Karana
A karana is half a tithi, the time the Moon needs to gain 6° on the Sun. There are eleven karanas; Vishti, better known as Bhadra, is the one to avoid.
What a karana is
Every tithi has two karanas, one in each half, so a lunar month has sixty karana slots. Seven karanas repeat in a cycle through the month: Bava, Balava, Kaulava, Taitila, Gara, Vanija and Vishti. Four fixed karanas appear once each, around the new moon: Shakuni, Chatushpada, Naga and Kimstughna.
Bhadra
Vishti karana is Bhadra. Tradition holds that no auspicious work, and in particular tying a rakhi or starting a journey, should begin while Bhadra prevails. Hastro shows the Bhadra windows of each day on the panchang and treats them as a penalty in muhurat scoring. When Bhadra covers the whole afternoon of Raksha Bandhan, the festival moves to the next morning if the Purnima still prevails at sunrise, which is why Raksha Bandhan 2025 fell on 9 August.
FAQ
How long does a karana last?
About half a tithi: a little under twelve hours on average, between roughly 9 and 13 hours.
Where is Bhadra said to reside?
Panchangs distinguish Bhadra in the mrityu-loka (earth), which is the one to avoid, from Bhadra in swarga or patala by the Moon’s sign. Hastro lists every Vishti window and lets you apply that finer rule yourself.
ਸੰਬੰਧਿਤ: Tithi Bhadra (Vishti karana) Yoga (panchang)