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Basics of Vedic Astrology

Vedic Astrology :

The word “Vedic” means “pertaining to Vedas". Vedas are the sacred scriptures of, what is
known today as, Hinduism and they are supposed to contain knowledge of all
subjects. Moreover, astrology in particular is supposed to be a “Vedaanga” (which means a limb
of Vedas). In particular, it is said to be the eye of the Vedas.

Jyotish is considered to be one of the Vedangas (part of Vedas) propounded by lord Brahma by the scientific study of which
human beings can accomplish virtue. Jyotish shastra or the science of Vedic astrology, is a compilation of 4,00,000 verses (vide
Narada Purana, II.50.2). Vedic astrology has mainly three branches – Siddhanta (the principle), Jataka or Hora (astrology for
individuals) and Samhita (astrology for masses).
• Siddhanta, also known as Ganita, deals with the mathematical calculations, the methodology of calculating planetary
positions, knowledge about time, place, direction, lunar and solar eclipses, their rising and setting, planetary movements,
conjunctions, retrogression, etc.
• Jataka (Hora) deals with the techniques of interpretation of horoscopes of individuals. It describes signs, planets, their
qualities, family situations/ circumstances at the time of birth, arishta (mishaps), longevity of the native, different dasha systems
and their results, profession (sources of livelihood), ashtakavarga, varied types of yogas, results of planetary positions in
different houses, signs, nakshatras, aspects of planets, planetary combinations, female horoscopy, circumstances at the time of
death, cases of unknown birth time, etc. The term ‘Hora’ has been applied to ‘Jataka’ or natal astrology, as well as to the
‘Muhurta’ or electional astrology (i.e., selecting the appropriate moment to commence an undertaking).
• Samhita is that branch of astrology which is related to masses and is a compilation of varied subjects like the results of rising
and setting of planets, appearance of different types of comets, varied types of chakras, predicting about rainfalls, earthquakes,
natural disasters and epidemics, results of planetary movements on kingdoms, nations, masses and commodities, etc.

The Geocentric System

It is a human tendency to refer to other things in relation to oneself. Sitting in a moving train, we see things passing by the train –
trees, farms, hutments, etc. A common question arises in our mind – which is the station coming next? At the back of our mind
we do know that it is not the station which is going to come, it is the train which will reach the next station. Similarly we refer to
the rising and setting of the Sun. But we do know that it is not the Sun which is rising or setting, it is the spin of the earth which
makes it appear so.
Because we feel stationary on the solid earth, the sky seems to spin around us in complicated ways. In our quest to understand
what we see, our ancients had evolved a most innovative and powerful tool.
As nothing is stationary in the universe, whether it is a satellite or a planet or even a star, it is convenient to imagine our position
in the universe – the earth – as its centre and the whole of the universe moving around us in constant motion. Thus considering
the relative positions and movements of all heavenly bodies with respect to the earth is the Geo-centric system. On the other
hand, when we consider the relative position of planets (including the earth) in respect of the Sun, it forms the basis of the Helio-
centric system. Vedic astronomy and astrology are essentially geo-centric in their concept.
The Earth
The earth is spherical and rotates from west to east around its axis. The axis of the earth is an imaginary line which, passing
through its centre, connects its two poles, the north pole and the south pole. Another imaginary line running across the largest
circumference of the earth, equidistant from its poles and running in an east-west direction, is called the equator.
The Celestial Sphere
Think of the sky as a great, hollow, crystalline sphere surrounding the earth. Imagine the stars to be attached to the inside of the
sphere like thumbnails stuck in the ceiling. The sphere takes one day to rotate, carrying the Sun, the Moon, the planets and the
stars from east to west. We know that the sky is not a great, hollow, crystalline sphere. The stars are scattered through space at
different distances, and it isn’t the sky that rotates once a day. It is rather the earth that rotates once in a day around its axis. It is
convenient as a model of the sky. This model of the sky, the Celestial sphere, is an imaginary hollow sphere of very large radius
(infinity) surrounding the earth and to which the stars seem to be attached. On this imaginary sphere the celestial equator, the
celestial poles, and other reference points are marked as they are done on the earth; these represent the extensions of the
equator and the poles, etc., of the earth into infinity.

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Zodiac

The earth takes one year to complete its rotation around the Sun. From the earth, it appears that the Sun moves around the
earth. This apparent path of the Sun is known as ecliptic. An imaginary belt of 18 degrees width with ecliptic in its centre is
known as the zodiac. Many groups of stars appear to have been studded on this imaginary belt. Vedic astrology recognizes 27
such groups of stars called nakshatras.
The zodiac encircles the earth like a circle consisting of 360 degrees. If this circle is divided into 27 equal parts, each part will be
of 13 degrees and 20 minutes arc, known as a nakshatra. Each nakshatra is further divided into 4 quarters (padas or charanas),
of 3 degrees and 20 minutes arc each.
Twelve divisions of the zodiac will have an arc of 30 degrees each, known as rashis (or signs).

The above figure shows rising of the Sun in the eastern horizon. The line passing through the centre of the Sun is the ecliptic,
the apparent path of the Sun created by its ‘revolution’ around the earth during its annual journey. The group of stars, referred to
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as the nakshatras, are the fixed reference points in the zodiac used to locate the position of the Sun, the Moon and other
heavenly bodies. All the planets considered in Vedic astrology for the purpose of interpretation, do not decline beyond the belt of
the zodiac. They may be on the ecliptic or towards the north or sourth of the ecliptic depending on their latitude with reference to
the ecliptic.

For example, the orbit of the Moon is inclined at an angle of 5 degrees to the ecliptic. The Moon does not go beyond 5 degrees
on either side of the ecliptic. The orbit of the Moon cuts the ecliptic at two point. In its orbit, when the Moon is on the ecliptic
while moving from south of ecliptic to north, this point is known as Rahu or the ascending node of the Moon and when the Moon
is on the ecliptic while moving from north of ecliptic to south of ecliptic, this point of intersection is known as Ketu or the
descending node of the Moon.

The point of sunrise with respect to the observer keeps changing during the year. If A is the point of sunrise when the Sun is at
vernal equinox (around March 21 every year), the point of sunrise will appear to move northwards till it reaches the summer
solstice (B) on or around June 21. from this point it will start its southernly journey (Dakshinayana) during which it reaches the
autumnal equinox (again A) around September 23 and further until it reaches winter solstice (C) around December 22. At this
stage it starts its northward journey (Uttarayana).
Tropical Zodiac

The most crucial point in the division of a circle is to know the starting point of the circle. The point where the ecliptic cuts the
celestial equator is known as equinox. There are two such equinoxes – the vernal equinox and the autumnal equinox. When the
Sun is passing from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere, it cuts the equator at vernal equinox. When the
division of the circle of the zodiac is with reference to vernal equinox as its starting point, the zodiac is referred to as the Sayana
(or tropical) zodiac, the divisions of this zodiac into twelve equal parts are the Sayana rashis, and the positions of planets in this
zodiac represent the Sayana longitudes of the planets.
The Precession of Equinoxes
If we could watch the sky for a few hundred years, we would discover that the north celestial pole is moving slowly with respect
to Dhruva (Polaris) star. The celestial poles and the celestial equator, supposed to be the fixed reference marks, are moving very
slowly because of the slow change in the direction of Earth’s axis of rotation. This slow top-like motion is called precession.
Earth’s axis sweeps around in a cone, taking almost 26,000 years for each sweep.
Precession is caused by the gravitational pull of the Sun and the Moon. Because earth is not a perfect sphere – it has a slight
bulge around its equator – Sun and Moon pull on it, trying to make it spin upright in its orbit. This forces earth’s axis to precess.
The result of this precession is that vernal equinox, the cutting point of the ecliptic and the celestial equator, drifts westward on
the ecliptic by an approximate angle of 51 seconds of an arc each year. So we have a new vernal equinox every year and hence
a new staring point of the Sayana zodiac. This results in the shifting of the Sayana signs.

