Vedic Astrology :

The word “Vedic” means “pertaining to Vedas'. Vedas are the sacred scriptures of, what is known today as, Hinduism and they are supposed to contain knowledge of all subjects. Moreover, astrology in particular is supposed to be a “Vedaanga” (which means a limb of Vedas). In particular, it is said to be the eye of the Vedas.

Jyotish is considered to be one of the Vedangas (part of Vedas) propounded by lord Brahma by the scientific study of which human beings can accomplish virtue. Jyotish shastra or the science of Vedic astrology, is a compilation of 4,00,000 verses (vide Narada Purana, II.50.2). Vedic astrology has mainly three branches – Siddhanta (the principle), Jataka or Hora (astrology for individuals) and Samhita (astrology for masses).

• Siddhanta, also known as Ganita,deals with the mathematical calculations, the methodology of calculating planetary positions, knowledge about time, place, direction, lunar and solar eclipses, their rising and setting, planetary movements, conjunctions, retrogression, etc.

• Jataka (Hora) deals with the techniques of interpretation of horoscopes of individuals. It describes signs, planets, their qualities, family situations/ circumstances at the time of birth, arishta (mishaps), longevity of the native, different dasha systems and their results, profession (sources of livelihood), ashtakavarga, varied types of yogas, results of planetary positions in different houses, signs, nakshatras, aspects of planets, planetary combinations, female horoscopy, circumstances at the time of death, cases of unknown birth time, etc. The term ‘Hora’ has been applied to ‘Jataka’ or natal astrology, as well as to the ‘Muhurta’ or electional astrology (i.e., selecting the appropriate moment to commence an undertaking).

• Samhita is that branch of astrology which is related to masses and is a compilation of varied subjects like the results of rising and setting of planets, appearance of different types of comets, varied types of chakras, predicting about rainfalls, earthquakes, natural disasters and epidemics, results of planetary movements on kingdoms, nations, masses and commodities, etc.

The Geocentric System

It is a human tendency to refer to other things in relation to oneself. Sitting in a moving train, we see things passing by the train – trees, farms, hutments, etc. A common question arises in our mind – which is the station coming next? At the back of our mind we do know that it is not the station which is going to come, it is the train which will reach the next station. Similarly we refer to the rising and setting of the Sun. But we do know that it is not the Sun which is rising or setting, it is the spin of the earth which makes it appear so.

Because we feel stationary on the solid earth, the sky seems to spin around us in complicated ways. In our quest to understand what we see, our ancients had evolved a most innovative and powerful tool.

As nothing is stationary in the universe, whether it is a satellite or a planet or even a star, it is convenient to imagine our position in the universe – the earth – as its centre and the whole of the universe moving around us in constant motion. Thus considering the relative positions and movements of all heavenly bodies with respect to the earth is the Geo-centric system. On the other hand, when we consider the relative position of planets (including the earth) in respect of the Sun, it forms the basis of the Helio-centric system. Vedic astronomy and astrology are essentially geo-centric in their concept.

The Earth

The earth is spherical and rotates from west to east around its axis. The axis of the earth is an imaginary line which, passing through its centre, connects its two poles, the north pole and the south pole. Another imaginary line running across the largest circumference of the earth, equidistant from its poles and running in an east-west direction, is called the equator.

The Celestial Sphere

Think of the sky as a great, hollow, crystalline sphere surrounding the earth. Imagine the stars to be attached to the inside of the sphere like thumbnails stuck in the ceiling. The sphere takes one day to rotate, carrying the Sun, the Moon, the planets and the stars from east to west. We know that the sky is not a great, hollow, crystalline sphere. The stars are scattered through space at different distances, and it isn’t the sky that rotates once a day. It is rather the earth that rotates once in a day around its axis. It is convenient as a model of the sky. This model of the sky, the Celestial sphere, is an imaginary hollow sphere of very large radius (infinity) surrounding the earth and to which the stars seem to be attached. On this imaginary sphere the celestial equator, the celestial poles, and other reference points are marked as they are done on the earth; these represent the extensions of the equator and the poles, etc., of the earth into infinity.

Zodiac

The earth takes one year to complete its rotation around the Sun. From the earth, it appears that the Sun moves around the earth. This apparent path of the Sun is known as ecliptic. An imaginary belt of 18 degrees width with ecliptic in its centre is known as the zodiac. Many groups of stars appear to have been studded on this imaginary belt. Vedic astrology recognizes 27 such groups of stars called nakshatras.

The zodiac encircles the earth like a circle consisting of 360 degrees. If this circle is divided into 27 equal parts, each part will be of 13 degrees and 20 minutes arc, known as a nakshatra. Each nakshatra is further divided into 4 quarters (padas or charanas), of 3 degrees and 20 minutes arc each.

Twelve divisions of the zodiac will have an arc of 30 degrees each, known as rashis (or signs).

The above figure shows rising of the Sun in the eastern horizon. The line passing through the centre of the Sun is the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun created by its ‘revolution’ around the earth during its annual journey. The group of stars, referred to as the nakshatras, are the fixed reference points in the zodiac used to locate the position of the Sun, the Moon and other heavenly bodies. All the planets considered in Vedic astrology for the purpose of interpretation, do not decline beyond the belt of the zodiac. They may be on the ecliptic or towards the north or sourth of the ecliptic depending on their latitude with reference to the ecliptic.

For example, the orbit of the Moon is inclined at an angle of 5 degrees to the ecliptic. The Moon does not go beyond 5 degrees on either side of the ecliptic. The orbit of the Moon cuts the ecliptic at two point. In its orbit, when the Moon is on the ecliptic while moving from south of ecliptic to north, this point is known as Rahu or the ascending node of the Moon and when the Moon is on the ecliptic while moving from north of ecliptic to south of ecliptic, this point of intersection is known as Ketu or the descending node of the Moon.

The point of sunrise with respect to the observer keeps changing during the year. If A is the point of sunrise when the Sun is at vernal equinox (around March 21 every year), the point of sunrise will appear to move northwards till it reaches the summer solstice (B) on or around June 21. from this point it will start its southernly journey (Dakshinayana) during which it reaches the autumnal equinox (again A) around September 23 and further until it reaches winter solstice (C) around December 22. At this stage it starts its northward journey (Uttarayana).

