Jyotiṣa Glossary: Every Vedic Astrology Term You Need to Know

Jyotiṣa Glossary: Every Vedic Astrology Term You Need to Know\n\nThis Jyotiṣa glossary defines every Sanskrit and technical term used across the Astrokarak blog, in plain English, with IAST transliteration. If you are reading any Vedic astrology post and encounter an unfamiliar term, this is where you look it up. Each entry links to its dedicated article where one exists.\n\nThis page is a living document. Every time a new article is published on Astrokarak and introduces a new term, that term is added here. Bookmark it. Use it as your reference throughout your study of Jyotiṣa.\n\nIf you are entirely new to Vedic astrology, begin with the Jyotiṣa start-here guide before working through this glossary. Terminology makes more sense once you have a basic map of the system.\n\nA\n\nAdhipati — The lord or ruler of a Rāśi (sign) or Bhāva (house). The Adhipati of a house is the planet that owns the sign occupying that house, and its placement and condition in the chart significantly modify the results of that house.\n\nAntardaśā — A sub-period within a Mahādaśā (major planetary period) in the Vimśottarī Daśā system. Each Mahādaśā is divided into nine Antardaśās, each ruled by a different planet. The Antardaśā Lord colours the events within its window according to its own nature, placement, and relationship with the Mahādaśā Lord.\n\nĀrūḍha — A derived reference point calculated from the position of a house Lord relative to its house. The Ārūḍha shows how a particular life area is perceived externally, as opposed to its intrinsic reality. The Ārūḍha Lagna (AL), for instance, shows how the world perceives you, not necessarily who you are.\n\nAshtakavarga (Aṣṭakavarga) — A system of numerical strength assessment in which each planet casts benefic points into the chart from multiple reference points. The total score for each house indicates its relative strength. Widely used for transit analysis and longevity assessment.\n\nĀtmakāraka — Literally \"soul significator.\" In the Jaiminī Kāraka system, the Ātmakāraka is the planet with the highest degree in the birth chart. It represents the deepest soul-level desire and the primary lesson of this incarnation. Understanding the Ātmakāraka is central to Jaiminī-based chart interpretation.\n\nAyanāṁśa — The angular difference between the tropical zodiac (used in Western astrology) and the sidereal zodiac (used in Jyotiṣa). Because the vernal equinox precesses slowly against the fixed stars, the two zodiacs drift apart over centuries. The Ayanāṁśa is the correction factor applied to convert tropical planetary positions to sidereal ones. Astrokarak uses the True Citrā (Citrā Pakṣa) Ayanāṁśa.\n\nB\n\nBādhaka — A specific obstructing or afflicting house lord, determined by the Lagna sign. For movable signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn), the Bādhaka is the 11th lord. For fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius), the 9th lord. For dual signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces), the 7th lord. Bādhaka placements can indicate areas of persistent obstruction.\n\nBhāva — A house in the Vedic birth chart. There are twelve Bhāvas, each governing a distinct domain of life. The Bhāvas are counted from the Lagna and form the structural framework of chart interpretation. See the 12 Houses in Vedic Astrology overview for a complete breakdown.\n\nBhāveśa — The lord of a Bhāva (house). The Bhāveśa is the planet that owns the sign occupying a given house. Its placement, strength, and aspects determine how the affairs of that house manifest in the person's life.\n\nBrahmin Graha — Jupiter and Venus are sometimes classified as Brahmin (priestly caste) Grahas in classical texts, due to their association with wisdom, dharma, and spiritual knowledge.\n\nBṛhat Parāśara Horā Śāstra (BPHS) — The foundational classical text of Parāśarī Jyotiṣa, attributed to the sage Parāśara. The BPHS codifies the core principles of Vedic chart interpretation, including house significations, planetary natures, Daśā systems, and yoga formations. It remains the primary textual authority in mainstream Jyotiṣa.\n\nC\n\nCitrā Pakṣa — The Ayanāṁśa system used by Astrokarak, calibrated by fixing the star Citrā (Spica, Alpha Virginis) at exactly 180° of sidereal longitude. Also called Lahiri Ayanāṁśa in its mean form; the True Citrā version uses the actual position of Citrā rather than its mean value. This is the most widely used Ayanāṁśa among Indian Jyotiṣīs.\n\nChara Kāraka — In the Jaiminī system, the Chara (movable) Kārakas are a set of seven or eight planets assigned Kāraka roles based on their degree in the birth chart, from highest to lowest. These include the Ātmakāraka, Amātyakāraka, Bhrātṛkāraka, Mātṛkāraka, Putrakāraka, Jñātikāraka, and Dārakāraka (and optionally the Pitṛkāraka). Each represents a key figure or theme in the person's life.\n\nD\n\nDaśā — A planetary timing period. Jyotiṣa uses multiple Daśā systems to time events in a person's life. The primary system used on Astrokarak is the Vimśottarī Da