Two rules for the start of a journey look at the time inside a day and inside a star. Kaala shoola, in Muhurta Chintamani (p. 242), splits the day and the night into thirds and sets each third aside for one class of stars. The barred opening ghatis set aside the first part of some stars: for example the first 16 of the three Purvas. Kalaprakasika (1917, p. 140) gives its own list of the opening ghatikas, and on two stars its numbers differ from Muhurta Chintamani's. This page shows both.
☕ Time inside a day, time inside a star
The 27 stars fall into seven classes: fixed, movable, swift, tender, mixed, fierce and sharp. Kaala shoola joins those classes to the clock. Muhurta Chintamani divides the daytime, sunrise to sunset, into three equal parts and the night into three, and gives each part a class of stars under which a journey is not begun. Four stars, Shravana, Hasta, Pushya and Mrigashira, are clear at every hour.
The second rule looks inside a star. The Moon takes about a day to cross one star, and the books measure that crossing as 60 ghatis. For some stars the books set aside only the opening part: the first 16 ghatis of the three Purvas, for example. Muhurta Chintamani adds that the numbers are for a 60-ghati star and are scaled to the star's real length on the day.
Kalaprakasika (p. 140) has the second rule but not the first. Its list names the same stars and two more, Ardra and the birth star, and on two stars its numbers differ: Krittika 13 in Kalaprakasika, 21 in Muhurta Chintamani; Magha 14 in Kalaprakasika, 11 in Muhurta Chintamani. The books belong to one tradition; their difference is shown here as it stands, and this page does not pick one. It builds on the seven star classes.
Nava Panchangam does not use this rule in its day score. This page explains it as the books give it.
The two rules side by side
- First third of the day: Sthira (fixed), Sadharana (mixed) stars
- Middle third of the day: Theekshana (sharp) stars
- Last third of the day: Laghu (swift) stars
- First third of the night: Mrudhu (tender) stars
- Middle third of the night: Ugra (fierce) stars
- Last third of the night: Chara (movable) stars
- Clear at every hour: Shravana, Hasta, Pushya, Mrigashira
- Muhurta Chintamani: the first 16 ghatis of the three Purvas, 21 of Krittika, 11 of Magha, 7 of Bharani, 14 of Swati, Vishakha, Jyeshta and Ashlesha
- Kalaprakasika: the same stars, Krittika 13 and Magha 14, and also Ardra and your birth star at 14
- Muhurta Chintamani counts against a 60-ghati star and scales the number to the star's real length; Kalaprakasika says only “of their total duration”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is kaala shoola?
Kaala means time. Kaala shoola is Muhurta Chintamani's rule that sets aside one third of the day or night for each class of stars, for the start of a journey. It is different from the weekday shoola, which bars a direction.
Why do the two books give different ghatis for Krittika?
Kalaprakasika (p. 140) prints 13 and Muhurta Chintamani (p. 242) 21. Both OCR readings of the 1917 print give 13. Neither book explains its number, so this page shows both.
How are the ghatis scaled to a real star?
The numbers are for a star that lasts 60 ghatis. On a day when the star lasts 54 ghatis, 16 of 60 becomes 14.4 ghatis: the same share of the star, not the same clock time.
Is there any other view on the opening part?
Yes. Muhurta Chintamani itself records another (p. 243): the first half of some stars and the second half of others, and one authority setting two stars aside whole. The book gives both, and so does this page.
Does the app use either rule?
No. The app computes neither kaala shoola nor the barred ghatis.
From the sources
The kaala shoola table star by star, the two ghati lists side by side, and what this page leaves out.
🕰️ Kaala shoola, star by star
Muhurta Chintamani's rule (p. 242), with each class's stars as the app's own class table holds them. Shravana, Hasta, Pushya, Mrigashira are clear at every hour.
| Part of the day or night | Star class set aside | Its stars |
|---|---|---|
| First third of the day | Sthira (fixed), Sadharana (mixed) | Krittika, Rohini, Uttara Phalguni, Vishakha, Uttara Ashadha, Uttara Bhadrapada |
| Middle third of the day | Theekshana (sharp) | Ardra, Ashlesha, Jyeshta, Moola |
| Last third of the day | Laghu (swift) | Ashwini, Pushya, Hasta |
| First third of the night | Mrudhu (tender) | Mrigashira, Chitra, Anuradha, Revati |
| Middle third of the night | Ugra (fierce) | Bharani, Magha, Purva Phalguni, Purva Ashadha, Purva Bhadrapada |
| Last third of the night | Chara (movable) | Punarvasu, Swati, Shravana, Dhanishta, Shatabhisha |
The thirds are of the actual daytime and night-time, sunrise to sunset and sunset to sunrise. See the seven nakshatra classes.
⏳ The opening ghatis, both books
The ghatis of a 60-ghati star after which each star is clear for setting out. A dash means the book does not list that star.
| Star | Kalaprakasika (p. 140) | Muhurta Chintamani (p. 242) |
|---|---|---|
| Bharani | 7 | 7 |
| Krittika | 13 | 21 |
| Ardra | 14 | – |
| Ashlesha | 14 | 14 |
| Magha | 14 | 11 |
| Purva Phalguni | 16 | 16 |
| Swati | 14 | 14 |
| Vishakha | 14 | 14 |
| Jyeshta | 14 | 14 |
| Purva Ashadha | 16 | 16 |
| Purva Bhadrapada | 16 | 16 |
| Your birth star | 14 | – |
Muhurta Chintamani scales each number to the star's real length on the day. Kalaprakasika's “of their total duration” points the same way but does not spell it out.
✂️ What this page leaves out
Kalaprakasika attaches lines about what befalls a traveller under these stars. This page keeps the stars and the numbers, and leaves those lines out.