Vedic Astrology: Parashari Jyotish
Grahas, rashis, bhavas, nakshatras and dashas, through to yogas, vargas and professional practice.
Course names, family names and outlines are shown in English. Lessons use English when a published translation is unavailable; the lesson shows a notice when this happens.
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Level 1Units: 10
Level 1 · Unit 1
What Jyotish is
Meet Jyotish, the Vedic science of light: its Vedic roots, the sage Parashara, the sidereal zodiac and the regional chart styles.
- Jyotish, the science of light
- Parashara and the BPHS
- The sidereal zodiac and ayanamsa
- Chart styles: North, South and East
- Checkpoint: What Jyotish is
Level 1 · Unit 2
Grahas and rashis
The nine grahas, the twelve rashis and their lords, the three sign qualities and the twelve bhavas.
- The nine grahas
- The twelve rashis and their lords
- Chara, sthira and dvisvabhava
- The twelve bhavas
- Checkpoint: Grahas and rashis
Level 1 · Unit 3
Nakshatras
The 27 lunar mansions, their padas and lords, and the 120-year Vimshottari dasha cycle.
- 27 lunar mansions
- Padas: quarters of a nakshatra
- Nakshatra lords
- Vimshottari: the 120-year cycle
- Checkpoint: Nakshatras
Level 1 · Unit 4
Lagna, Moon and Sun
The three pillars of a Jyotish chart: the lagna, Chandra and Surya, why the Moon matters so much, and counting houses from each.
- The three pillars
- Why the Moon matters
- Counting houses from the lagna
- Reading from the Moon and Sun
- Checkpoint: Lagna, Moon and Sun
Level 1 · Unit 5
Reading a rashi chart
Place grahas in bhavas in North and South Indian charts, use whole-sign houses, and take a first look at a sample chart.
- The North Indian chart
- The South Indian chart
- Whole-sign houses
- A first look at a chart
- Checkpoint: Reading a rashi chart
Level 1 · Unit 6
Rashis in depth
Go beyond lords and qualities: the four tattvas, odd and even rashis, their traditional directions, and the Kalapurusha body map read as a symbol.
- The four tattvas
- Odd and even rashis
- Directions and full profiles
- The Kalapurusha
- Checkpoint: Rashis in depth
Level 1 · Unit 7
The nature of the grahas
Natural benefics and malefics, the waxing Moon and Mercury's company, the BPHS royal court, and each graha's gender, guna and element.
- Natural benefics and malefics
- The Moon and Mercury
- The cabinet of grahas
- Gender, guna and element
- Checkpoint: The nature of the grahas
Level 1 · Unit 8
The bhavas in depth
Map the four aims of life onto the houses, sort bhavas into kendra, panapara and apoklima, count bhavat bhavam, and read houses for family and friends.
- Dharma, artha, kama, moksha
- Kendra, panapara, apoklima
- Bhavat bhavam: house from house
- Houses for the people around you
- Checkpoint: The bhavas in depth
Level 1 · Unit 9
Practice: a first chart walk-through
Read one invented teaching chart with Level 1 tools only: lagna and lagnesha, the Moon's nakshatra and pada, house groups, graha natures and careful wording.
- The teaching chart and its lagna
- The Moon: rashi, nakshatra, pada
- Grahas by house, group and nature
- Describing, not predicting
- Checkpoint: A first chart walk-through
Level 1 · Unit 10
Rahu and Ketu: the shadow grahas
The Svarbhanu story and eclipses, the nodal axis across opposite houses, the nodes' nakshatras and symbols, and reading a node through its dispositor.
- Svarbhanu and the eclipse points
- The nodal axis in a chart
- What the nodes signify
- Nodes and their dispositors
- Checkpoint: Rahu and Ketu
Level 2Units: 10
Level 2 · Unit 1
Graha dignities
Uccha and neecha with their deepest degrees, own signs and moolatrikona: how a rashi strengthens or weakens a graha.
- Uccha: exaltation
- Neecha: debilitation
- Own signs (swakshetra)
- Moolatrikona and the ladder
- Checkpoint: Graha dignities
Level 2 · Unit 2
Planetary friendships
How the grahas relate to one another: natural (naisargika) friendship, temporary (tatkalika) friendship and the five-fold compound result.
- Natural friends of the Sun, Moon and Mars
- Natural friends of the other four
- Tatkalika: temporary friendship
- Panchadha: the five-fold result
- Checkpoint: Planetary friendships
Level 2 · Unit 3
Bhava lords
Find the lord of each house, meet kendra and trikona lords and the lagna lord, read house links, and spot a yogakaraka.
