Loading...
Loading...
प्रत्येक तिथि दो करणों (प्रत्येक 6° कोणीय दूरी) में विभक्त होती है, जिससे 7 चर और 4 स्थिर प्रकारों से प्रति चान्द्र मास 60 करण बनते हैं
A karana is the smallest temporal unit in the Panchang system. It represents half of a tithi — 6° of Moon-Sun elongation. Since a lunar month contains 30 tithis and each tithi has two karanas, there are 60 karanas per month. Despite being the finest subdivision, the karana carries distinct astrological significance, especially when it comes to avoiding inauspicious windows.
There are 11 named karanas in total, divided into two categories. The 7 Chara (movable) karanas cycle repeatedly through the month: Bava, Balava, Kaulava, Taitila, Gara, Vanija, and Vishti (also called Bhadra). These 7 names cycle through 8 complete rounds to fill 56 of the 60 slots. The remaining 4 are Sthira (fixed) karanas that appear only once each: Kimstughna (slot 1, first half of Shukla Pratipada), and Shakuni, Chatushpada, Nagava (slots 58, 59, 60, at the end of Krishna Amavasya).
Among the Chara karanas, each has a distinct character: Bava brings strength, Balava brings auspiciousness, Kaulava friendship, Taitila worldly success, Gara agricultural prosperity, and Vanija commercial gain. Vishti (Bhadra), however, is the notorious exception — it is considered deeply inauspicious for all new beginnings.
Karanas are described in the Surya Siddhanta and elaborated in Muhurta Chintamani and BPHS. The Vishti (Bhadra) karana receives special attention in Dharmashastra texts — the Dharmasindhu devotes an entire section to determining whether Bhadra is in its "mukha" (face, heavenly position) or "puchha" (tail, earthly position), as this distinction modulates the intensity of its malefic effects. The four-fold Sthira karana system reflects the ancient recognition that certain lunar phases at the month's edges carry unique energy.