# Vedic Astrology Glossary -- Nakshatra, Dasha, Bhava & More > Plain-English definitions for the core terms of Vedic astrology -- nakshatra, dasha, bhava, rashi, dosha, yoga, and more -- each with Sanskrit etymology, a worked chart example, and honest myths vs. reality. - **Canonical URL**: https://merirashi.com/en/glossary - **Language**: en --- 1. [Home](https://merirashi.com/en) 2. / 3. Glossary 49 terms - Vedic astrology ## Vedic Astrology Glossary Plain-English definitions for the core terms of Jyotish -- nakshatra, dasha, bhava, dosha, and more -- each with its Sanskrit root, a worked example from a real chart, and the honest myths-vs-reality most sites skip. [Calculate your free birth chart](https://merirashi.com/en/birth-chart-calculator)[Start with the basics](https://merirashi.com/en/learn) [Chart Basics](#chart-basics)[Time & Prediction](#time-prediction)[Nakshatras](#nakshatras)[Panchang & Muhurat](#panchang-muhurat)[Doshas & Yogas](#doshas-yogas)[Remedies](#remedies)[Grahas (Planets)](#grahas-planets) 22 terms ## Chart Basics [KundliKundaliKundli is the general Vedic term for the astrological chart diagram itself -- the visual map of sidereal planetary positions, the Lagna, and the twelve houses at a given moment.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/kundli) [Janam KundaliJanma KundaliJanam kundali specifically means the natal birth chart -- cast once for an exact birth moment and place -- as distinct from the broader term kundli, which can refer to any chart type.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/janam-kundali) [Lagna (Ascendant)LagnaLagna is the zodiac degree rising on the eastern horizon at the exact moment and place of birth, becoming the first house and the primary reference point for the entire chart.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/lagna) [Rashi (Zodiac Sign)RashiRashi is the 30-degree sidereal zodiac sign a planet occupies, one of twelve running from Mesha (Aries) to Meena (Pisces), each ruled by a specific graha.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/rashi) [Bhava (House)BhavaBhava is a Vedic astrological house, one of twelve life-departments -- self, wealth, marriage, career, and so on -- measured outward from the Lagna, not to be confused with a zodiac rashi.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/bhava) [Graha (Planet)GrahaGraha is the Vedic term for the nine chart-bodies, Sun through Saturn plus Rahu and Ketu, that Vedic astrology reads as planetary influences, distinct from the astronomical planet count.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/graha) [Navamsa (D9)NavamshaNavamsa, or D9, is the divisional chart made by splitting each zodiac sign into nine parts; it is the single most important chart after the main D1 for judging marriage and true planetary strength.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/navamsa) [Divisional Charts (Vargas)VargaDivisional charts, or vargas, re-slice a birth chart's data into specialized D-charts, from D1 for overall life through D9 for marriage to D60 for fine-grained detail, each focused on one life theme.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/divisional-charts) [Karaka (Significator)KarakaKaraka means significator -- a graha that represents a person or life-theme by its inherent nature, either as a fixed natural karaka or a chart-specific chara karaka, regardless of which house it sits in.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/karaka) [Kendra (Angular House)KendraKendra means angular house -- the 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th bhavas, considered the strongest, most action-oriented houses, representing self, home, partnership, and career respectively.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/kendra) [Trikona (Trine House)TrikonaTrikona means the trine houses, first, fifth, and ninth from the ascendant, revered in Vedic astrology as the seats of dharma, fortune, and accumulated merit that other house groups are built around.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/trikona) [Dusthana (Difficult House)DusthanaDusthana refers to the sixth, eighth, and twelfth houses, the chart's zones of struggle, transformation, and release, which classical texts treat as challenging rather than cursed or morally bad.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/dusthana) [Upachaya (Growing House)UpachayaUpachaya houses are the third, sixth, tenth, and eleventh from the lagna, the chart's zones of growth, where results improve over time and even naturally malefic planets tend to perform well.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/upachaya) [MoolatrikonaMoolatrikonaMoolatrikona is a special dignity each classical graha holds within a specific degree range of a particular sign, distinct from both its exaltation sign and its plain own sign, granting strong though not maximal strength.