History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c92.248

v7.c92.248

The Śaktisaṅgama-tantra regards an eclipse of the sun or the moon (particularly of the moon) as the best time for undergoing initiation for a mantra from a guru and remarks that when performed in an eclipse, the week day, *tithi*, *nakṣatra* or month or *Yoga* or *Karaṇa* need not be considered.¹⁸²⁶ The Kālīvilāsatantra states that if one is fortunate enough to secure Svātī nakṣatra and Friday on the 5th tithi of the dark half of Phālguna and undergoes dīkṣā on that date, that yields the rewards of a crore of ordinary dīkṣās (VI. 3–4). The N. S. (p. 67) quotes the Jñānārṇava to the effect that the dīkṣā as to a mantra should be on the day of a solar or lunar eclipse or within seven days from an eclipse and adds that the principal time is solar eclipse and quotes Kālottara to the effect that, if the time of a solar eclipse is secured for dīkṣā, one need not consider the month, tithi, the week day and the like. N. S. also quotes a passage from Yoginītantra condemning dīkṣā on a lunar eclipse. Vide Muhūrtakalpadruma of Vitthala p. 94 verse 6 (Nirṇ. ed.) for further details about times and places for dīkṣā.