Shastras: Only Surya Siddhanta Panchang Is Valid for Vratas

Author: Pandit Gangadhar Pathak ‘Vedadyacharya’ (Chief Acharya—Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Shilapujan, Ayodhya)

Chief Priest Acharya Shri Gangadhar Pathak administering the foundation-stone laying (shilanyas) of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi

साङ्गोपाङ्गाय वेदाय ज्योतिषां ज्योतिषे नमः । सूर्याय सूर्यसिद्धान्तज्योतिर्विद्भ्यो  नमो नमः ।।

Salutations to the Veda endowed with its limbs and sub-limbs, the Light of all lights! Salutations again and again unto the Sun, and unto the masters of jyotisha (astronomy and astrology) of the Surya Siddhanta!

For the proper observance of vratas (vows) and festivals, and for obtaining accurate knowledge of time for religious rites such as yajnas and upanayana (sacred thread investiture), a pure arsha panchang (traditional almanac stemming from the rishis) comprising tithi (lunar day), vara (solar weekday), nakshatra (lunar mansion), yoga, and karana (half-lunar day) is indispensable. However, due to discrepancies regarding vratas, fasts, and the like even among diverse Indian panchangs, clamour is heard almost everywhere; hence, some serious reflection on this matter is required. सूर्यसिद्धान्तीय पञ्चाङ्ग

At present, several varieties of panchang are available—those following the Surya Siddhanta tradition, those following the Arya Siddhanta (vakya method), the Brahma Siddhanta tradition, the drik-ganita (observational calculation) tradition, and so on. Even within the Surya Siddhantic panchang, variations exist according to the Makaranda, Grahalaghava, and other treatises; likewise, through differences in calculation based on the Chitra or Revati pakshas, drik-panchangs are also of multiple kinds. Some scholars describe the duality of tithis according to the difference between the Sun and Moon, while others do so based on arc-minute distinctions (kala-lakshana-bheda).

Within India itself, some panchangs begin from Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, some from Ashadha Shukla Pratipada, some from Shravana Krishna Pratipada, and others from Kartika Shukla Pratipada. Some employ the Vikrama Samvat, some the Shaka Samvat, and others local civil eras. In some regions, purnimanta (month ending with the full moon) months are accepted, while in others amanta (month ending with the new moon) months are followed. As for panchangs governed by sectarian (sampradaya) differences, their number is simply boundless. As a result, even India’s universal vratas and festivals end up being observed across two or three different days, and certain observances shift by a fortnight or even an entire month due to the discrepancy between purnimanta and amanta months.

In recent times, modernists devoid of arsha (vedic/rsi-derived) knowledge have created a grave dilemma in the form of the drik-panchang, which is founded upon the Nautical Almanac, wherein phenomena such as eclipses are acknowledged solely when perceived by the fleshy eye (mamsa-chakshu).

For authentic Sanatanis grounded in the shastras, the drik-panchang is utterly unacceptable. In every religious rite, ancient panchangs adhering to the arsha siddhanta tradition alone prove their efficacy when invoking the kalpa, manvantara, and cosmic aeons during the sankalpa (formal vow of ritual intent).

Scholars partial to drik-ganita argue for the utility of this method in determining tithis and other elements:
यस्मिन्पक्षे यत्र काले येन दृग्गणितैक्यम् ।
दृश्यते तेन पक्षेण कुर्यात्तिथ्यादिनिर्णयम् ॥
“Through whichever system, at whichever time, and by whichever means observational concordance with calculation is seen, by that very system one should determine tithis and other temporal limbs.”

Yet the great daivajna (astronomer-astrologer) Brahmagupta did not wish to touch even a single step of drik-ganita with his foot:
प्रतिदिवसविसंवादात्तिथिकरणर्क्षदिवसमासानाम् । ग्रहणग्रहयोगादिषु पादं पादेन कः स्पृशेत् ॥
“Owing to the day-to-day contradictions in tithis, karanas, nakshatras, days, and months, who would touch with his foot even a quarter-verse of that calculation during eclipses, planetary conjunctions, and other phenomena?”

The author of the Grahalaghava has also examined this in the passage beginning with “Saurarko’pi…”.

