Skip to content
Astral Atlas
Sign-in, reset and navigation labels are translated. Some surrounding features still use English.
Learn

Astrology wiki

Explore wiki concepts, word origins, evidence and their connections to traditions and tools.

Meaning, evidence and context

Concepts A–Z

512 concepts, each with a definition, word origins, a brief epistemology and source links. Hover or focus a dotted term to preview it. Tap once for the preview, then follow the entry.

Explore the Astrology tree →
Subject

61 terms

A
Indian astrology

Akshavedamsa →

Also: Akṣavedāṃśa · Akshavedamsha · D45

The D45 Jyotish chart, derived from 45 portions of each zodiac sign under a declared rule.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Traditional Sanskrit name: akṣavedāṃśa.

The final aṃśa means a portion; the forty-fifth division is the attested chart identity. Pañcacatvāriṃśat means forty-five, but that numerical paraphrase does not establish how the older name akṣaveda was coined.

How we know · epistemology
Forty-fifth-part mapping convention

D45 derives another arrangement from the same input longitude rather than collecting new observations. Broad reading scope makes it especially important to record the original question and consider conflicting placements instead of selecting confirming details.

History, methods & personal reading →

Calculate this division for your birth →

Indian astrology

Antardasha →

Also: antar-dasha · bhukti

A subperiod within a major dasha period; dates depend on the selected system and year-length convention.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit compound: antardaśā.

Sanskrit antar means within or between; daśā means period in Rao’s usage. Antardaśā thus suggests an inner period. The compound analysis does not date the technical term’s origin.

How we know · epistemology
Nested period arithmetic and attributed chart interpretation

Arithmetic nesting and astrological interpretation answer different questions. The first locates a selected date in a timetable; the second proposes traditional meaning. Neither a shorter interval nor a more detailed display supplies evidence that a life event will occur. Missing natal positions prevent a placement reading. Missing chart conditions prevent a complete traditional judgment. Show these gaps explicitly, including when both period lords are the same.

Indian astrology

Anuradha →

Also: Anurādhā · Anūrādhā · Anuradha nakshatra

The seventeenth mansion, also appearing as Anūrādhā in the cited Vedic hymn, where it is associated with Mitra.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit Anurādhā, with Vedic Anūrādhā also attested.

Monier-Williams records the mansion under Anurādhā and cross-refers to Anūrādhā. The related anūrādha means bringing welfare or happiness. This lexical connection is preserved without asserting a single definitive story of how the stellar name arose.

How we know · epistemology
Textual name variant and ritual deity association

The name’s variant and Mitra association are documented. Using them to explore cooperation is an interpretive choice; a mansion assignment alone does not measure trustworthiness or determine compatibility.

History, methods & personal reading →

Explore this mansion and your Moon →

Indian astrology

Ayanamsha →

Also: ayanamsa · ayanāṃśa

The angular offset between tropical and a selected sidereal zodiac; different reference conventions yield different offsets.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit transliteration: ayanāṃśa.

Ayana means a course or movement, and aṃśa a part or portion; the compound names the angular offset between zodiac references.

How we know · epistemology
Coordinate offset convention

The offset is reproducible once its reference and date model are stated. Disagreement between ayanamshas usually reflects different chosen origins, rather than an error in the measured position of a planet.

C
Indian astrology

Chaturthamsa →

Also: Caturthāṃśa · Chaturthamsha · Chaturthamsa chart · D4

The D4 Jyotish chart, derived from 4 portions of each zodiac sign under a declared rule.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit compound: caturthāṃśa.

Caturtha means fourth and aṃśa a portion. The compound is recorded as a fourth part; D4 is the modern chart abbreviation.

How we know · epistemology
Fourth-part mapping convention

The D4 result is derived from the selected reference longitude and a declared rule. Reproducing the same partition supports a calculation claim; it does not by itself support a prediction about a home or property.

History, methods & personal reading →

Calculate this division for your birth →

Indian astrology

Chaturvimsamsa →

Also: Caturviṃśāṃśa · Chaturvimshamsha · D24

The D24 Jyotish chart, derived from 24 portions of each zodiac sign under a declared rule.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit numerical compound: caturviṃśāṃśa.

Caturviṃśa means twenty-fourth and aṃśa a portion. This is the numerical name of D24; its alternative traditional name Siddhamsa is distinct.

How we know · epistemology
Twenty-fourth-part convention with documented alternatives

The conventional forward sequence and Rao’s later even-sign reversal are distinct methods. Results are comparable only when the method and zodiac reference agree. Neither version is an empirical test of educational ability.

