Glossary
Every classical term DestinIQ uses, defined without Sanskrit jargon. Bookmark this page and tap any term wherever it appears in the product to jump straight to its definition.
Looking for planetary combinations rather than terms? See the yoga catalogue — Gajakesari, Budhaditya, Ruchaka, Kala Sarpa, and 26 more, with formation conditions and effects.
The 36-point classical match score. Each of the 8 koots scores a different axis of compatibility, weighted by classical importance.
Varna assesses how the partners’ basic temperaments meet — whether one of you is wired to lead and the other to support, or whether you’re both leaders / both nurturers. The classical four-tier system maps Moon signs to Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra archetypes. Out of 1 point in the 36-point Ashtakoot.
Vashya looks at the magnetic pull between partners — who naturally influences the other. Healthy compatibility means you can each move the other; failure shows up as one partner always conceding or one always pushing. Out of 2 points in the 36-point Ashtakoot.
Tara measures whether being together feels auspicious or quietly tense. Computed from the count of Nakshatras between the two Moons, it’s a classical proxy for whether your timing rhythms reinforce or drain each other. Out of 3 points in the 36-point Ashtakoot.
Yoni is the most direct read on physical and instinctive compatibility — the “animal” read of attraction and intimacy. The classical system maps each Nakshatra to one of 14 animal pairs (Lion, Cow, Snake, etc.) and scores friendly / neutral / hostile pairings. Out of 4 points in the 36-point Ashtakoot.
Graha Maitri (literally “planetary friendship”) measures whether your minds click — whether conversation and daily decisions feel easy. Computed from the friendship/enmity between the lords of the two Moon signs. A high score means you’ll find each other interesting for years; a low score signals chronic “we just don’t see things the same way” fatigue. Out of 5 points in the 36-point Ashtakoot.
Gana classifies each Nakshatra into one of three temperament classes — Deva (calm, principled), Manushya (balanced, practical), or Rakshasa (intense, fiery). Mismatches don’t doom a marriage but they predict friction over emotional style: how arguments are conducted, how stress is expressed, how affection is shown. Out of 6 points.
Bhakoot reads the household-and-emotional fit between the two Moon signs — specifically the angular relationship between them. Some pairings (like 1-7 or 3-11) flow; others (especially 6-8 and 9-5) drain energy slowly in domestic life. Out of 7 points in the 36-point Ashtakoot. A separate Bhakoot dosha flag fires when the angular relationship is the problematic 6-8 or 9-5 axis.
Nadi is the highest-weighted koot in the 36-point system. It maps each Nakshatra to one of three constitutional types (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) and flags when both partners share the same Nadi — classically a concern for the health of children. Modern astrologers treat it as one factor among many; cancellations apply when Moon signs match or Nakshatra distance is large.
Chart imperfections classical texts flag in marriage decisions. All three on this list have well-defined cancellation rules — a "present" dosha is not always a problem in practice.
Manglik (Mangal Dosha) is flagged when Mars sits in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th, or 12th house from Lagna, Moon, or Venus. Reads as “this person brings combat energy into relationships.” Severity depends on which house Mars sits in — 7th and 8th are strongest. Three classical cancellation rules: (1) both partners are Manglik (Bhom Dosha Parihaar — the most cited rule), (2) Mars in own sign (Aries / Scorpio) or exalted (Capricorn), or (3) Jupiter or Moon conjuncts Mars. When cancelled, the practical impact is nullified.
Nadi Dosha fires when both partners share the same Nadi (Vata, Pitta, or Kapha). Classical texts flag it as a progeny-health concern. Cancellations apply when Moon signs are identical, when Nakshatras differ enough, or when Moon-sign lords share a navamsa. Modern practice treats it as one input among many rather than a hard veto.
Bhakoot Dosha is flagged when the two Moon signs sit in a 6-8 (mutual difficulty) or 9-5 (mutual frustration) relationship. The pattern manifests as slow domestic-life drain rather than overt conflict. Cancellations apply when the Moon-sign lords are friends, when the lords share a navamsa, or when both Moons sit in the same sign.
Pitra Dosha names a chart pattern (typically Sun-Rahu or Sun-Saturn affliction + a compromised 9th house) read as "ancestral debt" — unresolved karma flowing through the paternal lineage. Manifestations classically appear in financial flow around family, parental health, and 9th-house themes (luck, foreign exposure, dharma). Modern interpretations vary; the practical reading is "this chart pattern asks for structured family acknowledgment — temple offerings, supporting parents specifically, family-history rituals — rather than ignoring the line."
The structural pieces of a Vedic birth chart — what they are and why your birth time matters for them.
