One day, my sisters son, came to me and asked why we have 28 or 29 days in February making it different from all other months that has either 30 or 31 days?
He seem to have this question from one of the commercial during a break in the movie that is being broadcast in television. I never saw this ad and was not able to answer him immediately. So, I started to look for the reasons for this and did not get any proper answer. Few of them seem very silly :) and I continued to search for an answer that seems prompt and the one that make sense.
After quite a bit of googling, I went back and started from the point which I strongly believe in. My strong belief is that most of the ideas that the west portrayed is from the knowledge that India & its civilization has demonstrated way back from tens of centuries. Interestingly, I got some findings that gives a stage to my belief. The naming of English months and the very basic idea of having a calendar system is taken from Indian way of indicating one complete revolution of earth around the sun (which we call it an year).
Basically, an Indian year has 12 months (12 māsa) starting with Chaitra that ends with Phalguna. These māsa are classified based on the lunar phase with both waxing (Kṛṣṇa-Pakṣa) and waning (Śukla-Pakṣa) stages.
The day of new moon is called amavasya and the full moon as poornima. It is well known that how the tides of a sea/ocean raise high on a full moon (poornima) when compared to other days. But, this is not just limited to the tides in a sea/ocean but the way human body acts or reacts. It also determines the health, emotions, action and reactions of a human being.
Since the human body is made up of water (90 - 70 - 50 percentages at different stages of life) too and the water in body also has some reactions similar to that of tides of a sea/ocean the health conditions vary. More importantly, the behavior and the reactions that are controlled by brain is made up of 75% of water. Hormones that are produced by the body and brain will not just determine the health and body conditions, but also control the emotions that brain manages. These hormones has diverse chemical structures including acids. Water, being the best antacid has its role in regulating the acids and thus the health, body and emotions depending on the waxing and waning of moon. There are certain diet programs based on moon.
This gives the essence of having a month based on moon and that brings us to the point of the blog on how months are classified and why February has 28 or 29 days only. Sanathan Dharam believes that everything that is born (start) will die (end) and this happens in a cycle. The cycle of nature (like trees, climate etc.,) starts with Chaitra māsa when the trees start budding (starting a year) and ends with Phalguna māsa during which the leaves completely falls apart (end of year). Since the start of Chaitra māsa usually be in mid of March and this is the third month of English year (2 more than a usual Vedic month), let us think that English year starts with March and end with February. So, to accommodate 365/366 for a year/leap year and with 30 or 31 days for a month, the last month will be left with 28 or 29 days. This way March becomes the first month (Chaitra māsa) and February being the last (Phalguna māsa). To support this claim, let us look at some month names and the order of that month in English calendar.
September (9th) - Sounds like Saptha (7 in Sanskrit) but is a ninth month of an year
October (10th) - Sounds like Ashta (8 in Sanskrit) but is a tenth month of an year
November (11th) - Sounds like Nava (9 in Sanskrit) but is a eleventh month of an year
December (12th) - Sounds like Dasa (10 in Sanskrit) but is a twelfth month of an year
Now if you continue with cycle January follows which is actually eleventh month (Magha māsa) and finally February that will be left with either 28 or 29 days depending on leap year or regular year (which divided by 4 leaves a non zero remainder).
Below is the list of names in a Vedic calendar year:
Note: Everything written is to my understanding and perception. Please write your feedback and suggest corrections.
He seem to have this question from one of the commercial during a break in the movie that is being broadcast in television. I never saw this ad and was not able to answer him immediately. So, I started to look for the reasons for this and did not get any proper answer. Few of them seem very silly :) and I continued to search for an answer that seems prompt and the one that make sense.
After quite a bit of googling, I went back and started from the point which I strongly believe in. My strong belief is that most of the ideas that the west portrayed is from the knowledge that India & its civilization has demonstrated way back from tens of centuries. Interestingly, I got some findings that gives a stage to my belief. The naming of English months and the very basic idea of having a calendar system is taken from Indian way of indicating one complete revolution of earth around the sun (which we call it an year).
Basically, an Indian year has 12 months (12 māsa) starting with Chaitra that ends with Phalguna. These māsa are classified based on the lunar phase with both waxing (Kṛṣṇa-Pakṣa) and waning (Śukla-Pakṣa) stages.
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| Indicates what waxing and waning of a moon is. |
Since the human body is made up of water (90 - 70 - 50 percentages at different stages of life) too and the water in body also has some reactions similar to that of tides of a sea/ocean the health conditions vary. More importantly, the behavior and the reactions that are controlled by brain is made up of 75% of water. Hormones that are produced by the body and brain will not just determine the health and body conditions, but also control the emotions that brain manages. These hormones has diverse chemical structures including acids. Water, being the best antacid has its role in regulating the acids and thus the health, body and emotions depending on the waxing and waning of moon. There are certain diet programs based on moon.
Hence the belief and the certain scientific study proves that the Moon has impact on the human life and they way they act and react. Moon is revered as one among the nine planets (navagraha) that we deploy (prana pratishtha) in temples making it clear that movement of planets has some effect on the life of humans as per Astrology. I will try to have a write up more about how Navagraha and stars has their influence on ones life.
This gives the essence of having a month based on moon and that brings us to the point of the blog on how months are classified and why February has 28 or 29 days only. Sanathan Dharam believes that everything that is born (start) will die (end) and this happens in a cycle. The cycle of nature (like trees, climate etc.,) starts with Chaitra māsa when the trees start budding (starting a year) and ends with Phalguna māsa during which the leaves completely falls apart (end of year). Since the start of Chaitra māsa usually be in mid of March and this is the third month of English year (2 more than a usual Vedic month), let us think that English year starts with March and end with February. So, to accommodate 365/366 for a year/leap year and with 30 or 31 days for a month, the last month will be left with 28 or 29 days. This way March becomes the first month (Chaitra māsa) and February being the last (Phalguna māsa). To support this claim, let us look at some month names and the order of that month in English calendar.
September (9th) - Sounds like Saptha (7 in Sanskrit) but is a ninth month of an year
October (10th) - Sounds like Ashta (8 in Sanskrit) but is a tenth month of an year
November (11th) - Sounds like Nava (9 in Sanskrit) but is a eleventh month of an year
December (12th) - Sounds like Dasa (10 in Sanskrit) but is a twelfth month of an year
Now if you continue with cycle January follows which is actually eleventh month (Magha māsa) and finally February that will be left with either 28 or 29 days depending on leap year or regular year (which divided by 4 leaves a non zero remainder).
Below is the list of names in a Vedic calendar year:
- Chaitra
- Vaiśākha
- Jyaiṣṭha
- Āṣāḍha
- Śrāvaṇa
- Bhādrapada
- Āśvina
- Kārtika
- Mārgaśīrṣa
- Pauṣa
- Māgha
- Phālguna
Note: Everything written is to my understanding and perception. Please write your feedback and suggest corrections.
