Ayurveda: the Divine Science : Dress code - days of the week

[Guest guest]

Here is the latest article in a series by Prof. K. K. Bhaumik, Chairman of

Coordinating Council of Association of Astrology & Allied Sciences. He

discusses the traditional ayurvedic Indian views on the days of the week,

their rulerships and most auspicious activities for a given day. As in

Western traditional culture, which is based in astrology, each day (and even

each hour) has a planetary ruler by which some activities are favoured and

some are not. Read on now to gain a new perspective on the days of the

week...

Since our childhood, most of us in India are perpetually being warned by our

elders, especially our mothers and grandmothers, against undertaking any

journey on a Thursday. Travelling on Thursdays, they say, will never yield

the desired result for which the journey is undertaken. Similarly, many

other human activities are also advised against on certain days of the week.

Many amongst us often rubbish the traditional advice of our mothers and

grandmothers as superstitions. This refusal to heed traditional advice often

leads to great peril, failure and frustration.

 

Indians, since time immemorial, have for generations believed that each day

of a week is ruled, controlled and governed by a particular planet or deity.

The controlling deity or planet of that particular day lends a natural

support or benevolent influence for activities of a particular nature. All

activities of a relevant nature undertaken on the day on which the ruling

deity or planet lends its natural support are likely to be successful. But

activities for which the ruling deity or the planet of the day does not lend

its support run a high risk of ending in fiasco.

 

Sunday

For example, Sunday is the day of the Sun and is ruled by Surya the Sun God.

The influence of the Sun on Sunday is naturally very high; the ruling star

of the day, therefore, lends its benevolent support for all activities

related to celebrations and community efforts. It is the day to offer

prayers of gratitude to Mother Earth and a day for women to celebrate their

womanhood. Indians have traditionally undertaken activities such as grinding

grains and seeds on Sundays. An excellent day to undertake journeys, Sunday

is also an extremely conducive day on which to resolve old disputes. Sunday,

being a day for celebration, is the most suitable day to feed and entertain

friends and family.

 

Pink and maroon colours are best suited for this day. Keeping maroon and

pink flowers at home on Sundays will yield good results. If one wears pink

or maroon clothes on Sundays one can make friends easily and will enhance

one's personality. It is the day which is most suitable to initiate

discussions and negotiations about new projects with government officials.

Consumption of mungdal and bel fruit on Sunday is strongly recommended.

 

Commercial activities, such as selling products, however, are strongly

advised against on Sundays. Sunday is also not considered a favourable day

for entering a new house, undertaking any kind of heavy activities, or for

quarrelling. All earning-related activities too should be eschewed on

Sundays.

 

Monday

Lord Shiva rules on Mondays. The cosmic teacher of wisdom and destroyer of

all evils in the universe showers his benign blessings on activities

undertaken on Monday the day on which his influence is at its peak. The

day is favourable for beginning a new career, agricultural planting,

gardening and for initiating any kind of finance-related activities.

 

Considered as the most invigorating of all the days in the week, negative

possibilities and influences are easily thwarted. Monday, therefore, is an

ideal day to enter new houses, make marital arrangements, and for betting

and sport-related activities. Monday is also a suitable day for seeking

medical help and suggestions. In fact, there are barely any activities which

are disallowed on Mondays.

 

White is the colour for Mondays and therefore wearing white dresses and

keeping white flowers at home are recommended on Mondays. It is a good day

for men seeking favours from women and for making new friends. Taking honey

and cucumber on Mondays is likely to yield good results.

 

Tuesday

The planet Mars and Kartikeya, the warrior son of Goddess Durga, rule

supreme on Tuesdays, showering Mangala, the universal divine blessing for

success in any domain of human activity. Armed with divine blessings for

success, human beings may fearlessly take steps to defeat enemies on

Tuesdays. Tuesday is an auspicious day to undertake animal husbandry related

activities, especially cows and bulls, and to wage a crusade against evil.