Sidereal Zodiac
The Vedic system does not depend on this shifting zodiac and relies on a fixed point on the zodiac as its starting point. There is
no clear cut demarcation of this starting point in the zodiac. Some consider this point to be 180 degrees opposite to the Chitra
nakshatra. Some consider it to be slightly to the east of the Revati nakshatra, while still others opine differently.

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When the division of the circle of the zodiac is with reference to the Vedic starting point, the zodiac is referred to as the Nirayana
(or Sidereal) zodiac, the twelve equal parts are the Nirayana rashis, and the positions of planets in this zodiac represent the
Nirayana longitudes of the planets.

The angular difference between the vernal equinox and the Vedic starting point of the zodiac is known as the Ayanamsha. When
the Vedic starting point is with reference to Chitra nakshatra, the Ayanamsha is refered to as the Chitrapaksha Ayanamsha.
According to this system the first point of Sayana zodiac and Nirayana zodiac coincided in the year 285 A.D. The corresponding
value of this Ayanamsha on January 1997 is 23°48'56".

Grahas (planets) :

The words “planet” and “star” are used in a slightly different sense in astrology than in
astronomy. For example, Sun (a star) and Moon (a satellite of earth) are called planets in
astrology, along with Mars etc. Basically, a graha or a planet is a body that has considerable
influence on the living beings on earth. Distant stars have negligible influence on us, but Sun,
Moon and planets in the solar system have a great influence on our activities. So the word
graha (or planet) is used to describe them.

Seven planets are considered in Indian astrology. They are – Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury,
Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. In addition, two “chaayaa grahas” (shadow planets) are considered
in Indian astrology – Rahu and Ketu. These are also called “the north node” and “the south
node” respectively (or the head and tail of dragon). Rahu and Ketu are not real planets; they
are just some mathematical points. Apart from these 9 planets, there are 11 moving
mathematical points known as Upagrahas (sub-planets or satellites).

We also have lagna (ascendant), which is the point that rises on the eastern horizon as the
earth rotates around itself. In addition, we have some mathematical points known as “special
ascendants".

Sanskrit Name English Name Abbreviation Gender Guna

Surya (सूय) Sun Sy or Su M Sattva
Chandra (चं ) Moon Ch or Mo F Sattva
Mangala (मंगल) Mars Ma M Tamas
Budha (बुध) Mercury Bu or Me N Rajas
Brihaspati (बृह ित) Jupiter Gu or Ju M Sattva
Shukra (शु ) Venus Sk or Ve F Rajas
Shani (शिन) Saturn Sa M Tamas
Rahu (रा ) North Lunar Node Ra M Tamas
Ketu (केतु) South Lunar Node Ke M Tamas

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Planets in maximum exaltation, mooltrikona (own sign), and debilitation, are:[12]

Graha Exaltation Mooltrikona Debilitation Sign Rulership

Sun 10° Aries 4°-20° Leo 10° Libra Leo
Moon 3° Taurus 4°-20° Cancer 3° Scorpio Cancer
Mars 28° Capricorn 0°-12° Aries 28° Cancer Aries, Scorpio
Mercury 15° Virgo 16°-20° Virgo 15° Pisces Gemini, Virgo
Jupiter 5° Cancer 0°-10° Sagittarius 5° Capricorn Sagittarius, Pisces
Venus 27° Pisces 0°-15° Libra 27° Virgo Taurus, Libra
Saturn 20° Libra 0°-20° Aquarius 20° Aries Capricorn, Aquarius

Rahu and Ketu are exalted in Taurus/Scorpio and are also exalted in Gemini and Virgo.

The natural planetary relationships are:[13]

Graha Friends Neutral Enemies

Sun Moon, Mars, Jupiter Mercury Venus, Saturn
Moon Sun, Mercury Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn Mercury, Venus, Saturn
Mars Sun, Moon, Jupiter Venus, Saturn Mercury
Mercury Sun, Venus Mars, Jupiter, Saturn Moon
Jupiter Sun, Moon, Mars Saturn Mercury, Venus
Venus Mercury, Saturn Mars, Jupiter Sun, Moon
Saturn Venus, Mercury Jupiter Sun, Moon, Mars
Rahu, Ketu Mercury, Venus, Saturn Mars Sun, Moon, Jupiter

Zodiac

Imagine a belt or a path in the sky, some 18 degrees of are in

width, running around the earth in an east-west direction.
Groups of stars, to all appearance fixed, are studded along this imaginary
belt. Twenty seven (or twenty eightl) such groups of
stars are in Vedic astrology. Because of lack of
apparent motion, these are called as Nakshatras. This imaginary
belt, with nakshatras studded on it, is called the zodiac.
The zodiac forms the reference point for fixing up the position
of any planet or star in the sky. Since it encircles the earth, it is comprised
of 360 degrees. The twenty-seven nakshatras being evenly placed on it
each have a span of 13°2O' arc. The various nakshatras are numbered
from one to twenty-seven.
In contrast to the fixed nakshatras, there are the moving
heavenly bodies called the Grahas. These move along the zodiac from the
west to the east. They derive their name from the fact that, while moving
against the background of the nakshatras, they appear to get hold of one
nakshatra after the other (graha = to catch hold 00. Vedic astrology
recognises nine grahas. They are the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu. Of these,
the Sun is a star, the Moon is a satellite of the earth, Rahu and Ketu are mere mathematical points on the zodiac, while
the remaining ones are planets.

Rasis (zodiac signs) :

The positions of all these planets, upagrahas, lagna and special lagnas in the zodiac
are measured in degrees, minutes and seconds from the start of the zodiac (which is a fixed point in the sky). These
positions are measured as seen from earth and they are called “geocentric positions". These positions are measured
in longitude and sphuta. When watched from earth, the longitude of any planet in the skies can be from 0°0'0'' (0 degrees 0
minutes 0 seconds) to 359°59'59''. It should be noted that 0°0'0'' corresponds to the beginning of the zodiac.Sidereal zodiac is
also an imaginary belt of 360 degrees (as viewed from earth), divided into 12 equal parts. Each twelfth part (of 30 degrees) is
called sign or rashi. The zodiac (sky) lasts 360° as mentioned above and it is divided into 12 equal parts. They are called “rasis”
(signs). English names, Sanskrit names, two-letter symbols and values of the start longitude and the end longitude (in degrees,
minutes and seconds) of all twelve rasis are given in below table.

