Maha-Shivaratri is actually on Saturday, January 24, 2009 and not on February 23, 2009!

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

Namaskar!

As per the Rashtriya Panchanga and

all the other panchangas, the Vedic month of Tapah started simultaneously with

the day of Uttarayana i.e. Winter Solstice, which was on December 21, 2008.

The Vedanga Jyotisha and all the

Puranas call that very month of Tapah by the name of (solar) Magha. As such,

the Vedic solar Magha also started simultaneously with the day of Uttarayana

i.e. December

21, 2008, whatever the Rashtriya Panchanga or other panchangas of

its ilk may say!

The first New Moon (Amanta) after

that Uttarayana Day is known as the start of the lunar Magha Shukla paksha by

all the shastras. That day was on Sunday, December 28, 2008, which was thus

the starting day of lunar Magha Shukla paksha. The first Full Moon (Purnima)

after that was on January

12, 2009. That was the start of Magha (Gauna Phalguna) Krishna

Paksha. Magha (Gauna Phalguna) Krishna Chaturdashi is prevailing at midnight on Saturday, January 24, 2009.

That is the real criterion for Maha-Shivaratri as per the Shiva Mahapurana, the

Linga Purana, Vishnu-dharmotara-purana etc. etc.

THAT IS THE DAY OF REAL

MAHA-SHIVARATRI AS PER

ALL THE SHASTRAS, as such.

 

The so called Maha-Shivaratri of February 23, 2009,

is only a Lahiri Mahashivaratri, and that is why I call late N. C. Lahiri

“almighty” since he has been able to over-rule all our shastras,

including the Vedas, and since he overpowered the mental faculties of Saha

Calendar Reform Committee of 1955.

And since “Vedic

astrologers” are followers of such an “almighty” Lahiri, it

appears they have put cotton wool into their ears to my repeated requests that

they should desist from compelling the entire Hindu community to celebrate all

the festivals on wrong days in the name of wrong Makara Sankrantis etc. (Pl.

see BVB6, PAC3, Shankar etc.

documents in files section).

Because I have brought such

unpleasant facts to their knowledge, that is why I have been banned by such

groups as “”, or “Hinduism_environment

group” etc. etc. to name just the two of them. It could be so because those

groups comprise more “Vedic astrologers” than either shiva bhaktas

or the real Vedic Hindus—whether quantitatively or qualitatively!

What is all the more surprising is

that our dharmacharyas and “His Holinesses” of “art of one

thing or the other” etc. etc. also have put cotton wool into their ears,

since they have adopted a studied silence to such representations.

As such, I request you to kindly

forward this mail to as many groups/members/individuals/dharmacharyas etc. etc.

as possible so that maybe, they will realize the fact that “Vedic

astrology” is making a mess of all our festivals and muhurtas and maybe

they will do some introspection now. Better late than never.

 

With regards and best wishes for

the real Maha-Shivaratri in advance.

Avtar Krishen Kaul

[Guest guest]

IndiaArchaeology , " Avtar Krishen Kaul "

<jyotirved wrote:

 

Dear Dr. Elst,

Namaskar!

Many thanks for your comments.

 

<Isn't this strange, that the coldest month of the year (tropical

Capricorn) is called Tapah, " heat " ? Incidentally, The Arabic month

name Ramadan has the same meaning. Originally it always fell just

before the start of spring (tropical Pisces).>

 

No! Absolutely not! Pl. see the following excerpt in a different

context regarding the definition of Tapah-Tapasya months vis-a-vis

the Winter season:

 

" In Kashmir such a Sankranti was known as Shishira Sankranti because,

mercifully, when there was no Vijayeshwara Jantri/panchanga--–based

on the most monstrous astronomical works like Grahalaghava and

Makaranda or even the Rashtirya-cum-Lahiri-Panchanga etc. ----

around, it was the real Uttarayana (Winter Solstice) that was the

starting day of solar Magha and Vedic Tapah of Shishira Ritu in the

real Vedic tradition in Kashmir, as in the rest of India.

