Introduction
The fourth limb of the panchang is the yoga. The word "yoga" appears in many places in jyotish, so first a clarification: the panchang yoga and chart yogas (such as Gajakesari or raja yoga) are two different things. A chart yoga comes from how planets sit with one another. The panchang yoga is a measure of each day, like the tithi and the nakshatra.
How the yoga is calculated
The tithi comes from the difference between the Sun and Moon. The yoga comes from their sum.
- Take the sidereal longitudes of the Sun and the Moon (how many degrees each is along the zodiac).
- Add them. If the total passes 360°, subtract 360°.
- Divide by 13°20′. The yoga running is the one after the number of complete steps.
Example: with the Sun at 100° and the Moon at 50°, the sum is 150°. 150° holds 11 complete steps of 13°20′, so the 12th yoga, Dhruva, is running.
B. V. Raman's A Manual of Hindu Astrology gives this calculation. ePandit's engine does the same sum at sunrise for your city and shows today's yoga in the daily panchang.
The 27 yogas
| # | Yoga | # | Yoga | # | Yoga |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vishkambha | 10 | Ganda | 19 | Parigha |
| 2 | Priti | 11 | Vriddhi | 20 | Shiva |
| 3 | Ayushman | 12 | Dhruva | 21 | Siddha |
| 4 | Saubhagya | 13 | Vyaghata | 22 | Sadhya |
| 5 | Shobhana | 14 | Harshana | 23 | Shubha |
| 6 | Atiganda | 15 | Vajra | 24 | Shukla |
| 7 | Sukarma | 16 | Siddhi | 25 | Brahma |
| 8 | Dhriti | 17 | Vyatipata | 26 | Indra |
| 9 | Shula | 18 | Variyan | 27 | Vaidhriti |
A yoga usually lasts about a day, but like the tithi its length varies. The panchang prints its end time.
A word about the names
Some names sound alarming: Shula (spike), Ganda, Vajra (thunderbolt), Vyaghata. They are old names, as a star or a place has a name. Being born in a particular yoga settles nothing about a person. A chart is always read as a whole, not from one limb.
Vyatipata and Vaidhriti
Two of the 27, Vyatipata (17th) and Vaidhriti (27th), are specially remembered. Tradition does not choose them for starting ceremonies, such as a naamkaran, a wedding or a griha pravesh. The Dharmasindhu also names both as days to leave aside in its discussion of the time for naamkaran.
In plain terms, that only means not starting a samskara on these days. Daily work, study, office and puja go on as normal. A baby born in these yogas gives no cause for worry.
Where yoga fits in a muhurta
When choosing a muhurta, the yoga is one of five limbs. The tithi, weekday, nakshatra and karana are weighed with it, along with the family's own tradition. No single limb decides the day.