Tarabalam calculator
Choose your birth nakshatra and the nakshatra of a day to see which of the nine taras it falls on, with the traditional favourable or unfavourable reading and a table of all 27 stars counted from yours. It is a traditional guideline for choosing days, not a prediction.
How to calculate tarabalam
- Find your birth nakshatra (janma nakshatra) and the nakshatra of the day you want to check.
- Count from your birth star to the day’s star in the order Ashwini, Bharani, Krittika… Revati, counting your own star as 1. After Revati the count carries on from Ashwini, so it always lands between 1 and 27.
- Divide the count by 9. The remainder is the tara number; a remainder of 0 means tara 9.
- Read the tara off the table below.
Three worked examples, using the nakshatra numbers 1 (Ashwini) to 27 (Revati):
- Hasta counted from Rohini is star 10 (13 − 4 + 1 = 10; 10 − 9 = 1, so tara 1): Janma, mixed. Hasta is the 10th star from Rohini, so this Janma is also called Anujanma.
- Ashwini counted from Shravana is star 7 (1 + 27 − 22 + 1 = 7, so tara 7): Vadha, unfavourable. The count passes Revati and carries on from Ashwini.
- Anuradha counted from Magha is star 8 (17 − 10 + 1 = 8, so tara 8): Mitra, favourable.
The nine taras
The nine taras repeat three times round the 27 nakshatras, so each tara falls on three stars: the counts shown in the table.
| Tara | Counts | Meaning | Traditional reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Janma | 1, 10, 19 | birth | Mixed |
| 2. Sampat | 2, 11, 20 | wealth, prosperity | Favourable |
| 3. Vipat | 3, 12, 21 | danger, misfortune | Unfavourable |
| 4. Kshema | 4, 13, 22 | well-being, safety | Favourable |
| 5. Pratyari (Pratyak) | 5, 14, 23 | obstacle, opposition | Unfavourable |
| 6. Sadhaka (Sadhana) | 6, 15, 24 | achievement | Favourable |
| 7. Vadha (Naidhana) | 7, 16, 25 | harm, destruction | Unfavourable |
| 8. Mitra | 8, 17, 26 | friend | Favourable |
| 9. Parama Mitra (Ati Mitra) | 9, 18, 27 | great friend | Favourable |
The meanings are the literal sense of the Sanskrit names. Janma is marked mixed because traditions differ on it. Names in brackets are other names some texts use. Spellings also vary between almanacs, for example Sampath for Sampat, Vipath for Vipat and Kshemam for Kshema.
Tarabalam and the day’s nakshatra
The day’s nakshatra is the one the Moon is in. Panchangs print the nakshatra at sunrise and the time it ends, and since the Moon spends about a day in each star, the tarabalam can change in the middle of a day. Choose a nakshatra from a panchang, or let the calculator work out the Moon’s nakshatra for a date and time (Lahiri ayanamsa, the one most Indian panchangs use).
Related tools and guides
- Nakshatra calculator by date of birth: find your birth star and pada first.
- Rashi calculator by date of birth: the Moon sign, for chandrabalam.
- Chandrashtama calculator: the days the Moon is in the 8th rashi from the birth rashi, the part of chandrabalam most often avoided.
- Tithi calculator: the tithi, yoga and karana of a birth or any other moment.
- Nakshatra by name: the nakshatra of a name’s first syllable.
- List of 27 nakshatras and the 27 nakshatras explained.
Frequently asked questions
How is tarabalam calculated?
Count the nakshatras from your birth star to the day's star, counting the birth star itself as 1, so the count runs from 1 to 27. Divide the count by 9; the remainder (9 when it divides exactly) is the tara number. For example, Hasta counted from Rohini is star 10 (13 − 4 + 1 = 10; 10 − 9 = 1, so tara 1, Janma).
Which taras are good and which are bad?
In the usual muhurta table Sampat (2), Kshema (4), Sadhaka (6), Mitra (8), Parama Mitra (9) are favourable, and Vipat (3), Pratyari (5), Vadha (7) are unfavourable. Janma (1), the birth star's own tara, is read differently by different traditions: many avoid it for new beginnings, others treat it as neutral.
What is the day's nakshatra?
It is the nakshatra the Moon is in. Panchangs usually print the nakshatra in force at sunrise, with the time it ends. The Moon spends about a day in each nakshatra, so the star often changes during the day; this calculator can check a date and time, or every nakshatra of a whole day, from the Moon's position.
What are Anujanma and Trijanma?
The 10th and 19th stars from the birth star fall on the Janma tara again, in the second and third rounds of nine. They are called Anujanma and Trijanma. Some texts call the 10th the karma nakshatra and the 19th the adhana nakshatra.
Is tarabalam the same as chandrabalam?
No. Tarabalam compares the day's nakshatra with the birth nakshatra. Chandrabalam compares the Moon's rashi that day with the birth rashi. Muhurta books usually look at both, along with the tithi, weekday and other factors.
Does a bad tara mean something bad will happen?
No. Tarabalam is a traditional guideline people use when picking a day for a ceremony, a journey or a new start. It is not a prediction, and nothing shows that a tara causes events. For an important muhurta, families usually consult a priest or astrologer, who weighs many factors together.