Tithis to Avoid for Auspicious Work

The tithi, or lunar day, is one of the five limbs of the panchang, and it carries a quiet power over whether a moment supports a new beginning. Some tithis are bright and growing, good for almost any auspicious work. Others are weak or unsettled, and starting something important on them is avoided. Knowing which tithis to skip saves you from picking a day that looks fine on the surface but works against you.

How tithis work

A tithi is the time the moon takes to move twelve degrees ahead of the sun, so the lunar month holds thirty tithis: fifteen in the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha), as the moon waxes, and fifteen in the dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha), as it wanes. Each tithi has a character. The growing tithis of the bright fortnight generally support beginnings, while the waning ones are softer in strength. The fifteenth tithis, Purnima (full moon) and Amavasya (new moon), sit at the turning points.

The Rikta tithis: the main ones to avoid

The clearest tithis to skip are the Rikta tithis: the fourth (Chaturthi), ninth (Navami) and fourteenth (Chaturdashi) of each fortnight. Rikta means empty or depleted, and these days are held weak for starting anything you want to prosper, such as a wedding, a housewarming, a business launch or a major purchase. They are not unlucky for everything; some traditions use them for tasks meant to remove or end something, and the fourth is tied to Ganesha worship. But for auspicious beginnings, they are set aside.

Amavasya and the new moon

Amavasya, the new moon that closes the dark fortnight, is generally avoided for celebratory beginnings. The moon is dark and at its weakest, and the day is traditionally given to remembering ancestors rather than starting new ventures. There are exceptions tied to specific observances, but as a rule a wedding or a launch is not set on Amavasya. Purnima, by contrast, the full moon, is usually welcome and often auspicious.

Other weak or cautionary tithis

A few more tithis call for care. The eighth (Ashtami) is treated cautiously in many traditions for celebratory work. Some practitioners also weigh the combination of tithi and weekday, since certain pairings are held especially weak or especially strong. The point is not to memorise a long list but to recognise that not every day of the lunar month carries the same strength, and the depleted ones are best avoided for anything you want to grow.

Tithi sits within the whole panchang

A sound tithi is necessary but not sufficient. A day can carry a good growing tithi yet fail on a fierce nakshatra, a difficult weekday, or an inauspicious yoga. The Bhadra karana, which falls within certain tithis, is itself avoided for beginnings even when the tithi is otherwise fine. So the tithi is one filter applied alongside the others: rule out the Rikta tithis and Amavasya first, then check that the nakshatra, weekday and yoga also agree before fixing a clock time clear of Rahu Kaal.

Why the right day depends on you

The general rules tell you which tithis to avoid for everyone. Your own chart tells you which of the remaining days is strongest for your particular work, since the moon's condition relative to your birth chart shapes how a given tithi treats you. This is why a personalised muhurat looks past the calendar to the moment that suits you.

For a date that avoids the weak tithis and matches your own birth details, AstroMedha can run the full panchang check against your chart and give you the days and times worth choosing.