Information and Results pertaining to different Karanas of Panchanga

A Karana is considered to be half of a Tithi and there are 11 Karanas in totality. A Tithi gets formed every time the Moon moves 12 degrees away from the Sun and half of a Tithi is a Karana which is 6 degrees. Hence there are 60 Karanas in total (360°/6) which are however further categorized into 11 as 7 of the karanas are movable and repeat 8 times in a cycle making up 56 and there are remaining 4 fixed karanas all together making up the sum total of 60.

It is said that Knowledge of Karanas leads to success. There is also a popular saying stating 'Karanam Thappinal Maranam' meaning Karanam is so powerful that it can even save you from the clutches of death. It is also said to be the 'Karya Siddhi' that translates as 'granting of success'. A Karana can indicate means of work getting accomplished and providing a direction towards life by putting in the required efforts. Since it is directly dealing with Karma and Saturn is the forebearer planet of the same, Karanas in general are said to be governed mainly under the auspices of Saturn with it also being the natural 10th Lord of the Kalapurusha.

Herewith sharing few snippets about the 11 different Karanas obtained from various Tamil speeches and informatory materials. In general the movable Karanas which are 7 of them that repeat 8 times in the cycle are said to be favorable and the 4 fixed karanas which get formed during the last half of Krishna Chaturdashi Tithi, full Ammavasya and former half of Shukla Paksha Pratipada (or Pratamai) are said to be inauspicious.

1) Bava:

✔Planetary Ruler: Chevvai - Mars

✔Animal: Singham - Lion

✔Deity: Narasimha (The Lakshmi Narasimhar temple located in Namakkal especially is considered auspicious)

✔Flower: Punnai Mara Poo - White flower (Calophyllum Inophyllum)

✔Prasad: Neivedyam, Annam - Food Grains (Offering of food on Bava Karana is really auspicious)

✔Application / Wearing: Kasthuri - Wild Turmeric

✔Ornament / Ring: Manikkam - Ruby

✔Vessel: Ponnu - Gold

✔Cloth: Venmai - Pale White cloth

✔Offering: Pala Pazham - Jackfruit

General Information:

- Natives born in Bava Karana are said to be magnanimous and do not tend to have any greed.

-Since their animal is Lion, they are mostly very brave and tend to be in dominant professions such as police, sports, Government Authorities etc.

- Any work performed in Bava Karanam can last up to 48 years and hence all good things can be performed in this Karana

- Most auspicious marriages that have been long lasting would have taken place only in Bava Karana

- Women born in Bava Karanam keep their husbands with honor and they always get praise from family. They are also equivalent to men in every way and have similar earning potential

- People born in this Karana always win and wherever they go will return victorious. They also tend to be respected people in life

2) Balava:

✔Planetary Ruler: Raghu - Rahu

✔Animal: Puli - Tiger

✔Deity:  Ayyappa, Sastha, Gramathu Deivangal (village Gods) (The Ayyappa temple in Sabari Malai especially is considered auspicious)

✔Flower: Shenbaga Malar - Fragrant flowers

✔Prasad: Payasam - Kheer

✔Application / Wearing: Sandhanam - Sandalwood

✔Ornament / Ring: Muthu - Pearl

✔Vessel: Velli - Silver

✔Cloth: Sivappu - Red cloth

✔Offering: Nellika - Gooseberry

General Information:

- One should not upset people born in this Karana. These people will play their cards strategically

- Any task that they get into they will go ahead with plenty of confidence and might

- Said to possess plenty of intelligence (buddhi) and they will be musically inclined and sporty

- Any work done in Balava Karanam lasts for 16 years. All good work can be performed in Rahu Kaalam because Rahu is the planet of this Karana

- 2nd - family, 5th - children, 7th - marriage, 8th - marital bond (mangalyam) - they say if Rahu/Ketu sits in these houses it casues Dosham but if born in Balava Karanam such issues don't normally occur

3) Kaulava:

✔Planetary Ruler: Shani - Saturn

✔Animal: Pandri - Pig

✔Deity: Varaha Murthy (The Bhu Varaha temple in Shri Msuhnam especially is considered auspicious)

✔Flower: Mahilam Malar - Yellow flower (Spanish Cherry) 

✔Prasad: Paniyaram or Paddu - Rice lentil dumplings

✔Application / Wearing: Kungumam - Vermilion

✔Ornament / Ring: Velli - Silver

✔Vessel: Sembu - Copper

✔Cloth: Kandangi - Cloth made from cotton or silk threads

✔Offering: Kothamali Sadham - Coriander Rice

General Information:

