How to Read Your Daily Panchang in Pandit Ji

The Today screen in Pandit Ji is designed to give you everything you need for an intentional day in a single glance. But if you're new to the panchang, the screen can feel dense. This guide walks through each section so you know exactly what you're looking at and how to use it.

The Top Section: Today's Five Limbs

At the top of the Today screen, you'll see the five core panchang elements — the panchang's "five limbs" — calculated for your GPS location and the current date:

• Tithi — The lunar day currently active at your sunrise. Tapping it shows you when the current tithi ends and which tithi follows.
• Nakshatra — The Moon's current lunar mansion. This is the element that drives your personal Tarabalam reading.
• Yoga — The Sun-Moon combination quality for today. Look for Amrit Siddhi or Sarvaartha Siddhi for especially auspicious days.
• Karana — The half-tithi currently active. Most relevant for knowing if Vishti (Bhadra) Karana is in effect — if so, avoid starting new work during it.
• Vara — The weekday and its ruling planet, shown with the planet's symbol.

Sunrise, Sunset, and Moon Phase

Below the five limbs, you'll see your precise sunrise and sunset times, calculated from your exact GPS coordinates — not from a national average. The moon phase icon updates in real time as the lunar cycle progresses.

Your Personal Indicators

This section only appears if you've added a birth profile. It shows three indicators personalized to your Janma Nakshatra and Moon sign:

• Tarabalam — How today's nakshatra relates to your birth star. Green means favorable (Sampat, Kshema, Sadhana, Mitra, or Param Mitra tara). Red means inauspicious (Vipat, Pratyak, or Naidhana).
• Chandrabalam — Whether the Moon's current sign is favorable relative to your birth Moon sign.
• Chandrashtama — A warning banner appears when you're in your Chandrashtama window (Moon in the 8th nakshatra from your birth star). Lasts roughly 2.5 days.

Muhurat Windows

Scrolling down, you'll see the key timing windows for the day:

• Brahma Muhurta — The pre-dawn auspicious window, ending 48 minutes before sunrise.
• Abhijit Muhurat — The ~48 minute window centered on solar noon. Universally auspicious except on Wednesdays.
• Rahu Kaal — Shown in red. Avoid starting important new work during this 90-minute window.
• Gulika Kaal — Secondary inauspicious window ruled by Saturn's son Mandi.
• Yamaganda Kaal — Third inauspicious daily window.

Festivals and Observances

Any festivals, fasting days, or special observances active today are shown at the bottom of the screen. Tapping any festival opens a detail view with the ritual significance, tradition notes, and any tradition-specific variations (Smartha, Vaishnava, or Shaiva).

A Practical Morning Routine

The most effective way to use the Today screen: check it at the start of each day, note your Tarabalam and Chandrabalam status, identify Rahu Kaal, and flag Abhijit Muhurat if you have something important to start. This takes about 60 seconds and meaningfully informs your day's timing decisions.