Mahā Śivarātri
The Great Night of Lord Śiva · Cosmic Dance & Lingodbhava
Tuesday, 23 February 1971
Mahā Śivarātri honors the night when Lord Śiva manifested as the beginningless, endless pillar of cosmic light (Liṅgodbhava) to dissolve the pride of Brahmā and Viṣṇu. The eighth muhūrta of night (Niśīta) is the peak cosmic window of Śiva-tattva.
From the pañchāṅga
How to keep the fast
A day-long fast and an all-night vigil (jāgaraṇa), the liṅga bathed and worshipped through the four praharas (watches) of the night with the chanting of “Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya”.
Breaking the fast, Broken the next morning, after sunrise, following the night’s worship.
Pradoṣa Vrata
Sacred to Śiva
Tuesday, 23 February 1971
Fast through the daytime. Worship Lord Śiva during this sacred twilight window with Bilva leaves, water/milk abhiṣeka, and lighting lamps, then break the fast with sāttvika prasāda.
From the pañchāṅga
Pradosh Vrat: the Trayodaśī fast sacred to Śiva, kept at the pradoṣa-kāla around sunset, twice each lunar month. Dates, timings, and how it is observed, computed for your location.
How to keep the fast
A fast is kept through the day; Śiva is worshipped in the pradoṣa-kāla, the hour and a half around sunset, when he is said to dance between the horns of the evening.
Breaking the fast, Broken after the pradoṣa-kāla (sunset) worship.
Tuesday, 23 February 1971 (today, in the ancient reckoning)
- Cosmic Time
अद्य · श्वेतवराह कल्पे · वैवस्वत मन्वन्तरे · कलियुगे प्रथम पादे
adya · śveta-varāha kalpe · vaivasvata manvantare · kali-yuge prathama pāde
In Śveta-varāha kalpa, Vaivasvata manvantara, and the first quarter of Kali-yuga, in the eternal presence of the Supreme Lord...
- Calendrical Time
शालिवाहन शके १८९२ · साधारण संवत्सरे · उत्तरायणे · शिशिर ऋतौ
śālivāhana śake 1892 · Sādhāraṇa saṁvatsare · Uttarāyaṇe · Śiśira ṛtau
In the sacred cycle of the Śaka era, current Jovian year (Saṁvatsara), solar transit (Ayana), and season (Ṛtu)...
- Astronomical Limb (Pañcāṅga) · Pañcāṅga Kāla (Daily Alignments)
फाल्गुन मासे · कृष्ण पक्षे · त्रयोदशी तिथौ · मङ्गल वासरे · उत्तराषाढा नक्षत्रे · वरीयस् योगे · गर करणे
Phālguna māse · Kṛṣṇa pakṣe · Trayodaśī tithau · Maṅgala vāsare · Uttarāṣāḍhā nakṣatre · Varīyas yoge · Gara karaṇe
In this sacred lunar month, fortnight, lunar day, weekday, birth star, yoga, and karaṇa...
- Sacred Locality
जम्बूद्वीपे · भारतवर्षे*
jambū-dvīpe · bhārata-varṣe (India)
In Jambūdvīpa, the sacred land of Bhāratavarṣa (India)...
*The locality lines (jambū-dvīpe bhārata-varṣe): India is shown by default; spoken aloud you substitute your own region and town.
What You Just Read: The Three Frames of Time▾
What You Just Read: The Three Frames of Time
The saṅkalpa places the moment in three nested dimensions—cosmic, calendrical, and astronomical—so the seeker knows exactly when and where they stand in eternity.
Cosmic Time (Eternal Scale)
Cosmic time doesn’t change with where you read this. Śveta-varāha is the present kalpa (~4.32 billion years). Vaivasvata is the current manvantara. Kali-yuga prathama pāda places us in the first quarter of the dark age. Identical whether recited in Bengaluru, Mumbai, London, or New York.
Calendrical Time (Solar & Seasonal Cycles)
Calendrical time tracks the present era and season: the Śaka era (from 78 CE), the 60-year Jovian saṁvatsara cycle, Uttarāyaṇa or Dakṣiṇāyana (solar transit), and the bi-monthly ṛtu (season).
Astronomical Time (The Five Limbs of Pañchāṅga)
Astronomical time is the immediate daily rhythm: māsa (lunar month), pakṣa (fortnight), tithi (lunar day), vāra (solar weekday), nakṣatra (moon constellation), yoga, and karaṇa.
Local Sunrise Reckoning & Daily Purpose
All values above are calculated for your local sunrise. The day traditionally belongs to whichever tithi prevailed at sunrise.
The saṅkalpa is the daily (nitya) opening of sacred life. Recited each morning, it re-anchors you in awareness of eternity and dedicates your actions with resolve.
Celestial Coordinates & Muhūrtas
3:30 PM – 4:58 PM
9:36 AM – 11:04 AM
12:09 PM – 12:57 PM
Bearings indicate horizon degrees. Rāhu and Yamagaṇḍa are avoided for new auspicious beginnings; Abhijit is the midday victory window.
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