Activities involving the use of weapons and fire are, however, prohibited on

Tuesdays.

 

Red being the most suitable colour for Tuesdays, wearing red clothes and

keeping red flowers at home on the day may prove to be good. Men shall be

courageous on the day and Tuesdays are the most suitable days to settle

long-standing issues with the police and army. Direct discussions and

meetings with police and army personnel on Tuesdays can be fruitful.

Administrative and hard laborious work should be undertaken on Tuesdays. All

impediments will melt if grilled black bringals and potatoes are eaten on

Tuesdays.

 

Wednesday

Rulers, politicians, artists and intellectuals can expect an excellent day

on Wednesday. Ruled by Mercury, the day is most suitable for activities

involving cerebral faculties, banking, finance, crop and grain trading and

the acquisition of wealth. Wednesday is ideal for romance. All activities

requiring cerebral input and intellectual faculties are recommended on

Wednesdays, as the influences of Budh, the planet that ensures buddhi

(intelligence) and Lord Vishnu, the ruling deity of Wednesday, are very

perceptible on the day. Quarrelling at the place of work, beginning new

ventures and sexual cohabitation without the intention of conception are

some of the major activities that are strongly prohibited on Wednesday as

the day is charged with natural volatility.

 

Short journeys, if undertaken in the early morning on Wednesdays, would

ensure success. The day is ideal for planting trees, as green is the colour

of the day. Keeping green plants at home, wearing green clothes and eating

beans and gota mungdal on Wednesday would ensure good effects.

 

Thursday

Though travelling is virtually a taboo on Thursdays, efforts to retrieve

lost wealth and articles are expected to succeed if undertaken on Thursdays.

Thursday is the day when the benign blessings of Goddess Lakshmi rain down

on earth. The day is ruled by Jupiter, which is considered as the Guru

(preceptor) of the Gods. It is the best day in the week to begin any

educational efforts and ventures, being the ideal day to show reverence and

offer gratitude and compensation to our teachers and all those from whom we

learn or gain knowledge in some way or the other. It is the most auspicious

day to visit temples and receive divine blessings.

 

Thursday is an excellent day to join any educational institute or to begin

any academic pursuits; such activities should, however, be undertaken in the

first half of the day. It is a day to visit temples and receiving blessings

from our elders. Wearing yellow or off-white clothes, keeping yellow or

off-white flowers at home and eating arhar dal, papaya and rice with ghee on

Thursdays may bring in good results.

 

Friday

Shukra (Venus) and Bhubaneshwari Devi rule Friday and promise success,

especially to women. Happiness permeates the day. Friendship blossoms and

effortless gains are natural events of the day. Most suitable for the

purchase of new vehicles, Friday is also a good day for medical treatments

of serious illness, as the healing energies are most active on the day. Also

a suitable day to begin any kind of charitable work, Friday augurs well for

anyone travelling.

 

It is a day for purchasing jewellery, precious stones, ornaments and new

houses. Paneer and other milk products are the staple food of the day. Very

light blue or white are the colours of the day.

 

Saturday

If you are besieged by nagging interminable legal problems, launch an all

out effort to resolve the problem on Saturdays. Chances are that the problem

will get resolved once and for all. Contrary to the popular belief,

Saturday, ruled by Shani or Saturn, is a spiritual day when people should

fast, undertake pious activities and shun all kinds of luxuries. The day

also supports financial gains and career advancements and is a good day for

purchasing food staples, or horses. It is the best day for digging earth for

making wells. Goddess Dakshina Kali being the ruling deity of the day,

Saturday is a good day to combat negative forces.

 

There are many instances of big successes achieved on Saturdays. Any work

initiated in the first half on Saturday carries a high possibility of

success. Shani, the ruling deity of Saturday, is considered an extremely

pious figure; anyone leading a pious lifestyle on the day, bereft of

luxuries, eating sesame seed paste and grilled black brinjal, keeping purple

flowers at home and wearing black clothes, is likely to receive success and

blessings of Shani or Saturn.