Mahānavamī, Vijayā Daśamī, Buddha-jayantī, Pāśāṅkuśā Ekādaśī, the vratas of the 4th month of Ćāturmāsya start

* — Pāraṇam (completing the fast by taking water and food) is to be performed during standard period of time: after sunrise and before the first fifth of the daylight ends. Pāraṇam time could be calculated with “Vaiṣṇavaṁ Pañchāṅgam” software.

< — Pāraṇam must be done before the time specified (in 24-hour format)

> — Pāraṇam must be done after the time specified (in 24-hour format)

HV > — The last quater of Ekādaśī-tithi (Hari-vāsara) starts from the time specified (in 24-hour format). If the starting time is after the midnight, the following date is mentioned with the time. The last quater of Ekādaśī-tithi is considered to be Hari-vāsara and should be strictly observed with Ekādaśī vows even when the observation of Ekādaśī fast follows the next day.

Mahānavamī

Mahānavamī is one of the most significant days for japa, donating to the deserving, conducting homa sacrifices and offering pūjās. The rules for the day are thus delineated in Viṣṇutīrthīya: “On the Navamī of the bright fortnight of Bhādrapada month a devoted student of Vaiṣṇava books will collect them together, cover them with new, excellent cloths and worship in them Vyāsa and Paraśurāma, with bhakti; he will also worship the disciples of Vyāsa, viz. Bādari, Jaiminī, Sumantu, Vaiśampāyana, Āśmarathya, Paila, Kāśakṛtsna and Lomaśa, together with Lokapāla devas.”

Mahānavamī is usually the concluding day of Navarātrotsav.

Vijayā Daśamī

The auspicious day of Vijayā Daśamī marks the beginning of school year in gurukulas in Uḍupi and other settlements of the tatvavāda empire, hence the other name of the day — Vidyā-daśamī. In the morning sheaves of new-harvested crops are carried to Kṛṣṇa-maṭha in a golden palanquin. The crops are brought into the sanctuary through the eastern gate; this is the only day in a year when this gate is open. The temple is decorated with sheaves. An offering to Bhagavān is prepared from the new-harvested crops and vegetables.

Madhva-jayantī

Madhva-jayantī is celebrated on the day of Vijayā daśamī. On that day Madhvāćārya, the supreme jīva, Avatāra of Mukhya-Prāṇa, consubstantial with Hanūmān and Bhīma, the servitor of Bhagavān Vyāsa, who restored His teachings, tatvavāda, to mankind, was born in Pājaka-kṣetra near Uḍupi.

To honour the appearance of Śrīmad-Āćārya, eight Primates of the aṣṭa-maṭhas administer pūjās at the place of the last communion with Madhva in the temple of Ananteśvara.

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ब्रह्मान्ता गुरवः साक्षात् इष्टं दैवं श्रियः पतिः ।
आचार्य्या श्रीमदाचार्य्याः सन्तु जन्मनिजन्मनि ॥

brahmāntā guravaḥ sākṣāt iṣṭaṁ daivaṁ śriyaḥ patiḥ •
āćāryyā śrīmad-āćāryyāḥ santu janmani-janmani ••

“May devas upto Brahmā himself be my preceptors, may the Husband and the Lord of Śrī be the goal of my aspirations, the purport of my efforts, and my God; may Śrīmad-Āćārya be my āćārya from life to life.”

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Buddha-jayantī

Buddha-jayantī — the day of descent of Viṣṇu, Who substituted with Himself the child of Jina (Śuddhodana) — is also celebrated on the day of Vijayā daśamī. Buddha laid the foundation of Buddhism and Jainism in its present form, attracting asuras and the scum of the earth, thus turning the unfit away from the pure teaching of the Vedas. The words of Bhagavān Buddha have two opposite meanings: one on the level of superficial, colloquial sense which immediately strikes a chord with Viṣṇu-haters, and the other on the basis of full and fundamental sense, available to devas and revealed to people who have an āćārya and aspire for mukti.

Beginning of the 4th month of vows of Ćāturmāsya: dvidala-bahubīja-vrata

The day of Pāśāṅkuśā Ekādaśī marks the completion of the vows of the third month of Ćāturmāsya (abstinence from milk) and the beginning of the vows of the final, fourth month of Ćāturmāsya — dvidala-bahubīja-vrata, abstinence from dicotyledons and “polyspermic”/ “multi-seed” plants. To consummate the previous fast, the worthy people are bestowed the best cow milk available.

The concepts of dicotyledons (“bipartite”) and “polyspermic” plants as given in śāstra do not coincide with those in botany. “Dicotyledons” are seeds that easily break into two equal parts upon impact. They include nuts, peanuts, all kinds of pulses, sunflower seeds, etc. Wheat or rice are not bipartite (from the point of view of śāstra).

“Polyspermics”/ “multi-seeds” are fruits and vegetables which contain two or more seeds enclosed in a single outer covering. For example: cucumber, apple, squash, persimmon.

Only those parts of plants which have the attributes of being bipartite or multi-seed are subject to the fasting. For example, roots of a multi-seeded plant are allowed to be cooked and eaten. Still, foods and products made from the seeds of such plants (such as sunflower oil, soya protein, etc) are forbidden.

Kṣīra-samarpaṇa mantraḥ (Offering the milk fast)

श्रीप्रद्युम्न नमस्तुभ्यं मासमारभ्य यत्कृतम् ।
इष्टदो भव सर्वेश गृहीत्वा तु पयोव्रतम् ।।

śrī-pradyumna namas tubhyaṁ māsam ārabhya yat kṛtam •
iṣṭado bhava sarveśa gṛhītvā tu payo-vratam ••

“Śrī-Pradyumna! namaḥ unto You. Accept the vows I took at the beginning of the month, and be my Benefactor, Īśa of everything!”

Dvidala-bahubīja-vrata-saṅkalpam

(Taking the vow of abstinence from “bipartite” and “multi-seed” foods)

अनिरुद्ध सुरैर्वन्द्य द्विदळव्रतमुत्तमम् ।
करोम्यहमिषेमासे निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे प्रभो ।।

aniruddha surair vandya dvidaḷa-vratam uttamam •
karomy aham iṣe māse nirvighnaṁ kuru me prabho ••

“Aniruddha! Devas and jñānī bow down before You! In this month of Iṣa (Kārtika) I commence the supreme vrata, dvidala-vrata; remove all the obstacles herein, Prabho!”

Kindly direct your inquiries upon fasts and vratas, as well as corrections, suggestions, infromation on time zone changes, and requests to include new places for calculation to ekaadashii@gmail.com.

Ekādaśī-vratas are calculated with “Vaiṣṇavaṁ Pañchāṅgam”, created by Āśutoṣa. You may support the development of this software through Github "Sponsor" button (look for the heart symbol).

Respectfully yours,
Nārasiṁha