Dear Friends,
Wish you Happy Yugadi, a happy new year with special lunch with payasam, aama vadai and mango-neem flower jaggery pachadi.
Tamilians use only solar calendar. They have 12 months chithirai, vaikasi etc.
But Telugu, Kannadigas, and Maharashtrians and some other people in northern India follow Lunar caledar and their month starts from shukla Pratham and ends with Amavasya.
An insight into lunar calendar brings out facts like Adhika masam, Kshaya Masam etc and significance thereof.
Today being Yugadi or Gudi Padwa let us have an over all view of lunar calendar.
Today is yugadi, new Year day for people following Lunar calendar.
Just as we have one day more in Feb every four years,known as Leap year, Lunar calendar has one additional month , Adhika Masa every 32 to 35 months.
The concept of Adhika Maasa is unique to the traditional Hindu lunar calendar. The solar year is made up of 365 days 06 minutes and the lunar year is made up of 354 days. So, as years pass by, each lunar month starts earlier than the corresponding solar month. Thus both the solar and the lunar years have a gap of 11 days, 1 hour, 31 minutes and 12 seconds. As this gap increases each year, it approximates in about 33 months to become one month. So to match the two calendars, an extra month is added. This is the thirteenth month of the lunar calendar, called 'Adhik Maas'. The Adhik Maas is added when the Amvasya and the Surya Sankranti coincide. It adopts the name of the month that follows Adhik Maas. .
The Adhika Masa occurs after every 32 months, 16 days and 8 Ghatis. A Ghati is 24 minutes.
Adika masa was in 2012 Aug. In 2015 Adhika masa will be in June.
Adhik masa is celebrated as sacred month. People perform extra malas, pradakshinas, pilgrimages, scriptural reading and parayans. During this period, marriages, tonsures (mundan), inaugurations of new home, fasting with desire of some worldy gains, buying new ornaments and vehicles are prohibited. In a book called Purushottama Granth, also called Purushottam maas Mahatyam, many aspects of the special religious significance of this month are found. Many people read or listen to this book during Purushottama Maas . Even a little charitable act done during this Maas produces big results.
Adhik Maas is also known as Purushottama Maas. Normally each of the 12 months was assigned to 12 different gods. But the 13th extra month was not assigned to any god. Adhik Maas felt sad and approached Lord Vishnu . Vishnu took pity on him and assigned Adhik Maas to Himself and gave it the name Purushottama Maas.
A beautiful story relates to how, in ancient times, through the observance of Purushoththama mas vrath, king Nahush was released from all bondage and acquired the throne of Indra.
. Earlier there lived a brahmana by name Kaushika who was a jitendriya. He had a son by name maitreya who was addicted to drinking and was a kamaandha. One day Maitreya went to forest. He killed a brahmana in Sourashtra and snatched all the money from the Brahmin. Because he killed that brahmana, the whole City itself was burnt. As he got brahma hatya dosha, Maitreya was taken by Yamadoothas and was thrown in Krumeekunda. He was in Hell for more than 10000 years. After a long period, Kaushika, the father of Maitreya came to know about the same. Kaushika searched all the shruthi shaastraas and found a remedy for brahmahatya parihara. He did the Vratha named Adhikamasa Vratha and gave 33 apoopadaana and his son was saved from the Hell. As such, the Adhikamasa vratha, if done with proper anusandhana, can remove brahma hatya dosha also.
Persons performing good deeds/satkarma in this month conquer their indriyas/senses; their miseries are eradicated and they totally come out of punar janam i.e. cycle of rebirth.
Performing penance knowingly or unknowingly in this adhik masa in any form adds tremendously to spiritual merit.
Adhik Maas is the month for Vishnu puja. The recitation of Srimad Bhagavat Purana and of the Bhagavad Gita during this month produces top meritorious results. Singing and listening to the praises of Lord Vishnu, Chanting the Vishnu sahasranama and the Suktas are recommended.
beneficial.
Ashta - (8) Vasu
Ekadasha - (11) Rudra
Dwadasha - (12) Aaditya
(1) Prajaapati
(1) Vashatkaara
Totally 33 Gods rule the Adhik masa and hence the significance of 33 apoopas( appams) given as gifts during this month.
