Vṛścika

{{Short description|Month in Indian lunisolar calendars}} '''Vṛścik‌‌‌a''' (वृश्चिक), also referred to as '''Vrishchika''' or '''Vrschika''', is a month in the Indian solar calendar.<ref name="Lochtefeld2002p355"/><ref name=sewell5>{{cite book|author1=Robert Sewell|author2=Śaṅkara Bālakr̥shṇa Dīkshita|title=The Indian Calendar |url=https://archive.org/details/indiancalendarwi00sewerich |year=1896|publisher=S. Sonnenschein & Company|pages=[https://archive.org/details/indiancalendarwi00sewerich/page/5 5]–11, 23–29}}</ref> It corresponds to the zodiacal sign of Scorpio, and approximately overlaps with the later half of November and first half of December in the Gregorian calendar.<ref name="Lochtefeld2002p355"/>

In Vedic texts, the Vrscika month is called '''Urja''' (IAST: Ūrja), with which a female goddess is also associated called Urja but in these ancient texts it has no zodiacal associations.<ref name="Dershowitz2008p123">{{cite book|author1=Nachum Dershowitz|author2=Edward M. Reingold|title=Calendrical Calculations|title-link= Calendrical Calculations |year= 2008|publisher= Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-88540-9|pages=123–128}}</ref> The solar month of Vrschika overlaps with its lunar month Agahana or Mangsir, in Hindu lunisolar calendars.<ref>{{cite book|author=Christopher John Fuller|title=The Camphor Flame: Popular Hinduism and Society in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=To6XSeBUW3oC|year=2004|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-0-69112-04-85|pages=291–293}}</ref><ref name=sewell10/> The Vrschika marks the end of the autumn season and the start of the winter on the Indian subcontinent, and is preceded by the solar month of Tulā, and followed by the solar month of Dhanu.<ref name=sewell5/>

The Vrschika month is called ''Kartigai'' in the Tamil Hindu calendar.<ref name="Lochtefeld2002p355">{{cite book|author=James G. Lochtefeld|title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M, N-Z (Vol 1 & 2)|year=2002|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-8239-3179-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch/page/355 355]|url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch/page/355}}</ref> The ancient and medieval era Sanskrit texts of India vary in their calculations about the duration of Vrschika, just like they do with other months. For example, the ''Surya Siddhanta'' calculates the duration of Vrschika to be 29 days, 11 hours, 46 minutes and 0 seconds.<ref name=sewell10/> In contrast, the ''Arya Siddhanta'' calculates the duration of the Vrschika month to be 29 days, 12 hours, 12 minutes and 24 seconds.<ref name=sewell10>{{cite book|author1=Robert Sewell|author2=Śaṅkara Bālakr̥shṇa Dīkshita|title=The Indian Calendar |url=https://archive.org/details/indiancalendarwi00sewerich |year=1896|publisher=S. Sonnenschein & Company|pages=[https://archive.org/details/indiancalendarwi00sewerich/page/10 10]–11}}</ref>

The Indian solar month names are significant in epigraphical studies of South Asia. For example, ''Vrischika'' month, along with other solar months are found inscribed in medieval era temples. The ''Vrischika'' month, along with the other months, is found inscribed in Chola Empire monuments.<ref>{{cite book|author=E Hultzsch|title=Epigraphia Indica|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=MxE9AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA277|year= 1906|publisher=Education Society Press|pages=269, 279–280}}</ref>

Vrschika is also an astrological sign in Indian horoscope systems, corresponding to Scorpio (astrology).<ref>{{cite book|author=Bangalore V. Raman|title=Studies in Jaimini Astrology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gW2DIFHrxfgC |year=2003|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=978-81-208-1397-7|pages=10–19}}</ref>

Vrishika is also the twenty-fourth month in the Darian calendar for the planet Mars, when the Sun traverses the western sector of the constellation Ophiuchus as seen from Mars.

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Hindu solar months