The Teachings of Yajnavalkya/Yajnavalkya 95 Years Cycle

The Yajnavalkya 95-year cycle is a method of reconciling the lunar and solar calendars. It was proposed by the ancient Indian sage Yajnavalkya, who is believed to have lived around the 8th century BCE.

The lunar calendar is based on the cycles of the Moon, and has 12 months of 29.5 days each. This means that the lunar calendar is about 11 days shorter than the solar calendar, which is based on the Earth's orbit around the Sun.

The Yajnavalkya 95-year cycle corrects for this difference by adding an extra month (Adhika Masa) to the lunar calendar every 32.5 years. This means that in a 95-year cycle, there will be 71 lunar years and 70 solar years.

The Yajnavalkya 95-year cycle is still used in India today to calculate Hindu religious festivals.

Here is an example of how the Yajnavalkya 95-year cycle works:

1. In the year 1, the solar and lunar calendars are aligned.
2. In the year 11, the lunar calendar is 11 days behind the solar calendar.
3. In the year 32.5, an extra month is added to the lunar calendar to bring it into alignment with the solar calendar.
4. In the year 43.5, the lunar calendar is 11 days behind the solar calendar again.
5. In the year 65, an extra month is added to the lunar calendar to bring it into alignment with the solar calendar again.
6. In the year 95, the solar and lunar calendars are aligned again.

The Yajnavalkya 95-year cycle is a remarkable example of the ancient Indians' knowledge of astronomy and mathematics. It is also a testament to their ability to develop complex systems to track time and calculate religious festivals.