The Vara (वार), or the weekday, is the second vital limb of the Panchanga, and its role in muhurta selection is foundational. The Vara assigns a planetary ruler to the entire 24-hour period, imbuing that day with the planet’s fundamental energy, temperament, and operational domains. Choosing the right Vara muhurta is the strategic step of aligning your action with the cosmic will of a supportive planetary authority.
A successful weekday selection muhurta is not just about convenience; it’s about harnessing the intrinsic power of a specific planet to govern and bless the new beginning. This discipline ensures that your actions are undertaken when the planetary lord of that day is naturally favorable to your endeavor, be it commerce, relationship, or growth.
The Opinion: Vara is the Day’s Governing Authority
The Vara dictates the governing authority of the day. Every event needs a benevolent ruler to oversee its inception, and the choice of Vara determines which planet will hold that authority.
The Reason: Planetary Signature
The sequence of the weekdays (Sunday to Saturday) is based on the traditional ordering of the planets from slowest to fastest motion (Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon) and then applied to the planetary hour (Hora) system, which governs the day’s start. This imparts a clear, dominant planetary signature to the entire day.
- Sun (Sunday): Imparts authority, vitality, and power.
- Mars (Tuesday): Imparts energy, conflict, and quick action.
- Jupiter (Thursday): Imparts expansion, wisdom, and blessings.
Choosing the Vara strategically is to choose the quality of the ruling energy. For instance, you wouldn’t launch a business under the authority of Mars (Tuesday, ruler of conflict), but you would if you were going to war or performing surgery. This strategic use of weekday timing is central to effective Muhurta.
The Example: The Day for Financial Growth
If you wish to launch a financial investment scheme or a major commercial venture:
- Optimal Vara (Thursday – Jupiter): Jupiter governs wealth, expansion, and benevolence. Starting on a Thursday ensures the venture is under Jupiter’s generous and protective umbrella, imbuing it with potential for broad success and ethical growth.
- Avoided Vara (Tuesday – Mars): Starting on a Tuesday invites the signature of Mars, which can lead to conflict, disputes, or aggressive, short-lived growth followed by a crash.
The Restatement: Aligning Action with Cosmic Will
Therefore, the Vara is the selection of the day’s core energy. By aligning the purpose of your event with the innate quality of the planetary ruler, you are ensuring the foundation of your action is sound and supported by the cosmic will.
The Seven Varas and Their Energetic Application
The seven Varas are defined by the planetary sequence and are classified based on their suitability for different types of actions, forming the basis of vara muhurta.
| Vara (Weekday) | Ruler | Nature (Guna) | Core Domain | Suitable Activities (DO) | Activities to AVOID (DON’T) |
| Ravi (Sunday) | Sun (Surya) | Fixed (Sthira) | Authority, health, government. | Meeting officials, taking medicine, starting high-status work, seeking favor. | Activities requiring harmony or softness, travel. |
| Soma (Monday) | Moon (Chandra) | Movable (Char) | Emotions, public, travel, water, nourishment. | Journeys, artistic work, matters of home and family, starting education. | Harsh actions, confrontation. |
| Mangala (Tuesday) | Mars (Mangal) | Fierce (Ugra) | Conflict, energy, fire, technical skill, debt. | Surgery, paying off debt, confronting enemies, physical labor, dealing with fire/metals. | Marriage, signing peaceful contracts, partnerships, starting education. |
| Budha (Wednesday) | Mercury (Budha) | Dual (Dwichar) | Commerce, communication, intellect, writing, study. | Signing documents, starting a business, complex negotiations, learning new skills. | Actions requiring high stability or long-term foundation (good for starting, not for permanence). |
| Guru (Thursday) | Jupiter (Guru) | Light (Laghu) | Wisdom, finance, spirituality, expansion, religion. | Investments, religious ceremonies, spiritual initiation, consultation, starting education. | Aggressive acts, confrontations. |
| Shukra (Friday) | Venus (Shukra) | Soft (Mridu) | Harmony, love, art, luxury, vehicles, marriage. | Marriage, dating, buying new clothes/jewelry, creative work, entertainment. | Actions related to war, destruction, or harsh discipline. |
| Shani (Saturday) | Saturn (Shani) | Sharp (Tikshna) | Longevity, discipline, labor, structure, delay. | Starting construction (laying foundation), planting trees, long-term meditation, yoga, service. | Activities requiring speed, joy, or immediate results (e.g., travel, trading). |
Strategic Weekday Selection Muhurta
In practice, vara muhurta involves categorizing the days into highly preferred, neutral, and strictly avoided for general auspicious undertakings.
