What muhurta means
"Get an auspicious muhurta fixed" is something heard in every Indian home. But what exactly is a muhurta?
The Muhūrta-cintāmaṇi's commentary gives the word two meanings. First, one fifteenth of the day or the night: there are 15 muhurtas in the day and 15 at night, and with equal day and night one muhurta is 48 minutes. Second, a time chosen after careful thought for some work.
The Muhūrta-cintāmaṇi itself was written by Rāma, son of Ananta Daivajña, and remains the most widely followed classical text on muhurta. It describes itself as a means of knowing the right time for many rites, beginning with jātakarma. This page gives a broad view of what is looked at when a muhurta is chosen.
Step one: panchanga shuddhi
B. V. Raman, in Muhurtha, puts "panchanga shuddhi" plainly: a good tithi, a good weekday, a good nakshatra, a good yoga and a fitting karana. The five limbs are read one by one:
- Tithi: the Muhūrta-cintāmaṇi groups the tithis as Nandā, Bhadrā, Jayā, Riktā and Pūrṇā. For a new start tradition usually does not pick a Riktā tithi (4, 9, 14) or Amavasya.
- Weekday: each weekday has a nature. The Muhūrta-cintāmaṇi places Sunday in the dhruva group, Monday in chara, Thursday in kshipra and Friday in mridu.
- Nakshatra: the nakshatra is matched to the nature of the work: dhruva for lasting work (such as Rohini), chara for travel (such as Shravana), mridu for arts and new clothes (such as Revati), kshipra for study and trade (such as Pushya).
- Yoga: tradition does not hold ceremonies in Vyatipata and Vaidhriti, and the opening part of some yogas is left out.
- Karana: in Vishti, that is Bhadra, ceremonies and new starts are not held.
You can read about each limb in detail on its own page.
Step two: tara bala and chandra bala for the person
The panchang is the same for everyone, but for the person the muhurta is meant for, two more things are read. Raman writes that these are common to almost every election:
- Tara bala: which tara today's nakshatra makes from your birth nakshatra. The Muhūrta-cintāmaṇi names nine.
- Chandra bala: which place today's Moon occupies from your birth Moon sign.
Raman adds a third, panchaka, worked out from the numbers of the tithi, weekday, nakshatra and lagna. For major ceremonies such as a wedding, the pandit checks these for both bride and groom.
Step three: the lagna
Once the day is fixed, the clock time is chosen, and for that the sign rising at the moment, the muhurta's lagna, is read. The Muhūrta-cintāmaṇi (Nakṣatra-prakaraṇa 44) gives a general rule for all auspicious work:
- the 8th and 12th from the lagna should be empty;
- the Moon should be 3rd, 6th, 10th or 11th from the lagna;
- the lagna should be joined or aspected by benefics.
Each ceremony also has its own rules, set out in separate chapters of the Muhūrta-cintāmaṇi: the Saṁskāra-prakaraṇa, Vivāha-prakaraṇa, Yātrā-prakaraṇa, the chapter on griha-pravesh and others. The lagna changes roughly every two hours, so a single day can hold both better and less good windows.
Simpler tools for small beginnings
Not every task needs a full muhurta. Tradition has some easy aids:
- Abhijit muhurta: the eighth muhurta, around midday, held in respect (except on Wednesday).
- Hora: the Muhūrta-cintāmaṇi says a weekday's work may be done in that weekday lord's hora.
- Godhuli: the Vivāha-prakaraṇa praises the twilight hour highly.
- Choghadiya and Rahu kaal: later regional traditions, not in the classical text, but many families follow them with affection.
Family tradition and practicality
The purpose of a muhurta is to begin work with a good heart at a peaceful time, not to frighten anyone. So a few things are always worth remembering:
- The family's kul tradition comes first. Many families have their own fixed days, temples and customs.
- For health, the doctor is always the first help. The timing of a delivery, an operation or a treatment is the doctor's decision; the muhurta can move around it.
- A perfect muhurta is not always available. The texts themselves offer remedies and alternatives in many places. A "slightly less good" time brings no misfortune.
ePandit's panchang shows all these limbs, Abhijit, hora, choghadiya and Rahu kaal for your city. For major ceremonies, it is good to have your pandit prepare the full muhurta.