Muhurtham

Muhurtham: The word in Telugu for an auspicious moment, good time to start anything new.

From childhood, we are taught to always consult the muhurtham for anything non-routine. Start of a journey, beginning of a construction, joining of a new job, marriage, birth and even death (though not in our hands, it is in the wish list to die at an auspicious moment). There are of course some, who take it beyond and consult muhurtham for even day to day activities like stepping into the office daily at an auspicious, no meetings at inauspicious moments.

Why is a particular moment deemed good while others are considered bad?

Then, there is a difference of opinion among various communities. The new moon day (Amaavaasya in Telugu) is considered to be pretty inauspicious for Telugu people. We would never start anything good/new that day. Even a few days (last 4 or is it beyond?) before the new moon day are deemed to be “less auspicious” compared to other days. Why? I would have really tried to find out the answer but for another fact I have come across. The new moon day is a very auspicious day for Tamilians, people from my neighboring state. How can a day be one way for us and the other way for them? What kind of a difference could exist between two fellow human beings that would make a moment good for one and bad for the other? If something does exist, which makes things work the way they are, would that not differentiate between two Telugu people? If a child’ parents come for Telugu and Tamil backgrounds, which rules would apply to the child? Is the new moon good or bad for him? If someone can answer this question to me satisfactorily, may be then I would try to think about questions beyond this. Agreed I have not really tried much to find out an answer to this question, never really posed this question in front of scholars, but somehow cannot pull myself together to really raise a debate on this issue for try to find more information about this. When I have to voice out my opinion on this issue, I only have to say this:

Any moment is auspicious, if the deed it good

Any moment is bad, if the deed is evil

All we can do is to perform our duties with commitment

So, after saying all this, would I see the muhurtham for my marriage? Yes, I would! I am a part of this society and to remain one, I guess I would have to.
And thus the “Man of Logic and Science” is also the “Man with hypocrisy”!