December 2026
Margashirsha Purnima (Dattatreya Jayanti)
मार्गशीर्ष पूर्णिमा (दत्तात्रेय जयंती)
📅 23 December 2026
🌕 Quick Info
Margashirsha Purnima — Krishna's sacred month ends with this full moon. Dattatreya Jayanti (Adi Guru) is also celebrated on this day.
मार्गशीर्ष पूर्णिमा — कृष्ण प्रिय महीने की पूर्णिमा। इस दिन दत्तात्रेय जयंती (आदि गुरु) भी मनाई जाती है।
About this festival
Full moon of the Margashirsha month. Lord Krishna declared in the Bhagavad Gita: 'Of months, I am Margashirsha.' Dattatreya Jayanti, celebrating the divine trinity incarnation, also falls on this Purnima.
मार्गशीर्ष महीने की पूर्णिमा। भगवान कृष्ण ने गीता में कहा: 'मासानां मार्गशीर्षोऽहम्।' इस पूर्णिमा को दत्तात्रेय जयंती भी मनाई जाती है।
✨ Key Significance
- Dattatreya Jayanti
- Krishna and Vishnu worship
- river bathing
- charity
- year-end spiritual reflection
🙏 How to Observe
- Begin the day with sankalp and short prayer.
- Include: Dattatreya Jayanti.
- Include: Krishna and Vishnu worship.
- Include: river bathing.
- Conclude with gratitude, prasad, and positive resolve.
📆 December Guidance
Year-end reflection, gratitude, and spiritual closure.
- Review yearly sankalp
- Quiet prayer and japa
- Charity and mindful new-year intent
📝 Detailed Notes
Margashirsha Purnima is one of the most sacred full moons of the year. Lord Krishna elevated this month above all others in the Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 10, Verse 35), declaring: "Among months, I am Margashirsha."
Dattatreya Jayanti (on this Purnima):
- Lord Dattatreya is the divine incarnation of the Trimurti — Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva — united in one form.
- He is the first guru (Adi Guru) in the Nath tradition and a symbol of spiritual synthesis.
- Devotees recite Dattatreya stotras, visit Datta temples, and seek blessings for wisdom and liberation.
Why Margashirsha is sacred:
- Margashirsha (Agahan) is considered the month of Lord Krishna.
- Devotees traditionally wake early for Mangal snan (sacred bath) throughout the month.
- The full moon magnifies the spiritual energy of the entire month.
How to observe:
- Take a predawn bath (Brahma Muhurta snan) and offer prayers to Lord Vishnu or Krishna.
- Recite Vishnu Sahasranama, Dattatreya Stotra, or a chapter from Bhagavad Gita.
- Offer tulsi, yellow flowers, and prasad to the deity.
- Donate food, blankets, or essentials to the poor in the winter season.
- Perform Satya Narayan Puja or visit the nearest Datta or Vishnu temple.
Margashirsha Purnima is also a beautiful occasion for year-end reflection — reviewing one's spiritual journey and setting intentions for the coming year.