- Every house has a lord
- Kendra and trikona lords
- The lagna lord and house links
- Yogakaraka: one graha, two strengths
- Checkpoint: Bhava lords
Level 2 · Unit 4
Graha drishti
How grahas 'look at' houses: the 7th-house aspect every graha casts, the special aspects of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, and how to count them.
- Drishti: the 7th-house aspect
- Special aspects of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn
- Counting aspects in a chart
- Mutual aspects and school differences
- Checkpoint: Graha drishti
Level 2 · Unit 5
Nakshatras in depth
Find any nakshatra from a degree, count out its lord, link padas to navamsas, and meet the nakshatra deities and Abhijit.
- Finding any nakshatra
- Lords by counting
- Padas and the navamsa
- Deities and Abhijit
- Checkpoint: Nakshatras in depth
Level 2 · Unit 6
Vimshottari dasha
Work out the balance of dasha at birth, build a mahadasha timeline, calculate antardashas, and see how astrologers read dasha lords.
- Balance of dasha at birth
- The sequence of mahadashas
- Antardashas
- How astrologers read dashas
- Checkpoint: Vimshottari dasha
Level 2 · Unit 7
Combustion, retrogression and graha yuddha
Grahas near the Sun (asta), apparent backward motion (vakri) and planetary war between the tara grahas, with orbs and rules that vary by text.
- Asta: combustion
- Combustion in practice
- Vakri: retrograde grahas
- Graha yuddha: planetary war
- Checkpoint: Combustion, retrogression and graha yuddha
Level 2 · Unit 8
Avasthas: the states of a graha
The BPHS baladi states by degree, reversed in even rashis, and the jagradadi states of awake, dreaming and asleep by dignity, read as modifiers, not verdicts.
- What an avastha is
- Baladi in odd rashis
- Baladi in even rashis
- Jagradadi: awake, dreaming, asleep
- Checkpoint: Avasthas
Level 2 · Unit 9
Functional benefics and malefics
How lordship sets a graha's tone for each lagna: trikona and trishadaya lords, kendradhipati dosha, the 2nd, 12th and 8th lords, worked through one lagna.
- Lordship changes the tone
- Kendra lords and kendradhipati dosha
- The 2nd, 12th and 8th lords
- Working through a lagna
- Checkpoint: Functional benefics and malefics
Level 2 · Unit 10
Practice: a Level 2 chart workshop
One new invented teaching chart read with Level 2 tools: dignity and friendship, lords and drishti, the Moon's dasha balance, combustion, retrogression and avasthas.
- The chart: dignity and friendship
- Lords, links and drishti
- The Moon and the dasha balance
- Asta, vakri and a careful summary
- Checkpoint: Level 2 chart workshop
Level 3Units: 10
Level 3 · Unit 1
Raja and Dhana yogas
What a yoga is, how grahas link, Raja yogas between kendra and trikona lords, Dhana yogas among the wealth lords, and the yogakaraka.
- What a yoga is
- Raja yoga: kendra meets trikona
- Dhana yogas: the wealth lords
- The yogakaraka and a yoga's strength
- Checkpoint: Raja and Dhana yogas
Level 3 · Unit 2
Mahapurusha, Gaja Kesari and Neecha Bhanga
The five Mahapurusha yogas, Gaja Kesari from the Moon, and commonly cited conditions for cancelling debilitation.
- Pancha Mahapurusha yogas
- Spotting Mahapurusha yogas
- Gaja Kesari yoga
- Neecha Bhanga Raja yoga
- Checkpoint: Mahapurusha, Gaja Kesari and Neecha Bhanga
Level 3 · Unit 3
Divisional charts (vargas)
How vargas divide each rashi, the D9 navamsa and vargottama, the D10 dashamsa, the Parashari hora, and what each chart is used for.
- Dividing a rashi: the vargas
- The D9 navamsa
- Vargottama and reading the D9
- D10, D2 and what each varga shows
- Checkpoint: Divisional charts
Level 3 · Unit 4
Karakas
Natural karakas of the seven grahas, house karakas, and Jaimini-style chara karakas ranked by degree in the seven- and eight-karaka schemes.
- Naisargika karakas: natural significators
- House, lord and karaka
- Chara karakas: ranking by degree
- The eight-karaka scheme and the Atmakaraka
- Checkpoint: Karakas
Level 3 · Unit 5
Interpreting dashas
Read a mahadasha lord by its houses and dignity, relate it to the antardasha lord, and treat dashas as themes rather than fixed events.
- The mahadasha lord's houses
- Dignity and the kind of house
- Mahadasha and antardasha lords
- Themes, not events
- Checkpoint: Interpreting dashas
Level 3 · Unit 6
Gochara, Sade Sati and ashtakavarga
Judge transits from the natal Moon, learn how long the slow grahas stay in a rashi, meet Sade Sati calmly and count ashtakavarga bindus.