Rasi name Sanskrit Name Symbol Start End

Aries Mesha Ar 0°0'0'' 29°59'59''

Taurus Vrishabha/ Ta 30°0'0'' 59°59'59''
Gemini Mithuna Ge 60°0'0'' 89°59'59''
Cancer Karkataka/ Cn 90°0'0'' 119°59'59''
Leo Simha Le 120°0'0'' 149°59'59''
Virgo Kanya Vi 150°0'0'' 179°59'59''
Libra Thula Li 180°0'0'' 209°59'59''

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Scorpio Vrischika Sc 210°0'0'' 239°59'59''
Sagittarius Dhanus Sg 240°0'0'' 269°59'59''
Capricorn Makara Cp 270°0'0'' 299°59'59''
Aquarius Kumbha Aq 300°0'0'' 329°59'59''
Pisces Meena Pi 330°0'0'' 359°59'59''

Number Sanskrit Name Western/Greek Name Tattva (Element) Quality Ruling Planet
1 Meṣa (मेष) "ram" Aries (Κριός "ram") Tejas (Fire) Cara (Movable) Mars
2 Vṛṣabha (वृषभ) "bull" Taurus (Ταῦρος "bull") Prithivi (Earth) Sthira (Fixed) Venus
3 Mithuna (िमथुन) "twins" Gemini (Δίδυμοι "twins") Vayu (Air) Dvisvabhava (Dual) Mercury
4 Karkaṭa (ककट) "crab" Cancer (Καρκίνος "crab") Jala (Water) Cara (Movable) Moon
5 Siṃha (िसंह) "lion" Leo (Λέων "lion") Tejas (Fire) Sthira (Fixed) Sun
6 Kanyā (क ा) "girl" Virgo (Παρθένος "virgin") Prithivi (Earth) Dvisvabhava (Dual) Mercury
7 Tulā (तुला) "balance" Libra (Ζυγός "balance") Vayu (Air) Cara (Movable) Venus
8 Vṛścika (वृि क) "scorpion" Scorpio (Σκoρπιός "scorpion") Jala (Water) Sthira (Fixed) Mars
9 Dhanus (धनुष) "bow" Sagittarius (Τοξότης "archer") Tejas (Fire) Dvisvabhava (Dual) Jupiter
10 Makara (मकर) "sea-monster" Capricorn (Αἰγόκερως "goat-horned") Prithivi (Earth) Cara (Movable) Saturn
11 Kumbha (कु ) "pitcher" Aquarius (Ὑδροχόος "water-pourer") Vayu (Air) Sthira (Fixed) Saturn
12 Mīna (मीन) "fish" Pisces (Ἰχθεῖς "fish") Jala (Water) Dvisvabhava (Dual) Jupiter

Rashi Notation

If a planet is at 221°37', then you can find from above table that it is between 210°0'0'' and 239°59'59''. So, that planet is in
Scorpio (or Vrischika). Its advancement from the start of the rasi occupied by is 11°37'. Its position in the zodiac (221°37') is
shown by some people by the notation 11°37' in Sc or simply 11 Sc 37. This means “advanced by 11°37' from the start of Sc
(Scorpio)".

The whole zodiac is nothing but a manifestation of Lord Vishnu’s body. Aries is the
head. Taurus is the face. Gemini is the arms. Cancer is the heart. Leo is the stomach.
Virgo is the hip. Libra is the space below navel. Scorpio is the private parts.
Sagittarius is the thighs. Capricorn is the knees. Aquarius is the ankles. Pisces is the
feet. These are the limbs that rasis in the natural zodiac stand for. Because we are all part
of the Supreme energy governing this world, the above mapping applies to us too.
For example, we should pay attention to Leo for analyzing stomach problems and to
Pisces for analyzing problems related to feet and so on.

The Sage Parashara gives many details about each rasi. There is a lot of information we can learn about each sign by delving
into this information. This table has several of the important attributes of each rasi.

Sign Element Modality Polarity Guna Feet Appearance Lord

Aries Fire Moveable Male Rajas Quadruped Prominent Mars

Taurus Earth Fixed Female Rajas Quadruped Long Venus

Gemini Air Dual Male Rajas Biped Even Mercury

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Cancer Water Moveable Female Sattwa Watery / Bulky Moon

Insect

Leo Fire Fixed Male Sattwa Quadruped Large Sun

Virgo Earth Dual Female Tamas Biped Medium Mercury

Libra Air Moveable Male Rajas Biped Medium Venus

Scorpio Water Fixed Female Tamas Insect Slender/ Hairy Mars

Sag Fire Dual Male Sattwa Biped/ Even Jupiter

Quadruped

Capricorn Earth Moveable Female Tamas Quadruped/ Large Saturn

Watery

Aquarius Air Fixed Male Tamas Biped Medium Saturn

Pisces Water Dual Female Sattwa Footless Medium Jupiter

It is through the Rasis (signs) that the planets express their nature as psychological forces and as house / sign lords. The planet
that rules the house / sign will be the Lord of any planet that is contained in it and determine the energy behind what is produced
through the house.

n Indian Astrology when a zodiac is divided into twelve equal parts, each such part has an extension of 30 degrees of arc. Such a division is called a sign or
Rasi.

There are 12 houses of Rasi's.

No Indian System of Houses

1 Mesha (21-March to 20-April )
2 Vrishaba (21-April to 20-May )
3 Mithuna (21-May to 20-June)
4 Karkata (21-June to 20-July)
5 Simha (21-July to 20-August)
6 Kanya (21-August to 20-September)
7 Tula (21-September to 20-October )
8 Vrischika (21-October to 20-November )
9 Dhanus (21-November to 20-December)
10 Makara (21-December to 20-January )
11 Kumbha (21-January to 20-February)
12 Meena (21-Februaryto 20-March)

Lords of Houses

Each Rasi has a planet assigned to it as Lord of the House.

No Houses Lord of House

1 Mesha Kuja (Mars)
2 Vrishaba Sukra (Venus)
3 Mithuna Buddha (Mercury)
4 Karkata Chandra (Moon)
5 Simha Surya (Sun)
6 Kanya Buddha (Mercury)
7 Tula Sukra (Venus)
8 Vrischika Kuja (Mars)
9 Dhanu Guru (Jupiter)
10 Makara Sani (Saturn)
11 Kumbha Sani (Saturn)
12 Meena Guru (Jupiter)

Exalted Houses

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Each planet has a point in the zodiac where it attains maximum strength. The houses where they have the maximum strength are called the houses of
exaltation.

Planets and their exaltation houses (Uchacha)

No Planet Exalted House

1 Ravi (Sun) Mesha
2 Chandra (Moon) Vrishaba
3 Kuja (Mars) Makara
4 Budha (Mercury) Kanya
5 Guru (Jupiter) Karkata
6 Shukra (Venus) Meena
7 Sani (Saturn) Tula

Debilitated Houses

Each planet has a point in the zodiac where it has the minimum strength. The houses where the planets have the minimum strength are called the houses of
debilitation.

Planets and their debilitated houses

No Planet Debilitated House

1 Ravi (Sun) Tula

2 Chandra (Moon) Vrischika
3 Kuja (Mars) Karkata
4 Buddha (Mercury) Meena
5 Guru (Jupiter) Makara
6 Shukra (Venus) Sukra
7 Sani (Saturn) Mesha

Period of stay of Planets in each House

Planet Period of Stay

Sun 30 days
Moon 2 1/4 days
Mars 45 days
Mercury 30 days
Jupiter 1 year
Venus 30 days
Saturn 2 years & 6 months
Rahu 1 year & 6 months
Ketu 1 year & 6 months

Types of Houses

Movable (Chara) Fixed (Sthira) Common (Dwiswabhava)

Mesha Vrishaba Mithuna
Karkata Simha Kanya
Tula Vrischika Dhanu
Makara Kumbha Meena

Houses or Bhavas:

Another important concept is “house” (Sanskrit name: bhava). In each chart,

houses can be found with respect to several reference points and the reference
points most commonly employed are lagna and special lagnas. Starting from the
rasi occupied by the selected reference point and proceeding in the regular
order across the zodiac, we associate each rasi with a house (first, second etc).
Always the rasi containing the reference point chosen is the 1st house. Next rasi
is the 2nd house. The rasi after that is the 3rd house. We proceed until the 12th
house like that.If no reference point is specified when houses are mentioned, it
means that lagna is used as the reference.

