Vedha

By Swami Harshanada

Vedha literally means ‘intermixed’.

Vedha^[1] is a technical term used in religious pañcāṅgas or almanacs. It belongs to the field of Jyautiṣa or astronomy. According to the cāndramāna or lunar calendar, a day from sunrise to the next sunrise is divided into 60 ghaṭikās.^[2] If a tithi^[3] is spread over all the 60 ghaṭikās, it is called purṇa.

If another tithi begins some time after sunrise or before sunset, the tithi becomes viddhā or with vedha. For instance, the tithi at sunrise on a day may be tṛtīyā or 3rd and caturthi or 4th may begin after six ghaṭikās. Then it is viddha-tithi. All religious rites including the vratas^[4] have to be started at the prescribed time even though the tithi may have vedha.

References[edit]

↑ It also means ‘pierced’ or ‘intermixed’.
↑ 1 Ghaṭikā means 24 minutes.
↑ Tithis are pratipad, dvitīyā and so on, the number of the day after new-moon or full-moon.
↑ Vratas means vows and festivals.

The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

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[1] It also means ‘pierced’ or ‘intermixed’.

[2] 1 Ghaṭikā means 24 minutes.

[3] Tithis are pratipad, dvitīyā and so on, the number of the day after new-moon or full-moon.

[4] Vratas means vows and festivals.

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