Fundamental structure

 

The limbs or facets of Jyotisha Shastra (Indian Astrology): Ganitam, Gola, Jatakam, Prasna, Muhurta, and Nimitta. Ganitam refers to the purely mathematical and calculative aspects of astrological practice, i.e. degrees in signs, aspects, longitudes, conjunctions, squares, trines, ayanamsa, navamsa, and things that are about measurements and positions. As far as astrology goes, Ganit is pretty much interchangeable with Gola, which is more or less about astronomical observations. The same things that almost anyone can observe by looking at the sky, a clock, or a calendar. Jatakam refers to the study of birth or natal charts, Jatakam examines how stars and planets are configured directly above a person the instant they are fully physically detached from their mother's body. This includes the moon's phase at that instant, the Nakshatra (lunar mansion) the moon was positioned in at that time, the degrees it had traversed through that constellation or area of that constellation, and the Rasi (sign) which was on the eastern horizon at that instant. Sun sign is secondary at best in Indian astrology simply because......well, there's just too much other stuff to examine about this complex being called a person besides one celestial body that stays in the same sign for an entire month more or less. By the way, Vedic astrology takes nine planets into account, not including Pluto, or any of the ones that were recently discovered, and definitely not asteroids. Anyone who does this is not practicing Jyotish but probably a hybrid branch of astrology, or a system that is borrowing aspects of Indian astrology and infusing them with modern, 'western' astrology. How accurate or wonderful those are is for someone else to decide. I'm sure they're awesome. Prasna is the next in line as far as my list goes. Prasna literally means 'question'. There are many types or categories of Prasna to address different questions or areas of concern. There are even Devaprasnam conducted on a weekly or monthly basis at temples to see how the divinities that live there are feeling about general affairs, or to ask them questions about specific things. Prasna is what we can call astrological divination. It addresses outward questions, usually about mundane circumstances and life in general. Missing people or animals, physical appearance of a thief or other suspect, results and trajectories of legal matters, whereabouts of enemies, return of loans, outcome of a battles or competitions, arrival of visitors or guests, causes of conflicts, and even yes/no questions. The mechanisms that lead to accuracy in Prasna consultations call for a strong urge to know about a particular thing, or for there to be sharp and intense focus on the part of the person asking.