Today Panchang: Panchangam

What is Panchang exactly used for? 

To be very honest, all your life, panchang has been helping you in some way or the other, but you simply were not aware of it. If you are married, then happens, the muhurat of your marriage was the result of a pandit looking into the panchang to scoop out the most suitable date for you to tie the knot. The suitable time depends on the position of planets ruling marriage or love, the tithi, the nakshatra that compliments marriage and much more. Also, are you pregnant? Well, when the baby would be born, it is the panchang that would help you find out what nakshatra s/he is born in. The nakshatra of a child defines his qualities and also helps a parent understand him better. Apart from this, panchang also comes in handy in finding the shubh muhurat to start a business, for bhoomi pujan and so much more. 

The purpose of finding Today's panchang, that our astrologers explain, is to use the Hindu calendar at its best and live while being aware of the natural forces that rule or run the world. Though not compulsory, but abiding by these pious timings has its own set of benefits. When you do something during the shubh kaal period, it allows you the blessing of planets and the Gods owing to their favourable position. 

At AstroTalk, today’s panchang is prepared by the best astrologers after a detailed study. The astrologers can also help you in understanding what aspects means what so the next time, you don't have to rely on us to understand what is panchang and how it works. 

Now that you might have understood the significance of panchang, let’s look in detail at the 5 aspects of panchang and what it means and how you can use panchang for your good.

1. Vaar 

Vaar, also called Din, is the easiest thing to understand when considering Panchang reading. Vaar means the day of the week. Each day of the week does not just differ by its name but is also ruled by a different astrological planet. Knowing what planet is ruling what day helps you in understanding what kind of effect the day can have on you. Below are the names of the day and in the bracket is the planet that rules that particular day. 

• Sunday (Sun)
• Monday (Moon)
• Tuesday (Mars)
• Wednesday (Mercury)
• Thursday (Jupiter)
• Friday (Venus)
• Saturday (Saturn)

2. Tithi 

Tithi (along with Paksha) is the day according to the Hindu lunar calendar. An astrologer would tell you that the Hindu lunar calendar consists of a dark and a bright fortnight also called paksha. When the moon completes 12 degrees of its movement on the Sun, it is called a Tithi or Hindu lunar day. 

All in all, there are as many as 30 tithis in a lunar month. When considering Tithis, they either belong to Shukl Paksha or Krishna paksha. In astrology, the beginning and end of a Tithi depends upon the degree of the Moon from that of the Sun. Hence a tithi can start or end at any time of the day. There are several rituals associated with Tithis. Most of the festivals fall on the new moon day (Amavasya) or the full moon day (Poornima).

The Hindu Tithis are classified into five types:

• Nanda Tithi - for happiness and joy
• Bhadra Tithi - is considered good for starting any new work
• Jaya Tithi - the tithi helps you win over your enemies
• Rikta Tithi - most of the time, this tithi is ignored as it is not considered good for any important work.
• Poorna Tithi - very favourable to complete all kinds of job

3. Nakshatra 

Another important constituent of Today's panchang is Nakshatra. For the unaware, nakshatras are nothing but constellations donning the sky. There are as many as 27 Nakshatras in astrology and all of them are ruled by some God. Naksahstra were invented by the Vedic astrologer to simply further divide the 12 zodiac signs into 27 parts for better reading and categorising their different aspects. Nakshatra most of the time is considered the most important element of Panchang reading.  

When we divide the 12 zodiac signs into 27 nakshatras, each nakshatra contains thirteen degrees and twenty minutes of the zodiac. You could be born in any of the 27 nakshatras as nakshatras change every one day. Nakshatra are divided into three types: Deva, Manuj and Rakshas. As the name suggests, Rakshas nakshatras and inauspicious while the remaining bring auspicious results for the native most of the time. 

Here are the names of all 27 nakshatras in astrology:

