Yoga in the panchang: the 27 Sun plus Moon yogas
Panchang yoga is not the same as planetary yogas in a birth chart. In the panchang, yoga is a daily limb: add the sidereal longitudes of the Sun and Moon, divide the circle into 27 equal parts of 13 degrees 20 minutes, and read the name of the part in force. Chart yogas such as raja yoga come from house lords in a kundali, not from this sum.
You'll learn
- How panchang yoga differs from chart yogas
- The 27 names in order
- How the value is computed
- Why end times appear
- Where to read raja yoga and other chart combinations
Before thisNakshatra in the panchang: the Moon's mansion of the day
Same word, different idea
Birth-chart yogas link planets and houses. Panchang yoga is a calendar index from Sun plus Moon only.
Link to house yoga lessons
Raja yoga, Lakshmi yoga and other house lessons describe combinations in a natal chart. None of them use the panchang yoga formula.
The yoga glossary entry warns about the name overlap. When an almanac says 'yoga' in the five-limbed header row, it means this astronomical yoga, sometimes called nitya yoga.
Sun plus Moon, 27 steps
Compute sidereal Sun longitude plus sidereal Moon longitude, normalise to 360 degrees, and take the 13°20′ segment. That segment's name is the yoga.
Parallel to nakshatra math
Each segment is 360 divided by 27, equal to 13 degrees 20 minutes. The list runs from Vishkambha as the first segment through Vaidhriti as the twenty-seventh.
Spelling varies in English (Shula versus Shoola, Preeti versus Priti). Skybond follows the names its panchang API returns, aligned with common North Indian almanacs.
Because the Sun and Moon both move, the yoga can change once or twice between two sunrises. End times are printed like tithi end times.
Traditional associations
Many almanacs label each yoga auspicious or inauspicious for new starts. Skybond lists the names here without ranking your personal luck.
Neutral treatment
Classical muhurta writers comment on which yogas favour ceremonies. Those labels differ by region and by commentator.
This course states the names and the calculation. For chart combinations, continue with the house yoga lessons linked in the next steps box.
Check yourself
Does panchang yoga use house lords?
Show answer
No. It uses only sidereal Sun and Moon longitudes added together.
How many panchang yogas are there?
Show answer
27, each spanning 13 degrees 20 minutes of the Sun plus Moon sum.
Where is raja yoga explained?
Show answer
In the Learn lesson on raja yoga under Houses, which covers kendra and trikona lords.
Key takeaways
- Panchang yoga is not raja yoga or other chart yogas.
- It comes from Sun plus Moon sidereal longitude in 27 steps.
- Names run Vishkambha to Vaidhriti.
- End times mark when the next yoga begins.
- Chart yogas are taught in the house yoga lessons.
Next lessons
Conventions and sources
- Sidereal zodiac
- Sunrise to sunrise day
- Location-specific times
Panchang nakshatra uses the Moon's sidereal longitude. See ayanamsa for how the zodiac gap is set.
Sources for this page
- ePandit, The 27 yogas of the panchang (27 names and order)
- Yoga Panchang, Nitya yoga list (cross-check of 27 names)
FAQ
What is yoga in a panchang?
One of 27 values from the sum of sidereal Sun and Moon longitudes, each 13°20′ wide.
Is an auspicious yoga in the almanac the same as raja yoga?
No. Raja yoga is a birth-chart link between kendra and trikona lords. Panchang yoga is a daily calendar index.
How is panchang yoga calculated?
Add sidereal Sun and Moon longitudes, wrap at 360°, and find which twenty-seventh of the circle you are in.
Drafted with AI from verified sources, fact-checked and edited by Skybond before publishing. Read more.