Varūthinī Ekādaśī, New “Parābhava” Year (saura)

* — 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.

New “Parābhava” Year

Ćāndra-yugādi — the beginning of the new year according to Ćāndric calculation (from the bright pratipada of Ćaitra month).

Saura-yugādi — the beginning of the new year according to solar calculation (on the day after Meṣa-saṅkrānti).

In Uḍupi it is customary to observe the new year beginning according to solar calculation. This time both new year days are consecutive.

Nava-varṣa, i.e. New Year, is traditionally observed by taking bath in holy tanks, oil ablutions, visiting Deva-mandiras, listening to pañćāṅga (coming year's almanac), eating flowers of neem tree, raising banners of dharma. New Year begins with the rise of Sūrya, therefore in the evening a tray with goodly things: coconuts, fruits, a mirrow, gems, is put in front of the worshippable Image of Kṛṣṇa in Uḍupi. These pure, beautiful and auspicious offerings to Śrī-Kṛṣṇa are the first things to be seen upon awakening in the new year.

“Parābhava” is the 40th year in 60-year Bārhaspatya cycle (the cycle determined by the movement of Bṛhaspati — ‘Jupiter’). The coming “Parābhava” year is 5128 years of the age of Kali (Vedic time-keeping system, unlike the Western calendar, counts the number of completed years and not the sequence number of the current year) and 788 years of Madhva's era.

The peculiarities of the upcoming year regarding humanity in general and especially applicable to nations and societies that live by dharma as they fit the definition of ‘man’ more fully than others—are described in the Jyotiṣ-śāstra as follows:

अग्रधान्यमधिकं जलमल्पं भूभृतां भवति युद्धमनल्पम् ।
स्याज्जनो गदवशात् गतधामा वत्सरो यदि पराभवनामा ॥

“First grain crop is heavy, rainfall is scarce, the wars conducted by rulers are many in number; people loose their strength* by maladies when the ‘Parābhava’ year has come.”

–
* “Loose the complexion distinguishпдг a healthy and able man.” The other possible meaning is “pass away to their next birth destination,” that is die.

The common meaning of the word ‘parābhava’ is ‘blame,’ ‘humiliation,’ ‘defeat,’ while as the Name of Viṣṇu it proclaims Him as the Ultimate and Self-sufficient Cause of both genesis / appearance of the rest (ābhavaḥ) and destruction / disappearance of the rest (abhavaḥ). We are to remember this supreme causation when we face the new, both reassuring and frightening, and when the usual ways of life cease to exist.

•• om • parābhavāya namaḥ • om ••

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