- What gochara is
- How fast the grahas move
- Sade Sati
- An introduction to ashtakavarga
- Checkpoint: Gochara, Sade Sati and ashtakavarga
Level 3 · Unit 7
Doshas in context
Mangal dosha and Kala Sarpa taught without fear: the rules, how common they are, cancellations, later origins and responsible practice.
- What a dosha is
- Mangal dosha: the houses
- Cancellation and how common it is
- Kala Sarpa in context
- Checkpoint: Doshas in context
Level 3 · Unit 8
Yogas of the Sun and Moon
Chandra yogas from the Moon (Sunapha, Anapha, Durudhara, a calm Kemadruma, Adhi, Chandra-Mangala) and Surya yogas from the Sun (Vesi, Vasi, Ubhayachari, Budha-Aditya).
- Grahas beside the Moon
- Kemadruma, calmly
- Adhi and Chandra-Mangala yogas
- Grahas beside the Sun
- Checkpoint: Yogas of the Sun and Moon
Level 3 · Unit 9
Exchanges and dusthana yogas
Parivartana in depth: naming an exchange and sorting it as maha, khala or dainya; Viparita Raja yoga with Harsha, Sarala and Vimala, weighed calmly.
- Parivartana revisited
- Maha, khala and dainya
- Viparita Raja yoga
- Harsha, Sarala, Vimala and weighing
- Checkpoint: Exchanges and dusthana yogas
Level 3 · Unit 10
Practice: a Level 3 chart workshop
One new invented teaching chart read with Level 3 tools: Raja, Dhana and Mahapurusha yogas, Sun and Moon yogas, an exchange, the D9, chara karakas, dashas and gochara.
- The chart and its yogas
- Sun and Moon yogas and an exchange
- Navamsa and karakas
- Dasha, gochara and a careful summary
- Checkpoint: Level 3 chart workshop
Level 4Units: 10
Level 4 · Unit 1
Shadbala and bhava bala
The six strengths of a graha in virupas and rupas: natural, directional and positional strength, time, motion and aspects, minimums, and bhava bala.
- Six sources of strength
- Naisargika bala: natural strength
- Dig bala and sthana bala
- Time, motion, aspect and totals
- Checkpoint: Shadbala and bhava bala
Level 4 · Unit 2
Ashtakavarga in depth
Read bhinnashtakavarga tables, build SAV scores, find the kakshya lord for any degree, meet the shodhana reductions and layer it all onto transits.
- Reading a bhinnashtakavarga
- Kakshya: eight slices of a rashi
- Shodhana: the reductions
- Ashtakavarga and transits
- Checkpoint: Ashtakavarga in depth
Level 4 · Unit 3
The Shodashavarga
All sixteen BPHS vargas, their exact part sizes, the D12 and Parashari D3 rules, their traditional themes, and vimshopaka bala.
- The sixteen vargas
- Part sizes, exactly
- Counting the D12 and the D3
- Themes and vimshopaka bala
- Checkpoint: The Shodashavarga
Level 4 · Unit 4
Other dashas
Yogini dasha and its starting yogini, the 108-year Ashtottari dasha, and an introduction to the Jaimini Chara dasha.
- Yogini dasha: the eight yoginis
- Finding the starting yogini
- Ashtottari dasha
- Chara dasha and comparing systems
- Checkpoint: Other dashas
Level 4 · Unit 5
Kundali matching: Ashtakoota and beyond
Score the eight kootas out of 36, count Bhakoot and Nadi, face Varna's caste history, and keep consent above any number.
- Eight kootas, 36 points
- What each koota compares
- Counting Bhakoot and Nadi
- Beyond the score
- Checkpoint: Kundali matching
Level 4 · Unit 6
Panchanga and muhurta basics
Compute tithi, yoga and karana from the Sun and Moon, know the varas, and meet muhurta's hedged, practical rules.
- The five limbs
- Tithi: the lunar day
- Yoga and karana
- Muhurta: choosing a time
- Checkpoint: Panchanga and muhurta
Level 4 · Unit 7
Remedies and responsible practice
Mantra, dana and gemstones as tradition, with no guarantees or fear, clear costs, respect for beliefs and knowing when to refer out.
- Mantra and dana
- Gemstones
- No guarantees, no fear
- Knowing when to refer out
- Checkpoint: Remedies and responsible practice
Level 4 · Unit 8
Nabhasa yogas
The BPHS's 32 patterns of the seven grahas: sankhya counts of rashis, ashraya by rashi quality, dala in the kendras and akriti shapes, on real-sky examples.