- Saturn is the karaka for profession. These people are usually research oriented and any studies based on research is good for them

- People born in this karana should not do betrayal to their animal and hence shouldn't consume pork

- Even if Saturn is in 6,8,12 it won't cause problems and planets sitting in upachaya from Saturn tend to do good

- Bore work, all land related things will come under this Karana. In villages any well fitting work is done in this karana

4) Taitula:

✔Planetary Ruler: Sukran - Venus

✔Animal: Kazhudhu - Donkey

✔Deity: Jyeshta Devi, Moodevi (Alakshmi) - Known as the elder sister of Goddess Mahalakshmi (The Jyeshta Devi temple in Brahmapureeshwar, Perunagar especially is considered auspicious)

✔Flower: Malligai Poo - Jasmine

✔Prasad: Appam - Pancake

✔Application / Wearing: Korochanam - Oxbile (Fel Borinum Purifcatum)

✔Ornament / Ring: Vairam - Diamond

✔Vessel: Irumbu - Iron

✔Cloth: Manjal - Yellow cloth

✔Offering: Neer Pushnika, Manga, Keerai - Ash Gourd, Mangoes, Spinach

General Information:

- Most auspicious karana for ladies. For marriage related things it is very good. In those days for seeing girls it used to happen in Taitula Karanam

- They are very concerned about their family and sacrifice themselves for every cause. Also happen to very hard working and slog a lot

- People struggling to get married also can pray to Jyeshta Devi on a Taitula Karanam day

- Sugar, diabetes, lungs related issues all pertain to Venus - Getting treated for these on Taitula Karana helps in getting relief

5) Garaja:

✔Planetary Ruler: Chandran - Moon

✔Animal: Yannai - Elephant

✔Deity: Vinayak or Pillayar (The Vinayaka temple in Pillayar Patti especially is considered auspicious)

✔Flower: Sembaruthi - Hibiscus

✔Prasad: Paal - Milk

✔Application / Wearing: Kaasu Katti - Ayurvedic herb resin

✔Ornament / Ring: Manikkam - Ruby

✔Vessel: Eeyam - Lead

✔Cloth: Karuppu Niram - Black colour cloth

✔Offering: Thengai - Coconut in any form

General Information:

- Because animal is elephant, these people tend to have very good memory. They will tend to keep secrets about themselves

- This Karana is good for agriculture and Government related work. These people tend to know high profile influential personalities

- Wherever they go they will earn. They also tend to leave their family and live alone. The ancestors of these natives will be high personalities and tend to come from a distant land

- They tend to face a lot of humiliation, all these will be lessons and they will succeed later on

- They have extra compassion and affection which leads them to face lots of problems. They are even termed as ''Paasa Muttal'' meaning Affectionate fools

- They never think only for themselves, always look at things from a common cause

- They find it difficult to have a house of their own and always tend to have land, house related issues

- All things come in their life only after significant delays

- Mostly love marriage tends to happen, some issues in family always takes place, also female children are associated. Also these karana natives are known to face marriage issues in general.

6) Vanisai:

✔Planetary Ruler: Suriyan - Sun

✔Animal: Nandhi - Bull

✔Deity: Nandi Keshwar (The Nandeswar temple in Thirumalapadi especially is considered auspicious)

✔Flower: Neela Lochanam - Blooming Blue/Purple Lotus

✔Prasad: Thayir - Curd

✔Application / Wearing: Manjal Podi - Turmeric

✔Ornament / Ring: Pavalam - Coral

✔Vessel: Panchalokam - 5 metal alloy mix

✔Cloth: Kambali - Blanket material

✔Offering: Narathai - Orange

General Information:

- Favorable for Government related job, meeting important personalities and politics

- Bava and Vanija are supposed to be most auspicious and hence any work performed in these 2 karanas are very good especially for house construction activities

- Most temples were constructed on Vanija and that’s why these are spoken till this day.

- These people tend to face marriage related issues. It is preferable if they have late marriage

7) Vishti / Bhadrai:

✔Planetary Ruler: Kethu - Ketu

✔Animal: Kozhi - Cock

✔Deity: Muruga or Karthikeya (The Murugan temple in Tiruchendur especially is considered auspicious)

✔Flower: Gundumani Poo - Arabian Jasmine

✔Prasad: Chitrannam - Lemon based rice

✔Application / Wearing: Karpooram - Camphor

✔Ornament / Ring: Pushparagam - Yellow Sapphire

✔Vessel: Venkalam - Bronze

✔Cloth: Thozh - Skin based material

✔Offering: Murungakka - Drumstick

General Information:

- People born in this karana should not do betrayal to their animal and hence shouldn't consume chicken

- This karana translates to poison, these people have high resistance power to ward off evils.