Tropical Zodiac

The most crucial point in the division of a circle is to know the starting point of the circle. The point where the ecliptic cuts the celestial equator is known as equinox. There are two such equinoxes – the vernal equinox and the autumnal equinox. When the Sun is passing from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere, it cuts the equator at vernal equinox. When the division of the circle of the zodiac is with reference to vernal equinox as its starting point, the zodiac is referred to as the Sayana (or tropical) zodiac, the divisions of this zodiac into twelve equal parts are the Sayana rashis, and the positions of planets in this zodiac represent the Sayana longitudes of the planets.

The Precession of Equinoxes

If we could watch the sky for a few hundred years, we would discover that the north celestial pole is moving slowly with respect to Dhruva (Polaris) star. The celestial poles and the celestial equator, supposed to be the fixed reference marks, are moving very slowly because of the slow change in the direction of Earth’s axis of rotation. This slow top-like motion is called precession. Earth’s axis sweeps around in a cone, taking almost 26,000 years for each sweep.

Precession is caused by the gravitational pull of the Sun and the Moon. Because earth is not a perfect sphere – it has a slight bulge around its equator – Sun and Moon pull on it, trying to make it spin upright in its orbit. This forces earth’s axis to precess.

The result of this precession is that vernal equinox, the cutting point of the ecliptic and the celestial equator, drifts westward on the ecliptic by an approximate angle of 51 seconds of an arc each year. So we have a new vernal equinox every year and hence a new staring point of the Sayana zodiac. This results in the shifting of the Sayana signs.

Sidereal Zodiac

The Vedic system does not depend on this shifting zodiac and relies on a fixed point on the zodiac as its starting point. There is no clear cut demarcation of this starting point in the zodiac. Some consider this point to be 180 degrees opposite to the Chitra nakshatra. Some consider it to be slightly to the east of the Revati nakshatra, while still others opine differently.

When the division of the circle of the zodiac is with reference to the Vedic starting point, the zodiac is referred to as the Nirayana (or Sidereal) zodiac, the twelve equal parts are the Nirayana rashis, and the positions of planets in this zodiac represent the Nirayana longitudes of the planets.

The angular difference between the vernal equinox and the Vedic starting point of the zodiac is known as the Ayanamsha. When the Vedic starting point is with reference to Chitra nakshatra, the Ayanamsha is refered to as the Chitrapaksha Ayanamsha. According to this system the first point of Sayana zodiac and Nirayana zodiac coincided in the year 285 A.D. The corresponding value of this Ayanamsha on January 1997 is 23°48'56'.

Grahas (planets) :

The words “planet” and “star” are used in a slightly different sense in astrology than in astronomy. For example, Sun (a star) and Moon (a satellite of earth) are called planets in astrology, along with Mars etc. Basically, a graha or a planet is a body that has considerable influence on the living beings on earth. Distant stars have negligible influence on us, but Sun, Moon and planets in the solar system have a great influence on our activities. So the word graha (or planet) is used to describe them.

Seven planets are considered in Indian astrology. They are – Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. In addition, two “chaayaa grahas” (shadow planets) are considered in Indian astrology – Rahu and Ketu. These are also called “the north node” and “the south node” respectively (or the head and tail of dragon). Rahu and Ketu are not real planets; they are just some mathematical points. Apart from these 9 planets, there are 11 moving mathematical points known as Upagrahas (sub-planets or satellites).

We also have lagna (ascendant), which is the point that rises on the eastern horizon as the earth rotates around itself. In addition, we have some mathematical points known as “special ascendants'.

Sanskrit Name	English Name	Abbreviation	Gender	Guna
Surya (सूर्य)	Sun	Sy or Su	M	Sattva
Chandra (चंद्र)	Moon	Ch or Mo	F	Sattva
Mangala (मंगल)	Mars	Ma	M	Tamas
Budha (बुध)	Mercury	Bu or Me	N	Rajas
Brihaspati (बृहस्पति)	Jupiter	Gu or Ju	M	Sattva
Shukra (शुक्र)	Venus	Sk or Ve	F	Rajas
Shani (शनि)	Saturn	Sa	M	Tamas
Rahu (राहु)	North Lunar Node	Ra	M	Tamas
Ketu (केतु)	South Lunar Node	Ke	M	Tamas

Planets in maximum exaltation, mooltrikona (own sign), and debilitation, are:^[12]

Graha	Exaltation	Mooltrikona	Debilitation	Sign Rulership
Sun	10° Aries	4°-20° Leo	10° Libra	Leo
Moon	3° Taurus	4°-20° Cancer	3° Scorpio	Cancer
Mars	28° Capricorn	0°-12° Aries	28° Cancer	Aries, Scorpio
Mercury	15° Virgo	16°-20° Virgo	15° Pisces	Gemini, Virgo
Jupiter	5° Cancer	0°-10° Sagittarius	5° Capricorn	Sagittarius, Pisces
Venus	27° Pisces	0°-15° Libra	27° Virgo	Taurus, Libra
Saturn	20° Libra	0°-20° Aquarius	20° Aries	Capricorn, Aquarius

Rahu and Ketu are exalted in Taurus/Scorpio and are also exalted in Gemini and Virgo.

The natural planetary relationships are:^[13]

Graha	Friends	Neutral	Enemies
Sun	Moon, Mars, Jupiter	Mercury	Venus, Saturn
Moon	Sun, Mercury	Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn	Mercury, Venus, Saturn
Mars	Sun, Moon, Jupiter	Venus, Saturn	Mercury
Mercury	Sun, Venus	Mars, Jupiter, Saturn	Moon
Jupiter	Sun, Moon, Mars	Saturn	Mercury, Venus
Venus	Mercury, Saturn	Mars, Jupiter	Sun, Moon
Saturn	Venus, Mercury	Jupiter	Sun, Moon, Mars
Rahu, Ketu	Mercury, Venus, Saturn	Mars	Sun, Moon, Jupiter

Zodiac

Imagine a belt or a path in the sky, some 18 degrees of are in

width, running around the earth in an east-west direction.

Groups of stars, to all appearance fixed, are studded along this

imaginary belt. Twenty seven (or twenty eightl) such groups of

stars are in Vedic astrology. Because of lack of

apparent motion, these are called as Nakshatras. This imaginary

belt, with nakshatras studded on it, is called the zodiac.

The zodiac forms the reference point for fixing up the position

of any planet or star in the sky. Since it encircles the earth, it

is comprised of 360 degrees. The twenty-seven nakshatras being

evenly placed on it each have a span of 13°2O' arc. The various

nakshatras are numbered from one to twenty-seven.

