Maha Vishnu

The terms AM and PM, which we commonly use to describe time of day, are not actually of Latin origin as is commonly believed. They are actually derived from the Sanskrit words Arohanam Martandasya and Patanam Martandasya.

• Arohanam Martandasya means “the climbing of the sun” and refers to the time before midday.
• Patanam Martandasya means “the falling of the sun” and refers to the time after midday.

The Vedic time system is based on the movement of the sun, and so these two terms are a more accurate way of describing the time of day than AM and PM.

In the Vedic system, the day is divided into 12 equal parts, called Muhurtas. Each Muhurta is further divided into 8 parts, called Kalas. The day begins at sunrise and ends at sunset.

The Vedic time system is still used by some Hindus today, especially for religious purposes. It is also used in some traditional Indian calendars.

Here is a table that shows the correspondence between the Vedic time system and the AM and PM system:

Vedic Time – AM/PM

Arohanam Martandasya – AM

Madhyahnam – Noon

Patanam Martandasya – PM