✦ Panchak ✦
✦ Five inauspicious days when Moon transits 5 specific nakshatras ✦
✦ What is Panchak? ✦
Panchak comes from Sanskrit "panch + ka" — meaning "a group of five". When the Moon transits, in sequence, the five nakshatras Dhanishtha, Shatabhisha, Purva Bhadra, Uttara Bhadra, and Revati — that ~5-day window is called Panchak.
Muhurta Chintamani and Narada Purana describe Panchak as inauspicious for certain activities — especially southward travel, wood collection (kaath-kabaad), roof-laying, and cremation. Panchak occurs once each lunar month, about 12 times per year.
The type of Panchak depends on the weekday it begins — Sunday: Rog Panchak, Monday: Raj Panchak, Tuesday: Agni Panchak, Friday: Chor Panchak, Saturday: Mrityu Panchak. Wednesday/Thursday-starting Panchaks are called Samanya (ordinary).
✦ Concept & Rule ✦
Panchak begins the moment the Moon enters Dhanishtha and ends when it leaves Revati and enters Ashwini. The Moon spends roughly 24 hours in each nakshatra, so the total Panchak duration is about 5 days. The weekday on which it starts determines its type — Mrityu Panchak (Saturday) and Agni Panchak (Tuesday) are the most restrictive; Raj Panchak (Monday) and Samanya Panchak (Wed/Thu) allow most auspicious activities.
✦ Upcoming Panchak Periods ✦
10 May 2026 – 14 May 2026
Rog Panchak
7 Jun 2026 – 11 Jun 2026
Rog Panchak
4 Jul 2026 – 8 Jul 2026
Mrityu Panchak
31 Jul 2026 – 4 Aug 2026
Chor Panchak
27 Aug 2026 – 31 Aug 2026
Samanya Panchak
24 Sep 2026 – 28 Sep 2026
Samanya Panchak
21 Oct 2026 – 25 Oct 2026
Samanya Panchak
17 Nov 2026 – 21 Nov 2026
Agni Panchak
15 Dec 2026 – 19 Dec 2026
Agni Panchak
* Delhi panchang reference. May vary by ±1 day for other locations.