Appendix 2 - Glossary of Astronomical and AstrologicalTerms

Italicized words are of Sanskrit origin or Sanskritized loanwords unless otherwise stated.

acronychal (rising) at the beginning of night, i.e., at sunset; opposite the sun in the zodiac

ahargaṇa day count from a given epoch, typically of the current age or Kaliyuga

(considered to have commenced on Friday, 23 January [New Style], 3102 BCE)

aḥwālal-qamar (Arabic ) ‘[harmful] conditions of the moon’, the last item on the original list of 16 conditions forming the basis of the Tājika yogas

akṣabhā ‘shadow of latitude’: the shadow of a gnomon measured at local noon on the equinox to determine terrestrial latitude

amānta (of a synodic month) ending with the new moon or lunisolar conjunction; cf. pūrṇimānta

angle houses 1 and 7, defined by the rising and setting points of the ecliptic, and 4 and 10, defined by its anti-culminating and culminating (or, alternatively, lowest and highest) points, respectively, at a given time

aṅgula see digit

annual horoscope see revolution

antardaśā subperiod; cf. daśā

anti-culmination lowest point, intersecting the meridian below the horizon, in the apparent daily (primary) motion of a planet or other point

āpoklima (from Greek ἀπόκλιμα) see cadent

application aspect in the process of perfecting by the swifter planet approaching its ideal angular distance from the slower planet

Arabic part see lot

ariṣṭa misfortune, particularly fatal or near-fatal; combination of astrological factors signifying such misfortune

ascendant rising point of the ecliptic, marking its intersection with the horizon east of the meridian; sometimes used of the entire eastern half of the horizon, the rising sign, or the first house

ascensional difference difference between the right and oblique ascensions of a planet or other point

aspect angle of longitudinal distance between zodiacal signs or degrees, conceived of as a ‘glance’ by means of which a planet exerts its influence on another planet, point or sign

aṣṭakavarga ‘group of eight’: pre-Islamic Indian system for evaluating planetary transits with reference to the ascendant and seven planets

asterism see nakṣatra

asu ⅙ of a pala, or 10 vipalas, corresponding to one minute of arc

ayanāṃśa value of precession for any given date

āyus length of life, astrologically calculated and forming the basis of certain daśā systems in pre-Islamic Indian astrology

benefic (of a planet) ‘well-doer’, primarily signifying favourable or pleasant experiences

besiegement a planet or other point being placed between two malefics (or, sometimes, their aspect points); in a secondary sense, similar placement between benefics

bhāva see house

bhujāntara correction for the eccentricity of the ecliptic; cf. equation of time

bīja ‘seed’: constant used for correcting models of planetary motion

cadent ‘falling’ from an angle: houses 3, 6, 9 and 12

caput draconis (Latin) ‘head of the dragon’: the northern lunar node, known in Indian astrology as Rāhu

cara (also carāntara) see ascensional difference

cardine see angle

catarchicastrology branch of astrology dealing with the election of favourable times for commencing various undertakings

cauda draconis (Latin) ‘tail of the dragon’: the southern lunar node, known in Indian astrology as Ketu

celestial sphere imaginary sphere of unlimited extension within which all heavenly bodies are observed, having the place of observation for its centre

chart see figure

chronocrator (Greek χρονοκράτωρ) planet ruling or dominating a given period of time; cf. daśā, jārbakhtār

civil (year, month or day) see sāvana

combust (of planets) ‘burnt’ or under the rays of the sun, i.e., invisible due to proximity to the sun; cf. heliacal setting

configuration see yoga

conjunction (of two or more planets or points) occupation of the same ecliptical longitude or, more generally, the same zodiacal sign; sometimes included among the aspects

culmination highest point above the horizon, intersecting the meridian, in the apparent daily (primary) motion of a planet or other point

cusp (of a house) defining and most effective point, in Indian astrology (including Tājika) typically treated as its centre rather than its starting-point

dalīla (from Arabic dalīl) see significator

daśā 1. in pre-Islamic Indian astrology: period of life ruled and determined by a given planet and/or zodiacal sign, divided into subperiods, subsubperiods, etc.; 2. in Tājika, similar periods typically subdividing a discrete year, month, or day of life

