What Bhadra is
Of the five limbs of the panchang, the karana is the least known. A karana is half a tithi, so every lunar month has about sixty of them. Seven karanas rotate through the month (Bava, Balava, Kaulava, Taitila, Gara, Vanija and Vishti), and four fixed ones fall around Amavasya. The seventh movable karana, Vishti, is the one called Bhadra, and it is the karana every muhurat checks first.
Because the rotation is regular, Bhadra falls in the same places every month:
| Shukla paksha | Krishna paksha |
|---|---|
| Chaturthi — second half | Tritiya — second half |
| Ashtami — first half | Saptami — first half |
| Ekadashi — second half | Dashami — second half |
| Purnima — first half | Chaturdashi — first half |
The Purnima entry is the important one: it is why Raksha Bandhan (Shravana Purnima) and Holika Dahan (Phalguna Purnima) so often have to wait until the afternoon or night, when Bhadra has passed.
Who Bhadra is, in the story
Popular Puranic tradition personifies Bhadra as the daughter of Surya and Chhaya and the sister of Shani — fierce in form and disruptive by nature, spoiling yajnas and celebrations. To contain her, Brahma gave her a fixed place among the karanas and a rule: whoever begins an auspicious work in your time, let that work be obstructed; but those who respect your time will not be harmed.
Where Bhadra resides: earth, heaven or netherworld
Bhadra is only fully harmful when she "lives" on earth. Her residence is read from the Moon's sign at the time:
- Moon in Cancer, Leo, Aquarius or Pisces — Bhadra is on earth (Bhulok/Mrityulok). This is the Bhadra to avoid.
- Moon in Aries, Taurus, Gemini or Scorpio — Bhadra is in heaven (Swarga).
- Moon in Virgo, Libra, Sagittarius or Capricorn — Bhadra is in the netherworld (Patal).
When Bhadra is in heaven or the netherworld, many panchangs treat it as harmless for the earth — some even call it beneficial. This is why you will sometimes read that Rakhi "can be tied despite Bhadra" in a given year.
Mukha and puchha: the head and the tail
Traditional texts also divide each Bhadra into parts. Its mukha (mouth) — a short span near its beginning — is the most harmful part, and its puchha (tail) — a short span near its end — is considered acceptable for work that cannot be postponed. Panchangs that give "Bhadra puchha" timings for Holika Dahan are using this rule.
What not to begin in Bhadra
- Weddings, engagement, griha pravesh, mundan and other sanskaras.
- Raksha Bandhan and Holika Dahan.
- Starting a journey, opening a business, buying a vehicle or property.
Interestingly, the same texts say Bhadra is suitable for harsh or confrontational acts — litigation, surgery, confronting an enemy, cutting down a dangerous tree — fitting her fierce nature.
In practice
For festivals, simply follow your panchang's announced Bhadra end time. For your own plans, check that the chosen hour is free of Bhadra on earth, then look for a good choghadiya and avoid Rahu Kaal.