 

There are Persian equivalents of Tapah and Tapasya months current in

Kashmir. These are known as Chilla kalan, Chilla Khurd and Chilla

Bacha. Even today, Chilla Kalan starts exactly on the day of

Uttarayana and lasts for thirty days, i.e. the full month of Tapah.

Chilla means " to go into seclusion for performing Tapah/penance "

and " Kalan " means " the major one " . Thus the first thirty days of

Shishira Ritu are known to be " most suitable period for Chilla i.e.

tapasya " . Magha-snana is also famous only because it is an

extremely courageous task to have a bath in a river on the day of

Winter Solstice and continue that process for one full month in cold

climate of Kashmir, where temperatures go down up to minus 30

degrees, especially in hilly regions!

 

After Chilla-kalan, the next twenty days of Shishira Ritu are known

as " Chilla-khurd " i.e. " the minor period for seclusion/Tapasya " . And

the last ten days of Shishira Ritu are known as Chilla-bacha

i.e. " the infant period for Tapasya " since people start coming out of

seclusion then.

 

Thus the two Vedic months of Tapah and Tapasya of Shishira Ritu,

known as the real Magha and Phalguna, are named so not because

of " heat " but because they are the most suitable for Tapah/Tapasya. "

 

<That system has to date from the centuries following ca. 2300 BC,

when the star Magha/Regulus crossed the winter solstice (uttarayana)

point.>

 

The VJ (mantras 5 and 6)has said that a five-year yuga, the start of

Shishira ritu, month of Tapah-cum-Magha start simultaneously when the

New Moon takes place in Dhanishtha.

It has also said that the days start increasing from the day of

Uttarayana. As such, it is talking of a real Winter Solstice instead

of some imaginary one.

Since the star Beta Delphini is taken usually as the star of that

(Dhanishtha) nakshatra, it was in 1400 BCE that the Winter Solstice

was in exact conjunction with that star. As such, the names of Magha

etc. months had nothing to do with the lunar Full Moons falling in

nakshatras of similar names! It was all a much later development,

most probably of around 13th century AD.

 

The astronomical parameters of the VJ vis-a-vis the duration of the

day etc. are correct for a latitude of 34° to 36° North in 1400 BCE

presuming that the Obliquity of the Ecliptic (the maximum declination

of the sun) was supposed to be 24° then. The VJ was therefore

compiled in Kashmir (inclduing the portion of Pakistan Occupied

Kashmir!) and that makes it doubly sure that Tapah and Tapasya months

meant nothing but Shishira Ritu

 

<Yet, I vaguely recall reading that Shivaratri originally meant the

winter solstice. As the longest night, it would make sense to name it

a " night " and to name it after the lunar god Shiva, who is also

associated with the mountains just like Capricorn. Admittedly, unlike

the crocodile/makara, but the latter is the symbol of the Ganga, the

river springing from Shiva's>

 

I also recall having read something like that and most probably it

was some " Vedic astronomer " who had written that article to justify

the wandering seasons---beause of Lahir and Ramana Ayanamsha wetc.

Since I have read quite a few Puranas, I can say it with certainty

that Maha-Shivaratri, as per the Linga Purana, Shiva Purana,

Vishnudharmotara etc. etc. purauas, is the day preceding the second

New Moon after the Uttarayana i.e. Winter Solstice. As such, there

is bound to be a difference of about one month between the Uttarayana

and the Maha-Shivaratri, but it has to be in Shishia Ritu. And you

can well imagine that if we continue to celebrate Lahiri Makar

Sankranti, a time may come when it will be celebrated in Spring

instead of Shishira Ritu!

 

With regards,

AKK

 

 

 

 

 

IndiaArchaeology , " Koenraad Elst "

<koenraad.elst@> wrote:

>

> IndiaArchaeology , " jyotirved " <jyotirved@>

> wrote:

> >

> > Dear friends,

> >

> > Namaskar!

> >

> > As per the Rashtriya Panchanga and all the other panchangas, the

> Vedic month

> > of Tapah started simultaneously with the day of Uttarayana i.e.