Our lives here on Earth through our physical bodies are shown through the
Bhavas. The Sanskrit term literally means, "Coming into existence, Birth. It is
through what is shown through the houses that our karma is born materially. It is

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here that Purusha is expressed as Prakriti in a world of consequence. Each house has many attributes, yet underneath there is
a deeper concept key to that house. Different houses stand for different matters. Looking at the rasis and houses
occupied by various planets, we can say a lot of things about the person.

In Hindu astrology, the natal chart is the bhava chakra (Sanskrit: chakra, 'wheel'.) The bhava chakra is the complete 360° circle
of life, divided into houses, and represents our way of enacting the influences in the wheel. Each house has associated karaka
(Sanskrit: karaka, 'significator') planets that can alter the interpretation of a particular house.

House Name Karakas Meanings

1 Lagna Sun outer personality, physique, health/well-being, hair, appearance
2 Dhana Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Moon wealth, family relationships, eating habits, speech, eyesight, death
3 Sahaja Mars natural state, innate temperament, courage, valor, virility, younger siblings
4 Sukha Moon inner life, emotions, home, property, education, mother
5 Putra Jupiter creativity, children, spiritual practices, punya
6 Ari Mars, Saturn acute illness, injury, openly known enemies, litigation, daily work, foreigners, service
7 Yuvati Venus, Jupiter business and personal relationships, marriage, spouse, war, fighting
8 Randhara Saturn length of life, physical death, mokṣa, chronic illness, deep and ancient traditions
9 Dharma Jupiter, Sun luck, fortune, spirituality, dharma, guru, father
10 Karma Mercury, Jupiter, Sun, Saturn dream fulfillment, knees and spine, current karmas, career, sky themes (being 12am/mid heavens
11 Labha Jupiter gains, profits from work, ability to earn money, social contexts and organizations
12 Vyaya Saturn loss, intuition, imprisonment, feet, foreign travel, moksha

Chakras (charts)
A “chart” (Sanskrit name: chakra) is prepared with the information of rasis occupied by all planets. For preparing any chart, we
need to first determine the rasis occupied by all planets, upagrahas, lagna and special lagnas. In the visual representation of a
chart, there are 12 boxes (are some other visual areas) with each representing a rasi. All planets, upagrahas and lagnas are
written in the boxes corresponding to the rasis they occupy.

There are 3 popular ways of drawing charts in India:

(1) South Indian style chart ruled by Jupiter (rasi based),

In the south Indian style of casting a chart, the position of the zodiacal signs, from Aries to Pisces always remains fixed, as shown in the picture below
left. The counting of the houses and the positioning of the planets is done clockwise, as shown in the picture below right. This changes from individual
chart to chart. So it can be said that the south style chart follows the fixed sign method. The sign which becomes the ascendant or lagna is marked with the
words As or Asc or Lagna. In some cases astrologers also draw two parallel lines at the top corner of the ascendant, the way we cross a bank cheque, to
mark the ascendant
(2) North Indian style diamond chart ruled by Venus (bhava based) and
In the north Indian method of casting the chart, as in the above example, the ascendant or lagna is always kept at the top center and the signs are
denoted by their zodiacal sequence number, i.e., Aries is 1, Taurus is 2, Gemini 3, Cancer 4, Leo 5, Virgo 6, Libra 7, Scorpio 8, Sagittarius 9, Capricorn
10, Aquarius 11 and Pisces 12. Here the charting of the houses and the planets is anti-clockwise. In the above demonstration the same chart with the same
planetary positions is shown. The lagna is Vrischika and denoted by the sign number 8 and placed at the top center. The planets are placed in the same
houses, but charted in the anti-clockwise fashion. For example sun is in Vrishabha or Taurus which is the zodiac house number 2. So we can say that the
northern chart chart follows the fixed house method.
(3) East Indian style Sun chart ruled by Sun (rasi based).

This type of chart, which is popular in Andhra Pradesh and parts of Orissa and Bengal, is drawn differently and follows the fixed sign method of the
south style chart, but the charting is done anti-clockwise as shown in the picture bellow.

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North Indian

In rasi-based chart drawing formats, a rasi is always at a fixed position. Ar is

always in
one particular position and Ta is in another position and so on. Planets, lagna
etc are
placed in the box (or the visual area) representing the rasi occupied by it. In
bhavabased
chart drawing formats, a bhava (house) is always at a fixed position. Lagna
(denoted by “Asc” for ascendant) is always in a particular visual area of the
chart and
the 2nd, 3rd etc houses are in fixed positions.

Varga chakras (divisional charts)

We saw that charts can be drawn with the information of which planet
occupies
which rasi. Based on the longitude of a planet, we can find the rasi occupied South Indian
by it
and mark its position in rasi chart.
In addition, we have what are known as “divisional charts” (Sanskrit name:
varga
chakras). These are based on dividing rasis into 2 parts, 3 parts, 4 parts and
so on.
We divide each rasi into n parts and map each part to a rasi again. Based on the rasis
occupied by planets in these divisional mappings, we draw divisional charts (or
harmonic charts). Each divisional chart throws light on a specific area of one’s life.
In each divisional chart, we find houses and analyze the chart as if it were an
independent chart.

There are sixteen varga (Sanskrit: varga, 'part, division'), or divisional, charts used in Hindu astrology]

Varga Divisor Chart Purpose

Rasi 1 D-1 Natal chart
Hora 2 D-2 Overall wealth
Drekkana 3 D-3 Siblings
Chaturtamsha 4 D-4 Properties
Trimshamsha 5 D-5 Morals, ethics, spiritual values
Saptamsha 7 D-7 Children
Navamsha 9 D-9 Spouse, Etc.
Dashamsha 10 D-10 Earning Career
Dwadashamsha 12 D-12 Parents, Grandparents
Shodhashamsha 16 D-16 Vehicles
Vimshamsha 20 D-20 Upasana-s, Sādhana-s
Chaturvimsha 24 D-24 Education (higher)
Saptavimshamsha 27 D-27 Vitality
Khavedamsha 40 D-40 Quality of life
Akshavedamsha 45 D-45 (From here on out,the birth time must be absolutely precise or the divisional chart is incorrect!!)
Shastiamsha 60 D-60 Used to differentiate between twins, etc., etc.

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The science of Vedic astrology stands on the basis of 4 pillars –

(1) grahas or planets, (2) rasis or signs, (3) bhavas or houses, and, (4) varga chakras
or divisional charts.

Nakshatras (constellations)

In Vedic astrology, the zodiac is divided into 27 nakshatras. Each nakshatra has a
length of 360º/27 = 13º 20'. The first nakshatra, for example, stretches from the
beginning of Aries to 13º 20' in Aries. The second nakshatra stretches from there to
26º 40' in Aries. The third nakshatra stretches from there to 10º in Taurus.

