What is Panchak? And why is it an inauspicious time to start a new work?

Panchak is a term in vedic astrology that refers to a group of five Nakshatras. Let's find out the dates of Panchak in May 2024.

Published on: May 2, 2024, 21:11:24 IST

By Soumi Pyne

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Panchak is a term in vedic astrology that refers to a group of five Nakshatras. Nakshatras are also known as constellations. Vedic astrology has 27 constellations and a total of 360 degrees in the zodiac. Each constellation covers 13 degrees and 20 minutes. When the moon is in the last five constellations—Dhanishtha, Shatabhisha, Purvabhadrapa, Uttara Bhadrapada, and Revathi—it's called Panchak. In simpler terms, Panchak happens when the moon is in the zodiac signs of Aquarius and Pisces. Let's find out the dates of Panchak in May 2024.

When is the start and end date of Panchak in May 2024?

According to vedic or Indian astrology, Panchang will start on May 2, 2024, at 2:30 p.m and end on May 6, 2024 at 5:43 p.m. Additionally, Panchak will occur in the latter half of this month on May 29, 2024, at 8:05 p.m. to June 3, 2024, at 1:40 a.m.

Why is Panchak an auspicious or inauspicious time to start a new work?

Panchak refers to the five days when the moon transits through the zodiac signs of Aquarius and Pisces. It occurs every month, according to the Hindu Vedic Calendar. Specifically, when the Moon is in Pisces or Aquarius, it's called Dhanistha Panchak.

According to ancient Indian beliefs, starting new endeavours during Panchak is highly discouraged as it's considered extremely inauspicious. Experts suggest that any work initiated during this time might encounter obstacles and remain unfinished. It's believed that difficulties could increase fivefold if one proceeds with new ventures during Panchak.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Soumi Pyne
Soumi Pyne is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with four years of work experience. She started her career as a digital journalist with HT after completing her master's in media and communication from NSHM Kolkata. She covers topics in astrology, manifesting, and tarot readings, and also interviews astrologers to share their stories. In 2022, she interviewed the young indigo pilot who had saved Indian students from Ukraine. She has also covered stories about the Dhoomimal Art Gallery and a few lifestyle stories. She is now a fervent reader of astrology, but before working full-time on the Astrology beat, she coordinated and published think tank stories in the HT insight section. Additionally, produced Live Mint and HT newsletters, during which she had the scope to publish news articles by HT's editor-in-chief, Sukumar Ranganathan. She puts in her best effort to make her readers justify the statement "Astrology is a pseudoscience". While she believes that Astrology is not intertwined with Science, she aims to help her readers understand that the human body can be influenced by planetary alignments, drawing on insights from Indian and USA astrologers. Outside her professional sphere, she enjoys a healthy lifestyle through yoga, journaling, meditation, running, and cooking gluten-free meals. She is an avid documentary enthusiast who loves watching BBC, Discovery, and other channels, with a focus on ancient history, space, art, and culture. Also, you'll often find her taking her pooch to new cafes and often taking short trips with her girls or her family to offbeat places.Read More

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