We are ceelbrating all our festivals on wrong days!

[Guest guest]

Respected Sirs,

Namaskar!

                  Re:

We are celebrating all our festivals on wrong days!

The following

letter was sent to all the “dharmacharyas” (which includes

Shankaracharyas etc.) besides quite a few “Vedic astrologers” and

“leaders” etc. in 2004.  I am still awaiting their response, though

it is now more than three years! This letter will give you an idea as to how we

are celebrating all our festivals on wrong days, thanks to “Vedic

Jyotishis”. 

Regards,

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

  

July 17, 2004

Dear Friends,

Namaskar!

    

A humble request that we should not mourn on the day of “festival of

lights”  i.e. we should not celebrate Pitramavasya on the day of

actual Dipavali (Gujarati New Year!) on October 13, 04.

 

Every

festival has a criterion.  We celebrate Independence Day on August 15 every

year. Why? Because India

gained independence on that day. It is immaterial whether August 15 is a Sunday

or a Monday or Shravana or Bhadra. Similarly, for celebrating religious

festivals, our shastras have fixed certain criteria. And as we

know, fasts and festivals are celebrated for the peace and welfare of ourselves

and our kith and kin.  Consequently, if we

do not adhere to the criteria/tenets fixed by the shastras, those very fasts

and festivals will do us more harm than good.  Same is the case with

Muhurtas. We must therefore know

the criteria.

E.g.

for Vasanti Navaratra, viz. the lunar New Year, the criterion is “Chaitra Shukla Pratipat” and for

Rama Navmi it is " Chaitra Shukla Navmi " . 

We must therefore know as to when Chaitra

Shukla Paksha starts.  This information has to be based on the

Vedas, Puranas and other shastras as well as astronomy/geography, both ancient

i.e. sidhantic and modern.  Let us see these criteria one by one:

1.    The Vedas:  All the four Vedas, Brahmanas

and Upanasihadas etc. state that the year comprises six seasons of two months

each.  Shishira-ritu viz. winter and the month of Tapah start simultaneously

with Uttarayana viz. Winter Solstice i.e. the shortest day of the year. That

very month is also known as Magha. It is followed by other months viz. Tapasya

(Phalguna) and (Vasanta ritu comprising) Madhu (Chaitra) and Madhav (Vaishakha). 

Thus solar Chaitra is the third month from the date of Winter Solstice. 

Therefore, it should start these days three months after December 21 i.e.

around February 20.  In fact, it started on February 19 in 2004. 

2.    Vedanga Jyotisha: The earliest recorded

work on Vedic astronomy is Vedanga Jyotisha also known as Rik/Yajur Jyotisha by

Lagadha.  It was compiled around thirteenth century BCE i.e. about 3300 years

back, most probably in Kashmir.  The fifth and

the sixth verses of the same are:        

swarakramete

Somarkau yada sakam savasavav,

syat-tadadiyugam

maghas-tapah shuklo dinam-tyajah

      “When

the sun and the moon while moving in the sky, come to Vasava (Dhanishtha) star

together, then the Yuga, the Magha (month) the Tapas (season), the light half

of the month, and the winter solstice (Uttarayana), all commence

together”

            prapadyate shavishshthadav suryachandramsav-udak

            sarparde

dakshinarkastu Magha shravanayoh sada

“The sun

and the moon turn towards North in the beginning of Dhanishtha and towards

South in the middle of Ashlesha.  The sun always does this (turn north) in the

month of Magha and (turn south) in Shravana respectively”

      Vedanga Jyotisha has made it clear in its

seventh mantra that by Uttaryana it means really the shortest day of the year

instead of some imaginary Uttarayana like January 14 of some Panchangakars of

these days:

dharma vridhir apam prasthah kshapa hras

udag-gatav                       dakshine-tau viparyastav shanmuhurtyaynen tu

“During the

sun’s northward journey (six months of Uttarayana) the day increases by

one Prastha measure of water and the night becomes short.  During the southward

journey (six months of Dakshinayana), the conditions reverse.  The increase (of

time) during an ayana is equal to six muhurtas”. (S. B. Dikshit’s

translation for all the three mantras)

      Further, as

everybody knows, and as every Panchanga indicates, Vasanta (Spring) starts

exactly on the day of Madhu i.e. February 19/20.  It is a geographical

phenomenon and cannot be wished away or altered. How could then Vasanti

Navratra start on March 21, 2004 after one month after the start of the month

of Madhu i.e. the real Vasanta (Spring)?