- This is very convenient for Agriculture related work, also for house painting because Ketu is multi colour

- Wherever they go they will come out victorious and are especially smart in winning their enemies. There will be some mystery about them

- They will be very devoted to family and especially ladies will sacrifice themselves for family

- People born in this karana can be medical practitioners, astrologers, spiritual related persons

8) Shakuni:

✔Planetary Ruler: Shani - Saturn

✔Animal: Kaagam - Crow

✔Deity: Saneeshwara or Shani Bhagwan (The Shani temple in Tirunellar especially is considered auspicious)

✔Flower: Shenbaga Poo - Magnolia Champak

✔Prasad: Vellam - Jaggery

✔Application / Wearing: Seru - Sludge / Mud

✔Ornament / Ring: Karuppu Nool - Blackish ornamentation

✔Vessel: Kal Pathiram or Kal Kattu - Vessel made of stone

✔Cloth: Karuppu Niram - Black cloth material

✔Offering: Kothamalli - Cilantro or coriander based items

General Information:

- Giving food to crow on a daily basis is very good

- They work against usual force of nature and against Dharma and this creates problems for them with others. They know to play tricks well

- They tend to be the leader of the pack, they work with lot of jewelry like Gold, Silver Business etc. These people tend to keep mortgage of jewelry

9) Chatushpada:

✔Planetary Ruler: Guru - Jupiter

✔Animal: Naayi - Dog

✔Deity: Bairavar, Rudran (The Kala Bairavar temple in Kshetrapalam especially is considered auspicious)

✔Flower: Kondrai Malar - Golden flowers (Cassia Fistula) 

✔Prasad: Then - Honey

✔Application / Wearing: Thiruneer - Sacred Ash

✔Ornament / Ring: Sphadik Mala - Crystal Quartz

✔Vessel: Mara Pathiram - Brass vessel

✔Cloth: Manja Niram - Yellow color cloth

✔Offering: Aapil - Apple

General Information:

- Chatush indicates 4 types of Veda - Rig, Yajur, Adharva and Sama. Guru indicates leadership position and reputation

- People born in this karana will achieve from a young age and they get money, properties, honour, influence etc

- However Jupiter should not be the 8th lord as it will not be favorable and Jupiter should especially not be in Bharani Nakshatra. Also Guru should not be Tithi Shoonyam

- These people usually get skin/nervous disease like leprosy and they can be ignored even by their own children

10) Nagava:

✔Planetary Ruler: Raghu - Rahu

✔Animal: Paambu - Snake

✔Deity: Nagaraj (The Nagaraja temple in Nagerkoil especially is considered auspicious)

✔Flower: Olai Poo - Coconut leaf flower

✔Prasad: Nei Kalandha Porul - Items made with ghee

✔Application / Wearing: Sambrani - Benzoin

✔Ornament / Ring: Vaidhuryam - Cat's Eye

✔Vessel: Marathodu Pathiram - Tree wood vessel

✔Cloth: Karu Neelam - Dark blue cloth material

✔Offering: Nellikai - Gooseberry

General Information:

- These people are known to settle in far off or foreign places usually

- They will go out of their way to earn for themselves and family. They will earn wherever they go

- Balava Karana is known as Amritha (sweet) Rahu whereas Nagava Karana is Visha (poison) Rahu

- For others they will go and do things out of their way. Also known to do every thing in a major big way

- Nobody can run or hide from them as they have very sharp vision. They also tend to get angry quickly

- Skin problems these people tend to have regularly. They also tend to have lots of desires

- These people can do work in fields such as marketing, medicine, press, media, cameraman, magician

11) Kimstugna:

✔Planetary Ruler: Budhan - Mercury

✔Animal: Pulu - Worm

✔Deity: Dhanvantri (The Dhanvantri temple in Sri Rangam especially is considered auspicious) 

✔Flower: Kongu Malar - Decorative flowers

✔Prasad: Sarkarai Kalandhu Porul - Items made with sugar

✔Application / Wearing: Javadhu - Herbal paste made from Sandal

✔Ornament / Ring: Muthu - Pearl

✔Vessel: Moongil - Bamboo

✔Cloth: Ven Pattu - White silk cloth material

✔Offering: Thakkali - Tomato based items

General Information:

- This is a karanam for medicine, herbs (mooligai), doctors and hospitals. These people even tend to grow worms

- These people tend to oscillate and are pretty fickle minded when it comes to making any decision