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/moolatrikona) [Exaltation (Uccha)UcchaExaltation, or uccha, is the one sign in which each classical planet is considered strongest and most confident, the highest tier in the classical dignity system.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/exaltation) [Debilitation (Neecha)NeechaDebilitation, or neecha, is the sign exactly opposite each planet's exaltation sign where the planet is classically weakest, though this weakness can be cancelled under specific conditions called Neecha Bhanga.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/debilitation) [Combustion (Asta)AstaCombustion, or asta, occurs when a planet sits too close to the Sun in the same sign, its light considered burned up by the Sun's glare and its significations muted rather than destroyed.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/combustion) [Retrograde (Vakri)VakriRetrograde, or vakri, describes a planet's apparent backward motion through the zodiac as seen from Earth, an orbital optical effect that several classical schools read as intensifying rather than simply weakening a planet.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/retrograde) [Drishti (Aspect)DrishtiDrishti is the Vedic concept of planetary aspect, a graha's influence reaching specific other houses it looks at from its own position, structured by whole house relationships rather than precise geometric degrees.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/drishti) [AtmakarakaAtmakarakaAtmakaraka, the significator of the soul, is whichever classical graha holds the highest degree within its own sign at birth, marking the chart's central karmic theme in Jaimini astrology.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/atmakaraka) [DarakarakaDarakarakaDarakaraka is the Jaimini chara-karaka planet holding the lowest degree in its sign, used specifically to read spouse nature and marriage timing alongside the 7th house and Venus and Jupiter.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/darakaraka) [YogakarakaYogakarakaYogakaraka is the special status a planet earns in certain Lagnas when it rules both a kendra and a trikona at once, making it unusually beneficial for that specific chart.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/yogakaraka) 7 terms ## Time & Prediction [DashaDashaDasha is the umbrella Vedic system of planetary ruling periods that maps when a chart's placements activate over a lifetime, with Vimshottari as its most common variant.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/dasha) [MahadashaMahadashaMahadasha is the primary, years-long planetary ruling period in the Vimshottari system, its start and remaining length fixed at birth by the Moon's exact nakshatra position.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/mahadasha) [AntardashaAntardashaAntardasha is the sub-period nested inside a mahadasha, one of nine per mahadasha lord, proportionally sized and blending both planets' combined themes.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/antardasha) [Vimshottari DashaVimshottariVimshottari is the default 120-year, nine-planet Vedic dasha cycle, with its starting point and balance at birth fixed by the Moon's exact nakshatra and degree.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/vimshottari) [Gochar (Transit)GocharGochar, or transit, is the current real-time position of the planets read against a person's fixed natal chart, making every transit reading inherently relative to the individual's Moon sign.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/gochar) [AyanamsaAyanamshaAyanamsa is the roughly 24-degree angular offset between the tropical and sidereal zodiacs, the precise reason Vedic and Western astrology can place the same birth in different signs.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/ayanamsa) [Sidereal vs Tropical ZodiacSidereal versus tropical is the foundational split between Vedic astrology's star-anchored zodiac and Western astrology's equinox-anchored zodiac, now offset by roughly 24 degrees.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/sidereal-vs-tropical) 2 terms ## Nakshatras [NakshatraNakshatraNakshatra is one of the 27 lunar mansions, 13 degrees 20 minutes each, that predate the 12-sign rashi system and underlie the entire Vimshottari dasha calculation.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/nakshatra) [Nakshatra PadaPadaNakshatra Pada is one of the four 3°20' quarters that make up each 13°20' nakshatra, pinpointing a planet's exact navamsa sign and traditional naming syllable.