What a “shubh yoga” is
In the panchang tradition, some combinations of weekday (vara) and nakshatra are considered especially favourable for beginning things: buying gold or a vehicle, opening a shop, signing an agreement, entering a new home. These combinations are called shubh yogas. Because they depend on the Moon’s nakshatra, which changes roughly every day, and on the weekday, they occur only a few times a year, and the dates change every year.
OIOA’s Shubh Yoga finder searches the year for you.
The four yogas OIOA finds
- Guru Pushya: the Pushya nakshatra on a Thursday. Widely regarded as one of the most auspicious days of the year for purchases, especially of gold.
- Ravi Pushya: Pushya on a Sunday, valued in particular for beginnings and for learning.
- Amrit Siddhi: particular weekday–nakshatra pairs traditionally said to bring success.
- Sarvartha Siddhi: a wider set of weekday–nakshatra pairs said to favour “all purposes”.
Tap a yoga to see all its occurrences in the selected year, with the period when the combination holds. Change the year to look ahead or back. If a yoga doesn’t occur in a year, the app says so.
How it’s worked out
The yoga holds while the Moon is in the required nakshatra on the required weekday. OIOA calculates each nakshatra’s start and end from the Moon’s position, on your phone, and combines it with the weekday. This is the same astronomy as the nakshatra page. Because the nakshatra changes at a particular moment, a yoga may begin partway through a day or end before the day is out. The times shown tell you exactly when it applies. Read the 27 nakshatras for background.
Using it with other timings
Many families combine a shubh yoga with a good Choghadiya or Hora within it, and avoid Rahu Kaal. OIOA’s Muhurat tab shows the live day and night Choghadiya with time left, so on a Guru Pushya morning you can see at a glance which window is running now. See muhurat windows in the Hindu tradition.
Traditions differ
Lists of Amrit Siddhi and Sarvartha Siddhi pairs vary slightly between panchang traditions, and some families also consider tithi, the time of day or a personal horoscope. OIOA uses one consistent traditional set and shows exactly when each combination holds. For an important ceremony, many families also consult their own priest or astrologer. The disclaimer applies.
Where to find it
Shubh Yoga is in Panchang tools with Hora, Nakshatra and Predictions, and the Home screen can show the upcoming Shubh Yoga. It works offline, like the rest of OIOA’s calendar calculations.
Common questions
Why are there only a few Guru Pushya days a year?
Pushya is one of 27 nakshatras, so it comes round about once every 27 days. It has to coincide with a Thursday, which happens only a handful of times a year.
Is a yoga valid for the whole day?
Not always. It holds only while both conditions are true. If Pushya ends at 11 am on a Thursday, Guru Pushya ends then too. OIOA shows the period.
Is this the same as the “yoga” in the panchang?
No. The panchang’s 27 yogas, such as Vishkambha and Priti, are a separate element based on the combined longitudes of the Sun and Moon. Shubh yogas are weekday–nakshatra combinations.
Does it depend on my city?
The nakshatra changes at the same moment everywhere, but the weekday and the local times depend on your time zone, so results are shown for your location.
Can I see past years too?
Yes. Move the year backwards to check whether a past date, for example a family business’s founding day, fell in a shubh yoga.
Why does a yoga sometimes start in the evening?
The nakshatra can begin at any moment of the day. When Pushya begins on a Thursday evening, Guru Pushya begins then, and the app shows that start time.
Key terms
- Vara: the weekday, each ruled by a planet: Sunday (Sun), Monday (Moon), Tuesday (Mars), Wednesday (Mercury), Thursday (Jupiter), Friday (Venus), Saturday (Saturn).
- Nakshatra: one of 27 sectors of the sky through which the Moon passes, each about 13°20′ wide.
- Pushya: the eighth nakshatra, ruled by Saturn, widely considered nourishing and auspicious.
- Guru: Jupiter, the ruler of Thursday. Ravi: the Sun, the ruler of Sunday.
- Amrit Siddhi: literally “nectar of accomplishment”, a set of favourable weekday–nakshatra pairs.
- Sarvartha Siddhi: “accomplishing all aims”, a broader set of favourable pairs.
- Muhurat: an auspicious time chosen for an undertaking.
Planning ahead with Shubh Yoga
Because the finder covers a whole year, families use it early: a business owner picks Guru Pushya days to restock or open new accounts, a couple shortlists dates for a griha pravesh, and a family plans a jewellery purchase for Dhanteras or a Pushya day. Combine it with the holiday planner to find a favourable day that also falls on a weekend or holiday, and add it to your reminders so it isn’t missed.