Tarabalam = power of taras (nakshatras). When muhurat is calculated for any work in jyotish — tarabalam is checked from distance between native's birth-nakshatra and that-day's nakshatra. If tarabalam favorable — work succeeds. If unfavorable — obstacles.
Order of nine taras: Janma-tara, Sampat-tara, Vipat-tara, Kshema-tara, Pratyari-tara, Sadhak-tara, Vadh-tara, Mitra-tara, Param-mitra-tara. Three taras unfavorable — Vipat, Pratyari, Vadh. 9-day cycle completes then again starts from Janma-tara.
✦ Tarabalam Calculation Method
Formula: (Today's nakshatra-number - birth-nakshatra-number + 1) / 9 = remainder = tarabalam. Remainder 0 (or 9) = Param-mitra. Remainder 1 = Janma. 2 = Sampat. 3 = Vipat (inauspicious). 4 = Kshema. 5 = Pratyari (inauspicious). 6 = Sadhak. 7 = Vadh (inauspicious). 8 = Mitra.
Example: Birth-nakshatra Pushya (8). Today's nakshatra Chitra (14). (14 - 8 + 1) / 9 = 7/9 = remainder 7 = Vadh-tara (inauspicious). Second example: Birth Rohini (4), today Punarvasu (7). (7-4+1)/9 = 4 = Kshema-tara (auspicious).
27 Nakshatras: 1-Ashwini, 2-Bharani, 3-Krittika, 4-Rohini, 5-Mrigashira, 6-Ardra, 7-Punarvasu, 8-Pushya, 9-Ashlesha, 10-Magha, 11-Purva-Phalguni, 12-Uttara-Phalguni, 13-Hasta, 14-Chitra, 15-Swati, 16-Vishakha, 17-Anuradha, 18-Jyeshtha, 19-Mula, 20-Purvashadha, 21-Uttarashadha, 22-Shravan, 23-Dhanishtha, 24-Shatabhisha, 25-Purva-Bhadrapad, 26-Uttara-Bhadrapad, 27-Revati.
✦ Result of Nine Taras
1) Janma-tara: On own nakshatra. Moderate — some work auspicious, some inauspicious. Auspicious — puja, meditation, knowledge-acquisition. Inauspicious — travel, big investment, marriage.
2) Sampat-tara: Wealth-increasing. Best-auspicious. New business, griha-pravesh, money-investment, marriage best. 3) Vipat-tara: Inauspicious. Travel-accident, money-loss. Don't start new work.
4) Kshema-tara: Welfare-wellbeing. Auspicious. Daily-work, partnership, friend-meeting. 5) Pratyari-tara: Enemy-obstacle, opposition. Inauspicious. New work, travel, dispute forbidden.
6) Sadhak-tara: Sadhana-siddhi. Auspicious. Mantra-diksha, sadhak-work, spiritual-yatra best. 7) Vadh-tara: Most inauspicious. Don't do any auspicious work — accident risk.
8) Mitra-tara: Friend-cooperation. Auspicious. Partnership, social-mingling, social-events. 9) Param-mitra-tara: Best-auspicious. Every auspicious-work succeeds. Marriage, griha-pravesh, travel, business-start.
✦ Remedies for Inauspicious-Taras
Vipat-tara remedy: Guru-puja, Brihaspati-mantra "Om Brim Brihaspataye Namah" 108 times. Yellow clothes, yellow sweet daan. Water-offering to peepal-tree.
Pratyari-tara remedy: Shani-puja, Shani-mantra "Om Sham Shanaishcharaya Namah" 108 times. Oil-sesame-black-thing daan. Hanuman-Chalisa 11 times. Saturday-vrat.
Vadh-tara remedy: Mrityunjay-mantra "Om Tryambakam Yajamahe" 108 times. Wear Maha-Mrityunjay-yantra. Shiva-abhishek. Wear rudraksha. Mahamrityunjay-jap 1.25 lakh — in special situations.
General remedy: Puja of birth-nakshatra-swami-graha. Water to birth-nakshatra-tree. Navagraha-stotra-paath. Don't do work against tarabalam — postpone.
✦ Tarabalam vs Chandrabal — Difference
Tarabalam: Nakshatra-based. 9-day cycle. Changes daily. Subtle-view.
Chandrabal: Rashi-based. 12-rashi cycle. Changes in 2.25 days. Gross-view.
Both together auspicious — best muhurat. Only tarabalam/chandrabal — moderate. Both inauspicious — don't do work.
Panchak-shuddhi: Tarabalam also seen with tithi-var-nakshatra-yoga-karan. All five auspicious = best panchang. Most auspicious = best. Most inauspicious = postpone work.
✦ When to See Tarabalam — Main Works
Mandatory tarabalam-seeing works: 1) Marriage 2) Griha-pravesh 3) Foundation/shilanyas 4) Yajna-diksha 5) Mantra-diksha 6) Start of new business 7) Long travel 8) New vehicle-purchase 9) New house-purchase 10) Mundan/upanayan.
Not in daily work: ordinary-travel, buy-sell, cooking — tarabalam not necessary in these. Only in special-works.
Doubly-auspicious: If Sampat + Param-mitra both occur — such combination only once in 10 months. Some astrologers say — any auspicious-work 100% successful on such day.
📚Sources & References
Content in this article is verified against the following classical and modern authoritative sources. Readers may independently verify against the original sources.
- ▪Muhurta Chintamani — chapter on Tarabalam calculation
- ▪Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra — foundational text on Vedic astrology by Maharishi Parashara
- ▪Muhurta Chintamani by Ram Daivajna (16th century) — standard reference for muhurat selection
- ▪Astronomical Algorithms by Jean Meeus (Willmann-Bell, 1998) — basis for all astronomical computations on this site
✦ Frequently Asked Questions
Can muhurat not be derived without tarabalam?▼
5 angas of muhurat — tithi, var, nakshatra, yoga, karan. Tarabalam is special-form of nakshatra-calculation. Tarabalam seen in most muhurats. But in extremely-essential works (cremation, medical, service) tarabalam not seen.
I don't know my birth-nakshatra — how to find?▼
Astrologer can extract birth-nakshatra from birth-date, time, place. Free calculation also on our site's "Nakshatra-Calculator". Not accurate from only birth-date (without time) — time necessary. If time-error then approximate-correct nakshatra.
Does tarabalam repeat every 9 days?▼
Yes — 27 nakshatras / 9 taras = cycle 3-times. One tara in one nakshatra-day. If today is Janma-tara then again Janma-tara after 9 days. But nakshatras keep changing in between. New nakshatra each day — new tara.
Should we do absolutely nothing on Vadh-tara day?▼
Daily-routine works (food, bath, ordinary-work) can be done. But postpone any new important work — marriage, travel, big investment, griha-pravesh. If essential — after Mrityunjay-jap 108 times.
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Note: This content is published for educational and cultural reference. For personal religious or astrological decisions, please consult a qualified pandit or jyotishi.