Pūrṇimāपूर्णिमा(Purnima)
The fifteenth tithi of Śukla-pakṣa (full moon); devatā Chandra-Soma, Pūrṇā-class, classical register of completion and fullness.
Pūrṇimā
Pūrṇimā (पूर्णिमा, also written Purnima) is the fifteenth and final tithi of the Śukla-pakṣa — the full-moon day that closes the waxing fortnight. Unlike the first fourteen tithis which recur in both pakṣas with the same name, Pūrṇimā is unique to Śukla- pakṣa; the parallel closing tithi of Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa is Amāvāsyā, its structural opposite. The name means "full," "complete," "abundant" — naming the moment when the Moon faces the Sun across the earth and reflects its full disc. Its devatā is Chandra (the Moon itself), and in the five-class auspiciousness scheme of the Muhūrta Cintāmaṇi, Pūrṇimā belongs to the Pūrṇā class (tithis 5, 10, 15) — the fullness register, among the classically most favourable tithis.
Classical grounding
Muhūrta Cintāmaṇi and the Nirṇaya Sindhu identify Chandra as Pūrṇimā's devatā. Classical tradition treats each month's Pūrṇimā as a distinct observance day — the full moon carries the name of the nakshatra closest to it (Caitra-Pūrṇimā coincides with or near Citrā nakshatra, Vaiśākha-Pūrṇimā near Viśākhā, and so on, with specific regional variations). Major annual Pūrṇimās include Guru Pūrṇimā (Āṣāḍha-Pūrṇimā, the teacher- observance day), Buddha Pūrṇimā (Vaiśākha-Pūrṇimā, the Buddha's birth-enlightenment-nirvāṇa day), Holikā-Pūrṇimā (Phālguna, the eve of Holī), Kārtika Pūrṇimā (the classical Deva-Dīpāvali and Tulasī-Vivāha associated day), and Śarad Pūrṇimā (Āśvina- Pūrṇimā, the autumn full moon classically celebrated for its restorative lunar radiance).
Significations
What Pūrṇimā classically governs:
- Full-moon observances, including vratas, temple visits, and Satya Nārāyaṇa kathā — classically observed on every Pūrṇimā
- Guru Pūrṇimā (Āṣāḍha) — the classical teacher-honouring day, observed for Vyāsa and for personal gurus alike
- Buddha Pūrṇimā (Vaiśākha) — the Buddhist observance of the Buddha's three great events converging on one day
- Kārtika Pūrṇimā — the Deva-Dīpāvali observance and the classical Tulasī-Vivāha day in some regional traditions
- Śukla-class consummation — Pūrṇimā is the culmination of everything begun on Pratipadā, the tithi where the waxing pakṣa's momentum reaches its full expression
- Chandra-oriented worship, particularly for emotional healing, maternal register work, and questions of mind (manas)
Classical register
Because Pūrṇimā is unique to Śukla-pakṣa, the Pakṣa-level reading section that applies to other tithi pages does not apply here in its dual-manifestation form. Instead, the classical register distinguishes between the general Pūrṇimā observance (fortnightly full-moon ritual, observed across all twelve lunar months) and the named Pūrṇimā days — the major annual observances listed above. The Pūrṇimā half-tithis carry the movable karaṇa Bava (first half) and the fixed karaṇa Viṣṭi (second half, also called Bhadrā — the karaṇa, distinct from the Bhadrā-class tithi naming). The Viṣṭi presence in the second half introduces muhūrta caution for that window despite Pūrṇimā's overall Pūrṇā-class auspiciousness.
Muhūrta-relevance
Pūrṇimā is classically among the most favourable tithis for auspicious undertakings — marriage ceremonies, formal ceremonies, spiritual inaugurations, temple visits, and Satya Nārāyaṇa kathā observance. The second-half Viṣṭi window reduces the favourable muhūrta range. The tithi is read alongside its associated nakshatra, which varies month by month — each Pūrṇimā carries a distinct classical reading based on which nakshatra the Moon occupies at its full-moon position.