Jyotish is an ancient system of astrology that originated in the Vedic civilization of northern Bharat, better known as India. The Sanskrit word is rooted in "jyoti" which means light. Jyotish signifies the "science of light". In western countries, Jyotish is often referred to as Vedic, Indian, or Hindu astrology. ... Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम्) is a classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ... The adjective Vedic may refer to The Vedas, the oldest preserved Indo-Aryan texts. ... A Hindu (also spelt Hindoo) is an adherent of philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, also known as Sanatan (सनातन) Dharma, the predominant religious, philosophical and cultural systems of Bharat (India) and Nepal and the island of Bali A popular name for India is Hindustan, or Land of the Hindus. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ...

Jyotish is often discussed as the instructional element of the Rig Veda, and as such is a Vedanga, or "body part" of the Vedas. Jyotish is called the Eye of the Veda, for its believed ability to view both phenomenal reality and wisdom itself. Part of a larger Vedic curriculum including mathematics, architecture, medical and military applications, it superficially has much in common with ancient and modern Western astrology (and the early traces of the descent of various schools of astrology from the Harappan and Egyptian cultures, Chinese and the Chaldean, through the Arabs, Greeks, and early Romans show complex interweavings that are assessed variously by diverse camps of scholars -- who, however, currently find little common ground as to the exact historical development). Jyotish has many facets, and some of its basics are clearly also cornerstones of Western astrology, such as symbolically endowed signs, houses and planets. But Jyotish has its own sophisticated reference to the noumenal: the planets are "grahas", semi-divine consciousnesses or forces that seize or act upon created beings and influence their actions and fates. The Vedas are part of the Hindu Shruti; these religious scriptures form part of the core of the Brahminical and Vedic traditions within Hinduism and are the inspirational, metaphysical and mythological foundation for later Vedanta, Yoga, Tantra and even Bhakti forms of Hinduism. ... The Indus Valley Civilization existed along the Indus River and the Vedic Sarasvati River in present-day Pakistan. ... Chaldean can refer to an ancient people of lower Mesopotamia and their culture, or a contemporary Christian people living mostly in Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and diaspora. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... The Roman Forum was the central area around which ancient Rome developed. ...

Jyotish has historically been part of a continuous "holistic" approach to living and to spiritual practice within the life of Hindus predominant in India.

Foundations

Jyotisha's many lineages or paramparas emphasize that its study is a sadhana or technique of mental and existential development. In modern times it is a chief source of reference for many Hindus and other spiritual practitioners with common ties globally. In addition to sustaining its own lore, commentary and debates on the dilemmas of fate and free will and the philosophy of karma, jyotish maintains a virtual materia medica of remedies for difficulties found in horoscopes. Vedic astrologers will frequently prescribe special stones, or specific therapeutic practices or meditation techniques using mantras to those facing difficult or unclear futures as predicted by means consistent with Jyotish methodology. In past centuries, Brahmins have been the primary practitioners of Jyotish. In the last century, a renaissance of study of Jyotish and other Vedic sciences has emerged in India and the west. Although the subject of much controversy among secularists and skeptics, as of the late 1990s and early 2000s, Indian universities have begun to create courses and curricula in the discipline. Sadhana means spiritual exercise in Hinduism. ... Karma or Karm(Sanskrit: कर्म from the root kri, to do, meaning deed) or Kamma (Pali: meaning action, effect, destiny) is a term in several eastern religions that comprises the entire cycle of cause and effect. ... A mantra is a religious syllable or poem, typically from the Sanskrit language. ... Young Indian brahmachari Brahmin A Brahmin (less often Brahman) is a member of the Hindu priestly caste. ...

The Vedas are replete with references to astrology in that cosmology and divinity are indistinguishable from the movements of Nature and planets and the growth of understanding in man as he lives in harmony with his highest spirituality. Surya, the Sun, is a manifestation of Vishnu, a central aspect of the Supreme, and is also the Atman within man. The term "Vedic astrology" has been recently introduced by American and Western astrologers in the 1980s and 1990s, leading to collaborative organizations such as the now-international Council of Vedic Astrology. The Vedas (Sanskrit:- वेद), collectively refers to a corpus of ancient Indo Aryan religious literature that are considered by adherents of Hinduism to be revealed knowledge. ... In Hinduism, Surya is the chief solar deity, son of Dyaush or Indra. ... For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ... This is a disambiguation page for the term atman (or atma). ... The 1980s, in its most obvious sense, was the decade between 1980 and 1989. ... The 1990s refers to the years 1990 to 1999; the last decade of the 20th Century, but in an economical sense The Nineties is often considered to span from the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 to the September 11 attacks in 2001. ...

Jyotish is still commonly used to aid in important decisions in modern India. In Hindu culture, newborns are traditionally named based on their jyotish charts, and jyotish concepts are pervasive in the organization of the calendar and holidays as well as in many areas of life and science. Astrology is vital to decisions made about marriage, opening a new business, moving into a new home, etc. A Hindu (also spelt Hindoo) is an adherent of philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, also known as Sanatan (सनातन) Dharma, the predominant religious, philosophical and cultural systems of Bharat (India) and Nepal and the island of Bali A popular name for India is Hindustan, or Land of the Hindus. ...