*TABLE*

No. English Name Devanagari Name Tamil Name Malayalam Name

1 Ashvini/Aswini अश्विनी Aswini Aswathi 

2 Bharani भरणी Bharani Bharani 

3 Krittika/Krithika कृत्तिका Karthigai Kaarthika 

4 Rohini रोहिणी Rohini Rohini 

5 Mrigashirsha मृगशीर्ष Mrigasheersham Makeeryam 

6 Ardra आर्द्रा Thiruvaathirai Thiruvaathira 

7 Punarvasu पुनर्वसु Punarpoosam Punartham 

8 Pushya पुष्य Poosam Pooyyam 

9 Ashlesha आश्ळेषा/आश्लेषा Aayilyam Aayilyam 

10 Magha मघा Makam Makham 

11 Purva Phalguni पूर्व फाल्गुनी Pooram Pooram 

12 Uttara Phalguni उत्तर फाल्गुनी Uthiram Uthram 

13 Hasta हस्त Hastham Atham 

14 Chitra चित्रा Chithirai Chitra 

15 Swati स्वाति Swaathi Chothi 

16 Vishakha विशाखा Visaakam Visaakam 

17 Anuradha अनुराधा Anusham Anizham 

18 Jyeshtha ज्येष्ठा Kettai Thrikketta 

19 Mula मूल Moolam Moolam 

20 Purva Ashadha पूर्वाषाढा Pooraadam Pooraadam 

21 Uttara Ashadha उत्तराषाढा Uthiraadam Uthraadam 

22 Shravana श्रवण Thiruvonam Thiruvonam 

23 Dhanishtha श्रविष्ठा/धनिष्ठा Avittam Avittam 

24 Shatabhisha शतभिषक्/शततारका Chathayam/Sadayam Chathayam 

25 Purva Bhadrapada पूर्वभाद्रपदा/पूर्वप्रोष्ठपदा Poorattathi Poorattadhi 

26 Uttara Bhadrapada उत्तरभाद्रपदा/उत्तरप्रोष्ठपदा Uthirattathi Uthrattathi 

27 Revati रेवती Revathi Revathi    

4. Yoga 

In Panchang, the literal meaning of the word ‘Yoga’ is addition. a Yoga is derived from the addition of the Sun's and Moon's position in the Zodiac. Each yoga specifies some characteristic of the persona. There are 27 ‘Yogas’, in Panchang. The first yog (Viskumbh) ends when the sum is 13°20'. Second Yog ( Priti) ends when it is 26°40' and so on.

Vaidhriti and Vyatipaat Yogas are mostly avoided when considering performing an auspicious act. Out of the remaining Yogas, the first three Ghatis of Vajra and Vishkumbha, the first half of Parigh, the first five ghatis of Shool, the first nine ghatis of Vyaghat, and the first nine ghatis of Gand and Atigand are to be discarded for all the auspicious acts. A Ghati is an ancient time measurement system, A Ghati is equivalent to the modern 24 Minutes.

There are 27 yogas, namely:

1. Vishakumbha - Achieving - (the native is victorious over enemies, gets the property and wealth)

2. Preeti -  Happy - (the native is popular, fascinated to the opposite gender)

3. Aayushman - Grounded - (the native enjoys a long life, is enthusiastic)

4. Saubhagya -  Wealth - (The person enjoys a contented life full of prospects, happiness)

5. Shobhana - Beautiful -(The person is sensualist, passionate about sex)

6. Atiganda -  Risk - (problematic life due to some difficulties, prone to accidents)

7. Sukarma - Plentiful - (performs honourable activities, generous and successful.)

8. Dhriti - Entertainment - (enjoys life, good time with partner, love to pamper)

9. Shoola -  Argumentative - (argumentative and conflicting, argumentative, angry.)

10. Ganda - Worrying - ( A bit imperfect in terms of principles, concerning personality)

11. Vriddhi - Perspicacity - (intellectual, unethical and discriminating, constantly progresses with age.)

12. Dhruva - Dependable - (The native has a stable personality, is very focused)

13. Vyaghaata - Fierce - (unkind, certainly may hurt others)

14. Harshana - Pleasure - (The native is intellectual, pleasures in cheerfulness and funniness.)

15. Vajra - Power - ( the native tends to be wealthy, lascivious, changeable, forceful.)

16. Siddhi - Success - (The native has multiple talents; defender and follower of others.)

17. Vyatipaata - Difficulty - (may face unexpected setbacks, unstable)

18. Variyaana - luxurious -(loves comfort and amenity, lazy, passionate.)

19. Parigha - Barrier - (may encounter many problems; short-tempered and interfering)

20. Shiva - Benevolent - (pleased by seniors and government, calm and learned)

21. Siddha - Expert - (generous personality, good nature, interest in customary and righteousness)

22. Saaddhya - Mediation - (full of manners and politeness.)

23. Shubha - Favourable - (glossy body but difficulties with health, short-temper)

24. Shukla - Bright - (talkative and unreliable, tottering and changeable mind)

25. Brahma -  Reliable- (the native is truthful and stable, has ambitions and good judgement.)

26. Indra - Headship - (curiosity in training and knowledge; obliging, well off.)

27. Vaidhriti - Divisive - (dangerous, conniving nature; influential and irresistible mentally or physically.)

5. Karna

Half of Tithi is called `Karna'. In each Tithi, there are two Karans and in total, we have 11 Karnas in total. Four of them occur just once a month and are called the Fixed Karanas: Kintughna, Chatushpada, Sakuni and Naga.

The other seven are movable Karanas. They follow one another in a fixed rotation: Bava, Balava, Kaulava, Taitila, Gara, Vanija and Vishti.

Movable Karan      Fixed Karan

Bava                 Sakuni

Balava               Chatushpad

Kaulava              Naag

Taitila                Kintughna

Gara 

Vanij

Vishti or Bhadra 

Each of the Karanas is said to have its own influence and interpretation. ‘Vishti’ is considered the most inauspicious karana. No important or new work is done during the period of this karana.    

To get more information about Panchang, you can talk to our astrologers.