Why is Maarghazhi Month called Dhanur Maasam ?

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Raama BhakthAs :

 

Soon it will be Dhanur Maasam .The GhOsham of ThiruppAvai

will be cleansing the air all around in dhivya dEsams and private

homes of BhakthAs . Devotees reciting ThiruppAvai will be shivering

in he cold as they go around the Raaja Veethis of Dhivya dEsams

reciting GodhOpanishad .

 

One BhakthA asked me recently a question about Dhanur Maasam .

He wanted to know why this sacred month of Maarghazhi is called

Dhanur Maasam .

 

I was wondering about it until Vaikunta Vaasi MukkUr Lakshmi NrusimhAcchAr

Swamy Came to the rescue . He has an extraordinarily informative book

entitled ,

Veda Raaman dealing with the 14 artha visEshams enshrined in AaraNya

KhANDam of Aadhi Kavi Vaalmuki . The revered MukkUr Swamy describes in

this book a scene in which Lord Raamachandra is performing morning SandhyA

before Sunrise , while standing knee high in cold GodhAvari Waters . In this context ,

Swamy says: " During the Hemantha Ruthu , Lord Ramachandra was living with

His DEvi and brother LakshmaNa on the banks of Godhaavari river . The first month of

Hemantha Ruthu is Maarghazhi ( Dhanur Maasam) .During Marghazhi month ,

the chill in the morning air will prod the sleeping people to bend their body

in the form of a bow (DhanuraakAram) to get additional protection against

the cold air that makes them shiver ".

 

One explanation for the name of Dhanur Maasam for Maarghazhi month

seems thus to be the connection of the DhanurAkAram of the humans during

the nights of this month .

 

One can think of additional explanations for the link of Dhanus (Bow)

with the Maarghazhi month . AdiyEn will take them up in the future postings .

 

Sri Raamachandra ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

[Guest guest]

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004, Sadagopan wrote:

 

> SrI:

>

> Dear Raama BhakthAs :

>

> Soon it will be Dhanur Maasam .The GhOsham of ThiruppAvai

> will be cleansing the air all around in dhivya dEsams and private

> homes of BhakthAs . Devotees reciting ThiruppAvai will be shivering

> in he cold as they go around the Raaja Veethis of Dhivya dEsams

> reciting GodhOpanishad .

>

> One BhakthA asked me recently a question about Dhanur Maasam .

> He wanted to know why this sacred month of Maarghazhi is called

> Dhanur Maasam .

>

> I was wondering about it until Vaikunta Vaasi MukkUr Lakshmi NrusimhAcchAr

> Swamy Came to the rescue . He has an extraordinarily informative book entitled

,

> Veda Raaman dealing with the 14 artha visEshams enshrined in AaraNya

> KhANDam of Aadhi Kavi Vaalmuki . The revered MukkUr Swamy describes in

> this book a scene in which Lord Raamachandra is performing morning SandhyA

> before Sunrise , while standing knee high in cold GodhAvari Waters . In this

context ,

> Swamy says: " During the Hemantha Ruthu , Lord Ramachandra was living with

> His DEvi and brother LakshmaNa on the banks of Godhaavari river . The first

month of

> Hemantha Ruthu is Maarghazhi ( Dhanur Maasam) .During Marghazhi month ,

> the chill in the morning air will prod the sleeping people to bend their body

> in the form of a bow (DhanuraakAram) to get additional protection against

> the cold air that makes them shiver ".

>

> One explanation for the name of Dhanur Maasam for Maarghazhi month

> seems thus to be the connection of the DhanurAkAram of the humans during

> the nights of this month .

>

> One can think of additional explanations for the link of Dhanus (Bow)

> with the Maarghazhi month . AdiyEn will take them up in the future postings .

>

> Sri Raamachandra ParabrahmaNE Nama:

> Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

>

 

Dear Bhagavatas,

 

There is an interesting sanskrit verse from subhashita about this

dhanurmasam. It goes like this:

 

chApAkriti dhanurmAsE makarE kuNDalAkriti

kumbhe sheetam asheetam va meenE sheetanivAraNam.

 

which means:

 

In dhanurmasa it takes the shape of a bow. In makara (thai) mAsa it takes

the shape of a coil. In kumbha masam there is either cold or warmth but in

Meena mAsam there is total warmth (heat). Obviously it refers to the

chillness or warmth experienced in the four months of hemantha and

shishira seasons. In the words of a poor poet who could not possess a

blanket, one experiences some coldness in dhanurmasa or December and so to

create some warmth he bends up in the shape of a bow. In makara or

January, there is intense chill and so he curls up into a coil for more

warmth. In february or Kumbha, the weather is sometimes cold or a little

warm. By March or meena (panguni), there is real warmth or hot weather.

 

It is well known that the dhanurmasam is so called because the Sun is in

the Dhanuu raashi ( with stars in a bow shape) or sagittarius

constellation (archer) and hence the name.

 

Besides, the lunar month of Maargasheersha more often than not, coincides

with dhanurmasam and hence most probably the tamil linguists have adapted the

word Maargasheersha to tamil for this month by retaining the first three

letters after transforming Maargashee to Maargazhi to be compatible with

their tongue.

--

 

Adiyen

Ramanuja dasan

Ramanuja

 

***********************************************

[Guest guest]

Dear Srimathi Jayashree Saranathan :

 

What a brilliant analysis and assembly of

Information ! It is very important that all

the other bhakthAs should be familiar with

your outstanding observations .

 

Hence I haev taken the liberty of sharing it

with fellow list members. I am sure that you would not mind !

