Vedic Astrology Glossary
Birth Chart / Natal Horoscope
Kundali (also spelled kundli or horoscope) is the Vedic birth chart - a diagram showing the exact positions of the Sun, Moon, and planets at the moment and place of your birth. It is the foundational tool of Jyotish, mapping personality, relationships, career, health, and timing across your entire life.
The word kundali derives from the Sanskrit kunda (bowl or pot) - originally referring to the circular or diamond-shaped chart diagram used in Indian astrology. In modern usage, kundali and kundli are used interchangeably across Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, and other South Asian languages to mean the complete birth horoscope.
What a kundali contains:
A complete kundali is not a single chart but a system of charts working together:
Lagna Chart (D1 - the natal chart) The primary chart. Shows the 12 houses from the ascendant, planetary positions in signs and houses, and planetary aspects. This is what most people refer to when they say 'kundali.'
Navamsha (D9 - the soul chart) The most important divisional chart, showing deeper character, spiritual nature, and the second half of life. Also used to assess marriage quality.
Dashamsha (D10 - career chart) Shows career trajectory, professional achievements, and status in society.
Saptamsha (D7 - children chart) Shows potential for children and creative legacy.
Trimsamsha (D30 - misfortune chart) Used to assess health challenges and major obstacles in life.
Beyond the physical chart itself, a complete kundali reading includes:
Kundali and marriage (Kundali Milan): In traditional Indian culture, kundali matching (kundali milan or kundali matching) is performed before marriage. A Vedic astrologer compares both partners' kundalis using the Ashta Kuta system - an 8-category compatibility score with a maximum of 36 points. Factors assessed include nakshatra compatibility, temperament match, emotional bonding potential, physical compatibility, and longevity of the relationship. A score of 18+ is generally considered acceptable; 28+ is considered excellent.
How to read your kundali: Reading a kundali begins with the lagna (ascendant), which sets the frame. Each house governs a life domain: 1st (self), 2nd (wealth), 3rd (courage), 4th (home), 5th (intelligence/children), 6th (health/enemies), 7th (marriage), 8th (transformation/longevity), 9th (fortune/dharma), 10th (career), 11th (gains), 12th (spirituality/losses). The sign each house falls in, which planets occupy it, and which planets aspect it from other houses - these three factors combine to interpret each life area.
Stellr generates your complete kundali from your birth date, time, and place - using Swiss Ephemeris astronomical precision to calculate every planetary position, house cusp, and divisional chart.
Concept map
7 terms
Ascendant / Rising Sign
Lagna is the degree of the zodiac rising on the eastern horizon at the exact moment of birth. It sets the first house of the chart, determines house rulerships, and acts as the chart's structural foundation - the body, self-expression, and life path.
Lunar Mansion
A nakshatra is one of 27 lunar mansions that divide the zodiac into equal 13°20′ segments. The moon's placement in a nakshatra at birth reveals personality nuances, emotional rhythms, and karmic themes that the broader rashi (zodiac sign) cannot capture.
Planetary Period System
A dasha is a planetary period in Vedic astrology that governs a specific phase of your life. Each planet rules a slice of the 120-year Vimshottari cycle. During its dasha, that planet's themes, strengths, and karmic patterns become the dominant story.
The Soul Chart (D9)
The Navamsha is the ninth divisional chart (D9) in Vedic astrology - the most important varga after the Rashi chart. It reveals the soul's deeper nature, the quality of partnerships and marriage, and whether a planet's promise in the birth chart will actually manifest.
Compatibility Chart Analysis
Synastry is the Vedic (and Western) practice of comparing two birth charts to assess relationship compatibility. In Jyotish, compatibility analysis (kundali matching) uses nakshatra-based kuta scoring and inter-chart planetary aspects to determine harmony, longevity, and growth potential in partnerships.
Planets of Vedic Astrology
Graha is the Sanskrit term for the planets used in Vedic astrology. The nine grahas - Sun (Surya), Moon (Chandra), Mars (Mangal), Mercury (Budha), Jupiter (Guru), Venus (Shukra), Saturn (Shani), and the lunar nodes Rahu and Ketu - form the complete set of influences analyzed in a Jyotish birth chart. Unlike planets in astronomy, Rahu and Ketu are mathematical points, not physical bodies.
Planetary Combination
In Jyotish astrology, a yoga is a specific planetary combination in the birth chart that produces a defined effect - ranging from great wealth and fame to spiritual liberation. Hundreds of yogas are catalogued in classical texts, each with precise conditions for formation and predictable results.
A kundali is a Vedic birth chart - a diagram showing where the Sun, Moon, and all nine planets were positioned at the exact moment and location of your birth. It is used in Jyotish (Vedic astrology) to understand personality, life patterns, and timing. The kundali encodes 12 life domains (bhavas), planetary strengths, yogas (special combinations), and an inbuilt timing system (dasha) that maps life events across years and decades.
Kundali matching is the traditional Vedic practice of comparing two people's birth charts before marriage to assess compatibility. It uses the Ashta Kuta system - 8 categories of Moon-nakshatra compatibility scored out of 36 total points. Categories include Varna (nature), Vashya (dominance), Tara (birth star compatibility), Yoni (sexual compatibility), Graha Maitri (planetary friendship), Gana (temperament), Bhakut (mutual prosperity), and Nadi (health and child potential). A score of 18+ is considered acceptable for marriage; scores below 18 traditionally raise concerns.
In South Asian usage, 'kundali' and 'horoscope' are often used interchangeably to mean the birth chart. Technically, a kundali in Vedic astrology is a sidereal chart - calculated from the actual positions of constellations (not anchored to the equinoxes). A Western horoscope uses the tropical zodiac anchored to the spring equinox. This creates roughly a 23° difference between the two systems, meaning most people have a different sun sign, moon sign, and rising sign in their kundali versus their Western horoscope.
Birth Chart Report
Related Tools
Calculate your free Vedic birth chart (kundali) from your birth details. Get your ascendant, moon sign, nakshatra, planetary positions, and house placements using Swiss Ephemeris DE431.
Explore your soul connection through Vedic astrology compatibility. Ashtakoota gun milan, Prabhakar score, Mars energy patterns, karmic threads, and life timeline alignment.
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