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Chandrashtama Calculator

The days the Moon passes through the 8th sign from your own — about thirteen a year, with the exact hours.

About

Chandrashtama is the stretch in every lunar month when the transiting Moon passes through the eighth sign counted from the sign it occupied at your birth. It lasts about two and a quarter days and comes round roughly every twenty-seven, which is why almanacs list thirteen or fourteen of them a year for each birth star. Tradition treats it as a poor time for beginnings, journeys, purchases and signings, and a fine time for routine work.

The Moon moves about thirteen degrees a day, so these windows rarely align with a calendar day: one date is usually only partly affected. The exact entry and exit times are computed from the Moon's sidereal longitude, so you can see where the boundary actually falls rather than losing a whole day to it.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Chandrashtama?

Chandrashtama is the time when the transiting Moon occupies the eighth sign counted from the sign the Moon was in at your birth. It lasts about two and a quarter days and returns roughly every twenty-seven, so there are thirteen or fourteen in a year.

How do I find my Chandrashtama days?

Choose your rāśi, or your birth star and pada, and the days are listed for the year you pick — with the hour the Moon enters the eighth sign and the hour it leaves. If you know neither, enter your birth date, time and place and the Moon sign is computed from the chart.

Is Chandrashtama counted from the birth star or the Moon sign?

From the Moon sign, which the birth star fixes: each of the 27 stars falls in a sign, and for the six that straddle two, the pada decides. That is why almanacs can list Chandrashtama by star — it amounts to the same thing.

What is avoided on a Chandrashtama day?

Traditionally new beginnings, journeys, large purchases, signings and auspicious ceremonies. Routine work, ongoing tasks and everyday travel are not usually held back for it.

Does a Chandrashtama day mean a whole calendar day?

Not exactly. The Moon enters and leaves the eighth sign at a particular hour, so the window usually covers part of one date and part of the next. Both times are given here for that reason.

Which ayanamsa do the calculations use?

Calculations use the sidereal (nirayana) zodiac. Lahiri is the default ayanamsa — the one used by the Indian civil calendar — with Raman and KP available as alternatives.