Glossary
Glossary
Sanskrit terms as they are used in the School’s teaching, in IAST transliteration and Devanagari, with a short gloss you will also see when you tap or hover a term anywhere on the site.
150 terms
A
- Abhijitअभिजित्The midday muhūrta, and a twenty-eighth nakshatra in muhūrta texts.Panchanga
- Adhika māsaअधिकमासIntercalary lunar month inserted when no saṅkrānti falls within it.Panchanga
- Amāvāsyāअमावास्याNew moon: the last tithi of the dark fortnight.Panchanga
- Antardaśā (Bhukti)अन्तर्दशाSub-period within a major daśā, also called bhukti.Jyotish · Hora
- Āpoklimaआपोक्लिमCadent houses 3, 6, 9 and 12, preceding the kendras.Jyotish · Hora
- Ari bhāva (Ripu, Śatru bhāva)अरिभावSixth house: opponents, debts, illness, service and daily work.Jyotish · Hora
- Āryabhaṭaआर्यभटAstronomer-mathematician (b. 476 CE), author of the Āryabhaṭīya.History
- ĀsanaआसनPosture: the third limb of Patañjali's eightfold yoga.Yoga
- Aṣṭakavargaअष्टकवर्गEightfold point system scoring each sign for each graha.Jyotish · Hora
- Aṣṭakūṭaअष्टकूटEight-factor, 36-point method of comparing two birth charts.Jyotish · Hora
- Ātmakārakaआत्मकारकIn Jaimini, the graha furthest advanced within its sign.Jyotish · Hora
- AyanaअयनThe Sun's half-year course: uttarāyaṇa (northward) or dakṣiṇāyana (southward).Panchanga
- AyanāṃśaअयनांशThe precessional offset between tropical and sidereal zodiacs.Siddhanta
- Āyur bhāva (Randhra, Mṛtyu bhāva)आयुर्भावEighth house: longevity, the hidden, inheritance and sudden change.Jyotish · Hora
- Āyurvedaआयुर्वेदThe knowledge of life: India's classical system of medicine.Ayurveda
B
- Bhadrā (Viṣṭi karaṇa)भद्राThe Viṣṭi karaṇa, marked in almanacs as unsuitable for beginnings.Panchanga
- BhakūṭaभकूटSeventh koota (7 points): relative positions of the two Moon signs.Jyotish · Hora
- Bhāskaraभास्करTwo astronomers; usually Bhāskara II (b. 1114), author of Siddhāntaśiromaṇi.History
- Bhāva calitaभावचलितHouse chart drawn from house mid-points rather than whole signs.Jyotish · Hora
- BījagaṇitaबीजगणितAlgebra: computation with unknowns, literally 'seed mathematics'.Ganita
- Brāhma muhūrtaब्राह्ममुहूर्तThe muhūrta before dawn, about 96 to 48 minutes before sunrise.Panchanga
- Brahmasthānaब्रह्मस्थानThe central zone of the vāstu grid, assigned to Brahmā.Vastu
- Bṛhajjātakaबृहज्जातकVarāhamihira's classical treatise on natal astrology.History
- BudhaबुधMercury: intellect, speech, learning, trade and calculation.Jyotish · Hora
C
- Candraचन्द्रThe Moon: mind, mother, emotion and nourishment.Jyotish · Hora
- Candra lagnaचन्द्रलग्नThe Moon's sign used as an alternative first house.Jyotish · Hora
- Caughaḍiyāचौघड़ियाEight daytime and eight night-time divisions used in popular almanacs.Panchanga
- Chandasछन्दस्Vedāṅga of metre: syllable counts and patterns of verse.Veda
D
- Darśana (ṣaḍ-darśana)दर्शनA school of philosophy; the six classical darśanas.Veda
- DaśāदशाPlanetary period: a span of life governed by one graha.Jyotish · Hora
- DaśāṃśaदशांशThe tenth-division chart (D10), read for career and action.Jyotish · Hora