- 3rd place from Lagnam causes issues - ears, nose, tongues get affected. 7th place if Mercury is placed there can be issues in marriage as Mercury denotes dual tendencies

- Astrology, communication, Documents, multi level marketing, bookshop, lawyer all come under work of this karana

- These people can donate green grams, help transgenders and those having mind related troubles

                                                          P.S: Picture obtained from Net

Usage of Panchanga Elements in Horoscope Analysis

The Panchang plays a pivotal role in delineating a horoscope. It is generally perceived that the elements of the Panchanga viz Vara, Nakshatra, Tithi, Yoga and Karana are used only for the purpose of a muhurta which is to say selecting an auspicious period of time but it's scope in actuality is much beyond that and can also be useful when deciphering the planetary play of events in a horoscope. Let's look at a few clues which the Panchanga provides us while analyzing a horoscope.

Vara : Solar Day Transiting at Birth
It is said that Knowledge of Vara brings Life. A Vara begins from the beginning of sunrise and lasts till the end of the next day of Sunrise. In essence a Vara or Weekday lasts for an approximate period of 24 hours. The Vara is said to denote 'Arogya' which can be deemed to know about the health, vitality and characteristics of a person.

The day in which a person takes birth can tell in brief about the well being of a person. For eg. if a person were born on a Wednesday, then the ruler of the day happens to be Mercury. Through the placement of Mercury we can know somewhat about the health of the native. The strongest houses in a horoscope are usually the kendra houses with 10th being the strongest followed by the 7th, 4th and 1st. Hence the weekday planet placed in a strong kendra could indicate that vitality is strong unless badly afflicted. 

Apart from this, each of the Vara has an obstructer that happens to be the 6th from the weekday lord. For this purpose we also take into account Rahu and Ketu that are factored in after Saturday ruled by Saturn. The 6th planet from the weekday is known to cause Stambana or freeze and ideally this planet should be weaker than the Vara planet when ascertaining the well being of a native. Let us take a look below at the 6th planetary ruler from each weekday.

Sunday - Ruler Sun, Obstructer Venus
Monday - Ruler Moon, Obstructer Saturn
Tuesday - Ruler Mars, Obstructer Rahu
Wednesday - Ruler Mercury, Obstructer Ketu
Thursday - Ruler Jupiter, Obstructer Sun
Friday - Ruler Venus, Obstructer Moon
Saturday - Ruler Saturn, Obstructer Mars

For instance if someone were born on Thursday, then planetary ruler is Jupiter. The obstructer happens to be Sun because we need to count 6 from Thursday which happens to be Thursday->Friday->Saturday->Rahu->Ketu->Sunday. As observed we need to factor Rahu and Ketu after Saturday and before Sunday is counted next again. Hence a person can be born on any of the 7 days from Sunday to Saturday ruled by the 7 planets from Sun to Saturn but the obstructor can be any of the 9 planets including Rahu & Ketu also. Rahu is the obstructer for Tuesday (Mars) and Ketu is the obstructer for Wednesday (Mercury). Ideally the opposing Vara planet need to be weaker than the weekday lord for sound body and health.

Other clues to study about the Vara in the chart is it's combination with the Paksha or period of the Lunar Tithi cycle. The combination of Vara and Paksha results in the controllership of a planet and based on where it's placed in the chart, it is believed to have a longingness to that house in which it's placed in the chart. It is supposed to be a pretty powerful technique and just by this placement, it is known to interpret the lifepath of a native. Let's look at the planets in question based on the 14 different combinations:

Sunday Shukla Paksha - Jupiter
Monday Shukla Paksha - Venus
Tuesday Shukla Paksha - Jupiter
Wednesday Shukla Paksha - Venus
Thursday Shukla Paksha - Mars
Friday Shukla Paksha - Mercury
Saturday Shukla Paksha - Saturn
Sunday Krishna Paksha - Mercury
Monday Krishna Paksha - Saturn
Tuesday Krishna Paksha - Mercury
Wednesday Krishna Paksha - Mars
Thursday Krishna Paksha - Venus
Friday Krishna Paksha - Jupiter
Saturday Krishna Paksha - Saturn

As an illustration, let's say a native was born on a Friday in Shukla Paksha. In such a case, the planetary ruler happens to be Mercury. We need to see the placement of Mercury in the horoscope and it can give a lot of insights based on the house it is placed, the nature of sign, the houses it rules etc. For eg. if this Mercury sits in the 8th and happens to be Lagna Lord it can be inferred that the native is fond of research and his mind will always revolve around searching for the unknown.