History, methods & personal reading →

Calculate this division for your birth →

Indian astrology

Chitra →

Also: Citrā · Chitra nakshatra

The fourteenth mansion, bearing a name associated with brightness and variety; the cited Vedic hymn names Tvaṣṭṛ.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit Citrā, feminine of citra.

Citra has senses including bright, conspicuous and variegated. Its feminine form Citrā names the star Spica and the lunar mansion in Monier-Williams. A jewel is a symbolic association, not the sole literal meaning of the name.

How we know · epistemology
Lexical history and differing deity presentations

The hymn names Tvaṣṭṛ; a contemporary teaching uses Viśvakarman. This atlas preserves the source distinction. Creative imagery offers a symbolic reading, while neither the name nor its star association proves a personal talent.

History, methods & personal reading →

Explore this mansion and your Moon →

D
Indian astrology

Dasamsa →

Also: Daśāṃśa · Dashamsha · Dasamsa chart · D10

The D10 Jyotish chart, derived from 10 portions of each zodiac sign under a declared rule.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit numerical compound: daśāṃśa.

Daśa means ten and aṃśa a portion: the tenth-part name. The first element is the number daśa, not the separate word daśā used for a state or planetary period.

How we know · epistemology
Tenth-part mapping convention

The chart transforms D1 inputs under a declared division rule. A change in source data or method can change the result. Interpreting that result as a work theme is a further traditional step, not an astronomical observation of a second sky.

History, methods & personal reading →

Calculate this division for your birth →

Indian astrology

Dasha →

Also: dasa · daśā

An Indian astrological period system assigning successive intervals to planets or signs; several different systems exist.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit transliteration: daśā.

Daśā means condition, stage, or period of life. It is distinct from daśa, ten; the long final vowel matters.

How we know · epistemology
Traditional time allocation

A named system assigns periods by explicit rules rather than observing a physical planetary influence switching on. Comparisons require the same initialization and duration conventions; interpretations of those periods remain claims beyond the calendar arithmetic.

Indian astrology

Dasha-lord reference →

Also: temporary dasha lagna · period-lord reference

Atlas label for a dasha lord used as temporary lagna in subperiod analysis.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Dasha-lord reference is an Atlas modern descriptive label.

This descriptive label combines dasha, meaning period in the cited teaching, with the English words lord and reference. It is not presented as an ancient Sanskrit technical compound.

How we know · epistemology
A documented Jyotish reading convention, exposed as an optional reference frame in Atlas.

It organizes subperiod analysis; it does not independently establish an event forecast.

History, methods & personal reading →

Indian astrology

Drekkana →

Also: Drekkāṇa · Drekkana chart · Dreshkana · D3

A Jyotish chart mapping the three ten-degree portions of each zodiac sign.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Attested Sanskrit technical name: drekkāṇa.

The dictionary cross-references drekkāṇa to dṛkāṇa, a third of a zodiac sign. The spelling variants are documented; a deeper historical derivation is not asserted here.

How we know · epistemology
Third-part mapping convention

A third of a 30° sign is 10°. That partition is reproducible, while the destination-sign rule and reading convention must also be stated. Shared ten-degree widths do not make Indian and Western decan interpretations interchangeable.

History, methods & personal reading →

Calculate this division for your birth →

Indian astrology

Drik calculation →

Also: drik

Calculation using observed or modern astronomical positions; it differs from retaining an older traditional mean-motion model.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit and English compound.

Drik represents dṛk, sight or seeing, from dṛś. The name points to observation-oriented astronomical calculation.

How we know · epistemology
Astronomical computational method

Positions are tied to observational astronomy or modern ephemerides instead of only inherited mean-motion tables. This improves the basis of astronomical timing; it does not by itself validate the astrological judgments subsequently attached to the positions.

Indian astrology

Dusthana →

Also: difficult houses

Dusthana names houses 6, 8, and 12 in the Jyotish house scheme.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Dusthana is the romanized Jyotish label used for this house group; its Sanskrit compound derivation remains uncertain here.

The cited dictionary headword duḥ-stha describes an adverse condition, but it is a different headword. It does not by itself establish the technical term’s origin or earliest use.

How we know · epistemology
Traditional Jyotish house-category convention.

The label is not a standalone prediction of illness, loss, death, or any event.

History, methods & personal reading →

Indian astrology

Dvadasamsa →

Also: Dvādaśāṃśa · Dvadashamsha · Dwadashamsha · D12

The D12 Jyotish chart, derived from 12 portions of each zodiac sign under a declared rule.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit numerical compound: dvādaśāṃśa.

Dvādaśa means twelve; aṃśa means a portion. The name designates a twelfth part, also recorded in the dictionary’s zodiac vocabulary.

How we know · epistemology
Twelfth-part mapping convention

The arithmetic can locate a graha in a twelfth-part division. A family interpretation remains a symbolic reading; it cannot independently establish facts about parents, inheritance or ancestry.