      Thus there

is absolutely no doubt that the Vasanti Navratras which we are celebrating

these days are not on the correct days as per either the Vedas or the Vedanga

Jyotisha or the phenomenon of seasons. But then why are we celebrating them on

wrong days? Because our panchangakars,

including the Rashtriya Panchanga do not tell us the correct days! Is it that they

do not know the correct criteria/days of these phenomena themselves?

Madhava

cannot be equal to Chaitra if it is equal to Mesha and Vasanti Navratraas

cannot wait for more than a month after the start of Vasanta Ritu!:      If you look at any Panchanga, including the Rashtriya

Panchanga, in any language, you will find that they have mentioned the start of

the month of Madhu and Vasanta Ritu

on that date viz. February 19, 2004.  Rashtriya Panchanga lists the month

starting with February 19 as the Vedic Mina. The first New Moon (Shukla Pratipat) after the solar Chaitra

i.e. Madhu (Vedic Mina as per the Rashtriya Panchanga) is thus Chaitra Shukla Pratipat. It was on

February 21 in 2004.  As such, the real Vasanti Navratras started on February

21, 2004. It is known as Navreh

in Kashmir, Gudi Padva in Maharashtra and Ugadi

in Andhra etc. That would have satisfied the criterion of the Vedas that madhuscha madhavashcha vasantikav ritu (Yajurveda

Samhita 4/4/11/1) i.e.  Madhu (Chaitra) and Madhava (Vaishakha) are the months

of Vasanta i.e. Spring Season.  Obviously, Chaitra

Shukla Paksha is the start of the first lunar month of Vasanta as

per all the Vedas also.

Naturally,

since as per all the Panchangas, Vasanta

Ritu started on February 19, 2004, the solar Chaitra also should

have started on that date of Madhu i.e. February 19 but ironically it was made

to start on March 14 and the Rashtriya

Panchanga starts it (Chaitra) on March 21 every year, when Madhava

i.e. Vaishakha is supposed to start as per all the Vedas and Puranas.

Surprisingly,  Rashtriya Panchanga

itself calls this month (March 21) as Vedic Mesha and Madhava!  How they can

call Mesha and Madhava as Chaitra, they only can say! Accordingly, the Lunar

Chaitra was made to start on March 21 (which should have been actually

Vaishakha Shukla paksha!) instead of February 21!  When Vasanta Ritu started on February 19, 2004,

according to all the Panchangas,  the first shukla

pratipat after that, which was on February 21, 2004, should

naturally have been Vasanti Navratra! Thus the solar Chaitra and the Navratras,

both, were “postponed” exactly by one month against the injunctions

of all the Vedas. Why?  Because either our

panchangakars  themselves have no knowledge about the criteria of festivals or

they are making a fool of us deliberately!

Vasanta Panchami in mid-winter:

  Then again, do you know when we were asked to celebrate Vasanta Panchami by these very

panchangakars according to whom Vasanti

navratras started on March 21?  January 26, 2004! That means Vasanta Panchami was celebrated two months

before even their own Vasanta Shukla

Pratipat! Only the insane and dimwitted can celebrate Spring in mid-Winter! 

Evidently, either our panchangakars are either

themselves insane and dimwitted or they treat us like that!

Ramanavmi:        Goswami Tulsidas says in his immortal Ramacharitamanasa:

 navmi tithi

Madhumas punita, sukalpachha abhijit hariprita

“Shri Ram

was born on navmi tithi of shukla paksha in the month of Madhu, in Abhijit

muhurta”. 

We

have seen that Madhu or Chaitra and Spring (Vasanta) both commence

simultaneously around February 19 every year as per the Vedas and Vedanga Jyotisha.

