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Glossary
Short definitions of the terms used across Astrolal, in alphabetical order.
Last updated 17 October 2026
- Abhijit Muhurat
- The eighth of fifteen daytime muhurtas, centred on local noon; widely treated as auspicious.
- Amanta / Purnimanta
- Two ways of ending a lunar month: at the new moon (Amanta) or at the full moon (Purnimanta).
- Antardasha
- A sub-period within a Mahadasha. Each Mahadasha holds nine, in Vimshottari order.
- Ayanamsa
- The angle between the tropical and sidereal zodiacs, about 24° today. Astrolal uses Lahiri.
- Bhava
- A house of the birth chart.
- Choghadiya
- Day and night each divided into eight periods, labelled good, neutral or bad, used for quick Muhurat choices.
- Dasha
- A planetary period. Astrolal uses the Vimshottari system of 120 years.
- Dosha
- A traditional affliction in a chart, such as Mangal Dosha. Many have recognised cancellations.
- Graha
- A planet; the nine are Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu.
- Hora
- A planetary hour: one-twelfth of daytime or night-time, ruled in turn by the seven visible planets.
- Karana
- Half a Tithi. There are eleven, four fixed and seven repeating.
- Kendra
- An angular house: 1, 4, 7 or 10.
- Lagna
- The Ascendant: the sign rising in the east at birth, which becomes the first house.
- Mahadasha
- A major planetary period in the Dasha system.
- Muhurat
- An auspicious time chosen for an activity using the Panchang.
- Nakshatra
- One of 27 lunar mansions of 13°20′ each.
- Pada
- A quarter of a Nakshatra (3°20′).
- Paksha
- A lunar fortnight: Shukla (waxing) or Krishna (waning).
- Panchang
- The Hindu almanac of five limbs: Tithi, Vara, Nakshatra, Yoga and Karana.
- Rahu Kaal
- A daily period of one-eighth of daytime, traditionally avoided for new beginnings.
- Rashi
- A zodiac sign; in everyday use, your Moon sign.
- Sade Sati
- The roughly 7½ years when Saturn transits the signs before, on and after your Moon sign.
- Sidereal
- Measured against the fixed stars, as Vedic astrology does.
- Tithi
- A lunar day: the time for the Moon to gain 12° on the Sun. There are 30 in a lunar month.
- Trikona
- A trine house: 1, 5 or 9.
- Vara
- The weekday, counted from sunrise.
- Varga
- A divisional chart such as D9 or D10.
- Vargottama
- A planet in the same sign in the D1 and D9 charts.
- Yoga (Panchang)
- One of 27 divisions based on the sum of the Sun's and Moon's longitudes.
- Yoga (chart)
- A specific planetary combination in a birth chart, such as Gaja Kesari Yoga.