A karana is half a tithi, six degrees of the Moon's elongation from the Sun, and there are sixty in a lunation. Eleven names cover them: seven movable karanas (Bava, Balava, Kaulava, Taitila, Gara, Vanija and Vishti) which repeat eight times, and four fixed ones (Shakuni, Chatushpada, Naga and Kimstughna) which fall at the joints of the month.