Panchang Basics - Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga
Time • 25 minutes
📅 What is Panchang?
Panchang means "five elements" - it's the Vedic calendar system that describes the quality of time using 5 elements: Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga, Karana, and Vara.
💡 Simple Analogy:
Just like a clock tells you the time (hours, minutes), Panchang tells you the "quality" of time - whether it's good for starting something new, or better to wait. It's like a cosmic weather report!
The 5 Elements of Panchang
1. Tithi (Lunar Day)
What it is: The angular distance between Sun and Moon, divided into 30 equal parts.
📐 Formula:
Tithi = (Moon Longitude - Sun Longitude) ÷ 12
Result: 1-30 (1-15 = Shukla Paksha, 16-30 = Krishna Paksha)
Example: If Moon = 305° and Sun = 304°, Tithi = (305-304) ÷ 12 = 0.083 = Tithi 1 (Shukla Pratipada)
2. Nakshatra (Lunar Mansion)
What it is: The 27 divisions of the zodiac, each ~13.33° wide. Moon's position determines the Nakshatra.
📐 Formula:
Nakshatra Number = int(Moon Longitude ÷ 13.3333)
Result: 0-26 (27 Nakshatras, each ~13.33°)
Example: Moon at 305°: 305 ÷ 13.333 = 22.87 → int(22.87) = Nakshatra 22 (Dhanishtha)
3. Yoga
What it is: The sum of Sun and Moon longitudes, divided into 27 parts.
📐 Formula:
Yoga = (Sun Longitude + Moon Longitude) ÷ 13.3333
Result: 1-27 (27 Yogas)
Example: Sun = 304°, Moon = 305°: (304+305) ÷ 13.333 = 45.68 → Yoga 19 (Parigha)
4. Karana
What it is: Half of a Tithi. There are 11 Karanas that cycle.
📐 Formula:
Karana = ((Moon - Sun) ÷ 6) % 11
Result: 1-11 (11 Karanas)
5. Vara (Weekday)
What it is: The day of the week. Simple calendar day.
Example: Monday = Somavar, Tuesday = Mangalvar, etc.
💡 Complete Example Calculation
Given: Feb 17, 2026, 6:19 PM IST
Step 1: Get Planetary Positions
Sun = 304.64° (Aquarius), Moon = 305.04° (Aquarius)
Step 2: Calculate Tithi
Tithi = (305.04 - 304.64) ÷ 12 = 0.4 ÷ 12 = 0.033
Tithi Number = 1 (Shukla Pratipada)
Step 3: Calculate Nakshatra
Nakshatra = 305.04 ÷ 13.333 = 22.88
Nakshatra Number = 22 (Dhanishtha)
Step 4: Calculate Yoga
Yoga = (304.64 + 305.04) ÷ 13.333 = 45.68
Yoga Number = 19 (Parigha)
📝 Key Takeaways
- ✓ Panchang = 5 elements describing the quality of time
- ✓ Tithi = (Moon - Sun) ÷ 12 (1-30)
- ✓ Nakshatra = Moon ÷ 13.33 (0-26)
- ✓ Yoga = (Sun + Moon) ÷ 13.33 (1-27)
- ✓ Panchang changes throughout the day as Moon moves