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Vāra (astronomy)

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In Indian calendrical systems, vāra (or, vāsara) denotes the week-day. It is one of the five elements that constitute the traditional almanacs called Pañcāṅga-s the other four being Nakshatra, Tithi, Karaṇa and Nityayoga.[1] The concept of week, the unit of time consisting of seven days, is indigenous to Indian civilisation. The concept was probably borrowed by Babylonians and its use predates the use of the twelve zodiacal signs in Indian civilazation. The concept finds mention in Atharva Veda. The seven week-days are named after the seven classical planets as in the ancient Greek and Roman traditions.[1][2][3]

The rationale behind the naming of week days

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The historical rationale behind the current naming of the week-days is astrological in origin and it can be summarized as given below. Surya-Siddhānta and Āryabhaṭīya have also indicated this rationale. Sūrya Siddhānta, in Chapter XII Bhūgolādhyāya Verses 78–79, says:[2]

"The Lords of the days are to reckoned in order fourth from Saturn downwards. The Lords of the hours are also to be reckoned commencing from Saturn downwards."

Explanation of the rationale

Assume that the classical ancient planets be revolving round the earth. The planets are arranged in the order from slowest to fastest moving as they appear in the night sky, or equivalently, in the order from furthest to nearest to earth. The planets in this order are Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury and Moon. It is further assumed that a day is divided into 24 equal parts or hora-s. The planets are assigned to the 24 hora-s in the same order as indicated earlier one by one cyclically. On a given day, the cycle of planets will be repeated three times. The planet assigned to the first hora on a given day would be the planet immediately following the planet that was assigned to the 24th hora of the previous day. The name of the week-day on a given day will be the name associated with the planet associated with the first hora of the day. Thus, if the planet associated with the first hora of a day is Sun, the planet associated with the next day would be Moon, the planet associated with the third day would be Mars, and so on. The order of the weekdays thus becomes Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn.

This rationale is reflected in one of the literal meanings of the Sanskrit word vāsara (another term for vāra) which is "relating to or appearing in the morning".[4]

The concept of vāra in India

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The rationale behind the naming of the days of a week is certainly not of Indian origin. Also the concept of a seven-day week as a unit of time is not of Indian origin. The system of dividing a day into 24 hora-s is there in India only in the astrological literature. Works on astronomy like Surya-Siddhānta and Āryabhaṭīya do not mention hora as unit of time. In such works, the common practice is to divide day into 60 ghaṭi-s and each ghaṭi into 60 vighaṭi-s. Moreover, no work of the Vedic and the Vedāṅga period mentions it. Further, the word hora is not even of Sanskrit origin. Chaldeans had this unit in use since a long time and they did have a week of seven-days. Vāra-s were known to Chaldeans long before 3800 BCE. It is probably the case that the ancient Indian astronomers and astrologers borrowed the concept of vāra or week from the Chaldeans.[2]

The Atharva Veda contains references to vāra. From evidences obtained from Atharva Jyotiṣa and Yājñavalkya Smṛti, it has been determined that the vāra-s began to be used in a period much earlier than the period when the 12 zodiacal signs began to be used. Thus, in the Indian subcontinent, the use of vara-s predates the use of the rāśi-s. The days of the week may have been introduced in India at about 1000 BCE and they are not more modern than 500 BCE.[1][3]

The names of the vāra-s

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The names of the vāra-s in all of the 22 languages recognized by the Constitution of India[5] are given in the following table. For a longer list, see: Week-days in languages of the Indian subcontinent.

