Paksha

2021-07-05T18:31:37Z

2600:1700:A4A0:2D20:D4E4:C431:8381:8E58: Vaikunta Ekadashi is observed during Shukla Paksha phase, not in the Krishna Paksha phase.

{{short description|
Fortnight or a lunar phase in a month of the Hindu lunar calendar}}
'''Paksha ''' (or ''pakṣa'': {{lang-sa|पक्ष}}) refers to a [[fortnight]] or a [[lunar phase]] in a month of the [[Hindu calendar|Hindu lunar calendar]].<ref name="as">{{cite book| last = Defouw| first = Hart| author2 = Robert Svoboda| title = Light on Life: An Introduction to the Astrology of India| url = https://archive.org/details/lightonlife00hart| url-access = registration| date = 2003| publisher = Lotus Press| isbn = 0-940985-69-1| page = [https://archive.org/details/lightonlife00hart/page/186 186] }}</ref><ref>{{cite book| last = Kumar| first = Ashwini| title = Vaastu: The Art And Science Of Living| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=PwlmRgLt7WkC&pg=PA50| date = 2005| publisher = Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd| isbn = 81-207-2569-7| page = 50 }}</ref>

Literally meaning "side",<ref>Monnier-Williams, M: (1851) ''Sanskrit Dictionary'' ISBN (none)</ref> a [[paksa|paksha]] is the period either side of the [[Full Moon]] Day (''[[Purnima (day)|Purnima]]''). A [[lunar month]] in the Hindu calendar has two fortnights, and begins with the [[New moon]], (''[[Amavasya]]''). The lunar days are called ''[[tithi]]s'' and each month has 30 tithis, which may vary from 20 – 27 hours. A paksha has 15 tithis, which are calculated by a 12 degree motion of the Moon. The first fortnight between New Moon Day and Full Moon Day is called "Gaura Paksha" or '''Shukla Paksha''' ({{literally|white/bright/golden side}}) the period of the brightening moon ([[waxing moon]]), and the second fortnight of the month is called "Vadhya Paksha" or '''Krishna Paksha''' ({{literally|dark/black side}}), the period of the fading moon ([[waning moon]]).<ref name="as"/><ref name="Hindu calendar">[http://www.sanskrit.org/www/Astronomy/HinduCalendar.html Hindu calendar] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100901190835/http://www.sanskrit.org/www/Astronomy/HinduCalendar.html |date=2010-09-01 }}</ref> [[Neemuch]] Panchang begin new lunar month from first day of Krishna Paksha while Gujarat Panchang begin new lunar month from first day of Shukla Paksha.<ref name="Moon Calendar">[http://www.hinduism.co.za/moon1.htm Moon Calendar]</ref>

==Days of Shukla Paksha and Krishna Paksha==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Shukla Paksha
! Krishna Paksha
|-
| 1. [[Prathama (day)|Prathama]]
| 1. Prathama
|-
| 2. [[Dwitiya]]
| 2. Dwitiya
|-
| 3. [[Tritiya]]
| 3. Tritiya
|-
| 4. [[Chaturthi]]
| 4. Chaturthi
|-
| 5. [[Panchami]]
| 5. Panchami
|-
| 6. [[Shashti]]
| 6. Shashti
|-
| 7. [[Saptami]]
| 7. Saptami
|-
| 8. [[Ashtami]]
| 8. Ashtami
|-
| 9. [[Navami]]
| 9. Navami
|-
| 10. [[Dashami]]
| 10. Dashami
|-
| 11. [[Ekadashi]]
| 11. Ekadashi
|-
| 12. [[Dwadashi]]
| 12. Dwadashi
|-
| 13. [[Thrayodashi]]
| 13. Thrayodashi
|-
| 14. [[Chaturdashi]]
| 14. Chaturdashi
|-
| 15. [[Purnima]]
| 15. [[Amavasya]], [[Ausi]]
|}

==Shukla Paksha==
'''Shukla paksha''' refers to the bright [[moon|lunar]] [[fortnight]] or [[waxing moon]] in the [[Hindu calendar]]. ''Shukla'' ({{lang-sa|शुक्ल}}) is [[Sanskrit]] word for "white" or "bright".

Shukla Paksha (Waxing Moon period) is a period of 15 days, which begins on the ''Shukla Amavasya'' ([[New Moon]]) day and culminating [[Purnima]] ([[Full Moon]]) day and is considered auspicious<ref>[http://www.rockingbaba.com/blog/index.php/2015/07/22/phases-paksha-of-moon-shukla-paksha-krishna-paksha/ Phases (Paksha) of the Moon] from Rocking Baba</ref> because it is favorable to growth or expansion on every plane of existence i.e. Mental, Physical and Spiritual Plane.

