[Advaita-l] Ekadashi Questions
Jaldhar H. Vyas
jaldhar at braincells.com
Tue Mar 23 04:20:26 CDT 2010
On Thu, 4 Mar 2010, Anand Hudli wrote:
> Second, even if the rules are properly understood, there is the vexing
> question of what method of (astronomical) calculation should be followed
> for calculating the ending times for tithis, or in other words, what
> kind of panchAnga should be followed. The traditional maThas and temples
> in the South have mostly followed the sUrya siddhAnta panchAnga. This is
> based on an ancient method of determining the celestial positions of the
> sun and moon, and the planets too. The mathematician Parameshwara from
> the Kerala school (1370-1460 according to Wikipedia) introduced the
> driggaNita system of astronomy. This system has gained acceptance among
> many panchAnga makers who say that for astrological purposes the
> driggaNita may be used, although they maintain that for religious
> observances, the sUrya siddhAnta must be used. Other panchAnga makers
> use other methods, such as the AryabhaTIya, or even the modern
> astronomical calculations. And they maintain that for all purposes,
> astrological as well as dhArmic, we should be using the modern methods
> which are more accurate, in the sense they give the positions of the
> sun, moon, and the planets with a greater degree of accuracy. However,
> there is no consensus among the panchAnga makers on what method or
> methods to use.
On this topic it is worth considering the following aadeshapatra from
Kanchi which is included in the Gujarati Janmabhumi Panchanga.
kriyate nArayaNasmrtiH |
asmatpUjyashrIparameShTigurubhiH aShTashItivatsareH purva
IshvaranAmasaMvatsare anuShTeya pa~nchA~NgaviShaya
madhyasthapaNDitanirNayapUrvakaM vichAraM krtvA AstikAnAM
devapitrakAryANAM sAphAlyArtha kashchinnirNayaH krtaH | tadyathA jyotiH
shAstrAntargata gaNanaviShaye tithyAdInAM bhUprShTadakasiddhaM cha
grAhyamiti shrI venkaTeshvara dIkShita sundareshvara shrauti prabhatInAM
pakShaH | bhUmadhyaH anyaH bhUprShTaH anya tithyAdInAM
bhUmadhyadaktulyaiva grAhya iti shrIkrShNajyotiShikAdInAM pakShaH | shrI
appAdIkShitaH shrInivAsAcharyAH ityete madhyasthA bhutvA suvichArya shrI
venkaTeshvara dIkShita sundareshvara shrautinAM pakSha eva shrayAniti
nIrNayAnusAreNa etachchhrImukhapatrika dattA | nArayaNasmrtiH |
IshvaranAmasaMvatsare kArtikAmasa trishattarikA || iti | ayameva nirNayaH
asmAbhiranusayate | sarverapyAstikairanusrtya aihikAmuShmikasvashreyasAM
prApyatAM iti AshAsmahe | api cha
paramanADikArUpau yau bhogau tayorantaraM yat tat vrddhiprasaktau
pa~nchanADIH nAtikrAmati kShayaprasaktau ShaNnADIH nAtikrAmati tasmAt
bANavrddhI rasakShayaH itishlokAnusAriNyaiva
asmatparameShTigurunirNayarItitithyo bhavanti || asminvyAsasadasi
nIjashrAvaNAdvAviMshatrayoviMshatArikayoH gurjara karNATaka mahArAShtra
va~ngotkalAndhra drAviDadeshIyAH jyotiH shAstrAnipuNAH
pa~nchA~NgagaNakapaMDitAH nyAyavedAntadharmashAstrapaMDitAshcha jyotiH
shAstra vichArArtha saMmilitAH | ayanAMshaviShaye prAmANikImekAM rIti
nirNetaM vichAraM krtvA atibAhulyena chitrAnakShatrapakShamevAdatavantaH |
tasmAdetadanusatya janmabhUmipa~nchA~Nga pravartayatAM paM. amrtalAla
shAha mahodayAnAM svashreyasaparamparA bhayadi tyAshAsmahe | tathaiva
AstikaiH etatpa~nchA~NgAnusAreNa svasvadharmakAryANI krtvA
svashreyasaparamparAM prAptayurityAshAsmahe ||
shrIkAlahastikShetram parAbhavasaMvatsare nIjashrAvaNabahuladashami
Our pujya parameshti guru 80 years previously during the year Ishvara
in the matter of panchangas for religious uses, decided based on the
nirnayas of Pandits, so that the Deva and Pitr karyas of the Astikas might
bear fruit, the following nirnaya:
In the matter of calculations for Jyotish, tithis etc. should be
calculated based on the geocentric method whereas eclipses etc. should
be calculated according to the heliocentric method. This was the view
of Shri Venkateshvara Dikshit, Shri Sundareshvara Shrauti etc. The
geocentric and heliocentric methods produce different results. All
calculations should follow the geocentric method was the view of Shri
Krshna Joshi etc. Shri Appu Shastri, Shri Appa Dikshit and Shri
Shrinivasacharya were called upon to adjudicate and the view of Shri
Venkateshvara Dikshita and Shri Sundereshvara Shrauti was decided to be
the correct one. On this basis Acharyashri gave his Narayanasmrti to a
letter of instruction on Kartika amasa of the year Ishvara.
This same nirnaya is confirmed by us. We wish that the entire astika
public should follow this nirnaya only in order to be blessed in this
world and the next. Because the difference between this method and the
computed calculations is only plus 5 to minus 6 minutes  Thus these
tithis promulgated by our parameshti guru conform to [the rule in] shloka
"5 over and 6 under..."
In the Vyasa Sadas held on nija Shravana 23-24 experts in Jyotish,
Panchanga ganita Pandits and Pandits in Nyaya, Vedanta, and Dharmashastra
from Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bengal, Orissa, Andhra and Dravida
lands were gathered to discuss matters concerning Jyotish. They decided
to consider the matter of ayanamsha and to select one method. A
great majority selected the Chitrapaksha ayanamsha and it is our wish that
the respected publisher of the Janmabhumi Panchanga Pt. Amritlal Shah
should continue this illustrious tradition and that the panchanga should
be useful for the Astikas in carrying out their dharmic activities
according to their own illustrious traditions.
Kalahasti, Nija Shravana bahula dvadashi in the year Parabhava.
 approx 1886? I believe this would be Swami Chandrashekharendra Saraswati
the guru of the famous saint of the same name but I am not familiar with
Kanchi history so additional info would be appreciated.
 The traditional calculations based on suryasiddhanta and corrected in
the grahalaghava etc. are made on the basis of an imaginary point at the
center of the (spherical) earth similiar (and probably based on) the Ptolomeic
 Astronomical calculations (since Copernicus and Tycho in the West) are
made assuming the Earth is moving around the Sun. The upshot of the two
methods is in the former the signs of the zodiac "move" relative to the
vernal equinox over time whereas they are fixed in the latter.
 I.e. signature.
 This is why the "scientific" argument is bogus. Although the system
mentioned here is not strictly speaking astronomically accurate, it is good
enough for Calendrical purposes. If we were launching a rocket or something
that would be a different matter.
 which shastra is this from?
 September 7-8, 1966
 i.e. the nirayana and sayana systems.
 There are several different methods of calculating ayanamsha.
My own panchang ganita code (which is on hiatus at the moment but which I
intend to restart soon) is based on these principles.
Also on the subject of online panchangs, please take a look at
http://www.mypanchang.com/ which also follows these principles and which I
rely on for my dharmic duties.
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
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