Vāra & Vāreśa: Weekday
Translation: We speak of the seven weekdays
शुक्रः शनैश्चरश्चैव वाराः सप्त प्रकीर्तिताः॥
ādityaścandramā bhaumo budhaścātha bṛhaspatiḥ |
śukraḥ śanaiścaraścaiva vārāḥ sapta prakīrtitāḥ ||
Trasnlation: Sun (āditya), Moon (candramā), Mars (bhauma), Mercury (budha), Jupiter (bṛhaspati), Venus (śukra), Saturn (śaniścara) are the givers of the seven (sapta) weekdays (vāra). The weekdays are simply named after the planets by adding the suffix ‘vāra’ or ‘day’ after the name of the planet/lord.
Example: Ravi (Sun) + vāra (day) = Ravivāra or Sunday. In this manner all weekday names are derived from the planets themselves or from deities ruling them. Thursday is from Thor’s Day while Wednesday is from Woden’s Day. However in Vedic astrology these names are strictly from the seven planets (sapta-graha). Wednesday is ‘Budhavāra’ while Thursday is Guruvāra or more correctly bṛhaspati-vāra.
क्रूरास्तु क्रूरकृत्येषु सदा भौमार्कसूर्यजा॥
guruścandro budhaḥ śukraḥ śubhavārāḥ śubhe smṛtāḥ |
krūrāstu krūrakṛtyeṣu sadā bhaumārkasūryajā ||
Translation: The vāra (days) ruled by Guru (Thursday), Chandra (Monday), Budha (Wednesday) and Shukra (Friday) are beneficial whereas those ruled by the harsh planets (Mars, Sun and Saturn) are always harsh i.e. good for starting harsh activities.
Comments: One must choose the days governed by soft planets for benevolent, social activities while those ruled by the harsh ones are for malevolent activities. During the initial phase of the expansion of the Third Reich, Hitler always marched into adjoining nations on a Saturday morning thereby enslaving them. Later he did not follow this and the consequences were destined.
Vāra doṣa
Translation: We speak of the seven weekday flaws
दिवा शशाङ्कार्कजभूसुतानां सर्वत्र निन्द्यो बुधवारदोषः॥
na vāradoṣāḥ prabhavanti rātrau devejyadaityejyadivākarāṇām |
divā śaśāṅkārkajabhūsutānāṁ sarvatra nindyo budhavāradoṣaḥ ||
Translation: The effect of vāradoṣā (weekday flaw) is negligible during the night and as such, there is no vāradoṣā on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. However, [the night strong planets] Moon, Mars and Saturn do have strong vāradoṣā during their days (daytime especially). And (the one strong at twilight) Mercury always has vāradoṣā, be it day or night.
