Astrology and Vastu glossary
Lagna, tithi, dasha, gochar, Rahu kaal, brahmasthan and more: the words of Vedic astrology and Vastu, A to Z, in plain English.
87 terms, A to Z.
A
- Abhijit muhurat
- The period around local noon, the eighth of the fifteen muhurats of the day, traditionally good for starting most things. It is worked out from sunrise and sunset, and tradition does not use it on Wednesdays.
- Today’s panchang
- Adhik maas extra month
- An extra lunar month added about once every two and a half to three years, so the lunar calendar keeps pace with the seasons. Tradition avoids new beginnings such as weddings in it.
- Agneya
- The south-east corner in Vastu, the corner of Agni, the fire god. The traditional place for the kitchen.
- The 16 Vastu zones
- Amavasya new moon
- The new moon day, the last tithi of the waning fortnight, when the Moon and Sun are together. A day for remembering the ancestors.
- Antardasha bhukti, sub-period
- A shorter period inside a mahadasha, ruled by another graha. Each mahadasha has nine antardashas, in the same order as the mahadashas.
- Dasha calculator
- Ashtakoot ashtakoota
- The eight-part system of guna milan: Varna (1 point), Vashya (2), Tara (3), Yoni (4), Graha maitri (5), Gana (6), Bhakoot (7) and Nadi (8), 36 points in all.
- Kundli matching
- Asta combust
- A graha so close to the Sun that it cannot be seen in the sky. Tradition holds that it loses some of its strength. The Moon, Rahu and Ketu are not counted.
- Ayanamsa
- The gap between the tropical zodiac of Western astrology and the sidereal zodiac of Vedic astrology, about 24° today and growing by roughly one degree every 72 years. Different schools measure it slightly differently.
- See also Lahiri ayanamsa
B
- Bhagyank destiny number
- In numerology, the single digit you get by adding up every digit of your full date of birth.
- Numerology calculator
- Bhakoot
- The koota of guna milan that compares the two moon signs, worth 7 points. Some pairs of signs score 0, which is called Bhakoot dosha.
- Love compatibility
- Bhava house
- One of the twelve houses of a chart, counted from the lagna. Each house covers a part of life: the first yourself, the seventh marriage, the tenth career, and so on.
- Brahmasthan
- The centre of a home or plot in Vastu, the place of the space element. Traditionally kept open, light and free of pillars, toilets, stairs and heavy furniture.
- Vastu guide
C
- Chara movable
- Movable. Mesh, Kark, Tula and Makar are the movable signs; Punarvasu, Swati, Shravana, Dhanishta and Shatabhisha the movable nakshatras, good for travel and change.
- Choghadiya
- The day and the night each divided into eight parts, named Amrit, Shubh, Labh, Char, Udveg, Kaal and Rog. People use them to pick a time for travel, business and new beginnings.
- Today’s panchang
D
- Dasha
- A period of life ruled by one graha. The system used most in India, Vimshottari, runs through all nine grahas in 120 years, starting from the nakshatra of the Moon at birth.
- Dasha calculatorSee also Vimshottari dasha
- Dashamsa D10
- The divisional chart that splits each sign into ten parts of 3° each, read for career and public life.
- Free kundli
- Dhaiya Kantak Shani, Ashtama Shani
- The two and a half years Saturn spends in the fourth or the eighth sign from your moon sign.
- Sade Sati explained
- Dosha
- In astrology, a pattern in the chart that tradition treats with care, such as Mangal dosha or Nadi dosha. A dosha is read with the whole chart, not on its own.
- Doshas explained
- Drishti aspect
- A graha’s glance at other houses. Every graha looks at the seventh house from itself; Mars also looks at the fourth and eighth, Jupiter at the fifth and ninth, and Saturn at the third and tenth.
E
- Ekadashi
- The eleventh tithi of each fortnight, twice a month, kept by many as a day of fasting and prayer to Vishnu.
G
- Gana
- The temperament of a nakshatra: deva (gentle), manushya (human) or rakshasa (fierce). In matching, the Gana koota is worth 6 points.
- All 27 nakshatras
- Gochar transit
- Where the grahas are now, counted from your moon sign. Daily and yearly horoscopes are read from gochar.
- Today’s horoscope
- Graha
- The nine bodies of Vedic astrology: the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and the two lunar nodes, Rahu and Ketu. The word means “one who grasps”.
- The nine grahas
- Graha maitri
- The koota of guna milan that checks whether the lords of the two moon signs are friends, worth 5 points.
- Grahan eclipse
- An eclipse of the Sun (surya grahan) or the Moon (chandra grahan). It happens when the Sun and Moon line up near Rahu or Ketu. Many families keep sutak before it.
- See also Sutak
- Gulika kaal
- A part of each day, like Rahu kaal, ruled by Gulika, a son of Saturn in tradition. People avoid starting important work in it.
- Today’s panchang
- Guna
- A point in guna milan, which scores two charts out of 36. In philosophy the word also means the three qualities of nature: sattva, rajas and tamas.
