What is Karan?

A karana is half a tithi — the fifth limb (anga) of the panchang. One karana is completed each time the Moon moves another 6° ahead of the Sun, so each tithi has two karanas. There are 11 karanas in all — 7 chara (movable) and 4 sthira (fixed). Among them, the Vishti karana is the same as Bhadra, and it is the one karana that is traditionally avoided for auspicious work.

A tithi (a lunar day) is measured by the 12° the Moon gains on the Sun. Half of that tithi is a karana — that is, one karana is completed each time the Moon-Sun gap grows by 6°. So every tithi carries two karanas: one in its first half, one in its second half.

In the daily panchang, the karana is listed alongside the tithi, nakshatra (lunar mansion) and yoga, together with its end time. (On this site, each day's details show the karana and its end time.)

Karana is the fifth limb of the panchang — tithi, vaar, nakshatra, yoga and karana are the five angas.

Significance

• Because karana is one of the five limbs of the panchang, it is shown every day alongside the tithi, nakshatra and yoga.
• Its main practical use is in choosing a muhurat (an auspicious time): when fixing a muhurat, the karana is checked along with the tithi, vaar (weekday), nakshatra and yoga — mainly to see whether Vishti (Bhadra) is running at that time.
• The karana changes every day: the chara (movable) karanas keep rotating through the month, so today's karana can differ from tomorrow's. That is why the karana looks different each day.

⚠️ The karana's end time and the Bhadra window are based on sunrise, so they shift a little by place and by year.

The 11 karanas in the panchang

There are 11 karanas in all — 7 chara (movable) and 4 sthira (fixed).

a) Chara karanas (movable) — 7

These karanas recur again and again through the month (about eight times each), so most days fall on one of these.

b) Sthira karanas (fixed) — 4

These come only once per lunar masa (month), around the amavasya (new moon), at a set half-tithi.

These are the positions traditionally given for the sthira karanas.

Why the karana changes every day — the rotation maths

A lunar masa has 30 tithis; with two karanas per tithi, that is 30 × 2 = 60 karana-halves. Of these, the 4 sthira karanas fill 4 fixed halves around the amavasya; the remaining 56 halves are filled by the 7 chara karanas in order (7 × 8 = 56). That is why the chara karanas rotate eight times each through the month, and the daily karana keeps changing.

In this site's 2026 data, only nine karanas actually appear (Shakuni and Naga don't show up separately in the daily data); but by the classical texts there are 11 karanas.

Vishti (Bhadra) — the avoidance tradition

The seventh of the chara karanas — Vishti — is the one called Bhadra. Traditionally it is believed that the merit (punya) of auspicious work done during Bhadra is undone, so this window is avoided for auspicious events such as a vivah (wedding), griha-pravesh (house-warming), munj (thread ceremony), or the start of any new venture.

The other karanas are generally treated as auspicious or neutral (with some nuance by the specific task).

For this reason, when Bhadra is running, the Marathi panchang prints its start time and end time separately. For the exact days and times of Bhadra, see the Bhadra page.

This traditional practice is presented for information and varies by family and region.

Bhadra — a brief note on the legend (katha)

Bhadra is regarded as a fierce goddess-like force; the belief is that she absorbs the fruit of auspicious work done during her period. There are differing versions of her origin — in some she is said to have arisen from Shiv's wrath, while in other popular versions she is the daughter of the Sun and the sister of Shani (Saturn), fierce by nature. No single version is presented here as the one true account.

Regional practice

• Amanta convention: in Maharashtra the month ends on the amavasya (amanta). So the sthira-karana order Shakuni–Chatushpada–Naga–Kimstughna, which falls across the Krishna Chaturdashi → amavasya → Shukla Pratipada transition, fits the Marathi panchang's month structure.
• Bhadra's placement (swarga/prithvi/patal): in some Marathi and North-Indian traditions, Bhadra's intensity is judged by whether she is in swarga (heaven), prithvi (earth) or patal (the netherworld) according to the Moon's rashi (zodiac sign); Bhadra on prithvi (earth) is avoided the most. (This varies by local tradition.)

Good to know

• Check for Bhadra when fixing a muhurat: for a vivah, griha-pravesh, munj or a new beginning, see whether Vishti (Bhadra) is running at that time — traditionally the Bhadra window is avoided.
• The karana changes every day: since the chara karanas rotate, always read today's karana on the Today's Panchang page.
• The time shifts by place: the karana's end time and the Bhadra window depend on sunrise — so they move a little from city to city.

FAQ

What is a karana?

A karana is half a tithi — the fifth limb of the panchang. One karana is completed each time the Moon-Sun gap grows by 6°.

How many karanas are there in the panchang?

Eleven in all — 7 chara (Bava, Balava, Kaulava, Taitila, Gara, Vanija, Vishti) and 4 sthira (Shakuni, Chatushpada, Naga, Kimstughna).

How many karanas does one tithi have?

Two — one in the first half, one in the second half.

What is Vishti karana? Why is Bhadra avoided?

Vishti is the seventh (chara) karana, and it is the one called Bhadra. Traditionally the merit of auspicious work done during Bhadra is believed to be undone, so auspicious events are avoided during it.

What is the difference between chara and sthira karanas?

Chara karanas recur again and again through the month (about eight times); sthira karanas come only once per masa, around the amavasya, at a set half-tithi.

How is a karana related to auspicious work?

When fixing a muhurat, the karana is checked along with the tithi, vaar, nakshatra and yoga — traditionally mainly to avoid Vishti (Bhadra).