Tarabalam compares a transiting Moon nakshatra with the Janma Nakshatra, the birth Moon’s sidereal lunar mansion. The Drik Panchang Tarabalam table displays rows for all twenty-seven birth stars and changes columns at a Moon nakshatra ingress. Its nine labels repeat around the twenty-seven-star circle. The calculator applies the inclusive count and the same ninefold names with an independently modeled Moon position.
Count inclusively, then reduce to nine
Number the birth nakshatra as one, the next as two, and continue in zodiac order. After Revati, wrap to Ashwini. Thus Ashwini to Ashwini is count one; Ashwini to Bharani is two; Ashwini to Revati is twenty-seven. Convert the count to a repeating place from one to nine: counts 1, 10 and 19 are Janma, while 9, 18 and 27 are Param Mitra. The results table prints both the full inclusive count and its ninefold place.
The nine traditional labels
In the Drik table, the sequence is Janma (“Not Good”), Sampata (“Very Good”), Vipata (“Bad”), Kshema (“Good”), Pratyari (“Not Good”), Sadhaka (“Very Good”), Naidhana (“Totally Bad”), Mitra (“Good”), and Param Mitra (“Good”). The names vary in transliteration; “Vipata” may appear as “Vipat” and “Sampata” as “Sampat” elsewhere. This page keeps one consistent display vocabulary. These are traditional classification labels and do not promise an event or outcome.
Moon entry can change the row
A nakshatra is one of twenty-seven equal 13°20′ sectors of sidereal ecliptic longitude, as described in the Positional Astronomy Centre’s panchanga explanation. The Moon enters a new sector roughly daily. Drik’s Bengaluru example for September 20, 2026 shows a new nakshatra after 04:34 on September 21, before the next sunrise. That time belongs in the previous sunrise-to-sunrise day, even though its civil date is September 21. The calculator shows interval start and end timestamps so the change is visible.
Why a published table might differ
Our Moon position uses Astronomy Engine 2.1.19 and an approximate Lahiri ayanamsa. We search each nakshatra boundary to approximately one second, but display the local time to a minute. Drik or a regional almanac may use a different ayanamsa, ephemeris or sunrise definition. A fixed UTC offset is entered manually and does not include automatic daylight-saving changes. Those differences matter near a boundary and can change which column is present at sunrise.
Birth-star assumption
Choose a Janma Nakshatra derived from a recorded birth instant under a comparable sidereal convention. If the birth Moon was near a nakshatra edge or the birth time is uncertain, the reference star can change. The separate birth-star tool can help check it; this calculator itself only receives a selected name and does not ask for or transmit birth details.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the number go above nine?
It records the full distance around the twenty-seven-star sequence. The ninefold class repeats every nine steps, so the table shows both numbers.
Do I use my Sun sign?
No. Tarabalam uses the birth Moon’s nakshatra. The Moon’s current sign alone is insufficient because each sign contains parts of multiple nakshatras.
Can the result change twice in one day?
The display scans the whole sunrise-to-sunrise span and gives a separate interval for each detected ingress. It does not assume one row per civil day.
Primary references: Drik Panchang Tarabalam Timings; Positional Astronomy Centre, panchanga explanation. Compare the twelve-sign method in the Chandrabalam guide.