Vara (Weekday)

VAH-ra

sanskrit: वार (Vāra)

Definition

Vara is the weekday — one of the five limbs of the panchanga, the Vedic almanac. Each day is ruled by one of the seven grahas (planets) and runs from one sunrise to the next, not from midnight. The seven days and their planetary lords are Ravivara (Sunday, Sun), Somavara (Monday, Moon), Mangalavara (Tuesday, Mars), Budhavara (Wednesday, Mercury), Guruvara (Thursday, Jupiter), Shukravara (Friday, Venus), and Shanivara (Saturday, Saturn). Each day takes on a character much like its ruling planet.

In Tradition

These Jyotish authors agree that each day carries the character of its ruling graha, so a day suits whatever activities match that planet's nature. You pick a day to begin something so the start falls in harmony with its lord.

In Practice

Astrologers use the vara to choose a day for a task — each day suits work that matches its ruler. A Sun-ruled Sunday favours matters of employers, father and health; a Jupiter-ruled Thursday favours prayer, children, money and meeting teachers (gurus). Charak prescribes tasks by day — Sunday for fire-rituals and weapons, Monday for water and ornaments, Tuesday for surgery — and notes a day's tasks may also be done during the hora (planetary hour) ruled by that day's lord. Tuesday and Saturday are read as difficult days, Sunday partly so. The weekday you were born on is also read for character, constitution and fortune, with the vara's lord showing your general strength and vitality. The days serve the calendar too, and help read questions, omens and the birth chart.

Historical Origin

The seven-day planetary week is long-established in India, where each visible graha owns a day. This entry draws on modern Jyotish authors who restate that tradition: Levacy, Charak, Larsen, deFouw and Svoboda, Joshi, Murthy and Cole. Murthy cites classical authorities — Nrsimha Prayoga Parijata, Tajaka, Manasagari and Parijata — for the varying results of being born on each day, and Larsen traces vara to vasara, the abode of Agni.

Definition

In Tradition

In Practice

Historical Origin

Further Reading