Nakshatra : The constellation of Moon transiting at Birth
It is said that Knowledge of Nakshatra removes sins. A Nakshatra rules a space of 13° 20' minutes of the 360° zodiac and hence there are 27 Nakshatras in total. Out of all the Panchanga elements prevailing, it is the Nakshatra which is looked at in vogue. Detailed information pertaining to the Nakshatras have been dealt with separately. The Nakshatra is said to connote 'Arivu' meaning knowledge, skill, intelligence etc.

In general parlance the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 9th Nakshatras are supposed to be favorable from a Tara Bal (star strength) point of view. The birth Nakshatra is said to infuse plenty of tensions and the 3rd, 5th, 7th all denote inauspicious time periods. However from a birds eye view seeing where the lord of the Moon Nakshatra is placed in a chart can help estimating in which areas the native will look towards knowledge and information. For eg, lets say someone's Moon Nakshatra is placed in Chitra. We know lord of Chitra is Mars and if this Mars is placed in the 7th house, it can indicate most of the focus in learning, knowledge and collation of information will be towards 7th house signification matters.

Tithi : Every 12 degrees of angular distance at which the Moon moves away from the Sun
It is said that Knowledge of Tithi brings prosperity. A Tithi gets formed every time the Moon moves 12° away from the Sun. Hence there are a total of 30 Tithis (360°/12) with 15 forming the brighter half and the remaining 15 drawing up the darker half. The Tithi talks about 'Selvam' which can be expanded to mean wealth, prosperity, enjoyments, pleasures etc.

'Tithi Shoonya' is one concept which is used quite a bit in ascertaining the houses of 'Karma' which has been dispensed in a separate post. It is also said that the 4th, 8th and 14th Tithi from one's Janma Tithi isn't auspicious. Eg. for one born in Sashti Tithi, the Tithis Navami, Trayodashi, Chaturthi is not supposed to be favorable since they rule the 4th, 8th and 14th from Sashti. However the 5th from Birth Tithi is said to be an auspicious Tithi.

Apart from that, the number of houses that the Moon has moved away from the Sun can indicate the areas in which a native derives pleasures or happiness. For eg an individual born in Shukla Paksha Chaturthi Tithi which is the 4th tithi (36 to 48 degrees) of brighter half would show that the Moon has moved 2 houses away from Sun. This means the focus will mostly be on matters relating to family, wealth, speech, accumulation of resources etc. Also it's good to map the Tithi point as an ausicious area in the zodiac and see where it falls from natal Ascendant. Every rasi of 30 degrees will house 2.5 Tithis (12*2.5=30) beginning from Shukla Paksha Pratamai in Aries. As per this all the Shukla Paksha Tithis will get mapped to Rasis from Aries to Virgo and the Krishna Paksha Tithis will be mapped to Rasis from Libra to Pisces. As an example we can say that Shukla Paksha Ashtami Tithi which is the 8th tithi formed between 84 to 96 degrees will be mapped to Gemini & Cancer with the first 6 degrees from 84 to 90 being in Gemini and next 6 degrees from 90 to 96 falling in Cancer.

The Tithi ruling planet also indicates the benevolence of wealth. The rulership lords are bit different as given by the Kerala Prashna Text 'Krishneeyam' as seen below:

Pratipada - Mars
Dwitiya - Venus
Tritiya - Mercury
Chaturthi - Moon
Panchami - Sun
Sasthi - Jupiter
Saptami - Saturn
Ashtami - Rahu
Navami - Mars
Dasami - Venus
Ekadashi - Mercury
Dwadashi - Moon
Triyodashi - Sun
Chaturdashi - Jupiter
Pournami - Saturn 
Ammavasya - Rahu

Based on where the Tithi Lord planet is placed in the chart can also give a good impetus with respect to matters pertaining to prosperity. For someone born in Dasami and Venus being placed in 4th can be inferred that the native derives lot of pleasures from 4th house significations.

Yoga : Sum total of Sun + Moon amounting to 13 degrees 20 minutes each
It is said that Knowledge of Yoga removes immunity from diseases. Yogas also like Nakshatras comprise of a space of 1320' in the sky but is obtained by adding the degree of the Sun and the Moon. Yoga is about 'Niraivu' that tells about completeness, contentment, abundance etc.