Indian jyotisha-shastra is itself the originator of gross observational computation (sthula drik-ganita). Mallari, the Surya Siddhanta, and other authorities also accepted the drik-paksha to a limited degree for specific functional purposes. Bhaskaracharya says:
यात्राविवाहोत्सवजातकादौ खेटै: स्फुटैरेव फलस्फुटत्वम् ।
स्यात्प्रोच्यते तेन नभश्चराणां स्फुटक्रिया दृग्गणितैककृद्या ॥
“In journeys, marriages, festivities, horoscopy, and related matters, the clarity of results arises only from true planetary positions. Therefore, the process of computing the true positions of planets that harmonizes observation with calculation is expounded.”

Although according to some opinions the chapter on the application of bija (correction factor) in the Surya Siddhanta is an interpolation when compared with what was directly revealed by the solar amsha (effulgence), nevertheless in the Surya Siddhanta composed by Maya it is regarded as authentic and considered auspicious for journeys and other endeavors:
कालेन दृक्समो यः स्यात्ततो बीजक्रियोच्यते ।
बीजं विशेषसिद्धान्तरहस्यं परमं स्फुटम् ।
यात्रापाणिग्रहादीनां कार्याणां शुभसिद्धिदम् ॥
“That which brings agreement with observation over time is called the bija operation. Bija is the supreme, explicit secret of the specialized siddhantas, granting auspicious success in tasks such as journeys and marriage.”

Varahamihira too accepted the bija correction:
पूर्वाचार्यमतेभ्यो यद्यच्छ्रेष्ठं लघु स्फुटं बीजम् ।
तत्तदिहाविकलमहरहरस्म्यभ्युद्यतो वक्तुम् ॥
“Whatever among the doctrines of previous acharyas is superior, concise, and demonstrative of bija, all of that in its entirety I endeavor to state day by day.”

Panchangs following the Makaranda also employ the bija correction, regarding which commentators have discussed the adoption of specific siddhantas for nitya (obligatory), naimittika (occasional), and kamya (desire-driven) karmas. Clarifying this in his commentary on Brahmagupta’s Tantrabhramsha, Mahamahopadhyaya Shri Sudhakar Dwivedi states that drik-ganita is worthy of respect only where that particular tantra intends it:
"यात्राविवाहोत्सवजातकादौ खेटैः स्फुटैरेव फलस्फुटत्वम्''
इति विषयविषयेण वाक्येन दृग्गणितैक्यकृत्स्फुटक्रिया
यात्राविवाहोत्सरवविशेषविषयेष्वेव ग्राह्या, न तु धर्मशास्त्रोपयोगितिथ्यानयने ।

That is, drik-ganita may at most be admissible in journeys, marriages, festivities, and similar worldly events, but never in computing tithis destined for Dharmashastra rites. By this analysis, the acceptability of drik-ganita in all varieties of religious rites is completely refuted.

The author of the Siddhantatattvaviveka has also established that for the realization of unseen transcendental fruit (adrishta-phala), the authority proclaimed by the Sun without bija corrections is alone admissible, like the Shruti (Vedas):
अदृष्टफलसिद्धयर्थं निर्बीजार्कोक्तमेव हि ।
प्रमाणं श्रुतिवद्ग्राह्यं कर्मानुष्ठानतत्परैः ॥
“For the attainment of unseen spiritual fruits, that which is declared by the Sun free of bija corrections is alone an authoritative pramana (means of valid knowledge), to be accepted like the Shruti by those dedicated to the performance of Vedic rites.”

The Shakalya Samhita also declares the same: “Drik-siddha neshyate tithi:” (“A tithi derived purely from empirical observation is not desired”).

The Kalanirnaya affirms precisely this point: “Tithinakshtrayoganayane’bijasamskrito grahya:” (“In computing tithi, nakshatra, and yoga, the uncorrected position without bija is to be accepted”).

