Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit transliteration: pakṣa.
Pakṣa means wing, side, or half, and hence a fortnight; the lunar cycle has a waxing side and a waning side.
Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary: pakṣa (University of Hyderabad) ↗
How we know · epistemology
Lunar phase convention
The waxing and waning halves follow the changing Sun–Moon angle. Their boundaries are astronomical phase events; any preference for one half for a particular activity is an additional cultural or astrological rule.
Connected concepts
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