- Thirty-two sky patterns
- Sankhya yogas: counting rashis
- Ashraya and Dala yogas
- Akriti yogas: shapes in the chart
- Checkpoint: Nabhasa yogas
Level 4 · Unit 9
The Sudarshana chakra in depth
Read a chart from the lagna, Moon and Sun at once: three house numbers per rashi, what the pillars' spacing shows, weighing agreement, and the Sudarshana dasha of a house a year.
- One rashi, three house numbers
- Judging a house three ways
- Sudarshana dasha: a house a year
- Months within the year, and its place
- Checkpoint: The Sudarshana chakra
Level 4 · Unit 10
Practice: a Level 4 chart workshop
One new invented teaching chart read with Level 4 tools: shadbala pointers, D3, D9 and D12, kakshyas, Vimshottari and Yogini dashas, a Nabhasa count, the birth panchanga and a Sudarshana year.
- The chart and its strengths
- Vargas and kakshyas
- Two dashas and a Nabhasa count
- Birth panchanga and the Sudarshana year
- Checkpoint: Level 4 chart workshop
Level 5Units: 10
Level 5 · Unit 1
Prashna
Cast a chart for the moment of a question, choose the house for the matter, judge the Moon, meet the arudha, Kerala traditions and omens.
- A chart for the question
- Houses for the matter
- The Moon and the arudha
- Kerala traditions, omens and limits
- Checkpoint: Prashna
Level 5 · Unit 2
Tajika and Varshaphal
The Persian and Arabic roots of Tajika, the annual chart, muntha and the year lord, degree-based aspects and orbs, sahams and mudda dasha.
- Tajika and the annual chart
- Muntha and the year lord
- Tajika aspects and orbs
- Sahams and mudda dasha
- Checkpoint: Tajika and Varshaphal
Level 5 · Unit 3
Medini (mundane) Jyotish
Meet mundane astrology through the Brihat Samhita: disputed national charts, sankranti ingresses, eclipses and the 60-year samvatsara cycle, with no forecasts.
- Medini and the Brihat Samhita
- National charts
- Ingresses and eclipses
- The 60-year samvatsara cycle
- Checkpoint: Medini Jyotish
Level 5 · Unit 4
Synthesis: dasha, transit and ashtakavarga
Layer the natal promise, the dasha, gochara and ashtakavarga on invented teaching charts, and frame the result as themes, never events.
- The promise must exist
- The dasha activates
- The transit triggers
- Ashtakavarga modulates
- Checkpoint: Synthesis
Level 5 · Unit 5
Classical texts
Meet the BPHS, Brihat Jataka, Saravali, Jataka Parijata and Phaladeepika, with their hedged dates, and learn careful habits for reading them.
- The BPHS today
- Varahamihira and Kalyanavarma
- Jataka Parijata and Phaladeepika
- Reading classical texts well
- Checkpoint: Classical texts
Level 5 · Unit 6
Case studies
Two invented teaching charts: combine yogas, vargas, dashas, gochara and ashtakavarga, and phrase findings responsibly.
- Teaching chart A: the natal picture
- Chart A: vargas, dasha and transits
- Teaching chart B: a mixed picture
- Phrasing findings responsibly
- Checkpoint: Case studies
Level 5 · Unit 7
Professional practice and ethics
Consultations in the Indian context: family requests, matching and doshas, health, fees, privacy and the law, practised through scenarios.
- Whose reading is it?
- Matching requests and doshas
- Health, fees and honest selling
- Privacy and the law
- Checkpoint: Professional practice
Level 5 · Unit 8
Capstone: a full Jyotish reading
One invented teaching chart read step by step: lagna, Moon, dignity, drishti, yogas, D9, dashas, gochara and ashtakavarga, phrased responsibly.
- The teaching chart: lagna, Moon and grahas
- Dignity, drishti and yogas
- Navamsa, dashas and transits
- Synthesis: an ethical, useful reading
- Checkpoint: Capstone reading
Level 5 · Unit 9
Ayanamsa, ephemeris and calculation
How the ayanamsa grows, Lahiri's Chitra anchor and other ayanamsas, converting across 0° Mesha, boundary cases, mean and true nodes, drik and vakya panchangas and software checks.
- An ayanamsa that grows
- Lahiri and the others
- Converting and boundary cases
- Nodes, panchangas and software settings
- Checkpoint: Ayanamsa and calculation
Level 5 · Unit 10
Birth time: sensitivity and rectification
How fast the lagna, vargas, Moon and dasha balance change with the birth time, checking clock times, working without a time, and careful, ethical rectification.
- How fast a chart changes
- The Moon and the dasha balance
- When the time is uncertain
- Rectification and its limits
- Checkpoint: Birth time and rectification