Story of Māsa

(months)

General information.

It is believed that every where for a year there are twelve months. There are six different kinds of months in force in Bhārata. They are the following:—

Malayālam

Tamil Arabic Sanskrit English Suriyāni

1. Ciṅṅam Āvaṇi Muharram Śrāvaṇa August Of

2. Kanni Puraṭṭāśi Safar Proṣṭhapada September Īlūn

3. Tulām Aippaśi Yulavan Āśvina October Taśrīnkadim

4. Vṛścikam Kārttikai Utsani Kārttika November Tesrinhroyi

5. Dhanu Mārkali Jamadul Avval Mārgaśīrṣa December Konūṇkadim

6. Makaram Tai Jamatutsani Pauṣa January Konunhroyi

7. Kumbham Māśi Rajab Māgha February Śībottu

8. Mīnam Paṅkuni Ṣāvāl Phālguna March Odor

9. Meḍam Cittirai Ramzān Caitra April Nīson

10. Iḍavam Vaikāśi Śavvāl Vaiśākha May Īyor

11. Mithunam Āni Dulhaj Jyeṣṭha June Harson

12. Karkaṭakam Āṭi Dulhaj Āṣāḍha July Tommūs

What the names of the months indicate.

Malayālam months.

The months are named based on certain beliefs. It takes twelve months for the earth to go round the Sun once. When the earth passes through the twelve divisions, it faces a separate set of constellataions in the universe in each of these divisions. In the month of Ciṅṅam the earth faces a cluster of constellations in the shape of a lion and so the month is called Siṃha (lion) or Ciṅṅam. In the next division the earth faces the constellations in the shape of a Kanyakā and so the month was called Kanni. The earth faces next the constellations in the shape of a balance and so the month was called Tulām (Tulā=balance). In the next division the earth faces the constellations in the shape of a scorpion and so the month was called Vṛścikam (scorpion). The set of constellations which faces the earth in the next division is shaped like a bow (dhanus) and so the month got the name Dhanu. In the next division the earth faces a set of constellations in the shape of a Makaramatsya (makara-fish) and so the month was called Makaram. Kumbha means a jar and Mīnam means a fish and Meḍam (Meṣa) means a goat and Iḍavam (Ṛṣabha) means an ox. The shapes of the constellations in those divisions are like the things mentioned and the months were so named after them. In the next two divisions the constellations appear as twins and a crab respectively and the months were so called Mithunam (twins) and Karkaṭakam (crab).

English months.

i) January has come from the word Janus, the name of a Roman devatā. Janus is twinfaced, one facing the front and the other back.

ii) February means 'to purify' and the festival of purification of the Romans is conducted in that month.

iii) March is Mars, a devatā of War. Rome was built by the brave warrior Romulus. In his time there were only ten months in a year and the number of days in a month varied considerably. There were months with twenty days and thirtyfive days. It was in the year 700 B.C. that the then King of Rome, Numa, divided the year into twelve months and added January and February to it. Till then March was the first month of the year.

iv) April—Aperio means 'blossoming' and since the trees and plants blossom in that month it got the name of April.

v) May is named after Maia daughter of the demigod (devatā) Atlas. There is an opinion that it is named after Maius, another name of Jupiter.

vi) June gets its name after the devatā Juno though there is a version that it is named after a Roman tribe called Junius.

vii) July was formerly known as Quintilis meaning the fifth counting from March which was the first month of the year till the time of Numa. It was to commemorate the name of Julius Caesar that the name was changed to July.

viii) August. This month was formerly known as Sextilis meaning the sixth month. But it was renamed August in honour of Augustus Caesar. But it still lacked the importance of July as it contained thirtyone days and August only thirty days. So Augustus took one day from February and made the number of days in August thirtyone.

ix) September means the seventh month from March.

x) October means the eighth month.

xi) November means the ninth month.

xii) December means the tenth month.