In contrast to the fixed nakshatras, there are the moving

heavenly bodies called the Grahas. These move along the zodiac

from the west to the east. They derive their name from the

fact that, while moving against the background of the

nakshatras, they appear to get hold of one nakshatra after the

other (graha = to catch hold 00. Vedic astrology recognises nine

grahas. They are the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter,

Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu. Of these, the Sun is a star, the

Moon is a satellite of the earth, Rahu and Ketu are mere

mathematical points on the zodiac, while the remaining ones

are planets.

Rasis (zodiac signs) :

The positions of all these planets, upagrahas, lagna and special lagnas in the zodiac

are measured in degrees, minutes and seconds from the start of the zodiac (which is a

fixed point in the sky). These positions are measured as seen from earth and they are

called “geocentric positions'. These positions are measured in

longitude and sphuta. When watched from earth, the longitude of any planet in the

skies can be from 0°0'0' (0 degrees 0 minutes 0 seconds) to 359°59'59'. It should be

noted that 0°0'0' corresponds to the beginning of the zodiac.

Sidereal zodiac is also an imaginary belt of 360 degrees (as viewed from earth), divided into 12 equal parts. Each twelfth part (of 30 degrees) is called sign or rashi.

The zodiac (sky) lasts 360° as mentioned above and it is divided into 12 equal parts.

They are called “rasis” (signs). English names, Sanskrit names, two-letter symbols

and values of the start longitude and the end longitude (in degrees, minutes and

seconds) of all twelve rasis are given in below table.

Rasi name	Sanskrit Name	Symbol	Start	End
Aries	Mesha	Ar	0°0'0'	29°59'59'
Taurus	Vrishabha/	Ta	30°0'0'	59°59'59'
Gemini	Mithuna	Ge	60°0'0'	89°59'59'
Cancer	Karkataka/	Cn	90°0'0'	119°59'59'
Leo	Simha	Le	120°0'0'	149°59'59'
Virgo	Kanya	Vi	150°0'0'	179°59'59'
Libra	Thula	Li	180°0'0'	209°59'59'
Scorpio	Vrischika	Sc	210°0'0'	239°59'59'
Sagittarius	Dhanus	Sg	240°0'0'	269°59'59'
Capricorn	Makara	Cp	270°0'0'	299°59'59'
Aquarius	Kumbha	Aq	300°0'0'	329°59'59'
Pisces	Meena	Pi	330°0'0'	359°59'59'

Number	Sanskrit Name	Western/Greek Name	Tattva (Element)	Quality	Ruling Planet
1	Meṣa (मेष) 'ram'	Aries (Κριός 'ram')	Tejas (Fire)	Cara (Movable)	Mars
2	Vṛṣabha (वृषभ) 'bull'	Taurus (Ταῦρος 'bull')	Prithivi (Earth)	Sthira (Fixed)	Venus
3	Mithuna (मिथुन) 'twins'	Gemini (Δίδυμοι 'twins')	Vayu (Air)	Dvisvabhava (Dual)	Mercury
4	Karkaṭa (कर्कट) 'crab'	Cancer (Καρκίνος 'crab')	Jala (Water)	Cara (Movable)	Moon
5	Siṃha (सिंह) 'lion'	Leo (Λέων 'lion')	Tejas (Fire)	Sthira (Fixed)	Sun
6	Kanyā (कन्या) 'girl'	Virgo (Παρθένος 'virgin')	Prithivi (Earth)	Dvisvabhava (Dual)	Mercury
7	Tulā (तुला) 'balance'	Libra (Ζυγός 'balance')	Vayu (Air)	Cara (Movable)	Venus
8	Vṛścika (वृश्चिक) 'scorpion'	Scorpio (Σκoρπιός 'scorpion')	Jala (Water)	Sthira (Fixed)	Mars
9	Dhanus (धनुष) 'bow'	Sagittarius (Τοξότης 'archer')	Tejas (Fire)	Dvisvabhava (Dual)	Jupiter
10	Makara (मकर) 'sea-monster'	Capricorn (Αἰγόκερως 'goat-horned')	Prithivi (Earth)	Cara (Movable)	Saturn
11	Kumbha (कुम्भ) 'pitcher'	Aquarius (Ὑδροχόος 'water-pourer')	Vayu (Air)	Sthira (Fixed)	Saturn
12	Mīna (मीन) 'fish'	Pisces (Ἰχθεῖς 'fish')	Jala (Water)	Dvisvabhava (Dual)	Jupiter

Rashi Notation

If a planet is at 221°37', then you can find from above table that it is between 210°0'0' and 239°59'59'. So, that planet is in Scorpio (or Vrischika). Its advancement from the start of the rasi occupied by is 11°37'. Its position in the zodiac (221°37') is shown by some people by the notation 11°37' in Sc or simply 11 Sc 37. This means “advanced by 11°37' from the start of Sc (Scorpio)'.

The whole zodiac is nothing but a manifestation of Lord Vishnu’s body. Aries is the

head. Taurus is the face. Gemini is the arms. Cancer is the heart. Leo is the stomach.

Virgo is the hip. Libra is the space below navel. Scorpio is the private parts.

Sagittarius is the thighs. Capricorn is the knees. Aquarius is the ankles. Pisces is the

feet. These are the limbs that rasis in the natural zodiac stand for. Because we are all part

of the Supreme energy governing this world, the above mapping applies to us too.

For example, we should pay attention to Leo for analyzing stomach problems and to

Pisces for analyzing problems related to feet and so on.

The Sage Parashara gives many details about each rasi. There is a lot of information we can learn about each sign by delving into this information. This table has several of the important attributes of each rasi.

Sign	Element	Modality	Polarity	Guna	Feet	Appearance	Lord
Aries	Fire	Moveable	Male	Rajas	Quadruped	Prominent	Mars
Taurus	Earth	Fixed	Female	Rajas	Quadruped	Long	Venus
Gemini	Air	Dual	Male	Rajas	Biped	Even	Mercury
Cancer	Water	Moveable	Female	Sattwa	Watery / Insect	Bulky	Moon
Leo	Fire	Fixed	Male	Sattwa	Quadruped	Large	Sun
Virgo	Earth	Dual	Female	Tamas	Biped	Medium	Mercury
Libra	Air	Moveable	Male	Rajas	Biped	Medium	Venus
Scorpio	Water	Fixed	Female	Tamas	Insect	Slender/ Hairy	Mars
Sag	Fire	Dual	Male	Sattwa	Biped/ Quadruped	Even	Jupiter
Capricorn	Earth	Moveable	Female	Tamas	Quadruped/ Watery	Large	Saturn
Aquarius	Air	Fixed	Male	Tamas	Biped	Medium	Saturn
Pisces	Water	Dual	Female	Sattwa	Footless	Medium	Jupiter

It is through the Rasis (signs) that the planets express their nature as psychological forces and as house / sign lords. The planet that rules the house / sign will be the Lord of any planet that is contained in it and determine the energy behind what is produced through the house.

n Indian Astrology when a zodiac is divided into twelve equal parts, each such part has an extension of 30 degrees of arc. Such a division is called a sign or Rasi.

