Why is Mārgaśīrṣa (Agahan / Mārgazhi) called the best of months?

in the Gītā Kṛṣṇa says “among months I am Mārgaśīrṣa”; it is a month of early-morning devotion across India.

In the Bhagavad Gītā (10.35), describing his glories, Kṛṣṇa says “māsānāṁ mārgaśīrṣo ’ham” — among months, I am Mārgaśīrṣa. It falls in the pleasant early winter after harvest, a season of plenty and calm.

Regions honour it in their own ways. In Tamil Nadu, Mārgazhi mornings bring kolams at the doorstep, the singing of Āṇḍāḷ’s Tiruppāvai and Māṇikkavācakar’s Tiruvempāvai, and music festivals. In Odisha, Maharashtra and parts of the East, women keep the Mārgaśīrṣa Guruvāra (Thursday) Lakṣmī vrat. The month also holds Gītā Jayantī on Mokṣadā Ekādaśī, Datta Jayantī on the Pūrṇimā, and Vivāha Pañcamī, the wedding day of Rāma and Sītā.

A lovely simple practice: read a little of the Gītā each day of this month, and finish with a reading of chapter 10 on Gītā Jayantī.

Bhagavad Gītā 10.35 · Source: Bhagavad Gītā; regional traditions

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