Learn to read Hindu Panchang, Panchanga, Panchangam

Panchangam

Pundit Mahesh Shastri Seattle, WA USA (C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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ितिथवणु तथा वारो नं िवणुरेव च। योग करणं चैव सव िवणु मयं जगत्॥ tithirviṣṇustathā vāro nakṣatraṁ viṣṇureva ca | yogaśca karaṇaṁ caiva sarvaṁ viṣṇu mayaṁ jagat ||

Tithi is Vishnu, so does Vaar, Vaar, Nakshatra, Nakshatra, Yoga and Karana. Entire universe and every particles in this universe is Lord Vishnu. He is time. Without him there is no time. He is panchangam. panchangam.

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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अ!"यािण शा$ािण िववाद तेषु केवलम्। !"यं (योितषं शा$ं चं)ाक* य सािणौ॥ All other shastras are not pratyaksha ( not visible, not persived by senses, not clear, etc…) . They are very good in debate but jyotisha shastra is pratyasha and it’s pramana, pramana, witness are the Sun and the Moon.

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Use of Panchangam


Vedic Time Keeping
Alamanc
To know festival dates.
Knowing Celestial Events – Eclipse.
Knowing Auspicious Days – Weddings, other dates.
Positions of heavenly bodies
Astrological purpose – Jaatakam / Kundli. (C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Vedic Time Keeping System


Day begins at sunrise not midnight
Lunar and Solar months
Different systems in different parts of India

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Panchanga Elements


Tithi (Phases of Moon)
Vaar
Nakshatra
Yoga
Karana

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Oraganization of a Hindu Calendar

A Hindu calendar contains lots of information such as:
Name of Samvatsara
Shaka year,
Vikrami samvat year
Lunar Month name
Solar Month name
Fortnight (Paksha – Shukla and Krishna)
Panchang (C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Oraganization of a Hindu Calendar


Daily Sunrise, Sunset, Moonrise, etc…
Planetary positions
Days of guru shukra astha (setting) and rising
Eclipse dates
Ritus - Season
Ayana – Upward downward motion of the Sun.
Gola – the Sun above or below equator.

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Existing Calendric Systems in India


Solar Calendars
Tamil school
Malayalam school
Orrisa / Punjab school
Bengal school
Lunisolar Calendar
Amavasyant months system
Purnimant months system (C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Samvatsara
Every year has a name.
There are sixty names.
Every year gets a new name.
Once all 60 samvatsaras are over, the cycle restarts.
This sixty year Jovian cycle is called Samvatsara.
People correlate with Jupiter.

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Samvatsara
The new samvatsara begin with start of the year
These keep occuring in a cyclic order.
The first year of the cycle Prabhava denotes the evolution of a new creative force.


The last one is Kshaya or the destruction.

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Solar Calendar


When the Sun enters sidereal Aries (Mesha) the new year begin
Exact date of new year varies:
depending on when the sun enters Aries
Various schools exists to determine start of a year.
Each school – Tamil, Malyalam, Orrisa, Bengal and Punjab have different rules

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Amavasyant Months
Months ends on Amavasya
Months begin with Shukla paksha
Months ends with Krishna Paksha
Popular in:
Maharastra (Shaliwahan Era)
Gujarat (Vikram Era)
Karnataka (Shaliwahan Era)
Andhra Pradesh (Shaliwahan Era) (C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Purnimant Months


Months ends on Purnima
Months begin with Krishna Paksha
Months ends with Shukla Paksha
New year begin with Shukla Paksha
Popular in:
North India

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Mala Masa – Adhika and Kshya Masa


Additional month is added to synchronized a Lunar (Chandramana) Calendar with Sidereal Calendar


When the nirayana Sun doesn’t change a rasi during a lunar month becomes Adhik masa – mala masa.


When the niraryana Sun changes 3 rasi during a lunar month is Kshaya masa – mala masa.


