Hari Om
Do not begin anything auspicious or important during Rahukalam (Rahukal) and Yama Ghanta or Yamagandam as the activities commenced during Rahukalam may not meet success or may be delayed; and the activities commenced during Yamagandam may meet with destruction.
Also do not initiate medical treatment or travel during Yamagandam.
Always initiate auspicious events which you may want to repeat Again in Gulikai (Gulika kal), the timing for auspicious activities.
These timings (day time) are given below (Table 1).
Rahu Kalam
It is the time of the Rahu Graha or Dragon’s Head.
Any activity, meeting, event or journey commenced during this time is expected to meet a great degree of failure, lack of favour or postponement.
Auspicious activities such as attending an interview, signing a contract, crucial meetings, new work, journey, trade, business, marriage, career dealings, sale or purchase of any assets, and purchasing assets/stocks/jewellery should be avoided during this period. It is generally advisable to do cleaning or decluttering jobs in this time period (Rahukal). Trashing of junk / useless e-mails in mailbox, cleaning household, removing unwanted items from a shelf /storage etc., are some of the works recommended during this time.
When calculating Rahu kalam time we should take into account daylight savings time and corrections to be applied. The Rahu kalam, Yamagandam and Gulika Kal timings are given in most of the almanacs (Panchang).
Never commence important, investment related or travel related activities, during this time. Leave your home or office or have your meeting, or start your activity always earlier than or after the Rahu Kalam period.
Yamagandam (destructive time)
Any activity begun during this time invites the ‘death’ or destruction of the work or outcome relating to that work.
These 90 minutes (One and half hours) devoted to Yamagandam is believed to be related to Kethu Graha or Dragon’s tail) the 9th planet of the Nava grahas with inauspicious significance like Rahu. Avoid starting important, business, investment or travel related activities, during this Yamagandam time.
Start from your current location or have your meeting, or start your activity always earlier than or after the Yamagandam time.
Gulika Kal (blossoming time)
Any activity commenced in this period has positive, good and growth-oriented results, giving happiness.
Gulikan is the other name for Maanthi and Maanthi is the son of Saturn. In fact in almost all houses of a Horoscope, Gulikan does not give good results.
Gulikai is not a taboo for auspicious activities, but very bad for doing inauspicious activities such as death rites etc. Any activity done in this period would recur and therefore it is logical to avoid inauspicious activities during Gulika kal or Gulikai.
If pithru karma is performed in error during this time, it would have to be repeated after the lapse of the Gulikai muhurtham.
FAQ: What should people do if they have to unavoidably or helplessly take or start an important work in the Rahukaalam or Yamagandam?
If we have to start or participate in an important work (like a competitive exam or interview) unavoidably during Rahukal or Yamagandam , we may have to recite certain antidote mantras such as the Kolaru Pathigam (10 Tamil verses on Lord Siva to disempower or disarm the planets) composed by sage Thirugnaana Sambandar, before proceeding to the work. The above verses were composed when the sage was told that the time was inauspicious to proceed to take on his adversaries in an important intellectual-spiritual debate. Similarly one may chant the following common Navagraha mantra min 11 times with devotion:
Adityaya Somaya Mangalaya BhudayachaGuru Shukra Shanibhyascha Rahave Ketave Namaha
Or Hanuman Chalisa.
May we all follow the Vedic scriptural guidelines meticulously and live peacefully.
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!
GF’ Blessings.