In fact they are synonyms of one another. Let us now see other authorities in

this regard:

3.    Vishnu-dharmortarapurana:

As per “Alberuni’s

India”,

in 11th century-India all the festivals were decided as per the

criteria of Vishnu-dharmotarapurana. It  says in  3/9/4-5

            …chaitro madhur-iti smritah,

 vaishakho madhavah proktah, shuchir jyeshthah udahritah

 shuklah proktastatha ashado nabhah shravan ishyete, 

 praushthapado nabhasyashcha ishashch ashvayujah smritah

      urjakhyah

kartikah prokto margshirshah sahastatha

      sahasya

paush ityukto maghah syat tap eva cha  

      phalgunashcha

tapasyakhyo maso…

“(i) Chaitra

is known as Madhu (or Madhu is known as Chaitra)! (ii) Vaishakha as Madhava; (iii)

Jyeshtha as Shuchih; (iv) Ashadha as Shuklah (or Shukrah); (v) Nabhah as

Shravana; (vi) Praushthapada (Bhadrapada) as Nabhasya; (vii) Ashvayuja

(Ashvina) as Ishah; (viii) Urja as Kartika; (ix) Margashirsha as Saha; (x) Sahasya

as Pausha; (xi) Magha as Tapah and (xii) Phalguna as Tapasya.”

      As we have

seen above, Madhu started on February 19 and Chaitra Shukla Pratipad started on

Februrary 21 which means Ramanavmi should have been on February 29, 2004. Our

panchangakars (including, of course, the Rashtriya Panfhanga!) made us

celebrate Ramanavmi on March 30, 2004, whereas Madhu ended on March 20 and the

real Chaitra Shuklapaksha on March 7!   Why did they compel us to celebrate it

on a wrong day—nay, even in a wrong month?  Because they know fully well

that in spite of claiming to be educated and intelligent people, we are not

going to ask any inconvenient questions!  But

then, are we really intelligent and educated if we do not know anything about

the criteria of our festivals?  Or is it  that our panchangakars also are

lacking in education and intelligence and they do not know even ABC of our

dharmashastras?   Well, they alone can answer that question for themselves!

4.    Sidhantas: The earliest “most accurate (?!)” (spashta-taro savitrah) astronomical

treatise of Indian astronomy is supposed to be the Surya Sidhanta of 5th

century AD.  In Mana-adhyaya, verses 9-10, it says:      bhanor-makar Sankranteh shanmasa Uttarayanam

                           karkyadestu tathaiv

syat shanmasa dakshinayanam

                           dwirashi natha

ritavas tatoapi shishiradayah

meshadav dwadashaite

masaistaireva vatsarah

“From Makar

Sankranti start the six months of Uttarayana and from Karkata Sankranti the six

months of Dakshinayana.  Each season starting with Shishira (and Makara

Sankranti) comprises  two rashis (and) six seasons make one year”.

   Lest

there be any doubt as to what type of  Rashis the Surya Sidhanta is talking

about, it

makes it clear in

Bhugoladhyaya, verses 57 to 62:

             meshadav to sada vridhir udaguttarto adhika

         devamshe cha kshapa hanir vipareetam

tatha asure

         tuladav dyunishorvamam kshyay vridhav

tayorubhe

         deshkranti vashan nitem tadvigyanam

puroditam

         ayanante vilomena devasur vibhagayoh

         nadi shashtya sakrid ahar nishapi

asmin sakrit

         tadantare api shashtyante

kshayvridhav ahar-nishoh

         parto vipareeto  ayam bhagolah

parivartate.

“During

the half revolution beginning with Mesha, there is always an excess of day to

the north, in the hemisphere of the gods i.e. Uttarayana---greater according to

distance north---and a corresponding deficiency of the night.  In the

hemisphere of the demons (Dakshinayana), the reverse.  In the half revolution

beginning with Libra (Tula)

both the deficiency and excess of day and night in the two hemispheres are the

opposite of this. The method of determining them, which is always dependent

upon situation (desha) and

declination (kranti), has been

before explained.

      “There

occurs once, at the end of the sun’s half revolution from solstice to

solstice---(Uttarayana to Dakshinayana) a day of sixty nadis and a night of the

same length mutually opposed to one another, in the two hemispheres of the gods

and of the demons.  In the intermediate region, the deficiency and excess of

day and night are within the limit of sixty nadis beyond this sphere of

asterisms (bha) revolves perversely”. (Burgess’ translation).