History, methods & personal reading →

Calculate this division for your birth →

G
Indian astrology

Graha →

Also: grahas

An astrological “planet” or seizer; the classical nine include the Sun, Moon and lunar nodes, not only physical planets.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit transliteration: graha.

Graha means a seizer or grasper, from grah, to seize; its celestial use includes entities beyond the modern astronomical category planet.

How we know · epistemology
Traditional classification

The category groups bodies and calculated nodes by their roles in Indian interpretation. Calling something a graha identifies that traditional role; it does not assert that every member is a physical planet.

Indian astrology

Gulika Kalam →

Also: Gulika kala

The Saturn-associated eighth of daylight in a traditional weekday sequence. Its duration varies with the local sunrise-to-sunset interval.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Astrological name Gulika combined with Sanskrit kāla, time.

The compound names Gulika’s period. The historical timing text establishes the technical use; it does not establish a derivation of the name from the separate Sanskrit word for a small ball.

How we know · epistemology
Traditional planetary allocation of daylight

Kalaprakasika does not classify this period as inauspicious. Other applications differ; the displayed interval must not be confused with a separately calculated Gulika or Mandi point in a horoscope.

H
Indian astrology

Hasta →

Also: Hasta nakshatra

The thirteenth mansion, named with the Sanskrit word for a hand and associated with Savitṛ in the cited Vedic hymn.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit hasta, hand.

Hasta is an ordinary Sanskrit word for a hand as well as the mansion name. Monier-Williams leaves its deeper derivation unknown. Interpretations about skill should not be presented as a separate literal root meaning.

How we know · epistemology
Lexical image and Vedic ritual association

The hand is a documented name and image. Reading it as skill or agency is a symbolic extension; a Moon position cannot establish dexterity, work suitability or a medical condition.

History, methods & personal reading →

Explore this mansion and your Moon →

Indian astrology

Hora chart →

Also: Horā chart · Hora · D2

A Jyotish divisional chart based on the two halves of each zodiac sign.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Greek loan into Sanskrit: horā.

Monier-Williams identifies horā as borrowed from Greek and records hour, half-sign and horoscopy senses. Here it names the half-sign chart; a planetary hour is a different application of the same word.

How we know · epistemology
Declared Hora construction

The half-sign assignment can be checked against the source longitude. A Sun/Moon division does not uniquely settle how every school draws a Hora chart; the two-sign construction must be named. Neither its geometry nor its lexical history verifies a life interpretation.

History, methods & personal reading →

Calculate this division for your birth →

J
Indian astrology

Jaimini astrology →

Also: Jaimini

An Indian astrological family associated with Jaimini teachings, including distinctive significators and sign-based timing methods.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit personal-name attribution.

Jaimini is the name of the sage to whom texts and methods are attributed. The school label is eponymous; no speculative personal-name root is supplied.

How we know · epistemology
Textual and lineage-based method

Its significators and timing rules are grounded in a particular Indian textual tradition and its interpretations. Implementations must identify the adopted variant; substituting rules from another school can produce a coherent-looking but methodologically mixed reading.

Indian astrology

Jyeshtha →

Also: Jyeṣṭhā · Jyeshta · Jyestha · Jyeshtha nakshatra

The eighteenth mansion, bearing a name meaning eldest or foremost and traditionally associated with Indra.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit Jyeṣṭhā, feminine of jyeṣṭha.

Jyeṣṭha means eldest, foremost or pre-eminent. The feminine Jyeṣṭhā names this mansion. The name is not Jyaiṣṭha, the related month name, and its seniority sense does not establish someone’s actual age or family position.

How we know · epistemology
Lexical seniority image and inherited deity association

The seniority sense and Indra association are historically documented. Their use as a theme of responsibility is symbolic; a Moon placement cannot establish actual birth order, authority or moral worth.

History, methods & personal reading →

Explore this mansion and your Moon →

Indian astrology

Jyotish →

Also: Jyotiṣa · Vedic astrology

Indian astronomical and astrological traditions; the label covers multiple schools rather than one universal calculation recipe.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit transliteration: jyotiṣa.

Derived from jyotis, light or a heavenly light. Jyotiṣa names the traditional discipline concerned with celestial lights and their reckoning.

How we know · epistemology
Historical traditions and calculation

Texts and practitioners document several Indian systems of calendrics, astronomy and interpretation. A reliable almanac calculation supports its dates and positions; it does not independently establish the accompanying judgments about life events.

K
Indian astrology

Karaka →

Also: kāraka

A significator: a planet or other factor assigned to represent a topic under a specified Indian astrological rule.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit transliteration: kāraka.

