Muhurta and its Importance

Definition of Muhurta as in Oxford Dictionary:

An auspicious time for an enterprise to begin or for a ceremony to take place

 

From Sanskrit muhūrta 'a division of time' (approximately 48 minutes, one thirtieth of a day).

Muhūrta (Sanskrit: मुहूर्त) is a Hindu unit of measurement for time in the Hindu calendar.

In Taittiriya Brāhmaṇas, muhūrta denotes a division of time: one-thirtieth of a day, or a period of forty-eight minutes

Means 24 hours in a day are divided into 30 muhurtas
 So
1Day = 24 hours (60 Ghati)  and 1Day is also = 30 muhurtas

This means 30 muhuratas =  24 hours ( 60 Ghati)

          1 muhurta = 48 minutes (2 Ghati)

The term Muhurta appears as early as the Ṛig Veda

Taittirīya-Brāhmaṇa mentions the names of 15 muhūrtas:

(1) saṁjñānaṁ (2) vijñānaṁ (3) prajñānaṁ 

(4) jānad (5) abhijānat (6) saṁkalpamānaṁ 

(7) prakalpamānam (8) upakalpamānam 

(9) upakḷptaṁ (10) kḷptam (11) śreyo

 (12) vasīya (13) āyat (14) saṁbhūtaṁ (15) bhūtam 

 

citraḥ ketuḥ prabhānābhānt saṁbhān | jyotiṣmaṁs-tejasvānātapaṁs-tapann-abhitapan | rocano rocamānaḥ śobhanaḥ śobhamānaḥ kalyāṇaḥ | darśā dṛṣṭā darśatā viṣvarūpā surdarśanā | āpy-āyamāṇāpyāyamānāpyāyā su-nṛterā | āpūryamāṇā pūryamāṇā pūryantī pūrṇā paurṇamāsī | dātā pradātā'nando modaḥ pramodaḥ || III.10.1.1 ||

 

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa describes a muhūrta as 1/15th portion of a day ( here day means the time from sunrise to sunset) Supposing Sunrise time as 6:00 am list of 30 muhurtas is given below

No.	Daily Period	Name (मुहूर्त)	Translation	Quality, or Guṇa (गुण)
1	06:00 - 06:48 (sunrise)	Rudra (रुद्र)	"Cryer", "Howler"	Inauspicious
2	06:48 - 07:36	Āhi (आहि)	"Serpent"	Inauspicious
3	07:36 - 08:24	Mitra (मित्र)	"Friend"	Auspicious
4	08:24 - 09:12	Pitṝ (पितॄ)	"Father"	Inauspicious
5	09:12 - 10:00	Vasu (वसु)	"Bright"	Auspicious
6	10:00 - 10:48	Vārāha (वाराह)	"Boar"	Auspicious
7	10:48 - 11:36	Viśvedevā (विश्वेदेवा)	"Heavenly Lights in the Universe"	Auspicious
8	11:36 - 12:24	Vidhi (विधि)	"Insight"	Auspicious - except Mondays and Fridays
9	12:24 - 13:12	Sutamukhī (सतमुखी)	"Goat/Charioteer-Face"	Auspicious
10	13:12 - 14:00	Puruhūta (पुरुहूत)	"Many Offerings"	Inauspicious
11	14:00 - 14:48	Vāhinī (वाहिनी)	"Possessed of Chariot"	Inauspicious
12	14:48 - 15:36	Naktanakarā (नक्तनकरा)	"Night Maker"	Inauspicious
13	15:36 - 16:24	Varuṇa (वरुण)	"All-Envoloping Night Sky"	Auspicious
14	16:24 - 17:12	Aryaman (अर्यमन्)	"Possessed of Nobility"	Auspicious - except Sundays
15	17:12 - 18:00	Bhaga (भग)	"Share"/"Stake"	Inauspicious
16	18:00 - 18:48 (sunset)	Girīśa (गिरीश)	"Lord of the Mount"	Inauspicious
17	18:48 - 19:36	Ajapāda (अजपाद)	"Unborn Foot"/"Goat Foot"	Inauspicious
18	19:36 - 20:24	Ahir-Budhnya (अहिर्बुध्न्य)	"Serpent at the Bottom"	Auspicious
19	20:24 - 21:12	Puṣya (पुष्य)	"Nourishment"/"Blossom"	Auspicious
20	21:12 - 22:00	Aśvinī (अश्विनी)	"Horsemen"	Auspicious
21	22:00 - 22:48	Yama (यम)	"Restrainer" (Death)	Inauspicious
22	22:48 - 23:36	Agni (अग्नि)	"Fire"/"Ignition"	Auspicious
23	23:36 - 24:24	Vidhātṛ (विधातृ)	"Distributor"	Auspicious
24	24:24 - 01:12	Kaṇḍa (क्ण्ड)	"Ornament"	Auspicious
25	01:12 - 02:00	Aditi (अदिति)	"Destitute"/"Boundless"	Auspicious
26	02:00 - 02:48	Jīva/Amṛta (जीव/अमृत)	"Life"/"Immortal"	Very Auspicious
27	02:48 - 03:36	Viṣṇu (विष्णु)	"All Pervading"	Auspicious
28	03:36 - 04:24	Dyumadgadyuti (द्युमद्गद्युति)	"Resounding Light"	Auspicious
29	04:24 - 05:12	Brahma (ब्रह्म)	"Universe"	Very Auspicious
30	05:12 - 06:00	Samudram (समुद्रम)	"Ocean"	Auspicious

