पञ्चसिद्धान्तिका (आचार्य वराहमिहिर - सूर्य, रोमक, पौलिश, वासिष्ठ एवं पितामह सिद्धान्त)

III.24 III. PAULIŚA-SIDDHĀNTA 65
that a section of people observed a sacred day for the manes once in three synodic months, and then
this came in its place.
[अयनम्]
उद्गयनं मकरादावृतवः शिशिरादयश्च सूर्यवशात् ।
द्विभवनकालसमानं दक्षिणमयनं च कर्कटकात् ॥ २५ ॥
Solstices
25. The Sun’s turning northward is when it reaches the zero-point of Makara,
(Capricorn), i.e. at winter solstice, and its turning southward is at the zero
point of Karkaṭaka (Cancer) i.e. at summer solstice, with the attendant sacred
days. The seasons Śiśira etc. commence with the winter solstice and each
season lasts two tropical solar months.
The precession of the equinoxes implies the precession of the solstices as well and therefore the
solstices at the zero-points of Karkaṭaka and Makara is true only for the period of the author. If the
sacred days are observed still when the Sun enters these signs, it is again blind custom.
As the seasons depend upon the position of the mid-day Sun in the sky and the length of day
time, and these depend on the Sun’s declination depending on tropical (sāyana) longitude of the
Sun, the seasonal months are different from either the solar sidereal months Meṣa etc. or the
synodic months Caitra etc., and these cannot correctly represent the seasons. That is why the Vedas
give a new set of months, (actually tropical months) for the seasons: Madhu and Mādhava are the
months constituting the Vasanta (spring) season, Śukra and Śuci are the months constituting the
Grīṣma (summer season), Nabha and Nabhasya are the months constituting the Varṣa (rainy)
season, Iṣa and Ūrja are the months constituting the Śarad (post-rainy season); Sahas and Sahasya
constituting the Hemanta (pre-winter) season; and Tapas and Tapasya constituting the Śiśira
(winter) season. (Śuklayajurveda, 13.25). Even in the Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa we have the information that
the Śiśira season begins with the Uttarāyaṇa (winter solstice). The Yājuṣa-Jyotiṣa (verse 6) says,
“When the Sun and the Moon rise together, with Śraviṣṭhā, from then commence the yuga, the
month of Māgha, the seasonal month Tapas, the light fortnight of the month, and Uttarāyaṇa”. As
Tapas is the first month of Śiśira we understand Śiśira begins with Uttarāyaṇa. By mentioning
Māgha and Tapas distinctly, we understand that the Vedas wish us not to confuse the two. But con-
fusion there has been, and still continues, with the result that people call Meṣa and even Vṛṣabha
spring months, though patently we have summer then, Kumbha and Mīna being practically the
spring months now. This confusion has resulted in Madhu, Mādhava etc. and Caitra, Vaiśākha etc.
as synonyms. People who know are amused, when in the saṅkalpa recited for Hindu rituals the
month of Vṛṣabha, which is advanced summer, is mentioned as spring.
[संक्रान्तिकालः]
षष्टिघ्ना भुक्तिहृता रविबिम्बकला भवन्ति नाड्यस्ताः ।
संक्रान्तीनां कालः पुण्योऽतोऽर्धेन चाद्यन्तात् ॥ २६ ॥
25. Quoted by Utpala on BS 2, p.23. b. A. वृत्तकशिशि; B1.2. वृवृंतकशशि
25a. A.B1. मकरादौ c. U. समाना