BPHS Ch.92 — Three Types of Gandanta, Opening Shloka & Tithi Gandanta Definition
BPHS Chapter 92 opens with: "Tithi nakshatra lagna-naam gandantaam trividham spraham. Janma yatra vivaha-adau bhavet tat nidhanapradham" — For Tithi, Nakshatra, and Lagna there are THREE kinds of Gandanta; if present at birth (Janma), travel (Yatra), marriage (Vivaha), or any important event = it becomes death-giving (nidhanapradam). Applicability: BOTH natal charts AND Muhurta (electional) charts. Note: BPHS Chapter 91 (Grahana Janma = eclipse birth remedies) was covered in prior class but was not recorded. Tithi Gandanta: defined at the borders between the 5 classes of tithis based on pancha-bhuta classification (Nanda, Bhadra, Jaya, Rikta, Purna — these correspond to 5 elements; their borders are Gandanta analogous to how Rashi Gandanta occurs at fire-water sign borders). Specific borders: last 2 ghatikas of Panchami + first 2 ghatikas of Shashthi; last 2 ghatikas of Dashami + first 2 ghatikas of Ekadashi; last 2 ghatikas of Purnima or Amavasya + first 2 ghatikas of Pratipada. Time measure: 4 ghatikas = 96 minutes total = 48 minutes (2 ghatikas) on EACH side of the border. "If at birth or a muhurta the tithi is one of these border tithis within 2 ghatikas — it is Tithi Gandanta."
"Gandanta at birth, at travel, at marriage — Parashara says all of these are nidhanaprada: death-giving. It applies to both the natal chart and any muhurta you are selecting. You must check all three types."
— P.V.R. Narasimha Rao
BPHS Chapter 92 — Gandanta Jata Shanti
Opening shloka (Parashara): "Tithi nakshatra lagna-naam gandantaam trividham spraham. Janma yatra vivaha-adau bhavet tat nidhanapradham."
Translation:
- For Tithi, Nakshatra, and Lagna → there are THREE kinds of Gandanta
- At birth (Janma), at travel (Yatra), at marriage (Vivaha), and other important times (adau)
- If any of these Gandantas is present → it becomes death-giving (nidhanapradam)
Applicability:
- Natal charts (Janma)
- Muhurta (electional) charts — travel, marriage, and any important events
- "This is applicable to Muhurta as well as Janma Chakra."
Critical word: "He did not clarify, so by default it is Moon nakshatra" (for nakshatra-based Gandanta).
Three Types of Gandanta
Type 1: Tithi Gandanta
Definition: The border between the 5th and 6th tithi, the 10th and 11th tithi, and the 15th (Purnima/Amavasya) and 1st (Pratipada) tithi.
Time measure: 4 ghatikas = 96 minutes total = 48 minutes on each side of the border
Specific borders:
- Last 2 ghatikas of Panchami + first 2 ghatikas of Shashthi
- Last 2 ghatikas of Dashami + first 2 ghatikas of Ekadashi
- Last 2 ghatikas of Purnima or Amavasya + first 2 ghatikas of Pratipada
"So these are the tithi gandantas. If at the time of birth or at the time of a muhurta, if the tithi running is one of these border tithis and it is very close to the border — within 2 ghatikas — it is Tithi Gandanta."
Why these tithis: Parashara gives a classification of 5 types of tithis (Nanda, Bhadra, Jaya, Rikta, Purna). These correspond to the pancha bhutas (5 elements). The borders between these classes are the Tithi Gandantas — analogous to how Rashi Gandanta occurs at the borders between water and fire signs.
Type 2: Nakshatra Gandanta
Shloka: "Revati Dashtra yo Sarpa Maghayo, Shakra-Mula yoh sandhou nakshatra gandantam; evam nadi-jatush-tayam."
Three Nakshatra Gandanta borders:
| Border | Nakshatras |
|---|---|
| Revati → Ashwini | End of Revati / Beginning of Ashwini |
| Ashlesha → Magha | End of Ashlesha (Sarpa = Ashlesha) / Beginning of Magha |
| Jyeshtha → Mula | End of Jyeshtha (Shakra = Indra = Jyeshtha) / Beginning of Mula |
Time measure: Same as Tithi — 4 ghatikas total = 2 ghatikas (~48 min) on each side
Degree measure: Moon moves ~13 arc minutes per ghatika → 2 ghatikas ≈ 26 arc minutes ≈ half a degree
"This particular Gandanta defined by Parashara is just for half a degree — 30 minutes either side approximately. We are not even talking about a degree here."
Muhurta implication: If Moon is at 29°40' in Cancer (= fag end of Ashlesha), it is within the last 2 ghatikas before entering Magha → Nakshatra Gandanta for that Muhurta.
Type 3: Lagna Gandanta
(Not yet defined in the transcript — class was cut off before this.)
By extension from the same framework: likely the last half-degree of water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) and first half-degree of fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) — the classic Rashi Gandanta definition applied to the ascending degree.