What is an auspicious time?
In
Vedic astrology, auspicious time is that time when the planets and stars are aligned in a particular way ensuring predominance of positive vibration in the air. This auspicious time is called ‘Muhurat’. It is the time best suited to commence a task or get things done. The Muhurat also depends on the
horoscope of the person and the occasion involved.
Opening a shop on auspicious dates of business brings success, growth and profits to the owner. No day is a bad day to start a business. It is not at all a must for a shop to open at a particular time for it to succeed. However, some days are better than others. Muhurat points out those better days. Muhurats are usually decided through
Panchanga.
‘Panchanga’ literally means five parts. They are Dina,
Nakshatra,
Tithi,
Karana and
Yoga. Dina is the solar day lasting from sunrise to sunset, nakshatra is the position of the moon in the sky, the tithi is the lunar day lasting from moon rise to moon set, Karana is half a tithi and yoga is the relationship between the Sun and the Moon on that day.
Auspicious Time for Opening a Shop
It is common practice to open a shop or business house inviting friends and relatives at an auspicious Muhurtha, after conducting Pooja and lighting a lamp. The auspicious Muhurta depends on the Panchanga.
Unfavourable Week Day
Tuesday – If there is an option, it is better not to open a shop on a Tuesday. Tuesday is ruled by Mars. The red planet is associated with heat. Mars casts an influence on the human body, especially blood and is responsible for accidental cuts and bruises. Mars is also aggressive and it can give way to unnecessary fights and create unwanted competition among people.
Favourable Stars
Stars or the nakshatra are classified into Chara (moving), Sthira (fixed), Mrdu (soft), Ugra (intense), Tikshna (sharp), Kshipra (swift) and Mishra (mixed).
All fixed stars (Rohini, Uthram, Uthradam, Uthrattathi), all friendly stars (Makayiram, Chithra, Anizham, Revathi) and all dynamic stars (Aswati, Pooyam, Atham) are considered auspicious for shop opening.
Unfavourable Tithis
All Rikta Tithis (Chathurthy, Navami, Chaturdashi) and
Krishna paksha Ashtami are considered unfavourable for opening shops. The meaning of Rikta is empty. Work done during this tithi can’t be expected to finish in time. Krishna paksha Ashtami by nature is a conflict or problem generator.
Unfavourable Nithya Yogas
Vishkamba, Athigandha, Soola, Gandha, Vyaghata, Vajra, Vyathipatha, Parikha, and Vaidhrithi are the unfavourable Nithya Yogas which are to be avoided during shop opening.
Nithya Yogas are daily yogas formed by the angular relationship between the Sun and Moon. These are different from a Nakshatra where only the Moon’s movement is considered. With the Nitya Yogas, the Sun is moving as well, and the Moon has to travel 13°20’ away from the Sun for each Nitya Yoga. There are 27 of these. Some are favourable and some are not.
Unfavourable Karanas
Vishti is the only unfavourable Karana to watch out for during shop opening. A Karana is half a Tithi. There are altogether 11 Karanas of which 7 are repeating while 4 happen only once a lunar month. Vishti Karana is the 7th among repeating Karanas and is considered appropriate for destructive activities only. It is avoided for all auspicious activities.
Apart from these, common Panchanga shuddi checks, the general astrological quality based on the horoscope for the moment is also analysed. Also, factors such as Solar and Lunar eclipses, Sankranti and Sandhyakalam are considered while selecting an auspicious time for shop opening.
