Solar eclipse

[Eastern Mind]

There is a solar eclipse in July and will be total in Varanasi, and partial throughout India.

My experience here was at the temple a few years backs when there was a partial eclipse, and the temple closed for its regular puja as it was considered inauspicious. I'm interested in whether or not this is a superstition carried forward over time because of the unexplainability, or if indeed there is mention in the Vedas or other scriptures. Just curious mainly , but also would taks steps myself to stay inside in the future if there is a sense of real inauspiciousness.

Aum Namasivaya

[atanu]

There is a solar eclipse in July and will be total in Varanasi, and partial throughout India.

My experience here was at the temple a few years backs when there was a partial eclipse, and the temple closed for its regular puja as it was considered inauspicious. I'm interested in whether or not this is a superstition carried forward over time because of the unexplainability, or if indeed there is mention in the Vedas or other scriptures. Just curious mainly , but also would taks steps myself to stay inside in the future if there is a sense of real inauspiciousness.

Aum Namasivaya

Namaste EM,

We may only guess. Let us see how it goes.

Yajur Veda ii. 2. 10.

Yonder sun did not shine, the gods sought atonement for him, and for him they offered this oblation to Soma and Rudra: verily thereby they bestowed brightness upon him.

Surah 75:

1. I do call to witness the Resurrection Day;
2. And I do call to witness the self-reproaching Spirit.
3. Does man think that We cannot assemble his bones?
4. Nay, We are able to put together in perfect order, the very tip of his fingers.
5. But man wishes to do wrong (even) in the time in front of him.
6. He questions: "When is the Day of Resurrection?"
7. At length, when the sight is dazed
8. And the moon is buried in darkness
9. And the sun and moon are joined together that Day will Man say;
10. "Where is the refuge?"
11. By no means! No place of safety!"
12. Before the Lord (alone), that Day will be the place of rest.
13. That Day will Man be told (all) that he put forward, and all that he put back.
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Probably it has to do with the shameless sexual congress of Moon and Surya in open daylight. Usually, Shiva temples are not closed on grahan days. In fact, Lord Shiva restores faith of many staunch non-believers on eclipse days. Lord Shiva breaks the ego of proud men on eclipse days. Eclipse day is a reminder to the final time when the sun and moon will again join and all will turn to darkness and the light of the mind will go down asking "Where is the refuge?" That the event is in Kashi this time, should be very auspicious for offering worship to Lord Shiva.

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Pardon me Lord for hazarding a guess on what should not be intellectualised.

Om Namah Shivaya

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~

Namasté


Why do people get concerned with eclipses? Because rahu and ketu are involved....Conjunction of these nodes with the Sun and Moon.

Sanjay Rath teaches ( identifies) 10 types of eclipses. This will help you better understand this phenomenon from a jyotiṣ perspective.
Here is a list of the ten for your review: http://srath.com/lessons/advanced/eclipse1.htm (http://srath.com/lessons/advanced/eclipse1.htm)
Please look half way down the page. This is where Sanjay outlines the 10 types.

praṇām

[MahaHrada]

Manu smriti:
chap 1 110. A learned Brahmana shall not recite the Veda during three days, when he has accepted an invitation to a (funeral rite) in honour of one ancestor (ekoddishta), or when the king has become impure through a birth or death in his family (sutak), or when Rahu by an eclipse makes the moon impure.

Impurity is happening during an eclipse because Rahu defiles the moon. Therefore also the head bath after eclipse is over is recommended to cool down the impurity.

Remember how Rahu and Ketu where born when the Asuras head was divided, at the time the Amrita, cause of the immortality of the Devas, was dispensed to the Devas by Mohini. The Asura was cut to prevent the downflow of Amrita, thereby his immortality was prevented.

During eclipse the divison is momentarily nullified and therefore poison as well as Amrita is released, this happens also in the (subtle) body.

Which is why eclipses are very auspicous events in many sampradayas because of the possibility to unite shiva and shakti and thereby access the amrita located in the Chandra mandala in the highest chakra.

Sun and moon are connected with ida and pingala nadi in the subtle body, they get united at muladhara during eclipse and through that union the path in Sushumnna (the Nadi in the spinal cord) is cleaned of obstructions.

By that Kundalini gets loosened and therefore Mantra japa is very efficent, one should do Mantra japa during the period of eclipes in that mantra one is initiated but no vedic suktas nor puja should be done only mental that is silent japa.

The japa has to be done according to the upadesha of the guru the relevant instructions on how to move the pranashakti with a given mantra is important.

In Jyotisha the Karaka for the mantra is Rahu and for mantra siddhi and moksha Ketu, both are united during eclipse. Furthermore Rahu is associated with Bhairava and Ketu with Bhairavi as kundalini shakti.
Rahu is the head, like bhairava is worshipped in the form of a head, and Ketu has the snake body reminding one of Kundalini.

So the eclipse is good for spiritual matters and moksha but not for material ends. Mantras that alleviate poison are also very effective during eclipse. Because amrita as well as visha (poison) is released.

ketu grastha ravi parAstha samaye mantra viryatha sidhyartham
yatha sakti (name of mantra) japam Karishye...is a good samkalpa for japa during eclipse, anga and kara nyasa should be done.

Mantras one is initiated in, that are omitted while doing japa under influence of eclipse are said to loose power.