Thiti (Mahala 5)

Revealed by Guru Arjan Sahib (1563-1606 CE) in Rag Gauri, this composition is recorded on page 296 to 300 of the Guru Granth Sahib. It has seventeen pauris. There is one salok with every pauri, which is also uttered by Guru Arjan Sahib. Apart from the thirteenth pauri, which has ten lines, all other pauris have eight lines each. A two-line stanza of ‘rahau’ is also recorded after the eighth line of the first pauri.

Similar message is conveyed in the saloks and pauris of the composition. Saloks usually are short. Hence, in a salok, thoughts are captured just like the ocean is in a pot. On the other hand, in the pauri, the same thought is explained in detail.

Based on the fifteen days of the lunar calendar, this composition comes immediately after Sukhmani Sahib in the Guru Granth Sahib. Though short in length, but being just like Sukhmani Sahib due to its simplicity, and profoundness of message, it is also recited after the recitation of Sukhmani Sahib.

The word ‘thiti’ is a variant of ‘tithi.’ The word ‘tithi’ is a Sanskrit word, which is used in the Guru Granth Sahib as ‘thiti,’ ‘thīti,’ ‘thitī’ etc. The poetry based on lunar days is called ‘thiti.’ The poetic form ‘thiti’ is based on the days formed by the waxing and waning of the moon.

In the Guru Granth Sahib, just like the composition of ‘Barahmaha,’ which is based on twelve months, the compositions based on seasons, dates, days, quarters of the day, etc., are also available, such as:

• ‘Ruti,’ based on the six seasons of the Indic and Panjabi calendar year.
• ‘Thiti,’ based on the days (thit) related to different aspects of the moon counted according to its positions [a fortnight of waning (vadi; full moon to new moon) and a fortnight of waxing (sudi; new moon to full moon) of the moon in a lunar month].
• ‘Var Sat,’ based on the seven days of the week.
• ‘Din Raini,’ based on the day and night.
• ‘Pahare,’ based on the four quarters of the day or night.

After the new moon (massia or amavas), the size of the moon increases, day by day, and becomes complete in fourteen days, which is called the full moon (puranmashi or purnima). After the full moon, it starts waning step by step and finally disappears on the night of the new moon. The word ‘thiti’ is a modified form of the Sanskrit word ‘tithi,’ meaning the day waxing and waning of the moon is accounted. The names of these days are Ekam, Duj, Tij, Chauth, Panchami, Khat, Satmi, Ashtami, Naumi, Dasmi, Ekadashi, Duadashi, Triodashi, Chaudas, Puranmashi. Similarly, after the full moon (puranmashi), starting from Ekam, Duj, Tij, etc., arrives the new moon (massia) on the fourteenth day.

Since the ancient times, two methods have been prevalent for measuring a year. First, by the movement of the sun, and second, by the position of the moon. According to these two calculations, the year is referred to as ‘sun/solar year’ and ‘lunar year.’ It is also worth mentioning here that the lunar year is given more prominence for religious ceremonies. The ‘lunar year’ is calculated according to the lunar days. It consists of twelve months and there are thirty days in a month. Each month is counted through a pair of fifteen days (fifteen days of waxing, and fifteen days of waning of the moon). In general, one lunar day (thiti) is equal to one day. As per the Indic and Panjabi months, after a phase of fourteen days full moon appears on the fifteenth day of a lunar month, which is called ‘puranmashi.’ Similarly, fifteen days later, the moon is not visible on new moon, which is called ‘massia.’

Thitis are essentially days associated with the moon (lunar cycle). But astrologers attached certain superstitious beliefs to them. For example, there used to be no reading or studies happening on the first and sixteenth day of the lunar month. But a superstitious belief got associated with it according to which if a person studied on the first day (ekam) of the lunar month, education (learning) would elude them. Thus, some days were considered auspicious and some inauspicious. For example, ekadashi (eleventh day) and puranmashi (full moon) are considered auspicious and massia (new moon) is considered inauspicious.

Giani Haribans Singh’s opinion regarding the fasting on the full moon among so many rituals performed on the basis of the recognition of Thitis is that “Currently, the number of people observing fast on the full moon is increasing day by day. This inapt practice has also spread in Gurdwaras. The practice of reading the tale related to the full moon (puranmashi katha) has increased to such an extent that women have started organizing special programs in Gurdwaras, based on it. To associate the imaginary tale of the full moon with Guru Gobind Singh and Bhai Daya Singh is a great stupidity. The author of ‘Guru Nanak Darpan,’ based on personal information, has stated that there are three versions of the tale of full moon; one in the form of versification, second in prose, and third in the tales related to twelve months. This tale was first written by Sant Puran Singh of village Balksar Tehsil Chakwal, District Jhelum. Later, being ashamed of his own action and realizing his mistake, during a congregational gathering of the Khalsa Diwan (1909), he apologized by raising both his arms and saying the following words: ‘duhāī rabba dī, duhāī rabba dī, maiṁ jo kujh kītā anarth kītā, maiṁ kuphar toliā, logo maiṁ kuphar toliā.’ (O Divine! Whatever I did was wrong, I indulged in impropriety).”

Because of being a poetic form based on the days of the lunar calendar, fifteen days of the lunar month take a central place in Thiti. It includes days from ekam to amavas (first day to the new moon; waning cycle). But this is not a definite rule. The days from ekam to puranmashi (first day to the full moon; waxing cycle), falling after the new moon can also be taken as a base. According to Piara Singh Padam, the oldest work in the form of Thiti poetry is found in the name of Gorakh Nath, ‘Pandrah Thiti.’

Under the title ‘Thiti,’ the Guru Granth Sahib contains three compositions:

Serial No.	Title   of the Composition	Revealer	Rag	Page Number
1	bilāvalu   mahalā 1 thitī gharu 10 jati	Guru   Nanak Sahib	Bilaval	838-840
2	thitī   gaüṛī mahalā 5	Guru   Arjan Sahib	Gauri	296-300
3	rāg gaüṛī   thitīṁ kabīr jī kīṁ	Bhagat   Kabir	Gauri	343-344

Except for new moon and full moon, each day of the lunar month is named on the numerical basis. In the above compositions, this number runs uniformly from one to fourteen. The list of the names of these days, in these compositions and in the vernacular are given by Giani Haribans Singh, as follows:

Guru Nanak Sahib ekam dūjī tritīā caüthi pancamī khasṭī saptamī asṭamī naümī dasmī ekādasī duādasi/duādasī terasi caüdasi amāvasiā -	Guru Arjan Sahib ekam dutīā tritīā caturthi pancami khasṭami saptami asṭamī naümī dasmī ekādasī duādasī traüdasī caüdahi amāvasi pūranmā	Bhagat Kabir parivā dutīā tritīā caüthahi pāṁcai chaṭhi sātaiṁ asṭamī naümī dasmī ekādasī bārasi terasi caüdasi ammāvas pūniu	Vernacular Language Ekam/Pahila Duj Tij Chauth Panchami Chath Sate/Satto Atthe Naumi Dasmi Ekadashi Duadashi Trei/Tera Chaudas Massia Punnia/Puranmashi