The sankalp (संकल्प) is the vow recited before every puja, vrat or ritual. It states who is performing the act, where, and — most precisely — when: the performer locates the moment in cosmic time, naming the kalpa, manvantara and yuga, then the samvatsara (year), ayana (solar half-year), ritu (season), masa (lunar month), paksha (fortnight), tithi (lunar day) and vaar (weekday). Without a sankalp the ritual is considered incomplete — it binds the act to its exact moment and intention.

1. Cosmic frame — kalpa, manvantara, yuga (fixed for our era)
2. Place — dvipa, desha and the town or kshetra you are in
3. Samvatsara — the year's name in the 60-year cycle
4. Ayana & Ritu — the Sun's half-year and the season
5. Masa, Paksha, Tithi, Vaar — month, fortnight, lunar day, weekday
6. The performer's gotra & name, and the purpose of the puja