Lunar Calendar

9:56 A B-7-10--5++

The A means AM The B means it's the bright half or the Moon's course It's the 7th Tithi (of the bright as stated) The Moon is in the 10th Nakshatra The next two symbols which are two dashes or two plus's, or a mix, ie -- or ++ or -+ or +-

These indicate the Tarabala, which means nakshatra relationships counting first from your moon, then your ascendent. They refer to the Transiting Moon's Nakshatra Minus the Natal Moon then Natal Ascendent Nakshatras, and that number arrived at is judged by the settings you make while entering this feature- which default to Dr. Ramans definitions. So, if it is said there that 9 is good, then a plus will show when the transiting moon is 9 nakshatras away from your natal moon.

If your natal moon and natal ascendent are in the same nakshatra, then these scores will of course be the same constantly and you will always get either plus or minus, which makes reading it easier. Of course, life in general is clearer for these people (Bernadette is one of these).

Then the Moon sign number appears, in in this example a 5

then the two dashes or plus's again appear, same scheme as before but this is chandra bala, which refers to counting signs, that's the only difference.

So, the interpretation of these factors might be something like the following:

First, you just register that it's the bright half, or waxing Moon, so that is considered good for "growing" the Moon's beneficance. That's considered "positive" in general. Then you note the 7th tithi. In classics different activities and moods are allotted as appropriate for the different tithis. I don't have these memorized, and am not in the mood to go look up the 7th tithi's covered items.

Then you register the Moon is in the 10th nakshatra. Then you look at some list you have handy, or which one that is and what it's allotments are in the classics, as each nakshatra has a different area of things it's good and bad for. For example, "sharp" nakshatras are better for Mars activities, whereas soft nakshatras are better for Moon or Venus activities, etc.

The Chandra Bala tells you in general how good is the sign for your Moon and Ascendent. Like, for me, Virgo is 6th from ascedent and 8th from my Moon, so the Chandra Bala for Virgo for me is wholly negative. So starting things here, or things that start here, are not "good" for me materially speaking.

The tara bala is more subtle. It changes WITHIN chandra bala's, since Tara Bala, being based on Nakshatras which change a little more than twice per sign. Therefore, it can change from good to bad, or vice versa, while a particular chandra bala is running. The tithi is also only 12 degrees of Moon travel wide, and is therefore like unto Tara Bala in how fast it changes. Tara bala and tithi change as the moon moves either 13.20 or 12 degrees, which are both therefore changing every day roughly. Whereas, chandra bala, meaning a whole sign of movement of the Moon, changes every 2. 5 days roughly.

So it's important to know which are "wider" in time, and which are less. You can make a little scale.

You should always judge from wider down lastly to smaller.

For example, in picking Muhurthas, which is one thing you do with this calendar, you should first look at the transits of the slow planets, make sure they are where you want them, or where you find them acceptable, and then you go down through the planets from slowest to fastest. Then you lastly pick the Moon sign, then the tithi and nakshatra, then the lagna, since it's the fastest. In this order, you can "arrange things" the "way you want them". That's picking a Muhurtha.

So this calendar gives you the last things, except the ascendent, for judging times of the day to do things. It's pretty esoteric in a sense. I don't think many people can or want to run their lives on such fine schedules, but that was the idea. In India still, strictly Brahminical families or temples pay close attention to the Panchang, and life is run according to it. I have experienced this somewhat while living at temples, especially the one I lived at in Navadwip, belonging to my late Spiritual Guru, Sridhar Swami.

So basically, once you know how to read the little string of indicators, you can pick times more easily. That's the idea. You have to first have to know what you're looking for, and I haven't given all those clues here. For that, one is best off to study the original books on the matter, such as Muhurtha Cintamani and Dr. Raman's Muhurtha book (very cheap- $7 I think from Deepak at JDR Ventures). Those books cover things like what the different nakshatras are "good for" etc.

Thanks,

Das Goravani