The Lagna (Ascendant) is the zodiac sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the exact moment of birth. It anchors the chart’s 12 houses and is considered the seat of the self, body, and personality. It changes roughly every two hours — which is why an accurate birth time matters for any chart-grounded reading.
Rashi refers to the zodiac sign the Moon occupied at the moment of birth. In Vedic astrology, this is what people mean by “your sign” — Western astrology uses the Sun sign instead. The Moon governs mind, emotion, and inner life, which is why so much of Vedic compatibility (Guna Milan, Tara, Bhakoot, Nadi) is computed from the two partners’ Moon signs.
A Nakshatra is one of 27 lunar mansions — 13°20′ slices of the zodiac. Where the 12 Rashis give you broad strokes, the 27 Nakshatras give finer-grained reads on personality, instinct, and timing. The Moon’s Nakshatra at birth is used to compute Guna Milan, Mahadasha periods, and many classical predictive techniques.
The Navamsa (D9) is the 9th harmonic divisional chart — each sign is divided into 9 parts of 3°20′ each, and a planet’s D9 sign is read as its “deeper truth.” It is the classical marriage chart: surface chemistry shows in the natal chart, but Navamsa shows what survives once novelty fades — typically year 5-7 onward. A Vargottama planet (same sign in natal and D9) is considered especially strong and stable.
Shadbala (literally "six strengths") is a classical scoring system that totals each planet’s strength across six axes: positional, directional, temporal, motional, natural, and aspect-based. Total scores typically run 0-150 with thresholds for "strong" (≥ 100 for Sun, ≥ 60 most others). Used to answer "does this planet have the power to actually deliver?" Critical for distinguishing yogas the chart can cash in vs. yogas that exist on paper only.
Putrakaraka literally means "significator of children" — and in classical Parashari astrology that role belongs to Jupiter. Jupiter’s placement, strength (Shadbala), and aspects determine fertility timing, child wellbeing, and the chart’s relationship with the next generation. Jupiter is also the broader wisdom-karaka — its condition influences education, advisory roles, and the dharmic alignment of life decisions.
Dhana Yogas are specific combinations of the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 9th, and 11th house lords — the "wealth houses." When two or more of these lords meet (in conjunction, mutual aspect, or exchange), the chart produces a Dhana Yoga and the structural foundation for sustained wealth is present. Different combinations produce different kinds of wealth — Lakshmi yoga (1+9 lords), Chandra-Mangala yoga (Moon-Mars), Saraswati yoga (Mercury-Venus-Jupiter), and others. Each is named in classical Parashari texts.
Atmakaraka literally means "significator of the soul." In Jaimini astrology (a parallel classical school to Parashari), the planet sitting at the highest degree in your chart — regardless of sign or house — is taken as the karaka for your soul’s primary theme this life. Sun as Atmakaraka points toward leadership / authority lessons. Saturn as Atmakaraka points toward discipline / responsibility / the long haul. Each planet, when serving as Atmakaraka, frames the core thread of the life.
Parashari astrology is the classical Vedic school founded on the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (BPHS), attributed to sage Parashara. It uses 12 houses, 9 planets (the 7 visible + Rahu + Ketu), 27 Nakshatras, and the Vimshottari Dasha timing system. Most "Vedic astrology" you encounter is Parashari. DestinIQ’s readings — Career Compass, Wealth Compass, Life Atlas, Stream Finder — all operate within the Parashari framework, with mathematical accuracy guaranteed by Swiss Ephemeris (NASA-grade) ephemeris data.
Pancha Mahapurusha literally means "five great beings." Each of the five non-luminary planets (Mars → Ruchaka, Mercury → Bhadra, Jupiter → Hamsa, Venus → Malavya, Saturn → Sasha) can form its own Mahapurusha yoga when it sits in its own sign or exaltation AND occupies a Kendra (1st, 4th, 7th, or 10th house). When formed, that planet stamps its themes deeply into the life — Mars → courage and command, Mercury → intellect and trade, Jupiter → wisdom and teacher-presence, Venus → refinement and magnetism, Saturn → discipline and gravitas.
Ruchaka is one of the five Pancha Mahapurusha yogas. It forms when Mars sits in Aries, Scorpio, or Capricorn (own/exalted) inside a Kendra. Classical traits: physical courage, athletic build, command in fields requiring force (military, sport, surgery), strong leadership presence under pressure. Strengthens the warrior-life-theme; does not by itself guarantee outcomes.
Bhadra forms when Mercury sits in Gemini or Virgo (own/exalted) inside a Kendra. Classical traits: sharp intellect, fluent communication, scholarly inclination, business acumen, success in writing, teaching, analysis, and trade. The chart leans toward thought-led professions.
