What is tarabalam?
Tara means star. Balam means strength. Tarabalam tells you how strong a day is for you personally, based on the relationship between your birth star and the nakshatra prevailing on that day.
Like chandrashtamam, tarabalam is personal: two people born under different nakshatras can have vastly different day ratings. But where chandrashtamam only marks one unfavourable position (the Moon's 8th house), tarabalam provides a nuanced 9-point scale that alternates between favourable and unfavourable days.
The 9 taras
Counting from your birth nakshatra to the day's nakshatra gives a number from 1 to 27. That number is reduced to a tara using modulo 9. The 27 nakshatras thus form 3 complete rounds of 9 taras.
| No. | Tara | Quality | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Janma | Mixed ◐ | Your birth star. Neither fully favourable nor unfavourable. |
| 2 | Sampat | Good ● | Wealth and abundance. Good day for new ventures. |
| 3 | Vipat | Avoid ○ | Danger and loss. Avoid new beginnings. |
| 4 | Kshema | Good ● | Prosperity and safety. A stable day. |
| 5 | Pratyari | Avoid ○ | Obstruction and resistance. Poor for negotiations. |
| 6 | Sadhaka | Good ● | Achievement and success. Good for completing projects. |
| 7 | Vadha | Avoid ○ | Destruction and loss. The most unfavourable tara. |
| 8 | Mitra | Good ● | Friendship and support. Good for collaboration. |
| 9 | Parama Mitra | Good ● | Best friend. The most favourable tara. |
How tarabalam is calculated
- Find your birth nakshatra, the nakshatra the Moon occupied when you were born.
- Find today's prevailing nakshatra, the nakshatra the Moon occupies at sunrise.
- Count from your birth nakshatra to today's nakshatra (including both). This gives a number from 1 to 27.
- Reduce: ((number - 1) mod 9) + 1. The result is your tara for the day (1–9).
Worked example
Example: birth nakshatra Rohini
You were born under Rohini (nakshatra no. 4). Today's nakshatra is Magam (no. 10).
- Count
- 10 - 4 + 1 = 7
- Reduce
- ((7 - 1) mod 9) + 1 = 7
- Tara
- 7 = Vadha
From Rohini to Magam, both included.
Modulo 9 gives the tara number.
Unfavourable, avoid new beginnings today.
With Rohini as birth star and Magam as today's nakshatra, tarabalam is Vadha (unfavourable).
What the three bad taras mean
The three unfavourable taras, Vipat (3), Pratyari (5) and Vadha (7), should be avoided for new beginnings. Vadha is considered the most unfavourable of the three.
- Vipat (danger), risk of loss or mishap. Postpone new contracts.
- Pratyari (obstruction), resistance in negotiations and plans. Not ideal for important meetings.
- Vadha (destruction), the harshest. Avoid major decisions, travel and ceremonies.
As with Rahu Kalam, this applies only to new beginnings. Daily routines, work, eating, sleeping, are not affected by tarabalam.
The Janma star, the mixed tara
Tara 1 is Janma, your own birth star. It is considered mixed: neither fully favourable nor unfavourable. Tradition recommends caution, but it is significantly better than the three unfavourable taras. The Janma star returns three times in the cycle: at nakshatra 1, 10 and 19 counted from your birth star.
Tarabalam and chandrashtamam
| Element | What it measures | Scale | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarabalam | Star strength (nakshatra distance) | 9 levels | Daily |
| Chandrashtamam | Moon's position in the 8th house | 2 levels (active/inactive) | Every 2–3 days |
The two systems are independent. You can have a favourable tara (e.g. Sampat) while also being in chandrashtamam. In practice, people check both: tarabalam for daily timing and chandrashtamam for the ~2 days when the Moon is in your 8th house.
Tarabalam in marriage horoscopy
The exact same counting is used in Dina Porutham, the first of the 10 classical marriage compatibility checks. Here the count goes from the bride's birth nakshatra to the groom's. If the result gives tara 2, 4, 6, 8 or 9, there is Dina compatibility. Taras 3, 5 and 7 lack it.
How to use it in practice
- Know your birth nakshatra, ask your parents or find it in your birth horoscope.
- Check today's tara on our tarabalam page, it shows the strength for all 27 nakshatras.
- Plan new beginnings on days with Sampat, Kshema, Sadhaka, Mitra or Parama Mitra.
- Avoid Vipat, Pratyari and Vadha for contracts, travel and ceremonies.
- Combine with Rahu Kalam and chandrashtamam for a complete picture.