The Yoga point in the horoscope happens to be the addition of Suns and Moons degrees. If they exceed 360°, then 360° needs to be reduced from the sum total. For instance if Sun degree is 282 and Moons is 83, adding the two results in 365 degrees from which 360 degrees needs to be subtracted with the end result being 5 that falls in Ashwini Nakshatra 2nd Pada. Now Ashwini Nakshatra happens to be the Yoga point in the horoscope. The 8th Nakshatra from where the yoga point falls happens to be the Yogi Nakshatra and the lord of the Nakshatra is said to be Yogi planet. Similarly the 22nd Nakshatra from where the yoga point falls happens to be the Avayogi Nakshatra and the lord of the said Nakshatra is said to be Avayogi planet. In the above case Pushya and Saturn tend to be the Yogi Nakshatra and Yogi planet whereas Shravana happens to be the Avayogi Nakshatra and Avayogi planet. It can be construed from this that all Saturn Nakshatras are in general said to be favorable and all the Moon stars are said to be unfavorable. It is also ideal if Yogi Nakshatra is in strong Tara Bal from the Janma Nakshatra.

Yogi planet is said to be the prosperity giving planet and Avayogi planet is said to be the prosperity harming planet. Considering all factors, it is preferable if Avayogi falls into a weak house and Yogi is placed in a strong house. There is also a concept of Uba Yogi and Uba Avayogi which is said to boost up the prosperity and hamper the same respectively and this happens to be the 4th planet from the Vimshottari Dasa sequence in forward or reverse motion depending on whether the birth is in Shukla Paksha or Krishna Paksha. Taking same eg. above of Saturn as Yogi planet for a Shukla Paksha birth, the 4th from Saturn based on Vimshottari forward sequence is Venus (Saturn->Mercury->Ketu->Venus) which is the Uba Yogi planet. Likewise the 4th from Moon which is the Avayogi planet in above example happens to be Jupiter (Moon->Mars->Rahu->Jupiter) which is the Uba Avayogi planet. For a Krishna Paksha birth, the Uba Yogi would be Mars (Saturn->Jupiter->Rahu->Mars) and likewise Uba Avayogi will be Ketu (Moon->Sun->Venus->Ketu) as the sequence is considered in reverse order. There is also a saying that the houses from where the Yogi Nakshatra is placed till the position where the Avayogi Nakshatra falls happen to be the bright houses in a horoscope whereas the position from Avayogi Nakshatra placement to the Yogi Nakshatra placement denote the dark houses in a horoscope. Using the 9 planets, the Yogi Triads are said to be good and the Avayogi triads are bad. With same eg. the sequence goes as Saturn->Mercury->Ketu->Venus->Sun->Moon->Mars->Rahu->Jupiter. To explain someone born in Vishkumba Yoga where Saturn is Yogi, the 1-4-7 planetary triad is preferable which is Saturn, Venus and Mars whereas the triads from Moon which is Avayogi viz Moon, Jupiter, Ketu are 3-6-9 aren't auspicious. The remaining Triad of 2-5-8 are neutral. 

Karana : Every 6 degrees of angular distance at which the Moon moves away from the Sun
It is said that Knowledge of Karanas leads to success. A Tithi gets formed every time the Moon moves 12 degrees away from the Sun and half of a Tithi is a Karana which is 6 degrees. Hence there are 60 Karanas in total (360°/6) which are however further categorized into 11 as 7 of the karanas are movable and repeat 8 times in a cycle making up 56 and there are remaining 4 fixed karanas totaling to 60. Karana is all about 'Muyarchi' that highlights on areas like trying, efforts, perseverance etc.

The Karana ruling planet is the karya siddhi which denotes tasks being completed. Hence the Karana ruling planet has a major role to play as it is the one drawing upon one's karma and hence it's best if it is unafflicted in the chart. The Karana ruling planets are as stated below:

Bava - Mars
Balava - Rahu
Kaulava - Saturn
Taitula - Venus
Garaja - Moon
Vanija - Sun
Vishti - Ketu
Shakuni - Saturn
Chatushpada - Jupiter
Nagava - Rahu
Kimstugna - Mercury

The first seven of the karanas are movable and keep repeating whereas the last 4 are fixed in nature. Based on where the Karana Lord is placed in horoscope, matters relating to one's efforts, professional acumen can be dwelled upon. The Karana point will be similar to the Tithi point as Karana is essentially deduced from the Tithi. It is also said that the 3rd, 8th and 11th Karana from one's Janma Karana isn't auspicious.

