In a panchang, yoga has nothing to do with exercise. It is the third limb: a measure made by adding the longitudes of the Sun and the Moon. Every time the sum moves by 13°20′, a new yoga starts, so there are 27 yogas, and each lasts about a day.
How yoga is calculated
Add the sidereal longitude of the Sun to the sidereal longitude of the Moon, and divide by 13°20′. The whole number plus one is the yoga number. Because the Sun and Moon move together, a yoga takes between about 19 and 26 hours.
The 27 yogas
| # | Yoga | General nature |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vishkambha | Avoid for new beginnings |
| 2 | Priti | Auspicious or neutral |
| 3 | Ayushman | Auspicious or neutral |
| 4 | Saubhagya | Auspicious or neutral |
| 5 | Shobhana | Auspicious or neutral |
| 6 | Atiganda | Avoid for new beginnings |
| 7 | Sukarma | Auspicious or neutral |
| 8 | Dhriti | Auspicious or neutral |
| 9 | Shula | Avoid for new beginnings |
| 10 | Ganda | Avoid for new beginnings |
| 11 | Vriddhi | Auspicious or neutral |
| 12 | Dhruva | Auspicious or neutral |
| 13 | Vyaghata | Avoid for new beginnings |
| 14 | Harshana | Auspicious or neutral |
| 15 | Vajra | Avoid for new beginnings |
| 16 | Siddhi | Auspicious or neutral |
| 17 | Vyatipata | Avoid for new beginnings |
| 18 | Variyana | Auspicious or neutral |
| 19 | Parigha | Avoid for new beginnings |
| 20 | Shiva | Auspicious or neutral |
| 21 | Siddha | Auspicious or neutral |
| 22 | Sadhya | Auspicious or neutral |
| 23 | Shubha | Auspicious or neutral |
| 24 | Shukla | Auspicious or neutral |
| 25 | Brahma | Auspicious or neutral |
| 26 | Indra | Auspicious or neutral |
| 27 | Vaidhriti | Avoid for new beginnings |
The nine yogas usually avoided
Vishkambha, Atiganda, Shula, Ganda, Vyaghata, Vajra, Vyatipata, Parigha and Vaidhriti are considered inauspicious for starting new work. Vyatipata and Vaidhriti are the most cautioned against, and the whole of these two yogas is normally avoided for ceremonies. Many families still pray, do puja and routine work as usual during these times.
Best known good yogas
- Siddhi, Shiva, Siddha, Shubha: good for beginnings.
- Priti, Ayushman, Saubhagya, Shobhana: good for family and social events.
- Sukarma, Dhriti, Vriddhi, Dhruva: supportive for work and growth.
Do not mix up this nitya yoga with other "yogas" in astrology such as Sarvarthasiddhi Yoga or Ravi Yoga, which are special combinations of weekday and nakshatra.
Questions people ask
Is panchang yoga the same as yoga exercise?
No. It is a time period worked out from the Sun and Moon positions, and it is one of the five limbs of the panchang.
Which yoga is the worst?
Vyatipata and Vaidhriti are the most cautioned against, along with Vyaghata, Vajra, Atiganda and others.
How many yogas happen in a day?
Usually one, sometimes two, because each yoga lasts about a day.