[Advaita-l] Ekadashi Questions

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Thu, 4 Mar 2010, Anand Hudli wrote:

> Second, even if the rules are properly understood, there is the vexing 
> question of what method of (astronomical) calculation should be followed 
> for calculating the ending times for tithis, or in other words, what 
> kind of panchAnga should be followed. The traditional maThas and temples 
> in the South have mostly followed the sUrya siddhAnta panchAnga. This is 
> based on an ancient method of determining the celestial positions of the 
> sun and moon, and the planets too. The mathematician Parameshwara from 
> the Kerala school (1370-1460 according to Wikipedia) introduced the 
> driggaNita system of astronomy. This system has gained acceptance among 
> many panchAnga makers who say that for astrological purposes the 
> driggaNita may be used, although they maintain that for religious 
> observances, the sUrya siddhAnta must be used. Other panchAnga makers 
> use other methods, such as the AryabhaTIya, or even the modern 
> astronomical calculations. And they maintain that for all purposes, 
> astrological as well as dhArmic, we should be using the modern methods 
> which are more accurate, in the sense they give the positions of the 
> sun, moon, and the planets with a greater degree of accuracy. However, 
> there is no consensus among the panchAnga makers on what method or 
> methods to use.

On this topic it is worth considering the following aadeshapatra from 
Kanchi which is included in the Gujarati Janmabhumi Panchanga.


kriyate nArayaNasmrtiH |

asmatpUjyashrIparameShTigurubhiH aShTashItivatsareH purva 
IshvaranAmasaMvatsare anuShTeya pa~nchA~NgaviShaya 
madhyasthapaNDitanirNayapUrvakaM vichAraM krtvA AstikAnAM 
devapitrakAryANAM sAphAlyArtha kashchinnirNayaH krtaH | tadyathA jyotiH 
shAstrAntargata gaNanaviShaye tithyAdInAM bhUprShTadakasiddhaM cha 
grAhyamiti shrI venkaTeshvara dIkShita sundareshvara shrauti prabhatInAM 
pakShaH | bhUmadhyaH anyaH bhUprShTaH anya tithyAdInAM 
bhUmadhyadaktulyaiva grAhya iti shrIkrShNajyotiShikAdInAM pakShaH | shrI 
appAdIkShitaH shrInivAsAcharyAH ityete madhyasthA bhutvA suvichArya shrI 
venkaTeshvara dIkShita sundareshvara shrautinAM pakSha eva shrayAniti 
nIrNayAnusAreNa etachchhrImukhapatrika dattA | nArayaNasmrtiH | 
IshvaranAmasaMvatsare kArtikAmasa trishattarikA || iti | ayameva nirNayaH 
asmAbhiranusayate | sarverapyAstikairanusrtya aihikAmuShmikasvashreyasAM 
prApyatAM iti AshAsmahe | api cha 
yantrashodhitabIjasaMskArAdishuddhatithiShu pUrvottaratithyoH 
paramanADikArUpau yau bhogau tayorantaraM yat tat vrddhiprasaktau 
pa~nchanADIH nAtikrAmati kShayaprasaktau ShaNnADIH nAtikrAmati tasmAt 
bANavrddhI rasakShayaH itishlokAnusAriNyaiva 
asmatparameShTigurunirNayarItitithyo bhavanti || asminvyAsasadasi 
nIjashrAvaNAdvAviMshatrayoviMshatArikayoH gurjara karNATaka mahArAShtra 
va~ngotkalAndhra drAviDadeshIyAH jyotiH shAstrAnipuNAH 
pa~nchA~NgagaNakapaMDitAH nyAyavedAntadharmashAstrapaMDitAshcha jyotiH 
shAstra vichArArtha saMmilitAH | ayanAMshaviShaye prAmANikImekAM rIti 
nirNetaM vichAraM krtvA atibAhulyena chitrAnakShatrapakShamevAdatavantaH | 
tasmAdetadanusatya janmabhUmipa~nchA~Nga pravartayatAM paM. amrtalAla 
shAha mahodayAnAM svashreyasaparamparA bhayadi tyAshAsmahe | tathaiva 
AstikaiH etatpa~nchA~NgAnusAreNa svasvadharmakAryANI krtvA 
svashreyasaparamparAM prAptayurityAshAsmahe ||