Summary of Panchang in Horoscope:
Summarizing below key points to be kept in view while doing Panchanga Analysis in a horoscope

Vara:
- Know the planetary ruling planet of Vara (for eg. Vara ruler of Tuesday is Mars)
- Map the Vara point in the zodiac (See which Nakshatra and house Mars is placed in the horoscope)
- Be cognizant that the 6th planet from the Vara Lord is an obstructer (In this case Rahu is obstructer for those born on Tuesday)
- Understand the life path of native from Vara Paksha (for eg. born on Monday Krishna Paksha, Saturn is the planet governing the life path of the native)

Nakshatra:
- Know the planetary ruling planet of Nakshatra (for eg. Swati ruler is Rahu)
- Map the same in the zodiac (See which Nakshatra and house Rahu is placed in the horoscope)
- Map the Nakshatra point in the zodiac (This is the positional degree of the Moon in the horoscope)
- Be cognizant that the 3rd, 5th, 7th from Birth Nakshatra are inauspicious as per Tara Balan

Tithi:
- Know the ruling planet of Tithi (for eg. Ekadashi ruler is Mercury)
- Map the same in the zodiac (See which Nakshatra and house Mercury is placed in the horoscope)
- Map the Tithi point in the zodiac (for eg. Shukla Paksha Ekadashi will fall in Leo and Krishna Paksha Ekadashi will fall in Aquarius)
- Also find out how many houses the Moon has moved away from the Sun in the horoscope
- Be cognizant that the 4th, 8th, 14th Tithi from Birth Tithi are inauspicious

Yoga:
- Know the ruling planet of Yogi and Avayogi (for eg. Vishkumba yoga born Yogi Saturn Avayogi Moon) 
- Map the same in the zodiac (See which Nakshatra and house Saturn and Moon is placed in the horoscope)
- Map the Yoga point in the zodiac (for eg. Vishkumba Yoga will fall in Ashwini Nakshatra in Aries Rasi)
Be cognizant that the 6th planet from Yogi planet is inauspicious (6th planet from Yogi Saturn is Moon)

Karana:
- Know the ruling planet of Karana (for eg. Garaja ruler is Moon)
- Map the same in the zodiac (See which Nakshatra and house Moon is placed in the horoscope)
- Map the Karana point in the zodiac (this will be same point as that of Tithi since Karana is derived)
- Be cognizant that the 3rd, 8th, 11th Karana from Birth Karana are inauspicious

Do you know your Panchanga Planet Lord?

All you have to know in order to know the planets ruling your Panchanga viz the 5 limbs of time are the following;

i) The Day of your birth
ii) The Nakshatra (star) of your moon at birth
iii) The degrees of Sun and Moon during birth

P.S : The zodiac spans 360 degrees and is divided into 12 equal signs of 30 degrees each. It starts at Aries (Mesha) and ends at Pisces (Meena). For eg if you're Sun is at 12 degrees in Cancer, you need to take the degrees as 102 since Cancer is the 4th sign and there have been 3 signs of 30 degrees which is 90 plus 12 degrees in Cancer. Similarly, say your Moon is in Libra at 15 degrees, you need to consider it as 195 degrees since Libra is the 7th sign and 6 signs have passed making a total of 30*6=180 plus 15 degrees in Libra.

I have made a ready reckoner which will enable you to find which of the planets are ruling your 5 panchanga elements viz Vara, Nakshatra, Tithi, Karana and Yoga. Some softwares do provide the data but nothing like knowing it on your own which can be pretty useful.

1) Vara:
This is the solar day transiting during your birth which in essence is the day you were born.
Total Varas : 7
Total Duration : Sun rise start time till next day sun rise start time
Total Planets : 7 (Rahu and Ketu are excluded)
Connection : Sun
Information : Please note that the vedic weekday starts from sun rise time and ends when the next day sun rise starts. For instance if one were born at 2:15 AM on the English Day of Tuesday and the sun rise started at 6:35AM on Monday and next day sun rise was at 6:40 AM on Tuesday, Vara day will be Monday ruled by Moon and not Tuesday ruled by Mars.

Illustration: Native born at 4.20 PM on a Thursday. The Day Thursday is ruled by Jupiter and hence your Vara Lord happens to be Jupiter.

2) Nakshatra:
This reflects the transit of moon during your birth which is basically the constellation of stars that were rising when you were born.
Total Nakshatras : 27
Total Duration : 13 degrees 20 minutes (360 degree zodiac divided by 27 Nakshatras)
Total Planets : 9 (Rahu and Ketu included)
Connection : Moon
Information : There are 27 stars divided into trines of 9 each which are represented by a particular planet. Eg Star No. 1, 10 and 19 are Ketu stars whereas 2,11 and 20 are Venus stars. Each star basically comprises of 13 degrees 20 minutes which is 360 degrees divided by 27 Nakshatras.