 

V.Sadagopan

 

-

"jayasartn" <jayasartn

"Sadagopan" <sgopan

Friday, November 19, 2004 2:28 AM

Re: Why is Maarghazhi Month called Dhanur Maasam ?

 

 

>

> SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

>

> Dhanur masam occurs when the sun moves in the Dhanur rasi (the

> constellation of Sagittarius). That is, the sun rises in Dhanur rasi

> in this month. This constellation is in the shape of a bow held by a

> half-man who seems to have his lower body as that of a horse. The

> facts about this rasi and other related ones used to amuse me as to

> link them to many of our notions of Hinduism.

>

> This constellation is in the centre of our milky way galaxy. It is

> from here the entire galaxy evolved - as though from the shoot of the

> bow. This area is dotted with massive black holes which gobble up the

> matter around them. If pralaya means bodies getting back into the

> source from which they originated, our entire galaxy would some day

> get eaten up by this centre. I used to wonder whether the meaning of

> Lord's name, Krishna: is to do with black holes. "ThaanE undumindu

> thaanEAlvaanE" (Nammazhwar) seems to describe the way the blackhole

> eats up and Spits(?).(No proof for the latter in science as yet. But

> it is a possibility as per the closed universe theory of Hindu

> thought.)Many verses from the NDP can be quoted to describe this

> situation. "sarvam krishnaarpanam asthu" seems to denote that

> everything gets absorbed by black holes. (btw what is the exact

> meaning of Margashirsha? - is it to do with maarga or way? if so the

> coming passages would get better relevance)

>

>

> Another interesting information is that this constellation is in the

> southern most part of the sky when we see it in the night sky, after

> which there is a turn-around of the succeeding constellations to the

> north. The earth also makes a turn-around towards the end of this

> month and moves towards the galactic centre with sun doing its

> northen sojourn. The stories of Dhaksha prajapathi and south as the

> abode of the dead can be convincingly explained on the basis of these.

>

> If we say that the Sun, as the originator of our planetary life is

> the lord of our planet and its inhabitants, we can also say that the

> constellation of Dhanush is the lord of all that is in this galaxy.

> It is supposed to be the abode of devas as their day is said to begin

> in Dhanur masam. It is at this time of the year that we on earth come

> in line with dhanur rasi and sun. The combined force of dhanur rasi

> and the sun on earth will be the highest on this month. With the sun

> in the middle, we are on the other side, closer to outer space. It is

> significant to note that we will be at a point farthest away from our

> galactic centre (Sagittarius)on Vaikunta ekadasi that occurs in this

> month. In other words, we will be closer to the place of origin of

> all galaxies - probably the abode of the Lord, parama padam.

>

> Another point which I wish to note here is about the way that

> galactic materials are carried away from and taken back to the centre

> by galactic arms and other detected and undetected forces (in

> science). The Sagittarius arm (one of the spitral arms of our galaxy)

> which is the longest and the most massive one that originates in the

> galactic centre almost envelopes the entire galaxy before it fades

> out into outer space. It seems there is no escape from this galaxy

> unless particles move in particular arms and in particular

> directions. There are also movements which bring in streams of gas

> towards the galactic centre. By and far, I used to wonder whether the

> movement is towards the centre (dhanur rasi) in uttarayana and away

> from the centre during dhakshinayana. It is interesting to note that

> after the month of Ani when we are closest to the galactic centre,

> all our actions are either diverted to religious activities or

> pithrus-oriented. The pithrus are supposed to be carried by the rays

> of the sun in Mahalaya paksham which land them in our place. The

> movement therefore seems to be towards the outer during this

> particular part of the year.

>

> It seems dhanush and chakra have special significance in God's scheme

> of things (AAzhi ezha, shankum, villum ezha - Nammazhwar). The bow

> has always been used for precision strikes (origin of galactic matter

> from the central bow)and the chakra for sustenance. The shape of our

> galaxy which looks like a chakra actually supports our existance.

> ("ennaiyum en udamaiaiyum un chakara pori-yotri-k- kondu, ninnarulE

> purinthirundEn" (Periazhwar))

>

>

> -jayasree saranathan.

>

>

> Oppiliappan, Sadagopan <sgopan@c...> wrote:

>> SrI:

>>

>> Dear Raama BhakthAs :

 

>>

>> One BhakthA asked me recently a question about Dhanur Maasam .

>> He wanted to know why this sacred month of Maarghazhi is called

>> Dhanur Maasam .

[Guest guest]

Dear members,

 

It is really good to read all the scholarly and useful explanations

posted so far on the subject.

 

Here is a less serious, rather humourous view narrated, with great

elan and 'svArasyam' indeed, by the 'mahAn', 'vaikunatavAsi'

(and 'mAnaseega guru'), Sri Mukkur Lakshminarasimhachariar in many

of his public discourses.

 

I remember the Swami saying that merely by looking at people's body-

frame while they slept in bed in the early hours of a "mArgazhi"

morning could give one a clear indication of which month of the

lunar calendar it is!

 

During the month of "mArgazhi", when it is bitterly cold in the

mornings, people generally snuggle up warmly in bed in a foetal

pose. IN that particular pose, it may be easily observed, the human

body-frame looks like a "bow" -- a "dhanus"! (During summer months,

by contrast, the sleeping posture is completely different since, due

to the oppressive heat, people throw off their blankets and are

usually found lying in a totally spread-eagle pose -- with arms and

legs flung far apart).

 

Since sleeping postures during "mArgazhi" month resemble a "dhanus",

the month also perhaps came to be called "dhanur mAsam"?!

 

Interesting explanation based on a keen piece of observation, right?

 

Rgds,

 

dAsan,

Sudarshan