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How To Read Panchanga
How To Read Panchanga
Here we make an attempt to describe the complex system of reading a panchanga for the
benefit of a lay person and a novice. We do not claim that the following description is
technically correct, as scholars would expect. This is intended to give a fair idea about
reading a panchanga for the day-to-day needs.
Tithi, Waar, Nakshatra, Yoga and Karana are the vital among the several parameters of
time measuring. The publication that describes these five parameters together is called
panchanga. These five parameters are presented in the same order in any panchanga.
Span of each of these parameters is different, so is beginning and ending of each of them.
A typical page of the panchanga has the first horizontal row which gives shaka,
samvatsara name, chaandra maasa, paksha (viz. shukla, the waxing phase of moon or
krishna, the waning phase of moon), the particular Gregorian month and year, the Hizari
year, Samvat year and the Parsi year. Second row has headings for the respective
columns, which include tithi. Waar. Ending time of the tithi. Nakshatra, the constellation
close to the Moon. Ending time of the Nakshatra (the time when the moon leaves the
particular constellation. Yoga (a relatively complex parameter linked to positions of Sun
and Moon). Ending time of yoga. Karana (the half portion of a tithi). Ending time of
karana. Dinamaana, the time span between sunrise and sunset. Hizari year date. Sun rise.
Sun set. Time of the moon entering a particular zodiac sign and the Gregorian date.
The next column in the same row contains raatrimaana (the gap between sunset and
sunrise) of the last day of the relevant fortnight, the ayanansh, name of the prevailing
ayana and ritu (season). Note: The panchangas measure the day continuously from a
sunrise to another sunrise. That is, if the day begins with the sunrise at 06:20 hours, the
time is measured continuously upto the next sun rise which may go beyond 24 hours’
count. So whenever one comes across the timing like 29:33 hours in the panchanga, just
deduct 24 from it to get the next morning timing viz. 5:33 hours in this case.
Let us read the panchanga of, say, October 7th, 2000. Open the page containing October
7th, 2000.(refer to the Gregorian date column).
Refer to the uppermost row of the table.
It tells us that the particular date (October 7th, 2000.) falls under shaka 1921 which is the
Pramaathi Samvatsara, the Hindu month of Aashwina, Shukla paksha - the waxing phase
of moon.
denotes that the day is in dakshinayana -the Sun moving towards (southern) makara vritta
(the tropic of Capricorn) and the Sharad ritu.
To understand the general bearing of the particular day refer to the shubhaashubha
divasa, auspicious-inauspicious days column placed next to the kundali -the chart on the
page. There are a few vital things to be remembered while reading the panchanga.
Among the tithis coming in succession, the missing number of tithi is always considered
as kshaya or eliminated tithi. This is considered inauspicious. Similarly, when a tithi
repeats it becomes vriddhi, additional tithi. This too is considered inauspicious. Among
the inauspicious tithis are all the 13th and 14th tithis in krishna paksha - the waning phase
of the moon, all the New Moon days and all the 1st tithi of shuddha paksha, the waxing
phase of the moon.
Of all the constellations, Pushya is considered inauspicious for weddings while Bharani,
Krittikaa, Aashleshaa and Vishaakhaa are considered inauspicious for a majority of tasks.