Generally, an adhika masa comes every years (32 months, 16 days and 8 ghadis to be precise). A ghadi is 24 minutes.While the concept of adhika masam is really technical in nature, for the common man, it would mean that there might be slight changes in which celebrations are conducted at the temple. For instance, there might be two brahmotsavams at popular temples, such as that at Tirupati. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam for instance celebrates two brahmotsavams during the Adhika masam.
Shukla Paksha Ekadasi in Adhika masa is popularly known as Padmini Ekadasi. The legend goes That a king Karthaveerya, though had many wives was not blessed with children. He left for the forest to do penance. His wife Padmini alone followed him. Even after 10000 years of penance yielded no results, Later as advised by Anasuya, they observed Ekadasi vratam on the Shukla ekadasi of Adhika masam.Due to Vishnu's grace they were blessed with a pious son Karthaveeryajuna who could conquer even Ravana.This Ekadasi is popularly known as Padmini Ekadasi after Karthaveerys's wife Padmini.
There are specific instructions when to perform Sraadhaa ceremonies
to ancestors in the year of Adhika masam
Just as there is Adhika masam , there is a concept of Kshaya masam, where there will be be two solar sankranthis and it may happen once in 19, 65, 111 or 141 years.There will be only 11 months in the year.
In practice, the Kshaya masa gets sort of merged with the next masa. During such a masa, the first half of each thithi is considered to represent the Kshaya masa and the later half the next masa.
Luckily each thithi is divided into two equal halves and are known as Karanas. Therefore the first karana of a thithi refers to the kshaya masa and the later karana to the next masa. Activities of the masas are to be carried out in the respective karanas.
Kshaya masa can occur only during Kartheeka, margashirsha or Pushya masas.
Kshaya masas occur alternately once in 141 years and 19 years. Kshaya masa occured in the past during 1983 after a gap of 19 years i.e year 1964. Therefore the next Kshaya masa is expected during 2124
More often we simply hear about adhika paksha masam and just leave it off We see Brahmotsavam in TV continuously for 2 months without caring to know anything about it.Here is a why and how of it.
Jayasala 42
Wish you Happy Yugadi, a happy new year with special lunch with payasam, aama vadai and mango-neem flower jaggery pachadi.
Tamilians use only solar calendar. They have 12 months chithirai, vaikasi etc.
But Telugu, Kannadigas, and Maharashtrians and some other people in northern India follow Lunar caledar and their month starts from shukla Pratham and ends with Amavasya.
An insight into lunar calendar brings out facts like Adhika masam, Kshaya Masam etc and significance thereof.
Today being Yugadi or Gudi Padwa let us have an over all view of lunar calendar.
Today is yugadi, new Year day for people following Lunar calendar.
Just as we have one day more in Feb every four years,known as Leap year, Lunar calendar has one additional month , Adhika Masa every 32 to 35 months.
The concept of Adhika Maasa is unique to the traditional Hindu lunar calendar. The solar year is made up of 365 days 06 minutes and the lunar year is made up of 354 days. So, as years pass by, each lunar month starts earlier than the corresponding solar month. Thus both the solar and the lunar years have a gap of 11 days, 1 hour, 31 minutes and 12 seconds. As this gap increases each year, it approximates in about 33 months to become one month. So to match the two calendars, an extra month is added. This is the thirteenth month of the lunar calendar, called 'Adhik Maas'. The Adhik Maas is added when the Amvasya and the Surya Sankranti coincide. It adopts the name of the month that follows Adhik Maas. .
The Adhika Masa occurs after every 32 months, 16 days and 8 Ghatis. A Ghati is 24 minutes.
Adika masa was in 2012 Aug. In 2015 Adhika masa will be in June.
Adhik masa is celebrated as sacred month. People perform extra malas, pradakshinas, pilgrimages, scriptural reading and parayans. During this period, marriages, tonsures (mundan), inaugurations of new home, fasting with desire of some worldy gains, buying new ornaments and vehicles are prohibited. In a book called Purushottama Granth, also called Purushottam maas Mahatyam, many aspects of the special religious significance of this month are found. Many people read or listen to this book during Purushottama Maas . Even a little charitable act done during this Maas produces big results.
