Bhava
A house of the horoscope; the twelve bhavas partition the sky relative to the lagna.
Glossary
Sanskrit terms, defined once
Every Sanskrit term used across the blog maps to a canonical definition here. Click any entry to deep-link it from an article reference.
Brahmasthana
The sacred centre of a plot or structure in Vastu. Kept open and free of heavy construction.
Dasha
A planetary period. Vimshottari dasha, the most widely used system, spans 120 years across all nine grahas.
Dosha
An affliction in the chart. Common examples include Mangal Dosha, Kaal Sarp Dosha, and Pitru Dosha.
Graha
A planet or celestial body that exerts measurable influence in classical Jyotish.
Guna Milan
Eight-koota marriage compatibility analysis based on nakshatra matching. Yields a score out of 36.
Jyotish
Classical Vedic astrology, the science of light and time, codified in the Parashari and Jaimini systems.
Karaka
A significator. Each graha signifies specific life areas; for example, Surya is karaka for soul and father.
Kundali
A natal chart mapping graha positions at the moment of birth. Also called jataka or janma kundali.
Lagna
The ascending sign on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth, the first house of a horoscope.
Mantra
A Sanskrit sound formula. Repetition is governed by count (japa), purification, and intent.
Muhurta
An auspicious moment selected for beginning an activity, calculated using panchanga.
Nakshatra
A lunar mansion. The twenty-seven nakshatras divide the zodiac into 13°20′ arcs.
Pancha Bhutas
The five great elements: prithvi (earth), jala (water), agni (fire), vayu (air), akasha (ether).
Panchanga
The five-limb Vedic calendar: tithi, vara, nakshatra, yoga, and karana.
Puja
A devotional ritual. Procedures are codified as vidhi, with specific samagri and mantras.
Rashi
A zodiac sign. The twelve rashis, each 30 degrees, begin at Mesha (Aries).
Ratna
A gemstone. Jyotish ratna shastra prescribes specific ratnas for each graha to amplify or remediate their effect.
Rudraksha
The sacred seed of Elaeocarpus ganitrus. Mukhi classification ties each bead to a specific graha or deity.
Stotra
A Sanskrit hymn of praise. Stotras for each graha and deity carry specific remedial and devotional power.
Tithi
A lunar day. Thirty tithis cover a lunar month across Shukla and Krishna paksha.
Varga
A divisional chart. The sixteen vargas (shodashavarga) refine the birth chart for specific life areas.
Vastu Shastra
The classical Indian science of architecture. Governs direction, room placement, and energetic balance.
Vimshottari Dasha
The 120-year planetary period system based on nakshatra lordships, the primary Parashari dasha.
Yantra
A geometric diagram that embodies a deity or graha, installed in homes and temples for specific benefits.
Yoga
A combination of planets that creates a specific effect. Classical texts list hundreds of yogas.