Glossary of Sanskrit and Astrological Terms
| Adhimitra 'original friend' | Refers to the natural friendly relationships of planets (not based on their temporary positions in a chart). For example, Jupiter and Mars are naturally friends and are therefore called adhimitras. |
| Adipati 'original lord’ | In astrology it refers to the owner of a sign. Sample usage: karma-dharma-adi-pati-yoga |
| Afflicted | A planet that is aspected by or is associated with malefics. |
| Affliction | Adverse aspects between planets or between a planet and a cusp (house) Planets getting debilitated or conjoined with evils are also said to be afflicted. |
| ANGLE Houses | 1, 4, 7 and 10 are said to be the angular houses. Hindus call them as Kendra-sthanas. |
| Antardashas | This refers the sub-period of a dasha. It is also known as 'bhukti'. The maha-dasha is the main period. |
| Anuradha | One of the 27 nakshatras, ruled by Saturn. |
| Apachaya | Refers to the following houses in a chart: first, second, fourth, seventh and eighth. |
| Apoklima | These are the cadent houses: third, sixth, ninth and twelfth. These are the four houses which are twelfth to the angle houses, not so good for material happiness. |
| Apoklima | The 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th |
| Ardra | This is one of the 27 principle stars or nakshatras and this one is ruled by Rahu. |
| Arishta | This means evil or danger. For example, balarishta-yoga is a combination of the words bala and arishta which means 'danger to children'. |
| Arishtabhanga-yoga | means that the arishtas or evils in the chart are bhanga or broken. It is interested to note that the word bhanga seems to have become bungle which means to mess up or break. arishtabhanga This is a general yoga which gives protection to the chart because it 'breaks the evils'. Arishtabhanga means to break the evils within a chart. This yoga is formed by having very good planets or very good lords in the angles or trines of the chart. |
| Artha | 'necessities'; one's necessities in life. Refers to the rocess of doing business or acquiring finances to meet one's necessities. See also anartha. |
| Artha trikona | Literally means the triangular houses of economic or material necessity issues. It refers to the tenth, second and sixth houses, because these are the houses which form the triangular or trikona formation from the tenth house. |
| ASCENDANT | The part that rises in the east at the time of the birth of a child or commencement of an event. It is also called 'Lagna', |
| Ashlesha | This is one of the 27 nakshatras and is ruled by Mercury. |
| Ashta | the number eight. |
| Ashtakavarga | literally means the divisions of eight dots; refers to the process of judging the strengths of the planets and the houses in relation to transits. Described in a number of classics, it is a system which can be used to judge the strengths of the planets as well as make predictions, especially regarding counting various things in life such as numbers of children and how benefic or malefic transits will be over one's chart. |
| Ashubha | Refers to 'not good' or inauspicious. The opposite of shubha, meaning auspicious. |
| Ashvini | This is the first of the 27 nakshatras and is ruled by Ketu. Within this nakshatra is the exaltation degree of the Sun. Ashvini literally means a female horse or a mare. It is the name of the wife of the Sun-god when she took the form of a mare to perform austerities on the earth. At that time, she gave birth to twin boys known as the |
| Aspects | All planets aspect the 7th house powerfully. Sani, Guru and Kuja have special aspects or Visesha Drishti, viz., Saturn the 3rd and 10th, Jupiter the 5th and 9th. and Mars the 4th and 8th. |
| Asura | This is the opposite of sura, or godly person. An asura is an ungodly or demoniac person. Rahu, prior to being beheaded by Vishnu, was an asura or demon. |
| Atma karaka | This is the principle or first significator amongst the seven planets. It is the planet with the highest degrees of all in the chart. It literally means the significator of the self. The atma karaka planet, or the one having the most degrees in any sign, somewhat represents the person whose chart it is in. |
| Avaroha | This means the descent or the setting of the planet. It also refers to the planet approaching it's debilitation point. |
| Avasthas | Literally means states or situations and refers to the condition surrounding a planetary placement. The avastha of a planet refers to which sign and house it is in, whether that planet is exalted or debilitated, etc. |
| Ayanabala | This is one of the six strengths which comprise the shadbala or six strengths of the planets. This strength comes from the planets' relationship with it's Northern or Southern course above and below the equator. |
| Ayanamsa | the distance of zodiac arc or measure of 360¼ which differentiates the actual zodiac from the tropical or relative seasonal zodiac. Currently the ayanamsa or difference between the actual start of the zodiac and the springtime tropical start of the zodiac is roughly around 23¼. The exact ayanamsa is not known, therefore there are a number of ayanamsas put forth to the world by various astronomers and well known astrologers. |
