FEATURE ARTICLE by Dr. K. Thilagawathi

Why Kantha Sasthi is 7 days

By Dr. K.Thilagawathi, Chairman, Religious Advisory Committee, Malaysian Ceylon Saivaites Association

The thithi, sashti, is auspicious for Lord Muruhan

Amongst the auspicious days for Lord Muruhan, the sashti fast is significant. The days of Kantha Sashti Fast are more significant than the monthly sashti fast.

Amongst the days that occur between the pirathamai thithi and the sashti thithi (inclusive of both the thithis),on the bright side of the moon in the month of Aippasi (mid-October to mid-November), it is customary to observe complete fast and conduct the Soorasamhaaram on the day of sashti fast, and to conduct the paarana poojaa and thirukkalyaanam the next day. Pirathamai means ‘one’; sashti means ‘six’. The Kantha Sashti Fast generally lasts for six days. Nevertheless, it is history that this fast lasts for 5 days or 7 days during certain years (1). What is the reason for this controversy?


A day and a thithi are two different measurements of time

The moon is said to wax and wane in subsequent curved layers. The time span for each curved layer (kalai) is known as a thithi. The time span of a day is not identical with that of a thithi. A thithi generally commences in the midst of a day and ends in the midst of the following day. As an illustration, let us see the time spans of the thithis which occur during the days of the Kantha Sashti Fast in 2008.

Each of the six thithis prevail for more than 24 hours. The sadhurtthi thithi, which occurs for the longest time (26 hours 5 minutes) prevails for 2 days. Apart from this, there are times when a thithi prevails for less than 24 hours. For instance, during the month of Aippasi in the year, Sarvathaari, the panjami thithi and sashti thithi respectively last for 20 hours 39 minutes and 21 hours 39 minutes during the dark side of the moon. Hence, both these thithis are given as occurring on the same day, i.e., Sunday 19-10-2008.

Therefore it becomes clear that the Kantha Sashti Fast is observed for 7 days when one thithi occurs for 2 days, and for 5 days when 2 thithis occur on the same day.

The Kantha Sashti Fast of 2008

ü All panjaanggams concur on the date for the commencement of the Kantha Sashti fast. The day is Wednesday 29-10-2008. The thithi, pirathamai, spans for the entire day.

ü All panjaanggams indicate Tuesday 4-11-2008 as the day to observe the ‘sashti fast’(2).

ü Although the Kantha Sashti Fast generally comes to a completion after the Soora- samhaaram, its full completion takes effect, the next day when a devotee takes his/her full meal after the morning poojaa, which is usually called the paarana poojaa.

If Soorasamhaaram takes place on 3-11-2008, paarana poojaa will have to take place in the morning of the following day, i.e. 4-11-2008 followed by Thirukkalyaanam the same evening; but all panjaanggams have fixed 4-11-2008 for the sashti fast.

Religious scholars and authorities have said that those who are not able to observe the strict Kantha Sashti fast for the entire period of six days (5 or 7 days at times), may take a meal for the first five days (4 or 6 days at times) and observe the fast on the day of sashti thithi. If the Kantha Sashti fast is completed in the morning of the day, the sashti fast is to be observed, that will become an offense of not observing the fast completely.


CONCLUSION

Therefore, completing the sashti fast at night on 4-11-2008 (the day fixed for the sashti fast) and having the paarana poojaa in the morning of Wednesday 5-11-2008, will lend a thorough fulfilment to the fast. Consequently, the Soorasamhaaram will have to take place in the evening of the sashti fast (4-11-2008), so that the fast can be completed subsequent to the Soorasamhaaram.