- See also Kundli milan
H
- Hora
- A planetary hour. The daytime and the night are each split into twelve horas, ruled by the grahas in a fixed order; the first hora after sunrise belongs to the lord of the weekday.
- Your lucky hora today
I
- Ishanya Ishan
- The north-east corner in Vastu, the most sacred corner, kept light and clean. The traditional place for the puja room.
- The 16 Vastu zones
J
- Janma nakshatra birth star
- The nakshatra the Moon was in when you were born. It sets your first dasha and is used in matching and for choosing the first letter of a name.
- Find your nakshatra
- Jyotish
- Vedic astrology, the “science of light”: one of the six limbs of the Vedas (vedangas), used for timekeeping and reading charts.
K
- Kaal Sarp dosh
- A chart in which all seven grahas from the Sun to Saturn sit on one side of the line between Rahu and Ketu.
- Kaal Sarp dosh explained
- Karana
- Half a tithi, one of the five parts of the panchang. There are eleven karanas; Vishti, also called Bhadra, is avoided for auspicious work.
- Today’s panchang
- Kendra angle
- The first, fourth, seventh and tenth houses, the pillars of a chart. Grahas here are strong and visible in life.
- Ketu
- The south node of the Moon, always opposite Rahu. A shadow graha linked with detachment, insight and letting go.
- Ketu
- Kundli janam kundli, birth chart
- The map of the sky at the moment and place of your birth: the lagna, the twelve houses and where each graha sits.
- Free kundli
- Kundli milan guna milan, kundli matching
- Comparing two charts before marriage, usually by guna milan: eight kootas worth 36 points in all. Tradition treats 18 or more as acceptable.
- Kundli matching
L
- Lagna ascendant
- The sign rising on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth. It changes about every two hours, which is why the birth time matters. The lagna is the first house of the chart.
- Ascendant calculator
- Lahiri ayanamsa Chitrapaksha
- The ayanamsa adopted by the Government of India’s Calendar Reform Committee in 1955 and used by most Indian astrologers. Every chart and reading on this site uses it.
- Lo Shu grid
- A three-by-three magic square used in numerology. The digits of your date of birth are placed in it to show which numbers repeat and which are missing.
- Lo Shu grid calculator
M
- Mahadasha
- One of the main periods of the dasha system, lasting from 6 years (the Sun) to 20 years (Venus) in Vimshottari.
- Dasha calculator
- Manglik mangalik
- Someone whose chart has Mangal dosha: Mars in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th or 12th house.
- Mangal dosha calculator
- Mantra
- A sacred sound or phrase repeated in prayer or meditation, such as “Om Suryaya Namah” for the Sun. Traditionally said 11 or 108 times.
- Mantras of the nine grahas
- Moolatrikona
- A part of a sign where a graha is especially comfortable, a step below exaltation; for the Sun it is 0° to 20° Simha.
- Muhurat muhurta
- A good moment chosen for starting something important, such as a wedding, a griha pravesh or a new business. Also a unit of time of 48 minutes, one thirtieth of a day.
- Mulank root number
- In numerology, the single digit you get by adding up the digits of the day of the month you were born on.
- Numerology calculator
N
- Nadi
- One of three groups, Adi, Madhya and Antya, that every nakshatra belongs to. In matching, the Nadi koota is worth 8 points, the most of any koota.
- Nadi dosha explained
- Nairritya
- The south-west corner in Vastu, the place of the earth element. The traditional place for the master bedroom and heavy storage.
- The 16 Vastu zones
- Nakshatra lunar mansion
- One of 27 equal parts of the zodiac, 13°20′ each, named after the stars in it. The Moon passes through one nakshatra in about a day.
- All 27 nakshatras
- Neecha debilitated
- A graha in its sign of debilitation, the sign opposite its exaltation, where tradition holds it is weakest.
- See also Neecha bhanga
- Neecha bhanga
- The cancelling of a graha’s debilitation by other factors in the chart, such as the lord of that sign sitting in a kendra.
P
- Pada charan, quarter
- A quarter of a nakshatra, 3°20′ of the zodiac. There are 108 padas in all, and each has a sound traditionally used for the first letter of a name.
- Find your nakshatra and pada
- Paksha fortnight
- Half of a lunar month: Shukla paksha while the Moon waxes, from new moon to full, and Krishna paksha while it wanes.
- Pancha mahabhuta panchatattva, five elements
- The five elements of Indian thought: earth, water, fire, air and space. Vastu places each in its own part of a home.
- Vastu guide
- Panchang
- The Hindu almanac, named after its five parts (panch ang): tithi, vaar, nakshatra, yoga and karana. Used to find good times for the day.
- Today’s panchang
- Pitra dosha pitru dosha
- A pattern that tradition reads as duties owed to the ancestors, linked with the Sun and the ninth house.
- Pitra dosha explained
- Purnima full moon
- The full moon day, the last tithi of the waxing fortnight. Many festivals fall on it.