[signed]

shrIkAlahastikShetram parAbhavasaMvatsare nIjashrAvaNabahuladashami


Our pujya parameshti guru 80 years previously during the year Ishvara[1] 
in the matter of panchangas for religious uses, decided based on the 
nirnayas of Pandits, so that the Deva and Pitr karyas of the Astikas might 
bear fruit, the following nirnaya:

In the matter of calculations for Jyotish, tithis etc. should be 
calculated based on the geocentric[2] method whereas eclipses etc. should 
be calculated according to the heliocentric[3] method. This was the view 
of Shri Venkateshvara Dikshit, Shri Sundareshvara Shrauti etc. The 
geocentric and heliocentric methods produce different results. All 
calculations should follow the geocentric method was the view of Shri 
Krshna Joshi etc. Shri Appu Shastri, Shri Appa Dikshit and Shri 
Shrinivasacharya were called upon to adjudicate and the view of Shri 
Venkateshvara Dikshita and Shri Sundereshvara Shrauti was decided to be 
the correct one. On this basis Acharyashri gave his Narayanasmrti[4] to a 
letter of instruction on Kartika amasa of the year Ishvara.

This same nirnaya is confirmed by us. We wish that the entire astika 
public should follow this nirnaya only in order to be blessed in this 
world and the next.  Because the difference between this method and the 
computed calculations is only plus 5 to minus 6 minutes [5] Thus these 
tithis promulgated by our parameshti guru conform to [the rule in] shloka 
"5 over and 6 under..."[6]

In the Vyasa Sadas held on nija Shravana 23-24[7] experts in Jyotish, 
Panchanga ganita Pandits and Pandits in Nyaya, Vedanta, and Dharmashastra 
from Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bengal, Orissa, Andhra and Dravida 
lands were gathered to discuss matters concerning Jyotish.  They decided 
to consider the matter of ayanamsha[8] and to select one method.[9] A 
great majority selected the Chitrapaksha ayanamsha and it is our wish that 
the respected publisher of the Janmabhumi Panchanga Pt. Amritlal Shah 
should continue this illustrious tradition and that the panchanga should 
be useful for the Astikas in carrying out their dharmic activities 
according to their own illustrious traditions.

[signed]

Kalahasti, Nija Shravana bahula dvadashi in the year Parabhava.

NOTES:

[1] approx 1886? I believe this would be Swami Chandrashekharendra Saraswati 
the guru of the famous saint of the same name but I am not familiar with 
Kanchi history so additional info would be appreciated.

[2]  The traditional calculations based on suryasiddhanta and corrected in 
the grahalaghava etc. are made on the basis of an imaginary point at the 
center of the (spherical) earth similiar (and probably based on) the Ptolomeic 
system.

[3] Astronomical calculations (since Copernicus and Tycho in the West) are 
made assuming the Earth is moving around the Sun.  The upshot of the two 
methods is in the former the signs of the zodiac "move" relative to the 
vernal equinox over time whereas they are fixed in the latter.

[4] I.e. signature.

[5] This is why the "scientific" argument is bogus.  Although the system 
mentioned here is not strictly speaking astronomically accurate, it is good 
enough for Calendrical purposes.  If we were launching a rocket or something 
that would be a different matter.

[6] which shastra is this from?

[7] September 7-8, 1966

[8] i.e. the nirayana and sayana systems.

[9] There are several different methods of calculating ayanamsha.

My own panchang ganita code (which is on hiatus at the moment but which I 
intend to restart soon) is based on these principles.

Also on the subject of online panchangs, please take a look at 
http://www.mypanchang.com/ which also follows these principles and which I 
rely on for my dharmic duties.

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>