Illustration: Native is born on Hastha star, hence Nakshatra lord is Moon. Likewise if a native was born during the constellation of Revathi, then the Nakshatra Lord happens to be Mercury.

3) Tithi:
The zodiac is divided into 360 degrees and every 12 degrees of angular distance at which the moon moves away from the sun is considered as a Tithi.
Total Tithis : 30
Total Duration : 12 degrees (360 degree zodiac divided by 30 Tithis)
Total Planets : 8 (Rahu included but Ketu excluded)
Connection : Sun & Moon
Information : There are a total of 30 tithis (360 degrees divided by 12). The Tithis are split up into 2 parts of 15 each based on the brighter half (Sukla - Waxing) and darker half (Krishna - Waning) of the moon. The planet ruling the brighter half Sukla or darker half Krishna will remain the same for all except for Purnima which is ruled by Saturn and Amma Vasya lorded by Rahu.

Illustration: Native's Sun is in Leo at 20 degrees and Moon is in Capricorn at 12 degrees. Total degrees of Sun as per 360 degrees zodiac is 140 (30*4 signs from Aries to Cancer + 20 degrees in Leo) and degrees of Moon is 282 (30*9 signs from Aries to Sagittarius + 12 degrees in Capricorn). The degrees of which Moon has passed Sun = 142 (282 less 140) which becomes Sukla Dwadashi Tithi ruled by Moon. In case there is a role reversal and Sun is at 282 degrees and Moon is at 140 degrees, then distance is 218 degrees (360 less 282 of Sun=78 plus 140 degrees of Moon) which happens to be Krishna Chaturthi Tithi also ruled by Moon. Always remember base point is Sun (slower planet) and we need to check how many degrees Moon (faster planet) has gone beyond Sun

4) Karana:
The zodiac is divided into 360 degrees and every 6 degrees of angular distance at which the moon moves away from the sun is referred to as a Karana. In essence, half of a Tithi constitutes a Karana.
Total Karanas : 60 comprising of 11 sub divisions
Total Duration : 6 degrees (360 degree zodiac divided by 60 Karanas)
Total Planets : 9 (Rahu and Ketu included)
Connection : Sun & Moon
Information : There are a total of 60 karanas (360 divided by 6) but classified under 11 categories with 7 of the Karanas being movable and repeating itself 8 times (56 = 7*8) and the other 4 karanas being fixed (4).

Illustration: Native's Sun is in Virgo at 24 degrees and Moon in Scorpio at 21 degrees. Total degrees of Sun as per 360 degrees zodiac is 174 (30*5 signs from Aries to Leo + 24 degrees in Virgo) and degrees of Moon is 231 (30*7 signs from Aries to Libra + 21 degrees in Scorpio). The degrees of Moon passing the Sun = 57 (231 less 174) which happens to be Balava Karana ruled by Rahu. In case let's say Sun is at 209 degrees and Moon at 194 degrees, then distance is 345 degrees (360 less 209 of Sun=151 plus 194 degrees of Moon) which happens to be Shakuni Karana ruled by Saturn. The computation is similar to Tithi and we need to know how many degrees moon has gone past the Sun.

5) Yoga:
This takes the combined sum of degrees of Sun + Moon and each total amounting to 13 degrees 20 minutes comprises a Yoga.
Total Yogas : 27
Total Duration : 13 degrees 20 minutes (360 degree zodiac divided by 27 Yogas)
Total Planets : 9 (Rahu and Ketu included)
Connection : Sun & Moon
Information : There are a total of 27 yogas split into 3 parts of 9 each which are ruled by a particular planet. It is computed based on the total longitude of the Sun and Moon with reference point as 360. If the addition of Sun's degree and Moon's degree go beyond 360, then the extra portion above 360 needs to be considered. For eg. Sun + Moon combined degrees lets say comes to 418 degrees, then in this case the extra portion of 58 (418 less 360) will be the degree of Yoga.

Illustration: Native's Sun is in Taurus at 27 degrees and Moon in Gemini at 12 degrees. Total degrees of Sun as per 360 degree zodiac is 57 (30*1 sign Aries + 27 degrees in Taurus) and degrees of Moon is 72 (30*2 signs from Aries to Taurus plus 12 degrees in Gemini). The total sum comes up to 129 (57+72). This will give rise to Ganda Yoga ruled by Saturn. Another eg, lets say Sun is 324 degrees and Moon is 358 degrees. Here adding the two yields 682 (324+358) which is more than 360. Hence the extra portion needs to be taken which is 322 (682 less 360) and that happens to be Brahma Yoga whose planetary lord is Mars.