- Dhana bhāvaधनभावSecond house: wealth, speech, family and food.Jyotish · Hora
- Dhanu (Dhanus)धनुSagittarius: ninth sign, fiery and dual, ruled by Jupiter.Jyotish · Hora
- Dhanurvedaधनुर्वेदUpaveda of archery and the martial arts.Veda
- Dharma bhāva (Bhāgya bhāva)धर्मभावNinth house: dharma, father, teacher, fortune and long journeys.Jyotish · Hora
- Dinacaryāदिनचर्याDaily regimen as described in the Āyurvedic texts.Ayurveda
- DoṣaदोषA fault: in Jyotish an affliction, in Ayurveda a bodily principle.Jyotish · Hora
- Dṛṣṭiदृष्टिAspect: a graha's 'sight' cast on houses and grahas.Jyotish · Hora
- Duḥsthānaदुःस्थानDifficult houses 6, 8 and 12, also called trika.Jyotish · Hora
E
G
- Gaṇa kūṭaगणकूटSixth koota (6 points): deva, manuṣya and rākṣasa temperaments.Jyotish · Hora
- Gāndharvavedaगान्धर्ववेदUpaveda of music, dance and performance.Veda
- GocaraगोचरTransit: the current movement of grahas over the birth chart.Jyotish · Hora
- Graha maitrī kūṭaग्रहमैत्रीकूटFifth koota (5 points): friendship between the two Moon-sign lords.Jyotish · Hora
- Guru (Bṛhaspati)गुरुJupiter: wisdom, teachers, children, dharma and expansion.Jyotish · Hora
H
J
K
- Kāla Sarpa doṣaकालसर्पदोषAll seven grahas lying on one side of the Rāhu–Ketu axis.Jyotish · Hora
- Kalatra bhāva (Jāyā, Yuvati bhāva)कलत्रभावSeventh house: spouse, partnership, contracts and public dealings.Jyotish · Hora
- Kalpaकल्पVedāṅga of ritual procedure: śrauta, gṛhya, dharma and śulba sūtras.Veda
- Kanyāकन्याVirgo: sixth sign, earthy and dual, ruled by Mercury.Jyotish · Hora
- Kapha (Śleṣman)कफThe doṣa of structure and cohesion, formed of water and earth.Ayurveda
- KārakaकारकSignificator: a graha that signifies a person or theme.Jyotish · Hora
- KaraṇaकरणHalf a tithi; eleven karaṇas, four fixed and seven movable.Panchanga
- Karka (Karkaṭa)कर्कCancer: fourth sign, watery and movable, ruled by the Moon.Jyotish · Hora
- Karma bhāvaकर्मभावTenth house: action, profession, status and public life.Jyotish · Hora
- Kendraकेन्द्रAngular houses 1, 4, 7 and 10; the chart's pillars.Jyotish · Hora
- KetuकेतुThe Moon's descending node, always opposite Rāhu.Jyotish · Hora
- Kṣayaक्षयOmission: a tithi or month skipped in the reckoning.Panchanga
- Kumbhaकुम्भAquarius: eleventh sign, airy and fixed, ruled by Saturn.Jyotish · Hora
L
M
- MakaraमकरCapricorn: tenth sign, earthy and movable, ruled by Saturn.Jyotish · Hora
- Maṅgala (Kuja, Bhauma)मङ्गलMars: energy, courage, siblings, land and conflict.Jyotish · Hora
- Maṅgala doṣa (Kuja doṣa)मङ्गलदोषMars in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th or 12th house.Jyotish · Hora
- MāsaमासMonth: lunar (amānta or pūrṇimānta) or solar.Panchanga
- MeṣaमेषAries: first sign, fiery and movable, ruled by Mars.Jyotish · Hora
- MīnaमीनPisces: twelfth sign, watery and dual, ruled by Jupiter.Jyotish · Hora
- MithunaमिथुनGemini: third sign, airy and dual, ruled by Mercury.Jyotish · Hora
- Mitraमित्रFriendship between grahas, natural and temporary.Jyotish · Hora
- Muhūrtaमुहूर्तA 48-minute unit of time; also the science of electing times.Panchanga
