The measure of day time in Hinduism

[Roberto]

Namaste,
As I wrote in my personal introduction I've passed through judaism and islam before approaching Hinduisim/Sanatana Dharma. In the monotheistic religion there's indeed an important material matter that is daily concept of the time. In Judaism and Islam is basically counted by the sundown, the exact moment where begins the new day. Well, in these religions the brand new day, even more, starts with the night.

So my question is: how is it counted in Hinduism? When we're approaching a fast time, or an day of holiday it's in use to consider it starting with the sundown or the sunrise?

Thank you!
Regards
R

[yajvan]

　
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namast�


Let me offer this for one's consideration . This is from a jyotiśhāstra� point of view.
When we look at time, sunrise and the like there are a few things that one considers.
The sun rules the day, the moon rules the night. There is this quality of yama who is also known as dharmarāja. Yama is self-control, forbearance , any great moral rule or duty, and always follows the sun. This yama has great strength to follow dharma and hence the sun.

Because of following this edict, yama's day begins with sunrise, as the sun owns the day. Hence the day always begins with sunrise. As we know it changes day-by-day, yet yama follows it without concern, break or pause.

Compare this now with mahakāla - time (as destroying all things) , death , time of death. This mahakāla does not follow the sun. This mahakāla picks an arbitrary point as a start time . Like in the West when the a new ~day~ starts at midnight! In this case there is equal day and equal night ( of 12 hours each); this is not the same when one follows the sun as the sun rises and sets at different times.

So, within sanātana dharma via jyotiśhāstra many yield to the sun, also considered the ātmakāraka for all beings. We follow the sun.

You will find more on ātmakāraka, sunrise, and the like in the HDF Jyotish folder.

iti śivaṁ

1. jyotiśhāstra - one of the 6 vedāṅga texts

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namast�

Let me offer this for one's consideration .

In saṃskṛtā (sanskrit) an hour is called a horā. Now this horā comes from ahorātra ( ahorātra ) or a day and night.
Yet when a jyotiṣa talks of horā it is not only an hour in time but it also includes space. How so ? it is the ~space~ the sun travels within a sign. Within 1 horā the sun travels 15� or 30� ( a full sign) in 2 horā.

When we talk of times for doing this-and-that, then we enter the realm of pa�cāṅga. It is a calendar or almanac treating 5 things or 5 limbs as it is called:

• vāra (solar days of the week)
• tithi (lunar days of the month)
• karaṇa-s ( first and second halves of the lunar day)
• nakṣatras, (asterisms of the moon)
• yoga-s ( unions)

Yet when people/paṇḍita/jyotiṣa-s talk of time they may refer to muhūrta , equaling 48 minutes; there are 30 muhūrta in a 24 hr. period. It splits the day and night ( ahorātra ) into 15 muhūrta each. Just like a sign of 15� for the 1st horā and the total being 30�.
The theme again is this nice ~30~ number corrosponding to the 30� found in a sign and ties together time and space in the pa�cāṅga for timing of events.

iti śivaṁ