Muhurtha is an astrological term familiar to most laymen. Muhurtha is the moment or the time selected for commencing any important activity or inaugurating any important event in life. The ordinary folk in our country often refer to Muhurtha as ‘Nekata’.

Ordinary people describe the Muhurtha as the nekata, because the main imperative in selecting a Muhurtha is that it should fall within an auspicious Nekata (Nakshatra) or constellation. 

A difficult task
Selecting an auspicious or a propitious time or Muhurtha is a time-consuming difficult task even for an experienced astrologer. 

There are specifically auspicious constellations for commencing an activity or inaugurating an important event in life. However, an auspicious constellation alone would not make an auspicious Muhurtha. The constellation selected should be compatible with the native’s birth constellation. Even if the constellation selected for the Muhurtha is harmonious with the birth constellation, the Muhurtha thus selected should be compatible with the Vedic day of the week, the Tithi (the Lunar day), the Ascendant sign etc. 

Dasa Maha Dosha
If a Muhurtha selected is to be propitious, it should be free from ten-fold blemishes or evil yoga - called Dasa Maha Dosha.

The Dasa Maha Dosha are: Rikta, Vishti, Dagdha, Kaana, Mara,Visha, Agni, Shakata, Bhumi Shraka and Soola.
The Dasa Maha Dosha are briefly explained below.

Rikta:  This yoga comes under three categories called Tithi Rikta, Dina Rikta and Tatkaalina Rikta. Jalavaka, Navavaka and Tudusvaka in a Lunar month be it in the bright fortnight or the dark fortnight are Rikta -blemished Tithis. The 4th hour, 9th hour and the 14th hour in the morning and in the afternoon in a weekday from Sunday to Saturday are referred to as Rikta-blemished days. The 4th hour on Jalavaka Tithi, the 9th House on the Navavaka Tithi and the 14th Hour on the Tudusvaka Tithi are Tatkaalina Rikta hours which are considered highly inauspicious and an activity undertaken in such hours could even be fatal. Rikta Dosha is also present on the land on Sunday, in the jungle on Monday, in fire on Tuesday, in town or village on Wednesday, on rocks on Thursday, in the ocean on Friday and on highway on Saturday. 

Vishti:  This Dosha operates for 7 ½ hours, after a 30 hour-lapse of Pura Jalavaka, for 7 ½ hours after a 7 ½ hour-lapse of Pura Atavaka, for 7 ½ hours after a 40-hour lapse of Ekolosvaka and 7 ½ hours after a 22 hour-lapse of Pura-Pasalosvaka.

Dagdha: This Dosha operates on Sunday coinciding with Dolosvaka, Monday with Ekolosvaka, Tuesday with Viseniya (the fifth Lunar day), Wednesday with Diyavaka, Thursday with Satavaka, Friday with Atavaka and Saturday with Navavaka. 

Dagdha also operates on Sunday coinciding with Puvasal constellation and Pelaviya Tithi, on Monday with Utrasal and Atavaka, on Tuesday with Aslisa and Pelaviya, on Wednesday with Kati and Dasavaka, on Thursday with Puvaputupa and Viseniya, on Friday with Utrapal and Atavaka and on Saturday with Rehena and Telesvaka.

Dagdha Dosha also operates on certain Tithis when they coincide with the Sun’s transit in certain Rashis or Zodiacal signs.
(To be continued)