Author: - | Last Updated: Wed 18 Jan 2017 3:48:12 PM
Surya Grahan or the Solar Eclipse is expected to occur twice this year. The first occurrence will be witnessed on the 26th of February while the second one is expected to take place on the 21st of August. Though none of these eclipses will be visible in India, they are still expected to bear some negative effects. Lets us know more about what needs to be done during a Surya Grahan to avoid adversities and negativity!
A Grahan or an Eclipse is a scientific and astrological phenomenon bearing boundless importance. Usually, a Grahan is presumed to be an inauspicious event and these presumptions are backed-up with well documented and proven facts. An eclipse is said to have occurred when the Sun, Moon and the Earth fall into one straight line and one of the celestial body casts a shadow on the other one by blocking the source of luminescence coming from the third celestial body. In the year 2017, three eclipses are expected to take place, two of which will be Solar Eclipse and one will be a Lunar Eclipse.
Let’s take a look at the forms of eclipse for a better scientific and astrological understanding.
Surya Grahan or solar eclipse takes place when the Moon blocks the light of the Sun by coming in between the Sun and the earth. This prevents the sunlight to reach the earth’s surface, partly or wholly.
There are two solar eclipses or Surya Grahan (solar eclipse) to be seen in 2017. The dates are:
| Date | Type of eclipse | Grahan visibility in India | Eclipse visibility in global locations | Time of Grahan (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 February 2017 | Solar Eclipse | No | South America, Antarctica, South Africa, Southern pacific ocean, South Atlantic ocean | 17:39 to 23:04 |
| 21 August 2017 | Solar Eclipse | No | South Africa, Northern Pacific region, Antarctica | 21:16 to 02:34 |
The legend behind Grahan is of mythological relevance. According to a popular Hindu belief, once there was a union between the gods and the demons to attain immortality by tasting Amrit or immortal drink, from the ocean of milk.
With an effort, the divine members managed to protect the blessing of immortality from the demons. It was served to the gods. Although the demons were resisted from the immortal drink, one of the demons tasted it in the guise of god. His pretence was not for long when the gods came to know about his reality, as he was sitting between Sun and Moon .
At the exposure, Lord Vishnu cut the demon into two halves, although the slight taste of the Amrit had already made him immortal. Since then, the demon is believed to avenge his death whenever the Sun and the Moon comes near. His head is known as Rahu and his tail-end is termed as Ketu .
In India, it is still believed that the Sun or the Moon gets swallowed on an eclipse or Grahan. It is considered to bring negative impacts. Eclipse is considered to bring bad fate and harmful effects to a person’s life. To avoid or even minimise such impacts, holy Mantras are chanted to call for positivity in life. Let’s take a look at the Mantra:
Om Adityay Vidmahe Divakaraye Dheemahi Tanno Suryah Prachodayat ||
Beliefs About Grahan In Other CountriesTo proceed further, we will take the example of three countries:
In Vietnam, people are a step ahead when it comes to celestial beliefs. The Vietnamese strongly believe that a frog eats up the Sun or the Moon that results in a Grahan or an eclipse.
Chinese believe that the celestial bodies undergo the period of eclipse when they are eaten up by the dragons. Since a dragon is the symbol of devil, it can be almost compared to the Indian beliefs about Grahan or eclipse.
The Egyptians believe that the Wolf dogs chase the celestial bodies and they even get into the condition of an eclipse or Grahan. It gradually gets black by the shadowy presence of the Wolf dogs that are symbols of wildness and devil.
To know about the things that should be taken care of during Grahan in 2017, let’s take a look at Grahan Sutak. To know more about the term, let’s proceed further.
Grahan Sutak or Sutak Kaal is considered to be the period during Grahan or eclipse when one needs to be cautious. Grahan Sutak is the inauspicious time when performing important tasks is to be avoided.
It is believed that the atmosphere gets adulterated and therefore, people should take care to protect themselves from harmful side-effects of such an adulteration. Grahan Sutak period starts before 12 hours of the beginning of Grahan or eclipse. This ends with a proper ritual followed by a holy bath.
Although, Grahan or eclipse is considered to bring negative impacts, prerequisites can be taken to protect ourselves. The unholiness of a Grahan in 2017 can be minimised if we adopt steps accordingly on the day of Grahan in 2017 or eclipse.
Grahan in 2017 is approaching and there is the opportunity to take precautionary measures as you already know the dates of Grahan in 2017 now. Hope, Grahan in 2017 will help you keep aside inauspicious fears and you will be able to deceive it.
Don’t worry. Precautions will always lead to a safer life, where even the negative impacts of the most monstrous devils are minimized.
Have a safe Grahan in 2017 !