History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.224

v6.c81.224

*Times for beginning Vratas* Apart from the vratas that have to be performed on certain fixed tithis or times, elaborate provisions are made that vratas in general and several other religious rites are to be begun only at certain auspicious times or in certain astrological conditions A few of these are set out here by way of sample. Gārgya¹⁴⁶ says 'when Jupiter and Venus have set (i. e. are not observable owing to their being near the Sun in the sky) or when they are in the stage of being called *bāla* and *vṛddha* and in an intercalary month one should not begin a vrata nor perform its *udyāpana* (the rite of closing a vrata).' The childhood of Jupiter and Venus is a certain period after they set and senility (*vṛddhatva* or *vārdhaka*) is a certain period preceding their setting There is no unanimity on the length of these periods and the periods differ in different countries and also depend on whether there is a season of distress or difficulty, but Varāhamihira¹⁴⁷ states the longest provided should be accepted. The Rājamārtanda has several verses on this, one of which may be set out here: Venus¹⁴⁸ is *bāla* for ten days when it rises in the west, but is *bāla* for three days after rising in the east; Venus is *vṛddha* for one pakṣa (15 days) when it rises in the east, but is *vṛddha* for five days before it sets in the west. Gārgya observes:¹⁴⁹ Venus and Jupiter are (held to be bāla) in the Vindhyas whether in the east or west for ten days, but for seven days in the country of Avanti (of which Ujjayinī was capital), in the country of Vanga (Bengal) and among Hūnas (they are bāla) respectively for six and five days. It is further provided in the¹⁵⁰ Devīpurāna that one should not undertake any religious act when Jupiter or Venus is in the sign of the Lion. Similarly, Lalla¹⁵¹ remarks that all (religious) actions are condemned when done in what is called Gurvāditya (that is when the sun is in the house of Jupiter viz sign of Pisces and when Jupiter is in the house of the Sun, viz Lion) The Vratarāja remarks that one is to avoid Jupiter in the Lion sign for religious acts only to the north of the Narmadā and elsewhere only in Simhāṁśa (i. e the first quarter of the nakṣatra Pūrvā-phālgunī). The Ratnamālā¹⁵² provides that Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are auspicious (confer success) in all (religious) acts, but on Sunday, Tuesday and Saturday only such actions succeed as are expressly prescribed for performance on those days. Bhujabala remarks that Tuesday is unfavourable for all auspicious acts but that it is commended for agriculture, study (of the Sāmaveda) and for battles ¹⁵³