History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.215

v6.c81.215

Another classification can be based on the time for which a vrata may last, i. e. only for a day or a fortnight (pakṣa), a month, season, *ayana* (time of the stay of the Sun in the northern or southern hemisphere), year, or years. A vrata may be for one year or for more years than one or for a person's lifetime. In speaking of vratas performed in a certain month, the question of an intercalary month will have to be considered and will be dealt with in the next section on Kāla etc. Similarly, the matter of tithis occupies a very large place in works on dharmaśāstra and will have to be discussed The subject of Kāla and muhūrta will be dealt with in the next section. Though tithis properly pertain to that section, they will be dealt with here, since tithis are the most important topic in relation to the various observances that are to be performed throughout a year as their basis. The largest number of vratas are tithi-vratas. It is therefore that Hemādri begins his treatment of individual vratas with tithi-vratas (from part I, p. 335 to part II p 519) and passes on in order to vāravratas (part II pp. 520-592), nakṣatravratas (part II pp. 593-706), Yogavratas (part II pp. 707-717), Karaṇavratas (part II pp. 718-726), Saṅkrāntivratas (part II pp. 727-743), māsavratas (part II pp 800-857), ṛtuvratas (part II pp. 858-861), saṃvatsaravratas (part II pp 862-867), prakīrṇaka (miscellaneous) vratas (part II pp. 867-1002). The Kṛtyakalpataru (on vrata) on the other hand begins with vāravratas (pp. 8-34), then deals with tithivratas (pp. 35-398), nakṣatravratas (pp. 399-417), māsavratas (pp. 418-430), saṅkrāntivratas (pp. 431-434), saṃvatsaravratas (pp. 434-451) and prakīrṇavratas (pp 452-459). Most of the works on vrata142a after dealing with some general matters begin their treatment of vratas with tithivratas. The Samayapradīpa has a different mode of treatment, viz. that it begins with Gaṇeśavratas (i e. vratas in which Gaṇeśa is the deity), then with vratas in which the Sun is the deity, then Śivavratas, Viṣṇuvratas and so on. Some vratas are performed not only on a certain tithi, but also require the existence of a certain month or weekday or nakṣatra or all of these Another classification may be based on the persons competent to perform vratas; most vratas are meant for all men and women; some like Haritālikā and Vaṭasāvitrī are meant for women alone, some are to be performed by men alone; while there are others to be performed only by kings or kṣatriyas or by vaiśyas.