There are 12 houses of Rasi's.

Indian System of Houses

Mesha (21-March to 20-April )

Vrishaba (21-April to 20-May )

Mithuna (21-May to 20-June)

Karkata (21-June to 20-July)

Simha (21-July to 20-August)

Kanya (21-August to 20-September)

Tula (21-September to 20-October )

Vrischika (21-October to 20-November )

Dhanus (21-November to 20-December)

Makara (21-December to 20-January )

Kumbha (21-January to 20-February)

Meena (21-Februaryto 20-March)

Lords of Houses

Each Rasi has a planet assigned to it as Lord of the House.

Houses
1	Kuja (Mars)
Vrishaba
3	Buddha (Mercury)
Karkata
5	Surya (Sun)
Kanya
7	Sukra (Venus)
Vrischika
9	Guru (Jupiter)
Makara
11	Sani (Saturn)
Meena

Exalted Houses

Each planet has a point in the zodiac where it attains maximum strength. The houses where they have the maximum strength are called the houses of exaltation.
Planets and their exaltation houses (Uchacha)

No	Exalted House
Ravi (Sun)
2	Vrishaba
Kuja (Mars)
4	Kanya
Guru (Jupiter)
6	Meena
Sani (Saturn)

Debilitated Houses

Each planet has a point in the zodiac where it has the minimum strength. The houses where the planets have the minimum strength are called the houses of debilitation.

Planets and their debilitated houses

No	Debilitated House
Ravi (Sun)
2	Vrischika
Kuja (Mars)
4	Meena
Guru (Jupiter)
6	Sukra
Sani (Saturn)

Period of stay of Planets in each House

Planet

Sun

Moon

Mars

Mercury

Jupiter

Venus

Saturn

Rahu

Ketu

Types of Houses

Movable (Chara)	Common (Dwiswabhava)
Vrishaba
Karkata	Kanya
Vrischika
Makara	Meena

Houses or Bhavas:

Another important concept is “house” (Sanskrit name: bhava). In each chart, houses can be found with respect to several reference points and the reference points most commonly employed are lagna and special lagnas. Starting from the rasi occupied by the selected reference point and proceeding in the regular order across the zodiac, we associate each rasi with a house (first, second etc). Always the rasi containing the reference point chosen is the 1st house. Next rasi is the 2nd house. The rasi after that is the 3rd house. We proceed until the 12th house like that.If no reference point is specified when houses are mentioned, it means that lagna is used as the reference.

Our lives here on Earth through our physical bodies are shown through the Bhavas. The Sanskrit term literally means, 'Coming into existence, Birth. It is through what is shown through the houses that our karma is born materially. It is here that Purusha is expressed as Prakriti in a world of consequence. Each house has many attributes, yet underneath there is a deeper concept key to that house. Different houses stand for different matters. Looking at the rasis and houses

occupied by various planets, we can say a lot of things about the person.

In Hindu astrology, the natal chart is the bhava chakra (Sanskrit: chakra, 'wheel'.) The bhava chakra is the complete 360° circle of life, divided into houses, and represents our way of enacting the influences in the wheel. Each house has associated karaka (Sanskrit: karaka, 'significator') planets that can alter the interpretation of a particular house.

House	Name	Karakas	Meanings
1	Lagna	Sun	outer personality, physique, health/well-being, hair, appearance
2	Dhana	Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Moon	wealth, family relationships, eating habits, speech, eyesight, death
3	Sahaja	Mars	natural state, innate temperament, courage, valor, virility, younger siblings
4	Sukha	Moon	inner life, emotions, home, property, education, mother
5	Putra	Jupiter	creativity, children, spiritual practices, punya
6	Ari	Mars, Saturn	acute illness, injury, openly known enemies, litigation, daily work, foreigners, service
7	Yuvati	Venus, Jupiter	business and personal relationships, marriage, spouse, war, fighting
8	Randhara	Saturn	length of life, physical death, mokṣa, chronic illness, deep and ancient traditions
9	Dharma	Jupiter, Sun	luck, fortune, spirituality, dharma, guru, father
10	Karma	Mercury, Jupiter, Sun, Saturn	dream fulfillment, knees and spine, current karmas, career, sky themes (being 12am/mid heavens
11	Labha	Jupiter	gains, profits from work, ability to earn money, social contexts and organizations
12	Vyaya	Saturn	loss, intuition, imprisonment, feet, foreign travel, moksha

Chakras (charts)

A “chart” (Sanskrit name: chakra) is prepared with the information of rasis occupied by all planets. For preparing any chart, we need to first determine the rasis occupied by all planets, upagrahas, lagna and special lagnas. In the visual representation of a chart, there are 12 boxes (are some other visual areas) with each representing a rasi. All planets, upagrahas and lagnas are written in the boxes corresponding to the rasis they occupy.

There are 3 popular ways of drawing charts in India:

(1) South Indian style chart ruled by Jupiter (rasi based),

In the south Indian style of casting a chart, the position of the zodiacal signs, from Aries to Pisces always remains fixed, as shown in the picture below left. The counting of the houses and the positioning of the planets is done clockwise, as shown in the picture below right. This changes from individual chart to chart. So it can be said that the south style chart follows the fixed sign method. The sign which becomes the ascendant or lagna is marked with the words As or Asc or Lagna. In some cases astrologers also draw two parallel lines at the top corner of the ascendant, the way we cross a bank cheque, to mark the ascendant

(2) North Indian style diamond chart ruled by Venus (bhava based) and

In the north Indian method of casting the chart, as in the above example, the ascendant or lagna is always kept at the top center and the signs are denoted by their zodiacal sequence number, i.e., Aries is 1, Taurus is 2, Gemini 3, Cancer 4, Leo 5, Virgo 6, Libra 7, Scorpio 8, Sagittarius 9, Capricorn 10, Aquarius 11 and Pisces 12. Here the charting of the houses and the planets is anti-clockwise. In the above demonstration the same chart with the same planetary positions is shown. The lagna is Vrischika and denoted by the sign number 8 and placed at the top center. The planets are placed in the same houses, but charted in the anti-clockwise fashion. For example sun is in Vrishabha or Taurus which is the zodiac house number 2. So we can say that the northern chart chart follows the fixed house method.

