating Sri Jayanti

on Wednesday. I am doing so myself due to extenuating circumstances. But we

have to understand the rules properly if we are going to broadcast information.

 

dAsan,

Mani

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Mani Varadarajan:

 

Thanks for sharing your views. However, I hope it is understood that my

message was only for Srirangam Srimad Andavan Periashramam's sishyas and was

not intended as a topic for debate. As I have indicated in my message I am

NOT disputing any claims or trying to establish one here. I broadcasted

Srirangam Srimad Andavan Ashramam's official position about the Sri Jayanthi

celebration. Regarding IST/US standard time conversion issues, HH has given

us guidance on earlier occasions to follow local dates and timings.

 

~Dasan