debility condition under which a planet is considered weak and therefore generally to signify less favourable outcomes

decan (from Greek δεκανός) division of a zodiacal sign into three equal parts of 10°, also known as ‘face’; ultimately of Egyptian origin

deśāntara (correction for) difference in terrestrial longitude

descendant setting point of the ecliptic, marking its intersection with the horizon west of the meridian; sometimes used of the entire western half of the horizon, the setting sign, or the seventh house

dexter (in measuring the shortest distance between two planets or other points in the zodiac) ‘to the right’: occupying the earlier position, rising first; misunderstood in Tājika tradition

digit (unit of measure) finger-breadth

dignity condition under which a planet is considered strong and therefore generally to signify more favourable outcomes

dinapraveśa ‘commencement of the day’; see revolution

dīptāṃśa see orb

direct (of the five non-luminary planets) moving forwards through the zodiac by secondary motion, against the primary motion

direction (transl. via Arabic tasyīr from Greek ἄφεσις ‘sending out’; cf. tāsīra) prognostic method based on the apparent daily (primary) motion of the celestial sphere and calculated in oblique, right, or mixed ascensions

diurnal 1. ‘of the day’, see sect; 2. relating to the hemisphere above the horizon

domicile zodiacal sign considered to be owned or ruled by a given planet

drekkāṇa (also dreṣkāṇa, dṛkāṇa) see decan

dṛṣṭi see aspect

duḥphālikuttha (also duphālikuttha, duṣphālikuttha, etc., from Arabic dufʿa l-quwwa ‘committing strength’) the 12th Tājika yoga

duruḥpha (also durapha, duraṣpha, etc., from Arabic ḍuʿf ‘weakness’) the 16th Tājika yoga

dutthotthadabīra (also dutthadabīra, dutthakutthīra, etc., from Arabic dufʿa t-tadbīr [waṭ-ṭabīʿa] ‘committing disposition [and nature]’) the 13th Tājika yoga, erroneously truncated; cf. tambīra

dvādaśāṃśa division of a zodiacal sign into twelve equal parts of 2°30′, each part identified with a sign in a ‘micro-zodiac’ scheme; inherited from Hellenistic tradition (Greek δωδεκατημόριον) and ultimately of Mesopotamian origin

dvādaśavargī ‘set of twelve’ dignities found in later Tājika tradition, comprising equal subdivisions of each zodiacal sign by every integer from 1 to 12

ecliptic great circle described by the apparent motion of the sun against the background of the fixed stars over the course of a year, inclined to the equator at a slowly shifting angle; cf. obliquity

electional astrology see catarchic astrology

elongation longitudinal distance between the sun and another planet

equation of time correction for the eccentricity and obliquity of the ecliptic; cf. bhujāntara, udayāntara

equator 1. terrestrial equator: imaginary circle perpendicular to the earth’s axis of rotation and dividing the earth into a northern and a southern hemisphere; 2. celestial equator: great circle in the same plane as the terrestrial equator

equinoctial shadow see akṣabhā

equinox 1. date on which day and night are of equal length; 2. (equinoctial point) intersection of the ecliptic with the celestial equator in northward direction (vernal equinox, 0° Arabic in the tropical zodiac) or in southward direction (autumnal equinox, 0° Libra in the tropical zodiac)

exaltation zodiacal sign (or a particular degree therein) in which a given planet is considered to be uniquely powerful

fardār (Arabic , also firdār, from Persian, of uncertain derivation) planetary periods of fixed lengths, probably of Persian origin and confused in early Tājika sources with kisima; cf. daśā

figure diagram, usually square or round in shape, displaying the apparent positions of the planets and zodiac at a given time and place of observation

gairikambūla (also gairakambūla, gairikabūla, from Arabic ghayr al-qabūl ‘non-reception’) the 9th Tājika yoga

gaṇaka mathematician or astrologer/astronomer

gaṇita mathematical astronomy, comprising mathematics (gaṇita in a restricted sense) and cosmology (gola)

genethlialogy branch of astrology dealing with figures cast for a person’s time and place of birth

