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PANCHANGA, OR INDIAN ALMANAC.
MAY, 1874.]
IV. Mumukshuh patinâ hinâ, Ya nârî kêéa dhâriņî. Tasyâs taddhârane bramhan Doshô nâstiti mê matih. Prapannâ bhartrihînâ tu Gurinamupadalah Na dhârayati ya kêśân Yâti så narakam dhruvam. Na karyam kesavapanam Vaishnavya bhartrihînayâ Yadyajnânât karotyêshâ Tanmukham navalôkayêt.
Vriddha Manuh in Khagesvara Samhita. There is no sin in a devout widow, whose object is eternal salvation, wearing her hair. If she should shave she will assuredly go to hell. A Vaishnava widow should never shave her head. If she do so through ignorance, her face should not be looked at.
V. Sakachcham varninam bhikshum Vikachcham grihamêdhinam. Vikêsim vidhavâm drishtvâ Savâsâ jalamâvisêt.
Ananta Samhita.
The Indian Almanac derives its name, Panchânga (panch five, ánga divisions), from its giving the time of commencement and duration of five important things-ist, V â ra, the solar day; 2nd, Tithi, the lunar day; 3rd, Nakshatra, the constellation for the day; 4th, Yoga; 5th, Karana.
"PANCHANGA," OR INDIAN ALMANAC.
BY CAPT. J. S. F. MACKENZIE, MAISUR COMMISSION.
For the performance of the many ceremonies which his religion enjoins, it is necessary for a Hindu to examine one and all of these five essentials, to determine whether the time is propitious or not. So complicated are the details that to the masses the Panchânga is a sealed book. A few of the better-read have a slight knowledge of what it all means; but the interpreting the proper times and seasons is the duty of a class of men who have studied the subject, and are called "Jyotisaru (Jotisis)." The more difficult task of calculating the length of the day, the duration of the Tithi, the proper Yoga, and the right Nakshatra for any one day, is the work of a chosen few who have made astrology a special study. Two schools exist. The Almanacs used in Madras
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If any one observe a Bramhachari beggar with his kachché; a householder without it; and a widow without hair on her head, he should at once plunge into water with his clothes [i. e. must perform ablutions for purification].
VI. Strinâm tu bhartrihînânâm Vaishnavinâm vasundharê Yavachcharîrapâtam hi. Prasastam kê sadharanam.
Hayagriva Samhitá. It is considered highly meritorious for Vaishnava widows to wear their hair, as long as they remain in this world.
These are the most important authorities on which the Tengalê Vaishnava a depend in support of the immunity of their widows from shaving. There are others to the same effect, which are, however, omitted here. It must be observed, at the same time, that, excepting in the single matter of tonsure, the condition of these Tengalê widows is in no way better than that of their unfortunate sisters of other sects.
follow the Vâkya; those in Maisur the Siddhânta.
Before giving an example from the almanac, it would be as well to explain what the five Ang as are.
First, Vara, the solar day, is reckoned from sunrise to sunrise, and derives its name from some one of the seven principal planets to which it is more especially consecrated.
Aditya vara...... the Sun... Sunday. Soma våra .........the Moon. .Monday. Mangala vara Mars....Tuesday. Budha vara..... Mercury...Wednesday. Guru vára ...Jupiter......Thursday. Sukra vara....... ..Venus. ..Friday.
Sani vara............Saturn......Saturday. For astrological purposes, each day is divided into 24 horas. So that a hord is equal to an English hour. Each hord of the day is ruled. by one of the planets in turn, and the order in which they follow each other is so regulated that the first horá of a day sacred to any one planet falls to the charge of that special planet. The order is as follows:
