What a kundali actually is
A Janam Kundali is a snapshot of the sky at the moment and place of your birth. It places the Sun, the Moon, the five visible planets and the two lunar nodes, Rahu and Ketu, into the twelve signs of the zodiac. Indian astrology calls these nine bodies the grahas. Their positions are measured against the fixed stars (the sidereal zodiac), not against the seasons, which is the main technical difference from Western astrology.
Because the two zodiacs have drifted apart by roughly 24 degrees, your Vedic Sun sign is often the sign before your Western one. The correction is called the ayanamsa. This site uses the Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsa, which is the official standard in India.
Four things to find first
- Lagna (ascendant). The sign rising on the eastern horizon at birth. It becomes the first house, and the rest of the chart is counted from it. It changes about every two hours, which is why birth time matters.
- Moon sign (Rashi). The sign the Moon occupied. In Jyotish it describes temperament and is the basis for Kundali Milan matching.
- Nakshatra and pada. The Moon's position among the 27 lunar mansions, each 13 degrees 20 minutes wide and split into four padas. The nakshatra decides where your Vimshottari Dasha begins.
- Sun sign. The sign of the Sun, which describes the sense of self and vitality.
Reading the chart diagram
Two layouts are common. In the North Indian chart the houses are fixed in position, with the first house at the top centre, and the sign numbers rotate depending on your Lagna. In the South Indian chart the signs are fixed in position, with Aries in the second box of the top row, and you find the Lagna by the marked box. Both show the same information, so choose whichever you learned first. The calculator lets you switch between them.
Whole-sign houses
This site uses whole-sign houses, the classical Parashari method. The sign containing the Lagna is the entire first house, the next sign is the second house, and so on. Planets are then read by the house of the sign they sit in. See the guide to the twelve houses for what each house covers.
Strength and dignity
A graha is called exalted in the sign where it is strongest, debilitated in the opposite sign, and comfortable in the signs it rules. The planets table in the calculator marks this. Dignity changes how a planet is said to deliver its results, but it is only one factor among many.
Divisional charts
Beyond the main Rashi chart (D1), the tradition divides each sign into smaller parts to study specific themes. The Navamsa (D9) is read for marriage and inner strength, the Dasamsa (D10) for career, and the Saptamsa (D7) for children. Read the D1 first, then use the others to refine a question.
Common mistakes
- Entering an approximate birth time. Even ten minutes can shift the divisional charts.
- Forgetting daylight saving time for births outside India.
- Judging a chart from a single planet or a single yoga. The classical texts always weigh combinations.
- Treating the chart as a fixed verdict. It describes tendencies and timing.
Jyotish is a traditional interpretive system rather than a science. Use this guide for learning and reflection, not as professional advice.
Next: The twelve houses explained and Vimshottari Dasha explained.