[Advaita-l] tIrtha yAtrA related question

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Mon, 25 Jun 2012, Anand Hudli wrote:

> As many of you may know, this year there is an extra ("adhika") bhAdrapada
> month. An interesting question has arisen, studying the list of mala mAsa
> varjyas (prohibtions) listed in the dharma sindhu. One of the prohibitions
> is visiting a tIrtha hitherto not visited. One may visit a tIrtha that
> he/she had already visited before, but there is a prohibition against
> visiting a new pilgrimage spot. Now, as per the South Indian amAnta
> Panchanga, the adhika bhAdrapada mAsa begins on August 18. However,
> following the North Indian PUrNimAnta system, the adhika bhAdrapada mAsa
> begins on August 3. Suppose a person living in Bangalore ( or somewhere
> else where the amAnta system is followed) wants to undertake a tIrtha
> yAtra, he may do so before August 18. Suppose further that he intends to
> visit Kashi Vishwanath on August 16. This is permitted as per his locale in
> South India, but the temple he intends to visit follows the North Indian
> pUrNimAnta panchanga, and as per that panchanga the adhika bhAdrapada mAsa
> is already in effect on August 16! Is the visit to the shrine on August 16
> permitted or not, as per the dharma shAstras?

To answer the larger question, one should follow the dharma of ones 
sampradaya and locality.  Consider a similar issue.  South Indian 
Brahmanas are vegetarians but in the North there are some jatis that eat 
meat.  Should a person from Bangalore who moves to Kathmandu take up meat 
eating?  No.  Same for calendars.

On Tue, 26 Jun 2012, Venkata sriram P wrote:

> As per the skAnda purANa (avanti khaNDa), adhika mAsa is supposed to be
> very auspicious month for dharma kAryAs & tirtha yAtra.  However, since the
> forthcoming adhika mAsa falls during the chAturmAsya vrata, IMHO, tirtha yAtra
> to any place is not advisable during this chAturmAsya period.

This was my understanding too.

On Mon, 25 Jun 2012, Anand Hudli wrote:

> Please let me know the reference which recommends against tIrtha yAtrA
> during the chAturmAsya period.

The nirNayasindhu (of which dharmasindhu is an abridgement) has a section 
in 2nd parichheda shrAvaNamAsa karmANi on nadInAM rajodoshaH where it 
quotes a shloka from Hemadri quoting Atri Smrti:

siMhakarkaTayormadhye sarvA nadyau rajasvalAH |
na snAnAdIni karmANi tAsu kurvIta mAnavaH ||

"During the simHa and karkaTa solar months, all rivers are 
menstruating[1].  Men should not do karmas such as bathing etc. there."

[1] Rivers have feminine gender in Sanskrit.

Not all tirthas are on river banks but many are so this could explain why 
tirthayatra is not allowed during Chaturmasa (or atleast those months of 
it.)

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