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Astral Atlas
Wiki concept · Indian astrology

Karana

Half a tithi, spanning 6° of Moon–Sun longitude difference; traditional names follow a repeating and fixed sequence.

In this entry

Word origin · etymology

Sanskrit transliteration: karaṇa.

Karaṇa has meanings including doing, making, and instrument. Half a tithi is a specialized calendrical sense of the word.

Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary: karaṇa (University of Hyderabad) ↗

How we know · epistemology

Phase subdivision and naming rule

A six-degree phase interval determines the half-tithi, while a traditional sequence supplies its name. Correct naming requires the fixed entries as well as the repeating cycle; meanings assigned to those names are customary.

IMD Positional Astronomy Centre: Rashtriya Panchang ↗

Connected concepts

Terms used in this explanation

These links connect subjects and terminology. They do not establish a shared historical origin.

Sources & provenance

Use the citations beside each section to distinguish a calculation convention, a historical teaching and an editorial example.

Find these sources across the wiki →

  1. IMD Positional Astronomy Centre: Rashtriya Panchang ↗
  2. Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary: karaṇa (University of Hyderabad) ↗