muhurta

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> Dear vaisnavas

>

> Please accept my humble obaisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

>

> How important is exact determination of ouspicious muhurtas for

> performance vedic samskaras?

>

> Simantadvipa dasa

 

Dear Simantadvipa Prabhu,

 

Please accept my best wishes. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Bhakti-vijna-vinasa Narasimhadeva Bhagavan ki jaya!

 

Your question is like asking a farmer how important is it to plant seeds in

the spring as opposed to planting in the dry season or in the winter. You

obviously plant seeds at the best time so that you get optimal results.

 

Similarly, when it comes to planting any action - karma - or kriya,

(samskaras are given in sat-kriya-sara dipika, that is, auspicious actions

to be performed that have beneficial spiritual effects on a person) to get

an optimal effect they should be done during an auspicious time.

 

As we learn in the 11th chapter of the Gita and in many places in the

sastras (see SB 3.10.10 & 3.26.18) the Time factor is a form of God. As both

devas and asuras have learned and the sastras teach it is always best to

have the Time Factor on your side for the Time factor is all powerful. Hence

it would behoove one to choose the best time for doing any important work to

help us get a good effect. If something is worth doing then it should be

done properly, that is, when all factors including time are favorable.

 

There is however a tendency in ISKCON, at least among some, to think that we

are much more advanced than we actually are (despite a lot of scandalous

history mind you) hence we are above all such considerations regarding

choosing auspicious time for performing samskaras. This attitude suggests

several things: hubris, and a type of arrogance born out of ignorance of

Krsna's Vedic culture. By the last statement I mean that a person is

ignorant of the culture but is too proud and arrogant to actually learn it

but instead assumes themselves to be more advanced and hence not needing

it---yes it is a strange mind set. The better ones think that by chanting

the Holy Name all is well. This is absolutely and 1008% true providing that

they chant without offence or at least with few offences. And, don't forget

the Time factor is Krsna Himself, so your chanting had better be very pure

to offset the all powerful force of Time. How many of us are chanting at the

level of Haridasa Thakura?

 

And since the Time factor is Krsna Himself it is a bit arrogant to think

that we can scoff at Him and not consider Him important don't you think? A

much safer and humbler approach would be to take advantage of the Kalavidya

- science of time -- and deal with Time in an appropriate way - that is,

according to His rules. Time is like fire. It can be used to heat your home

and cook your meals or it can burn and destroy everything.

 

Also choosing an auspicious time is an act of free will. Since we have free

will we should use it wisely as opposed to simply doing what is convenient

for us, that is, what agrees with our sense gratification.

 

Convenient: Personally suitable or well-adapted to one's easy action or

performance of functions; favourable to one's comfort, easy condition, or

the saving of trouble; commodious. Oxford English Dictionary.

 

I suggest that the hubris, ignorance and arrogance previously mentioned is

closely connected with the desire to do what is convenient rather than what

is necessary.

 

We note that because Diti was in a hurry and conceived her children during

an inauspicious time her off-spring were demons. She did this despite the

warning of her husband.

 

Hence, I would advise that if at all possible you should choose as

auspicious a time as possible especially for the more important of the

samskaras, like garbhodana, vidyarambha (first education) upanayanam, etc.

Some, like the samskara immediately after birth have to be done then and

there so there is no question of choosing a time. The same goes for

Antyesti, the funeral rites. But that is not the case with the other

samskaras.

 

Choosing an auspicious time should be done by a well trained and experienced

astrologer. Unfortunately in ISKCON there are few who can do that. The

"astrologers" that are found in ISKCON are mostly studying Jataka - how to

read a Natal chart - with varying degrees of success. They are not trained

in how to choose a Muhurta-auspicious time, or any other branch of Jyotish

such as Prasna or Nimmita (jyotish has 6 main branches: ganita, gola,

jataka, prasna, muhurta, and nimmitta). And, unfortunately in recent years

many of those who are calling themselves astrologers have studied with bogus

teachers (Sanjay Rath and his students) claiming to come in the line of one

Acyutananda a supposed Orriyan associate of Lord Caitanya (Acyutanada was

one of the so-called panca-sakha, five friends, who were contemporaries of

Lord Caitanya and lived in Puri). This is a complete fraud that has been

perpetrated to fool gullible ISKCON members. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura has

personally repudiated the panca-sakha and their teachings (I can provide

proof and will do so in a longer article dedicated to that subject at a

later date). We should follow suite and avoid such astrologers and ISKCON

"devotees" who listen to their teachings. So before choosing an astrologer

find out who they studied from and who that teacher studied from, they may

not be direct students of Sanjay Rath but the influence is still there. If

you are not sure better not to deal with them.

 

If, in the event that you can not locate a competent astrologer that you can

trust, or if time is short and you must make a decision quickly then the

safest course is to do the samskara exactly at noon (local mean time) when

the Sun is directly overhead. This will probably NOT coincide with clock

time but should be close enough. This time is known as Abhijit muhurta and

also the time that several avataras appeared including Sriman Vamanadeva.

This should only be done in an emergency not as a matter of policy.

Garbhodhana, however should not be done at this time, for unless the muhurta

is exceptionally good in the daytime this samskara should only be done after

sunset.

 

I would be remiss if I did not state that choosing an auspicious time is not

a panacea for everything but only one factor. Returning to our farming

metaphor, while it is absolutely necessary that seeds are planted at the

right time it is not sufficient to produce a good harvest. Other factors are

also necessary, sufficient rain, cultivation, fertilization, soil type, etc.

So, while choosing an auspicious time is a necessary condition it is not a

sufficient condition to ensure success. As Arjuna said in the Sabha Parva of

the Mahabharata to Yudhisthira: "Success is determined by three causes:

concentration of mind, determined effort, and the will of God." So out of

three factors two are dependent on us and one on Krsna. Thus choosing an

auspicious time comes under "determined effort" and we then depend on Krsna

for the result.

 

Yours in the service of my eternal master Srila Prabhupada

 

Shyamasundara Dasa