Sunday
the Sun
(Sūrya, Ravi, Bhānu)
Monday
the Moon
(Chandra, Indu, Soma)
Tuesday
Mars
(Mangala)
Wednesday
Mercury
(Budha)
Thursday
Jupiter
(Bṛhaspati, Guru)
Friday
Venus
(Shukra)
Saturday
Saturn
(Shani)
Assamese দেওবাৰ/ৰবিবাৰ
Deubar/Robibar
সোমবাৰ
Xombar
মঙ্গলবাৰ
Monggolbar
বুধবাৰ
Budhbar
বৃহস্পতিবাৰ
Brihôshpotibar
শুক্রবাৰ
Xukrobar
শনিবাৰ
Xonibar
Bengali রবিবার/সূর্যবার
Rabibār/Sūryabār
সোমবার/চন্দ্রবার
Somabār/Chandrabār
মঙ্গলবার
Mangalbār
বুধবার
Budhabār
বৃহস্পতিবার/গুরুবার
Brihaspatibār/Gurubār
শুক্রবার
Shukrabār/[♀4]
শনিবার
Shanibār
Bodo Rabibar
(रबिबार)
Sombar
(समबार)
Mongolbar
(मंगलबार)
Budhbar
(बुधबार)
Brihospatibar
(बृहस्पतीबार)
Sakrubar
(शक्रुबार)
Shanibar
(शनिबार)
Dogri ऐतबार/तार
Taar
सङार/सोमबार
Sangaar
मंगलबार
Mangalvār
बुद्धबार
Budhvār
बीरबार
Bīrvār
शुक्करबार
Śukravār
शनीबार
Śanivār
Gujarati રવિવાર
Ravivār
સોમવાર
Somvār
મંગળવાર
Mangaḷvār
બુધવાર
Budhvār
ગુરૂવાર
Guruvār
શુક્રવાર
Shukravār
શનિવાર
Shanivār
Hindi रविवार/सूर्यवार
Ravivār/Sūryavār
सोमवार/चन्द्रवार
Somvār/Chandravār
मंगलवार
Mangalvār
बुधवार
Budhavār
गुरुवार
Guruvār
शुक्रवार
Shukravār
शनिवार
Shanivār
Kannada ಭಾನುವಾರ
Bhanu Vaara
ಸೋಮವಾರ
Soma Vaara
ಮಂಗಳವಾರ
Mangala Vaara
ಬುಧವಾರ
Budha Vaara
ಗುರುವಾರ
Guru Vaara
ಶುಕ್ರವಾರ
Shukra Vaara
ಶನಿವಾರ
Shani Vaara
Kashmiri آتھوار
/aːtʰwaːr/
ژٔنٛدرٕوار
/t͡səndrɨwaːr/
بوموار/ بۄنٛوار
/boːmwaːr/ or /bɔ̃waːr/
بۄدوار
/bɔdwaːr/
برَٛسوار/ برٛؠسوار
/braswaːr/ or /brʲaswaːr/
شۆکُروار/ جُمعہ
/ʃokurwaːr/ or /jumaːh/
بَٹہٕ وار
/baʈɨwaːr/
Konkani आयतार
Āytār
सोमार
Somaar
मंगळार
Mangaḷār
बुधवार
Budhavār
भीरेस्तार
Bhirestār
शुक्रार
Shukrār
शेनवार
Shenvār
Malayalam ഞായര്‍
Nhāyar
തിങ്കള്‍
Tingal
ചൊവ്വ
Chovva
ബുധന്‍
Budhan
വ്യാഴം
Vyāzham
വെള്ളി
Velli
ശനി
Shani
Manipuri ꯅꯣꯡꯃꯥꯢꯖꯤꯡ
(Nong-mai-jing)
ꯅꯤꯡꯊꯧꯀꯥꯕ
(Ning-thou-kaa-ba)
ꯂꯩꯕꯥꯛꯄꯣꯛꯄ
(Lei-baak-pok-pa)
ꯌꯨꯝꯁꯀꯩꯁ
(Yoom-sa-kei-sa)
ꯁꯒꯣꯜꯁꯦꯟ
(Sa-gol-sen)
ꯏꯔꯥꯢ
(Ee-rai)
ꯊꯥꯡꯖ
(Thaang-ja)
Marathi रविवार
Ravivār
सोमवार
Somavār
मंगळवार
Mangaḷavār
बुधवार
Budhavār
गुरूवार
Guruvār
शुक्रवार
Shukravār
शनिवार
Shanivār
Maithili 𑒩𑒫𑒱𑒠𑒱𑒢
Ravidin
𑒮𑒼𑒧𑒠𑒱𑒢
Somdin
𑒧𑓀𑒑𑒪𑒠𑒱𑒢
Maṅgaldin
𑒥𑒳𑒡𑒠𑒱𑒢
Budhdin
𑒥𑒵𑒯𑒮𑓂𑒣𑒞𑒲𑒠𑒱𑒢
Brihaspatidin
𑒬𑒳𑒏𑓂𑒩𑒠𑒱𑒢
Śukradin
𑒬𑒢𑒲𑒠𑒱𑒢
Śanidin
Nepali आइतवार
Aaitabar
सोमवार
Sombar
मंगलवार
Mangalbar
बुधवार
Budhabar
बिहिवार
Bihibar
शुक्रवार