Adhik and Kshaya masa are Mala masa
No auspicious events during malamasa. (C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Panchanga Elements – Additional Information

Additionally a panchang may contain following:
Sunrise & Sunset
Rahukala timings
Moonrise & Moonset
Yamagandam timings
Shaka and Samvant
Gulikai timings
Samvatsara
Durmuhurtham
Lunar Month Name
Varjyam timings
Solar Month Name
Abhijit Muhurtham
Planetary Positions
Amrit Kalam timings
Planetary phenomena
Ayan, Gola, Ritus (C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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A Day in Hindu Calendar / Panchangam


A Hindu day doesn’t change at midnight.
A Hindu day (Vaar) is from one sunrise to another.
This sunrise is a local event.
The sun doesn’t rise and set at the same time all

over the earth as the earth is not flat.
To calculate sunrise one requires longitude, latitude and altitude of a place.

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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A Day in Hindu Calendar / Panchangam


The Sunrise / Sunset times varies everyday depending on a season and a location.


Thus, the length of a day and a night will vary.
Hence a Hindu day is not exactly 24 hours.
The clock doesn’t reset at midnight.
Normal panchangam convention is to continue clock till next sunrise:


1 am = 25, 2 am =26, 5 am = 29, 6 am=30.

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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A Day in Hindu Calendar / Panchangam


Newspapers Sunrise: when the top of sun’s disk rises.
Astrological purposes: the middle of sun’s disk rise.
Hence there may be some time difference in sunrise time specified in panchangs and newspapers.


It depends on where you look at it.
Most drik panchangam using the middle of disk should report the same sunrise timings.

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Timings in Panchangam


The day begins at sunrise and ends at next sunrise.
English calendar resets clock at midnight.
The timings mentioned in panchangam don't reset at midnight.


1:00 AM is denoted as 25:00, 1:30 AM as 25:30, 4:00 AM as 28:00.


Basically till next day sunrise they keep adding 24 to the time.

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Timings in Panchangam

For Example:


The Saptami tithi ends on February 1

st

at 27:53:46.

This means It ends on February 2nd at 3:53:46 AM.


On February 3

rd

Navami tithi ends at 24:25:37

which means it ends on February 4th at 00:25:37 AM.


On February 5

th

, the Ekadashi tithi ends at 19:13:15.

This means Ekadashi tithi ends at 7:13:15 PM.

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Lunar Month


Each Lunar month has two halves.
Bright half is known as Shukla Paksha
Dark half is known as Krishna Paksha
Each Lunar month is Moon’s circle around the Earth. Roughly 360 degrees


Each halves is 180 degrees

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Lunar Month -- Names


Chitra
Vaishakha
Jyeshtha
Ashaadha
Shrvana
Bhadrapada

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com


Aashvayuja (Ashwin)
Kartika
Margasira
Pausha
Magha
Phalguna

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Phases of Moon


Phases of Moons like Full-moon, Half-moon, NewMoon and others occur due to the Moon’s position in orbit around the Earth.


This is again a phenomena.
The half of moon is always illuminated by the Sun (Except during the lunar eclipses).


Each phase is tithi.
Tithi = (Sun – Moon) / 30
The length of each tithi is 12 degrees. (C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Phases of Moon -- Tithis


Divided into bright half (Shukla paksha), and the dark half (Krishna Paksha).


Combination of both paksha means a lunar month.
Different Lunar months are in use (Purnimanta, Amanta).

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Tithi – Phases of Moon


Tithis are phases of moon as explained before
Length of tithi can range from 19 to 26 hours.
Amavasya: Sun and Moon appear to be together
Purnima: Sun and Moon are 180 degrees apart
Tithis don’t start at midnight and end at midnight.
Tithis don’t start at sunrise and end at another sunrise.


Tithis don’t have a fix starting and ending time. (C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Tithi – Phases of Moon


For example:
On February 4 Dashami tithi ends at 22:00.
Ekadashi starts right after 22:00.
February 5 , the Ekadashi tithi ends at 19:13.
Dwadashi tithi starts after 19:13 till next day th

th

sunrise and even after.

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Tithi – Phases of Moon


From one sunrise to another sunrise – A day.
Normally, there will be two tithis in a day.
When three tithis appear in day. It is kshaya tithi.
A Kshaya tithi doesn’t appear at next day sunrise.
When there is only one tithi in a day it is viddhi tithi.
Vriddhi tithi will appear at both consecutive sunrises.
Kshaya and Vriddhi tithis are omitted for auspicious events.