ghaṭī, ghaṭikā 1⁄30 of the time from sunrise to sunset or vice versa, or else 1⁄60 of a nychthemeron

gnomon column used to measure the length of a shadow; cf. akṣabhā

gocara see transit

graha ‘seizer’, either in the sense of influencing human life or of overtaking the fixed stars: see planet

great circle circle within and concentric with the celestial sphere

haddā (also hadda, from Arabic ḥadd) see terms

harṣa see joy

heliacal (rising/setting, of a planet) becoming visible for the first time after, or being visible for the last time before, its conjunction with the sun

hillāja (via Arabic hīlāj from Persian hīlāg, transl. Greek ἀφέτης) 1. planet or point ‘sent out’ by direction to determine the length of life (known in European tradition as hyleg, with variants); 2. in later Tājika tradition misinterpreted as the personal name of a fictitious ancient authority

horā (from Greek ὥρα ‘hour, ascendant’) 1. horoscopic or judicial astrology, comprising genethlialogy (jātaka), catarchic astrology (muhūrta), and interrogations (praśna); 2. division of a zodiacal sign into two equal parts, so called because each part will take an average of one hour to rise; 3. seasonal hour, defined as 1⁄12 of the time from sunrise to sunset or vice versa; 4. the ascendant.

horary astrology see interrogations

horizon great circle forming the plane of observation within the celestial sphere, centred either around a place on the surface of the earth (topocentric horizon) or around the centre of the earth (geocentric horizon)

horoscope 1. see ascendant; 2. see figure

horoscopy (also horoscopic or judicial astrology) form of astrology based on judging figures displaying the ascendant and other houses; cf. natural astrology

house twelfth-part of the sky surrounding the place of observation, assigned particular spheres of influence on human affairs; identical in the simplest form with a zodiacal sign, but different methods of division exist based on the intersections of various great circles (including the ecliptic, horizon, meridian, equator, and prime vertical) or of primary motion

ikhtiyārāt (Arabic ‘choices’) see catarchic astrology

ikkavāla (also iṣkavāla, from Arabic iqbāl ‘advance’) the 1st Tājika yoga

induvāra (from Arabic idbār ‘retreat’) the 2nd Tājika yoga

inferior (of planets) in geocentric terms, belonging to a sphere below the sun; in heliocentric terms, having a smaller orbit than the earth

ingress the entry of the sun, or sometimes another planet, into a zodiacal sign

interrogations branch of astrology dealing with figures cast for the time and place of a question posed to the astrologer

inthihā (also inthā, anthihā, anthā, from Arabic intihāʾ ‘completion’) see munthahā

īsarāpha (also īśarāpha, from Arabic inṣirāf ‘separation’) the 4th Tājika yoga

itthaśāla (also itthasāla, from Arabic ittiṣāl ‘application’) the 3rd Tājika yoga

jārbakhtār (Arabic via Persian, transl. Greek χρονοκράτωρ ‘ruler of the time’; also, less correctly, jānbakhtār) planet ruling the terms through which a significator is passing by direction at a given time (known in European tradition as algebuthar, with variants, or as divisor, transl. Arabic al-qāsim); cf. chronocrator, kisima

jātaka see genethlialogy

Jovianyear 1. definition of a year based on the mean transit of Jupiter through a zodiacal sign; 2. in a wider sense, cycle of sixty named years based in some regions of India on Jupiter’s mean motion, but in other regions on the lunisolar year

joy conditions considered congenial to a given planet, including a particular zodiacal sign, a particular house, daytime or nighttime, and a particular quadrant of the celestial sphere

judicial astrology see horoscopy

junction (of houses) in Indian astrology (including Tājika), the point halfway between two house cusps, where the former house ends and the latter house begins

jyotiḥśāstra traditional Indian astral science, comprising gaṇita, horā, and saṃhitā

jyautiṣa, jyotiṣa see jyotiḥśāstra

kalā 1⁄60 of a degree (a minute of arc) or of any unit, such as a point of strength; cf.

