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Jyotish · Vedic Astrology

Vedic Astrology, Term by Term

Lagna, Dasha, Gochar, Sade Sati, Yogas and more, explained in plain language rather than left assumed. Eighteen terms, grouped by what they actually do.

The Chart Itself

Lagna (Ascendant)
The zodiac sign rising on the eastern horizon at the exact moment of birth. Every house and planetary strength in the chart is read relative to it.
Rashi (Moon Sign)
The zodiac sign the Moon occupied at birth, also called Chandra Rashi. It is the sign used for daily Rashifal predictions.
Nakshatra
One of 27 lunar mansions the Moon passes through, each about 13°20' wide, with its own ruling planet and character, finer than Rashi alone.
Pada
Each Nakshatra splits into 4 padas (quarters) of about 3°20' each, tied to the Navamsa chart and refining a reading further still.

Time & Periods

Dasha
A sequence of planetary periods running through a whole life, each ruled by one graha, showing when that planet's influence is dominant.
Vimshottari Dasha
The most widely used dasha system: a fixed 120-year cycle split among the nine planets, based on the Moon's Nakshatra at birth.
Gochar (Transit)
The ongoing movement of the real, present-day planets through the zodiac, read against a natal chart to time current events.
Sade Sati
Saturn's transit through the 12th, 1st and 2nd houses from the Moon sign, a demanding cycle roughly 7.5 years long that everyone goes through in turn.

Doshas

Mangal Dosha
Mars placed in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th or 12th house from the Lagna, Moon or Venus. Traditionally linked to marital friction, cancelled in several well-known situations.
Nadi Dosha
Both partners in a matching sharing the same Nadi, the heaviest-weighted factor in Kundali Milan, often cancelled by a differing Rashi or Rashi-lord.
Bhakoot Dosha
A specific Rashi-to-Rashi distance between two charts in a matching, read for family prosperity rather than the relationship itself.

Yogas

Raj Yoga
A combination formed when a chart's kendra (angular) and trikona (trine) house lords connect, traditionally read as a marker of status and authority.
Dhana Yoga
A wealth-indicating combination, typically formed between the lords of the 2nd, 5th, 9th and 11th houses.
Neecha Bhanga Raj Yoga
A debilitated (neecha) planet whose weakness is cancelled by a specific supporting condition, turning an apparent weak point into real strength.

Advanced Reading

Atmakaraka
The planet holding the highest degree in a chart, read as the significator of the soul's own purpose in that lifetime.
Darakaraka
The planet with the lowest degree among the seven classical grahas (excluding Rahu/Ketu), read as the significator of the spouse.
Ashtakavarga
A point-based system scoring each house's strength for each planet individually, used to fine-tune predictions beyond a single chart reading.
Divisional Charts (D1-D60)
D1 (Rashi) is the main birth chart; D9 (Navamsa) reads marriage and hidden strength. Each further division narrows in on one specific life theme.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to understand all these terms to get a reading?+

No. This page exists for people who want to understand what an astrologer is actually talking about, or who like checking things themselves. A consultation explains whatever's relevant to your own chart either way.

What is the single most important term on this page?+

Lagna. Almost everything else, houses, dasha timing, yoga formation, is read relative to it, so an error in birth time (which shifts the Lagna) cascades into every other reading.

Is Vimshottari Dasha the only dasha system?+

It's the most common by far, but not the only one. Trivaghi and Yogini are two other systems some astrologers use alongside it, each with its own lord sequence.

How is this different from the Kundali Milan glossary?+

Kundali Milan covers matching specifically: the Ashtakoot system and its three doshas in full depth. This page is broader, covering the chart-reading concepts (Lagna, Dasha, Yogas) that apply whether or not marriage matching is involved.

See These Terms in Your Own Chart

Generate your free Kundali to see your own Lagna, Dasha and Yogas, then book a session for a reading grounded in your actual chart.