time, such as buying any article or initi-
ating any new project, unless it is
absolutely necessary. The period is also
deemed a good time for religious obser-
vances, particularly giving gifts (dana)
to brahmins. On the one hand this is a
way to propitiate the ancestors, whom
the brahmins represent, and thus what-
ever is given to brahmins is given sym-
bolically to the ancestors. On the other
hand, giving such gifts is also a rite of
protection against misfortune in an
inauspicious time, since the receiver is
believed to take away the bad luck along
with the gift.
Pitryajna
(“sacrificeto the ancestors”) One of the
Five Great Sacrifices (panchamahayajna)
prescribed in the dharma literature, the
texts on religious duty. These Five Great
Sacrifices are daily observances for a
“twice-born” householder, that is, one
who has been born into one of the three
“twice-born” groups in Indian society—
brahmin, kshatriya, or vaishya—and
who has received the adolescent reli-
gious initiationknown as the “second
birth.” Each of the five sacrifices (yajna)
is directed toward a different class of
beings—from the Absolute Reality down
to animals—and is satisfied by different
actions. The pitryajna is directed toward
one’s ancestors, and is satisfied by offer-
ingthem libations of water (tarpana). In
the time since the dharma literature was
composed Hindu life has undergone
significant changes, and some of these
five rites have been completely elided.
Although in certain contexts pitryajna is
still an important rite—particularly at
pilgrimage sites and in formal rites for
the dead—it is no longer performed on a
daily basis.
Pitta
(“bile”) Along with vata (“air”) and
kapha (“phlegm”), one of the three
humours (tridosha) in ayurveda, or
traditional Indian medicine. Every per-
son has all three of these humours, but
usually one is predominant, and this
marks a person in certain ways, particu-
larly with regard to health, digestion,
and metabolism. Pitta is associated with
the elements of fireand water, since
bile is a liquid involved in digestion,
which is believed to take place through
interior burning. Pitta is hot, intense,
and mobile, and those for whom this is
the predominant humor are said to have
a strong will, be good leaders, and be
blessed with good digestion. At the same
time, this inner fire gives them bodily
difficulties in hot weather, and to do
their best they must also learn how to
harness their fiery temperaments.Plakshadvipa
In traditional mythic geography, the sec-
ond of the seven concentric landmasses
(dvipas) making up the visible world.
See also cosmology.Planets
Indian astrology (jyotisha) recognizes
nine planets that affect human beings:
the five visible ones (Jupiter, Venus,
Mercury, Saturn, and Mars), the Sun
and Moon, and two planets not known
to Western astrology, Rahuand Ketu. Of
these, Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury are,
by themselves, always benevolent. The
moon is changeable, depending on its
position in the lunar cycle, and the oth-
ers are considered to have malefic ten-
dencies, although only Rahu and Ketu
are invariably malevolent. Rahu and
Ketu move throughout the zodiac, but
the others are all fixed in place. Each of
the planets is part of an elaborate series
of associations, including parts of the
body, family relationships, and personal
qualities. The influence of all these
planets can be heightened or weakened
according to their position in a person’s
natal horoscope, or their position vis-à-
vis the other planets. The astrological
tradition also recognizes a practice
known as pacification of planets,
through which their good qualities
can be heightened, or their malevolentPlanets