Help with time

[Luis Arnold Gonzalez-Reimann]

On Thu, 6 Jun 1996, Kenneth G. Zysk wrote:

> 
> I am looking at a Sanskrit text which mentions two technical expressions
> for time (kaala) whose meanings are unclear: mahendra and vaaru.na. I
> have a hunch that they may be muhuurta-s, but cannot varify it. I should
> appreciate any help on this, with citations and/or references.
> 
> Thanks a bunch,
> Ken Zysk
> 
> 

In the MaitrAyaNIya UpaniSad (6.14), the two halves of the year are said 
to be Agneya (related to Agni), and vAruNa (related to VaruNa).  The 
Agneya half is the uttarAyaNa (from winter to summer solstice), and the 
vAruNa half is the dakSiNAyana (from summer to winter solstice).  The 
vAruNa half surely gets its name from the fact that it brings the rains.


Luis Gonzalez-Reimann
Department of South and Southeast Asian Studies
University of california, Berkeley