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Janma Samaya – Time Of Birth Calculation Hindu Religion – Janma Kala

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Janma Kala or Janma Samaya is the time of birth and other calculations in Hindu religion. A survey of literature on astrology of ancient seers shows the following timings recognized at birth:

  1. Bhupatana – falling on earth - Coming of the head from the womb. - Coming of the whole body out of the womb
  2. Nala Chedana (cutting of the umbilical cord) to separate the baby from the mother.
  3. Rodana (first cry), i.e. baby’s first independent breath.

All these are taken as standards by several authors.

Bhupatana cannot be considered an ideal time of birth, as some babies enter the world feet first rather than the head (inverse coming or breech birth).

Nala Chedana cannot be taken as the accurate time of birth, as it can be controlled, and even the child may be dead before the act or may be still-born.

The last concept, rodana (or the first cry), appears to be the most suitable, as the child starts breathing in the world and confirms the first living stage, some babies take more time to cry; however, it gives results that are more accurate.

Earlier works describe the janma kala in old Vedic time units, such as ghati or ghatika, danda, nadi and pala, vighati or vighatika and counted from the local sunrise. The duration of time expressed from sunrise is called janeshta kala. Some writers of kundali (horoscope) mention it as suryodayat ishta ghati (from sunrise to the birth time). The duration is expressed in ghatis after which the next sunrise will take place.

In the calculations of ghatikas and vighatikas as standard time, average duration is taken, i.e. ghatikas or danda or nadi is equal to 24 minutes of modern time and vighatika or pala is a measure of 24 seconds. Thus, the day is of 60 ghatikas (24 hours). Each ghatikais divided into 60 parts, and each part is referred to as one pala.

Astrologically, each birth time requires some corrections, or rectification of the birth chart. All standard classical works describe it on the basis of ishta kala, using the moon’s epoch, or on the basis of horary astrology or ruling planets. This is done by a Hindu astrologer, based on personal experience and trust in the method of rectification.