Each nakshatra is again divided into 4 quarters. They are called padas (legs/feet).
The length of a nakshatra pada is 3º 20'.

# Name Location Ruler Pada 1 Pada 2 Pada 3 Pada 4

1 Ashvinī (अि नी) 0 – 13°20' Aries Ketu चु Chu चे Che चो Cho ला La
2 Bharanī (भरणी) 13°20' – 26°40' Aries Venus ली Li लू Lu ले Le पो Lo
3 Krittikā (कृि का) 26°40' Aries – 10°00' Taurus Sun अA ईI उU एE
4 Rohini (रोिहणी) 10°00' – 23°20' Taurus Moon ओO वा Va/Ba वी Vi/Bi वु Vu/Bu
5 Mrigashīrsha ( ृगशीषा) 23°20' Taurus – 6°40' Gemini Mars वे Ve/Be वो Vo/Bo का Ka की Ke
6 Ārdrā (आ ा) 6°40' – 20°00' Gemini Rahu कु Ku घ Gha ङ Ng/Na छ Chha
7 Punarvasu (पुनवसु) 20°00' Gemini – 3°20' Cancer Jupiter के Ke को Ko हा Ha ही Hi
8 Pushya (पु ) 3°20' – 16°20' Cancer Saturn Hu हे He हो Ho ड Da
9 Āshleshā (आ ेषा) 16°40' Cancer – 0°00' Leo Mercury डी Di डू Du डे De डो Do
10 Maghā (मघा) 0°00' – 13°20' Leo Ketu मा Ma मी Mi मू Mu मे Me
11 Pūrva or Pūrva Phalgunī (पूव फा ुनी) 13°20' – 26°40' Leo Venus नो Mo टा Ta टी Ti टू Tu
12 Uttara or Uttara Phalgunī (उ र फा ुनी) 26°40' Leo – 10°00' Virgo Sun टे Te टो To पा Pa पी Pi
13 Hasta (ह ) 10°00' – 23°20' Virgo Moon पू Pu ष Sha ण Na ठ Tha
14 Chitrā (िच ा) 23°20' Virgo – 6°40' Libra Mars पे Pe पो Po रा Ra री Ri
15 Svātī ( ाती) 6°40' – 20°00 Libra Rahu Ru रे Re रो Ro ता Ta
16 Vishākhā (िवशाखा) 20°00' Libra – 3°20' Scorpio Jupiter ती Ti तू Tu ते Te तो To
17 Anurādhā (अनुराधा) 3°20' – 16°40' Scorpio Saturn ना Na नी Ni नू Nu ने Ne
18 Jyeshtha ( े ा) 16°40' Scorpio – 0°00' Sagittarius Mercury नो No या Ya यी Yi यू Yu
19 Mūla (मूल) 0°00' – 13°20' Sagittarius Ketu ये Ye यो Yo भा Bha भी Bhi
20 Pūrva Ashādhā (पूवाषाढ़ा) 13°20' – 26°40' Sagittarius Venus भू Bhu धा Dha फा Bha/Pha ढा Dha
21 Uttara Ashādhā (उ राषाढ़ा) 26°40' Sagittarius – 10°00' Capricorn Sun भे Bhe भो Bho जा Ja जी Ji
22 Shravana ( वण) 10°00' – 23°20' Capricorn Moon खी Ju/Khi खू Je/Khu खे Jo/Khe खो Gha/Kho
23 Shravishthā (धिन ा) or Dhanistā 23°20' Capricorn – 6°40' Aquarius Mars गा Ga गी Gi गु Gu गे Ge
24 Shatabhishā (शतिभषा)or Shatataraka 6°40' – 20°00' Aquarius Rahu गो Go सा Sa सी Si सू Su
25 Pūrva Bhādrapadā (पूवभा पदा) 20°00' Aquarius – 3°20' Pisces Jupiter से Se सो So दा Da दी Di
26 Uttara Bhādrapadā (उ रभा पदा) 3°20' – 16°40' Pisces Saturn दू Du थ Tha झ Jha ञ Da/Tra
27 Revatī (रे वती) 16°40' – 30°00' Pisces Mercury दे De दो Do च Cha ची Chi

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The zodiac according to Indian Astrology comprises of 360 degrees. There are 27 Nakshatras or constellations in it.Therefore, the value of each constellation
is 13 degrees and 20 minutes when measured from the fixed initial point. These 27 Nakshatras(stars) complete the entire circle of 360 degrees of the
zodiac. A forecast based on the transit/ correlation/inter - relation of planets in relation to the Nakshatras is more accurate than the results predicted on the
basis of any other system.
What is your Nakshatra (star)?
You can find it from the table given below. If you know the longitude of the Moon at the time of your birth in your natal chart calculated according to the Indian/
Vedic system, go to the 3rd column and go down till it lies between the two values given in the row above and below. Your Nakshatra or star would be the one
given in the 2ndcolumn the one at the start of range of longitude of your Moon.

No Nakshatra(Star) Longitude Sign-Deg- Min Lords

1 Aswini 00-00-00 Ketu
2 Bharani 00-13-20 Venus
3 Kritika 00-26-40 Sun
4 Rohini 01-10-00 Moon
5 Mrigasira 01-23-20 Mars
6 Aridra 02-06-40 Rahu
7 Punarvasu 02-20-00 Jupiter
8 Pushya 03-03-20 Saturn
9 Aslesha 03-16-40 Mercury
10 Magha 04-00-00 Ketu
11 Poorvaphalguni 04-13-20 Venus
12 Uttaraphalguni 04-26-40 Sun
13 Hasta 05-10-00 Moon
14 Chitra 05-23-20 Mars

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15 Swati 06-06-40 Rahu
16 Visakha 06-20-00 Jupiter
17 Anuradha 07-03-20 Saturn
18 Jyehsta 07-16-40 Mercury
19 Moola 08-00-00 Ketu
20 Poorvashadha 08-13-20 Venus
21 Uttarashadha 08-26-40 Sun
22 Sravana 09-10-00 Moon
23 Dhanshita 09-23-20 Mars
24 Satabisha 10-06-40 Rahu
25 Poorvabhadrapada 10-20-00 Jupiter
26 Uttarabhadrapada 11-03-20 Saturn
27 Revati 11-16-40 Mercury

Each Nakshatra or star that comes under Indian Astrology has an astronomical name associated with it and which is referred to by the Western Astrologers
and Astronomers.
Table with Astronomical name equivalent of Indian Nakshatras.

No Nakshatra Astronomical Name

1 Aswini Beta Arietis
2 Bharani 35 Arietis
3 Kritika Eta Tauri
4 Rohini Aldebaran
5 Mrigasira Lambda Orionis
6 Aridra Alpha Orionis
7 Punarvasu Beta Geminorium
8 Pushya Delta Cancri
9 Aslesha Alpha Hydroe
10 Magha Regulus
11 Poorvaphalguni Delta Leonis
12 Uttaraphalguni Beta Leonis
13 Hasta Delta Corvi
14 Chitra Spica Virginis -Vegus
15 Swati Arcturus
16 Visakha Alpha Libroe
17 Anuradha Delta Scorpio
18 Jyehsta Antares
19 Moola Lambda Scorpio
20 Poorvashadha Delta Sagittari
21 Uttarashadha Sigma sagittari
22 Sravana Alpha Aquiloe
23 Dhanshita Beta Delphinum
24 Satabisha Lambda Aquarius
25 Poorvabhadrapada Alpha Pegasi
26 Uttarabhadrapada Gama Pegasi
27 Revati Zeta Piscum

Nakshatras - their English translation, symbolic Deities and Animals & The distribution of the padas of the 27 nakshatras in the 12 houses.

