Do we celebrate our festivals on correct days? No. absolutely not!

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

Namaskar! 

Here is a copy of BVB6.doc that was sent to all the

branches of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan besides all the leading Jyotishis and

jyotisha teaching shops, apart from all the venerable jagadgurus etc. etc. way

back in 2004.  Kindly go through it and let me have your views!

Regards,

AKK

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

 Tel. 27516483; E-mail: jyotirved

                                    ALL 

INDIA  CALENDAR  REFORM  COMMITTEE

           

                                              H. No. 5, MIG, 00-A, Sector-2

                      

                                            Avantika, Rohini, Delhi-110085

(India)

                                                                                                             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

President

All India Calendar Reform

Committee

H. No. 5, MIG, 00-A,

Sector-2

Avantika, Rohini,

Delhi-110085               

(Email: jyotirved     Tel: 27516483)