Muhurta
By Anju Anand
Definition as in Oxford Dictionary:
An auspicious time for an enterprise to begin or for a ceremony to take place
From Sanskrit muhūrta ‘a division of time’ (approximately 48 minutes, one thirtieth of a day).
Muhūrta (Sanskrit: मुहूर्त) is a Hindu unit of measurement for time in the Hindu calendar.
In Taittiriya Brāhmaṇas, muhūrta denotes a division of time: one-thirtieth of a day, or a period of forty-eight minutes
Means 24 hours in a day are divided into 30 muhurtas
So 1Day = 24 hours (60 Ghati)
and 1Day is also = 30 muhurtas
This means 30 muhuratas = 24 hours ( 60 Ghati)
1 muhurta = 48 minutes (2 Ghati)
The term Muhurta appears as early as the Ṛig Veda
Taittirīya-Brāhmaṇa mentions the names of 15 muhūrtas:
(1) saṁjñānaṁ (2) vijñānaṁ (3) prajñānaṁ
(4) jānad (5) abhijānat (6) saṁkalpamānaṁ
(7) prakalpamānam (8) upakalpamānam
(9) upakḷptaṁ (10) kḷptam (11) śreyo
(12) vasīya (13) āyat (14) saṁbhūtaṁ (15) bhūtam
citraḥ ketuḥ prabhānābhānt saṁbhān |
jyotiṣmaṁs-tejasvānātapaṁs-tapann-abhitapan |
rocano rocamānaḥ śobhanaḥ śobhamānaḥ kalyāṇaḥ |
darśā dṛṣṭā darśatā viṣvarūpā surdarśanā |
āpy-āyamāṇāpyāyamānāpyāyā su-nṛterā |
āpūryamāṇā pūryamāṇā pūryantī pūrṇā paurṇamāsī |
dātā pradātā’nando modaḥ pramodaḥ || III.10.1.1 ||
Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa describes a muhūrta as 1/15th portion of a day ( here day means the time from sunrise to sunset)
Polar Axis.
|
No. |
Daily Period |
Name (मुहूर्त) |
Translation |
Quality, or Guṇa (गुण) |
| 1 | 06:00 – 06:48 (sunrise) | Rudra (रुद्र) | “Cryer”, “Howler” | Inauspicious |
| 2 | 06:48 – 07:36 | Āhi (आहि) | “Serpent” | Inauspicious |
| 3 | 07:36 – 08:24 | Mitra (मित्र) | “Friend” | Auspicious |
| 4 | 08:24 – 09:12 | Pitṝ (पितॄ) | “Father” | Inauspicious |
| 5 | 09:12 – 10:00 | Vasu (वसु) | “Bright” | Auspicious |
| 6 | 10:00 – 10:48 | Vārāha (वाराह) | “Boar” | Auspicious |
| 7 | 10:48 – 11:36 | Viśvedevā (विश्वेदेवा) | “Heavenly Lights in the Universe” | Auspicious |
| 8 | 11:36 – 12:24 | Vidhi (विधि) | “Insight” | Auspicious – except Mondays and Fridays |
| 9 | 12:24 – 13:12 | Sutamukhī (सतमुखी) | “Goat/Charioteer-Face” | Auspicious |
| 10 | 13:12 – 14:00 | Puruhūta (पुरुहूत) | “Many Offerings” | Inauspicious |
| 11 | 14:00 – 14:48 | Vāhinī (वाहिनी) | “Possessed of Chariot” | Inauspicious |
| 12 | 14:48 – 15:36 | Naktanakarā (नक्तनकरा) | “Night Maker” | Inauspicious |
| 13 | 15:36 – 16:24 | Varuṇa (वरुण) | “All-Envoloping Night Sky” | Auspicious |
| 14 | 16:24 – 17:12 | Aryaman (अर्यमन्) | “Possessed of Nobility” | Auspicious – except Sundays |
| 15 | 17:12 – 18:00 | Bhaga (भग) | “Share”/”Stake” | Inauspicious |
| 16 | 18:00 – 18:48 (sunset) | Girīśa (गिरीश) | “Lord of the Mount” | Inauspicious |
| 17 | 18:48 – 19:36 | Ajapāda (अजपाद) | “Unborn Foot”/”Goat Foot” | Inauspicious |
| 18 | 19:36 – 20:24 | Ahir-Budhnya (अहिर्बुध्न्य) | “Serpent at the Bottom” | Auspicious |
| 19 | 20:24 – 21:12 | Puṣya (पुष्य) | “Nourishment”/”Blossom” | Auspicious |
| 20 | 21:12 – 22:00 | Aśvinī (अश्विनी) | “Horsemen” | Auspicious |
| 21 | 22:00 – 22:48 | Yama (यम) | “Restrainer” (Death) | Inauspicious |
| 22 | 22:48 – 23:36 | Agni (अग्नि) | “Fire”/”Ignition” | Auspicious |
| 23 | 23:36 – 24:24 | Vidhātṛ (विधातृ) | “Distributor” | Auspicious |
| 24 | 24:24 – 01:12 | Kaṇḍa (क्ण्ड) | “Ornament” | Auspicious |
| 25 | 01:12 – 02:00 | Aditi (अदिति) | “Destitute”/”Boundless” | Auspicious |
| 26 | 02:00 – 02:48 | Jīva/Amṛta (जीव/अमृत) | “Life”/”Immortal” | Very Auspicious |
| 27 | 02:48 – 03:36 | Viṣṇu (विष्णु) | “All Pervading” | Auspicious |
| 28 | 03:36 – 04:24 | Dyumadgadyuti (द्युमद्गद्युति) | “Resounding Light” | Auspicious |
| 29 | 04:24 – 05:12 | Brahma (ब्रह्म) | “Universe” | Very Auspicious[10] |
| 30 | 05:12 – 06:00 | Samudram (समुद्रम) | “Ocean” | Auspicious |
Diurnal muhurta, the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 15th are inauspicious while in nocturnal muhurtas the 1st. 2nd, 6th and 7th are inauspicious.
Significance of Muhurta:
It is said that Well begin is half done – means any work started in good muhurta is said to produce good results
Astrology says while judging a muhurta it is important to consider the combinations of a weekday with Ascendant and nakshtra. Muhurta of auspicious and
placid nakshtra is apt for carrying out a good job.
To get a desired muhurta, purification of Ascendant is also required. So, fair attention must be given to the status of the Ascendants. A person receives
double benefits if his navamsha is also auspicious.
Muhurta in astrological terms means defining the quality of time and it varies based on sunrise, sunset
The Eight Muhurta of the day is called as Abhijit Muhurta and is very auspisious as it maps into the Abhijit nakshatra which is ruled by Hari
(1) Svati, (2) Visakha, (3) Anuradha, (4) Jyestha, (5) Magha, (6) Purva Phalguni, (7) Uttara Phalguni are 7 muhurtas before Abhijit and these are called
first Prahara And 20 Nakshtras after Abhijit constitutes 20 muhurtas. This way 28 Nakshtras constitute 28 Muhurtas Rest 2 Muhurtas are devoted to creator
itself and these two Muhurtas are called as Brahm Muhurtas
