Vṛṣabha

This article is about a solar month. For the first tirthankara of Jainism, see Rishabhanatha. For avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, see Rishabha (Hinduism).

Vṛṣabha, Vrishabha or Vṛṣa, is a month in the Indian solar calendar.^[1][2] It corresponds to the zodiacal sign of Taurus, and overlaps with about the second half of May and about the first half of June in the Gregorian calendar.^[1] The first day of the month is called Vrishbha Sankranti, and it generally falls on May 14 or 15.^[3]

Taurus Astrological Sign at the Wisconsin State Capitol

In Vedic texts, the month of Vṛṣabha is called Madhava (IAST: Mādhava), but in these ancient texts it has no zodiacal associations.^[4] The solar month of Vṛṣabha overlaps with the lunar month of Jyeshtha in Hindu lunisolar calendars.^[5][6] Vṛṣabha is preceded by the solar month of Mesha and followed by the solar month of Mithuna.^[2]

The month of Vṛṣabha is called Vaikasi in the Tamil Hindu calendar.^[1] The ancient and medieval era Sanskrit texts of India vary in their calculations about the duration of Vrsabha, just like they do with other months. For example, the Surya Siddhanta calculates the duration of Vrsabha to be 31 days, 10 hours, 5 minutes and 12 seconds. In contrast, the Arya Siddhanta calculates the duration of Vrsabha to be 31 days, 9 hours, 37 minutes and 36 seconds.^[6]

The Indian solar month names are significant in epigraphical studies of South Asia. For example, Vṛṣabha month, along with other solar months, are found inscribed in medieval era Hindu temples, sometimes spelled as the Rishabha month.^[7]

Vṛṣabha is also an astrological sign in Indian horoscope systems, corresponding to Taurus.^[8]

Vṛṣabha is also the twelfth month in the Darian calendar for the planet Mars, when the Sun traverses the central sector of the constellation Taurus as seen from Mars.