Diurnal muhurta, the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 15th are inauspicious while in nocturnal muhurtas the 1st. 2nd, 6th and 7th are inauspicious.

Significance of Muhurta:

As we all are well aware that the gravitational force between the planets have a lot of impact on the living & nonliving things on the Earth. Like the gravitational force between the Moon & the earth causes the high & low tides in the Ocean.

Thus muhurta is a typical combination of the planets in the sky which make a favorable effect on the human beings.

There is an ancient principal told in Ayurveda, “Ashtami Vyadhi nashini” which means that the medicine taken on the 8th day of a lunar month cures illness faster.  The reason behind this is the distance between the Moon & the earth is the farthest on the 8th day of every month, because of which the liquid medicine remains stable in the stomach & thereby starts making effect faster & better.

It is said that Well begin is half done - means any work started in good muhurta is said to produce good results

Actions or karma, done during an auspicious time get an optimal effect

Astrology says while judging a muhurta it is important to consider the combinations of a weekday with Ascendant and nakshtra. Muhurta of auspicious and placid nakshtra is apt for carrying out a good job.

To get a desired muhurta, purification of Ascendant is also required. So, fair attention must be given to the status of the Ascendants. A person receives double benefits if his navamsha is also auspicious. 

Muhurta in astrological terms means defining the quality of time and it varies   based on sunrise, sunset.

Day starts with Sunrise and seven and a half muhurta 

The Eight Muhurta of the day is called as Abhijit Muhurta and is very auspisious as it maps into the Abhijit nakshatra which is ruled by Hari 

(1) Svati, (2) Visakha, (3) Anuradha, (4) Jyestha, (5) Magha, (6) Purva Phalguni, (7)

Uttara Phalguni are 7 muhurtas before Abhijit and these are called first Prahara And

20 Nakshtras after Abhijit constitutes 20 muhurtas. This way 28 Nakshtras constitute 28 Muhurtas Rest 2 Muhurtas are devoted to creator itself and these two Muhurtas are called as Brahm Muhurtas. Brahma muhurta is defined as the special time, which is auspicious for waking up in the morning. This time is known as Brahma muhurat because this is the perfect time for gaining Brahma Gyan. Rishi Sushurut defined this time as Amrit Bela (the nectar time).