Calendar Series Article 9 - Vasant panchami (Excerpts from the book)

In "Resolving the Indian Calendar Anomalies" I've given a list of all the key festivals and how they should be associated in accordance with the guidelines that are derived from the Vaidic and ancient texts and other traditions. Today being the Vasant panchami so in this article, I'm presenting the excerpts from the book on this:

Vasant panchami

This festival needs a complete analysis. Why I am saying so is because of its association with the shukla panchami (fifth day of the bright half) of Magha. Actually, this association is clearly pointing to the corruption that has been discussed in this chapter exhaustively. Let me explain. When the ayanamsha had been zero, Phalguna and Chaitra months were the best indicators for the spring season (Vasant) instead of Chaitra and Vaisakha at the time of Taittiriya Samhita (when the ayanamsha had probably been in the range of minus 30 degree). Obviously, when the month of Madhu gets associated with Phalguna instead of Chaitra, shukla panchami falling before Phalguna has to be the Vasant panchami. What does it indicate? Firstly, Chaitra is not associated with Madhu for ever and wherever it is interpreted so is a corruption.

Secondly, as the seasonal lunar months Madhu etc. were followed as poornimanta since the time of Taittiriya Samhita, it is the Krishna paksha of the month Phalguna that would have been the first half for the month Madhu (the first month of Vasant) when the ayanamsha was zero. And in that case, shukla panchami of Phalguna would have been the Vasant panchami. But due to wrongly considering the seasonal month association as amanta and wrongly beginning Madhu from the shukla paksha of Phalguna month, shukla panchami of Magha would have been chosen as the Vasant panchami. Other reason could of course be shifting the seasonal months from poornimanta to amanta once the ayanamsha had crossed plus 15 degree that would have led to the problem of one month shift in the festivals linked to the shukla paksha as discussed in detail in the subsection "Poornimanta and Amanta".

Anyways, the festival of Vasant panchami was intended to be celebrated in the shukla paksha that fell before the month of Madhu or the beginning of the spring (Vasant). Hence, the right association for Vasant panchami is shukla panchami of the month Tapasya because the spring (Vasant) season begins with the beginning of the month Madhu from the poornima (full moon) day that follows the Vasant panchami.

This year it falls today, Feb 10th, on shukla panhcmi of Magha but what about next year when shukla panchami of Tapasya would not coincide with shukla panchami of Magha?

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