(3) East Indian style Sun chart ruled by Sun (rasi based).

This type of chart, which is popular in Andhra Pradesh and parts of Orissa and Bengal, is drawn differently and follows the fixed sign method of the south style chart, but the charting is done anti-clockwise as shown in the picture bellow.

In rasi-based chart drawing formats, a rasi is always at a fixed position. Ar is always in

one particular position and Ta is in another position and so on. Planets, lagna etc are

placed in the box (or the visual area) representing the rasi occupied by it. In bhavabased

chart drawing formats, a bhava (house) is always at a fixed position. Lagna

(denoted by “Asc” for ascendant) is always in a particular visual area of the chart and

the 2nd, 3rd etc houses are in fixed positions.

Varga chakras (divisional charts)

We saw that charts can be drawn with the information of which planet occupies

which rasi. Based on the longitude of a planet, we can find the rasi occupied by it

and mark its position in rasi chart.

In addition, we have what are known as “divisional charts” (Sanskrit name: varga

chakras). These are based on dividing rasis into 2 parts, 3 parts, 4 parts and so on.

We divide each rasi into n parts and map each part to a rasi again. Based on the rasis

occupied by planets in these divisional mappings, we draw divisional charts (or

harmonic charts). Each divisional chart throws light on a specific area of one’s life.

In each divisional chart, we find houses and analyze the chart as if it were an

independent chart.

There are sixteen varga (Sanskrit: varga, 'part, division'), or divisional, charts used in Hindu astrology^]

Varga	Divisor	Chart	Purpose
Rasi	1	D-1	Natal chart
Hora	2	D-2	Overall wealth
Drekkana	3	D-3	Siblings
Chaturtamsha	4	D-4	Properties
Trimshamsha	5	D-5	Morals, ethics, spiritual values
Saptamsha	7	D-7	Children
Navamsha	9	D-9	Spouse, Etc.
Dashamsha	10	D-10	Earning Career
Dwadashamsha	12	D-12	Parents, Grandparents
Shodhashamsha	16	D-16	Vehicles
Vimshamsha	20	D-20	Upasana-s, Sādhana-s
Chaturvimsha	24	D-24	Education (higher)
Saptavimshamsha	27	D-27	Vitality
Khavedamsha	40	D-40	Quality of life
Akshavedamsha	45	D-45	(From here on out,the birth time must be absolutely precise or the divisional chart is incorrect!!)
Shastiamsha	60	D-60	Used to differentiate between twins, etc., etc.

The science of Vedic astrology stands on the basis of 4 pillars –

(1) grahas or planets, (2) rasis or signs, (3) bhavas or houses, and, (4) varga chakras

or divisional charts.

Nakshatras (constellations)

In Vedic astrology, the zodiac is divided into 27 nakshatras. Each nakshatra has a

length of 360º/27 = 13º 20'. The first nakshatra, for example, stretches from the

beginning of Aries to 13º 20' in Aries. The second nakshatra stretches from there to

26º 40' in Aries. The third nakshatra stretches from there to 10º in Taurus.

Each nakshatra is again divided into 4 quarters. They are called padas (legs/feet).

The length of a nakshatra pada is 3º 20'.

#	Name	Location	Ruler	Pada 1	Pada 2	Pada 3	Pada 4
1	Ashvinī (अश्विनी)	0 – 13°20' Aries	Ketu	चु Chu	चे Che	चो Cho	ला La
2	Bharanī (भरणी)	13°20' – 26°40' Aries	Venus	ली Li	लू Lu	ले Le	पो Lo
3	Krittikā (कृत्तिका)	26°40' Aries – 10°00' Taurus	Sun	अ A	ई I	उ U	ए E
4	Rohini (रोहिणी)	10°00' – 23°20' Taurus	Moon	ओ O	वा Va/Ba	वी Vi/Bi	वु Vu/Bu
5	Mrigashīrsha (म्रृगशीर्षा)	23°20' Taurus – 6°40' Gemini	Mars	वे Ve/Be	वो Vo/Bo	का Ka	की Ke
6	Ārdrā (आर्द्रा)	6°40' – 20°00' Gemini	Rahu	कु Ku	घ Gha	ङ Ng/Na	छ Chha
7	Punarvasu (पुनर्वसु)	20°00' Gemini – 3°20' Cancer	Jupiter	के Ke	को Ko	हा Ha	ही Hi
8	Pushya (पुष्य)	3°20' – 16°20' Cancer	Saturn	हु Hu	हे He	हो Ho	ड Da
9	Āshleshā (आश्लेषा)	16°40' Cancer – 0°00' Leo	Mercury	डी Di	डू Du	डे De	डो Do
10	Maghā (मघा)	0°00' – 13°20' Leo	Ketu	मा Ma	मी Mi	मू Mu	मे Me
11	Pūrva or Pūrva Phalgunī (पूर्व फाल्गुनी)	13°20' – 26°40' Leo	Venus	नो Mo	टा Ta	टी Ti	टू Tu
12	Uttara or Uttara Phalgunī (उत्तर फाल्गुनी)	26°40' Leo – 10°00' Virgo	Sun	टे Te	टो To	पा Pa	पी Pi
13	Hasta (हस्त)	10°00' – 23°20' Virgo	Moon	पू Pu	ष Sha	ण Na	ठ Tha
14	Chitrā (चित्रा)	23°20' Virgo – 6°40' Libra	Mars	पे Pe	पो Po	रा Ra	री Ri
15	Svātī (स्वाती)	6°40' – 20°00 Libra	Rahu	रू Ru	रे Re	रो Ro	ता Ta
16	Vishākhā (विशाखा)	20°00' Libra – 3°20' Scorpio	Jupiter	ती Ti	तू Tu	ते Te	तो To
17	Anurādhā (अनुराधा)	3°20' – 16°40' Scorpio	Saturn	ना Na	नी Ni	नू Nu	ने Ne
18	Jyeshtha (ज्येष्ठा)	16°40' Scorpio – 0°00' Sagittarius	Mercury	नो No	या Ya	यी Yi	यू Yu
19	Mūla (मूल)	0°00' – 13°20' Sagittarius	Ketu	ये Ye	यो Yo	भा Bha	भी Bhi
20	Pūrva Ashādhā (पूर्वाषाढ़ा)	13°20' – 26°40' Sagittarius	Venus	भू Bhu	धा Dha	फा Bha/Pha	ढा Dha
21	Uttara Ashādhā (उत्तराषाढ़ा)	26°40' Sagittarius – 10°00' Capricorn	Sun	भे Bhe	भो Bho	जा Ja	जी Ji
22	Shravana (श्रवण)	10°00' – 23°20' Capricorn	Moon	खी Ju/Khi	खू Je/Khu	खे Jo/Khe	खो Gha/Kho
23	Shravishthā (धनिष्ठा) or Dhanistā	23°20' Capricorn – 6°40' Aquarius	Mars	गा Ga	गी Gi	गु Gu	गे Ge
24	Shatabhishā (शतभिषा)or Shatataraka	6°40' – 20°00' Aquarius	Rahu	गो Go	सा Sa	सी Si	सू Su
25	Pūrva Bhādrapadā (पूर्वभाद्रपदा)	20°00' Aquarius – 3°20' Pisces	Jupiter	से Se	सो So	दा Da	दी Di
26	Uttara Bhādrapadā (उत्तरभाद्रपदा)	3°20' – 16°40' Pisces	Saturn	दू Du	थ Tha	झ Jha	ञ Da/Tra
27	Revatī (रेवती)	16°40' – 30°00' Pisces	Mercury	दे De	दो Do	च Cha	ची Chi