Tithis

In lunar calendar, one day stands for one tithi. Tithi or lunar day is a period in which
the difference between the longitudes of Moon and Sun changes by exactly 12°.

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When Sun and Moon are at the same longitude, a new lunar month of 30 tithis starts.
As time progresses, Moon will go ahead of Sun. When Moon’s longitude is exactly
12° greater than Sun’s longitude, the first tithi or lunar day finishes and the second
tithi starts. When Moon’s longitude is exactly 24° greater than Sun’s longitude, the
second tithi finishes and the third tithi starts. When Moon’s longitude is exactly 36°
greater than Sun’s longitude, the third tithi finishes and the fourth tithi starts. And so
on. You can see that Sun-Moon longitude differential will be (12 x n)° after exactly n
tithis.
A lunar month consists of 30 tithis. Each month is divided into two fortnights
(pakshas). During Sukla/Suddha paksha or the brighter fortnight, Moon is waxing.
During this paksha, Moon is ahead of Sun by an amount that is between 0º and 180º.
During Krishna/Bahula paksha or the darker fortnight, Moon is waning. During this
paksha, Moon is ahead of Sun by an amount that is between 180º and 360º.
At the end of a month, Sun-Moon longitude differential will be (12 x 30)°, i.e., 360°.
That means that Moon will finish one cycle around the zodiac and catch up with Sun
again. So Sun and Moon will be at the same longitude again. Then a new month
starts.
We can find the tithi running on a day from the longitudes of Sun and Moon using
the following procedure.
(1) Find the difference: (Moon’s longitude – Sun’s longitude). Add 360° if the result
is negative. The result will be between 0° and 360° and will show how advanced
Moon is with respect to Sun.
(2) Divide this result by 12°. Ignore the remainder and take the quotient.
(3) Add 1 to the quotient. You get a number from 1 to 30. That will give the index of
the tithi running.
(4) Refer to Table 3 and find the name of the tithi. There are 15 tithis and the same
tithis repeat in the brigher and darker fortnights. For example, it can be seen from
the table that the 22th tithi out of the 30 tithis is in Krishna paksha and it is
Saptami. So the 22nd tithi is “Krishna Saptami”. We write the classification of
fortnight (Sukla or Krishna) first and then write tithi name. “Sukla Saptami”
stands for “Saptami” in the brighter fortnight (sukla paksha), i.e. the 7th tithi.
“Krishna Saptami” stands for “Saptami” in the darker fortnight (krishna paksha),
i.e. the 22nd tithi.

Yogas :

Add the longitudes of Sun and Moon. Remove 360º from the sum if it is greater than
360º. Divide the sum by the length of one nakshatra (13°20' or 800'). Ignore fractions and take the integer part. Add 1 to it
and the result is the index of the yoga running.
Refer to Table 5 and find the yoga corresponding to the index.

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Karanas

Each tithi is divided into 2 karanas. There are 11 karanas: (1) Bava, (2) Balava, (3)
Kaulava, (4) Taitula, (5) Garija, (6) Vanija, (7) Vishti, (8) Sakuna, (9) Chatushpada,
(10) Naga, and, (11) Kimstughna. The first 7 karanas repeat 8 times starting from the
2nd half of the first lunar day of a month. The last 4 karanas come just once in a
month, starting from the 2nd half of the 29th lunar day and ending at the 1st half of the
first lunar day.

Hora

Each day starts at sunrise and ends at next day’s sunrise. This period is divided into
24 equal parts and they are called horas. A hora is almost equal to an hour. These
horas are ruled by different planets. The lords of hora come in the order of
decreasing speed with respect to earth: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury
and Moon. After Moon, we go back to Saturn and repeat the 7 planets.
The first hora of any day (i.e. a period of one hour following sunrise) is ruled by the
lord of the weekday (Sun for Sunday, Moon for Monday, Mars for Tuesday,
Mercury for Wednesday, Jupiter for Thursday, Venus for Friday and Saturn for
Saturday). After that, we list planets in the order mentioned above.
For example, let us take 9:40 pm on a Wednesday on which sunrise was at 6:10 am.
The time elapsed since sunrise is 21:40 – 6:10 = 15:30. So the 16th hour since sunrise
was running then. This is ruled by the 16th planet from Mercury. After subtracting
multiples of 7 from 16, we get 2. So the hora (hour) is ruled by the 2nd planet from
Mercury. From the list given above, we see that the 2nd planet from Mercury is
Moon. So Moon’s hora runs at 9:40 pm.

Panchaanga

Panchaanga means “one with 5 limbs”. Almanacs published in India with planetary
positions are traditionally called panchaangas. Along with the planetary positions,
they give the start and end times of tithi, vaara (week day – Sunday, Monday etc),
nakshatra, yoga and karana running on each day. These five are the limbs of
panchaanga.
When we choose a muhurta (an auspicious time for starting a venture), we should
choose an auspicious tithi, vaara, nakshatra, yoga and karana.

Dasa Systems

Dasa systems are a hallmark of Vedic astrology. Vedic astrology has hundreds of
dasa system. Each dasa system divides one’s life into periods, sub-periods, sub-subperiods
and so on. All the periods are ruled by different planets or rasis. Some dasa
systems are planet-based and some are rasi-based. Each dasa system is good at
showing events of a specific nature. For each dasa system, we have some standard
rules, based on which we analyze the natal chart and attribute different results to
different periods and sub-periods. Each dasa system comes with rules for dividing
one’s life into periods and sub-periods and rules for attributing different results to
different periods, based on the planetary positions in the natal chart. These periods
are called “dasas” or “mahadasas” (MD). Sub-periods are called “antardasas” (AD).
Sub-sub-periods are called “pratyantardasas” (PD).
Some dasas are good at showing matters related to longevity and death. They are
called “ayur dasas” (dasas of longevity). Some dasas are good at showing general
results. They are called “phalita dasas” (dasas of general results).
Mind is a very important part of our existence and Moon governs it. Some dasas are
computed based on the nakshatra occupied by Moon and they are called “nakshatra
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dasas”. Some dasas are based on the rasis occupied by planets and they are called
“rasi dasas”.