      Two things

are clear from the above to even a layman with a bit of knowledge of geography

of primary school level about the phenomenon of seasons: i) It is only around

March 21 (Spring Equinox) Mesha Sankranti every year that  day and night are

equal and the length of day in the northern hemisphere starts increasing as

compared to the length of night.

ii)   Then around

September 23 (Autumn Equinox) Tula Sankranti, when the day and night are again

equal, the length of nights starts increasing as compared to the length of

days. And in the same order the day is the shortest around December 21 (winter

solstice) and longest around June 21 (Summer Solstice).  These very Equinoxes

and solstices are known as Mesha, Karkata, Tula and Makar Sankranti respectively as per

all the sidhantas and shastras.  There are no other such sankrantis either in

the sidhantas or modern astronomy.

5.    Puranas:    I have already quoted hundreds

of proofs with chapter and verse in my Panchangas and other articles.  It is no

use to repeat them here again.  Suffice to quote a few only from a couple of

Puranas.  First the Vishnupurana:

2/8/28-31 and 67-68

         ayanasyotarasyadav makaram yati bhaskarah

      tatah kumbham cha

menam cha rashe rashyantaram dvija  (28)

trishu eteshu atha

bhukteshu tato vaishuvatim gatim

prayati savita kurvan ahoratram tatah samam                 (29)

            tato

ratrih kshayam yati vardhate anudinam dinam            (30)

            tatashcha

mithunasyante param kashtham upagatah

            rashim

karkatam prapya kurute dakshinayanam           (31)

      “In the beginning of  Uttarayana, the sun enters Capricorn

(Makara Rashi) there from going to Kumbha and them Mina. After having passed

through these three signs, it just gains vishuvati (equinoctial) speed

resulting in the day and night being equal on Mesha.  After that, nights start

decreasing and the days increasing correspondingly daily. Then when the sun is

in the end of Mithuna Rashi, i.e. when it is just at the verge of entering

Cancer, the day is the longest then and Dakshnayana starts on that date”. 

 

            Sharad vsantyor Madhye vishuvam to vibhavyete

            Tula mesh gate bhanav

samratri divam tu tat                 (67)

            Karkatavasthite

bhanav dakshiyanamuchete

            Uttarayanam

 api uktam makarasthe divakare                  (88)

“In the midst

of sharat ritu and vasanta ritu, vishuvas (equinoxes) take place with the entry

of the sun into Tula (Libra) and Mesha (Aries) respectively and days and nights

become equal on those two sankrantis.  The entry of sun into Cancer (Karkata)

is known as dakshinayana whereas its entry into Maraka is known as

Uttarayana”

      Now Shrimadbhagavata,

5/21/4-6

yada mesh tulyor vartate tada ahoratrani samanani bhavanti

yada vrishadishu panchasu cha rashishu charati tada ahani eva vardhante hrasati

cha masi masi ekaika ghatika ratrishu (4)     yada vrishchikadishu panchasu vartate

tada ahoratrani viparyayani bhavanti (5)      yavad dakshinayanam ahani

vardhante yavad uttarayanam ratrayah (6)

“When the

sun enters Mesha and Tula days and nights are equal on those dates and the day

starts getting longer as compared to nights when the sun passes through Vrisha

etc. five rashis then days keep on increasing and the nights decreasing by one

ghati every month.  (After the day and night have become equal on Tula Sankranti) the

nights keep on increasing during the sojourn of five rashis of Vrishchika etc. 

In short, during Uttarayana days keep on increasing till Dakshinayana and after

that nights keep on increasing”.

