Paksham

The Sanskrit term "Paksha" (पक्ष) literally means "side" or "half." It denotes one of the two halves of the lunar month, the waxing (Shukla Paksha) and the waning (Krishna Paksha). This division is fundamental to the Hindu lunisolar calendar, with its earliest attested usage found in ancient Vedic texts.

An a.stronomical calculation: one half of the lunar month or 14 days; two paksham (or paccham) making a month of mortals, but only a day of the Pitar devata or the "father-gods". Palaeolithic. A newly-coined term meaning in geologj' "anoient stone" age, as a contrast to the term neolithic, the "newer" or later stone age. Palasa Tn( (Sk.). Called also Kanaka (hutca frondosa) a tree with red flowers of very occult properties. Pali. The ancient language of ^Magadha. one that preceded the more rctined Sanskrit. The Buddhist Scriptures are all written in this language.

Blavatsky's inclusion of "Paksham" within her lexicon, though briefly defined and somewhat conflated with other terms, points to a crucial element of esoteric Hindu thought: the cosmic significance of lunar cycles. The division of the month into two "sides," the bright and the dark, is more than mere calendrical reckoning; it reflects a dualistic yet complementary worldview. The waxing phase, Shukla Paksha, associated with the moon's increasing brilliance, is often linked to growth, manifestation, and divine favor. Conversely, Krishna Paksha, the waning phase, evokes themes of dissolution, introspection, and the hidden realms. This rhythmic oscillation mirrors the larger cosmic dance of creation and dissolution, of appearance and disappearance, as described by scholars like Mircea Eliade in his studies of archaic cosmologies.

The observation that two mortal pakshams constitute a month, but only a day for the "Pitar devata" or ancestral spirits, is particularly resonant. It echoes the ancient Indian concept of divine time, where celestial beings perceive eons as moments. This relativity of time, a theme explored by thinkers from Plato to modern physicists, suggests that our perception of duration is deeply embedded in our state of consciousness and our position within the cosmic order. The Pitar, dwelling in realms closer to the divine, experience existence at a vastly accelerated pace, rendering our human months as fleeting as a single sunrise. Understanding Paksham, therefore, is not just about tracking the moon; it is about contemplating the manifold dimensions of time and existence, and our place within its grand, unfolding cycles. It invites us to consider the possibility that our measured hours and days are but one facet of a much grander temporal reality.