ASTROLOGY FUNDAMENTALS - PART 4

(a)  What is a Panchanga ?

A Panchanga is a calendar or an almanac that was formulated for the people of the Hindu religion during the Vedic  period when the subject of Vedic Astrology evolved.

The fundamental mathematical basis for the formulation of the Panchanga is the relative motion between the Sun & the Moon with each other and further the relative motion of the Sun & the Moon with respect to the other Planets (Grahas), Constellations Of Stars (Nakshatras) & Zodiac Signs (Rashis) in the Solar System.

The Panchanga is a calendar that is quite considerably more complex than the Gregorian calendar that was formulated in the Western Civilization.

The Panchanga Calendar is primarily used to identify & determine the auspicious and inauspicious dates and time windows for important works, events and accomplishments such as Marriage , Griha Pravesh (House Warming), New Business Starting, Property Registration, Surgeries, Child Birth Etc.. 

The auspicious time determined using a Panchang for any auspicious event is known as MUHURTA (MUHURAT).

The Panchanga also gives dates and time windows for all minor, moderate & major events related to Hindu festivals, Hindu Deity Worships & Various Other Hindu Religious Rituals & Ceremonies Etc.

(b)  What are the the 5 main components (Five Limbs) of a Panchanga ?

1. TITHI - The Tithi is a lunar day calculated on the basis of the Waxing Phase & The Waning Phase of the Moon. There are 15 fixed Tithis. The Hindu Lunar month consists of  30 Tithis (Lunar Days) which includes 15 Tithis (Lunar Days)  of the waxing phase of the Moon and 15 Tithis (Lunar Days) of the waning phase of the Moon. Every Tithi is associated with a planet and every Tithi is also associated with different kinds of auspicious events such as Marriage Ceremony, New Business Starting, House Construction, Education  Etc.

The names of the 15 (Fifteen) Tithis are :-

(1)  PRATIPADA

(2)  DWITIYA

(3)  TRITIYA

(4)  CHATURTHI

(5)  PANCHAMI

(6)  SHASHTI

(7)  SAPTAMI

(8)  ASHTAMI

(9)  NAVAMI

(10)  DASHAMI

(11)  EKADASHI

(12)  DWADASHI

(13)  TRAYODASHI

(14)  CHATURDASHI

(15)  POORNIMA  or  AMAVASYA

2.  VAARA or DINA - The VAARA or DINA is a solar day calculated on the basis of the sunrise a of a given day and the sunrise of the day consecutive to the given day. On the other hand, the Gregorian Calendar which is also a solar calendar, calculates the solar day between 12 am of a given day to the 12 am of the day consecutive to the given day. 

Every Vaara or Dina is also associated with a planet and every Vaara or Dina is also associated with different kinds of auspicious events such as Marriage Ceremony, New Business Starting, House Construction, Education Etc.

There are 7 (Seven) Vaaras or Dinas :-

(1)  RAVI  VAARA  (Sunday)

(2)  SOMA  VAARA  (Monday)

(3)  MANGAL  VAARA  (Tuesday)

(4)  BUDH  VAARA  (Wednesday)

(5)  GURU  VAARA  (Thursday)

(6)  SHUKRA  VAARA  (Friday)

(7)  SHANI  VAARA  (Saturday)

3.  NAKSHATRA - The travel of the moon through various Nakshatras on every solar day (Vaara) and lunar day (Tithi) also determines whether the Nakshatras are auspicious for different kinds of auspicious events such as Marriage Ceremony, New Business Starting, House Construction, Education Etc.

4. KARANA - The Karana is a auspicious time window on every given solar day (Vaara) or lunar day (Tithi) which is calculated on the basis of a Tithi & the Karana determines if the auspicious time window of Karana is suitable for different kinds of auspicious events such as Marriage Ceremony, New Business Starting, House Construction, Education Etc.. The Karana time window is half the time duration of a Tithi.

There are 11 (Eleven) Karanas and their names are as follows :-

(1) BAV  KARANA

(2)  BAALAV  KARANA

(3)  KAULAV  KARANA

(4)  TAITIL  KARANA

(5)  GAR  KARANA

(6)  VANIJ  KARANA

(7)  VISHTI  or  BHADRA  KARANA

(8)  SHAKUNI  KARANA

(9)  CHATUSPAD  KARANA

(10)  NAGA  KARANA

(11)  KIMSTUGHNA  KARANA

5. YOGA - The Yoga is a good effect or a bad effect on every given solar day (Vaara) or lunar day (Tithi) caused by the relative motions of the Sun & the Moon and every Yoga determines the good effect or bad effect associated with different kinds of auspicious events such as Marriage Ceremony, New Business Starting, House Construction, Education Etc..

There are 27 (Twenty Seven) Yogas and their names are as follows :-

(1)  VISHAKUMBHA

(2)  PREETI

(3)  AAYUSHMAAN

(4)  SAUBHAGYA 

(5)  SHOBHANA

(6)  ATIGANDA

(7)  SUKARMA

(8)  DHRITI

(9)  SHOOLA

(10)  GANDA

(11)  VRIDDHI

(12)  DHRUVA

(13)  VYAGHAATA

(14)  HARSHANA

(15)  VAJRA

(16)  SIDDHI

(17)  VYATIPAATA

(18)  VARIYAANA

(19)  PARIGHA

(20)  SHIVA

(21)  SIDDHA

(22)  SAADHYA

(23)  SHUBHA

(24)  SHUKLA

(25)  BRAHMA

(26)  INDRA

(27)  VAIDHRITI