Muhurta :
Muhurta is essentially (1) a measure of time equal to 48 minutes and
also (2) refers to the application of Vedic astrology wisdom in
determining the auspicious time for starting an event. Since we know
that the future of an enterprise can be safely predicted using its birth
time, then it would be a wise decision to choose an auspicious time for
its inception.
Some astrologers have stretched this to the absurd
extent of giving a suitable time for a Caesarian child birth!! This
cannot work as man can never become God nor should he try to arrogate to
himself the role of God. Nevertheless, this is a very important aspect
of Jyotish and the rules are much the same as the standard rules for
Jyotish. The knowledge of the constellations and the Vedic time system
is used extensively. This includes knowledge of Kala, Yama, Yamardha,
Hora, Muhurta etc.
Traditional Wisdom
Once Indra the King of
the Gods approached Brihaspati, his preceptor and Guru to determine the
auspicious time for starting the plantation of a forest. Brihaspati
consulted the Hora’s and advised Indra. Accordingly the forest
plantation was started and the plants soon grew into a thick forest.
Unfortunately, during summer there was a fire and the entire forest
which had dried wood was burnt down. Indra was disgusted and asked
Brihaspati the reason for this failure. Brihaspati replied that anybody
can make a mistake and that Brahma alone knew everything. Sukracharya
arrived to chide Indra about his failure and stated that the reason for
the same was the inauspicious Muhurtha. Thereafter he explained the
principles for selection of Muhurtha.
The basic difference between
Hora (Hour – 60 minutes) and Muhurtha (24 Minutes) is that the former is
used in personal charts whereas the latter is used for determining
auspicious time for specific activities. In the above episode, the time
was favorable for Indra to take up the work as this will not damage him
personally, but since the Muhurtha itself was inauspicious for planting
trees, the same failed.
In conclusion, the traditional wisdom of the two great sages are as follows: -
1. Brihaspati: Guru is the Kavacha (protector) of the self and the
first step in Muhurtha is to ensure that the time chosen for initiating
any activity is not going to harm the person concerned in any way. The
time should not result in further bad Karma for the native.
2.
Sukracharya: The time chosen should result in the fructification of the
objective. Even if the obstacles are tremendous, they should be
surmounted.
Lesson: Follow Brihaspati in all good karma for normal
people like marriages and other samskaras while the way of Sukracharya
is best for Raja Jyotish (Political Astrology) and Vanijya
(Business/Money minting enterprises)
What is Muhurta?
The word Muhurta has a few meanings and references -
1. Muhurta is a time measure of 48 minutes reckoned from sunrise as a
part of definition of linear time concepts (based on the speed of light
as in the Rig Veda 1.50). The smallest time unit called nimesha [Srimad
Bhagavatam (III, 11-3 to 10); Mahabharata; ] is the smallest humanly
conceivable time frame and is defined as the ‘wink of an eye’. Bear in
mind that this is the fixed measure and a linear concept.
15 nimeshas make 1 kashta, [Manu says 18 nimesa instead (Manu Smriti 1.64)...perhaps Manu winked faster than the other sages!]
15 kashta make one laghu
15 laghu make one ghatika (also called danda)
2 ghatika (30 laghu) make 1 muhurta and
30 muhurta make 1 diva-ratri or day (of 24 hours)
2. Muhurta for astrological purposes of defining the quality of time is
not exactly 48 minutes everyday and can vary based on sunrise, sunset
and local noon. This is a non-linear concept being cyclical and is also
not fixed. There are 30 muhurtas in a nakshatra ahoratra (sidereal day
and night reckoned from one sunrise to the next sunrise). The period
from sunrise to local noon is divided into 7½ Muhurta as is the period
between local noon and sunset. In a similar manner the period from
sunset to midnight and midnight to the next sunrise is divided into 7½
Muhurta each (7½ Muhurta x 4 = 30 muhurta). These four points of time –
sunrise, local noon, sunset and midnight are the four gayatri pada.Each
of the four time spand between these points measuring 7½ Muhurta is
called a Prahara. So, the four (4) Prahara make a day.
