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Muhūrta () is a Hindu unit of time along with nimiṣa, kāṣṭhā, and kalā in the Hindu calendar.
In the Brāhmaṇas, muhūrta denotes a division of time: 1/30 of a day, or a period of 48 minutes.Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa, iii. 10, I, I (for the names); 9, 7; 12, 9, 6; Śatapata Brāhmaṇa, x. 4, 2, 18. 25. 27; 3, 20; xii. 3, 2, 5; x. 4, 4, 4, etc. An alternative meaning of "moment" is also common in the Brāhmanạs.See Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft, 9, 139 et seq.; Indische Streifen, I, 92, et seq. In the RigvedaRigveda iii. 33, 5: 53, 8. muhūrta exclusively means, "moment".Arthur Anthony Macdonnell and Arthur Berriedale Keith, Vedic Index of Names and Subjects, vol. 2, p. 169. Motilal Banarsidas, London 1912, reprint 1995.
Each muhūrta is further divided into 30 kalā, (1 kalā = 1.6 minutes or 96 seconds). Each kalā is further divided into 30 kāṣṭhā (1 kāṣṭhā ≈ 3.2 seconds).
| 1 | 06:00–06:48 (sunrise) | Rudra (रुद्र) | "Cryer", "Howler" | Unknown | Inauspicious |
| 2 | 06:48–07:36 | Āhi (आहि) | "Serpent" | Lacerta | Inauspicious |
| 3 | 07:36–08:24 | Mitra (मित्र) | "Friend" | Unknown | Auspicious |
| 4 | 08:24–09:12 | Pitṝ (पितृ) | "Father" | Cepheus & Casseiopeia | Inauspicious |
| 5 | 09:12–10:00 | Vasu (वसु) | "Bright" | Delphinus | Auspicious |
| 6 | 10:00–10:48 | Vārāha (वाराह) | "Boar" | Unknown | Auspicious |
| 7 | 10:48–11:36 | Viśvedevā (विश्वेदेवा) | "Heavenly Lights in the Universe" | Unknown | Auspicious |
| 8 | 11:36–12:24 | Vidhi (विधि) | "Insight" | Unknown | Auspicious, except Mondays and Fridays |
| 9 | 12:24–13:12 | Sutamukhī (सतमुखी) | "Goat/Charioteer-Face" | Auriga | Auspicious |
| 10 | 13:12–14:00 | Puruhūta (पुरुहूत) | "Many Offerings" | Unknown (Taurus or Orion?) | Inauspicious |
| 11 | 14:00–14:48 | Vāhinī (वाहिनी) | "Possessed of Chariot" | Unknown (Gemini?) | Inauspicious |
| 12 | 14:48–15:36 | Naktanakarā (नक्तनकरा) | "Night Maker" | Unknown | Inauspicious |
| 13 | 15:36–16:24 | Varuṇa (वरुण) | "All-Enveloping Night Sky" | Unknown | Auspicious |
| 14 | 16:24–17:12 | Aryaman (अर्यमन्) | "Possessed of Nobility" | Unknown | Auspicious, except Sundays |
| 15 | 17:12–18:00 | Bhaga (भग) | "Share"/"Stake" | Unknown | Inauspicious |
| 16 | 18:00–18:48 (sunset) | Girīśa (गिरीश) | "Lord who lifted the Mount (Krishna)" | Unknown | Auspicious |
| 17 | 18:48–19:36 | Ajapāda (अजपाद) | "Unborn Foot"/"Goat Foot" | Unknown | Inauspicious |
| 18 | 19:36–20:24 | Ahir-Budhnya (अहिर्बुध्न्य) | "Serpent at the Bottom" | Hydra | Auspicious |
| 19 | 20:24–21:12 | Puṣya (पुष्य) | "Nourishment"/"Blossom" | Unknown | Auspicious |
| 20 | 21:12–22:00 | Aśvinī (अश्विनी) | "Horsemen" | Unknown | Auspicious |
| 21 | 22:00–22:48 | Yama (यम) | "Restrainer" (Death) | Boötes (cf., Bhūteśa) | Inauspicious |
| 22 | 22:48–23:36 | Agni (अग्नि) | "Fire"/"Ignition" | Ara | Auspicious |
| 23 | 23:36–00:24 | Vidhātṛ (विधातृ) | "Distributor" | Unknown | Auspicious |
| 24 | 00:24–01:12 | Kaṇḍa (क्ण्ड) | "Ornament" | Corona Borealis | Auspicious |
| 25 | 01:12–02:00 | Aditi (अदिति) | "Limitless"/"Boundless" | goddess good time | Auspicious |
| 26 | 02:00–02:48 | Jīva/Amṛta (जीव/अमृत) | "Life"/"Immortal" | Unknown | Very Auspicious |
| 27 | 02:48–03:36 | Viṣṇu (विष्णु) | "All Pervading" | Hercules | Auspicious |
| 28 | 03:36–04:24 | Dyumadgadyuti (द्युमद्गद्युति) | "Resounding Light" | Lyra | Auspicious |
| 29 | 04:24–05:12 | Brahmamuhurtha (ब्रह्म) | "Universe" | Cygnus | Very Auspicious |
| 30 | 05:12–06:00 | Samudra (समुद्र) | "Ocean" | Deluge (region with several aqueous constellations) | Auspicious |
Pt. Vijay Shrikrishna Jakatdar points to two specific Ṛg Veda passages that employ the term, III.33.5, and III.53.8:
and
Taittirīya-Brāhmaṇa mentions the names of 15 muhūrtas as follows:
Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa describes a muhūrta as 1/15th portion of a day:
It is stated in Manusmṛti that 18 nimeṣas ("twinklings of the eye") are 1 kāṣṭhā, 30 kāṣṭhās are 1 kāla, 30 kālas are one muhūrta, and 30 muhūrtas are one day and night.
Another example is the so-called Brahma Muhūrta, which is about one and a half hours before sunrise. This particular time, which is associated with the constellations during the Vernal Equinox, is said to be auspicious for practicing yoga. There is also the case of samayik, which is part of the initiation rite for the Svetambar mendicants or those who pursue a perpetual state of heightened meditative awareness. They take the samayik, a vow for life taken for short periods, preferably one or two muhūrts, where one muhūrt constitutes forty minutes.
Brahma muhurta, approximately one and a half hours before sunrise or more precisely is 1Hr 36 Mins. i.e. 96 Minutes = 2 Muhūrta or 4 Ghaṭīkā, is recommended in all practices of yoga is traditionally considered most apt for meditation. However, it is clear from the associations of the names with specific constellations that the present Brahma-Muhūrta starts just before 6:00 am during the Vernal Equinox. At present, Jīva-Amṛta and Viṣṇu comprise the two twilight muhūrtas prior to sunrise.
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