Vishnurhdarmotarapurana 3/8/6-8

says

            tula meshagate bhanav vishuvad dinam uchete,

dhanvato mithunantashcha ayane soasya dakshine,

“When

the sun is in Mesha and Tula,

they are the days of Vishuva i.e. days and nights are equal then.  From the end

of Dhanu (start of Makara) Uttarayana starts and from the end of Mithuna (start

of Karkata) Dakshniyana starts”

Any

discussion on such topics is incomplete without appropriate references from

Shivamahapurana:  We just quote one 5/51/54 from this Purana below:

madhavasya site pakshe tritiya ya akshayabida

tasyam yo jagadambayah vratam kuryad atandritah…

“The

tritiya of Shukla paksha of Madhava (!) is know as akshayaya tritiya.  One who

observes a fast for Jagadamba on that date (gets immortal and thousand fold

results)”

      It is to be

noted here that Akshaya tritiya

is to be observed in (lunar) Madhava that means according to Shiva-Mahapurana

also Vaishakha does not have any other existence besides Madhava!  Thus the akshyaya

tritiya that we observed in 2003  on May 4, was against all the shastras since

solar Madhava had ended on April 20 and lunar Madhava on April 30! A similar

situation is going to crop up in 2005.  We will be asked to celebrate Akshaya

tritiya on May 12, when solar Madhava will have ended on April 20 and lunar

Madhava shukla paksha will start on April 8, 2005 which means it should be

celebrated actually on April 11, 2005!

Now

obviously, if as per all the Vedas, Vedanga Jyotisha, Surya Sidhanta,

Bhagavata, Vishnupurana, Vishnudharmotarapurana and Shiva Mahapurana etc. etc. solar

Shravana is another name of Dakshinayana viz sun in Karkata, it starts on June

21 in 2004.  The first shukla pratipat

after that is on July 18.  Therefore, that is the day when the Lunar Shravana

starts in 2004 as per all the Vedas and Puranas etc.  As such, Shravana Purnima

viz Raksha Bandhan and Amarnath Yatra etc. should be celebrated on July 31 in

2004.  Why are our panchangakars asking us to celebrate it on August 29

instead? Only because they treat the entire

Hindu society as ignorant fools who have no idea about the criteria of any

festivals!  Or is it that the panchangakars do not know anything themselves but

are just copying from others like blind following blind?

      Similarly,

Janmashtami should be celebrated on the Krishna-paksha Ashtami following that

Shravana Purnima i.e. on  August 7 in 2004.  But we are asked to celebrate it

on September 6!  Why? For God’s sake do ask your “Panditji”

and let me know what he says!

6.    To clinch

the issue on the basis of Agama

i.e. yogashastras, I will quote the master-yogi i.e. Acharya

Abhinavgupta’s Tantraloka: 6/114-116

            shatsu

shatsu anguleshu arko hridayat makaradishu

            tishthan

maghadikam shatkam kuryat tat-chotarayanam

            sankranti

tritaye vrite bhukte chashtadashangule

            mesham

prapte ravav punyam vishuvat par laukikam

            praveshe

tu tulasthe arke tadev vishuvad bhavet

            Ih

sidhi pradam chaitat dakshinayan-gam tatah

The translation

of these mantras, as per the commentary of Jayaratha is, (Linking yogic kriyas

to seasons, it says, “After every six ungalas from the hirdaya (the

pranas go to) Makara etc. and make Magha etc. six such months from Uttarayana

starting with sun’s transit into Makara.  From Makra to Mithuna is

Uttarayana and in Magha sun transits Makara Rashi so till Ashada when the sun

transits Mithuna, Uttarayana lasts,  After having crossed three sankrantis (of

Uttarayana)–eighteen unglas of Prana --= vishuvat Sankranti arrives.  Because

on that day of Mesha sankranti the days and nights are equal throughout the

world that is why it is known as vishuvat.  When the sun enters Tula it is vishuva again”.

      I do not

think that there should be any doubt now in anybody’s mind as to how we are

being taken for a ride by these panchanga-makers.   Or is it that those

panchangakars themselves are being taken for a ride by someone else either

knowingly or unbeknown to them?  In either case, it is literally killing our

dharma.

