When Do I Start My Day?

[Equinox]

Vannakkam everyone,

I'm still a little confused on this matter. The day starts at sunrise in Hinduism. Fasts and other religious observances should begin at this time and end at sunrise the next day (or some other day, depending on how long the fasts and rituals are observed). Yet, most people I know, be they relatives who are religious or devotees at the temple, start their fasting and other religious stuff following the western timing, which starts at 12 A.M. and ends at 12 A.M. the next day.

Only a handful follow the sunrise to sunrise tradition. I've heard priests advising that it should start at sunrise too, but most people seem to ignore that. Is it alright to start at 12 A.M., or better at sunrise, following the Hindu way?



Aum Namah Shivaya

[Sahasranama]

Neither is good.

You start the evening before the tithi starts and end in the morning after past sunrise.

If you start at sunrise that means you can sneak in an entire buffet in the morning. Only if you are doing ramadan, but not in Hindu fasts.

[Equinox]

Vannakkam Sahasranama,

Guess it's more complicated than I initially thought.

I'll have to study the tithis now, and practise from there. Thanks!


Aum Namah Shivaya

[yajvan]

　
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namast�

Following the sun one cannot go wrong... yet if you follow the tithi method that too will work, yet tithi starts do not align with any sun rise or sets.

iti śivaṁ

[Equinox]

Vannakkam Yajvan,

Thank you for your wise words. I'll use the Hindu calendar as a guide.


Aum Namah Shivaya

[ShivaFan]

Namaste All

I have seen tithi charts, for example this thread inspired me to look it up online and I found one tool that will list by dates the tihi start time but.. it is for Chennai.

I simply do not understand calculating this. It appears for example of Chennai, the tithi start time for a given date is a different tithi start time for the same date in San Francisco?

Is there a magc "tithi calculator"?

Om Namah Sivaya

[Anirudh]

Namaste Shiva Fan,

I simply do not understand calculating this. It appears for example of Chennai, the tithi start time for a given date is a different tithi start time for the same date in San Francisco?

I came across a thithi calculator which takes your coordinates and gives according to your location.

Hope this is of some use to you

[kallol]

My Take :

In the present context, we have lost the ideal ways of performing the rituals.

So I would not suggest going by the rituals as, the way we perform them are mostly not the right way.

It would be better to be a great bhakta and devotee of God. Also gain knowledge on the scriptures.

The rituals are mostly towards tuning the minds for opening the doors for most inticrate knowledge assimilation

[surrenderindailylife]

Namaste

Sorry for (below) digression:I have a few doubts -

1. In my view fast is primarily a means to gain control (and ultimately mastery) over your senses. If this understanding be correct, then why should "time of fast" really matter?

2. I agree with kallol. In the times that we live, being a sincere bhakta & karma yogi is much more important than focusing on rituals. However this is my personal view.

Om Namah Shivay

[smaranam]

praNAm

* Fast technically to be held sunrise to sunrise, but we do not eat after sunset the day before, ideally one meal only.
* A fast is an austerity not a ritual
* A "good bhakta" follows the rules of the fast as austerity. It is not rocket science to conveniently dismiss.
* Tithi is considered pure when it occurs at/during sunrise.
* The calendars are typically luni-solar
* There are several Vaishnav calendars that will calculate the tithi e.g. ekadashi based on your closest major city in the list (i.e. local longitude)
http://www.vaisnavacalendar.com/
http://www.vaisnavacalendar.info/
http://www.purebhakti.com/resources/...inmenu-71.html

* Smarta calendar has slightly different rules hence on rare occasion smarta ekadashi and bhAgvati (VaishNav) ekadashi are on two consecutive days. Otherwise they are on the same day.

_/\_

Hare KRshNa