Muhurat for Journey

Journeys. – The best lunar days are the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 11th and 13th. The 14th lunar day and Full and New Moon days should be avoided at any cost.

If a journey is undertaken in the following constellations, the person is supposed to return back early after satisfactorily completing his work: Mrigasira, Aswini, Pushya, Punarvasu, Hasta, Anuradha, Sravana, Moola, Dhanishta and Revati. It is better that the journey is commenced in the 2nd, 3rd or last quarter of the constellation. The first quarter may be avoided as far as possible.

No journey should be undertaken on days ruled by Krittika, Bharani. Aslesha. Visakha, Pubba, Poorvabhadra and Aridra. Of these, the following nakshatras may be deemed fit for travelling beyond the spheres of evil influence: – Krittika – 13 ghatis; Bharani – 7; Makha – 14; Pubba, Poorvashadha and Poorvabhadra – 16; Swati, Aslesha and Visakha – 14. In our humble experience, it is found that Bharani and Krittika should always be avoided while the other stars given in this paragraph, journeys can be undertaken in.

Bharani and Krittika should be invariably rejected.

Do not travel towards the East on Saturday and Monday; towards South on Thursday; towards West on Sunday and Friday and towards North on Wednesday and Tuesday. Provided the journey is timed to begin beyond 22 ghatis on Thursday, 12 ghatis on Tuesday and Wednesday; 15 ghatis on Frion Friday and Sunday, 8 ghatis on Saturday and Monday, the above restriction does not hold good. In our view, Tuesday must preferably be avoided.

Aries, Taurus, Cancer, Leo, Libra and Sagittarius are favourable signs for starting on a journey.
Rising sign at the time of journey being one’s Janma Rasi is highly favoured. But it should never be the sign of one’s Janma Lagna. Journey should not also be undertaken when the Lagna is the 5th, 7th or the 9th from one’s Janma Lagna.

Let Jupiter or Venus be well placed in Lagna at the time of starting. This makes the journey successful.
Therefore, readers would do well to restrict the choice of a day to considerations already set forth above. It must be noted that strict adherence to the astrological rules is impossible at times of emergency. Supposing a friend or relative is seriously ill and he is to be visited. There is no question of finding an auspicious date and time. 

The best thing to do is to begin the journey at the most auspicious hora of the day. If one is to go on a pilgrimage or on a pleasure trip or on business, arrangements for Which could be made in advance, a day conforming to all astrological considerations should be fixed. 

The most essential factors to be remembered in selecting a suitable day for travel are (a) a good lunar day, (b) a favourable constellation, (c) a well-fortified Lagna and (d) the absence of Panchaka Dosha. If these are properly observed, that means alt astrological precautions will have been taken.

The following general combinations would be of utmost importance to the average person: –
(1) let the Moon be strong and dignified at the time of starting.
(2) Avoid days of vernal and autumnal equinox and the days on which the Sun enters a new sign every month.
(3) The Moon should be in the 3rd, 6th, 9th or 12th and Jupiter in a kendra from Lagna.
(4) Start when the Moon is in Lagna fortified by the disposition of Jupiter or Venus in a kendra.

5) Jupiter strong in Lagna and the Moon in any place other than the 8th would be a strong combination.
(6) The journey will be easy and peaceful if the Moon be in the 7th and Venus and Mercury be in the 4th.
(7) Mercury in the 4th, Jupiter in the 2nd or 7th will neutralise all the other adverse influences.
(8) Benefics dignified in kendras of trikonas act as powerful antidotes for all evils.
(9) Jupiter in Lagna, malefics in Upachayas and Venus in any house other than the 7th would be an ideal combinations.

Short Journeys. – Render the Lagna and the Moon strong. If these two conditions cannot be fulfilled, start in the hora of the strongest planet keeping in view the Tarabala and Chandrabala factors.

Long-distance Journeys. – All the rules given in the earlier pages of this Chapter are to be observed. Let the Moon be increasing and in a favourable situation so that there might be no delay or hindrance. Pay special attention to the eighth house and see that Mars is not there. Choose a day and time in which the Yatra Lagna agrees with the Janma Rasi. Avoid malefics in the 7th. If the journey is by car or train, avoid affliction to Lagna and the 8th lord by Mars and Rahu. If the Lagna is afflicted by Mars, there will be danger of accidents; if by Rahu, there will be disappointment and disease.