The zodiac according to Indian Astrology comprises of 360 degrees. There are 27 Nakshatras or constellations in it.Therefore, the value of each constellation is 13 degrees and 20 minutes when measured from the fixed initial point. These 27 Nakshatras(stars) complete the entire circle of 360 degrees of the zodiac. A forecast based on the transit/ correlation/inter - relation of planets in relation to the Nakshatras is more accurate than the results predicted on the basis of any other system.

What is your Nakshatra (star)?

You can find it from the table given below. If you know the longitude of the Moon at the time of your birth in your natal chart calculated according to the Indian/ Vedic system, go to the 3^rd column and go down till it lies between the two values given in the row above and below. Your Nakshatra or star would be the one given in the 2^ndcolumn the one at the start of range of longitude of your Moon.

Nakshatra(Star)	Lords
1	00-00-00	Ketu
2	00-13-20	Venus
3	00-26-40	Sun
4	01-10-00	Moon
5	01-23-20	Mars
6	02-06-40	Rahu
7	02-20-00	Jupiter
8	03-03-20	Saturn
9	03-16-40	Mercury
10	04-00-00	Ketu
11	04-13-20	Venus
12	04-26-40	Sun
13	05-10-00	Moon
14	05-23-20	Mars
15	06-06-40	Rahu
16	06-20-00	Jupiter
17	07-03-20	Saturn
18	07-16-40	Mercury
19	08-00-00	Ketu
20	08-13-20	Venus
21	08-26-40	Sun
22	09-10-00	Moon
23	09-23-20	Mars
24	10-06-40	Rahu
25	10-20-00	Jupiter
26	11-03-20	Saturn
27	11-16-40	Mercury

Each Nakshatra or star that comes under Indian Astrology has an astronomical name associated with it and which is referred to by the Western Astrologers and Astronomers.

Table with Astronomical name equivalent of Indian Nakshatras.

Nakshatra
1	Beta Arietis
Bharani
3	Eta Tauri
Rohini
5	Lambda Orionis
Aridra
7	Beta Geminorium
Pushya
9	Alpha Hydroe
Magha
11	Delta Leonis
Uttaraphalguni
13	Delta Corvi
Chitra
15	Arcturus
Visakha
17	Delta Scorpio
Jyehsta
19	Lambda Scorpio
Poorvashadha
21	Sigma sagittari
Sravana
23	Beta Delphinum
Satabisha
25	Alpha Pegasi
Uttarabhadrapada
27	Zeta Piscum

Nakshatras - their English translation, symbolic Deities and Animals & The distribution of the padas of the 27 nakshatras in the 12 houses.

Yogas :

The dasha system shows which planets will be ruling at particular times in Hindu astrology. There are several dasha systems; however, the primary system used by astrologers is the Vimshottari dasha system. The first maha dasha is determined by the position of the natal Moon. Each maha dasha is divided into subperiods called bhuktis. Vimshottari dasha lengths are:

Maha Dasha	Length	Bhuktis
Ketu	7 Years	Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury
Venus	20 Years	Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu
Sun	6 Years	Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus
Moon	10 Years	Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun
Mars	7 Years	Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon
Rahu	18 Years	Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars
Jupiter	16 Years	Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu
Saturn	19 Years	Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter
Mercury	17 Years	Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn

Drishtis – the planetary aspects

Drishti (Sanskrit: drishti, 'sight'.) In Hindu astrology, the aspect is to an entire sign, and grahas only cast forward aspects:^[18]

Graha	Houses
Sun	7th
Moon	7th
Mercury	7th
Venus	7th
Mars	4th, 7th, 8th
Jupiter	5th, 7th, 9th
Saturn	3rd, 7th, 10th
Rahu	5th,7th,9th
Ketu	No aspect

Gocharas – the transits

Gochara (Sanskrit: gochara, 'transit'.) In Hindu astrology, a natal chart shows the actual positions of the grahas at the moment of birth. Since that moment, the grahas have continued to move around the zodiac, interacting with the natal chart grahas. This period of interaction is called gochara.^[19]

Yogas – the planetary combinations

Yoga (Sanskrit: yoga, 'union'.) In Hindu astrology, yogas are planetary combinations placed in specific relationships to each other.^[20]

Kalasarpa Yoga is a dangerous yoga. If all planets (excepting Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) are 1-side of Rahu & Ketu, it becomes Kala-Sarpa Yoga.

[]Dig bala – the directional strength

Dig bala (Sanskrit: dig bala, 'directional strength'.) Graha-s gain strength when they are placed in specific cardinal houses:^[21]

House	Grahas	Direction
1st	Jupiter, Mercury	East
4th	Venus, Moon	North
7th	Saturn	West
10th	Sun, Mars	South

The Vedic System of Calculating the Ascendant

The most important point in the construction of a horoscope is the Ascendant. The ascendant is the point of cutting of the ecliptic by the eastern horizon of a place.

The earth spinning on its axis in a linear movement takes 24 hours to complete one rotation. But what exactly is the duration of a day? There are many types of days prevalent.

