Begin with your chart
Today you’ll learnRecognize a chart's inputs and its three basic labels: graha, rashi and bhava.
What a birth chart records
A birth chart, also called a horoscope, is a traditional map drawn for one stated time and place. It records the zodiac positions of the Sun, Moon and other chart entries for that moment. The time and place also determine the lagna and houses.
This course teaches jyotisha as a traditional system of interpretation. The lessons explain its vocabulary and its counting rules. They do not make predictions about anyone. Reading a chart starts with something simpler than interpretation: checking what the chart was calculated from.
Find the report header
Most chart reports open with a header. Look for the date, the local clock time, the location, and the calculation settings, such as the zodiac system. Also note the chart style, which describes how the chart is drawn. Local time matters because clocks follow time zones, and time zones differ from place to place.
Treat the header as the chart's foundation. Incorrect birth details can change the chart, especially its lagna and houses. If a birth time is not known, write 'unknown' on your worksheet instead of inventing an exact minute. An honest unknown is more useful than false precision.
- Date
- Local time
- Location
- Named chart settings
Three questions for every placement
You can describe any chart entry by answering three questions. Which graha is it? Graha is the traditional category for the planets and points listed in a chart. Which rashi is it in? A rashi is a zodiac sign. Which bhava is it in? A bhava is a house.
Keep the three labels separate. The graha names the thing being placed, the rashi names the section of the zodiac it sits in, and the bhava names its position counted within the chart. Later lessons cover each label one at a time.
- Graha: which planet or point?
- Rashi: which sign?
- Bhava: which house?
Worked example
A fictional report header
Here is a made-up header for a fictional learner named Mira: 'Date: 12 March 2004. Time: 07:15 local time. Place: Sample Town. Settings: nirayana zodiac; South Indian chart style.' Below it is one line: 'Moon — Taurus — house 3.' Days 3 and 4 explain the setting names.
- Underline the date, the time, the place and the settings line.
- In 'Moon — Taurus — house 3', the Moon is the graha.
- Taurus is the rashi, and house 3 is the bhava.
Your turn
Try it yourself
A fictional header reads: 'Date: 5 May 1998. Time: unknown. Place: Sample City. Settings: nirayana zodiac; South Indian chart style.' Which details are present? Then match graha, rashi and bhava to planet or point, sign and house.
Show the answer
The date, place and settings are present. The time is recorded as unknown, which is the right approach because nothing has been guessed. Graha means the traditional planet-or-point category, rashi means zodiac sign, and bhava means house.
One quick check
In the line 'Mars — Leo — house 10', which item is the rashi?
See the explanation
A rashi is a zodiac sign, and Leo is the sign in this line. Mars is the graha being placed, and house 10 is the bhava.
Take these three ideas with you
- A chart is drawn for one stated time and place.
- Check the date, local time, location and settings first.
- Graha names what is placed, rashi the sign, bhava the house.