Panchanga · पञ्चाङ्गम्
The Panchanga, Word by Word
Most sites explain what the Panchanga's five elements do. Here, we start with what the Sanskrit words themselves mean — because the terminology is where the system actually comes from.
पञ्चाङ्गम् (pañcāṅgam) splits cleanly into two Sanskrit roots: पञ्च (pañca), "five," and अङ्ग (aṅga), "limb" or "part." A Panchanga is literally a thing with five limbs — the five measurements that define any given day.
तिथिः (Tithiḥ) — the lunar day
From the root तद् (tad), broadly "that which is reckoned." A Tithi is the time for the Moon's angular distance from the Sun to increase by exactly 12°. Thirty Tithis make a lunar month, split into शुक्ल पक्ष (Śukla Pakṣa), the bright fortnight, and कृष्ण पक्ष (Kṛṣṇa Pakṣa), the dark fortnight. All 30 Tithi names →
वासरः (Vāsaraḥ) — the weekday
From वस् (vas), "to dwell" or "to remain" — the day one dwells in. Each of the seven Vasara is ruled by a Graha (planet). All 7 Vasara, in depth →
नक्षत्रम् (Nakṣatram) — the lunar mansion
Possibly from न क्षरति (na kṣarati), "that which does not decay/wither" — a nod to the fixed stars, unlike the wandering Grahas. There are 27 Nakshatras, and Sanskrit month names are themselves drawn from the Nakshatra active during that month's full moon. All 27 Nakshatras →
योगः (Yogaḥ) — the union
From युज् (yuj), "to join" or "to unite" — the same root that gives us "yoga" in its meditative sense. A Panchanga Yoga is a specific combined angular relationship between the Sun and Moon; there are 27 named Yogas in the cycle. All 27 Yogas →
करणम् (Karaṇam) — the half-Tithi
From कृ (kṛ), "to do" or "to make" — a Karana is literally "a doing" or "an instrument," reflecting its role as a finer unit for timing rituals. Each Tithi contains exactly two Karanas. All 11 Karanas →
Why the etymology matters
Sanskrit terms in the Panchanga aren't arbitrary labels — Nakshatra names describe star groups, Yoga and Yuj share a root because both describe a "joining," and Tithi's root ties directly to counting. Understanding the words makes the whole system easier to hold in your head, rather than memorising five unconnected rules.
Related pages
See our Sanskrit months (named after Nakshatras), the Samvatsara cycle (the Sanskrit year system), the Indian Calendar overview, and Sanskrit numerals used throughout Panchanga calculation.