Bhaskaracharya and others described drik-ganita as gross (sthula), while calling the astronomy formulated by sages like Pulastya, Vasishtha, and Garga subtle (sukshma):
स्थूलं कृतं भानयनं यदेतज्ज्योतिर्विदां संव्यवहारहेतोः ।
सूक्ष्मं प्रवक्ष्येऽथ मुनिप्रणीतं विवाहयात्रादिफलप्रसिद्धयै ॥
“This gross computation of celestial longitudes has been set forth for the conventional transactions of astronomers. I shall now declare the subtle computation composed by the sages, for the realization of the fruits of marriage, journeys, and the like.”

The author of the Vasana commentary also adopted this very position:
स्थूलं लोकव्यवहारमात्रम्, यात्राविवाहादावपि सम्यक्फलसिद्ध्यर्थं मुनिप्रणीतं सूक्ष्ममेव ग्राह्यम्।
“The gross is merely for worldly convention; even in journeys, marriages, and the like, for the attainment of proper fruits, the subtle computation formulated by the sages alone is to be accepted.”

Somehow, purely for worldly convention, one may provisionally adopt the gross drik-paksha as needed for eclipses, risings, and settings; yet even in journeys, marriages, and other rites, for the realization of proper fruits that reveal the unknown, the superior position is to accept solely the subtle mathematics of the siddhanta tradition handed down by the munis—that which is imperceptible to direct sensation and inference, and comprehensible exclusively through shastra, in accordance with the maxim “The shastra is that which reveals the unknown” (ajnatajnapakam shastram).

Nrisimha Daivajna also maintained this very view with the words: ‘Bhaskaracharyanamayamevashaya:’ (“Such indeed was the intention of Bhaskaracharya”).

In the Tithisvarupanirnaya, it is explicitly declared:
ततो धर्मशास्त्राद्युपयुक्ततिथिसाधनं नक्षत्रयोगकरणज्ञानं चोक्तम् ।
“Thereafter, the computation of tithis suitable for Dharmashastra rites, and the knowledge of nakshatras, yogas, and karanas, have been expounded.”

In the Matsya Mahapurana, Bhagavan Veda Vyasa makes a clear proclamation:
नैष शक्य: परिज्ञातुं याथातथ्येन केनचित् ।
गतागतं मनुष्येण ज्योतिषां मांसचक्षुषा ॥
“It is impossible for any mortal man to know accurately, with the physical eye of flesh, the transit and celestial motions of the luminaries.”

The subtle motion of the planets cannot be perceived by humans; hence, for all vratas, parvas (festivals), and Shrauta-Smarta (Vedic and Smriti-based) rituals beyond empirical observation, the utility of the arsha siddhanta alone is established. All doctrines of the adherents of Sanatana Dharma are rooted in the Shruti, Smriti, Puranas, Tantras, and Agamas; therefore, a subtle determination of dharma, vratas, and ritual observances by empiricists stubbornly wedded to non-arsha drik-ganita alone is impossible. The rishis, by virtue of the extraordinary power born of their tapas (ascetic penance) and yoga, were seers of trans-sensory realities; modern scientists, skilled though they may be in the construction and deployment of instruments, may understand the minute, but they cannot become rishis endowed with ritambhara prajna (truth-bearing intuitive intellect) and vision of the unseen. सूर्यसिद्धान्तीय पञ्चाङ्ग

In the Vishnudharmottara, Kalarka, Jyoti:siddhantasangraha, and the works of Lalla, Munjala, Shrinivasa’s Dharmashastra, and others, the aforementioned arsha doctrine alone is honored.

In the Kali-mahatmya of the Skanda Mahapurana, the terrible consequence of abandoning the siddhanta tradition and the blissful fruit of embracing it have been clearly set forth:

दृक्सिद्धखेटग्रहसाधितासु कुर्वन्ति केचित्तिथिषु प्रमादात् ।
श्राद्धादिकं तत्पितृशापतस्ते पुण्यक्षयं दुर्गतिमाप्नुवन्ति ॥
तथापि सन्तो बहवोऽत्र धार्मिकाः पुरातनाचारमथाजहन्त: ।
सूर्यांशजोक्तार्जितकाल एव कर्माणि कुर्वन्ति सुखं लभन्ते ॥
“Some, through negligence, perform shraddha (rites for the ancestors) and other rites on tithis computed via observationally derived planetary positions; under the curse of their pitris (ancestors), they suffer the destruction of their religious merit and attain a miserable state. Nevertheless, many virtuous and righteous men in this age, refusing to abandon ancient custom, perform their sacred rites exclusively at the time derived from what was revealed by the solar effulgence, and they attain happiness.”

