The Lunar month of Margasirsha begins on the 8th of December and ends on 6th of January. The solar Tamil month Margazhi begins on 16 December when Sun enters the sign Sagittarius, in the Lunar month of Margasirsha. The month of Margasirsha is considered to be the best among all months since The Lord himself has declared in the Bhagavadgita that He is the Margasirsha among months.( “Masaanam Margaseeshoham”- BG X-35). This month is also designated as agrahayanam since it precedes the date in which the Sun starts its northward travel In Sanskrit agre is in front of, before; and ayanam means travel. In another interpretation, the agra meaning tip or end and ayanam ( travel) results in the month being called end of travel ( to the southern hemisphere). The winter solstice falls on the middle of this month.
Margasirsha is a month to be spent in devotion and spiritual upliftment. The whole of the month is holy and has many festival days equally important to both Vaishnavites and Saivites. Sukla panchami of Margasirsha month is Nagapooja. Sukla Shashti is Champa shashti and is mostly celebrated in Maharashtra. The conjunction of Sunday, Tuesday,Satabisha nakshatra or Vaidhruthi yoga is considered very auspicious in this shashti. To mitigate skin problems and get a good complexion salt charity on Margasirsha pournami is recommended.
The Pournami of Margasirsha is Dattatreya Jayanti. It is also celebrated as Siva Parvati wedding. In Southern states, early morning baths, fasting, dancing are part of the celebrations on Ardra darshan ( Thiruvatirai) day. Families make a curry out of a mixture of eight tubers and make an offering to Siva Parvati. Offering and wearing ten flowers( dasapushpam) is prevalent in Kerala.Married ladies chew betel leaves for their long and happy conjugal life. This full moon day is also believed to be the day of killing of andhakasura. ( According to another legend when Andhakasura was killed, sweat from Lord Siva’s body gave birth to a being who was overpowered and tied down as vasthupurusha on Bhadrapada suklatriteeya) . Margasirsha Poornima this year is 22nd December 2018 and Arudra Darshanam is on 23rd December 2018.
The bright Ekadasi is Vaikuntha Ekadasi. The gates of heaven are opened for those who fast and worship Vishnu on this day. Vaishnavites in Southern states sing Tiruppavai ( a collection of 30 songs sung by the Saint Aaandaal) everyday at sunrise during the month. Vaikuntha Ekadasi this year falls on 18th December 2018.
There are important performances during this month in the vedic tradition as well. For Aswalayana followers, the important fire ritual called Pratyavarohana is to be performed on Bright fourteenth day or Pournami. It is one of the ordained pakayajnas. On the dark ashtami( eighth day ), Ashtaka sraadha is to be performed for four months starting from Margasirsha Krishna ashtami. The ashtaka sraadha is done on three days. Poorvedhyu on saptami, ashtaka on ashtami and anvashtaka on Navami.
Let us venerate the month of Margasirsha and get the gift of well being, prosperity and spiritual knowledge (jnana) .
OM TAT SAT