| Ayurveda | This is the vedic science of medicine which literally translates as "The knowledge for increasing the span of life". ayus Longevity; length of life-span, as in the word ayurdaya: the astrological practice of determining the life-span. This is also the root word of ayurveda. |
| Badhakasthana | This literally means the 'house of obstruction'. These are bad houses. For Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn rising signs, the eleventh house is the badhakasthana. For the rising signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius, it is the ninth house. For Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces, it is the seventh house. |
| Badhakgraha | This is the lord of the badhakasthana or obstruction house. These lords cause bad results in their sub-periods according to some classics. But this principle is generally not used by modern vedic astrologers. |
| Bala | Strength or power. |
| Balarishta | Evils affecting children. Refers to a group of yogas that deal with the death of infants. benefic Refers to a planet which is beneficial, given the particular rising sign of the chart. In general, the most benefic planets are the lords of the trikona houses: the first, fifth and ninth. The lords of the kendra houses, the fourth, seventh and tenth are also benefic, but may become malefics under certain rules. |
| Benefics | The waxing Moon, well-associated Mercury, Jupiter and Venus. These are the "natural benefics" whereas, depending on the rising sign in a chart there are "temporary benefics" given to any of the planets due to their lording over good houses. |
| Bhadra yoga | One of the panch-mahapurush yogas, which means five great person yogas. Bhadra yoga is the mahapurush yoga caused by Mercury when Mercury is in it's own sign or sign of exaltation in either an angle or trikonal house. |
| Bhagya | Refers to fate or destiny. |
| Bhamsha | Literally meaning twenty-seven parts, it refers to the twenty-seven part varga or divisional chart. Used for the fine-tuning of general judgments. |
| Bharani | The second of the 27 nakshatras, ruled by Venus |
| Bharan | means maintenance. |
| Bhava bala | Literally means the strengths of the houses in the chart. Described in a number of the classics, it is a complex mathematical process for arriving at the relative strengths of the houses in a chart. The overall use is that the stronger a house, the more it will be able to give it's best results. The weaker each house is will be an indicator of weakened or malefic results. |
| Bhava | Literally means 'house', as in the houses of the horoscope. bhava Refers to the houses of a horoscope. Literal meaning: house. |
| Bhavachakra | This refers to the chart of houses as opposed to the rasi chakra which is the chart of signs. Bhava chakra means exactly the same thing as chalitchakra |
| Bhavamadhya | This is the middle of a house. Madhya means middle, bhava means house. |
| Bhavasandhi | This refers to the very end or very beginning of a house or the junction of two houses. Planets lose their strength when in the bhavasandhi or junction of houses. |
| Bhavat bhavam | This is a principle in vedic astrology which means that the house that is as far away from a house as the house is from the ascendant also signifies those same things in a harmonic sort of way. For example, the third house is the eighth from the eighth house and is therefore similar to the eighth house and should be looked at when judging the affairs of the eighth house. |
| Bhinnashtakavarga | This is the ashtakavarga of each planet spelled out individually and separately in a grid-like chart and is used in a number of predictive techniques described in various classic jyotish books. |
| Bhoga | Refers to pleasure or enjoyment; also foodstuffs and other items which have not yet been offered to one's deity or offered to the Lord. Esoterically refers to that which is yet to be enjoyed by the Lord. Bhoga, or unoffered items are not to be taken by the humans. Only prasad, or those items which have been offered to the Lord already are to be enjoyed by humans. Prasad means mercy or remnants, and is the opposite of bhoga or unoffered sacrificial items. |
| Bhratru | brother |
| Bhratru karaka | The significator of the brother. One of the planetary significators defined in the Parashara Hora Shastra. |
| Bhu (Bhurloka | This is the name of the earth. Refers literally to the name of Bhumi, who is the mother goddess of the earth. Mars is the Bhumi Karaka or significator of earth.Her planet is part of what is called Bhurloka. It should be noted that the earth is not the only part of Bhurloka or the earthly plane. What we see of as the earth ball in space is only a part of the earth plane or Bhurloka, which in it's real form as a vast expanse is hidden from our vision, controlled by the demigods. In other words we see only what we are meant tosee. For the rest of the truth we have to see through the revealed scriptures. |
| Bhukti | This is the second level in the dasha system. It is the sub-period after the main period of the current dasha. |
| Bindus Literally | dot. Refers to the number of positive points in a particular sign in the ashtaka varga system of strength judgment as described in a number of the classics. A planet has from one to eight bindus in it's ashtaka varga chart. The more bindus, the better. |
| BIRTH TIME | The exact moment when the whole body of the child gets separated from the mother. |