The eighth
muhurta spanning the last ½ Muhurta of the morning and first ½ Muhurta
of the afternoon is called Abhijit Muhurta and is very auspisious as it
maps into the Abhijit nakshatra which is ruled by Hari (Narayana; hence
Hari vamsa or Hari-kulesa {Hercules?) belonging to the lineage of Hari).
The seven nakshatra before Abhijit map into the seven muhurta before
Abhijit muhurta and constitute the first Prahara or morning. These are
(1) Svati, (2) Visakha, (3) Anuradha, (4) Jyestha, (5) Magha, (6) Purva
Phalguni, (7) Uttara Phalguni. The twenty (20) nakshatra after Abhijit
map into the twenty (20) muhurtas following Abhijit muhurta. In this
manner the the twenty eight nakshatra map into the 28 muhurtas starting
from sunrise and the remaining two muhurta before sunrise are attributed
to the Creator. These two muhurta taken together (96 minutes before
sunrise) are loosely called as Brahma Muhurta. However, they are
different in their energy and are better understood as Brahma and Surya
(or Savitur to be mosre precise) being both Creators yet different.
Brahma is the deity of Saturn and is associated with rebirth of the soul
and this 29th muhurta is excellent for meditation on the resons for our
creation, the purpose of this birth and realisation of the self and God
whereas the 30th Muhurta is best for praying to the creator Savitur for
impelling our intelligence in the right direction, burning the sins
that led to rebirth and recovering from the curses and dridha karma of
past births.
3. Muhurta is one of the ten wives of Dharma and one of
the sixty daughters (shatyamsa) of Daksa Prajapati the creator and
Asikni. These sixty daughters are Sati, Khyati, Smrti, Svaha, Anasuya,
Svadha, Priti, Kshama, Sambhuti, Sannati, Arundhati, Kirti, Laksmi,
Dhrti, Medha Tusti, Sraddha, Kriya, Mati, Buddhi, Lajja, Vasu, Santi,
Pusti, Siddhi, Rati, Arundhati, Vasudhasi, Lamba, Bhanu, Marutvati,
Samkalpa, Muhurta, Sadhya, Visva, Aditi, Diti, Kala, Danayu, Simhika,
Muni, Kadru, Krodha, Ira, Pava Vinata, Surabhi, Khasa, Bhrsasva,
Suprabha and Jaya.
Daksa Prajapati had his daughters marry illustrious persona of the vedic period.
(1) Two daughters married sage Angira (concept of truth and untruth) and Brihaspati was an offspring of this marriage.
(2) two daughters married the sage Krishashva (Supragya and Jaya),
(3) ten daughters were married to Dharma (concepts of navagraha &
lagna, the ten variables that define the individual creation based on
dharma named Arundhati, Vasu, Yami, Lamba, Bhanumati, Marutvati,
Sankalpa, Muhurta, Saadhya and Vishva),
(4) fourteen to sage Kashyap
(concept of the fourteen worlds – seven of the devas and seven of the
asuras populated largely by the children of these fourteen wives named
Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kala, Anayu, Sinhika, Muni, Kadru, Saadhya, Ira,
Krodha, Vinta, Surabhi and Khaga) and
(5) twenty-eight daughters to
Chandra, the Moon God (concept of 28 nakshatra or constellations as the
mental consciousness states and concept/experience of time).
The ten wives of Dharma gave birth to children (who are personification of concepts)
1. Sun: Bhanu gave birth to twelve Bhanus [the twelve Suns in the signs
and not the sun signs which are Aditya as the sons of Aditi]. These are
Dhata, Mitra, Aryama, Pusa, Sakra (Indra), Amsa, Varuna, Bhaga, Tvasta,
Vivasvan, Savita and Visnu. (Nilamata Purana also).
