ashhTaanga and August 27th 2008

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ashhTaanga and August 27th 2008

================================

 

This is a long e-mail and contains following sections:

 

-Links

-Use of ashhTaanga

-Eight limbs of ashhTaanga

-Computing ashhTaanga

-What About Aug/27/2008?

 

I have extracted all the following information from the PDF files I got

from Srimati Jaya Balachandran. Here is presenting it in a email

readable format.

 

 

Links:

======

 

* For 2008-2009 ashhTaanga please see,

http://ambaa.org/pdf/ashhTanga/

 

* For kAnchi Acharya-s benediction about Aug/27/2008 and sankalpa

please see, http://ambaa.org/pdf/ashhTanga/Aug27.html

 

My sincere thanks to Srimati Jaya Balachandran for kindly providing all

these PDF files.

 

 

Use of ashhTaanga

==================

 

Most of us are familiar with panchaanga (pancha + anga) - which has 5

limbs. These are

 

1. tithi

2. vaasara

3. naxatra

4. yoga

5. karaNa

 

In addition, during sankalpa, we start from the day of brahma, kalpa,

manvantara, yuga, samvatsara, ayaNa, R^itu, maasa, paksha, then the

above 5. Essentially in a sankalpa, we indicate our space-time

coordinates - and panchanga deals with our temporal position. Space is

much more complicated as our current understanding of space (earth,

oceans, etc.) does not match the description given in our puraaNas. On

the other hand, with ephermis data one can easily compute the panchanga.

 

Now coming back to ashhTaanga, what is this? This is a tradition that is

followed by shaaktopaasaka-s. There are many texts that details this.

Actual details folllowed is often decided by one's guru and the

sampradaya. But in practice two sources are commonly used -- a)

parashuraama kalpa suutra and b) saubhaagya chintaamani. It should be

noted that followers of ashhTaanga use the traditional panchaanga for

the smarta and shrauta karma-s. They use this ashhTaanga only for

karma-s like shaakta sandhya vandanam; paraayaNa of naatha, naama

ghaTikaa; saparya japa and homa; etc. This ashhTaanga sankalpa becomes

important (or has to be done) during paurNami, navaraatri, grahaNa etc.

 

Eight limbs of ashhTaanga

==========================

 

A ashhTaanga sankalpa (like a panchaanga sankalpa) includes other larger

time scales besides these 8. These eight are:

 

(aka = also known as)

 

1. tattva vatsara (aka varshha)

2. R^itu

3. maasa nityaa

4. tithi nitya (obtained from the tithi, not computed as in #5)

5. dina nitya (also known as kaala nitya)

6. tattva divasa (aka dina)

7. vaasara (aka vaara)

8. udaya ghaDikaa

 

And before this, the following larger time scales are always mentioned:

 

* tattva mahaakalpa

* tattva kalpa

* tattva mahaa yuga

* tattva yuga

* tattva pravR^itti

 

 

Computing ashhTaanga

====================

 

You will find all the necessary information in part-1 of six pdf files

containing 2008-2009 ashhTaanga.

 

What About Aug/27/2008?

=======================

 

According to ashhTaanga, when the first axara of two limbs is identical

it results in a special yoga. On this shaaktamaana new year day - 10

such yoga-s happen. This type of confluence happens once in 144 years

and it is considered very auspicious to worship shriimaata and mantra

prayoga. What are the 10 yoga-s that happen? When the prathama

biijaxara of the following limbs become identical yoga-s listed happen:

 

1) vatsara - maasa ==> pushhpiNi yogaH

2) vatsara - divasa ==> mohinii yogaH

3) vatsara - udaya ==> jayinii yogaH

4) maasa - divasa ==> kumarii yogaH

5) maasa - udaya ==> vimala yogaH

6) divasa - udaya ==> shrikarii yogaH

7) vaasara - udaya ==> vaarodaya yogaH

8) vatsara - maasa - divasa ==> surya grahaNa yogaH

9) maasa - vaasara - dina nityaa - udaya ==> chandra grahaNa yogaH

10)vaasara - divasa - dina nityaa - udaya ==> shri ratrii yogaH

 

Please note the following are same, when you read the sanskrit sankalpa

document:

 

* vatsara = varshha

 

* vaara = vaasara

 

* maasa nityaa is simply denoted as maasa

 

* divasa = dina

 

* tithi nitya is obtained directly from the tithi of panchaanga. On the

other hand dina nitya (aka kaala nityaa) is computed using " since kali "

formula.

 

 

With best regards,

Ravi