Basics of the Birth Chart / Janma Kundali

'Houses', 'Bhavas', 'Sthanas'.

The Birth Chart used in
the Hindu Vedic Astrology
is shown as above. This is
the most common way of
depicting the Kundali
especially in the Northern
India.
In Southern India the
Chart is depicted in a
Square format. However I
will be using the above mentioned Chart Format.
In any Chart/ Kundali there are 12 compartments which are called 'Houses', 'Bhav', 'Sthan'. The
topmost house is counted as the first house. (Number 1 House in the figure.) Then subsequently all the
other houses are counted in anti-clockwise direction.
Planets, 'Grahas'
There are total 12 planets, 'grahas' considered in astrology.
Ancient Vedic Astrology only 9 planets are considered. The recently discovered 3 planets namely
Uranus ('Harshal'), Neptune and Pluto were obviously not considered.
However it is wise to consider all 12 planets.
The 12 Planets are as follows.
Planets English
Planets Hindu Names
Names
Sun
Ravi
Moon
Chandra
Mercury
Budha
Venus
Shukra
Mangal, Kuja,
Mars
Kartikeya
Jupiter
Guru
Saturn
Shani
North Node
Rahu
South Node
Ketu
Uranus
Harshal
Neptune
Neptune
Pluto
Pluto
They are revolving around the Sun in their respective orbits. Exception is the Moon, Rahu, Ketu. As
you are all aware that the Moon is a satellite of our Earth. Moon is revolving around the Earth and
Earth in turn is revolving around the Sun in its orbit.
Rahu and Ketu are not the actual planets at all. They are actually only intersection points of the Earth
and the Moon. However since these cosmic points have considerable influence on the nature they are
considered as planets in the astrology.
Signs, Rashis

There are twelve 12 Signs, Rashis as follows.

Meaning of
S
Sign No./
Sanskrit
Lord or
Sanskrit
Type
e
Mobility
Name
Name
Bhavesh
Name
x
Fire/
1/ Aries
Mesha
Ram
M Movable/Chara Mars
Agni
Earth/
2/ Taurus
Vrushaba Bull
F Fixed/ Sthir
Venus
Bhumi
Air/
Common/
3/ Gemini Mithun
Couple
M
Mercury
Vayu
Dwisabhavi
Karka,
Water/
Movable/
4/ Cancer
Crab
F
Moon
Kataka
Jal
Chara
Fire/
5/ Leo
Simha
Lion
M Fixed/ Sthir
Sun
Agni
Earth/
Common/
6/ Virgo
Kanya
Virgin
F
Mercury
Bhumi
Dwisabhavi
Air/
Movable/
7/ Libra
Tula
Balance
M
Venus
Vayu
Chara
Vrushchik
Water/
8/ Scorpio
Scorpion
F Fixed/ Sthir
Mars
a
Jal
9/
Fire/
Common/
Dhanu
Bow
M
Jupiter
Sagittarius
Agni
Dwisabhavi
10/
Alligator &
Earth
Movable/
Makar
F
Saturn
Capricorn
Shark
Bhumi
Chara
11/
Air/
Kumbha
Jug
M Fixed/ Sthir
Saturn
Aquarius
Vayu
Water/
Common/
12/ Pisces Meena
Fishes
F
Jupiter
Jal
Dwisabhavi
The Signs or Rashis are imaginary divisions of the Zodiac. 360 degrees of a full circle are divided in
12 equal parts, each of 30 degrees, called a Rashi or Sign.
As the Earth is revolving around its own axis and takes 24 hours for that, we see the Signs, Rashis
revolving around us.
Ascendant or the Lagna
The Sign, Rashi rising at the Eastern horizon at the time of the birth is the Ascendant or the Lagna. As
you must have gathered that at about every 2 hours (Division : 24 hours/12 signs) a new sign is going
to rise, and hence the ascendant or the lagna the starting point of the chart is going to change. Same
way every 4 minutes the Ascendant or the Lagna degree is going to change.
The subsequent Signs, Rashis are written in the next - next houses in the anti-clockwise direction.
Fully Plotted Birth Chart, Janma-Kundali
Lastly all the precise positions of all the 12 planets at the time of the birth are plotted in the chart.
Hence the Birth Chart or the Janma Kundali is the diagrammatic representation of all the planets at the
precise moment of time of the birth.
Easy Example : Suppose the birth was at about 7:00 A.M. i.e. just after the sunrise. That means the
Sun will be plotted in the first house (Eastern Horizon). Further imagine that, the day was Full Moon
Day i.e. Sun and Moon are 180 degrees from each other. That means the Moon will be in the 7th
house.

Now finally lets have a look at the following complete birth chart, Janma Kundali where all the planets
and the signs are plotted.
As you can see that at the
time of the birth Leo,
Sinha Sign, Rashi was
arising at the eastern
horizon and the birth time
must have been near about
the sunrise as the Sun is in
the first house.
A rough idea can be
brought out about the time
of the birth by looking at the Sun's position in any chart.
I hope you must have got a fair idea about the Birth Chart or the Janma-Kundali layout.