Vishuva

Vishuva, “the equinox”

Grammar: neuter noun, also vishuvat, from vishu (equally, on both sides): “the point of equal division”. The Telugu of the Bhāgavata gives vishuvattu.

Meaning: the equinox; the time in the year when Sūrya moves at an even pace and day and night are of equal length, standing between uttarāyaṇa and dakshiṇāyana.

In the scriptures: the Bhāgavata Purāṇa names the vishuvat in Śuka‘s account of the course of Sūrya and of the wheel of time.

Sūrya’s even course. Śuka tells Parīkshit that Sūrya, standing in the middle of antariksha, enters the high, low and equal positions in the rāśis beginning with Makara without passing beyond time. In uttarāyaṇa, when he moves slowly, the day is long and the night short; in dakshiṇāyana, when he moves fast, the day is short and the night long; and at the vishuvat, when he moves at an even pace, day and night are equal. So when Sūrya is in Mesha and Tulā, day and night are of equal length (Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 5, Chapter 21).

In the kālacakra. As a farmer plants a post in the middle of the threshing floor and ties cattle to it with ropes long, short and of middle length, so that each goes round in its own place, so in the wheel of time Īśvara has set the nakshatras and grahas in place, by difference of place, above and below, and by difference of time, uttarāyaṇa, dakshiṇāyana and the vishuvat. Driven by vāyu, with the Dhruva-maṇḍala alone as their support, they revolve until the end of the kalpa (Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 5, Chapter 23).

In the Bhavishya Purāṇa. The Vishuva is a puṇya-giving yoga. One who worships Ravideva with bhakti at the Vishuvat puṇyakālas, at eclipse parvas and at the Shaḍaśīti puṇyakālas has no sorrow (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 93). Dhenus are given on Uttarāyaṇa, Dakshiṇāyana, the Vishuva yoga, Vyatīpāta yoga and the eclipses of Sūrya and Candra (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 84). The Saṅkrānti Vrata begins on the day of Sūrya’s uttarāyaṇa or dakshiṇāyana, or at the vishuva yoga (Uttara Parva, Chapters 115–116).

Related terms: Uttarāyaṇa · Dakshiṇāyana · Saṅkrānti · Mesha · Tulā · Kālacakra

Sources

  • Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 5, Chapters 21, 23
  • Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 93; Uttara Parva, Chapters 84, 115–116