Air Journeys. – Take due note of Tarabala. Let the Lagna be an aerial sign. Avoid Mars in Lagna, the 7th and the 8th. Let the Moon be waxing and as far away from Rahu as possible. Render the ascendant strong by a suitable disposition of Jupiter.

Business Journeys. – If you are to meet an influential person, let the rising sign fall in the 10th house in birth chart. Avoid malefics in Lagna and the 9th. Mercury is the planet of trade and business. He should therefore be either in Lagna or in the 10th or 11th but he should not be aspected by a malefic especially Saturn. Mercury in retrograde is also favourable as he will hasten the transaction to your satisfaction. Prosperity and success follow the Moon in good aspect to Mercury. If the Moon is in 8th or 12th house, the person falls ill on the way. Hence see that the Moon is in favourable position. See also that the 2nd lord is not afflicted and that he is favourably situated. In all these cases, mutual aspects between Mars, Saturn and Rahu should be invariably avoided as they indicate hitches and insurmountable obstacles.

Dental Treatment. – The Ugra yoga above referred to is quite suitable for dental treatment also. See that the Moon is not afflicted and that Chandrashtama is also avoided.

Surgical Operations. – When possible, operate in the period of the intrease of the Moon. Never operate at the exact time of the Full Moon as the bodily fluids are running highest then. Let not the Moon at the time of the operation be in the same sign as at birth. No Operation should be done on the part of the body ruled by the sign through which the Moon is transiting at that time but wait a day or more until the Moon passes into the next sign below, and especially, if the Moon be in conjunction, or evil aspect to malefics at the time.
For surgical operations Tuesday or Saturday is recommended. Mars must be powerful. The 8th house should be unoccupied. And the ruling constellation is Aridra, Jyeshta. Aslesha or Moola coinciding with the 4th, 9th or 14th lunar day. It is very necessary to strengthen the house ruling the part of the body to be operated upon. This if the stomach is to be operated upon, the time selected should be such as to render the 5th house strong by benefic aspects. Mutual aspects between Mars and Saturn should be avoided.

NOTES AND SUMMARY
According to Sage Bharadwaja a fully flawless Muhurtha is unthinkable for years. Therefore, fix up an auspicious time, with less doshas and more gunas. Even sage Narada says: Avoiding heavy afflictions (mahadoshas), and considering the ordinary gunas and doshas, fix an auspicious time with more gunas. That moment proves auspicious.

In Muhurtha, the pride of place is always given to Nakshatra. Vara and Tithi. The other two limbs whilst no doubt important in their own way are in actual practice of secondary value.
Tuesday and Saturday are invariably bad for all auspicious works. There are certain exceptions for this general rule. For instance, Tuesday is good for surgical operations.

Concluding Remarks

Muhurtha is not the penance for all the ills afflicting a horoscope. Muhurtha or an auspicious moment can neutralise to a certain extent the afflictions existing in a birth chart as affecting the various events. If marital harmony is completely absent in a birth chart, Muhurtha cannot confer on the native marital harmony. It reduces the sources of friction to a certain extent.

Of the different limbs of the panchanga, viz., tithi, vara, nakshatra, yoga and karana, the nakshatra is very important. If suppose for a marriage, the tithi is the 6th and the nakshatra is Sadhana, then the day can be selected. This is the view of sage Brihaspati and hence acceptable to the other sages. But even if other factors such as tithi, nakshatra. etc., are defective, a strong Lagna can neutralise such defects. This is the view of Narada and we concur with this view. But recourse should be had to this contingency only under special circumstances, e.g., when a Muhurtha is to be fixed, say for accommodating a bridegroom coming from a foreign country, who has to get back quickly.

Jupiter should be rendered strong for marriage; Venus for travel; Mercury for learning; Mars for war, fighting; the Sun for meeting with the rulers, government officers, etc., and the Moon in respect of all elections.

Abhijin Muhurtha (midday) could be fixed for all elections, in case a really auspicious time is not available. Add half duration of the day to sunrise and the Abhijin Muhurtha is obtained. Suppose sunrise is at 6:10 a.m. (IST) and sunset 6-45 p.m. The interval is 12 hours 30 minutes. Half this, viz., 6 hours 15 minutes added to time of sunrise, viz., 6:10 (IST) gives the Abhijin Muhurtha as 6 hours 10 minutes + 6 hours 15 minutes = 12 hours 25 minutes.

Jupiter or Venus is in conjunction with the ascendant or at least in a kendra or the trine so that all doshas are rendered infructuous.