Lunar Eclipse - Sadhana

A total lunar eclipse is there today along with blood moon… Should you be afraid? No. Here’s the truth. Even astrologically, the effect of the Guru(Jupiter) will negate any negative effects.  We also know that 

Clarity about Eclipse

An eclipse happens when the Sun, Moon, and Earth align perfectly. It’s part of the natural rhythm — predictable, beautiful, and completely safe for the Earth itself. There’s no cosmic accident, no hidden danger in the skies. Even Hindu scriptures mention this clearly.

Much before the Indian Astronomer Varahamihira(1st half of the 6th Century CE), the Brhat Samhita 

mentions the real cause of the eclipses. It clearly says in verses 5.8 & 5.13 that, “In a lunar eclipse the moon enters into the shadow of the earth and in a solar eclipse the moon enters the Sun(comes between the sun and the earth).”  

Puranic Depiction of Rahu & Ketu

In Puranas this is depicted through the story of Rahu & Ketu.  It does not mean that our Rishis did not know about the real causes of the eclipse.  During the churning of the ocean for amṛta (nectar of immortality), the asura Swarbhānu disguised himself as a deva and drank some nectar. Sūrya and Candra exposed him to Mohinī (Vishnu), who decapitated him with the Sudarśana chakra. Because a drop of nectar had already reached his throat, he did not die. The head became Rāhu. The body (trunk) became Ketu. Enraged, Rāhu and Ketu periodically attack the Sun and Moon, attempting to swallow them — causing eclipses. This is the Puranic explanation of why eclipses happen.

While our Puranas describe about Rahu and Ketu through stories, great Indian astronomers like Aryabhatta, Lallacharya, Varahamihira have explained the scientific reasons behind the eclipse. The Sun temples across the country also are a testimony to the scientific knowledge we had about the Sun.

So, there is no need to look down upon our culture due to the stories of Rahu and Ketu. Across the world there are such stories in different cultures.  For Example:

Vietnam: A frog or toad eats the moon or sun.

Scandinavia: Vikings believed the sun and moon were being chased by a pair of wolves and when one of them caught up with either the lunar or solar orb, an eclipse was the result. 

China: A celestial dragon devoured the sun. In fact, in Chinese the earliest word for eclipse, shih, means “to eat.”

Canada: According to the people of the Kwaikiutl tribe, on the western coast of Canada, the mouth of heaven consumes the sun or moon during an eclipse.

At a certain level stories are used to communicate certain things. As one grows up, rationale is explained.

Jyotisha background

In Jyotisha, eclipses are explained with precision via shadow points:

• The Moon’s path around the Earth is tilted relative to the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. They intersect at two nodes.
• These two mathematical points (lunar nodes) are where the Sun, Moon, and Earth can align.
• The ascending node is called Rāhu.
• The descending node is called Ketu.
• An eclipse can only occur when the Sun and Moon are near one of these nodes. So Rāhu and Ketu are literally the astronomical eclipse points in Vedic astronomy — the puranas personify them. Just like its done in many other cultures also.  

Sutaka
In Hindu tradition, eclipses are treated as liminal moments — thresholds.  It’s the in-between phase during a change or transformation. Normal rules are often paused or reversed because the usual order hasn’t fully returned yet. It’s a time seen as powerful but sensitive.

Examples (non-religious):

• Adolescence: not a child, not an adult — a liminal stage.  There is a certain hormonal challenge, emotional turmoil etc. that Adolescence brings.  
• An airport: not your home, not yet your destination — a transitional space.  

Examples in Hindu context:

• Birth: the family has moved from expecting to having a child — in-between social states.
• Death: someone has left the social world but final funeral rites & shraddha period are not yet complete. 
• Eclipse: the celestial rhythm is temporarily altered — not ordinary daylight, not night — a cosmic in-between.  The light disappears at an unusual time, so the scriptures invite us to pause. Not out of fear, but to turn inward, cleanse, and reset. It’s like a cosmic timeout to focus on what’s sacred. 
  

Its like a time-out for purity-sensitive rituals, much like how you wouldn’t perform surgery during an earthquake — not because earthquakes are “dirty,” but because the normal order (ṛta) is disrupted.

A way to redirect human focus: during birth, death, or eclipse, attention is turned inward — to care for the newborn, mourn the deceased, meditate or pray during celestial transitions — instead of maintaining usual social-ritual bustle.

Sūtaka is like the liminal moments, a temporary period of ritual impurity, a time when certain religious or social actions are suspended because of a significant, often “liminal” event. It is not about physical dirt or bad luck — it is about ritual unsuitability for certain sacred acts.
Sūtaka is a ritual state of suspension, not a superstition about pollution. It reflects a deep sensitivity in Hindu tradition toward cosmic and life transitions, marking certain periods as spiritually potent yet requiring pause in ordinary sacred and social activities.
Sutaka is from the root √sū (to bring forth, produce), sūtaka literally means that which has “come forth” — usually referring to:

• Birth of a child (janana-sūtaka)
• Death in the family (mṛtyu-sūtaka)
• Other cosmic transitions like grahaṇa (eclipses), saṅkrānti (solar ingress), etc.

During sūtaka, one is considered ritually unfit (aśuddha) for certain actions like:

• Vedic recitation
• Worship with touching sacred icons
• Fire rituals
• Accepting or offering food socially or ritually

Manusmṛti (4.110): mentions “rājño rāhoś ca sūtakaṃ” — the king’s death and Rāhu’s event (eclipse) as periods when one should suspend normal ritual activity.