Kāraka means maker, doer, or producer, from kṛ, to do; in astrology it supplies the language of a significator.

How we know · epistemology
Contextual symbolic assignment

A planet represents a topic because a specified rule assigns that role. Fixed and variable significator schemes need not agree; the assignment should be shown explicitly rather than treated as a physical property of the planet.

Indian astrology

Karana →

Half a tithi, spanning 6° of Moon–Sun longitude difference; traditional names follow a repeating and fixed sequence.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit transliteration: karaṇa.

Karaṇa has meanings including doing, making, and instrument. Half a tithi is a specialized calendrical sense of the word.

How we know · epistemology
Phase subdivision and naming rule

A six-degree phase interval determines the half-tithi, while a traditional sequence supplies its name. Correct naming requires the fixed entries as well as the repeating cycle; meanings assigned to those names are customary.

Indian astrology

Kendra →

Also: kendras

Kendra names houses 1, 4, 7, and 10 from the ascendant in Jyotish.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit kendra (केन्द्र): centre.

Centre is the lexical gloss. The earliest astrological use and the path of transmission are not established in this entry.

How we know · epistemology
Traditional Jyotish house-category convention, presented here as a named interpretive classification rather than an empirical causal claim.

The definition fixes a house set; it does not assign a forecast or rank every planet in it.

History, methods & personal reading →

Indian astrology

Ketu →

The south lunar node in Indian astrology, opposite Rahu; a calculated point, not a material planet.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit word and mythological name.

Ketu has senses including sign, banner, and a luminous appearance; its use for a lunar node is a specialized inherited sense.

How we know · epistemology
Orbital geometry with traditional meaning

Ketu is placed opposite the selected ascending node. Its longitude follows from that choice; meanings involving detachment or past experience cannot be inferred from the orbital intersection alone.

Indian astrology

Khavedamsa →

Also: Khavedāṃśa · Khavedamsha · Chatvarimsamsa · D40

The D40 Jyotish chart, derived from 40 portions of each zodiac sign under a declared rule.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Traditional Sanskrit name: khavedāṃśa.

Aṃśa means a portion. The alternative numerical name Catvāriṃśāṃśa identifies a fortieth part. Khavedāṃśa is attested in the classical list, but a precise historical explanation of khaveda’s formation is not established here.

How we know · epistemology
Fortieth-part mapping convention

A fine partition can be reproduced once the input and method are fixed. Traditional favorable or unfavorable classifications are judgments within a school; the chart does not verify that an event will occur or that a person deserves it.

History, methods & personal reading →

Calculate this division for your birth →

Indian astrology

Krishnamurti Paddhati →

Also: KP astrology

An Indian system emphasizing stellar and subdivision rulers with particular house and sidereal conventions.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Modern eponym with Sanskrit method word.

Krishnamurti names K. S. Krishnamurti; paddhati means a path, procedure, or system. KP abbreviates the two-part school name.

How we know · epistemology
School-specific interpretive method

The method combines stellar subdivisions with selected house and sidereal conventions. Small boundary changes can alter a sub-lord, making settings consequential; a precisely calculated subdivision is not independent evidence for a definite event prediction.

L
Indian astrology

Lagna →

The Ascendant in Indian astrology, usually expressed in the chosen sidereal zodiac.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit transliteration: lagna.

Lagna means attached, fixed, or adhering; in astronomy and astrology it names the ascendant and a significant moment.

How we know · epistemology
Local geometry in an Indian framework

The rising ecliptic point is calculated from an instant and location, then expressed in a selected zodiac. Its house and life-topic roles require additional Indian rules, and uncertain birth time can change them.

Indian astrology

Lahiri ayanamsha →

Also: Lahiri

A widely used Indian sidereal reference convention; selecting it changes zodiac longitudes, not the physical sky.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Eponym plus Sanskrit technical term.

Lahiri names N. C. Lahiri, associated with the Indian calendar-reform convention; ayanāṃśa names the offset. The surname is left untranslated.

How we know · epistemology
Named sidereal convention

Lahiri provides a shared reference for comparing many Indian calculations. Its widespread adoption establishes a convention, not evidence that this origin yields more accurate personality readings than other sidereal origins.

M
Indian astrology

Magha →

Also: Maghā · Magha nakshatra

The tenth mansion in the common 27-nakshatra sequence, associated with the ancestors in the cited Vedic hymn.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit Maghā, the mansion name.

Monier-Williams records magha as a gift, bounty, wealth or power, and Maghā as a lunar mansion. Maghā should be distinguished from Māgha, the related month name with a long first vowel.

How we know · epistemology
Vedic ritual association and later interpretation

The inherited name and ancestral association can be documented. Turning them into a claim about someone’s lineage, social rank or past lives requires a belief that this calculation does not verify.

