Ayushman Yoga

Ayushman is the third yoga in the panchang's cycle of twenty-seven. The word is an old Sanskrit adjective meaning one who has long life, and it is also a familiar form of blessing and address in everyday speech. Its presiding deity is Chandra, the moon, and the yoga is classed as auspicious.

The link between a long-life name and the moon is easy to follow for almanac readers, since the moon is associated in tradition with the mind, with nourishment and with healing herbs. This is why the yoga is often associated with health-related observances: reciting the Mahamrityunjaya mantra, beginning a course of study, naming a child or laying a foundation are the commonly cited uses. It is a matter of custom and symbolism rather than any medical claim, and nobody should delay genuine treatment waiting for a particular yoga.

One traditional caution is that it is not the time for cremation-related rites, though in practice such rites cannot be postponed to suit the calendar, and families proceed whenever circumstances require. Within the series Ayushman sits between Priti and Saubhagya, three consecutive auspicious yogas near the start. Dates and spans differ by location, so a local panchang should be consulted.