Vedic Astrology Glossary

What do the terms in a kundli mean?

A Vedic chart is described in Sanskrit terms that rarely translate cleanly. This page defines the ones you will actually meet in a reading — 31 of them, in plain language, each linking to a fuller explanation where one exists.

Antardashaअंतर्दशा: A sub-period within a mahadasha. Each mahadasha divides into nine antardashas in the same fixed planetary order, proportional to each lord's share of the 120-year cycle. Also called bhukti.
Ascendant: The sign rising on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth, and the 1st house of the chart. Changes sign roughly every two hours, which is why birth time accuracy matters. See lagna.
Ashtakootअष्टकूट: The eight-point system used in North Indian kundli matching, scored out of 36 gunas. Nadi carries the highest weight at 8 points, Bhakoot 7, Gana 6.
Ayanamsaअयनांश: The angular difference between the sidereal and tropical zodiacs, currently about 24°. VedikPatrika uses the Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsa, the Indian government standard.
Bhavaभाव: A house of the chart — one of the twelve divisions counted from the ascendant, each governing a defined area of life.
Chhaya grahaछाया ग्रह: A shadow planet — Rahu or Ketu. Neither is a physical body; they are the points where the Moon's orbit crosses the ecliptic, which is why eclipses occur there.
Combustion (asta)अस्त: A planet too close to the Sun to give its results freely. The distance at which it applies varies by planet, from about 8° to 17°.
Dashaदशा: A planetary period. The Vimshottari system's 120-year cycle of nine mahadashas is what gives a Vedic chart its timeline.
Doshaदोष: A specific affliction in a chart. The best known are Mangal dosha, Kaal Sarp and Pitra dosha. Most carry classical cancellation rules that should always be reported alongside them.
Dusthanaदुःस्थान: The difficult houses — 6th, 8th and 12th. Malefics are often better placed in the 6th than benefics are.
Exaltation (uccha)उच्च: The sign, and specific degree, at which a planet gives its fullest results. Each of the seven physical grahas has one.
Debilitation (neecha)नीच: The sign opposite a planet's exaltation, where it is weakest. Debilitation can be cancelled — see Neecha Bhanga — and the check must be made before any conclusion.
Gocharगोचर: Transit — where the planets are now, as opposed to where they were at birth. Read against the dasha, not instead of it.
Grahaग्रह: One of the nine 'seizers' of Vedic astrology: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu. Not synonymous with 'planet' — the Sun, Moon, Rahu and Ketu are not planets.
Kendraकेंद्र: The angular houses — 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th. Planets here have strength to act.
Kundliकुंडली: A birth chart: the map of the sky at the moment and place of birth, drawn as a twelve-house diagram.
Lagnaलग्न: The ascendant — the rising sign, and the 1st house. The lagna lord is the single most important planet in any chart.
Mahadashaमहादशा: A major planetary period, from 6 years (Sun) to 20 years (Venus). Nine of them make the 120-year Vimshottari cycle.
Moolatrikonaमूलत्रिकोण: A specific degree range within a planet's own sign where it is especially strong — distinct from, and usually narrower than, exaltation.
Nakshatraनक्षत्र: One of the 27 lunar mansions, each 13°20′ wide and divided into four padas. The Moon's nakshatra at birth fixes the entire dasha sequence.
Navamsa (D9)नवांश: The ninth divisional chart, made by dividing each sign into nine parts. Used for marriage and for assessing the deeper strength of every planet.
Neecha Bhangaनीच भंग: The cancellation of debilitation, most commonly when the lord of the debilitation sign or of the exaltation sign sits in a kendra from the ascendant or the Moon.
Padaपाद: A quarter of a nakshatra, 3°20′ wide. The pada determines the Navamsa sign, which is why it matters for marriage readings and for naming.
Panchangपंचांग: The Vedic almanac's five limbs: tithi, vaar, nakshatra, yoga and karana. Computed at the moment of birth in a full kundli.
Rashiराशि: A sidereal zodiac sign, 30° wide. In Indian usage 'your rashi' means your Moon sign, not your Sun sign.
Retrograde (vakri)वक्री: Apparent backward motion of a planet as seen from Earth. Rahu and Ketu are always retrograde; the Sun and Moon never are.
Sade Satiसाढ़े साती: Saturn's roughly seven-and-a-half-year transit through the 12th, 1st and 2nd signs from the natal Moon, in three phases.
Trikonaत्रिकोण: The trine houses — 1st, 5th and 9th. Classically the most auspicious houses in a chart.
Upachayaउपचय: The growing houses — 3rd, 6th, 10th and 11th — which improve with time and in which malefics are considered well placed.
Yogaयोग: A specific planetary combination with a named effect, such as Gajakesari or Budhaditya. Distinct from the panchang's yoga, which is a Sun-Moon angular measure.
Yogakarakaयोगकारक: A planet that rules both a kendra and a trikona for a given ascendant, making it strongly benefic for that chart. Saturn is yogakaraka for Taurus and Libra ascendants.