The dasha system shows which planets will be ruling at particular times in Hindu astrology. There are several dasha systems; however, the primary
system used by astrologers is the Vimshottari dasha system. The first maha dasha is determined by the position of the natal Moon. Each maha dasha is
divided into subperiods called bhuktis. Vimshottari dasha lengths are:

Maha Dasha Length Bhuktis

Ketu 7 Years Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury
Venus 20 Years Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu
Sun 6 Years Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus
Moon 10 Years Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun
Mars 7 Years Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon
Rahu 18 Years Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars
Jupiter 16 Years Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu
Saturn 19 Years Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter
Mercury 17 Years Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn

Drishtis – the planetary aspects

Drishti (Sanskrit: drishti, 'sight'.) In Hindu astrology, the aspect is to an entire sign, and grahas only cast forward aspects:[18]

Graha Houses
Sun 7th
Moon 7th
Mercury 7th
Venus 7th
Mars 4th, 7th, 8th
Jupiter 5th, 7th, 9th
Saturn 3rd, 7th, 10th
Rahu 5th,7th,9th
Ketu No aspect

Gocharas – the transits

Gochara (Sanskrit: gochara, 'transit'.) In Hindu astrology, a natal chart shows the actual positions of the grahas at the moment of birth. Since that
moment, the grahas have continued to move around the zodiac, interacting with the natal chart grahas. This period of interaction is called gochara.[19]

Yogas – the planetary combinations

Yoga (Sanskrit: yoga, 'union'.) In Hindu astrology, yogas are planetary combinations placed in specific relationships to each other.[20]

Kalasarpa Yoga is a dangerous yoga. If all planets (excepting Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) are 1-side of Rahu & Ketu, it becomes Kala-Sarpa Yoga.

Dig bala – the directional strength []

Dig bala (Sanskrit: dig bala, 'directional strength'.) Graha-s gain strength when they are placed in specific cardinal houses:
[21]

House Grahas Direction

1st Jupiter, Mercury East
4th Venus, Moon North
7th Saturn West
10th Sun, Mars South

The Vedic System of Calculating the Ascendant

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The most important point in the construction of a horoscope is the Ascendant. The ascendant is the point of cutting of the ecliptic by the eastern horizon
of a place.

The earth spinning on its axis in a linear movement takes 24 hours to complete one rotation. But what exactly is the duration of a day? There are many
types of days prevalent.

Sidereal day: The time taken by earth to spin one complete rotation of 360 degrees on its axis. Average duration of one sidereal day is 23 hrs, 56 min,
4.091 sec.

Savana day: The duration of time between one sunrise to another sunrise is a Savana day. For people living in northern hemisphere, from winter solstice
day onwards, the sunshine hours (dinamana) increases and night hours (ratrimana) decreases. As the sunrise every day is earlier than the previous day,
the duration of the savana day is less than 24 hours till the Sun reaches its maximum declination at summer solstice. After that the dinamana reduces and
the ratrimana increases. Since the sunrise of every day is later than the previous day, the duration of the savana day is more than 24 hours till it reaches
the winter solstice again.

Mean Solar Day: The average of all the days of a year. It’s duration is equal to 24 hours.

The Vedic system recognises a day as the duration of time from one sunrise to the next sunrise. This span, known as a Savana day, is measured in units
of ghatis. One Savana day is equal to 60 ghatis and each ghati is divisible into 60 palas or vighatis.
The earth continuously spins on its axis in a west to east direction. For a person situated on the surface of the earth, different signs of the zodiac appear to
rise in the eastern horizon and set in the western horizon. With the completion of one rotation of the earth, all the twelve signs of the zodiac rise and set
during one sidereal day.

Rashimana (Oblique Ascension)

Rashimana is the rising periods of signs of the zodiac. As there are twelve equally divided signs of the zodiac and it takes approximately 24 hours for all
the signs to rise, therefore, one sign should take about two hours to rise in the eastern horizon. But it’s not so. As the plane of the ecliptic is inclined at an
angle of 23.5 degrees to the plane of the celestial equator, the rising time of different signs is not uniform. The time taken by different groups of signs at
the equator is given in Table 1.

Table 1.
Time taken by different group of signs
to rise at the Equator
Group Signs Rashimana in
Asus Hours
I Aries Virgo Libra Pisces 1674 1h51m36s
II Taurus Leo Scorpio Aquarius 1795 1h59m40s
III Gemini Cancer Sagittarius Capricorn 1931 2h08m44s

Rashimana values are calculated for Sayana signs and are measured in units of Asus. One unit of Asu is equivalent to 4 seconds of sidereal time.
Rashimana values vary from one latitude to another. These values once calculated for any place do not change from year to year.

Charakhandas (Ascensional Differences)

Variations in the rising of different signs at different latitudes can be calculated with the help of Charakhandas or ascensional differences for those
latitudes.
To know the Charakhandas of a particular place with the help of ‘Hindu Dial’, measure the length of the mid-day shadow, on the day of the equinox, of a
shanku of 12 units length (please refer to Astrology Primer # 5, Vol.1, No.5). Put this figure at three places and multiply the first figure with 10; second with
8 and; third with 10 divided by 3. This gives the Charakhandas for I, II, and III groups of signs respectively. These Charakhanda values are in palas or
vighaties. To convert these values to asus, multiply the charakhandas by six.

Signs of Long Ascension and Short Ascension

For people living in the northern hemisphere of the earth, on the day of winter solstice, when the Sun is at zero degrees Sayana Capricorn, the sunshine
hours are the shortest. With the rising of the Sun, sign Capricorn rises in the eastern horizon followed by other signs in sequence. At the time of sunset,
the point rising at the eastern horizon would be 180° opposite the Sun’s longitude (thus zero degrees Cancer). Therefore, during the daytime signs
Capricorn to Gemini rise in the shortest duration of time, while at night the signs Cancer to Sagittarius take the longest duration of time.

Signs of Signs of Long Ascension*

Short
Ascension*

10 - 4 - Cancer
Capricorn 5 - Leo
11 - 6 - Virgo
Aquarius 7 - Libra
12 - Pisces 8 - Scorpio
1 - Aries 9 - Sagittarius
2 - Taurus
3 - Gemini

* For northern hemisphere; for southern hemisphere short

and long ascension rashis are reversed.

When the Sun is at summer solstice (zero degrees Sayana Cancer) during the daytime signs Cancer to Sagittarius spend the longest duration of time to
rise and during night signs Capricorn to Gemini take the shortest duration of time.

Sign which takes longer time in rising than the time taken by same sign at the equator, is the sign of long ascension and the sign which takes shorter time
in rising is the sign of short ascension. Signs Capricorn to Gemini are short ascension signs while Cancer to Sagittarius are long ascension signs for
norther latitudes. Reverse is the case for people living in the southern latitudes.

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As the latitude of the observer increases, the duration of signs of long ascension become much longer while the duration of signs of short ascension
become much shorter.

Calculation of rising times of different signs (Rashimana) for a particular place

After knowing the Charakhandas of a particular place, we can calculate the rashimana of different signs. Add the Charakanda values, in asus, to the
rashimana values at the equator in their respective groups for signs of long ascension and subtract the Charakhandas from their respective groups for
signs of short ascension.

Correlation of the earth with the Zodiac

Calculation of ascendant for any given moment is an effort to establish a relationship between the horizon of the observer on the earth with the zodiac.

The earth is spinning continuously on its axis. To an observer, being located on the surface of the earth, it appears that the earth is stationary and the sky
with all the stars and heavenly bodies is drifting towards the west after rising in the east.

To establish a relationship of the earth with the zodiac, we have to refer to some identifiable point on the zodiac. The rising, setting or the meridian
passage of this point is to be observed to find out the actual position of this point at any given moment of time for the place of location of the observer.
Once we know the position of one point of the zodiac, we can relate the other points of the zodiac with respect to this identifiable point.

This identifiable point could be a star or a planet or the vernal equinox (zero degrees Sayana Aries point) of the zodiac. When we observe the passing of
the Vernal Equinox on the meridian of a place, it is zero hours Sidereal time for that place. Sidereal time at any given moment indicates the time elapsed
since the vernal equinox crossed the meridian of that place.

