Subj: Birthday

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> > The solar calendar is not used by vaisnavas. It is a concoction of the

> > Greeks I think, or maybe it was the Romans. I would request Markandeya Rsi

> > das to answer you question briefly as I am not a technically minded person.

> > MRD? Can you answer?

 

Dear Sri Visnupada, please accept my humble obeisances.

 

I am not an expert in this, but I will try to give some answer to the question

of Mundita-mastaka das.

 

The Lunar calendar is clearly the most important calendar in the Vedic culture.

There is also a solar calendar used in India. It is popular in South India. But

I can't say that it necessarily means that they don't use the tithi (lunar

phase) to determine birthdays. I don't know.

 

In any case, the lunar calendar is more original. It is also interesting that

the names of the months in the solar calendar are derived from the lunar month

to which they have proximity, and this is ultimately derived from the name of a

nakshatra that is opposite to the solar sign. (Nakshatra is a way to describe

the position of the Moon.)

 

The Moon is considered more significant than the Sun in Vedic astrology. In the

West when we discuss astrology we often ask where the Sun is situated in the

zodiac, whereas in Vedic astrology one is much more concerned with the position

of the Moon. The Moon rules, among other things, peace of mind, comforts, and

the general well being and fortune of a person.

 

One is not only concerned with the position of the Moon but also with what

phase the Moon is in. This is the tithi, which is an important aspect of the

Vaishnava calendar.

 

Celebrating the birthday of a person according to the lunar calendar makes sure

that it is celebrated when the Moon is in the same phase (for example Moon

being half, on the way to being full) as when the person was born.

 

In Manu samhita there are many directives for the human being based on the

phase and position of the moon.

 

A couple of examples:

 

"Important duties are to be performed on some fortunate day of

the moon at a lucky hour, and under the influence of a star with

good qualities."

 

"The most approved lunar days for sacred obsequies are the tenth

and so forth, except the fourteenth, in the dark half of the

moon."

 

The "day of the moon" and "lunar day" here refers to tithi. "Star" refers to

nakshatra, which is also a factor in our calendar. Nakshatra means the position

of the moon in the zodiac. (There are 27 nakshatras, just as there are 12

signs.) And "dark half" refers to Paksha, another part of the calendar, which

indicates whether the Moon is waxing or waning.

 

Your servant, Markandeya Rishi das.