2. Moon:
Saadhya (accomplishment) gave birth to Saadhyaganas or Sadhva
(personification of accomplishment resources). Personified as the rites
and prayers that lead to accomplishment of the spiritual path, these
twelve (from 12 Moon signs) listed in the Vayu Purana are Darsha,
Paurnamasa, Vrihadashwa, Rathantara etc. The seventeen goals (from 16
Moon rays or Kala + Supreme consciousness = 17) that result from these
twelve paths are listed in the Matsya and Padma Purana as Bhava,
Prabhava, Isha etc.
3. Mars: Vasu to Vasuganas or eight Vasudevas
who were personifications of Agni/energy and were full of light and
splendor. Apa, Dhruva, Soma (aka. Bhoja), Dhava (fire), Anila (wind),
Anala (fire), Pratyusha (day-break or transformation from light to
darkness and vice-versa), and Prabhasa (light). [Agni tatva ruled by
Mars]
4. Mercury: Arundhati gave birth to the the divisions of the
earth and populated it. [Prithvi tatva ruled by Mercury]. This Arundhati
is different from the daughter of Kashyapa of a similar name who was
the wife of sage Vasistha. However the similarity in the name does show
synergy.
5. Jupiter: Muhurta gave birth to Muhurtaganas or the thirty personified deities of the Muhurta
6. Venus: Vishva gave birth to the Vishvedevas or the world creators.
The Vishwadeva are either ten or twelve depending on the creation level
or type as Jadatma (non-living) or Jivatma (living). For jadatma
creation (non-living world), dasamsa (D10) is the sphere of action and
the ten vishwadeva guiding the path to the ten digpala (direction
deities) are listed in the Vayu Purana. For jivatma creation (living
beings), dwadasamsa (D12) is the sphere of action and the twelve
vishwadeva guiding the path to the four deities of the dvadasamsa (as
the four mouths of Brahma) are listed in the Matsya Purana. [Jala tatva
ruled by Venus is the root for sapta rasa that is used for creation. The
sapta rasa or seven liquids as flavours/taste/fluid energy are (1)
salty water, (2) milk, (3) butter (ghee), (4) curd, (5) wine, (6)
sweetness of sugarcane-juice and (7) tasty water (Nilamata Purana).
7. Saturn: Marutvati gave birth to Marutvaans or Maruts, the wind gods [Saturn rules the vayu/air tatva]
8. Rahu: Lamba gave birth to Ghosha the arc of the heavens (celestial sphere and other arc concepts)
9. Ketu: Yami the daughter of the night, gave birth to Naagvithi (the milky way defining one border of the zodiac)
10. Lagna: Sankalpaa gave birth to Sankalpa, the pious or auspicious
and praiseworthy one and the ‘identity/self of all’ [implying that one
Lagna (sankalpa) follows another (sankalpa); the word Kalpa means head
or lagna that defines the being created]
Rig Veda and Muhurta: The
Kshtra tejas of Bhisma (kshtriya) and the brahma tejas of Krishna
Dvaipayana came together in the begining of the Kali Yuga to form a tam
to record the Vedas. Krishna Dvipayana was named the Veda Vyasa for the
yuga and the Rigvedic hymns were collected by Paila under the guidance
of Vy?sa, who formed the Rigveda Samhita as we know it today. According
to the ?atapatha Br?hmana, the number of syllables in the Rigveda is
432,000, equaling the number of muhurtas (1 day = 30 muhurtas) in forty
savana years.
30 muhurta = 1 ahoratra (day reconed from sunrise to next sunrise)
1 savana year = 360 ahoratra = 30 X 360 muhurta = 10800 muhurta
40 savana years = 40 X 10800 muhurta = 432000 muhurta
Note
(1) the number 10800 = 100 mala or 100 x 108
(2) the number 432000 is related to the definition of the yuga cycles in Brahma Vidya
(3) All vedic remedial measures are for a minimul period of 40 days as 40 savana years is equated to 40 days of the devas/sura.
No comments:
Post a Comment