Numerous festivals are held during this period, including the [[Navratri]] festivals, most importantly [[Chaitra]] Navratri and [[Ashvin]] Navratri.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Day
![[Tithi]]
!class=unsortable|Festival
!Month
|-
|1st Day
|Pratipada
|Bali Pratipada, [[Govardhan Puja]]
|[[Kartik_(month)|Kartika]]
|-
|2nd Day
|Dvitiya
|[[Bhaibeej]]
|[[Kartik_(month)|Kartika]]
|-
|3rd Day
|Tritiya
|[[Teej]]
|[[Bhadrapad]]
|-
|3rd Day
|Tritiya
|[[Akshaya Tritiya]]
|[[Vaishakha]]
|-
|4th Day
|[[Chaturthi]]
|[[Ganesh Chaturthi]]
|[[Bhadrapada]]
|-
|4th Day
|Chaturthi
|[[Ganesh Jayanti]]
|[[Magha (month)|Magha]]
|-
|5th Day
|[[Panchami]]
|[[Nuakhai]]
|[[Bhadrapad]]
|-
|5th Day
|Panchami
|[[Vivaha Panchami]]
|[[Margashirsha]]
|-
|5th Day
|[[Panchami]]
|[[Basant Panchami]]
|[[Magha (month)|Magha]]
|-
|6th Day
|[[Shasthi]]
|[[Sitalsasthi]]
|[[Jyestha]]
|-
|9th Day
| [[Navami]]
| [[Rama Navami]]
|[[Chaitra]]
|-
|10th Day
| Dasami
|[[Vijayadashami]]
|[[Ashvin]]
|-
|11th Day
|[[Ekadasi]]
|[[Shayani Ekadashi]]
|[[Asadha]]
|-
|11th Day
|Ekadashi
|[[Vaikunta Ekadashi]]
|[[Margashirsha]]
|-
|-
|14th Day
|[[Chaturdashi]]
|[[Samvatsari]]
|[[Bhadrapada]]
|-
|15th Day (Full Moon)
|Poornima
|[[Guru Purnima]]
|[[Ashada]]
|}

==Krishna Paksha==
'''Krishna paksha''' refers to the dark [[moon|lunar]] [[fortnight]] or [[waning moon]] in the [[Hindu calendar]]. ''Krishna'' ({{lang-sa| कृष्ण}}) is [[Sanskrit]] for "dark".
Krishna Paksha is a period of 15 days, which begins on the ([[Full Moon]]) day (''Purnima''), culminating on ([[New Moon]]) day (''Amavasya''). ''Krishna Paksha'' is considered inauspicious, as the moon loses light during this period.<ref name="Hindu calendar"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://hinduism.about.com/od/history/a/calendar.htm|title=The Lunar Year}}</ref>

Festivals during Krishna Paksha are:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Day
![[Tithi]]
!class=unsortable|Festival
!Month
|-
|4th Day
|[[Chaturthi]]
|[[Karva Chauth]]
| [[Kartik_(month)|Kartika]]
|-
|8th Day
|[[Ashtami]]
|[[Krishna Janmashtami]]
|[[Shraavana]]
|-
|-
|13th Day
|[[Thrayodashi]]
|[[Dhanteras]]
|[[Kartika (month)|Kartika]]
|-
|13th Day
|[[Thrayodashi]]
|[[Pradosha]]
|[[Maagha]]
|-
|14th Day
|[[Chaturdashi]]
|[[Maha Shivaratri]]
|[[Maagha]]
|-
|14th Day
|[[Chaturdashi]]
|[[Naraka Chaturdashi]] ([[Diwali]])
|[[Kartik_(month)|Kartika]]
|}

==Other usages==
In [[Vedic astrology]] when a person does a [[Vedic astrology|prasna]] (a question chart) and the planet Venus indicates the time period, the event referred to in the answer will happen in a pakṣa (''fortnight'') from the time the question was asked.

==See also==
* [[Pitru Paksha]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* [[K. V. Sarma]] (2008), "Paksa", [[Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures]] (2nd edition) edited by [[Helaine Selin]], Springer, {{ISBN|978-1-4020-4559-2}}.

==External links==
* [http://hinduism.about.com/od/festivalsholidays/a/hindu_calendar.htm Hindu Festivals Calendar 2010]
* [http://himalayanacademy.com/resources/panchangam/pancha_intro.PDF Introduction to the Hindu Calendar (pdf)]

{{Tithi}}
{{Time measurement and standards}}

[[Category:Hindu calendar]]
[[Category:Phases of the Moon]]

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Paksha