Sidereal day: The time taken by earth to spin one complete rotation of 360 degrees on its axis. Average duration of one sidereal day is 23 hrs, 56 min, 4.091 sec.

Savana day: The duration of time between one sunrise to another sunrise is a Savana day. For people living in northern hemisphere, from winter solstice day onwards, the sunshine hours (dinamana) increases and night hours (ratrimana) decreases. As the sunrise every day is earlier than the previous day, the duration of the savana day is less than 24 hours till the Sun reaches its maximum declination at summer solstice. After that the dinamana reduces and the ratrimana increases. Since the sunrise of every day is later than the previous day, the duration of the savana day is more than 24 hours till it reaches the winter solstice again.

Mean Solar Day: The average of all the days of a year. It’s duration is equal to 24 hours.

The Vedic system recognises a day as the duration of time from one sunrise to the next sunrise. This span, known as a Savana day, is measured in units of ghatis. One Savana day is equal to 60 ghatis and each ghati is divisible into 60 palas or vighatis.
The earth continuously spins on its axis in a west to east direction. For a person situated on the surface of the earth, different signs of the zodiac appear to rise in the eastern horizon and set in the western horizon. With the completion of one rotation of the earth, all the twelve signs of the zodiac rise and set during one sidereal day.

Rashimana (Oblique Ascension)

Rashimana is the rising periods of signs of the zodiac. As there are twelve equally divided signs of the zodiac and it takes approximately 24 hours for all the signs to rise, therefore, one sign should take about two hours to rise in the eastern horizon. But it’s not so. As the plane of the ecliptic is inclined at an angle of 23.5 degrees to the plane of the celestial equator, the rising time of different signs is not uniform. The time taken by different groups of signs at the equator is given in Table 1.

Table 1. Time taken by different group of signs to rise at the Equator Group Rashimana in Asus Hours I Aries Virgo Libra Pisces 1674 1h51m36s II Taurus Leo Scorpio Aquarius 1795 1h59m40s III Gemini Cancer Sagittarius Capricorn 1931 2h08m44s

Rashimana values are calculated for Sayana signs and are measured in units of Asus. One unit of Asu is equivalent to 4 seconds of sidereal time. Rashimana values vary from one latitude to another. These values once calculated for any place do not change from year to year.

Charakhandas (Ascensional Differences)

Variations in the rising of different signs at different latitudes can be calculated with the help of Charakhandas or ascensional differences for those latitudes.
To know the Charakhandas of a particular place with the help of ‘Hindu Dial’, measure the length of the mid-day shadow, on the day of the equinox, of a shanku of 12 units length (please refer to Astrology Primer # 5, Vol.1, No.5). Put this figure at three places and multiply the first figure with 10; second with 8 and; third with 10 divided by 3. This gives the Charakhandas for I, II, and III groups of signs respectively. These Charakhanda values are in palas or vighaties. To convert these values to asus, multiply the charakhandas by six.

Signs of Long Ascension and Short Ascension

For people living in the northern hemisphere of the earth, on the day of winter solstice, when the Sun is at zero degrees Sayana Capricorn, the sunshine hours are the shortest. With the rising of the Sun, sign Capricorn rises in the eastern horizon followed by other signs in sequence. At the time of sunset, the point rising at the eastern horizon would be 180° opposite the Sun’s longitude (thus zero degrees Cancer). Therefore, during the daytime signs Capricorn to Gemini rise in the shortest duration of time, while at night the signs Cancer to Sagittarius take the longest duration of time.

Signs of Short Ascension* 10 - Capricorn 11 - Aquarius 12 - Pisces 1 - Aries 2 - Taurus 3 - Gemini 4 - Cancer 5 - Leo 6 - Virgo 7 - Libra 8 - Scorpio 9 - Sagittarius * For northern hemisphere; for southern hemisphere short and long ascension rashis are reversed.

When the Sun is at summer solstice (zero degrees Sayana Cancer) during the daytime signs Cancer to Sagittarius spend the longest duration of time to rise and during night signs Capricorn to Gemini take the shortest duration of time.

Sign which takes longer time in rising than the time taken by same sign at the equator, is the sign of long ascension and the sign which takes shorter time in rising is the sign of short ascension. Signs Capricorn to Gemini are short ascension signs while Cancer to Sagittarius are long ascension signs for norther latitudes. Reverse is the case for people living in the southern latitudes.

As the latitude of the observer increases, the duration of signs of long ascension become much longer while the duration of signs of short ascension become much shorter.

Calculation of rising times of different signs (Rashimana) for a particular place

After knowing the Charakhandas of a particular place, we can calculate the rashimana of different signs. Add the Charakanda values, in asus, to the rashimana values at the equator in their respective groups for signs of long ascension and subtract the Charakhandas from their respective groups for signs of short ascension.

Correlation of the earth with the Zodiac

Calculation of ascendant for any given moment is an effort to establish a relationship between the horizon of the observer on the earth with the zodiac.

The earth is spinning continuously on its axis. To an observer, being located on the surface of the earth, it appears that the earth is stationary and the sky with all the stars and heavenly bodies is drifting towards the west after rising in the east.

To establish a relationship of the earth with the zodiac, we have to refer to some identifiable point on the zodiac. The rising, setting or the meridian passage of this point is to be observed to find out the actual position of this point at any given moment of time for the place of location of the observer. Once we know the position of one point of the zodiac, we can relate the other points of the zodiac with respect to this identifiable point.

This identifiable point could be a star or a planet or the vernal equinox (zero degrees Sayana Aries point) of the zodiac. When we observe the passing of the Vernal Equinox on the meridian of a place, it is zero hours Sidereal time for that place. Sidereal time at any given moment indicates the time elapsed since the vernal equinox crossed the meridian of that place.

The Indian system makes use of the position of the Sun in the zodiac to establish a link between the earth and the zodiac. At the time of sunrise, the centre of the Sun is touching the eastern horizon. Sunrise is considered to be the beginning to the day and that day remains in force till the next sunrise. The duration of this day is considered to be equal to sixty ghatis. One ghati is roughly equal to 24 minues of time.

The longitude of the Sun is identical with the cusp of the sign rising at the time of sunrise. A track of the number of ghatis and palas passed since sunrise is kept and is called Ishtakaala.

Since the rashimana values are for Sayana signs, the longitude of the Sun is also considered in Sayana values.