rūpa

kambūla (also kabūla, kabbūla, from Arabic qabūl ‘reception’) the 8th Tājika yoga

karaṇa 1. half a calendric yoga; 2. abridged manual of astronomical computation

kartarī ‘scissors’; see besiegement

kemadruma (from Greek κενοδρομία) the moon or another planet being ‘void of course’ or in an empty path, i.e., encountering no planets or aspects; cf. khallāsara

kendra (from Greek κέντρον) see angle

khallāsara (from Arabic khalāʾ as-sayr ‘being void of course’, transl. Greek κενοδρομία) the 10th Tājika yoga

khattakhutta (via Arabic from Persian kadkhudā, transl. Greek οἰκοδεσπότης) 1. planet ruling the place occupied by the hillāja and used in determining the length of life (known in European tradition as alcochoden, with variants); 2. in later Tājika tradition misinterpreted as the personal name of a fictitious ancient authority

kisima (also kisimā, from Arabic qisma ‘division, allotment’) period of time, usually spanning several years, during which a significator is directed through the terms of a given planet, not well understood in Tājika tradition

kṣut, kṣuta (of unknown derivation) collective Tājika term for the unfavourable aspects: square, opposition, and sometimes conjunction

kṛṣṇapakṣa see pakṣa

kuṇḍalī see figure

kuttha (from Arabic quwwa ‘strength’) the 15th Tājika yoga

lagna ‘intersecting’: 1. see ascendant; 2. (in compounds) cusp of any house, particularly the upper midheaven; 3. see figure

latitude 1. terrestrial latitude: angular distance of a place of observation north or south of the terrestrial equator; 2. celestial latitude: angular distance of a planet or point north or south of the ecliptic

longitude 1. terrestrial longitude: angular distance east or west of the meridian of any given location on earth; 2. celestial longitude: angular distance of a (projected) planet or point along the ecliptic, measured from 0° Arabic or 0° of any sign in the sidereal or tropical zodiac

lot (transl. Greek κλñρος) imaginary point on the ecliptic, bearing some particular signification and derived by measuring the ecliptical distance between two points (typically planets) and projecting it from a third point (typically the ascendant)

luminary the sun or moon

lunar date see tithi

lunisolar based on the synodic cycle of the moon but periodically adjusted to harmonize with the seasonal cycles of the sun

makabūla (from Arabic maqbūl ‘received’) probably a synonym of kambūla, though possibly intended to signify reception in the original sense (one planet applying to another by aspect while occupying the latter’s domicile or other zodiacal dignity)

malefic (of a planet) ‘evil-doer’, primarily signifying unfavourable or distressing experiences

maṇaū (also maṇāū, maṇu, from Arabic manʿa ‘prohibition’) the 7th Tājika yoga

masāʾil (Arabic ‘questions’) see interrogations

māsapraveśa ‘commencement of the month’; see revolution

medium caeli (Latin) see midheaven

meridian great circle passing through the zenith, nadir, and north and south points of the horizon at the place of observation; also used of the same circle projected on to the surface of the earth

meridian distance distance of a planet or point from the meridian, measured in degrees of right ascension along a circle parallel to the celestial equator

midheaven intersection of the ecliptic with the meridian above the horizon (culminating point, upper midheaven) or below the horizon (anti-culminating point, lower midheaven)

mixed ascension intermediate value of right and oblique ascensions used for defining the position of a planet or point within its apparent daily (primary) motion

mudda (also muddā, from Arabic mudda ‘period’) a particular form of Tājika daśā

muhūrta see catarchic astrology

mukāriṇā (from Arabic muqārina) see conjunction

mukāvilā (from Arabic muqābila) see opposition

mūlatrikoṇa pre-Islamic Indian zodiacal dignity similar to but not identical with the planetary signs of joy

munthahā (also munthā, from Arabic muntahā ‘completed’) in Tājika, a point in the figure of a revolution derived by symbolically advancing the ascendant of the nativity by one zodiacal sign for each year of life; cf. profection

musallaha (also muśallaha, from Arabic muthallatha ‘triplicity’) in Tājika tradition, a synonym of navāṃśa, but assigned a different rulership scheme by some authorities

mūsariḥpha (also mūsaripha, musaripha, from Arabic munṣarif ‘separating’) see īsarāpha

mutthaśila (also muthaśila, mūthaśīla, muthasila, etc., from Arabic muttaṣil ‘applying’) see itthaśāla

