After crossing the "First and Second Milestones" (Click here to read), the next journey in life is towards the third milestone, the one of sighting of the 1000th Full Moon. After crossing this "Sahasra Chandra Darshana" it is time to celebrate the occasion by performing the "Sahasra Chandra Darshana Shanti". The first milestone at 60 years is crossed by many and they celebrate "Ugra Ratha Shanti", but only some of them remain on the path of life to cross the next stage of 70 years to celebrate "Bhima Ratha Shanti". The more fortunate ones with good health and a proper environment to lead an active life reach the next milestone of sighting the 1000th full moon.
All physical items are measured using different yardsticks for the purpose of comparison and accurately dealing with them. In fact, the word "yardstick" used so frequently is itself a measure of length or distance. In the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, metal pieces measuring a yard (3 feet), 2 feet, one foot and six inches are displayed on the wall. One yard is equal to 0.9144 meters. Similar measures are used for measuring weight, volume etc. Such a unit of measurement is also required to measure another important dimension, the "time". The best resource available to man for measuring time is the movement of the Earth, Sun and Moon. Time between one Sunrise to the next Sunrise is considered a "day". Movement of the moon provides another important source to measure time. Unlike Sun, the shape and size of Moon which changes each day and is clearly visible to a man on the earth provides an excellent measure to define a month. A full moon night to a new moon night is a fortnight and a new moon night to another full moon night is another fortnight. In other words, a full moon night to another full moon night, which is easily visible to the naked eye from the earth, is a Lunar month. A Lunar month has 29.53 days and a 12 month Lunar year thus has 354 days. In comparison a Solar year, which is the time covered by sun to complete a cycle of 12 houses of the Zodiac, has 365 days. In order to reconcile the difference between the 354-day Lunar year and 365-day Solar year, an extra month is added to the Lunar calender once in 33 months. This is similar to the leap year when February has 29 days. The difference of 11 days is thus covered by the "Leap Month" called "Adhika Maasa"or "Mala Maasa". This is also called as Mala Maasa, mala meaning impurity or sin, as this month is believed to be excellent for doing good deeds to wash off all impurities and sins. "Purushottama" is considered as the "Maasaniyamaka" for this month. It is believed that any daana (offerings) made or good deed done during this month gives additional (adhika) punya and hence the saying "Adhikasya Adhikam Phalam". As there is no "Sankramana" in this leap month, it is not considered for other auspicious functions like marriage etc. Sankramana is the time during which Sun moves from one house in the Zodiac to another house. The entire leap lunar month falls between two sankramanas or when the Sun stays in one house. With the concept of leap month in place, a Lunar calender synchronizes completely with the Solar calender once in sixty years.
When a person reaches 80 years of age, he would have seen 960 (80x12) plus 29 full moons due to leap months, thus making an aggregate of 989 full moons. The 1000th Full Moon would have been sighted in the 81st year. A leap month actually arrives sometimes in 29 months and sometimes gets extended up to 35 months. In order to provide for such contingency, this milestone is deemed to have been crossed after completion of 81 years. As per the saying, to err on the right side. In all Panchaangas (Lunar calenders especially) on the padya or bidige (first or second day of the fortnight cycle after new moon day) of shukla paksha, notation of "Chandra Darshanam" will be made to indicate sighting of the moon after the preceding new moon day. Whether the person has actually seen the full moons or not, he has lived the time span covering 1000 full moons when he crosses 81 years. Hence "Sahasra Chandra Darshana Shanti" is conducted one or two months after the completion of 81 years. After the milestones of 60 years and 70 years, the next natural and logical milestone ought to have been 80 years. But sighting of 1000th Full Moon is so close to 80 years and also a much better occasion to celebrate and hence has received wide acceptance.
All other aspects of this celebration are the same as being done when crossing the first and second milestones. Invitations are made out in the name of the sons or daughters of the person crossing the milestone. The concept and details of the functions and the shanti karmas are the same. Mrutyunjaya and other deities are invoked in the kalashas and worshiped in the same manner. Holy water from the kalashas is sprinkled on the person crossing the milestone and his immediate family members. Sieve is again used to protect the gold items from being washed away or misplaced and also to ensure proper and longer sprinkling of holy water. The usual sumptuous feast brings the climax. Cultural programmes are arranged in the afternoon sessions to enable friends and relatives to enjoy the occasion for a longer duration of time. To seek the blessings of a person crossing such a milestone is considered as a rare privilege for younger members of the family and community. A person is said to have become "Vruddha" or "" Elder" on two counts; one by age and another by the level of knowledge or wisdom. "Vayo vruddha" for being elder by age and "Jnana vruddha" for being elder by knowledge or wisdom. A person reaching this level is naturally Vayovruddha and he is expected to be a Jnanavruddha also. Such functions have now become rare as arranging such functions in the family requires dedication and commitment from the younger generation. Those who have participated in such functions know the dignity of the occasion as well as the pleasure derived by participating in them. Sighting 1000 moons is no mean achievement and it requires good health, a sound mind and contribution of many from the family and society.
There can be the usual question about the celebration for women when they reach this stage. There should be no bar and the logic of celebrating for men should be equally applicable for women. If both partners among the elderly couple are alive, they sit together for the rituals. Otherwise one of the other available couple in the family perform the rituals. Maarjana or sprinkling is done with the persons crossing the milestone in the center and other members of the family around him.
