Doubts about the forthcoming lunar eclipse on 8th November.
Must the tharppanam be performed when the moon is visible? Or must it be performed during the sparsham (commencement of eclipse)?
If the tharppanam is when the moon is visible, must we interpret that it is after completion of the eclipse?
If it is cloudy, the moon might not be visible? What recourse do we have?
Vidwan’s reply
As a general rule, for lunar eclipse, tharppanam must be performed after the eclipse is maximum (madhyamam). This is applicable when the eclipse occurs during the night time.
For the lunar eclipse on 8th November, the madhyamam is 4.30 PM in the afternoon.
There is no punya kalam period for this eclipse which occurs during the day time. Hence, after sunset, before the eclipse ends around 6.19 PM, one must take bath and perform tharppanam.
Tharppanam is performed while the eclipse is still on and not after it ends.
Panchangam is the primary source, even during cloudy periods. Following the details of panchangam, tharppanam is performed during the eclipse. Invisibility of the moon is not the basis. Rituals are performed based on the panchangam