History, methods & personal reading →

Explore this mansion and your Moon →

Indian astrology

Mahadasha →

Also: mahādaśā

A major period in a dasha sequence, containing smaller subperiods.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit compound: mahādaśā.

Mahā- is the compound form of mahant, meaning great; Rao glosses daśā as period. Mahādaśā therefore literally suggests a great period. This lexical explanation does not establish the term’s first historical use.

How we know · epistemology
Nested period arithmetic and attributed chart interpretation

The period schedule is a reproducible calculation under stated conventions; its life interpretation is a traditional astrological claim. A correct date calculation does not test that claim. Treat the reading as a contextual account, and record disagreements without changing the convention to fit an event. This tool uses the natal Moon under a selected sidereal reference and either 360 or 365.25-day years. Rao discusses competing year lengths. Compare dates only when all input and convention choices match.

Indian astrology

Muhurta →

Also: muhūrta

Selecting a time for an intended activity under Indian astrological rules; the word can also denote a traditional time unit.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit transliteration: muhūrta.

Muhūrta means a moment or a specified interval of time; electional practice extends the term to selecting a suitable moment.

How we know · epistemology
Traditional electional practice

The method compares candidate times using declared rules for a particular activity. Its rankings express the selected tradition's preferences; practical constraints and actual outcomes remain separate from the designation of a time as auspicious.

N
Indian astrology

Nakshatra →

Also: nakshatras

A lunar mansion; the common equal scheme divides the sidereal zodiac into 27 sectors of 13°20′.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit transliteration: nakṣatra.

An inherited word for a star or asterism, specialized as a lunar mansion. Its deeper derivation is not reduced here to a speculative syllable story.

How we know · epistemology
Traditional division of longitude

The common equal scheme makes mansion assignment a checkable angular calculation. Historical names and associated meanings are inherited conventions; a named mansion is not necessarily the same region as a modern astronomical constellation.

Indian astrology

Navamsa →

Also: Navāṃśa · D9

A divisional chart assigning each ninth of a sign to a sign according to specific rules.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit compound: navāṃśa.

Nava means nine and aṃśa a portion; navāṃśa is a ninth division. D9 is the modern alphanumeric chart label.

How we know · epistemology
Indian divisional mapping

A declared ninth-part rule converts rashi positions into navamsa signs. This produces a symbolic chart, not a second observed sky; interpretations require the intended Indian rules rather than assumptions imported from a generic ninth harmonic.

Calculate this division for your birth →

P
Indian astrology

Pada →

Also: nakshatra pada

One quarter of a nakshatra, spanning 3°20′ in the equal 27-mansion scheme.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit transliteration: pāda.

Pāda means foot and, by extension, a quarter or section; the lunar-mansion usage is the quarter sense.

How we know · epistemology
Nested angular division

A pada follows mechanically from a position within its nakshatra. Close to a quarter boundary, small changes in time or sidereal reference can alter the assignment; the resulting character descriptions are a separate tradition.

Indian astrology

Paksha →

A lunar fortnight: the waxing half is Shukla Paksha and the waning half is Krishna Paksha.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit transliteration: pakṣa.

Pakṣa means wing, side, or half, and hence a fortnight; the lunar cycle has a waxing side and a waning side.

How we know · epistemology
Lunar phase convention

The waxing and waning halves follow the changing Sun–Moon angle. Their boundaries are astronomical phase events; any preference for one half for a particular activity is an additional cultural or astrological rule.

Indian astrology

Panchanga →

Also: panchang · panchangam

An Indian almanac’s five principal factors: weekday, tithi, nakshatra, yoga and karana; daily use requires local boundary rules.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit compound: pañcāṅga.

Pañca means five and aṅga a limb or component. The almanac name refers to its five calendrical components.

How we know · epistemology
Astronomical calendar with ritual use

Its five factors can be calculated from solar and lunar positions and local day rules. Festival or auspiciousness judgments add regional and religious conventions, so a correct position does not guarantee one universal almanac date.

Indian astrology

Panchanga yoga →

Also: nitya yoga

One of 27 divisions of the sum of sidereal Sun and Moon longitudes; distinct from other meanings of yoga.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit calendrical compound.

Yoga comes from yuj, to join or yoke. Here joining refers to the calendrical combination of the Sun's and Moon's longitudes.

How we know · epistemology
Traditional angular combination

Adding the selected sidereal Sun and Moon longitudes gives a reproducible sector index. That sum is a calendrical construction, not a measured interaction, and its interpretation differs from other Indian uses of the word yoga.

Indian astrology

Prashna →

Also: praśna

Question astrology: a chart for a question or consultation, requiring an event time rather than simply a birth time.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit transliteration: praśna.

