Foundations of Vedic Astrology

The Vedic Calendar

The Panchanga — the five limbs of the day, and why it matters to us.

Five limbs of the day

The Vedic almanac is the Panchanga — literally five limbs. Any moment is described by five quantities:

1. Tithi — the lunar day
2. Vara — the weekday
3. Nakshatra — the Moon's mansion
4. Yoga — a Sun–Moon angle
5. Karana — half a tithi

Together they pin down a moment in the Vedic calendar.

Tithi — the lunar day

A tithi is the time it takes the Moon to gain 12° on the Sun. There are 30 tithis in a lunar month. Tithis don't match the 24-hour clock — they stretch and shrink — which is why festival dates shift each year.

Shukla and krishna paksha

A lunar month has two halves (paksha):

• Shukla paksha — the bright, waxing fortnight from new Moon to full Moon
• Krishna paksha — the dark, waning fortnight from full Moon back to new Moon

The same Moon is treated as strong when bright, cautiously when dark.

Lunar vs. solar

Twelve lunar months fall about 11 days short of a solar year, so the calendar drifts. Tradition corrects this with an occasional extra month (adhika masa). This is why a Vedic festival lands on a different Gregorian date each year.

Why it matters to us

The Panchanga is the bridge between the sky and the chart. It's how we read the Moon's position, choose an auspicious time (muhurta), and keep track of timing — the when that Jyotish exists to answer.

Terms introduced here

The Panchanga

The Vedic almanac's five limbs: tithi, vara, nakshatra, yoga, karana.

Shukla & krishna paksha

The waxing and waning halves of the lunar month.