[Advaita-l] ashhTaanga and August 27th 2008

[MSR]

This is quite specific to shriividyopaasaka-s - if you are not 
interested, please ignore. The ashhTaanga presented is  followed by the 
kAnchi maTha and the information presented here is computed by Sri Sri 
dinakara sharma of the maTha (who computes their panchaanga). I have 
tried to summarize below the information presented  in the PDF files - 
errors if any, should be attributed to me.

Ravi


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	ashhTaanga and August 27th 2008
Date: 	Sat, 23 Aug 2008 23:37:59 -0500
From: 	MSR <abhayambika at gmail.com>
To: 	ambaa-l at yahoogroups.com



ashhTaanga and August 27th 2008
================================

This is a long e-mail and contains following sections:

-Links
-Use of ashhTaanga
-Eight limbs of ashhTaanga
-Computing ashhTaanga
-What About Aug/27/2008?

I have extracted all the following information from the PDF files I got 
from Srimati Jaya Balachandran. Here I am presenting it in a email 
readable format.


Links:
======

* For 2008-2009 ashhTaanga please see,
http://ambaa.org/pdf/ashhTanga/

* For kAnchi Acharya-s benediction about Aug/27/2008  and sankalpa
please see, http://ambaa.org/pdf/ashhTanga/Aug27.html

My sincere thanks to Srimati Jaya Balachandran for kindly providing all 
these PDF files.


Use of ashhTaanga
==================

Most of us are familiar with panchaanga (pancha + anga) - which has 5 
limbs. These are

1. tithi
2. vaasara
3. naxatra
4. yoga
5. karaNa

In addition, during sankalpa, we start from the day of brahma, kalpa, 
manvantara, yuga, samvatsara, ayaNa, R^itu, maasa, paksha, then the 
above 5. Essentially in a sankalpa, we indicate our space-time 
coordinates - and panchanga deals with our temporal position. Space is 
much more complicated as our current understanding of space (earth, 
oceans, etc.) does not match the description given in our puraaNas. On 
the other hand, with ephermis data one can easily compute the panchanga.

Now coming back to ashhTaanga, what is this? This is a tradition that is 
followed by shaaktopaasaka-s. There are many texts that details this. 
Actual details folllowed is often decided by one's guru and the 
sampradaya. But in practice two sources are commonly used -- a) 
parashuraama kalpa suutra and b) saubhaagya chintaamani. It should be 
noted that followers of ashhTaanga use the traditional panchaanga for 
the smarta and shrauta karma-s. They use this ashhTaanga only for 
karma-s like shaakta sandhya vandanam; paraayaNa of naatha, naama 
ghaTikaa; saparya japa and homa; etc. This ashhTaanga sankalpa becomes 
important (or has to be done) during paurNami, navaraatri, grahaNa etc.

Eight limbs of ashhTaanga
==========================

A ashhTaanga sankalpa (like a panchaanga sankalpa) includes other larger 
time scales besides these 8. These eight are:

(aka = also known as)

1. tattva vatsara  (aka varshha)
2. R^itu
3. maasa nityaa 
4. tithi nitya (obtained from the tithi, not computed as in #5)
5. dina nitya (also known as kaala nitya)
6. tattva divasa (aka dina)
7. vaasara (aka vaara)
8. udaya ghaDikaa

And before this, the following larger time scales are always mentioned:

* tattva mahaakalpa
* tattva kalpa
* tattva mahaa yuga
* tattva yuga
* tattva pravR^itti


Computing ashhTaanga
====================

You will find all the necessary information in part-1 of six pdf files 
containing 2008-2009 ashhTaanga.

What About Aug/27/2008?
=======================

According to ashhTaanga, when the first axara of two limbs is identical 
it results in a special yoga. On this shaaktamaana new year day - 10 
such yoga-s happen. This type of confluence happens once in 144 years 
and it is considered very auspicious to worship shriimaata and mantra 
prayoga.  What are the 10 yoga-s that happen? When the prathama 
biijaxara of the following limbs become identical yoga-s listed happen:

1) vatsara - maasa                           ==>  pushhpiNi yogaH
2) vatsara - divasa                          ==>  mohinii yogaH
3) vatsara - udaya                           ==>  jayinii   yogaH
4) maasa   - divasa                          ==>  kumarii yogaH
5) maasa   - udaya                           ==>  vimala yogaH
6) divasa  - udaya                           ==>  shrikarii  yogaH
7) vaasara - udaya                           ==>  vaarodaya  yogaH
8) vatsara - maasa - divasa                  ==>  surya grahaNa yogaH
9) maasa  -  vaasara - dina nityaa - udaya   ==>  chandra grahaNa yogaH
10)vaasara - divasa  - dina nityaa - udaya   ==>  shri ratrii yogaH

Please note the following are same, when you read the sanskrit sankalpa 
document:

* vatsara = varshha

* vaara = vaasara

* maasa nityaa is simply denoted as maasa

* divasa = dina

* tithi nitya is obtained directly from the tithi of panchaanga. On the 
other hand dina nitya (aka kaala nityaa) is computed using "since kali" 
formula.


With best regards,
Ravi