We know that the Moon revolves around the earth in about 29.5 days and the earth around the sun in about 365 days and 6 hours synchronously. In the course of revolutions, different angles are formed between the moon and the earth in relation to the sun.
These angles are called the phases of the moon. Every day, they appear differently during the revolution of the moon. While orbiting the earth through the zodiac the longitudinal distance between the moon and the sun varies from 0° between 360°. Each zodiac sign is 30°.
Generally, the moon moves 12° forward in a day. Therefore the moon stays 2 days and 6 hours in a zodiac sign. In astrology, the 12° distance between the moon and the sun is called a tithi. When the moon travels 12° further from the sun( the waxing period) then it completes the first tithi: the sukla pratipada and at the distance of 180° it completes 15 tithis (180°÷12=15): the full moon. So, during the full moon, the sun and the moon are 180° apart which is the farthest distance between them.
Generally, the moon moves 12° forward in a day. Therefore the moon stays 2 days and 6 hours in a zodiac sign. In astrology, the 12° distance between the moon and the sun is called a tithi. When the moon travels 12° further from the sun( the waxing period) then it completes the first tithi: the sukla pratipada and at the distance of 180° it completes 15 tithis (180°÷12=15): the full moon. So, during the full moon, the sun and the moon are 180° apart which is the farthest distance between them.
After the full moon of 180°, the moon starts traveling the rest 180° towards the sun (the waning moon). When it travels farther 12° from 180°, i.e., 192°, it is called Krisha Pratipada. In this way when the moon reaches to the sun and conjuncts to it, then it completes one cycle: 360°. Here the distance between the sun and the moon is 0°.
So, from the new moon to the full moon there are 15 tithis (Sukla Pakshya) and from the full moon to the new moon another 15 tithis( Krishna Pakshya) Thus, a tithi is a Hindu term of a lunar day. The tithis with their lords are shown in the table below:
Sl.No | Name of Tithi | Name of Lords |
1 | Sukla Pratipada | Agni (Fire) |
2 | Sukla Dwitiya | Prajapati |
3 | Sukla Tritiya | Gauri |
4 | Sukla Chaturthy | Ganesh |
5 | Sukla Panchami | Ahi (Serpent) |
6 | Sukla Sashti | Kartik |
7 | Sukla Saptami | Rabi(the Sun) |
8 | Sukla Astami | Shiv |
9 | Sukla Nawami | Durga |
10 | Sukla Dashami | Yam |
11 | Sukla Akadashi | Biswadev |
12 | Sukla Dwadashi | Hari |
13 | Sukla Trayodashi | Kamdev |
14 | Sukla Chaturdashi | Shiv |
15 | Purnima(Full Moon) | Pitr |
16 | Krishna Pratipada | Agni |
17 | Krishna Dwitiya | Prajapati |
18 | Krishna Tritiya | Gauri |
19 | Krishna Charturthi | Ganesh |
20 | Krishna Panchami | Ahi |
21 | Krishna Sashti | Kartik |
22 | Krishna Saptami | Ravi |
23 | Krishna Astami | Shiv |
24 | Krishna Nawami | Durga |
25 | Krishna Dashami | Yam |
26 | Krishna Akadashi | Biswadev |
27 | Krishna Dwadashi | Hari |
28 | Krishna Trayodashi | Kamdev |
29 | Krishna Chaturdashi | Shiv |
30 | Amabashya(New Moon) | Pitra |
Significance of Tithis: - The tithis play very significant role in the cultural life of the Hindus. All the major religious festivals such as Durga Pooja, Depawali, Laxmi pooja, Swaraswati pooja, Kali pooja, Ma Manasha Pooja, Chhat Pooja; Rakshya Bandhan, Ram Nawami, Krishna Janmastami, Rakhi Bandhan, Guru Purnima, etc., are set in accordance with the tithis. The day(s) of death anniversaries and death related rituals are also fixed on the basis of tithis, not on the basis of date of a Gregorian calendar. Muhurtas (Propitious time segment) are invariably applied for performing important and sacred