As

we have seen that Shravana Shukla Paksha starts from July 18, 2004, therefore, Bhadra

Shukla paksha will start from  August 17.  Naturally, the first Krishna

Pratipat after that i.e. Ashvina Krishna Paksha is the start of Pitrapaksha,

which means it starts from August 31, 2004.  As such, the Purnima shradha of

Pitrapaksha falls on August 29, 2004, whereas the Pitramavasya is actually on September

14, 2004.  And by the same logic and criterion Sharadiya Navaratras start from

September 15 and Kartika Amavasya falls exactly after about one month i.e.  on

October 13, 2004. And that is the world

famous festival of lights viz Dipavali! But tragically, our

panchanga-makers advise us to mourn on that day i.e. we are advised to

celebrate Pitraamavasa then!  Why? Because they know that we have become immune

to all such things and are worried only about financial gains or losses but not

about our dharma! But we must know that by

“mourning” on the day of actual Dipavali we will be losers not only

financially but in every worldly and spiritual sphere like that of the

erstwhile ruling party!  So whether we mourn or burst crackers on the actual

Dipavali (October 13), it is up to us now!

7.    Primary

School level Geography:     Let us see

the situation in the light of modern astronomy/geography.  Initially, I was

myself peeved as to why the ayana and vishuva (Makara, Mesha, Karkata and Tula) sankrantis had been

praised to the skies by our Rishis, so much so that they say that it is

difficult even for yogis to catch the actual moment of such sankrantis and any

charities or fasts on such occasions yield thousand-fold results!

Let

me explain it in a manner that is as non-technical as possible:

We

know that the earth hurtles around the sun at about 30 kilometres per second. (2) 

It also rotates on its axis, causing days and nights (3) The equator is “precessing”

at tremendous speeds.  (4) Because the ecliptic is inclined to the equator (obliquity

of ecliptic) the earth/sun reaches the minimum/maximum declination i.e. it is

at the minimum/maximum distance from the equator during its revolution of the

sun at particular points of time.  The maximum obliquity of the ecliptic has remained

around 23°28’ over the last couple of centuries.  Therefore that is the

maximum north/south declination that the sun/earth can attain these days during

its journey via the ecliptic.  On that declination depends the phenomenon of

seasons, which is also directly responsible for increase/decrease in day/night

durations.  The sun attains the maximum northern declination of about 23°

27’ on June 21.  That means it is at a maximum northern distance from the

equator on that date. That is thus the last day of the summer season when the

day is the longest and varsha ritu starts. The sun (actually the earth) has then

to stop for a fleeting moment---less than a nanosecond--- before climbing down

from that “high pedestal” of North declination!  That fleeting

moment is the real crucial moment and we can only “calculate” it

correctly to some extent with our computers with microprocessor speeds in GHz that

also only with the data from NASA and other overseas observatories and not from

our panchanga-makers including the Rashtriya Panchanga!  This very moment of

“U-turn” in the declination of the sun is the real dakshinayana as

the earth has reached the maximum declination of south or the sun the maximum

declination of north viz. 23° 27’ and has to turn back from there. This

is also known as Karkata Sankranti of the sun as the sun lies directly over the

tropic of Cancer (Karka-Rekha) on that date.  I am sure everybody has read that

much of geography in his primary school days!  There cannot be any other

Karkata Sankranti as per any shastra or sidhanta or modern astronomy/geography since

there is no other Karka Rekha (Tropic of Cancer) or any other longest day of

the year!

Similar

is the case on December 21, when the sun reaches the maximum south declination (of

around 23° 27’) i.e. when the sun is at a maximum southern distance from

the equator. It has to stop then for a fleeting moment---less than a nanosecond

again--- before “turning” back (U-turn!) from that high pedestal.  That

fleeting moment is the real Uttarayana of the sun known as Makara Sankranti

since the sun is directly on the tropic of Capricorn---Makara-Rekha---on that

date.  There is absolutely no other Makara Sankranti either as per the shastras

or sidhantas or modern astronomy/geography since there is no other Makara-Rekha

nor any other shortest day of the year!  That  also is primary school level

geography!

Similarly,

during its sojourn around the sun; the earth, the equator and the ecliptic join

together for a fleeting moment---here also less than a nanosecond--when the

longitude, latitude, declination and right ascension of the sun/earth are zero!