Inputs to calculate the Ascendant

In order to calculate the cusp of the ascendant, we need the following:
1. The time of sunrise at the required place on the relevant day.
2. The Sayana position of the Sun at the time of sunrise at the place in question. In case the available ephe-meris provides the nirayana position of the Sun, the Sayana position may be obtained by adding to it the appropriate ayanamsha.
3. The ishtakala or the duration of time elapsed from the time of sunrise.
4. Rashimana or the duration of the rising of different signs at the particular latitude of the place.

Steps to Calculate the Ascendant

The following steps describe the method of calculation of the ascendant for a given place at a given date and time. For example, let’s calculate the ascendant rising at Gurdaspur, India (latitude 32°N02' longitude 75°E31') on April 1, 1997 at 12.00 hours IST.

Step 1. Calculate the Charakhandas

On the ‘Hindu Dial’, measure the length of the mid-day shadow, on the day of the equinox, of a shanku of 12 units length.

Length of the equinoctial shadow of a Shanku of 12 units at different latitudes
Lati- tude	Length (units)	Lati- tude	Length (units)	Lati- tude	Length (units)	Lati- tude	Length (units)	Lati- tude	Length (units)	Lati- tude	Length (units)
0.21	11°	2.33	4.60	31°	7.21	10.43	51°	14.82
0.42	12°	2.55	4.85	32°	7.50	10.80	52°	15.35
0.63	13°	2.70	5.09	33°	7.79	11.19	53°	15.92
0.84	14°	2.99	5.34	34°	8.09	11.58	54°	16.52
1.05	15°	3.21	5.59	35°	8.40	12.00	55°	17.13
1.26	16°	3.44	5.85	36°	8.71	12.42	56°	17.79
1.47	17°	3.66	6.11	37°	9.04	12.87	57°	18.46
1.69	18°	3.90	6.38	38°	9.37	13.33	58°	19.20
1.90	19°	4.13	6.65	39°	9.72	13.80	59°	19.97
2.11	20°	4.37	6.93	40°	10.06	14.30	60°	20.78

The length of the shadow at Gurdaspur (32 degrees latitude) from the above table is 7.5. Now multiply this figure with 10, 8, and 10/3 respectively to get the Charakhanda values in palas or vighatis.

I	7.5 x 10	= 75 palas
II	7.5 x 8	= 60 palas
III	7.5 x 10/3	= 25 palas

Multiply each with 6 to convert the values in asus.

I	75 palas x 6	= 450 asus
II	60 palas x 6	= 360 asus
III	25 palas x 6	= 150 asus

The derived values of 450, 360 and 150 are the charakhandas for I, II and III groups of signs respectively.

Step 2. Calculate the Rashimana

The Rashimana for different groups of signs at the equator are:

Group	Signs	Rashimana
I	1, 6, 7, 12	1674 asus
II	2, 5, 8, 11	1795 asus
III	3, 4, 9, 10	1931 asus

To the above rashimanas we apply the Charakhanda corrections as worked out above to obtain the rashimana for different signs at the latitude in question. Add the Charakandas to their respective groups for signs of long ascension and subtract the Charakhandas from their respective groups for signs of short ascension.

Group	Signs		Rashimana in
			Asus	hr-mn-sc
Short Ascension
I	1, 12	1674 – 450	= 1224	1:21:36
II	2, 11	1795 – 360	= 1435	1:35:40
III	3, 10	1931 – 150	= 1781	1:58:44
Long Ascension
I	4, 9	1931 + 150	= 2081	2:18:44
II	5, 8	1795 + 360	= 2155	2:23:40
III	6, 7	1674 + 450	= 2124	2:21:36

Step 3. Find out the Sunrise time

From the ephemeris, calculate the sunrise time on the given date for the place of birth. For Gurdaspur the sunrise time is 6h:20m:40s (IST).

Step 4. Find out the Sayana Sun

Again from the ephemeris, calculate the position of Sayan Sun at the time of sunrise. If the available ephemeris provides the longitudes of planets in nirayana values, add the ayanamsha to the Sun’s longitude to get the Sayana value. The nirayana longitude of the sun at the time of sunrise on April 1, 1997 is 11s17°31'16'. Adding to this the ayanamsha value on the given date, i.e., 23°49'06', we get the Sayana longitude of the Sun at the time of sunrise as 0s11°20'22'. This also indicates the longitude of the ascendant at the time of sunrise.

Step 5. Find out the Ishtakala

Ishtakala is the time elapsed since the time of sunrise to the time of birth. Traditionally the time of birth is recorded in ishtakala only. Since in our example the time of birth is in hours-minutes, etc., it can be converted to ishtakala by subtracting the time of sunrise from the time of birth.

Time of birth : 12h:00m:00s
Sunrise time : 06h:20m:40s
Ishtakala in hrs. : 05h:39m:20s

Step 6. Cusp of the Ascendant

From Step 4 above, we know the sign that the sun is in at sunrise and, therefore, the cusp of the sign rising at the time of sunrise. The duration of this sign being known (Step 2), it is possible to work out how much of this sign has yet to rise above horizon and how much time it will take to do so.

Long. of Sun (Cusp at sunrise):	= 0s11°20'22'
Bal. of sign Aries yet to rise: (30°00'00' – 11°20'22')	= 18°39'38'
Time taken by 30 degrees of Aries to rise:	= 1h:21m:36s (Step 2)
Time taken by 18°39'38' of Aries to rise: (1:21:36 / 30°) x 18°39'38'	= 0h:50m:45s

After 50m:45s of sunrise (i.e. from 7h:11m:25s onwards), the sign Taurus will start and last for 1h:35m:40s (i.e., upto 8h:47m:05s). The next sign Gemini (with a duration of 1h:58m:44s) lasts until 10h:45m:49s. Cancer (duration of 2h:18m:44s) lasts until 13h:04m:33s which includes our time of birth (12 noon). Thus we have Cancer rising at 12 noon.

Time elapsed from the onset of Cancer lagna upto the time of birth (12:00:00 – 10:45:49)	= 1h:14m:11s
Arc of Cancer rising in 2h:18m:44s	= 30°
Arc of Cancer rising in 1h:14m:11s = (30° / 2:18:44) x 1:14:11	= 16°02'30'

Thus we get the cusp of ascendant at 12 noon as Cancer 16°02'30'. This is the Sayana value. Reduce the ayanamsha from this value to obtain the cusp of the ascendant in nirayana value. Thus the nirayana ascendant would be:
3s16°02'30' – 23°49'06' = 2s22°13'24' or Gemini rising at 22°13'24'.