The Indian system makes use of the position of the Sun in the zodiac to establish a link between the earth and the zodiac. At the time of sunrise, the
centre of the Sun is touching the eastern horizon. Sunrise is considered to be the beginning to the day and that day remains in force till the next sunrise.
The duration of this day is considered to be equal to sixty ghatis. One ghati is roughly equal to 24 minues of time.

The longitude of the Sun is identical with the cusp of the sign rising at the time of sunrise. A track of the number of ghatis and palas passed since sunrise
is kept and is called Ishtakaala.

Since the rashimana values are for Sayana signs, the longitude of the Sun is also considered in Sayana values.

Inputs to calculate the Ascendant

In order to calculate the cusp of the ascendant, we need the following:

1. The time of sunrise at the required place on the relevant day.
2. The Sayana position of the Sun at the time of sunrise at the place in question. In case the available ephe-meris provides the nirayana position of the
Sun, the Sayana position may be obtained by adding to it the appropriate ayanamsha.
3. The ishtakala or the duration of time elapsed from the time of sunrise.
4. Rashimana or the duration of the rising of different signs at the particular latitude of the place.

Steps to Calculate the Ascendant

The following steps describe the method of calculation of the ascendant for a given place at a given date and time. For example, let’s calculate the
ascendant rising at Gurdaspur, India (latitude 32°N02' longitude 75°E31') on April 1, 1997 at 12.00 hours IST.

Step 1. Calculate the Charakhandas

On the ‘Hindu Dial’, measure the length of the mid-day shadow, on the day of the equinox, of a shanku of 12 units length.

Length of the equinoctial shadow of a Shanku of 12 units at different latitudes

Lati- Length Lati- Length Lati- Length Lati- Length Lati- Length Lati- Length
tude (units) tude (units) tude (units) tude (units) tude (units) tude (units)
01° 0.21 11° 2.33 21° 4.60 31° 7.21 41° 10.43 51° 14.82
02° 0.42 12° 2.55 22° 4.85 32° 7.50 42° 10.80 52° 15.35
03° 0.63 13° 2.70 23° 5.09 33° 7.79 43° 11.19 53° 15.92
04° 0.84 14° 2.99 24° 5.34 34° 8.09 44° 11.58 54° 16.52
05° 1.05 15° 3.21 25° 5.59 35° 8.40 45° 12.00 55° 17.13
06° 1.26 16° 3.44 26° 5.85 36° 8.71 46° 12.42 56° 17.79
07° 1.47 17° 3.66 27° 6.11 37° 9.04 47° 12.87 57° 18.46
08° 1.69 18° 3.90 28° 6.38 38° 9.37 48° 13.33 58° 19.20
09° 1.90 19° 4.13 29° 6.65 39° 9.72 49° 13.80 59° 19.97
10° 2.11 20° 4.37 30° 6.93 40° 10.06 50° 14.30 60° 20.78

The length of the shadow at Gurdaspur (32 degrees latitude) from the above table is 7.5. Now multiply this figure with 10, 8, and 10/3 respectively to get
the Charakhanda values in palas or vighatis.

I 7.5 x 10 = 75 palas
II 7.5 x 8 = 60 palas
III 7.5 x 10/3 = 25 palas

Multiply each with 6 to convert the values in asus.

I 75 palas x 6 = 450 asus

II 60 palas x 6 = 360 asus
III 25 palas x 6 = 150 asus

The derived values of 450, 360 and 150 are the charakhandas for I, II and III groups of signs respectively.

Step 2. Calculate the Rashimana

The Rashimana for different groups of signs at the equator are:

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Group Signs Rashimana
I 1, 6, 7, 12 1674 asus
II 2, 5, 8, 11 1795 asus
III 3, 4, 9, 10 1931 asus

To the above rashimanas we apply the Charakhanda corrections as worked out above to obtain the rashimana for different signs at the latitude in
question. Add the Charakandas to their respective groups for signs of long ascension and subtract the Charakhandas from their respective groups for
signs of short ascension.

Group Signs Rashimana in

Asus hr-mn-sc
Short Ascension
I 1, 12 1674 – 450 = 1224 1:21:36
II 2, 11 1795 – 360 = 1435 1:35:40
III 3, 10 1931 – 150 = 1781 1:58:44
Long Ascension
I 4, 9 1931 + 150 = 2081 2:18:44
II 5, 8 1795 + 360 = 2155 2:23:40
III 6, 7 1674 + 450 = 2124 2:21:36

Step 3. Find out the Sunrise time

From the ephemeris, calculate the sunrise time on the given date for the place of birth. For Gurdaspur the sunrise time is 6h:20m:40s (IST).

Step 4. Find out the Sayana Sun

Again from the ephemeris, calculate the position of Sayan Sun at the time of sunrise. If the available ephemeris provides the longitudes of planets in
nirayana values, add the ayanamsha to the Sun’s longitude to get the Sayana value. The nirayana longitude of the sun at the time of sunrise on April 1,
1997 is 11s17°31'16". Adding to this the ayanamsha value on the given date, i.e., 23°49'06", we get the Sayana longitude of the Sun at the time of sunrise
as 0s11°20'22". This also indicates the longitude of the ascendant at the time of sunrise.

Step 5. Find out the Ishtakala

Ishtakala is the time elapsed since the time of sunrise to the time of birth. Traditionally the time of birth is recorded in ishtakala only. Since in our example
the time of birth is in hours-minutes, etc., it can be converted to ishtakala by subtracting the time of sunrise from the time of birth.

Time of birth : 12h:00m:00s

Sunrise time : 06h:20m:40s
Ishtakala in hrs. : 05h:39m:20s

Step 6. Cusp of the Ascendant

From Step 4 above, we know the sign that the sun is in at sunrise and, therefore, the cusp of the sign rising at the time of sunrise. The duration of this sign
being known (Step 2), it is possible to work out how much of this sign has yet to rise above horizon and how much time it will take to do so.

Long. of Sun (Cusp at sunrise): = 0s11°20'22"

Bal. of sign Aries yet to rise: (30°00'00" – 11°20'22") = 18°39'38"
Time taken by 30 degrees of Aries to rise: = 1h:21m:36s (Step 2)
Time taken by 18°39'38" of Aries to rise: = 0h:50m:45s
(1:21:36 / 30°) x 18°39'38"

After 50m:45s of sunrise (i.e. from 7h:11m:25s onwards), the sign Taurus will start and last for 1h:35m:40s (i.e., upto 8h:47m:05s). The next sign Gemini
(with a duration of 1h:58m:44s) lasts until 10h:45m:49s. Cancer (duration of 2h:18m:44s) lasts until 13h:04m:33s which includes our time of birth (12
noon). Thus we have Cancer rising at 12 noon.

Time elapsed from the onset of Cancer lagna = 1h:14m:11s

upto the time of birth (12:00:00 – 10:45:49)
Arc of Cancer rising in 2h:18m:44s = 30°
Arc of Cancer rising in 1h:14m:11s = = 16°02'30"
(30° / 2:18:44) x 1:14:11

Thus we get the cusp of ascendant at 12 noon as Cancer 16°02'30". This is the Sayana value. Reduce the ayanamsha from this value to obtain the cusp
of the ascendant in nirayana value. Thus the nirayana ascendant would be:
3s16°02'30" – 23°49'06" = 2s22°13'24" or Gemini rising at 22°13'24".

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