History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.311

v6.c81.311

In those parts of India (such as the Deccan) where the year begins with Caitra, the first tithi is observed with some pomp and religious ceremony. Most of the medieval digests such as Kalpataru (Naiyatakāla pp 377–382), Hemādri (on vrata vol. I. pp 360–365), Kṛtyaratnākara (pp. 103–110), Vratarāja (pp 49–53) quote from the Brahmapurāṇa the rites of the beginning of the year on the first tithi of Caitra bright half That Purāṇa²¹⁰ states that Brahmā created the world on the first day of the bright half of Caitra at sunrise, and started the reckoning of time On that tithi a mahāśānti (propitiatory rite) destroying all untoward occurrences and sins should be offered and first Brahmā should be worshipped with the well-known *upacāras* and then the other gods with mantras preceded by *om* and the word *namaḥ* (*om namo Brahmane tubhyam*), to all divisions of time from the minutest to yugas and to daughters of Dakṣa and lastly to Viṣṇu, then honour brāhmaṇas with food and fees, give presents to relatives and servants, homa should be offered to Agni called Yavisṭha, special food should be prepared and a great festival should be celebrated. The Bhaviṣyapurāṇa says that since it was declared by Brahmā to be the best among tithis and thus placed in the first place it is called Pratipad. On Caitra pratipad there is worship of the lord of the year, viz. the lord of the week-day²¹¹ on which pratipad falls, arches and banners should be raised by each householder, one should anoint one's body with oil and have a bath, one should eat leaves of the *nimba* tree (that are bitter) and should hear from the reciter of the calendar the name of the year (śaka or saṁvat), its lord and the deities that would be the ministers for the year, the governing deities of all corns and fluids &c. Even in these days priests go about in the Deccan to the houses of their patrons and read from the *pañcāṅga* (almanac) the details about the lord of the year &c set out above, people raise a pole with silk cloth at top covered with a silver or brass pot, offer worship to the pole with sandalwood paste, flowers &c. and eat *nimba* leaves. This latter is done even in Saurāṣṭra, though the people employ *saṁvat* reckoning.