Sukrabar
शनिवार
Sanibar
Odia ରବିବାର
Rabibāra
ସୋମବାର
Somabāra
ମଙ୍ଗଳବାର
Maṅgaḷabāra
ବୁଧବାର
Budhabāra
ଗୁରୁବାର
Gurubāra
ଶୁକ୍ରବାର
Sukrabāra
ଶନିବାର
Sanibāra
Punjabi ਐਤਵਾਰ
Aitvār
ਸੋਮਵਾਰ
Sōmvār
ਮੰਗਲਵਾਰ
Mangalvār
ਬੁੱਧਵਾਰ
Buddhvār
ਵੀਰਵਾਰ
Vīrvār
ਸ਼ੁੱਕਰਵਾਰ
Shukkarvār
ਸ਼ਨਿੱਚਰਵਾਰ
Shaniccharvār
Sanskrit भानुवासर
Bhānuvāsara
इन्दुवासर
Induvāsara
भौमवासर
Bhaumavāsara
सौम्यवासर
Saumyavāsara
गुरुवासर
Guruvāsara
भृगुवासर
Bhṛguvāsara
स्थिरवासर
Sthiravāsara
Santhali ᱥᱤᱸᱜᱩᱱ
singi
ᱚᱛᱮ
Ote
ᱵᱟᱞᱮ
Bale
ᱥᱟ.ᱜᱩᱱ
Sagun
ᱥᱟ.ᱨᱫᱤ
Sardi
ᱡᱟ.ᱨᱩᱵ
Jarub
ᱧᱩᱸᱦᱩᱢ
Inguhum
Sindhi Ācharu
آچَرُ or Ārtvāru آرتوارُ‎
Sūmaru
سُومَرُ
Angāro
اَنڱارو or Mangalu مَنگلُ
Arbā
اَربع or Budharu ٻُڌَرُ
Khamīsa
خَميِسَ or Vispati وِسپَتِ‎
Jum'o
جُمعو or Shukru شُڪرُ
Chancharu
ڇَنڇَرُ or Śanscharu شَنسچَرُ
Tamil ஞாயிறு
Ñāyiṟu
திங்கள்
Tiṅkaḷ
செவ்வாய்
Cevvāy
புதன்
Putaṉ
வியாழன்
Viyāḻaṉ
வெள்ளி
Veḷḷi
சனி
Caṉi
Telugu ఆదివారం
Aadi Vāram
సోమవారం
Soma Vāram
మంగళవారం
Mangala Vāram
బుధవారం
Budha Vāram
గురువారం
Guru Vāram
శుక్రవారం
Sukra Vāram
శనివారం
Sani Vāram
Urdu Itwār
اتوار
Pīr
پیر[☽4]
Mangal
منگل
Budh
بدھ
Jumerāt
جمعرات
Jum'ah
جمعہ[♀4]
Haftah
ہفتہ [♄6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Sankar Balakrishna Dikshit (1981). English translation of "Bharatiya Jyotish Shastra" (History of Indian Astronomy) Part II. Kolkota: India Metereological Department, Govt of India. p. 277 - 279. Retrieved 3 January 2024. (Translated by R. V. Vaidya from Marathi originally published in 1896.)
  2. ^ a b c Sankar Balakrishna Dikshit (1981). English translation of "Bharatiya Jyotish Shastra" (History of Indian Astronomy) Part I. Kolkota: India Metereological Department, Govt of India. p. 138. Retrieved 3 January 2024. (Translated by R. V. Vaidya from Marathi originally published in 1896.)
  3. ^ a b Shakti Dhara Sharma (1998). "Development of Pancanga from vedic times upto the present". Bulletin of the Astronomical Society of India. 26: 75–90. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary, 1899". Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Constitutional provisions relating to Eighth Schedule" (PDF). www.mha.gov.in. Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India. Retrieved 5 January 2024.