History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.873

v6.c81.873

Each of these twelve saṅkrāntis in the year is seven-fold (i. e. has seven different names) according as it occurs on a particular week day or in conjunction with certain classes of nakṣatras. The seven names⁵⁵⁷ are: Mandā, Mandākinī, Dhvāṅkṣī, Ghorā, Mahodarī, Rākṣasī, and Miśritā. A saṅkrānti (such as Meṣa or Karka or Makara) is called Ghorā if it occurs on Sunday, Dhvāṅkṣī on Monday, Mahodarī on Tuesday, Mandākinī on Wednesday, Mandā on Thursday, Miśritā on Friday and Rākṣasī on Saturday. Again, a saṅkrānti (like Meṣa or Karka and so on) is called respectively Mandā, Mandākinī, Dhvāṅkṣī Ghorā, Mahodarī, Rākṣasī, Miśritā according as it commences respectively on nakṣatras called dhruva, mṛdu, kṣipra, ugra, cara, krūra, miśrita Vide note below⁵⁵⁸ for the nakṣatras falling under these 7 groups It is further provided that the ghaṭikās from two (or three) to twelve said to be the holiest times (in note 555 above) are to be taken as respectively referring to the seven kinds of saṅkrānti i e two or three ghaṭikās is the holiest time in Mandā saṅkrānti, four ghaṭikās in Mandākinī saṅkrānti and so on. It is laid down that Mandā saṅkrānti is beneficial to brāhmaṇas, Mandākinī to kṣatriyas, Dhvāṅkṣī to vaiśyas, Ghorā to śūdras, Mahodarī to thieves, Rākṣasī brings success to vendors of liquor and Miśritā increases the (profit of the) avocations of Cāṇḍālas, Pukkasas, of those whose business is of a terrible nature and of all craftsmen (vide Hemādri on Kāla pp 409-410 and Varṣakriyā-kaumudī p 210 quoting Devīpurāṇa).