> Winter

> > Solstice, which was on December 21, 2008.

> >

>

> Isn't this strange, that the coldest month of the year (tropical

> Capricorn) is called Tapah, " heat " ? Incidentally, The Arabic month

> name Ramadan has the same meaning. Originally it always fell just

> before the start of spring (tropical Pisces).

>

>

>

> > The Vedanga Jyotisha and all the Puranas call that very month of

> Tapah by

> > the name of (solar) Magha. As such, the Vedic solar Magha also

> started

> > simultaneously with the day of Uttarayana i.e. December 21, 2008,

> whatever

> > the Rashtriya Panchanga or other panchangas of its ilk may say!

> >

>

> That system has to date from the centuries following ca. 2300 BC,

> when the star Magha/Regulus crossed the winter solstice

(uttarayana)

> point.

>

>

> > The first New Moon (Amanta) after that Uttarayana Day is known as

> the start

> > of the lunar Magha Shukla paksha by all the shastras. That day

was

> on

> > Sunday, December 28, 2008, which was thus the starting day of

lunar

> Magha

> > Shukla paksha. The first Full Moon (Purnima) after that was on

> January 12,

> > 2009. That was the start of Magha (Gauna Phalguna) Krishna

> Paksha. Magha

> > (Gauna Phalguna) Krishna Chaturdashi is prevailing at midnight on

> Saturday,

> > January 24, 2009. That is the real criterion for Maha-Shivaratri

> as per the

> > Shiva Mahapurana, the Linga Purana, Vishnu-dharmotara-purana etc.

> etc.

> >

>

> Yet, I vaguely recall reading that Shivaratri originally meant the

> winter solstice. As the longest night, it would make sense to name

it

> a " night " and to name it after the lunar god Shiva, who is also

> associated with the mountains just like Capricorn. Admittedly,

unlike

> the crocodile/makara, but the latter is the symbol of the Ganga,

the

> river springing from Shiva's hair.

>

> KE

>

>

> > THAT IS THE DAY OF REAL MAHA-SHIVARATRI AS PER ALL THE SHASTRAS,

as

> such.

> >

> >

> >

> > The so called Maha-Shivaratri of February 23, 2009, is only a

Lahiri

> > Mahashivaratri, and that is why I call late N. C.

Lahiri " almighty "

> since he

> > has been able to over-rule all our shastras, including the Vedas,

> and since

> > he overpowered the mental faculties of Saha Calendar Reform

> Committee of

> > 1955.

> >

> > And since " Vedic astrologers " are followers of such an " almighty "

> Lahiri, it

> > appears they have put cotton wool into their ears to my repeated

> requests

> > that they should desist from compelling the entire Hindu

community

> to

> > celebrate all the festivals on wrong days in the name of wrong

> Makara

> > Sankrantis etc. (Pl. see BVB6, PAC3, Shankar etc. documents in

files

> > section).

> >

> > Because I have brought such unpleasant facts to their knowledge,

> that is why

> > I have been banned by such groups as " " , or

> > " Hinduism_environment group " etc. etc. to name just the two of

> them. It

> > could be so because those groups comprise more " Vedic

astrologers "

> than

> > either shiva bhaktas or the real Vedic Hindus-whether

> quantitatively or

> > qualitatively!

> >

> > What is all the more surprising is that our dharmacharyas and " His

> > Holinesses " of " art of one thing or the other " etc. etc. also

have

> put

> > cotton wool into their ears, since they have adopted a studied

> silence to

> > such representations.

> >

> > As such, I request you to kindly forward this mail to as many

> > groups/members/individuals/dharmacharyas etc. etc. as possible so

> that

> > maybe, they will realize the fact that " Vedic astrology " is

making

> a mess of

> > all our festivals and muhurtas and maybe they will do some

> introspection

> > now. Better late than never.

> >

> >

> >

> > With regards and best wishes for the real Maha-Shivaratri in

> advance.

> >

> > Avtar Krishen Kaul

> >

>

 

--- End forwarded message ---