Muhurta for marriage

How to Choose Auspicious Marriage Date and Vivah Muhurat?

Various factors are considered while finding auspicious Hindu Marriage Dates. It is quite tedious process and one should read this article to understand how marriage dates are calculated. This article will clarify what factors are considered and what factors are left while calculating Vivah Muhurats .

According to Muhurta Chintamani, marriages should be held only when the Sun is transiting through following Rashis
Mesha / Aries
Vrishabha / Taurus
Mithuna / Gemini
Vrischika / Scorpio
Makara / Capricorn
Kumbha / Aquarius
Marriages should not be held when the Sun is transiting through following Rashis
Karka / Cancer
Simha / Leo
Kanya / Virgo
Tula / Libra
Dhanu / Sagittarius
Meena / Pisces

Dhanu/Sagittarius month is also known as Kharmas when marriages are prohibited. Solar months Simha and Kanya overlaps with Chaturmas.

Vedic astrology defines twenty seven Nakshatras. Abhijit Nakshatra is not considered while counting 27 Nakshatras.

Shubha Vivah
Following 11 Nakshatras are considered Shubh for marriage.

Rohini (4th Nakshatra)
Mrigashirsha (5th Nakshatra)
Magha (10th Nakshatra)
Uttara Phalguni (12th Nakshatra)
Hasta (13th Nakshatra)
Swati (15th Nakshatra)
Anuradha (17th Nakshatra)
Mula or Moola(19th Nakshatra)
Uttara Ashadha (21st Nakshatra)
Uttara Bhadrapada (26th Nakshatra)
Revati (27th Nakshatra)
Many astrologers avoid Uttara Phalguni as it is believed that Lord Rama and Goddess Sita were married during Uttara Phalguni and they had lot of difficulties and miseries in their married life.

Prohibited Yogas for Marriage and their effects

Following 8 Yogas are considered Ashubh i.e. inauspicious for marriage.
Atiganda (6th Yoga)
Shula (9th Yoga)
Ganda (10th Yoga)
Vyaghata (13th Yoga)
Vyatipata (17th Yoga)
Parigha (19th Yoga)
Indra (26th Yoga)
Vaidhriti (27th Yoga)

It is believed that marriages held during above Nitya Yogas results in death of the bride or the bridegroom. The bride might suffer from various diseases. The bridegroom might become drunkard, meat eater and timid. The couple might suffer from the death of the son.

Hence all above Yogas should be avoided while decided auspicious marriage date. Rests of the 19 Yogas are considered auspicious for marriage.

Prohibited Karana for Marriage.

Following 4 Karanas are prohibited for marriage
Vishti
Shakuni
Chatushpada
Nagava
All above prohibited Karanas might cause death of the bride and the bridegroom. Marriage held during these Karanas might result in destruction of the family and sudden unexpected adverse results.

Remaining Karana, Kinstughna, Bava, Balava, Kaulava, Taitila, Garaja, Vanija are auspicious for marriage activities.

Tithis and Weekdays
For marriage Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are considered auspicious. Tuesdays are not considered auspicious for marriages.

Dwitiya (2), Tritiya (3), Panchami (5), Saptami (7), Ekadashi (11) and Trayodashi (13) Tithis are best and Rikta Tithis Chaturthi (4), Navami (9), Chaturdashi (14) are bad and should be avoided.

Tithis and weekdays are given less important while selecting marriage dates. Hence our marriage calculations don't consider Weekdays and Tithis while doing Panchanga Shuddhi to find auspicious marriage dates.

It is interesting to note that most of the time Akshaya Tritiya, Prabodhini Ekadashi and Makar Sankranti falls on auspicious marriage days but that is not always true.

Selection of Ascendant
After Panchang Shuddhi marriage should be conducted during auspicious Ascendant. Ascendant is also known as Lagna and rising sign. Different sources have varying opinion on selecting auspicious Lagna.

Most sources believe that Gemini (Mithuna), Virgo (Kanya) and Libra (Tula) are the auspicious ascendants to conduct the marriage.

Marriage held during inauspicious Lagna might result in loss of employment, adulterous and Kulta wife, unable to conceive more than one child and unstable married life.

We don't consider Lagna or ascendant while publishing Vivah Muhurat. However our Muhurat window of at least four hours should be sufficient enough to find the auspicious Lagna. One Lagna lasts for approximately two hours and this duration varies from place to place.

Shukra and Guru Tara Asta
Most auspicious works including marriage are prohibited when Shukra Tara and Guru Tara are set. Hence no marriages are held when Venus and Jupiter are combusted or Asta.

Singhast Guru.

Singhast Guru is also considered inauspicious for marriage. But it should be considered diligently as Guru becomes Singhast for 12 to 13 months which makes it difficult to conduct the marriage for almost a year. However marriage can be performed during Singhast Guru when the Sun is transiting through Mesha (Aries) Rashi. Guru becomes Singhast once in every twelve years. Our marriage calculations don't consider Singhast Guru.

Holashtak
In North India marriages are also not held during Holashtak. Holashtak is eight days inauspicious period which starts from Ashtami Tithi during Shukla Paksha of Phalguna month and ends on Phalguna Purnima. Our marriage calculations don't consider Holashtak