Karana

A karana is half a tithi, six degrees of Moon-Sun distance. There are eleven named karanas. Seven of them, from Bava to Vishti (also called Bhadra), repeat in a fixed order eight times through the month. The other four, Shakuni, Chatushpada, Naga and Kimstughna, occur only once each, around the new Moon.

Vishti is the karana traditionally avoided for starting auspicious tasks, so almanacs mark when it runs.

Because a karana is half a tithi, a full lunar day always contains two of them: the first half of Shukla Pratipada is always Kimstughna, the fixed karana that follows the new Moon, and the cycle of seven then starts again with Bava. Our panchang panel shows the tithi and nakshatra of the moment, and reports list the karana of the birth.