Celebrating Makara Sankranti in the month of Dhanu (Sag)?

January 14, 2004

12.0pt">||Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa||

12.0pt">

12.0pt">Namasthe

12.0pt">

12.0pt">In our state, transition to Makara( Capricorn ) is at 11.44pm. Makara

Sankramam is celebrated today( 14

Wed ). The rising of Makarajyothis trice at Sabarimala Temple

was also today eve at about 6.30pm. But the month of Makara starts

only from tomorrow (Thurs). I found in TV, astrologers on both side debating,

some argue celebrating Makara Sankranti

in the month of Dhanu (Sag) is wrong, others find no

problem in it.

12.0pt">

12.0pt">Respected members, can anyone of you thro light in this respect.

Also tell, is the rising of Makarajyothis having any astrological significance.

12.0pt">

12.0pt">SS Mony

12.0pt">

12.0pt">||Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa||

12.0pt">

January 14, 2004

The Sun enters the Makara raasi (the zodiac sign of Capricorn - the

goat), on Sankranti day, signifying the onset of Uttarayana

Punyakalam.

The following has been translated from an article in Sadachara

Vybhavam of the great Vaishnava devotee Sripad Madhwacharya.

Today is "Makara Sankranti" -- which is celebrated when the Sun

begins the northward journey, marking the beginning of

the "uttaraayaNa puNyakaalam". Sun enters the sign of "Makara",

(Capricorn) at this time. (This is also called equinox, when the

day and nights are exactly the same). Starting this day, the

duration of day starts to increase until "dakshiNaayanam" comes.

Makara Sankranti signifies two things. One is the changing path of

Sun and other is the beginning of "Uttarayana Punyakaala" Makara

literally means "Capricorn" and sankranti means "change"

or 'sankramaNa' literally means 'crossing'. On this day, it is said

that Sun passes from one Zodiac sign to another. A sankranti or

sankramaNa marks the beginning of every solar month in the Vedic

calendrical system when Sun passes from one sign to the other, it's

the cusp of the months as astro-wallas call. But, being solar based

the change of January 14th or 15th of every year is considered more

sacred than any other month, as it is the beginning of Uttarayana

Punyakaala.

Lord Surya on His dazzling chariot that has thousands of spokes and

magnificent wheels, and driven by seven horses (seven colours of the

spectrum) begins His journey northward into the Makara Rasi, filling

our lives with light and getting rid of the darkness. This light

not only fills our material life and helps our plants grow at

seeding time, but also gets rid of our "internal" darkness, showing

the path of self realisation - moksha.

On this day, devotees prepare a dish made of green grams, rice and

jaggery (sarkkarai pongal) - representing Lord Narayana, Laxmi and

Their Divine love. The festival reminds us that we need to establish

that Divine Love within ourselves and give a direction to

this "chanchala buddhi" and fix it our Lord Narayana, who brings

light in our lives.

This same festival is celebrated as Pongal in the South of India.

Harvest is brought home the new rice is then boiled in milk to make

the sweet called "chakrapongali", the special cuisine of the eve.

This harvest festival is celebrated for 3 days. The delicacy is

first offered to Sun God, the chief deity under worship, that is

later distributed to all as prasadam. The harvest is celebrated as

being blessed with Dhanyalakshmi and a splendid feast is shared by

all after the Ishta Devatha pujas.

Traditionally, this period is considered an auspicious time and the

veteran Bhishma of Mahabharata chose to die during this period.

Bhishma fell to the arrows of Arjuna. With his boon to choose the

time of his death, he waited on a bed of arrows to depart from this

world only during this period. Sri Bhishma Pitamaha waited on the

bed of arrows till the "uttaraayaNa punyakaalam" has arrived, and

then breathed once more, for the last time. It is believed that one

escapes the cycle of repeated birth and death, if one gives up one's

body on this day. The uttarAyaNa (norther course of the Sun) was

traditionally considered more auspicious than the dakshiNAyana

(southern course of the Sun). Over the years, this led some to

believe that dying during dakshiNAyana, the southern path of the

sun, was inauspicious and did not lead to moksha - release -

liberation.

This belief is cast aside in the Brahma-Sutras that the time

of death is immaterial in the case of the intelligent devotee. In

those Sutras 4.2.19-20, it is established that one who has knowledge

of the Lord can die during any time; the exaltations of uttarAyaNa

are merely to praise meditation on the path to Vaikuntha, which the

wise devotees jIva takes upon death. This divine path beginning

with light, is presided upon by deities of greater and greater

brilliance, with uttarAyaNa being one of them. This marga - path

culminates in Vaikuntha, the state of moksha, and shastra says it

should be meditated upon daily by the yogi of devotion.

Sesame oil is used in making sweets and dishes, particularly on this

day. It is believed that sesame seeds are used for purificatory

purposed (or as being auspicious - "tila juhomi sarasaagum

sapishhThaam gandhaara mama chitteramanutu swaaha", "tila krishnaa

tila shevataa tila saumyaa vashaanugaa"...).

This is not a day of travel but of family re-union.

Regards.

-_Sanjay

, sethusmony

<sethusmony@s...> wrote:

> ||Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa||

>

> Namasthe

>

> In our state, transition to Makara( Capricorn ) is at 11.44pm.

Makara Sankramam is celebrated today( 14 Wed ). The rising of

Makarajyothis trice at Sabarimala Temple was also today eve at about

6.30pm. But the month of Makara starts only from tomorrow (Thurs). I

found in TV, astrologers on both side debating, some argue

celebrating Makara Sankranti in the month of Dhanu (Sag) is wrong,

others find no problem in it.