nāḍī, nāḍikā see ghaṭī

nakṣatra originally, 27 or 28 unequal asterisms in the apparent path of the moon, corresponding to its sidereal cycle of 27.³ days; normalized in pre-Islamic Indian astrology as a division of the ecliptic into 27 equal parts of 13°20′, each further divided into quarters (pāda) of 3°20′; cf. navāṃśa

nakta (for *nakla, from Arabic naql ‘translation’) the 5th Tājika yoga

natal astrology see genethlialogy

native subject of a nativity

nativity figure cast for the time and place of a person’s birth

natural astrology form of astrology predicting events in the natural world, such as weather or epidemics, from the motions of the heavenly bodies without recourse to horoscopic figures

navāṃśa probably indigenous Indian division of a zodiacal sign into nine equal parts of 3°20′, each part identified with a sign in a ‘micro-zodiac’ scheme and identical with the pāda of a nakṣatra

nocturnal 1. ‘of the night’, see sect; 2. 2. relating to the hemisphere below the horizon

nodes, lunar the diametrically opposed points at which the apparent path of the moon intersects the ecliptic; cf. caput/cauda draconis

nychthemeron a day and night, 24 hours

oblique ascension point on the celestial equator rising simultaneously with a planet or ecliptical degree at the horizon of the place of observation

obliquity (of the ecliptic) angle of inclination relative to the equator, caused by the tilt of the earth’s rotational axis in relation to the plane of its orbit around the sun; currently ca. 23°26′

opposition aspect angle of 180° longitudinal separation or, more generally, occupation of opposite zodiacal signs

orb sphere of light or astrological influence assigned to a planet in the context of its aspects and conjunctions, defined as a margin of ecliptical longitude

pāda see nakṣatra

pakṣa ‘wing’: one half of a synodic month, the waxing phase from new to full moon being known as śukla ‘bright’ and the waning phase from full to new moon as kṛṣṇa ‘dark’; cf. tithi

pala 1⁄60 of a ghaṭī

paṇaphara (from Greek ἐπαναφορά) see succedent

pañcāṅga ‘fivefold’ traditional Indian calendar still used for astrological and religious purposes and giving, for each day, the current tithi, lunar nakṣatra, yoga, karaṇa, and day of the week

pañcavargī ‘set of five’ dignities found in Tājika tradition from the earliest times, based on the Graeco-Arabic dignities of domicile, exaltation, terms, triplicity and decans, but conflating the last two and introducing the probably indigenous navāṃśa, sometimes called musallaha, in the fifth place

partile (of conjunctions and aspects) occurring within one degree; cf. synodic

pātyāyinī the main Tājika daśā system used for subdividing a discrete year (or, secondarily, month or day) of life

period see daśā

place, horoscopic see house

planet (Greek πλάνης ‘wanderer’) heavenly body apparently moving against the background of the fixed stars, including the sun, moon, and occasionally the lunar nodes conceived of as invisible bodies; cf. graha

prahara watch: ¼ the time from sunrise to sunset or vice versa, or else ⅛ of a nychthemeron

praśna see interrogations

pratyantardaśā third-level period; cf. daśā

precession cyclical change in the direction of the earth’s polar axis, resulting in a regression of the equinoxes through the fixed constellations, each complete cycle of ³⁶⁰° lasting approximately 25,⁸⁰⁰ years; cf. sidereal, tropical

primary motion apparent daily motion of the celestial sphere, and hence of the zodiac and all planets, around the place of observation, caused by the rotation of the earth around its axis

primevertical great circle passing through the zenith, nadir, and east and west points of the horizon at the place of observation

profection (corruption of Latin perfectio, transl. via Arabic intihāʾ/muntahā, ultimately from Greek συντελέω ‘to complete’) symbolic motion of one zodiacal sign or 30° of ecliptical longitude per year, sometimes subdivided into faster-moving monthly and daily profections; cf. munthahā

prorogation see direction

prorogator see hillāja

pūrṇimānta (of a synodic month) ending with the full moon or lunisolar opposition; cf. amānta