The Benefic Varas (Highly Favored)
The best days are ruled by the natural benefics, supporting growth, harmony, and favorable outcomes:
- Thursday (Guru): The best day for almost all auspicious events, especially those related to wealth, knowledge, and long-term fortune.
- Friday (Shukra): Ideal for social events, relationships, arts, and all matters related to joy, beauty, and comfort. Essential for marriage.
- Wednesday (Budha): Excellent for business, communication, and intellectual pursuits. Favors quick, successful starts.
- Monday (Soma): Highly favorable for public dealings, emotional matters, and starting things related to the home or travel.
The Malefic Varas (Strictly Avoided)
These days are ruled by natural malefics and must be avoided for peace-seeking, stable, or harmonious beginnings:
- Tuesday (Mangala): The most strictly avoided day for marriage, business launch, and housewarming. Its energy is too aggressive and prone to conflict and sudden failure.
- Saturday (Shani): Avoided for events needing a quick, joyful start (like travel or ceremonies). It promotes longevity but with delays, austerity, and hard work. It can be used for deep meditative practice, labor-intensive beginnings, or purchasing metals/oil.
- Sunday (Ravi): A mixed day. Good for career, power, and health initiatives. However, it can bring a dominant or egoistic energy, making it less ideal for partnerships (like marriage) where equality is needed.
Applying Vara to the Ascendant
The Vara selection gains even more precision when integrated with the Ascendant (Lagna) of the Muhurta chart. For example:
- Launching a business on a Wednesday (Budha’s day): The Lagna should ideally be Gemini or Virgo (signs ruled by Mercury) to doubly reinforce the power of commerce and intellect.
- Getting married on a Friday (Shukra’s day): The Lagna should ideally be Taurus or Libra (signs ruled by Venus) to maximize harmony, stability, and romantic favor.
Integration with Tithi: The Power of Vara-Tithi Combinations
While the Vara is strong, it is not an absolute authority. Its energy can be enhanced or nullified by the Tithi and Nakshatra. A malefic Tithi on an otherwise auspicious Vara can still render the time weak.
The Dagda Tithis (Burnt Tithis)
A major affliction in vara muhurta is the concept of Dagda Tithis (Burnt Tithis). These are specific Vara-Tithi combinations where the lunar day’s energy is said to be “burnt” by the weekday’s influence, rendering the entire day highly inauspicious.
| Weekday (Vara) | Dagda Tithi (Lunar Day to AVOID) |
| Sunday (Ravi) | Dwadashi (12th Tithi) |
| Monday (Soma) | Ekadashi (11th Tithi) |
| Tuesday (Mangala) | Panchami (5th Tithi) |
| Wednesday (Budha) | Tritiya (3rd Tithi) |
| Thursday (Guru) | Shashti (6th Tithi) |
| Friday (Shukra) | Navami (9th Tithi) |
| Saturday (Shani) | Tritiya (3rd Tithi) |
Muhurta Imperative: Even if Thursday is an optimal day for a financial start, it must be avoided if it falls on a 6th Tithi (Shashti), as the two energies clash and “burn” the auspicious potential.
Amrita Siddhi Yoga (The Immortality Combination)
Conversely, certain Vara-Nakshatra combinations create highly powerful, success-giving windows known as Amrita Siddhi Yoga and Sarvartha Siddhi Yoga. These combinations are so strong they are often used to override minor Tithi or other flaws. This demonstrates that the vara muhurta is strongest when it creates a synergistic combination with the other limbs, making the resulting day selection universally benevolent.
Conclusion: Setting the Clock by the Planets
The Vara is the planetary clock-setter for the day. Its selection in Muhurta is a strategic act of choosing the cosmic authority under which your new endeavor will operate. By systematically favoring the benefics (Jupiter, Venus, Mercury) and avoiding the disruptive forces (Mars, in particular), practitioners of vara muhurta ensure that the energy governing the entire 24-hour cycle aligns perfectly with the event’s purpose. This conscious weekday timing is a fundamental pillar of electional astrology, empowering us to initiate action not against the current, but with the full force of a supportive planetary tide.