Adhik Maas is also known as Purushottama Maas. Normally each of the 12 months was assigned to 12 different gods. But the 13th extra month was not assigned to any god. Adhik Maas felt sad and approached Lord Vishnu . Vishnu took pity on him and assigned Adhik Maas to Himself and gave it the name Purushottama Maas.
A beautiful story relates to how, in ancient times, through the observance of Purushoththama mas vrath, king Nahush was released from all bondage and acquired the throne of Indra.
. Earlier there lived a brahmana by name Kaushika who was a jitendriya. He had a son by name maitreya who was addicted to drinking and was a kamaandha. One day Maitreya went to forest. He killed a brahmana in Sourashtra and snatched all the money from the Brahmin. Because he killed that brahmana, the whole City itself was burnt. As he got brahma hatya dosha, Maitreya was taken by Yamadoothas and was thrown in Krumeekunda. He was in Hell for more than 10000 years. After a long period, Kaushika, the father of Maitreya came to know about the same. Kaushika searched all the shruthi shaastraas and found a remedy for brahmahatya parihara. He did the Vratha named Adhikamasa Vratha and gave 33 apoopadaana and his son was saved from the Hell. As such, the Adhikamasa vratha, if done with proper anusandhana, can remove brahma hatya dosha also.
Persons performing good deeds/satkarma in this month conquer their indriyas/senses; their miseries are eradicated and they totally come out of punar janam i.e. cycle of rebirth.
Performing penance knowingly or unknowingly in this adhik masa in any form adds tremendously to spiritual merit.
Adhik Maas is the month for Vishnu puja. The recitation of Srimad Bhagavat Purana and of the Bhagavad Gita during this month produces top meritorious results. Singing and listening to the praises of Lord Vishnu, Chanting the Vishnu sahasranama and the Suktas are recommended.
beneficial.
Ashta - (8) Vasu
Ekadasha - (11) Rudra
Dwadasha - (12) Aaditya
(1) Prajaapati
(1) Vashatkaara
Totally 33 Gods rule the Adhik masa and hence the significance of 33 apoopas( appams) given as gifts during this month.
Generally, an adhika masa comes every years (32 months, 16 days and 8 ghadis to be precise). A ghadi is 24 minutes.While the concept of adhika masam is really technical in nature, for the common man, it would mean that there might be slight changes in which celebrations are conducted at the temple. For instance, there might be two brahmotsavams at popular temples, such as that at Tirupati. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam for instance celebrates two brahmotsavams during the Adhika masam.
Shukla Paksha Ekadasi in Adhika masa is popularly known as Padmini Ekadasi. The legend goes That a king Karthaveerya, though had many wives was not blessed with children. He left for the forest to do penance. His wife Padmini alone followed him. Even after 10000 years of penance yielded no results, Later as advised by Anasuya, they observed Ekadasi vratam on the Shukla ekadasi of Adhika masam.Due to Vishnu's grace they were blessed with a pious son Karthaveeryajuna who could conquer even Ravana.This Ekadasi is popularly known as Padmini Ekadasi after Karthaveerys's wife Padmini.
There are specific instructions when to perform Sraadhaa ceremonies
to ancestors in the year of Adhika masam
Just as there is Adhika masam , there is a concept of Kshaya masam, where there will be be two solar sankranthis and it may happen once in 19, 65, 111 or 141 years.There will be only 11 months in the year.
In practice, the Kshaya masa gets sort of merged with the next masa. During such a masa, the first half of each thithi is considered to represent the Kshaya masa and the later half the next masa.
Luckily each thithi is divided into two equal halves and are known as Karanas. Therefore the first karana of a thithi refers to the kshaya masa and the later karana to the next masa. Activities of the masas are to be carried out in the respective karanas.
Kshaya masa can occur only during Kartheeka, margashirsha or Pushya masas.
Kshaya masas occur alternately once in 141 years and 19 years. Kshaya masa occured in the past during 1983 after a gap of 19 years i.e year 1964. Therefore the next Kshaya masa is expected during 2124
More often we simply hear about adhika paksha masam and just leave it off We see Brahmotsavam in TV continuously for 2 months without caring to know anything about it.Here is a why and how of it.
Jayasala 42