Praśna means question or inquiry. The practice is named for the question being put, rather than for a birth.

How we know · epistemology
Question-based divination

The chosen question or consultation moment supplies the chart's context. Reproducible calculation requires recording that moment and location; a birth chart answers a different setup, and symbolic testimony cannot establish hidden facts about another person.

Indian astrology

Purva Phalguni →

Also: Pūrva Phalgunī · Pūrva Phālgunī · Poorva Phalguni

The eleventh mansion and earlier Phalguni. This atlas follows the Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa assignment of Bhaga as its deity.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit pūrva, earlier, with Phalgunī.

Pūrva distinguishes the earlier member of the Phalguni pair. Monier-Williams records phalguna as reddish and both Phalgunī and Phālgunī as mansion forms. The name’s lexical color sense is separate from later relationship symbolism.

How we know · epistemology
Named textual convention with a historical variant

The Phalguni deity assignments differ across the cited texts. Bhaga here identifies the chosen convention; it does not turn a Moon position into evidence about marriage or fertility.

History, methods & personal reading →

Explore this mansion and your Moon →

R
Indian astrology

Rahu →

Also: Rāhu

The north lunar node in Indian astrology; a calculated orbital intersection, not a material planet.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit mythological name: Rāhu.

The dictionary glosses Rāhu as the Seizer, the eclipse-causing being; the name is also applied to the ascending lunar node.

How we know · epistemology
Orbital geometry with traditional meaning

The ascending lunar node is calculated from an orbital model and helps describe eclipse geometry. Rahu's assigned psychological or karmic meanings belong to interpretation, rather than a detected substance at the node.

Indian astrology

Rahu Kalam →

Also: Rahu kala · Rahu kaal

A weekday-specific eighth of local daylight, traditionally associated with Rahu and consulted when choosing a time to begin an auspicious undertaking.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit compound: rāhu-kāla.

The lineage dictionary translates the name as the time of Rahu. Kāla is time; the name identifies the traditional association rather than an astronomical event.

How we know · epistemology
Traditional timing rule applied to solar boundaries

Its clock interval follows sunrise, sunset and a weekday table; it is not Rahu’s physical rising. Avoidance rules concern particular customary beginnings, not a measured increase in danger.

Indian astrology

Rashi chart →

Also: Rāśi chart · D1

The primary Indian zodiac chart of planetary sign positions, before a divisional-chart transformation.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit and English compound.

Rāśi means a heap, collection, or quantity, and also a zodiac sign. Chart and the D1 notation are English technical labeling.

How we know · epistemology
Primary chart convention

Planetary longitudes are assigned to signs before further divisional mapping. Comparing charts requires the same zodiac and reference settings; the chart layout itself does not supply evidence for the meanings assigned to its placements.

Calculate this division for your birth →

S
Indian astrology

Saptamsa →

Also: Saptāṃśa · Saptamsha · Saptamsa chart · D7

The D7 Jyotish chart, derived from 7 portions of each zodiac sign under a declared rule.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit numerical compound: saptāṃśa.

Sapta means seven and aṃśa a portion. The chart name identifies a seventh-part division, with the adjoining a vowels forming ā.

How we know · epistemology
Seventh-part mapping convention

Seven parts do not have an exact terminating decimal width in degrees, so rounded labels should not determine the partition. A reproducible destination sign does not validate conclusions about reproduction or a child.

History, methods & personal reading →

Calculate this division for your birth →

Indian astrology

Saptavimsamsa →

Also: Saptaviṃśāṃśa · Saptavimshamsha · D27

The D27 Jyotish chart, derived from 27 portions of each zodiac sign under a declared rule.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit numerical compound: saptaviṃśāṃśa.

Saptaviṃśa means twenty-seventh and aṃśa a portion. The numerical name describes D27; it does not mean that a body occupies the same named lunar mansion in the original sky.

How we know · epistemology
Twenty-seventh-part mapping convention

This division partitions each zodiac sign, whereas the equal nakshatra scheme partitions the whole zodiac. They share the number 27 but answer different coordinate questions. Interpretive claims about personal capacity are separate from these calculations.

History, methods & personal reading →

Calculate this division for your birth →

Indian astrology

Shashtyamsa →

Also: Ṣaṣṭyaṃśa · Shashtiamsa · Shashtiamsha · D60

The D60 Jyotish chart, derived from 60 portions of each zodiac sign under a declared rule.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit numerical compound: ṣaṣṭyaṃśa.

Ṣaṣṭi means sixty and becomes ṣaṣṭy before a following vowel; aṃśa means a portion. The result is the sixtieth-part name, distinct from ṣaṣṭha, meaning sixth.