Bhagavan Veda Vyasa once again emphatically declares any siddhanta other than the Surya Siddhanta to be unacceptable:

सौरोपनिषदेवाद्या कल्पे त्वस्मिन् सनातनी ।
यामादित्यः स्वयं प्राह मयाय परिपृच्छते ॥
कालज्ञानं तु तत्सिद्धं विशुद्धं नान्यदुच्यते ।
तद्विरुद्धं तु यत्सर्वमपरिग्राह्यमेव तत् ॥
“The Saura Upanishad is the primordial, eternal teaching in this kalpa, which the Sun Himself imparted to Maya upon his inquiry. The knowledge of time proven by it is pure, and no other is so declared. Whatever is contrary to it is entirely unacceptable.”

When even among proponents of drik-ganita there exist variations in ayanamsha (precession of the equinoxes) based on differences regarding Chitra, Revati, and other reference stars, discrepancies in the panchangic tithis and other elements naturally follow. Under such circumstances, the great necessity of taking refuge in the flawless, authoritative arsha doctrine to construct a single, stable panchang becomes evident.

Even today in South India, the tradition is to accept planetary positions established by arsha texts for Vedic matters such as tithis, nakshatras, and
muhurtas (auspicious time-windows), whereas observationally derived (drik-siddha) planets are utilized only for worldly matters like eclipses and jatakarma (birth rites). सूर्यसिद्धान्तीय पञ्चाङ्ग

The entire celestial sphere is in motion; over long intervals of time or due to geographic variation, computational differences grounded in velocity and transit may arise; however, the theoretical rationale for computational variations across time and geography has already been provided within the subtle astronomical siddhantas formulated by the munis. Therefore, arrogance or disputation between the "modern" and the "ancient" is utterly laughable. Nor are variations in vratas and festivals arising from sectarian distinctions a defect; rather, they are worthy of respect for the adherents of those respective sampradayas.

All ancient authoritative acharyas, as well as Dharmashastra-based astronomical treatises such as the Kumbhatithyadinirnaya, and revered masters such as Swami Shri Karpatriji Mahabhag—the heart of all living beings, Dharma Samrat—have ceremoniously championed this very doctrine. For foundational scholars, the Indian subtle mathematical siddhantas shall remain authoritative for all time.

At present, a matter of grave concern is that countless software packages are available for generating panchangs across diverse traditions, whereby panchangs are produced with minimal effort; however, the true dignity of panchangs derives exclusively from subtle Dharmashastra deliberations rooted in Mimamsa regarding vratas, fasts, and related rites. This requirement is largely going unfulfilled today due to the acute lack of traditional shastric study. For others, and especially for jyotishis, the proper upasana (adoration) through Sandhya-Vandana, the Gayatri mantra, and allied rites of Bhagavan Shri Suryanarayana—the first originator of Jyotishashastra—is entirely indispensable. I maintain great expectation that the enlightened circle of panchang authors and users will eliminate this deficiency forever; and care must also be taken that the panchang does not become bound to any single sect and rendered of diminished utility.

The publication of the Surya-Siddhantic Shri Sarveshwar Jayaditya Panchangam by the Shri Nimbarka Parishad, Jaipur, Rajasthan, is a matter of immense joy for shastra-adhering Sanatanis. By the uncaused grace of Sarveshwara Bhagavan Shri Radha-Krishna, may both the seen and unseen realms (loka-dvaya) be filled with auspiciousness for the creator of the panchang, the user of the panchang, and those who perform the Shrauta and Smarta dharmas, vratas, and parvas in accordance with this siddhanta! सूर्यसिद्धान्तीय पञ्चाङ्ग

May all be auspicious.

Pandit Gangadhar Pathak ‘Vedadyacharya’ (Chief Acharya—Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Shilapujan, Ayodhya)

Rajasthan’s Sole Surya-Siddhantic Shri Sarveshwar Jayaditya Panchang Published