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Example of Kshaya tithi


February 8 2009 – Seattle:
Shukla Chaturdashi ends at 9:50 AM
Purnima starts right after that. It ends at 30:49.
Purnima ends at 6:49 AM on February 9 2009.
The sunrise on February 9 is at 7:28 AM.
Krishna Prathama prevails till 7:28 AM and beyond.
The Purnima on February 8 2009 is a kshaya tithi. th

th

th

th

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Example of Vriddhi tithi
February 18 2009 – Seattle:
Krishna Dashami started previous day (February 18 2009, at 5:04 AM – before the sunrise of February 18).
The Sunrise on February 18 at 7:13 AM.
Dashami prevails till next day sunrise & beyond.
February 19 Sunrise at 07:11 AM.
Dashami ends at 7:43 AM. It prevails for entire day.
No other tithi prevails for that day.
Hence Dashami is a Vriddhi tithi. th

th

th

th

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Importance of Tithi


Helps to decide Birthdays, Marriage anniversaries.
Usually the Tithi at the sunrise is the tithi for the day.
This is good for birthdays, anniversaries, ekadashi.
Different rule for vaishnava ekadashi.
Exception exists for festivals, and death anniversaries
Importance in muhurtha: 1 Point.

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Tithi Names


Pratipada (Prathama), Dwitiya (Vidiya), Tritiya

(Tadiya), Chaturthi (Chavithi), Panchami, Shasthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami, Dashami, Ekadashi, Dwadashi, Trayodashi, Chaturdashi.
Bright half of the last tithi is called Purnima.
The darker half of the last tithi is called Amavasya.

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Tithis and Different Locations


Tithis end times are calculated at GMT (UT).
They end at the same instance all over the world.
Tithi times mentioned in Indian calendar is not applicable outside India.


The Sun and the Moon don’t wait in heavens for tithi times mentioned in Indian panchang to end in other parts of world. They keep moving and hence all astronomical phenomena keep happening.

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Vaar -- Day


There are seven major heavenly bodies.
Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus & Saturn.
Ancients in different parts of the world defined a week made of seven days.
Western system: The day starts at midnight.
Indian system: the day start at the sunrise.
Importance in Muhurtha: 8 points.

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Zodiac -- Rashis


360 degrees longitudes belt around earth. Zodiac.
Zodiac is divided into 12 equal parts. Rashi
Zodiac is divided into 27 equal parts. – Nakshatra
Each Nakshastra has 4 equal parts called padam.
Each Rashi contains 2 ¼ nakshatras.
Each Rashi has 9 Nakshatra padams.

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Nakshatra


Entire zodiac is divided into 27 parts
Each part is constellation -- nakshatra
Each rashi is 2¼ constellation
There are 27 constellations – nakshatra
Each nakshatra is divided into 4 equal parts – Pada
Importance in muhurtha: 4 points.

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Nakshatra Names


Ashwini, Bharani, Kritika, Rohini, Mrigashirsha
Ardra, Punarvasu, Pushya, Ashleasha, Magha
Purva Phalguni, Uttara Phalguni, Hasta, Chitra
Swati, Vishakha, Anuradha, Jyestha, Moola
Purvashadha, Uttarashadha, Shravan, Dhanistha
Shatabhisha, Purvabhadrapada, Uttarabhadrapada
Revati (C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Yoga: Sun + Moon


Addition of Sun and Moon’s longitudes gives us daily yoga. These creates some auspicious yoga and inauspicious yogas.


There are 27 yogas.
Please avoid Vyatipata, Vaidriti, Parigha, Vishkumbha, Vajra, Shoola, Atiganda, Vyagata yoga in your muhurtham calculations.


Yoga gets 32 points in muhurtha. (C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Karana: Half tithi


Karana are half tithi.
There are seven chara (mobile) karana.
Bava, Balava, Kaulava, Taitila, Ghara, Vanija, Vishthi
There are four sthira karana.
Shakuni, Chatushpad, Naag, Kitudhsna
Sthira karana are inauspicious.
Chara karana are good except Vishti/Bhadra karana.
Karana gets 16 points in muhurtha. (C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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Muhurtha


Panchanga Shuddhi is important
Right Day
Right Tithi
Right Nakshatra
Avoid nakshatras occupied by Mars, Saturn, Rahu, Ketu (some includes Sun).


Right Yoga
Right Karana

(C) Copyright Pundit Mahesh Shastri, mypanchang.com

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