History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.234.1

v6.c81.234.1

The word *tithi* by itself does not occur in the Ṛgveda and the other Vedic Saṁhitās But the idea must have been there even in the Ṛgveda Amāvāsyā is explained in later works as being of two kinds, viz. Sinīvālī (day on which amāvāsyā is mixed with the 14th tithi) and Kuhū (when amāvāsyā is mixed with the first tithi of the next fortnight) Similarly, Paurṇamāsī is of two kinds, Anumati (mixed with the 14th tithi) and Rākā (mixed with the Pratipad of the next pakṣa) In the Ṛgveda Sinīvālī is¹⁵⁴ raised to the position of a divinity, is described as the sister of the gods, offerings are made to her and she is implored to bestow progeny on the worshippers The Bṛ. Up VI. 4 21 implores Sinīvālī and the Aśvins to implant an embryo in the wife. Rākā also¹⁵⁵ is similarly treated in the Ṛgveda (II. 32. 4-5 = Atharva VII. 48. 1-2). Ṛg X 59. 6 and X 167. 3 treat Anumati as a deity, prayers are offered to her to enable the worshippers to see the Sun going up and to bestow happiness and she is spoken of in the same breath with Soma, Varuṇa and Bṛhaspati. The Vāj. S. prays¹⁵⁶ ‘May Anumati approve to-day of our sacrifice’. It should be noted that the Nirukta (XI. 29) holds¹⁵⁷ a discussion on Anumati and Rākā, viz. the Nairuktas (etymologists) say that Anumati and Rākā are goddesses (wives of gods), while the Yājñikas hold that they are two kinds of Paurṇamāsī; it is known (in Śruti) that the first Paurṇamāsī is Anumati and the later is Rākā.