Thyajyam (also called varjyam or vishanadi) is a 4-ghati stretch the muhurtha books set aside. Kalaprakasika (1917) gives it four ways: by the star, starting a set number of ghatis into the star (p. 185); by the weekday, counted from sunrise; by the tithi; and by one navamsa of each sign (p. 186). Daily panchangams print only the star kind. The same book names seven stars that have no thyajyam at all (p. 195).
☕ One idea, four clocks
The basic article on durmuhurtham and varjyam explains the daily window. This page goes further. A ghati is 24 minutes, and 60 ghatis make a day. A star (nakshatra) lasts about a day too, so the books measure inside it in ghatis. For each of the 27 stars Kalaprakasika says after how many ghatis the 4-ghati thyajyam begins (p. 185). That is the varjyam a Tamil panchangam prints each day.
The book does not stop there. On p. 186 it gives a thyajyam for each weekday, counted from sunrise; one for each of the fifteen tithis of the waxing half; and one navamsa in every sign, which counts only on certain weekdays. It also calls a rising sign whose span falls on thyajyam a flaw for a muhurtha (p. 188). So a careful muhurtha reader checks more than the one printed window.
The book also lifts the rule. Seven stars have no thyajyam, it says (p. 195), and a well-placed Moon or Jupiter in the chart of the moment sets it aside (pp. 195–196). Nava Panchangam shows this on the day's panchangam, but it does not change the day score.
The weekday and sign kinds of thyajyam
- Sunday: 30 ghatis after sunrise
- Monday: 42 ghatis after sunrise
- Tuesday: 41 ghatis after sunrise
- Wednesday: 31 ghatis after sunrise
- Thursday: 2 ghatis after sunrise
- Friday: 22 ghatis after sunrise
- Saturday: 20 ghatis after sunrise
- Navamsa 1 (Bhujangam) of Aries, Taurus, Virgo, Sagittarius: counts only on Wednesday, Saturday
- Navamsa 5 (Gridhram) of Gemini, Leo, Libra, Aquarius: counts only on Monday, Friday
- Navamsa 9 (Varaham) of Cancer, Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces: counts only on Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday
Frequently Asked Questions
Is thyajyam the same as varjyam?
Yes. Kalaprakasika calls it thyajyam and also vishanadi; Tamil panchangams print it as varjyam. All three names mean the same 4-ghati stretch.
Why does the varjyam time change every day?
Because it hangs on the star. Each star has its own start, and stars change about once a day. The weekday kind would fall at the same hour every week, but panchangams do not print it.
How long is a varjyam window in clock time?
The book says 4 ghatis, which is 96 minutes in a 24-hour day. A star's real span runs from about 20 to 27 hours, so Nava Panchangam scales both the start and the length to the star's own span: the window starts at that fraction of the way through the star and lasts 4/60 of it.
Which stars have no thyajyam?
Kalaprakasika names seven on p. 195: Ardra, Shravana, Mrigashira, Swati, Uttara Ashadha, Rohini, Anuradha. On p. 185 the same book still prints a start for each of them. A panchangam, and this app, show a window for all 27.
Does a planet in the chart lift thyajyam?
The book says so (pp. 195–196): the Moon in the 9th or 10th house with Jupiter's aspect, a waxing Moon exalted or in its own navamsa, or a benefic in the rising sign. These need a chart cast for the moment. The parihara article collects such rules.
From the source
The 27 star starts the app uses, the tithi table, and where the book and the app part ways.
⭐ The star table, as the app uses it
Each star's thyajyam starts after these ghatis of its 60 and lasts 4 ghatis (p. 185).
| Star | Starts after (ghatis of 60) |
|---|---|
| Ashwini | 50 |
| Bharani | 24 |
| Krittika | 30 |
| Rohini | 40 |
| Mrigashira | 14 |
| Ardra | 21 |
| Punarvasu | 30 |
| Pushya | 20 |
| Ashlesha | 32 |
| Magha | 30 |
| Purva Phalguni | 20 |
| Uttara Phalguni | 18 |
| Hasta | 21 |
| Chitra | 20 |
| Swati | 14 |
| Vishakha | 14 |
| Anuradha | 10 |
| Jyeshta | 14 |
| Moola | 56 |
| Purva Ashadha | 24 |
| Uttara Ashadha | 20 |
| Shravana | 10 |
| Dhanishta | 10 |
| Shatabhisha | 18 |
| Purva Bhadrapada | 16 |
| Uttara Bhadrapada | 24 |
| Revati | 30 |
🌒 By tithi: the waxing half
Kalaprakasika gives a start for the fifteen tithis from the waxing Prathamai to the full moon (p. 186). It gives none for the waning half.
| Tithi (waxing) | Starts after (ghatis) |
|---|---|
| Prathamai | 24 |
| Dwitiyai | 12 |
| Tritiyai | 55 |
| Chaturthi | 5 |
| Panchami | 54 |
| Shasthi | 5 |
| Saptami | 34 |
| Ashtami | 10 |
| Navami | 21 |
| Dasami | 7 |
| Ekadashi | 29 |
| Dwadashi | 6 |
| Trayodashi | 13 |
| Chaturdashi | 21 |
| Pournami | 35 |
⚖️ Where the app and the book differ
Moola. The book's start is 20; it adds that some astrologers count two periods, the second after 56 (p. 185). The app uses 56, the second. Purva Bhadrapada. The digit is unclear in the 1917 print; the app uses 16. Seven stars. The book exempts Ardra, Shravana, Mrigashira, Swati, Uttara Ashadha, Rohini, Anuradha (p. 195) but still prints a start for each; the app shows their window, as panchangams do. The weekday table prints 2 ghatis for Thursday, far from the others; it is given here as printed. These are choices we disclose, not corrections.
The daily window itself is explained in the durmuhurtham and varjyam article.