The sun (actually the earth) is in exact “conjunction” with the

ecliptic and the equator! It is thus a “Triveni” and that is the

moment of Spring Equinox.  With the declination of the sun being zero degrees

South it has to start moving away (cross the equator) again from that

“conjunction of the equator” from that moment of zero degrees longitude-cum-latitude-cum-declination-cum-right

ascension!  That fleeting moment is Vishuva – Mesha Sankranti of the sun

(Tula Sankranti of the earth)! It is Vishuva because the earth is conjunct with

the Vishuvat Rekha i.e. the Equator. That is the moment when days and nights

are really equal throughout the globe. That is the zero

“moment/point” for all the calculations of longitude, Right

Ascension, Declination etc. and it is known as Vernal Equinox.  Vishuva also means,

as per Jayaratha, the commentator of Tantraloka,

the days when “days and nights are equal”.  Spring Equinox also

means the same thing i.e Equi-nox: day is equal to night in the midst of the

spring season! This is the real Vaishakhi and the sun enters Uttara Gola then

i.e. it starts gaining in northern declination!  There is no other Vishuvat

Rekha (Equator) with which the earth can be “conjunct” during

Spring and therefore there cannot be any other Vishuva or Mesha Sankranti since

day and night are not equal during Spring on any other day.  All the panchangakars

list Uttara-gola on that date but then why do they want us to celebrate

Vaishakhi/Vaishakhadi/Meshadi i.e. solar New Year on April 14/15!   Because they know that we do not know ABC of geography! 

Or is it that they do not know it themselves?

Then

again after six months of that phenomenon, a similar situation comes again,

when the longitude and Right ascension of the sun are 180 degrees (earth zero

degrees).  The longitude of the sun also can be taken as zero degrees on that

date if we measure it from Autumn Equinox instead of from Vernal Equinox! The

equator, the earth and the ecliptic have a confluence for a fleeting moment---less

than a nanosecond---again!  As the earth is conjunct the equator i.e. Vishuvat

Rekha again, it is also known as Vishuva----Autumn Equinox (Jala Vishuva or Tula

Sankranti) around September 23. It is the midpoint (second month) of the

Sharat-ritu. (That is why Sharadiya Navaratras should start with the first

Shukla Pratipat after Sharat Ritu starts---on September 15 in 2004—and

not when Sharat-kala is almost over—October 14, 2004----as is being done

by our panchangamakers).

The

declination of the sun is zero degrees at that particular moment.  Again, all

the panchangakars list it as “the sun enters dakshina gola” as the

sun (after crossing the Equator) starts gaining southern declination from that

moment.  There cannot be any other Tula Sankranti/Jala Vishuva as the earth is

not conjunct Equator---and thus the day and night are not equal---on any other

day in Autumn! But then these panchangakars make us celebrate Tula Sankranti on

October 14/15!  Why?  Only because they will

lose their sinful crumbs if the tell us the facts!  Or is it that they do not

know the facts themselves? A sad state of affairs, in either case!

Naturally,

in ancient times, it was almost impossible for ordinary mortals to calculate

accurately to the nearest minute, leave alone the nearest second, such

phenomena as lasted hardly for nanoseconds!  Really, hats off to our Rishis! 

Obviously, our present “Vamadevas” and “Parasharas” who

advocate such Mesha etc. sankrantis as do not exist at all, are a slur on the

real Rishis and such fakes must be banished without delay from this land of

real Rishis.

8.    Day-to-day

experience:  In fact, we do not need

to brush up even our primary school level geography since our day to day

experience also tells us that the sun does not rise daily from the same place. 

It is exactly above the equator (bhumadhya-rekha)

on March 20/21 dividing the day into two “equal halves” of 12 hours

each! That is why it is known as Vasanta-Sampat or Vishuva or Mesha Sankranti

or Madhava! It does not rise on any other day from that point till its

revolution around the sun is complete.  (That is why there cannot be two Spring

Equinoxes or two Mesha Sankrantis in a year!).  After that date, we observe it  rising

in further north (Uttara-gola!) till June 21.  And that is what is known as Dakshinayana

