Jyotish

Jyotish

from jyotiṣ – "light, heavenly body"

Traditional Indian astrology, also called vedic. Jyotish is one of the six vedangas.

Classic texts on jyotish divide it into three branches – hora, ganita and samhita – or 6 parts: jataka, muhurta, prashna, ganita, gola and nimitta. Hora includes jataka, muhurta, prashna and a small part of the nimitta; ganita includes ganita and gola; samhita includes most of the nimitta.

Jataka (also – rashi-chakra, or kundali) is dedicated to working with natal charts, muhurta (including panchanga) – to choosing a favorable moment of time for various actions and initiatives; prashna – to finding an answer to a question using a horoscope compiled for the place and time of a question. Nimitta deals with signs and omens; ganita and gola constitute the astronomical and mathematical subdivision of jyotish.

Jyotish's calculations are based on the sidereal zodiac of fixed stars, which is different from the tropical one used in Western astrology and based on the position of the Earth relative to the Sun.

Indian astrology has a set of unique, one of its inherent concepts and tools. These include, for example, nakshatras (lunar mansions), navagraha (or 9 grahas), yogis (special configurations of planets), dashas (planetary periods).

Another peculiarity of jyotish is the availability of methods of using precious stones, yagyas, etc. in order to prevent the negative influence of planets and to receive the support of the Universe. Jyotishi (astrologer) gives recommendations on the implementation of anushthanas (here – the repetition of certain mantras, the conduct of homa, etc.), based on the position of planets in the natal chart, as well as taking into account the current or upcoming planetary periods in life of consulted.