Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s18.90

v1.c3.s18.90

Darśa (‘appearance’) denotes the new moon day,¹ usually in opposition to the day of full moon (pūrṇa-māsa).² Most frequently the word occurs in the compound³ darśa-pūrṇamāsau, ‘new and full moon,’ the days of special ritual importance.⁴ The order of the first two words here is worthy of note, for it distinctly suggests, though it does not conclusively prove, that the month was reckoned from new moon to new moon, not from full moon to full moon. See Māsa.