How we know · epistemology
Sixtieth-part mapping and belief-dependent interpretation

Half-degree source portions make boundary and birth-time uncertainty material. A reproducible sign assignment cannot demonstrate a former life, karma or moral desert. Sign counting and the ordering of traditional portion names are separate conventions.

History, methods & personal reading →

Calculate this division for your birth →

Indian astrology

Shodasamsa →

Also: Ṣoḍaśāṃśa · Shodashamsha · D16

The D16 Jyotish chart, derived from 16 portions of each zodiac sign under a declared rule.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit compound: ṣoḍaśāṃśa.

Ṣoḍaśa is the sixteen/sixteenth numeral and aṃśa a portion. The dictionary records the full compound for a sixteenth part.

How we know · epistemology
Sixteenth-part mapping convention

This chart is calculated from finer portions of the same natal longitude. More subdivisions do not create more reliable input data, and a repeated pattern across derived charts is not an independent observation.

History, methods & personal reading →

Calculate this division for your birth →

Indian astrology

Sidereal zodiac →

Twelve equal 30° signs aligned through a chosen stellar reference; these are not the unequal IAU constellations.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Latin adjective with Greek-derived zodiac.

Sidereal comes from sidus, star or constellation. It identifies a zodiac referenced to stellar positions under a stated convention.

How we know · epistemology
Stellar reference convention

A specified reference aligns twelve equal sectors with the stellar background. Different alignments can change a sign assignment; equal sidereal signs remain distinct from the unequal constellations mapped by astronomers.

Indian astrology

Swati →

Also: Svāti · Svātī · Swati nakshatra

The fifteenth mansion. Its inherited name also designates Arcturus; Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa pairs it with Vāyu.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit Svāti; Svātī is also attested.

Monier-Williams records Svāti as the star Arcturus and a mansion name, explicitly leaving its derivation unknown. Independence is a later interpretive theme; it should not be supplied as a settled literal translation.

How we know · epistemology
Attested stellar name and practitioner symbolism

The stellar name is documented but its derivation remains uncertain in the cited dictionary. Wind and independence belong to the declared symbolic reading; they cannot be inferred as measured psychological traits.

History, methods & personal reading →

Explore this mansion and your Moon →

T
Indian astrology

Tajika →

Also: Varshaphala

An Indian annual-chart tradition using solar returns together with distinctive aspect and timing rules.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit borrowing through Persian.

Tājika derives from Persian tāzīg, Arab, ultimately associated with the Arabic tribal name Ṭayyiʾ. Indian usage designated Perso-Arabic people and astrology.

How we know · epistemology
Historical annual-chart method

A solar return provides the astronomical anchor, while Tajika supplies its own aspects and judgment rules. A natal interpretation or generic transit reading cannot stand in for that method merely because the same planets appear.

Indian astrology

Tithi →

A lunar phase division: each additional 12° of Moon–Sun longitude difference starts the next of 30 tithis.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit calendrical word.

Tithi names a lunar day. The inherited technical meaning is secure; a deeper root or literal syllable breakdown is not established here.

How we know · epistemology
Solar–lunar phase geometry

The Moon–Sun longitude difference determines the tithi independently of civil midnight. Tithis have unequal clock durations and may cross a sunrise boundary; calendar use must distinguish the instantaneous value from the day's assigned value.

Indian astrology

Trikona →

Also: trikonas · trine houses

Trikona names houses 1, 5, and 9 from the ascendant in Jyotish.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit tri-koṇa (त्रिकोण): triangular; a triangle.

This lexical sense does not settle which house set a particular Jyotish school adopts. First technical use is unverified.

How we know · epistemology
Traditional Jyotish house-category convention.

This refers to houses, not Western degree-based trine aspects between planets.

History, methods & personal reading →

Indian astrology

Trimsamsa →

Also: Triṃśāṃśa · Trimshamsha · D30

The D30 Jyotish chart; the selected Parashari method assigns five unequal portions per sign.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit compound: triṃśāṃśa.

The dictionary records triṃśāṃśa as a thirtieth of a zodiac sign, or a degree. This lexical meaning should not be mistaken for the complete rule of the unequal Parashari D30 chart.

How we know · epistemology
Unequal-portion mapping convention

Under the selected Parashari rule, D30 assigns five unequal source intervals to signs. A unique transformed degree is not supplied by that sign assignment. The traditional vocabulary of difficulty must not be taken as evidence of disease, fault or inevitable harm.

History, methods & personal reading →

Calculate this division for your birth →

U
Indian astrology

Upachaya →

Also: upacaya · growth houses · houses of increase

Upachaya names houses 3, 6, 10, and 11 in the Jyotish house scheme.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit upacaya (उपचय): increase, accumulation, growth or welfare.