- Mūlatrikoṇaमूलत्रिकोणA graha's root sign-segment, ranked between exaltation and own sign.Jyotish · Hora
N
- Nāḍī kūṭaनाडीकूटEighth koota (8 points): ādi, madhya and antya nāḍīs of nakshatras.Jyotish · Hora
- Nakṣatraनक्षत्रLunar mansion: one of 27 divisions of 13°20′ each.Panchanga
- NavāṃśaनवांशThe ninth-division chart (D9), each sign split into nine.Jyotish · Hora
- NīcaनीचDebilitation: the sign opposite exaltation, where dignity is lowest.Jyotish · Hora
- NirayanaनिरयनSidereal zodiac, fixed to the stars; the basis of Jyotish.Siddhanta
- Niruktaनिरुक्तVedāṅga of etymology and the explanation of Vedic words.Veda
P
- Pāda (Caraṇa)पादQuarter of a nakshatra, 3°20′, with its own naming syllable.Panchanga
- Pakṣaपक्षLunar fortnight: waxing śukla or waning kṛṣṇa, fifteen tithis each.Panchanga
- PaṇapharaपणफरSuccedent houses 2, 5, 8 and 11, following the kendras.Jyotish · Hora
- Pañcakaपञ्चकThe Moon's passage through the last five nakshatras, Dhaniṣṭhā to Revatī.Panchanga
- ParāśaraपराशरSage to whom Bṛhat Parāśara Horā Śāstra is attributed.History
- Parivartanaपरिवर्तनMutual exchange: two grahas each in the other's sign.Jyotish · Hora
- PhaladīpikāफलदीपिकाMantreśvara's South Indian manual of horā in twenty-eight chapters.History
- Pitṛ doṣaपितृदोषAn affliction of the Sun or ninth house, read for ancestors.Jyotish · Hora
- Pittaपित्तThe doṣa of transformation, formed of fire and water.Ayurveda
- Pradoṣaप्रदोषTwilight on trayodaśī, observed as a vrata dedicated to Śiva.Panchanga
- Prakṛtiप्रकृतिConstitution: an individual's inborn balance of the three doṣas.Ayurveda
- Prāṇāyāmaप्राणायामRegulation of breath: the fourth limb of Patañjali's yoga.Yoga
- Pratyantardaśāप्रत्यन्तर्दशाThird-level period within an antardaśā.Jyotish · Hora
- Pūrṇimāपूर्णिमाFull moon: the fifteenth tithi of the bright fortnight.Panchanga
- Putra bhāvaपुत्रभावFifth house: children, intellect, learning and past merit.Jyotish · Hora
R
S
- Ṣaḍbalaषड्बलSixfold strength: the computed strength of each graha.Jyotish · Hora
- Sāḍhe-sātīसाढ़ेसातीSaturn's 7½-year transit through the 12th, 1st and 2nd from the Moon.Jyotish · Hora
- Sahaja bhāvaसहजभावThird house: siblings, courage, effort and short journeys.Jyotish · Hora
- Saṃhitā skandhaसंहितास्कन्धThe branch of Jyotiṣa on collective matters, omens and nature.Jyotish · Hora
- Saṃvatसंवत्An era or year-count, such as Vikrama or Śaka.Panchanga
- Sandhiसन्धिEuphonic combination of sounds where words or word-parts meet.Sanskrit
- ŚaniशनिSaturn: time, discipline, labour, delay and longevity.Jyotish · Hora
- Saṅkrāntiसङ्क्रान्तिThe Sun's entry into a sidereal rasi; twelve each year.Panchanga
- SārāvalīसारावलीKalyāṇavarman's extensive horā compendium, expanding on Varāhamihira.History
- Śatruशत्रुEnmity between grahas; a graha placed in an enemy's sign.Jyotish · Hora
- SāyanaसायनTropical zodiac, measured from the moving vernal equinox.Siddhanta
- Siddhāntaसिद्धान्तMathematical astronomy: treatises computing planets, eclipses and time.Siddhanta
- Śikṣāशिक्षाVedāṅga of phonetics: pronunciation, accent and recitation.Veda
