The nine Taras form a repeating cycle across the 27 nakshatras (27 / 9 = 3 complete cycles). Each Tara has a name, a number, and a fixed nature. Remainder 1: Janma (Birth) – inauspicious, represents vulnerability. Remainder 2: Sampat (Wealth) – auspicious, brings prosperity. Remainder 3: Vipat (Danger) – inauspicious, brings obstacles. Remainder 4: Kshema (Well-being) – auspicious, supports comfort and safety. Remainder 5: Pratyari (Obstacle) – inauspicious, creates opposition. Remainder 6: Sadhaka (Achievement) – auspicious, supports accomplishment. Remainder 7: Vadha (Death/Harm) – inauspicious, risk of loss. Remainder 8: Mitra (Friend) – auspicious, brings support and alliance. Remainder 9 (or 0): Atimitra (Great Friend) – highly auspicious, the best Tara.

Six Taras are auspicious: Sampat (2), Kshema (4), Sadhaka (6), Mitra (8), Atimitra (9), and – with a nuance – Janma (1) in its second and third cycles. Three are inauspicious: Vipat (3), Pratyari (5), and Vadha (7). The easy mnemonic: odd numbers (except 1 in later cycles and 9) tend to be bad; even numbers are good. In practice, most astrologers advise avoiding new ventures when the day's Tara is Vipat, Pratyari, or Vadha, and consider Sampat, Kshema, and Atimitra as the best windows for important activities.

To check your Tara Bala for today: (1) Know your birth nakshatra (from your birth chart or Moon sign calculator). (2) Find today's nakshatra (from the daily panchang). (3) Count from your birth nakshatra to today's nakshatra, inclusive. (4) Divide by 9 and take the remainder. (5) Look up the Tara. For example, if your birth nakshatra is Rohini (4th) and today's Moon is in Hasta (13th): count = 13 - 4 + 1 = 10; 10 mod 9 = 1 = Janma Tara (caution). Our Tara Bala tool does this automatically from your saved birth chart.

Tara Bala is one of three personalised checks used in muhurta selection (alongside Chandra Bala, which checks Moon's transit house from natal Moon, and Panchaka, which checks for dangerous nakshatra groups). When selecting a muhurta for an important event, the best approach is to find a window where all three are favourable: Tara Bala shows a good Tara (2, 4, 6, 8, or 9), Chandra Bala shows the Moon in a benefic house from your natal Moon (1, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11), and Panchaka is absent. Our Muhurta AI tool integrates all three checks automatically.