Hindu and Western astrologies

The most easily referred to difference between the two lies in the method of measurement of the Zodiac. Vedic astrology uses primarily the sidereal zodiac (in which stars are considered to be the fixed background against which the motion of the planets is measured), whereas most Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac (the motion of the planets is measured against the position of the Sun on the Spring equinox). Of course, the ancient rishis were aware of the tropical, season-based cycles of northern and southern declination paths of the Sun and used them also when appropriate. But in the popular mind, the main difference between the two systems is that Jyotish uses the sidereal zodiac and Western astrology uses the tropical. The most obvious effect of the sidereal/tropical difference is that about 80% of planets in a Western chart will move to the previous sign in a sidereal reading of the same chart. Zodiac signs, 16th century , medieval woodcuts The zodiac (from Greek zoon, animal) is an imaginary belt in the heavens extending approximately 8 degrees on either side of the Suns apparent path (the ecliptic), that includes the apparent paths of the Moon and the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. ... Sidereal astrology is the practice by some western and all Indian astrologers of basing their study of the sky on the actual position of the planets in relation to the starry background. ... The tropical zodiac is based upon tropical time, or the apparent motion of the Sun across the sky over the course of a year. ...

Both Jyotish and Western traditions have existed for millennia. Vedic astrology includes several nuanced sub-systems of interpretation and prediction incorporating unique sacralized elements not found elsewhere, such as its specific system of lunar mansions (called nakshatras, encompassing a pantheon of archetypal deities). The nakshatras are used to pick auspicious times of day or month for every human activity as well as to provide insight into the motivations and guiding characteristics of humans and events coming under their influence. Nakshatra cycles, or dashas, are developing a reputation in contemporary culture for the accuracy with which they time events. In Astrology the lunar mansions are a division of the Ecliptic similar to the Zodiac. ...

A further unique concept in jyotish not seen in Western astrology is the concept of Dashas - a mathematical analyses that breaks down human or the subject's lifetime into various sub-periods based on the location of Moon at birth.

Predictions in jyotish incorporate various elements around the birth chart - influences of transits (similar to Western Astrology though more focused on houses or bhavas) as well as Dashas.

Fundamentals of Jyotisha

Jyotish is based on what Western astrologers call the whole house system and recognizes nine grahas (heavenly bodies or "planets"):

They also recognize twelve zodiac signs, or Rashis: In Hinduism, Surya is the chief solar deity, son of Dyaush or Indra. ... The Sun (or Sol) is the star at the center of our Solar system. ... The soul, according to many religious and philosophical traditions, is the ethereal substance — spirit (Hebrew:rooah or nefesh) — particular to a unique living being. ... In Hinduism, I love Amit Chandra is a lunar deity. ... Crust composition Oxygen 43% Silicon 21% Aluminium 10% Calcium 9% Iron 9% Magnesium 5% Titanium 2% Nickel 0. ... The mind is the term most commonly used to describe the higher functions of the human brain, particularly those of which humans are subjectivel // holaMedia:Example. ... In Jyotish astrology, Mangala is the name for Mars, the red planet. ... Kuja in his normal attire. ... Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the solar system, named after the Roman god of war (the counterpart of the Greek Ares), on account of its blood red color as viewed in the night sky. ... Look up Confidence and confidence in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... eGO is a company that builds electric motor scooters which are becoming popular for urban transportation and vacation use. ... In Hindu mythology, Budha (not to be confused with Buddha) is the name for the planet Mercury, a son of Chandra (the moon) with either Tara or Rohini. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure trace Potassium 31. ... Communication is the process of exchanging information, usually via a common protocol. ... In Hinduism, Brihaspati is the god of magic and prayer. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 70 kPa Hydrogen ~86% Helium ~14% Methane 0. ... Shukra is the Sanskrit Name for Venus. ... (*min temperature refers to cloud tops only) Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 9. ... The concept wealth usually refers to money and property. ... This article is about an emotion. ... For other uses, see Reproduction (disambiguation) Reproduction is the biological process by which new individual organisms are produced. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 140 kPa Hydrogen >93% Helium >5% Methane 0. ... In Hindu mythology, Rahu is a snake that swallows the sun or the moon causing eclipses. ... St. ... Chaos derives from the Greek Χαος and typically refers to unpredictability. ... Ketu - c. ... The supernatural (Latin: super- exceeding + nature) comprises forces and phenomena which are beyond the realm of current scientific understanding, and which may actually directly contradict conventional scientific understandings. ...