Hamsa (literally "swan") forms when Jupiter sits in Sagittarius, Pisces, or Cancer (own/exalted) inside a Kendra. Classical traits: wisdom, ethical authority, teacher-presence, durable wellbeing, optimism that holds under stress. Often present in spiritual teachers, judges, advisors, and people sought out for counsel.
Malavya forms when Venus sits in Taurus, Libra, or Pisces (own/exalted) inside a Kendra. Classical traits: refined aesthetic, beauty, artistic gift, magnetism, comfort and ease in life, success in the arts, design, performance, and roles requiring charm.
Sasha (sometimes Sasa) forms when Saturn sits in Capricorn, Aquarius, or Libra (own/exalted) inside a Kendra. Classical traits: discipline, gravitas, longevity in chosen work, eventual large recognition. The reward arrives slowly — but it arrives, and is durable. Strong in leaders who outlast their peers.
Gajakesari ("elephant-lion") forms when Jupiter sits 1, 4, 7, or 10 houses from the Moon. It produces natural respect, eloquence, optimism that holds up under stress, and durable reputation — traits associated with people the community looks toward. A real differentiator between two otherwise-similar charts.
Budhaditya forms when Sun and Mercury share a sign. Classical traits: bright intellect linked to visible authority — writers, speakers, teachers, public-facing thinkers. If Mercury is too close to the Sun (≤14°) it becomes "combust" and the yoga softens — the gift is real but peaks during sub-periods when Mercury isn’t over-dominated.
Chandra-Mangala forms when the Moon and Mars share a sign. Classical signature: the native earns through their own action, not inheritance — entrepreneurial drive, emotional intensity, and a willingness to act. Partnerships need explicit conflict-handling rules because the same intensity that drives earnings can spark friction.
When the lord of a Kendra house (1, 4, 7, or 10 — pillars) and the lord of a Trikona house (1, 5, or 9 — dharma/fortune) come into conjunction or mutual aspect, they form the classical Raja Yoga. Produces durable status, recognition, and authority in the life-areas those two houses govern. Multiple such combinations stack their effects.
Vipareeta ("reversed") Raja Yoga forms when the lord of a difficult house (6, 8, or 12) sits in another difficult house. The malefic potentials neutralise each other and become an engine of rise — the native gains through unconventional, difficult, or contested paths where others retreat. Strong in turn-around stories.
Neechabhanga means "cancellation of debilitation." When a planet sits in its debilitation sign but its dispositor (or the planet exalted in that sign) is in a Kendra from the Lagna or the Moon, the debilitation is cancelled — and the planet, instead of acting weak, becomes a Raja-Yoga giver. The chart reads as "fall and rise" — the life-area starts low and is restored through effort, often becoming a distinctive strength.
Gandanta ("knot at the end") marks the three water-to-fire junctions of the zodiac: Pisces→Aries, Cancer→Leo, and Scorpio→Sagittarius. The zone is the last 3°20' of the water sign plus the first 3°20' of the fire sign — a 6°40' band. A Moon or ascendant in gandanta is treated as a karmic transition point needing extra early-life care and a traditional Shanti ritual. It is one factor among many in a chart, not a verdict; the whole chart (dispositor strength, aspects, dasha) decides how it actually plays out.
Mula is the 19th of the 27 nakshatras, spanning the first 13°20' of Sagittarius, ruled by Ketu with the deity Nirriti. The name means "root" — and the star is associated with research, healing, investigation, and getting to the cause of things. Because its first portion is the Scorpio→Sagittarius gandanta junction, and it is one of the six Gandmool nakshatras, a Mula birth traditionally calls for a Gandmool Shanti (often around the 27th day after birth) and extra early-childhood care. Its reputation is for intensity, not doom — many accomplished people are born in Mula.
Gandmool nakshatras are the six lunar mansions that sit at the junctions between signs ruled by Mercury and Ketu: Ashwini, Ashlesha, Magha, Jyeshtha, Mula and Revati. A birth in these — especially within their gandanta degrees — is traditionally considered sensitive and is settled with a Gandmool Shanti, a remedial ritual usually performed about 27 days after birth, when the Moon returns to the birth nakshatra. As with gandanta, it is a flag for extra care, not a curse — the full chart governs the actual outcome.
How Vedic astrology predicts when something happens, not just whether it happens. Periods, sub-periods, and the major Saturn transit.
