A logical mind should surely realise that nature will not start a year in the middle of winter. Unquestionably it should start with the beginning of the vernal season! Yet just because western scientists and theologians insist that the New Year is on January 1st, in the middle of the winter season, the whole world meekly agrees.
Hindu calculation of time depended on the movement of the planets. One Vedic calendar goes back to 3,000 years and another to 6,000 years. The western world chose not to believe that that our rishis were such experts in astronomy that they could actually make such accurate calendars. They did not realise that they used the most accurate of clocks – the planets and therefore their calculations were infallible. The fact is that our internal clocks work on the movement of the moon and that is why in the Vedas, the moon is called the presiding deity of the mind.
Why does our Hindu New Year start on April 14?
Of course one reason is that it is the start of spring. But there is another scientific reason. The rishis always adjusted human time to cosmic time since we are the children of the cosmos. They knew that the earth’s revolution round the sun starts from a fixed point known as “mesha sankranti rekha,” which is known as the Alpha Aries point in western terminology. This happens to fall on April 14th or somewhere close to it. In Sanskrit this is known as “mesha vishuvath.” Doesn’t it make sense that our new year should start with the starting of the earth’s revolution round the sun? Why is this so difficult for people to understand? Maybe because the Hindus have never reiterated or brandished their knowledge in order to prove their superiority!
The Kerala New Year is known as Vishu, from the word “vishuvath.” All other states have new years which approximate this. As usual Hinduism connects spirituality with science. All the so-called superstitions found in Hinduism are based on hard core science. The time of the change from the sign “meena” to “mesha” is known as “mesha sankranti” or “punya kalam” which means an auspicious time, hence it is said that spiritual practices done on this day have special power since our bodies are adjusted to the universal clock. Instead of celebrating the New Year with drinks and parties, the Hindus are told to meditate and think of God and practise some type of evolving activity during this special time. If something has to be really spiritual it has to follow the laws of nature.
Something which goes against the laws of nature can hardly be called spiritual since it would be going against the very laws according to which our bodies have been constructed.
When people continuously go against these natural laws our whole nature will change – the health of our bodies and the health of our minds will deteriorate and this is what is happening to us now.
It is high time that the world realises that Hindu astronomy is a specialised
system that requires precise astronomical observations and shows an ongoing knowledge of the exact placement of the planets and equinoxes relative to the fixed stars and relative to our own bodies and minds. This article has only touched the tip of the iceberg. The wisdom of the rishis was endless; their knowledge of Space and Time is yet to be discovered by western science!
Hari Aum Tat Sat!