Bhadra
the Vishti karana, and where it sits

It falls in the second half of Shukla Chaturthi and Ekadashi, the first half of Shukla Ashtami and Purnima, the second half of Krishna Tritiya and Dashami, and the first half of Krishna Saptami and Chaturdashi.

What it is avoided or kept for

• Starting anything auspicious: a wedding, griha pravesh, a business
• Tying the rakhi (Raksha Bandhan waits for Bhadra to end)
• Holika Dahan (lit after Bhadra, or in its tail)

Where Bhadra sits depends on the Moon’s sign. With the Moon in Kark, Simha, Kumbh or Meen it is on earth (bhuloka) and is avoided; in Mesh, Vrishabh, Mithun or Vrishchik it is in svarga, and in the other four in patala, and then it does not touch work on earth.

Why tradition keeps it

In the Puranic telling Bhadra is the daughter of Surya and Chhaya and the sister of Shani, fierce from birth; Brahma gave her a place among the karanas and a home in the three worlds, so that only her time on earth would touch what people begin.

Source: Muhurta Chintamani gives Vishti and its residence by the Moon’s sign; the panchang follows it.

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