Glossary · concept
Grahan
Also written eclipse · Surya Grahan · Chandra Grahan
A grahan is an eclipse. A Surya Grahan (solar eclipse) falls only on Amavasya (new moon); a Chandra Grahan (lunar eclipse) only on Purnima (full moon) — and only when the sun and moon are near the lunar nodes, Rahu and Ketu, the two points where their paths cross.
The old image is a swallowing: Rahu and Ketu, the severed demon of the churning-ocean myth, catching the luminaries and briefly dimming their light. The tradition treats an eclipse as a window to withdraw from ordinary activity and turn inward — the Sutak period — with japa, a river-bath, and quiet giving.
It is set apart, not dreaded: the shadow passes and the light returns. Where an eclipse is not visible, tradition holds the observance does not bind.
Keep reading