| Body Parts Rulers | Aries-Head; Taurus-Face; Gemini-Neck; Cancer- Chest; Leo-Stomach; Virgo-Waist; Libra-Sexual Organ; Scorpio-Belly; Sagittarius-Thighs; Capricorn- Knees; Aquarius-Buttocks; Pisces-Feet. |
| Brahma | The name of the highest demigod in this creation. He is born on a lotus flower which sprouts from the navel of LordVishnu. He has four heads. During his day, the creationexists, and during his night it is absorbed within him. His day lasts for 1,000 chatur yugas, or 1,000 cycles of four periods: Satya yuga, Treta yuga, Dvapara yuga and Kali yuga. As a demigod, he rules over some of the nakshatras as well as some of the shastiamshas used in vedic astrology. He is beholden only to Vishnu, Sada Shiva and Krishna. All other demigods in this creation are under Brahma, including such great personalities and demigods as Indra, Agni, Surya, Chandra, etc. |
| Brahman | A person who belongs to the first class or caste of human beings. A person who studies the vedas diligently and imbibes all the good qualities recommended therein. A person who knows the science of spirit, religion, liberation, astrology, literature, medicine, etc.- a first class human being. This is not something that can be inherited by birth. It must be earned individually and it is subject to reversal at any time by falldown from the brahminical qualities. The word also refers to spirit in general- the all pervading aspect of Supreme Divinity that pervades every atom in all time and all space. A brahmana is a knower of brahman or spirit, which is also absolute truth. |
| Brihaspati | This is the sanskrit name for Thursday, but really it is the name for the demigod who rules Jupiter. Brihaspati is a great personality referred to in many of the puranic scriptures of ancient India. He is the guru of all the demigods. In other words, he is the great sage who the demigods under Brahma listen to for daily advice. As the ruler of the planet Jupiter, he is the personality behind all the aspects and functions of the Jupiter planet. So his other name is guru. In understanding the actions and ways of Brihaspati, who is a real person living on higher planets within this universe which are relayed to us through the Puranas such as the Bhagavat Purana or Shrimad Bhagavatam We can come to understand the true functionality and ways of behavior of the Jupiter planet. |
| Briha | Literally means great. |
| Budha | This is the name of the planet Mercury in sanskrit. Budha is a demigod who is a yuvaraj to the rulership of the Sun. Yuvaraj means the crowned prince or successor to the throne. It is the nature of Budha which gives Mercury it's functionality and nature. |
| Budhi | Intelligence; that which flows from Budha or the planet Mercury, the controller and significator of our finer thinking capacity or intelligence which is known as Budhi. This word is used throughout sanskrit philosophical literature, such as in the verse in the Bhagavad gita spoken by Lord Krishna which begins: "vyavasayatmika budhi ekeha kuru nandana", which refers to the one-pointed intelligence of those who are devoted to Krishna. |
| CADENT | Houses 3, 6, 9 and 12 are called Cadent Houses |
| CARDINAL | Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn are Cardinal signs. |
| Chakra | This word has a number of meanings. Amongst them, a spinning circle, a diagram formed more or less in the shape of a circle, a center of energy radiating from a central point within the body and also a cycle or procession of events that recurs in a circular fashion. This is also the word used to describe a chart such as in the two word combination of rasi chakra which means the chart or circular formation of the signs of the zodiac. The best single word for defining charka is circle. |
| Chalitchakra | This refers to the chart of houses as opposed to the rasi chakra which is the chart of signs. Chalitchakra means exactly the same thing as bhavachakra. |
| Chamara | A white or light gray fluffy whisk fan made out of a yak tail, used in ceremonial worship of the Supreme Lord or His representative. |
| Chandala | This is the name of one of the lowest rungs of human society. It means persons who have no discretion and would even engage in what the vedas consider to be a most abominable activity- that of eating small animals such as dogs and cats. |
| Chandra mangala yoga | This refers to a combination between the Moon and Mars. Chandra is the Moon and mangala means Mars. Chandra mangala yoga fires up the mind. The Moon rules the mind. |
| Chandra | This is the Moon and also the name of the demigod who rules the Moon, |
| Chandradeva | He is one of the primeval demigods in this creationary cycle. This is what the Moon is called in India, as well as by Indian or Hindu astrologers. |
| Chandrashtama | This is when the Moon transits in the eighth sign from a person's rising sign and is not considered good at all. This word is primarily formed by combining the two words chandra and ashta which mean Moon and Eighth respectively. |
| Chandrodaya | Moonrise. It is also the name of the very large temple constructed in the city of Mayapura by Bhaktivedanta Swami . |
(The rest will appear on this website in the near future. It is under construction}
Note: Certain parts of this Glossary are taken from Das Goravani and many other books and journals.