>

> Respected members, can anyone of you thro light in this respect.

> Also tell, is the rising of Makarajyothis having any astrological

significance.

>

> SS Mony

>

> ||Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa||

January 14, 2004

THANKS

ASMAsanjaytechnology <sanjaytechnology > wrote:

The Sun enters the Makara raasi (the zodiac sign of Capricorn - the goat), on

Sankranti day, signifying the onset of Uttarayana Punyakalam. The following has

been translated from an article in Sadachara Vybhavam of the great Vaishnava

devotee Sripad Madhwacharya. Today is "Makara Sankranti" -- which is celebrated

when the Sun begins the northward journey, marking the beginning of the

"uttaraayaNa puNyakaalam". Sun enters the sign of "Makara", (Capricorn) at

this time. (This is also called equinox, when the day and nights are exactly

the same). Starting this day, the duration of day starts to increase until

"dakshiNaayanam" comes. Makara Sankranti signifies two things. One is the

changing path of Sun and other is the beginning of "Uttarayana Punyakaala"

Makara literally means "Capricorn" and sankranti means

"change" or 'sankramaNa' literally means 'crossing'. On this day, it is said

that Sun passes from one Zodiac sign to another. A sankranti or sankramaNa

marks the beginning of every solar month in the Vedic calendrical system when

Sun passes from one sign to the other, it's the cusp of the months as

astro-wallas call. But, being solar based the change of January 14th or 15th of

every year is considered more sacred than any other month, as it is the

beginning of Uttarayana Punyakaala. Lord Surya on His dazzling chariot that has

thousands of spokes and magnificent wheels, and driven by seven horses (seven

colours of the spectrum) begins His journey northward into the Makara Rasi,

filling our lives with light and getting rid of the darkness. This light not

only fills our material life and helps our plants grow at seeding time, but

also gets rid of our "internal" darkness, showing the path of self realisation

- moksha.

On this day, devotees prepare a dish made of green grams, rice and jaggery

(sarkkarai pongal) - representing Lord Narayana, Laxmi and Their Divine love.

The festival reminds us that we need to establish that Divine Love within

ourselves and give a direction to this "chanchala buddhi" and fix it our Lord

Narayana, who brings light in our lives. This same festival is celebrated as

Pongal in the South of India. Harvest is brought home the new rice is then

boiled in milk to make the sweet called "chakrapongali", the special cuisine of

the eve. This harvest festival is celebrated for 3 days. The delicacy is first

offered to Sun God, the chief deity under worship, that is later distributed to

all as prasadam. The harvest is celebrated as being blessed with Dhanyalakshmi

and a splendid feast is shared by all after the Ishta Devatha pujas.

Traditionally, this period is considered an auspicious time and the

veteran Bhishma of Mahabharata chose to die during this period. Bhishma fell to

the arrows of Arjuna. With his boon to choose the time of his death, he waited

on a bed of arrows to depart from this world only during this period. Sri

Bhishma Pitamaha waited on the bed of arrows till the "uttaraayaNa punyakaalam"

has arrived, and then breathed once more, for the last time. It is believed that

one escapes the cycle of repeated birth and death, if one gives up one's body on

this day. The uttarAyaNa (norther course of the Sun) was traditionally

considered more auspicious than the dakshiNAyana (southern course of the Sun).

Over the years, this led some to believe that dying during dakshiNAyana, the

southern path of the sun, was inauspicious and did not lead to moksha - release

- liberation. This belief is cast aside in the Brahma-Sutras that the

time of death is immaterial in the

case of the intelligent devotee. In those Sutras 4.2.19-20, it is established

that one who has knowledge of the Lord can die during any time; the exaltations

of uttarAyaNa are merely to praise meditation on the path to Vaikuntha, which

the wise devotees jIva takes upon death. This divine path beginning with

light, is presided upon by deities of greater and greater brilliance, with

uttarAyaNa being one of them. This marga - path culminates in Vaikuntha, the

state of moksha, and shastra says it should be meditated upon daily by the yogi

of devotion. Sesame oil is used in making sweets and dishes, particularly on

this day. It is believed that sesame seeds are used for purificatory purposed

(or as being auspicious - "tila juhomi sarasaagum sapishhThaam gandhaara mama

chitteramanutu swaaha", "tila krishnaa tila shevataa tila saumyaa

vashaanugaa"...). This is not a day of travel but of family

re-union.Regards.-_Sanjay, sethusmony

<sethusmony@s...> wrote:> ||Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa||> > Namasthe> > In our

state, transition to Makara( Capricorn ) is at 11.44pm. Makara Sankramam is

celebrated today( 14 Wed ). The rising of Makarajyothis trice at Sabarimala

Temple was also today eve at about 6.30pm. But the month of Makara starts only

from tomorrow (Thurs). I found in TV, astrologers on both side debating, some

argue celebrating Makara Sankranti in the month of Dhanu (Sag) is wrong, others

find no problem in it.> > Respected members, can anyone of you thro light in

this respect.> Also tell, is the rising of Makarajyothis having any

astrological significance.> > SS Mony> > ||Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa||~! LIFE

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January 15, 2004

Sanjayji,

Thanks for yor valuable translation, but i feel doubt in one respect. You

wrote ".....Sun enters the sign of "Makara", (Capricorn) at this time.

(This is also called equinox, when the day and nights are exactly the same).

Starting this day,.......".But now its the shortest day we've.The reason Sun

is now at his south most&we are in the northern hemisphere Its during the

Meena(Pisces)-Mesha(Aries) &Kanya(Vi)-Thula(Li)we experience the equinox

when the day and nights become exactly the same.Isnt?

regards

SS Mony

B+ve