Muhurtham means ‘auspicious or favorable time’ in Tamil. Hindus time all major events in their life during Shubha Muhurtham, or auspicious time. This is done in order to ensure positive outcomes for the event. So they start a new business, begin a new job, get married, conduct Upanayanam (thread ceremony), Annaprashna (first feeding of a baby), Naamakaranam (naming a child), Grihapravesam (moving to a new home), Bhoomi Pooja, etc., during a good Muhurtham, which is usually suggested by an astrologer or pandit, based on the birth chart and Janma Nakshatra (birth star) of the person or people concerned.
Muhurtham is a Hindu unit for measuring time in the Hindu calendar. A Muhurtham is equal to 2 Ghadiyas or roughly 48 minutes. The Manu Samhita says that 18 nimeshas (twinklings of the eye) are one kashtha, 30 kashthas one kala, 30 kalas one Muhurtham, and as many (Muhurthams) one day and night.
Hindus give a lot of importance to Shubha Muhurthams as they do not want any problems or unpleasant incidents to take place during an important event or occasion in their lives. When such events or occasions are begun on a Shubha Muhurtham, they believe that the event will be completed successfully.
The Cultural Significance of Muhurtham
In Ayurveda, there is a saying: “Ashtami Vyadhi nashini.” This means that if a sick person takes medicine on the 8th day of a lunar month, the illness will be healed faster. The reason given for this is that the distance between the Earth and the Moon is the greatest on the 8th day of every month, due to which the liquid medicine will remain stable in the patient’s stomach and take effect in a faster and better way.
Muhurtham is regarded as a tool to align yourself with nature and boost your chances of success in any activity. To attain success in any new venture, 5 elements are chosen with care. They are Vara (weekday), Tithi (lunar day), Nakshatra (asterism), Yoga (lunisolar day), and Karana (half of a lunar day). From the planetary positions, one can easily find these elements, and they are also listed in the Panchangam. To select an auspicious Muhurtham, the Ascendant and Moon should be strong, both at the time that one selects as well as in relation to the horoscope of the native.
The Scientific Reason Behind Muhurtham
The gravitational force between the planets has a great impact on the living and nonliving things on Earth. For instance, high and low tides in the sea are caused by the gravitational force between the Moon and the Earth. Muhurtham presents a combination of the planets in the sky, which has a beneficial effect on human beings.
The Sun’s rays affect biological activities, while the Moon has an effect on the mind and emotions. All agricultural activities like planting, sowing, cultivation, and harvest depend on natural rhythms, including the seasons and solar radiation.
What is Abhijit Muhurtham?
Abhijit means ‘victorious’. Events that take place during Abhijit Muhurtham can be successful, as this is a Shubha Muhurtham. Abhijit Muhurtham will be more sacred and powerful if it is during the waxing lunar phase or Shukla Paksha and on days that have other good Yogas. This Muhurtham does not depend on Tithi, Nakshatra, Rasi, or month. It is available daily, and its duration is around 48 minutes. The belief is that Abhijit Muhurtham has the blessings of Vishnu. It was during this Muhurtham that Shiva killed Tripurasura, a powerful demon who conquered the 3 worlds of Aakash, Prithvi, and Pataal.
The astrological aspect related to Abhijit Muhurtham is that, during this time, the Sun will be in the 10th house from the Lagna. The 10th house represents the house of Karma, and the Sun’s placement in it spells success for any activity. This Muhurtham can also remove any Doshas that are prevalent at that time.
Abhijit Muhurt begins from 1 ghati (equal to 24 minutes) before the Local Noon Time (LNT). It remains till 24 minutes thereafter (total duration is 48 minutes) for 12-hour duration of daytime. Its duration changes proportionally according to the length of the day because a day is from sunrise to sunset in astrology.
Abhijit Muhurtham loses its auspiciousness on Wednesday, so one should not select this Muhurtham for any activity on Wednesday. Also, traveling in the south direction in this Muhurtham can bring inauspicious outcomes. Lastly, this Muhurtham can be used in emergencies when no other auspicious times are available.
One can also find other auspicious dates and times for all events in life in the Hindu calendar. To identify good dates for any event in 2023, you can refer to the Muhurtham dates 2023 in the Panchangam.