R
- Rahu
- The north node of the Moon, a shadow graha. Linked with ambition, the unfamiliar and sudden events.
- Rahu
- Rahu kaal Rahu kalam
- One eighth of the daytime, about an hour and a half, ruled by Rahu and avoided for new beginnings. Its place in the day depends on the weekday.
- Today’s Rahu kaal
- Rashi sign
- One of the twelve signs of the zodiac, 30° each, from Mesh to Meen. In India your rashi usually means your moon sign, the sign the Moon was in at birth, and horoscopes are read from it.
- Find your rashi
S
- Sade Sati
- The seven and a half years Saturn spends in the sign before your moon sign, your moon sign and the sign after it.
- Sade Sati explained
- Sankranti
- The Sun’s entry into a new sign, twelve times a year. Makar Sankranti, in mid-January, is the best known.
- Sidereal zodiac nirayana
- A zodiac fixed to the stars, used in Vedic astrology. It sits about 24° behind the tropical zodiac of Western astrology, which is why your Vedic sign is often the one before your Western sign.
- Sun sign calculator
- Sixteen zones 16 Vastu zones
- The sixteen directions of 22.5° each that 16-zone Vastu divides a home into: N, NNE, NE, ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE, S, SSW, SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW and NNW.
- The 16 Vastu zones
- Sutak
- A time of ritual pause: before an eclipse (traditionally from about twelve hours before a solar eclipse and nine hours before a lunar one), and after a birth or death in the family. Temple visits and auspicious work are traditionally put off.
T
- Tara
- The koota of guna milan that counts from one birth star to the other, worth 3 points.
- Tithi lunar day
- The time the Moon takes to move 12° ahead of the Sun. There are 30 tithis in a lunar month, 15 in each paksha, and a tithi can start at any hour.
- Today’s tithi
- Trikona trine
- The first, fifth and ninth houses, the houses of fortune and dharma.
U
- Uchcha exalted
- A graha in its sign of exaltation, where tradition holds it is strongest; the Sun is exalted in Mesh, for example.
- Every graha’s exaltation
- Upaya remedy
- A remedy tradition suggests for a difficult placement: a mantra, prayer, fasting, charity or service. It is chosen after a reading of the chart.
V
- Vaar weekday
- The day of the week, one of the five parts of the panchang. Each is ruled by a graha: Sunday by the Sun, Monday by the Moon, and so on to Saturday and Saturn.
- Vakri retrograde
- A graha that seems to move backwards through the zodiac, as seen from Earth. The Sun and Moon never do; Rahu and Ketu always do.
- Varna
- The koota of guna milan that compares the spiritual temperament of the two moon signs, worth 1 point.
- Vashya
- The koota of guna milan that looks at mutual attraction and influence between the two moon signs, worth 2 points.
- Vastu purusha
- The being that tradition says lies within every plot, head to the north-east and feet to the south-west. The Vastu purusha mandala, a grid of 64 or 81 squares, is the basis of Vastu planning.
- Vastu guide
- Vastu shastra
- The traditional Indian knowledge of building and placement: how directions, the five elements and the layout of a home or workplace fit together.
- Vastu consultation
- Vayavya
- The north-west corner in Vastu, the corner of Vayu, the wind god, and the place of the air element.
- The 16 Vastu zones
- Vimshottari dasha
- The 120-year dasha system: Ketu 7 years, Venus 20, Sun 6, Moon 10, Mars 7, Rahu 18, Jupiter 16, Saturn 19 and Mercury 17. Where it starts depends on the nakshatra of the Moon at birth.
- Dasha calculator
Y
- Yamaganda
- A part of each day, worked out like Rahu kaal, that tradition avoids for auspicious work.
- Today’s panchang
- Yoga (in a chart)
- A combination of grahas with a known meaning, such as Gajakesari yoga, Jupiter in a kendra from the Moon.
- Yoga (panchang)
- One of 27 yogas, from Vishkambha to Vaidhriti, worked out from the positions of the Sun and Moon added together. One of the five parts of the panchang.
- Today’s yoga
- Yogakaraka
- A graha that rules both a kendra and a trikona from the lagna, and so is especially helpful for that lagna: Saturn for Vrishabh and Tula, Mars for Kark and Simha, Venus for Makar and Kumbh.
- Yoni
- The koota of guna milan that compares the animal symbols of the two birth stars, worth 4 points.
Keep learning
The other guides
- The nine grahasSun to Ketu: what each graha stands for, the signs it rules, its day, colour, gemstone and mantra.
- The 27 nakshatrasEvery lunar mansion with its span of the zodiac, ruling graha, deity, symbol, gana and nature.
- Vastu guideThe 16 zones of a home and what each supports, then room by room: where things traditionally go.
- Doshas explainedMangal dosha, Kaal Sarp, Sade Sati, Pitra and Nadi dosha: what they are, how they are worked out, and why none is cause for fear.
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