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/nakshatra-pada) 5 terms ## Panchang & Muhurat [PanchangPanchangaPanchang is the traditional Vedic day-almanac combining five elements -- Tithi, Vara, Nakshatra, Yoga, and Karana -- to describe the astrological character of any given date and place.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/panchang) [TithiTithiA Tithi is a lunar day defined by the Moon moving 12° further from the Sun than it started, giving 30 tithis per lunar month rather than fixed 24-hour days.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/tithi) [MuhuratMuhurtaMuhurat is the astrologically chosen auspicious time window for beginning an important activity -- a wedding, housewarming, or business launch -- selected by checking the panchang and avoiding malefic periods.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/muhurat) [ChoghadiyaChoghadiyaChoghadiya is a quick day-part timing system dividing daylight and night into 8 segments each, labeled favorable, neutral, or unfavorable, used for everyday tasks rather than major life events.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/choghadiya) [Rahu KaalRahu KaalRahu Kaal is a roughly 90-minute inauspicious window occurring once daily at a different clock time each weekday, traditionally avoided for starting new undertakings, not for ordinary daily activity.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/rahu-kaal) 6 terms ## Doshas & Yogas [DoshaDoshaDosha is the umbrella Sanskrit term for a chart configuration classical texts flag as creating tension in a life area -- a tendency to work with, not a curse.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/dosha) [Yoga (Planetary Combination)YogaYoga here means a planetary combination -- a specific, usually auspicious placement or relationship between grahas and houses -- distinct from both physical yoga and the Panchang's daily Yoga element.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/yoga) [Manglik (Mangal Dosha)Mangal DoshaManglik describes someone with Mangal Dosha -- Mars placed in specific houses from the Lagna, Moon, or Venus -- a common placement checked specifically in marriage matchmaking.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/manglik) [Sade SatiSade SatiSade Sati is Saturn's roughly seven-and-a-half-year transit through the 12th, 1st, and 2nd houses from a person's natal Moon, unfolding in three distinct phases.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/sade-sati) [Kaal Sarp DoshaKaal Sarpa YogaA chart pattern where all seven classical planets sit on one side of the Rahu-Ketu axis, said in popular astrology to bring obstacles despite being absent from the classical texts.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/kaal-sarp) [Gun Milan (Ashtakoot)Ashtakoot MilanAshtakoot Milan is the classical eight-category, 36-point system for comparing two people's Moon nakshatra and rashi to gauge marital compatibility.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/gun-milan) 3 terms ## Remedies [Gemstone (Ratna)RatnaGemstone remedy, or Ratna Shastra, is the practice of wearing a specific stone linked to a graha to support that planet's positive significations in a chart.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/gemstone) [MantraMantraMantra is a repeated sacred sound or verse linked to a specific graha or deity, chanted as a free, self-led remedial practice to align with that planet's energy.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/mantra) [Remedy (Upaya)UpayaRemedy, or upaya, is the general term for corrective practices, from free mantra and charity to gemstones and pujas, recommended for a challenging chart placement or period.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/remedy) 4 terms ## Grahas (Planets) [RahuRahuRahu is the North Lunar Node, a shadow point marking obsession, ambition, and the foreign or unconventional, always exactly opposite Ketu in every chart.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/rahu) [KetuKetuKetu is the South Lunar Node, always exactly opposite Rahu, associated with detachment, spirituality, past-life residue, and sudden endings rather than worldly gain.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/ketu) [Shani (Saturn)ShaniShani, or Saturn, is the karaka of discipline, longevity, hard work, and delay, exalted in Libra and debilitated in Aries, and popular astrology's most feared-yet-respected planet.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/shani) [Guru (Jupiter)GuruGuru, or Jupiter, is the largest and most unambiguously benefic classical graha, governing wisdom, higher education, dharma, and growth-oriented abundance, exalted in Cancer, debilitated in Capricorn.](https://merirashi.com/en/glossary/guru) ## Definitions are a start See exactly where these terms show up in your own chart -- free, computed live, in seconds. 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