Upachaya is an English spelling of upacaya; the lexical gloss does not guarantee an outcome.

How we know · epistemology
Traditional Jyotish house-category convention.

A house can belong to more than one category; sixth house is also dusthana in the cited classification.

History, methods & personal reading →

Indian astrology

Uttara Phalguni →

Also: Uttara Phalgunī · Uttara Phālgunī

The twelfth mansion and later Phalguni. This atlas follows the Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa assignment of Aryaman as its deity.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit uttara, later or following, with Phalgunī.

Uttara marks the later member of the pair. Monier-Williams attests both Uttara Phalgunī and Uttara Phālgunī. Phalguna has a reddish color sense; the compound’s place in the pair is clearer than a claim that its name means marriage or duty.

How we know · epistemology
Named textual convention with a historical variant

Aryaman is the declared deity convention here, while the cited Taittirīya presentation gives Bhaga. Partnership imagery supplies a reading vocabulary; it is not a test of commitment or a forecast of relationship duration.

History, methods & personal reading →

Explore this mansion and your Moon →

V
Indian astrology

Vara →

Also: vāra

The weekday factor in a panchanga; traditional daily reckoning commonly begins at local sunrise.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit transliteration: vāra.

Vāra means a turn, recurring occasion, or day; the weekday meaning uses this recurrence vocabulary. The long vowel distinguishes it from other vara words.

How we know · epistemology
Local calendrical day rule

A weekday is familiar civil information, but a traditional sunrise-based vara can differ from the midnight-based date before dawn. A trustworthy result states the location and day boundary used rather than silently mixing both conventions.

Indian astrology

Varga →

Also: divisional chart · vargas

An Indian chart division and remapping; different vargas require distinct rules, not simply generic longitude multiplication.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit transliteration: varga.

Varga means a class, group, division, or section. Its chart use applies this division vocabulary to zodiacal subdivisions.

How we know · epistemology
Family of divisional conventions

Each varga requires its own assignment rule and stated treatment of boundaries. Agreement on the division number alone is insufficient for reproduction, and the life topic assigned to a division comes from its interpretive tradition.

Indian astrology

Vimsamsa →

Also: Viṃśāṃśa · Vimshamsha · D20

The D20 Jyotish chart, derived from 20 portions of each zodiac sign under a declared rule.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit compound: viṃśāṃśa.

Viṃśa means twentieth and aṃśa a portion. Viṃśāṃśa is recorded as a twentieth part; the numeral does not itself specify a life topic.

How we know · epistemology
Twentieth-part mapping convention

D20 is a declared remapping of natal longitude. Its reproducibility concerns that map; claims about religious life are interpretive commitments and cannot be read as measurements of a person’s spiritual standing.

History, methods & personal reading →

Calculate this division for your birth →

Indian astrology

Vimshottari dasha →

Also: Vimshottari · Vimśottarī

A 120-year planetary period scheme commonly initialized from the natal Moon’s nakshatra and its remaining portion.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit numerical system name.

Viṃśottarī designates the 120-year scheme; daśā means period or condition. The numerical name concerns the full nominal cycle.

How we know · epistemology
Nakshatra-based timing convention

The selected lunar mansion and fraction remaining initialize a prescribed 120-year sequence. Ayanamsha, lunar precision and year length can shift dates; the sequence's arithmetic does not establish that its periods cause particular events.

Indian astrology

Vishakha →

Also: Viśākhā · Visakha · Vishakha nakshatra

The sixteenth mansion, with a name associated with branching. Its traditional deity pairing is Indra and Agni.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Sanskrit Viśākhā, feminine of viśākha.

Monier-Williams analyzes viśākha with vi- and śākha and records branched or forked among its senses. The feminine names the mansion. This supports a branch image, but not a claim that the name predicts divided loyalties or two marriages.

How we know · epistemology
Lexical record and traditional paired deities

The dictionary documents the name, arch image and dual deity association. Applying branching to a person’s choices is a metaphor; it does not justify claims about relationship outcomes or inevitable conflict.

History, methods & personal reading →

Explore this mansion and your Moon →

Y
Indian astrology

Yamaganda →

Also: Yamagandam · Yamaganda kalam

A named daylight eighth whose weekday placement is tabulated in traditional electional astrology. Here its interval is calculated from local sunrise and sunset.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Inherited Indian astrological name, transliterated Yamaganda.

Kalaprakasika attests this name for the weekday periods. The precise historical formation of the compound is not established by that table, so no literal root explanation is asserted here.

How we know · epistemology
Historical electional table

The calendar reproduces a stated timing convention. It is distinct from a Yamaghantaka upagraha longitude, and its traditional evaluation does not demonstrate a causal effect on an undertaking.