A Mahadasha is the “major period” of a planet — a multi-year stretch when that planet’s themes dominate the native’s life. The Vimshottari Dasha system, the most widely used, runs 120 years total across 9 planets, with each planet getting a fixed-length sub-period (e.g. Sun 6 years, Moon 10, Saturn 19). The starting Mahadasha at birth is determined by the Moon’s Nakshatra. Inside each Mahadasha, the Antardasha (sub-period) refines the read further.
An Antardasha is a sub-period nested inside a Mahadasha, run by a different planet. The Antardasha sequence within a given Mahadasha starts with the Mahadasha lord itself, then proceeds through the other 8 planets in standard Vimshottari order. The same Mahadasha can play very differently depending on which Antardasha is active — Saturn Mahadasha during Jupiter Antardasha is structurally different from Saturn during Mars.
Sade Sati is Saturn’s 7.5-year transit through three signs — the sign before the Moon’s natal sign, the Moon sign itself, and the sign after. The middle 2.5 years (Saturn directly over the Moon) is the most-discussed peak. Classical texts flag it as a pressure-period for restructuring and discipline. Many Vedic astrologers treat the full 7.5 years as a structural arc rather than a curse — what survives Sade Sati tends to be what truly belongs in the life.
Sade Sati is the 7.5-year Saturn transit covering the sign before your Moon sign, the Moon sign itself, and the sign after. Each phase lasts roughly 2.5 years. Classically it’s the most structurally shaping transit a person experiences — it produces career restructuring, family responsibility shifts, and identity work. Not "bad luck" in the popular sense — but a slow structural pressure that resolves clean if you stay disciplined through it.
Kantaka Shani names Saturn’s transit through the 10th house from your natal Moon — a ~2.5-year window when career pressure intensifies, recognition delays, and structural work piles on. Classical texts describe it as the period when "the work hardens before the harvest." Promotions delay, scope expands, and the work compounds — but the visible result lands AFTER the transit clears. Knowing you are in Kantaka Shani helps you not over-react to the delay.
Vimshottari Dasha is the primary timing system in Vedic astrology — a 120-year cycle of major planetary periods (Mahadashas). Each Mahadasha is sub-divided into 9 Antardashas (sub-periods), and each Antardasha into Pratyantars (sub-sub-periods). The sequence is fixed: Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury. Your starting point in the cycle depends on the Moon’s Nakshatra at birth. This is how Career Compass / Wealth Compass / Life Compass time their "act now / wait until X" verdicts.
Janma Muhurat ("birth muhurat") is electional astrology applied to a planned birth. The Lagna (rising sign) cycles through all 12 signs each day, and the Lagna decides which planet rules which house — which is what turns the classical yogas on and off. By scanning every minute INSIDE the time window the doctor has cleared, we can identify the slots where the chart’s house-lordships produce the strongest yogas for whatever life-themes the parents want to amplify (wealth, leadership, athletic drive, scholarship, artistic gift, wisdom). It strengthens themes — it never guarantees outcomes. Medical safety always overrides timing.
Abhijit Muhurat is the eighth of the fifteen equal muhurtas that divide daytime (sunrise to sunset), so it straddles local solar noon and lasts about 48 minutes. Classical texts call it self-auspicious (the word abhijit means "victorious") and ruled by Brahma — strong enough to begin important work even when the panchang offers no other favourable window, and able to subdue minor doshas. Compute it as roughly 24 minutes either side of the sunrise–sunset midpoint; the clock time shifts with city and season. Many traditions avoid relying on it on Wednesday, and some caution against it for southward travel.
Concepts the compatibility engine uses behind the scenes — how the math is named in classical texts.
Ashtakoot — also called Guna Milan — is the 36-point classical compatibility score used in arranged marriage decisions across India. It’s the sum of 8 individual koots (Varna 1, Vashya 2, Tara 3, Yoni 4, Graha Maitri 5, Gana 6, Bhakoot 7, Nadi 8). Verdicts: 32+ excellent, 24-31 good, 18-23 acceptable, below 18 poor. It’s a starting filter, not a verdict — doshas, D9 fit, and chart-level dynamics matter at least as much.
Guna Milan literally means “quality matching.” In practice it’s a synonym for the 36-point Ashtakoot system — the same 8 koots, the same scoring. See Ashtakoot for the full breakdown.
A Vargottama planet sits in the same sign in both the natal Rashi chart and the Navamsa (D9). Classical texts treat it as exceptionally stable — its themes will play out cleanly and the planet behaves consistently across surface and depth. In compatibility, Vargottama planets in either partner’s chart are considered green flags for long-term durability.
DestinIQ computes all of this from your real birth chart — Swiss Ephemeris precision, no generic horoscope vibes.