Day or Karkata Sankranti or Nabhah (start of Varsha Ritu) and there cannot be

any other Karka Sankranti as there cannot be another longest day at all for the

next 365 days!  From that moment onwards the sun  stops rising towards north

but turns back from there towards dakshina (south) till it is exactly above the

equator again on September 22/23, dividing the day once again into two

“equal halves” of 12 hours each. That day is known as Sharat Sampat

(Autumn Equinox) or Tula Sankranti or Vishuva or Urja and the day and night are

again equal on that date.  Obviously, there cannot be another Tula Sankranti

for at least next 365 days! From that date onwards it moves i.e. keeps on

rising towards south (Dakshina Gola) rising in extreme southern direction on

December 21.  That is the Uttarayana day since from that date the sun stops

moving further south and starts turning towards north. It is this very day that

is known as world famous Makara Sankranti or Pongal or Udagayana or Tapah!  That

was the day for which Bhishma was waiting to shed off his mortal coil!  There

cannot be another Makara Sankranti as there cannot be another shortest day for the

next 365 days from that date onwards!

9.

We have made a laughing stock of ourselves:  Now

we can see for ourselves as to how artificial, illogical, unscientific and

irrational and, above all, anti-Vedic our Makara, Mesha, Karkata and Tula

Sankrantis are these days which are celebrated on January 14, April 14, July 14

and October 14 instead of December 21, March 21, June 21 and Sept. 23

respectively!  All the world is laughing at

us that we do not know even the actual days of solstices and equinoxes!     When

these very four cardinal points are such topsy-turvy how can the other

sankrantis (solar ingresses) be correct!  As these panchangakars do not let the

solar months start from proper days, lunar months also are made to lag behind by

at least one month!

And

we can rest assured that what is illogical, unscientific and irrational could

never have been advised by our dharmashastras, as seen above. It is only our

panchangakars who are prescribing such farcical festivals and fairs!  Why?  Because they are worse than Duryodhana.  Why? 

Because Duryodhana had the courage to admit that though he could differentiate

between Dharma and Adharma yet he was in no mood to follow Dharma and desist

from Adharma!  But these panchangakars do not have the courage to admit that

they have been fleecing the entire Hindu society for the last several centuries

just for some crumbs and should stop now from spreading that adharma further.  Or

is it that they are so insensitive to even the natural phenomena like sunrise

and sunset or winter and summer that they cannot differentiate between a

natural Mesha Sankranti and an artificial one?   But then it is equally our fault as we never questioned them about the

criteria they adopted for such festivals/phenomena!

10.   Muhurtas:   When the dates of sankrantis and lunar months are wrong how

can the muhurtas fixed on such basis be correct?  No wonder we are celebrating

marriages during the actual shradha-paksha and “enjoying” shradhas

during the period actually auspicious for marriages!

CRC

Report: It must be put on record

that even the  Saha Calendar Reform Committee had warned in no uncertain terms

about the situation these panchangamakers have created for us, and I quote,

“In continuing to follow the nirayana

system, the Hindu calendar makers are under delusion that they are following

the path of dharma.  They are

actually committing the whole Hindu society to adharma”

(Page 260 of the Report of the Calendar Reform Committee, 1955)

      Earlier

these Panchanga-makers used to boast (wrongly though) that as they made correct

predictions on the basis of such (imaginary) rashis that is why they were

following them for festivals also. But now even that “gas-ball” has

been deflated since they have met their Waterloo

with the failure of their predictions about NDA forming the Government under

Atalji with the result that these Panchanga makers themselves are in mourning

these days! (Please see the attachment

proving that there are no rashis, much less astrology in the Vedas!)

      In view of

the above, I am listing below some of the most important festivals from June 1

till December 31, 2004, as per all the Vedas, shastras, sidhantas and modern

astronomy.  Just celebrate them accordingly and do confront your panchangamaker/panditji

with these unpleasant facts because unless and until we revolt against this anyay (injustice), they will continue to

hurtle us towards the abyss of adharma by making us mourn on Dipavali!

There

is a saying that you can take a horse to the river but you cannot make it drink

water!  I have done my job by pointing out all the glaring anomalies.  I have

substantiated my arguments with all the proofs in a nutshell which even a

layman can understand.  It is up to the readers whether they want to be like

vegetables being tossed by panchangamakers (including the Rashtriya Panchanga) or

they want to really have some zest for real dharma!

Please

feel free to email or post this letter-cum-request to anybody you like since everybody

must join this dharmayudha for

streamlining our calendar.

With

best regards,

Yours

sincerely,

Avtar

Krishen Kaul