Yoga (in the panchang)

In the panchang, yoga is a different thing from the planetary combinations also called yogas. Here, the longitudes of the Sun and the Moon are added together and the total is divided into 27 equal parts of 13 degrees 20 minutes, the same width as a nakshatra. The part the total falls in is the yoga of the moment.

The 27 names run from Vishkambha through Priti, Ayushman and Saubhagya to Vaidhriti. Tradition treats some as friendly and some as difficult for beginning new work. In an astrological chart, the word yoga more often means a combination of planets, which is covered in a birth chart report.

To work one out, add the sidereal longitudes of the Sun and the Moon, divide by 13 degrees 20 minutes and round up. A total of 20 degrees, for example, falls in the second part, which is Priti. Because both luminaries move, the yoga changes about once a day, and the panchang says at what time it ends.