One's Ascendant, or lagna, the rashi which is rising on the eastern horizon at the time of one's birth, is the most influential and important one. Of lesser importance but still some impact is the Janma Rashi, the rashi in which the moon lay while one was born. Aries ( , Latin for Ram) is one of the constellations of the zodiac. ... Taurus ( , Latin for bull) is one of the constellations of the zodiac. ... In mythology, the Gemini are Castor and Polydeuces. ... In astronomy and astrology, Cancer ( ), Latin for crab, is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. ... Leo (Latin for lion, symbol , Unicode ♌) is a constellation of the zodiac. ... See VIRGO (physics) for a French-Italian project in physics. ... Libra (Latin for balance, symbol , Unicode ♎) is a constellation of the zodiac. ... Scorpius ( , and Latin for scorpion) is one of the constellations of the zodiac. ... Sagittarius ( , and Latin for Archer) is a constellation of the zodiac, commonly depicted as a centaur drawing a bow. ... Capricornus (♑), a name meaning Horned Goat in Latin, is one of the constellations of the zodiac. ... Aquarius ( , Latin for the Water-bearer or Cup-bearer) is the eleventh sign of the zodiac, situated between Capricornus and Pisces. ... Pisces ( , Latin for fish (plural)) is a zodiac constellation which lies between Aquarius to the west and Aries to the east. ... The Ascendant is noted as As and is in the nine oclock position in the chart The ascendant of a given geographic location at a given point in time is the point on the zodiac which coincides with — i. ...

There are three different Jyotish chart notations, which are functionally equivalent but quite different in appearance. The following images show the same birth chart in the two main notations - North Indian and South Indian. The third notation is followed in Eastern parts of India.

In the North Indian notation, the house positions are fixed (1st house top middle, with the rest following in counterclockwise order) and the signs of the zodiac are indicated by numbers in the chart (1 for Aries, and so on). File links The following pages link to this file: Jyotish Categories: GFDL images ... File links The following pages link to this file: Jyotish Categories: GFDL images ... This 18th century Icelandic manuscript drawing shows the twelve astrological houses with signs for the locations of the planets, the sun and the moon. ... A clockwise motion is one that proceeds like the clocks hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back to the top. ... Aries ( , Latin for Ram) is one of the constellations of the zodiac. ...

Conversely, in the South Indian notation, the signs of the zodiac have fixed positions (Aries always occupies the 2nd box from the left in the top row, with the rest following in clockwise order), and the first house is marked "As" (for ascendant) with the rest following in clockwise order. Aries ( , Latin for Ram) is one of the constellations of the zodiac. ... Clockwise can refer to: Clockwise and counterclockwise Clockwise (movie) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Ascendant is noted as As and is in the nine oclock position in the chart The ascendant of a given geographic location at a given point in time is the point on the zodiac which coincides with — i. ...

The charts are broken into twelve sections, houses or Bhavas, each of which is related to a rashi in an equal house system.

Partial Bibliography

• "27 Celestial Portals", Trivedi, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, ISBN 0-940985-84-5
• "A Textbook of Varshaphala: Vedic Astrology Technique of Annual Horoscopy", Dr K.S. Charak, Uma Publications, New Delhi, India, ISBN 81-901008-1-5
• "Applications of Yogini Dasha for Brilliant Predictions", Rajeev Jhanji and N.K. Sharma, Systems Vision, New Delhi, India, ISBN 81-86374-00-0
• "Astrology of the Seers", Frawley, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, ISBN 0-914955-89-6
• "Dots of Destiny: Applications of Ashtakvarga", Vinay Aditya, Systems Vision, New Delhi, India, ISBN 81-868240-4-9
• "Elements of Vedic Astrology", Dr K.S. Charak, Uma Publications, New Delhi, India, ISBN 81-901008-0-7
• "Essentials of Medical Astrology", Dr K.S. Charak, Uma Publications, New Delhi, India, ISBN 81-901008-3-1
• "Fundamentals of Vedic Astrology, Veeic Astrologer's Handbook Vol. 1", Behari, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, ISBN 0-940985-52-7
• "Key of Life: Astrology of the Lunar Nodes", Trivedi, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, ISBN 0-940985-33-0
• "Light on Life: An Introduction to the Astrology of India", de Fouw and Svoboda, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, ISBN 0-940985-69-1
• "Myths and Symbols of Vedic Astrology", Behari, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, ISBN 0-940985-51-9
• "Nakshatras: The Lunar Mansions of Vedic Astrology", Harness, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, ISBN 0-914955-83-7
• "Planets in the Signs and Houses: Vedic Astrologer's Handbook Vol. 2", Behari, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, ISBN 0-940985-53-5
• "Predictive Techniques in Varshaphala: Annual Horoscopy", Dr K.S. Charak, Uma Publications, New Delhi, India, ISBN 81-868240-3-0
• "Subtleties of Medical Astrology", Dr K.S. Charak, Uma Publications, New Delhi, India, ISBN 81-901008-5-8
• "Surya The Sun God", Dr K.S. Charak, Uma Publications, New Delhi, India, ISBN 81-901008-2-3
• "Yogas in Astrology", Dr K.S. Charak, Uma Publications, New Delhi, India, ISBN 81-901008-4-X

See Also

• Vedas
• Hinduism
• History of India
• Culture of India
• Hindu calendar
• Hindu
• Bhrigu Samhita