- SiṃhaसिंहLeo: fifth sign, fiery and fixed, ruled by the Sun.Jyotish · Hora
- Ślokaश्लोकA verse, especially the 32-syllable anuṣṭubh couplet.Sanskrit
- Sthāpatyavedaस्थापत्यवेदUpaveda of architecture and building, the source of Vāstu.Vastu
- Sukha bhāvaसुखभावFourth house: mother, home, land, vehicles and inner contentment.Jyotish · Hora
- Śukraशुक्रVenus: relationships, arts, refinement, comfort and vehicles.Jyotish · Hora
- Śulba Sūtraशुल्बसूत्रVedic geometry manuals for constructing fire altars with cords.Ganita
- Śūnyaशून्यZero, as a number and as a place-holder in decimal notation.Ganita
- Sūryaसूर्यThe Sun: soul, vitality, father and authority.Jyotish · Hora
- Sūrya Siddhāntaसूर्यसिद्धान्तClassical astronomical treatise underlying many traditional almanacs.Siddhanta
- Sūtraसूत्रA terse aphorism; the compressed rule-form of śāstra texts.Sanskrit
- Svakṣetra (Svarāśi)स्वक्षेत्रOwn sign: a graha placed in a rasi it rules.Jyotish · Hora
T
- Tanu bhāvaतनुभावFirst house: the body, self and constitution; the Lagna's house.Jyotish · Hora
- Tārā kūṭaताराकूटThird koota (3 points): nakshatra distance counted in cycles of nine.Jyotish · Hora
- TithiतिथिLunar day: each 12° of the Moon's elongation from the Sun.Panchanga
- Trikoṇaत्रिकोणTrine houses 1, 5 and 9; the houses of dharma.Jyotish · Hora
- TulāतुलाLibra: seventh sign, airy and movable, ruled by Venus.Jyotish · Hora
U
V
- VāraवारWeekday, named after a graha and counted from sunrise.Panchanga
- VarāhamihiraवराहमिहिरSixth-century astronomer-astrologer of Ujjain, writing in all three branches.History
- Vargaवर्गDivisional chart: a sign subdivided to give a derived chart.Jyotish · Hora
- Varṇa kūṭaवर्णकूटFirst koota (1 point): classifies Moon signs into four varṇas.Jyotish · Hora
- Vāstu puruṣaवास्तुपुरुषThe figure imagined lying on a site, mapping its grid of deities.Vastu
- Vaśya kūṭaवश्यकूटSecond koota (2 points): mutual influence between Moon-sign categories.Jyotish · Hora
- VātaवातThe doṣa of movement, formed of space and air.Ayurveda
- Vedāṅgaवेदाङ्गThe six auxiliary disciplines for studying and using the Veda.Veda
- Vibhaktiविभक्तिCase ending: the inflection showing a noun's role in a sentence.Sanskrit
- Vimśottarī daśāविंशोत्तरी दशाThe 120-year nakshatra-based daśā cycle of nine grahas.Jyotish · Hora
- VṛṣabhaवृषभTaurus: second sign, earthy and fixed, ruled by Venus.Jyotish · Hora
- Vṛścikaवृश्चिकScorpio: eighth sign, watery and fixed, ruled by Mars.Jyotish · Hora
- Vyākaraṇaव्याकरणVedāṅga of grammar, classically represented by Pāṇini's Aṣṭādhyāyī.Veda
- Vyaya bhāvaव्ययभावTwelfth house: expenditure, loss, distant lands, retreat and liberation.Jyotish · Hora
Y
- Yoga (in a chart)योगA defined combination of grahas, houses and signs in a chart.Jyotish · Hora
- Yoga (of the pañcāṅga)योगPanchanga limb from the sum of solar and lunar longitudes.Panchanga
- Yoginī daśāयोगिनी दशाA 36-year daśā cycle of eight yoginīs.Jyotish · Hora
- Yoni kūṭaयोनिकूटFourth koota (4 points): animal symbols assigned to nakshatras.Jyotish · Hora
- YutiयुतिConjunction: two or more grahas in the same sign.Jyotish · Hora