So when is a good time to start?
I spoke about Tithis in my past two posts.
It is said that certain tithis are not conducive for study or beginning new efforts. In gurukulams (schools) and aadheenams (monasteries) these are times of retreat. As they occur in pairs four times per moon, they are roughly parallel to the modern “weekend,” though, of course, they do not necessarily fall on Saturday and Sunday.
The retreat tithis are Ashtami, Navami, Amavasya, Prathama and Purnima. Each has its own special nature.
Purnima (full-moon day) is especially good for worship. Amavasya (new moon day) is conducive to meditation. For many devout Hindus, Amavasya and Purnima are times of vrata, observing religious vows.
Prathama, the tithi following both Purnima and Amavasya, is generally a good day for seminars and philosophical discussions. Ashtami and Navami are ideally reserved for rest and relaxation.
Ashtami is traditionally a day for fasting and not a good day for learning. Ashtami is considered inauspicious for beginning new activities because of the inharmonious energies existing due to the relationship between the sun and moon.
Now, these are just tithis. Then there are other considerations – yogas, karanas, muhurthas…it gets pretty complicated from there on.
Or it gets simple – depends on how you look at it.
For those relying on the vedic calendar to make every small or big decision in life, it can get complex, to a point that one gets stuck.
It is said that there was a king who followed every single aspect of the calendar, from the time he woke up till the time he slept. he did absolutely nothing without consulting his calendar. One day, he was climbing down the stairs when he realized that it must be rahukala…but he was not sure. Not having access to his calendar, he stayed there, perplexed on whether to continue or abandon his journey down the stairs. Stuck for days, he eventually starved to death.
Life is about karma – or action. Good deeds and bad deeds.Try and do as much good, and as less bad as possible. You can use the calendar as a guide, but not a commandment. Our ancestors have devised an elaborate system to help us, so we can refer to it. For instance, starting a new business on a good muhurtha does not guarantee success – you have to work hard to achieve it – but at least the beginning is at a time when the ancients thought it to be conducive for you. The rest is upon your karmas and hard work.
See you tomorrow!