A Tithi is the time it takes for the Moon to advance 12° ahead of the Sun. There are 15 Tithis in each Paksha (fortnight). Tithis govern the quality of the day — Pratipada is for new starts, Purnima (full moon) for abundance, Amavasya (new moon) for ancestors.
- Pratipada (1st) — new ventures, Chandra Darshan
- Dwitiya (2nd) — good for travel, business
- Tritiya (3rd) — learning, writing
- Chaturthi (4th) — Ganesha worship, obstacle removal
- Panchami (5th) — Naga Panchami, healing
- Shashthi (6th) — Kartikeya puja, children's welfare
- Saptami (7th) — Sun worship, travel
- Ashtami (8th) — Durga, courage
- Navami (9th) — Devi puja, family
- Dashami (10th) — service, Dharma
- Ekadashi (11th) — Vishnu, fasting, liberation
- Dwadashi (12th) — break Ekadashi fast, charity
- Trayodashi (13th) — Pradosh, Shiva puja
- Chaturdashi (14th) — Shiva, powerful for tapas
- Purnima/Amavasya (15th) — full/new moon
The 27 Nakshatras divide the 360° ecliptic into equal 13°20' segments. The Moon occupies one Nakshatra per day. Your birth Nakshatra (Janma Nakshatra) is determined by the Moon's position at birth. It governs your Vimshottari Dasha sequence and Tara Bala.
- Ashwini → Revati: 27 nakshatras, 9 ruling planets (3 each)
- Each nakshatra has a Pada (quarter) of 3°20'
- Tara Bala: auspiciousness of current nakshatra vs birth nakshatra
- Pushya Nakshatra: most auspicious for purchases and major activities
A Yoga is formed by adding the longitudes of the Sun and Moon (modulo 360°) and dividing by 13°20'. There are 27 Yogas, ranging from very auspicious (Siddhi, Amrita) to inauspicious (Visha, Vyatipata). The Yoga changes roughly daily.
- Vishkambha (1st) — inauspicious
- Priti (2nd) — love, friendship
- Ayushman (3rd) — long life
- Saubhagya (4th) — good fortune
- Shobhana (5th) — auspicious
- ...up to Vaidhriti (27th) — very inauspicious
- Amrita Siddhi: Sun + Moon in special Nakshatra+Vara combo — very auspicious
- Sarvartha Siddhi: grants success in all undertakings
A Karana is half a Tithi (~6 hours). There are 11 Karanas: 4 fixed (Shakuni, Chatushpada, Naga, Kimstughna) and 7 repeating (Bava, Balava, Kaulava, Taitila, Garaja, Vanija, Vishti). Vishti Karana (Bhadra) is inauspicious for new work.
- Bava — general good activities
- Balava — friends, travel
- Kaulava — ceremonies
- Taitila — business
- Garaja — agriculture
- Vanija — trade, commerce
- Vishti (Bhadra) — avoid new work; auspicious for destruction of enemies
The 7 Varas (weekdays) are each ruled by a planet. This determines the primary energy and remedy for the day. The Sanskrit names: Ravivara (Sun), Somvara (Moon), Mangalavara (Mars), Budhavara (Mercury), Guruvara (Jupiter), Shukravara (Venus), Shanivara (Saturn).
- Sunday (Ravi) — Sun; good for government work, authority
- Monday (Soma) — Moon; good for travel, public dealings
- Tuesday (Mangala) — Mars; avoid peaceful negotiations
- Wednesday (Budha) — Mercury; best for business, writing
- Thursday (Guru) — Jupiter; auspicious for all rituals
- Friday (Shukra) — Venus; good for arts, romance, luxury
- Saturday (Shani) — Saturn; avoid new beginnings; good for service
Choghadiya divides the day (sunrise to sunset) and night (sunset to sunrise) into 8 equal segments each. Each segment is ruled by a planet and has a quality: Amrit (nectar — best), Shubh (auspicious), Labh (profit), Char (travel), Kaal (bad), Rog (avoid), Udveg (avoid), Vaar Vela (neutral).
- Amrit — best for all auspicious activities
- Shubh — good for ceremonies, new ventures
- Labh — profit, financial dealings
- Char — travel, movement
- Kaal — avoid important tasks
- Rog — avoid; associated with illness
- Udveg — government matters only
Rahu Kaal is a daily 1.5-hour period considered inauspicious for starting new work. It is calculated by dividing the day into 8 equal parts; Rahu occupies one segment. The sequence varies by weekday. Avoid starting journeys, ceremonies, or business deals during Rahu Kaal.
- Sunday: 4:30–6:00 PM
- Monday: 7:30–9:00 AM
- Tuesday: 3:00–4:30 PM
- Wednesday: 12:00–1:30 PM
- Thursday: 1:30–3:00 PM
- Friday: 10:30 AM–12:00 PM
- Saturday: 9:00–10:30 AM