History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.757.2

v6.c82.757.2

The Nāradīya provides that Monday¹⁰⁷⁴, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are auspicious for all rites and actions, while the other weekdays yield the desired result only in cruel or violent actions. The Matsya provides that all weekdays except Sunday and Tuesday are auspicious (253. 7). The Kūrmapurāṇa (Uttarārdha 20. 16-17) provides that śrāddhas on weekdays from Sunday to Saturday respectively yield the benefits of health, happiness (or prosperity), success, all desires, desired learning, wealth and long life. The Viṣṇudharmottara (I. 142. 30-32) has similar provisions. The Brahmapurāṇa (118. 30) recommends touching an aśvattha tree on Saturday. The Vāmana (14. 49-50) forbids certain actions on weekdays (such as an oil bath on Sunday or Tuesday). The Matsya specifically refers to Sunday (in chap. 55. 4, 65. 5, 70. 46), to Monday (in 57. 4), to Tuesday (in 72. 27, 193. 8). Though the chronology of all the above works is somewhat uncertain, yet it cannot be gainsaid that at least in the first two centuries of the Christian era planets had become objects of worship and the weekdays had been named and their order as it exists today had been settled. The Mahābhārata, in spite of its vast extent and copious descriptions of Dharmaśāstra matters, is entirely silent about the names of weekdays.