'Houses', 'Bhavas'
The
Birth Chart used in the Hindu Vedic Astrology is shown as above. This is
the most common way of depicting the Kundali especially in the Northern India. In Southern
India the Chart is depicted in a Square format. However I will
be using the above mentioned Chart Format.
In
any Chart/ Kundali there are 12 compartments which are called 'Houses',
'Bhav', 'Sthan'. The topmost house is counted as the first house. (Number 1
House in the figure.) Then subsequently all the other houses are counted in
anti-clockwise direction.
Planets,
'Grahas'
There
are total 12 planets, 'grahas' considered in astrology.
Ancient Vedic Astrology only 9 planets are considered. The recently
discovered 3 planets namely Uranus ('Harshal'), Neptune and Pluto were
obviously not considered. However it is wise to consider all 12
planets.
The 12 Planets are as follows.
Planets English Names
|
Planets Hindu Names
|
Sun
|
Ravi
|
Moon
|
Chandra
|
Mercury
|
Budha
|
Venus
|
Shukra
|
Mars
|
Mangal, Kuja, Kartikeya
|
Jupiter
|
Guru
|
Saturn
|
Shani
|
North Node
|
Rahu
|
South Node
|
Ketu
|
Uranus
|
Harshal
|
Neptune
|
Neptune
|
Pluto
|
Pluto
|
They
are revolving around the Sun in their respective orbits. Exception is the
Moon, Rahu, Ketu. As you are all aware that the Moon is a satellite of our
Earth. Moon is revolving around the Earth and Earth in turn is revolving
around the Sun in its orbit.
Rahu and Ketu are not the actual planets at all. They are actually only
intersection points of the Earth and the Moon. However since these cosmic
points have considerable influence on the nature they are considered as
planets in the astrology.
Signs,
Rashis
There are twelve 12 Signs, Rashis as follows.
|
Sign No./
Name
|
Sanskrit Name
|
Meaning of
Sanskrit Name
|
Type
|
Sex
|
Mobility
|
Lord or
Bhavesh
|
1/ Aries
|
Mesha
|
Ram
|
Fire/ Agni
|
M
|
Movable/Chara
|
Mars
|
2/ Taurus
|
Vrushaba
|
Bull
|
Earth/ Bhumi
|
F
|
Fixed/ Sthir
|
Venus
|
3/ Gemini
|
Mithun
|
Couple
|
Air/ Vayu
|
M
|
Common/ Dwisabhavi
|
Mercury
|
4/ Cancer
|
Karka, Kataka
|
Crab
|
Water/ Jal
|
F
|
Movable/ Chara
|
Moon
|
5/ Leo
|
Simha
|
Lion
|
Fire/ Agni
|
M
|
Fixed/ Sthir
|
Sun
|
6/ Virgo
|
Kanya
|
Virgin
|
Earth/ Bhumi
|
F
|
Common/ Dwisabhavi
|
Mercury
|
7/ Libra
|
Tula
|
Balance
|
Air/ Vayu
|
M
|
Movable/ Chara
|
Venus
|
8/ Scorpio
|
Vrushchika
|
Scorpion
|
Water/ Jal
|
F
|
Fixed/ Sthir
|
Mars
|
9/ Sagittarius
|
Dhanu
|
Bow
|
Fire/ Agni
|
M
|
Common/ Dwisabhavi
|
Jupiter
|
10/ Capricorn
|
Makar
|
Alligator & Shark
|
Earth Bhumi
|
F
|
Movable/ Chara
|
Saturn
|
11/ Aquarius
|
Kumbha
|
Jug
|
Air/ Vayu
|
M
|
Fixed/ Sthir
|
Saturn
|
12/ Pisces
|
Meena
|
Fishes
|
Water/ Jal
|
F
|
Common/ Dwisabhavi
|
Jupiter
|
The Signs or Rashis are imaginary divisions of the
Zodiac. 360 degrees of a full circle are divided in 12 equal parts, each of
30 degrees, called a Rashi or Sign.
As the Earth is revolving around its own axis and takes 24 hours for that,
we see the Signs, Rashis revolving around us.
Ascendant
or the Lagna
The Sign, Rashi rising at the Eastern horizon at the time of the birth is
the Ascendant or the Lagna. As you must have gathered that at about every 2
hours (Division : 24 hours/12 signs) a new sign is going to rise, and hence
the ascendant or the lagna the starting point of the chart is going to
change. Same way every 4 minutes the Ascendant or the Lagna degree is going
to change. The subsequent Signs, Rashis are written in the next - next
houses in the anti-clockwise direction.
Fully
Plotted Birth Chart, Janma-Kundali
Lastly
all the precise positions of all the 12 planets at the time of the birth are
plotted in the chart.
Hence the Birth Chart or the Janma Kundali is the diagrammatic
representation of all the planets at the precise moment of time of the
birth.
Easy
Example : Suppose the birth was at about 7:00 A.M. i.e. just after the
sunrise. That means the Sun will be plotted in the first house (Eastern
Horizon). Further imagine that, the day was Full Moon Day i.e. Sun and Moon
are 180 degrees from each other. That means the Moon will be in the 7th
house.
Now
finally lets have a look at the following complete birth chart, Janma
Kundali where all the planets and the signs are plotted.
As
you can see that at the time of the birth Leo, Sinha Sign, Rashi was arising
at the eastern horizon and the birth time must have been near about the
sunrise as the Sun is in the first house. A rough idea can be brought out
about the time of the birth by looking at the Sun's position in any chart.
I
hope you must have got a fair idea about the Birth Chart or the
Janma-Kundali layout.
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