Panchang
Karana
The movable or fixed karana active on the selected civil day.
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What a Karana Is
A karana is half of a tithi: the time the Moon takes to gain 6 degrees on the Sun. There are 60 karanas in a lunar month, drawn from a set of 11, and the karana is the fifth limb of the Panchang. Tradition uses it to judge whether a period suits ordinary work, travel or a new start.
The free Karana calculator on GyaaniJyotish shows the karana for your city and date, with no sign-in.
How to Read the Karana
The Karana entry in the Panchang panel is highlighted on this page and shows the karana's name. Since a karana lasts only about half a tithi, roughly 10 to 13 hours, two or even three karanas can fall within one calendar day. Read it together with the Tithi entry beside it: the tithi's end time also marks a change of karana, because every tithi holds exactly two.
The 11 Karanas
The karanas fall into two groups.
Movable (chara) karanas repeat eight times through the month, from the second half of Shukla Pratipada until the first half of Krishna Chaturdashi:
| Karana | Traditional nature |
|---|---|
| Bava | Favourable for beginnings and steady work |
| Balava | Favourable for religious and charitable acts |
| Kaulava | Favourable for friendship and social ties |
| Taitila | Favourable for home, property and ornaments |
| Gara | Favourable for farming and building |
| Vanija | Favourable for trade and buying or selling |
| Vishti (Bhadra) | Avoided for auspicious starts |
Fixed (sthira) karanas occur only once a month, around the new moon:
| Karana | When it falls |
|---|---|
| Shakuni | Second half of Krishna Chaturdashi |
| Chatushpada | First half of Amavasya |
| Naga | Second half of Amavasya |
| Kimstughna | First half of Shukla Pratipada |
Seven movable karanas repeated eight times give 56, and the four fixed ones complete the 60.
Common Questions
Why is Vishti or Bhadra karana avoided?
Tradition regards Vishti, also called Bhadra, as unsuitable for ceremonies and new ventures. It is especially watched during festivals such as Raksha Bandhan and Holika Dahan, when families wait for Bhadra to end before the ritual.
Why does the karana change during the day?
A karana lasts only half a tithi, so it often changes once or twice between one sunrise and the next. The name shown is a quick reference for the day rather than a full timetable.
Are the fixed karanas considered unfavourable?
Many traditions treat Shakuni, Chatushpada and Naga, which surround the new moon, as less suitable for auspicious beginnings, while Kimstughna is generally regarded more kindly. Practice varies by region.
Who can explain the karana I was born in?
Your birth karana is listed in your free Kundli. GyaaniJyotish AI astrologers can explain what tradition says about it by chat in ten Indian languages; voice is available in English, Hindi and Tamil.