There are two more milestones to be covered. The fourth one is "Prapoutra (Great grand son) Darshana" and then finally, the "Centenary". These stages also have some finer aspects and special significance. They are to be covered in the next two steps.
All physical items are measured using different yardsticks for the purpose of comparison and accurately dealing with them. In fact, the word "yardstick" used so frequently is itself a measure of length or distance. In the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, metal pieces measuring a yard (3 feet), 2 feet, one foot and six inches are displayed on the wall. One yard is equal to 0.9144 meters. Similar measures are used for measuring weight, volume etc. Such a unit of measurement is also required to measure another important dimension, the "time". The best resource available to man for measuring time is the movement of the Earth, Sun and Moon. Time between one Sunrise to the next Sunrise is considered a "day". Movement of the moon provides another important source to measure time. Unlike Sun, the shape and size of Moon which changes each day and is clearly visible to a man on the earth provides an excellent measure to define a month. A full moon night to a new moon night is a fortnight and a new moon night to another full moon night is another fortnight. In other words, a full moon night to another full moon night, which is easily visible to the naked eye from the earth, is a Lunar month. A Lunar month has 29.53 days and a 12 month Lunar year thus has 354 days. In comparison a Solar year, which is the time covered by sun to complete a cycle of 12 houses of the Zodiac, has 365 days. In order to reconcile the difference between the 354-day Lunar year and 365-day Solar year, an extra month is added to the Lunar calender once in 33 months. This is similar to the leap year when February has 29 days. The difference of 11 days is thus covered by the "Leap Month" called "Adhika Maasa"or "Mala Maasa". This is also called as Mala Maasa, mala meaning impurity or sin, as this month is believed to be excellent for doing good deeds to wash off all impurities and sins. "Purushottama" is considered as the "Maasaniyamaka" for this month. It is believed that any daana (offerings) made or good deed done during this month gives additional (adhika) punya and hence the saying "Adhikasya Adhikam Phalam". As there is no "Sankramana" in this leap month, it is not considered for other auspicious functions like marriage etc. Sankramana is the time during which Sun moves from one house in the Zodiac to another house. The entire leap lunar month falls between two sankramanas or when the Sun stays in one house. With the concept of leap month in place, a Lunar calender synchronizes completely with the Solar calender once in sixty years.
When a person reaches 80 years of age, he would have seen 960 (80x12) plus 29 full moons due to leap months, thus making an aggregate of 989 full moons. The 1000th Full Moon would have been sighted in the 81st year. A leap month actually arrives sometimes in 29 months and sometimes gets extended up to 35 months. In order to provide for such contingency, this milestone is deemed to have been crossed after completion of 81 years. As per the saying, to err on the right side. In all Panchaangas (Lunar calenders especially) on the padya or bidige (first or second day of the fortnight cycle after new moon day) of shukla paksha, notation of "Chandra Darshanam" will be made to indicate sighting of the moon after the preceding new moon day. Whether the person has actually seen the full moons or not, he has lived the time span covering 1000 full moons when he crosses 81 years. Hence "Sahasra Chandra Darshana Shanti" is conducted one or two months after the completion of 81 years. After the milestones of 60 years and 70 years, the next natural and logical milestone ought to have been 80 years. But sighting of 1000th Full Moon is so close to 80 years and also a much better occasion to celebrate and hence has received wide acceptance.
All other aspects of this celebration are the same as being done when crossing the first and second milestones. Invitations are made out in the name of the sons or daughters of the person crossing the milestone. The concept and details of the functions and the shanti karmas are the same. Mrutyunjaya and other deities are invoked in the kalashas and worshiped in the same manner. Holy water from the kalashas is sprinkled on the person crossing the milestone and his immediate family members. Sieve is again used to protect the gold items from being washed away or misplaced and also to ensure proper and longer sprinkling of holy water. The usual sumptuous feast brings the climax. Cultural programmes are arranged in the afternoon sessions to enable friends and relatives to enjoy the occasion for a longer duration of time. To seek the blessings of a person crossing such a milestone is considered as a rare privilege for younger members of the family and community. A person is said to have become "Vruddha" or "" Elder" on two counts; one by age and another by the level of knowledge or wisdom. "Vayo vruddha" for being elder by age and "Jnana vruddha" for being elder by knowledge or wisdom. A person reaching this level is naturally Vayovruddha and he is expected to be a Jnanavruddha also. Such functions have now become rare as arranging such functions in the family requires dedication and commitment from the younger generation. Those who have participated in such functions know the dignity of the occasion as well as the pleasure derived by participating in them. Sighting 1000 moons is no mean achievement and it requires good health, a sound mind and contribution of many from the family and society.
There can be the usual question about the celebration for women when they reach this stage. There should be no bar and the logic of celebrating for men should be equally applicable for women. If both partners among the elderly couple are alive, they sit together for the rituals. Otherwise one of the other available couple in the family perform the rituals. Maarjana or sprinkling is done with the persons crossing the milestone in the center and other members of the family around him.
There are two more milestones to be covered. The fourth one is "Prapoutra (Great grand son) Darshana" and then finally, the "Centenary". These stages also have some finer aspects and special significance. They are to be covered in the next two steps.
