Today, on Bhadra Shukla Purnima (Bhadra 22, Sunday), a total lunar eclipse will occur. This eclipse will be visible either fully or partially from Nepal, India, China, Thailand, and other Asian countries, North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Australia.

According to Nepali time,

• Eclipse begins (contact): 10:11 PM

• Maximum (mid-eclipse): 11:56 PM

• End (moksha): 1:41 AM
  → Total duration: 3 hours 30 minutes.

The eclipse will begin in the southeast (Agneya) direction and end in the southwest (Nairitya) direction.

Sutak Period

According to scriptures, Sutak (inauspicious period) starts 12 hours before a solar eclipse and 9 hours before a lunar eclipse. Therefore, Sutak begins today from 1:11 PM.

• During this period, eating is prohibited (except for children, elderly, sick, and pregnant women).

• Cooking, cutting, grinding, using sharp tools, digging soil, holding important meetings, starting auspicious works, signing documents, combing hair, brushing teeth, and touching idols of deities or the Tulsi plant are all forbidden.

• Pregnant women must not go outside during the eclipse. If necessary, they should carry Tulsi leaves, Kush grass, or sandalwood for protection.

What to Do During the Eclipse

In Vedic scriptures, an eclipse is considered a sensitive spiritual time.

• One should bathe in rivers, ponds, lakes, or holy waters at the beginning of the eclipse.

• Charity and donations to animals, birds, helpless beings, and needy people bring great merit.

• Reciting personal mantras, or if unavailable, chanting the name of God, meditation, or performing homa (fire rituals) yields thousands of times greater results.

• If one’s horoscope is under Mahadasha/Antardasha, chanting related mantras during the eclipse reduces planetary afflictions.

• Those with Lunar Eclipse Yoga in their birth chart should worship Surya Narayan (Sun God) and Lord Shiva for relief.

• The eclipse period is also favorable for spiritual practices, mantra siddhi, and devotion.

• One should maintain celibacy, avoid negative thoughts, engage in reading scriptures (Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita), or sing and listen to devotional songs.

Important Precautions

• Eclipse brings lunar radiation and negative energy into homes. Cooked food should not be stored.

• Milk, curd, ghee, water, and pickles should be protected by placing Tulsi leaves or Kush grass in them.

• Applying cow dung at the entrance of the house or near food items helps block negative energies.

Astrological Impact

This lunar eclipse occurs in Shatabhisha and Purva Bhadra Nakshatra (Aquarius sign).
According to Dharmasindhu:

• For the next 5 months, auspicious works should be avoided in these nakshatras.

• People born under Shatabhisha / Purva Bhadra Nakshatra, Aquarius sign (Kumbha Rashi), and Aquarius Ascendant (Kumbha Lagna) may experience adverse effects.

Eclipse Effects on Zodiac Signs

• Aries (Mesha): Gains

• Taurus (Vrishabha): Happiness

• Gemini (Mithuna): Defamation

• Cancer (Karka): Trouble

• Leo (Simha): Suffering

• Virgo (Kanya): Comfort

• Libra (Tula): Anxiety

• Scorpio (Vrischika): Pain

• Sagittarius (Dhanu): Prosperity

• Capricorn (Makara): Loss

• Aquarius (Kumbha): Danger

• Pisces (Meena): Expenses

-Jyotishacharya / Vastu Expert
Pandit Narayan Prasad Dulal