Naimittika karma — occasional rites

Naimittika means “arising from an occasion” (nimitta). These rites are prompted by a particular event: a birth, a saṃskāra such as naming or marriage, a death in the family, an eclipse, or the yearly śrāddha of a parent.

They are duties too, but only when the occasion comes. Festivals tied to a date in the calendar — such as Janmāṣṭamī or Mahāśivarātri — are often included here as well.

When the occasion arises

Karmakāṇḍa — the ritual way · Ask a Jyotishi your own question