Gṛhya-sūtras (various): define specific days of abstention after birth and death, scaled by social class and family proximity.

Purāṇas: extend the concept to cosmic events like grahaṇa (eclipse) — i.e., while the sun/moon is eclipsed, their “light” (a key purifier in ritual) is obscured; so the world enters a kind of temporary ritual pause.

What are the Dos & Don’ts for this Lunar Eclipse today:

3 times are important:  Sutaka Kala, Grahana Kala & Mukti kala.  

Time given below is as per Indian Standard Time(IST)

• Sūtaka Kāla (ritual pause) starts: 12:59 PM (9 hours before).

• Penumbral Eclipse begins: 8:58 PM.

• Partial Eclipse starts: 9:57PM.

• Total Eclipse: 11:00 PM – 12:22 AM.

• Partial phase ends: 1:27 AM.

• Eclipse ends: 2:25 AM.

• Mukti Kāla (purification & restart) after the eclipse is over at 1.27AM or 2.25AM (whichever you want to follow)

In Sūtaka Kala:
1. One must avoid eating food. Not because food becomes impure. But because the mind can be prepared for the sadhana during Grahana Kala.  Pranas will go upwards due to fasting and will not be engaged in digestion etc.  This will benefit us in Sadhana.  If one cannot do fasting, eat fruits, milk. Avoid heavy food. Children, old people, sick people need not follow this. 
2. One must take bath just before the Grahana Kala Sadhana begins.

3. Some people put tulasi/darbha over food & water. 

Grahana Kala:

1. Do Japa of Ishta Mantra or Gayatri Mantra or Guru Mantra.  Japa done during this time gives the punaya or merit of Purashcharana.  There are 5 limbs of Purascharana:
   

• Japa (repetition) — of the chosen mantra, usually a set count (often 100,000 repetitions per syllable of the mantra). Eg. Namah Shivaya has 5 alphabets in Sanskrit. Purascharana means 5 lakh repetitions of this mantra.  Gayatri has 24 alphabets.  Purascharana means 24 lakh repetitions of this mantra.  Once this is done, the following 4 rituals are to be done. 
• Homa (fire oblation) — offering 1/10 of the japa count in ahutis in Homa.
• Tarpana (libations/offering to deities) — 1/10 of the homa count.
• Mārjana / Snāna (ritual bathing / sprinkling for purification) — 1/10 of the tarpana count.
• Bhojana (feeding of brāhmaṇas or sādhus) — 1/10 of the mārjana count.

All the above will take a lot of time and effort. Japa done in eclipse time will give the benefit of the above in merely a few hours.

2. Eclipse time considered especially powerful for chanting stotrams like Vishnu Sahasranama, Shiva Sahasranama, Lalita Sahasranama, Ganapati Atharvashirsha and many others.  
3. One can also study the scriptures and remember Bhagawan. 
4. Dāna (Charity): Whatever is given during eclipse yields multiplied merit.
5. Prohibitions: Eating, cooking, worldly dealings, sexual activity — paused during Grahaṇa.

Mukti Kala:

In the Mukti Kāla, one has to take bath and do cleaning up. 

Vedantic Standpoint:

From Vedantic standpoint in Tattvabodh Sri Adishankaracharya says, "Manaso Devata Chandrama". Moon is the presiding deity of the mind. “Chakshushah suryaha”. Sun is the presiding deity of the eyes. Our Masters knew about the connection of the Sun and the eyes, Moon & the mind. That is why we see patients with mental challenges in lunatic asylums.

We all know that Planets, stars, comets etc have an impact on us. Matter affects matter. Sun is also the presiding deity of the Intellect. Hence during an eclipse one is advised to chant the Gayatri Mantra or even one’s Ishta Mantra.

Symbolically Sun represents knowledge and moon is the deity of the mind or emotions. Solar eclipse is moon coming between the sun and the earth. Emotions overwhelming the intellect is the symbolism. Usually also this happens to us. But at such times of eclipse etc, we are more prone. The impact of Sun-light and its absence on human personality is well documented. People get into depression, low moods, disinterestedness etc when it is gloomy weather.

Similarly in Lunar eclipse, the earth is between the Sun & the Moon. The mind can be affected by tamas, lethargy and also desires for sensuality can arise. So the masters prescribe sadhana to channelise our mind to sattva guna.

Grahan in samskrit means to grasp or to possess. Surya Grahana means as though our intellect is possessed by emotions. To strengthen the intellect and not be overwhelmed by emotions or negative tendencies, one worships the Lord and does Sadhanas like Japa, Parayana of Ganapati Atharvashirsha, dana or charity etc. This can prevent unnecessary conflicts within us, as well as in relationships etc at such times when we are vulnerable. Chandra grahana means mind is possessed with sensuality and body-consciousness. To rise above this, we do sadhana.   Hence, lets do sadhana out of understanding and not out of fear.

In the Gita the Lord says in Chapter 10 - Jyotisham Raviramshuman. Amongst the luminaries HE is the Sun. There is nothing to fear with this vision.

An eclipse is not a threat — it’s a reminder to turn within.  Science shows it’s safe. Spirituality shows it’s meaningful. So  stay calm, stay mindful, and watch the cosmos dance.