family or social functions. A tithi is one of the five attributes for deciding the auspicious muhurta, namely, Bar (the weekday), Nakshyatra (the moon’s asterism), Yoga (the angular relationship between the Moon and the sun), Karana (the half of a tithi), and the tithi per se. Auspicious muhurtas are selected for conducting sacred ceremonies such as marriage, Upanayana (a ritual for taking the first sacred thread), Annaprasanna (the first ceremonial feeding of a cereal meal to a child), and starting an important project, laying the foundation stone of a building, and starting an outbound journey from home etc. For deciding an auspicious or inauspicious day and muhurta the 30 tithis are divided into five categories, namely, Nanda, Bhadra, Jaya, Rickta, and Purna. The division is shown in the table below. Each tithi beginning from the sukla pratipada is consecutively represented by numbers:
family or social functions. A tithi is one of the five attributes for deciding the auspicious muhurta, namely, Bar (the weekday), Nakshyatra (the moon’s asterism), Yoga (the angular relationship between the Moon and the sun), Karana (the half of a tithi), and the tithi per se. Auspicious muhurtas are selected for conducting sacred ceremonies such as marriage, Upanayana (a ritual for taking the first sacred thread), Annaprasanna (the first ceremonial feeding of a cereal meal to a child), and starting an important project, laying the foundation stone of a building, and starting an outbound journey from home etc. For deciding an auspicious or inauspicious day and muhurta the 30 tithis are divided into five categories, namely, Nanda, Bhadra, Jaya, Rickta, and Purna. The division is shown in the table below. Each tithi beginning from the sukla pratipada is consecutively represented by numbers:
Number of tithis of waxing Moon | Number of tithis of waning Moon | |||||||||
Nanda | Bhadra | Jaya | Rickta | Purna | Nanda | Bhadra | Jaya | Ricta | Purna | |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | |
6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | |
Each of the tithis has a lord who ought to be worshiped on the day of the tithi. The Tithis and their lords are shown in the following table: -
Tithi | Lords |
Pratipada | Agni (fire) |
Dwitiya | Prajapati |
Tritiya | Gauri |
Chaturthi | Ganesh |
Panchami | Ahi |
Shasti | Kartik |
Saptami | Rabi |
Astami | Siva |
Nawami | Durga |
Dashami | Yama |
Akadashi | Biswadeva |
Dwadashi | Hari |
Trayodashi | Kamdeva |
Chatudashi | Siva |
Purnima (Full Moon) | Chandra |
Amabwashya (New Moon) | Pitragan |
Any auspicious activity, project, and event, etc., initiated during the day of the following tithis mentioned in the table below believed to yield no good result such as an outbound journey will be trouble generating and fruitless, a baby born is likely to die early, a marriage may end in separation, and a business may lose its capital etc.
Sl. No | Month | Tithi |
1 | Baisag (15 April to 14 May) | Sukla Sasti |
2 | Jaitha (15 May to 14 June) | Krishna Chaturthi |
3 | Asar (15 June to 14 July) | Sukla Astami |
4 | Shravan (15 July to 14 August) | Krishna Sasti |
5 | Bhadra (15 August to 14 September) | Sukla Dashami |
6 | Ashin (15 September to 14 October) | Krishna Astami |
7 | Kartik (15 October to 14 November) | Sukla Dwadashi |
8 | MargaShirsha (15 November to 14 December) | Krishna Dashami |
9 | Paush (15 December to 14 January) | Sukla Dwitiya |
10 | Magh (15 January to 14 February) | Krishna Dwadashi |
11 | Phagun (15 February to 14 March) | Sukla Chaturthi |
12 | Chaitra (15 March to 14 April) | Krishna Dwitiya |
Note: - The above-stated dates of the Gregorian calendar may vary by one or two days.
The End.