quadrant 1. quarter of the celestial sphere delimited by the horizon and meridian; 2. quarter of the tropical zodiac, used for astronomical calculations; 3. see angle

query see interrogations

radda (from Arabic radd ‘return’) the 11th Tājika yoga

rājayoga ‘royal configuration’: combination of astrological factors signifying rise in status and/or power

rāśi see sign, zodiacal

retrograde (of the five non-luminary planets) apparently moving backwards through the zodiac by secondary motion, in the same direction as the primary motion

revolution return of the sun to the exact ecliptical longitude held at birth, marking a new annual cycle of life for which a new figure is cast; also used secondarily of monthly and daily cycles

right ascension location of a (projected) planet or ecliptical degree along the celestial equator, measured from the vernal equinox

rising time time required for a given zodiacal sign to rise entirely over the horizon at a given place of observation; its oblique ascension expressed in time

riṣṭa see ariṣṭa

ruler planet having dignity (generally by domicile) in a particular part of a figure

rūpa unit or point, e.g. of astrological strength

ṣaḍbala in pre-Islamic Indian tradition, and sometimes superimposed on Tājika, ‘six strengths’ or categories of dignity: by zodiacal position (sthānabala), direction (digbala), time (kālabala), nature (nisargabala), motion (ceṣṭābala), and aspect (dṛgbala)

sahama (from Arabic sahm) see lot

śaka Indian era beginning in 78 CE

saṃhitā ‘compendia’ or knowledge systems comprising various forms of divination including natural astrology, omens and physiognomy

ṣamīmī (Arabic ‘in the heart’, transl. Greek ἐγκάρδιος) (of a planet) conjunct the sun within a degree (known in European tradition as cazimi); cf. synodic

saṃkrānti see ingress

saṃskāra astronomical correction, e.g. to convert a mean value to a true one

saṃvat era, typically indicating vikrama

śaṅku see gnomon

sāraṇī table of planetary computations

sāvana civil year consisting of 12 months of 30 days

secondary motion apparent motion of a planet along the zodiac, caused by the orbits of the planet and the earth around the sun and occurring chiefly in the opposite direction of the primary motion; cf. direct, retrograde

sect (transl. Greek αἵρεσις) division of planets (and, occasionally, other points) into two groups defined as diurnal and nocturnal

semi-arc path of a planet or point from horizon to meridian or vice versa, forming part of a circle parallel to the celestial equator; cf. quadrant

separation aspect in the process of dissolving by the swifter planet moving away from its ideal angular distance from the slower planet

sextile aspect angle of 60° longitudinal separation or, more generally, occupation of signs forming one side of a hexagon within the zodiac

sidereal defined by one or more fixed stars, relative to which the equinoxes regress

siddhānta school or comprehensive system of astronomy

sign, zodiacal equal division of the zodiac into twelve parts of 30°, the starting point of which is defined either sidereally or tropically

significator planet or other point signifying a topic, particularly as used in directions

sinister (in measuring the shortest distance between two planets or other points in the zodiac) ‘to the left’: occupying the later position, rising last; misunderstood in Tājika tradition

ṣoḍaśa-yoga ‘the sixteen configurations’; see yoga

solar return see revolution

square aspect angle of 90° longitudinal separation or, more generally, occupation of signs forming one side of a square within the zodiac

station (of the five non-luminary planets) apparently ceasing its secondary motion prior to changing course from direct to retrograde or vice versa

strength see dignity

succedent ‘following’ an angle: houses 2, 5, 8 and 11

śuklapakṣa see pakṣa

superior (of planets) in geocentric terms, belonging to a sphere above the sun; in heliocentric terms, having a greater orbit than the earth

synodic 1. referring to a conjunction in a single degree, particularly of any planet with the sun; 2. referring to the entire cycle of a planet’s motion relative to the sun, such as that of the moon from one new (or full) moon to the next

tambīra (also tambira, from Arabic [dufʿa t-tadbīr wa-ṭ-]ṭabīʿa ‘[committing disposition and] nature’) the 14th Tājika yoga, produced by mistaken division of the Arabic phrase corresponding to the 13th yoga; cf. dutthotthadabīra

tantra text dealing with some particular aspect of astronomical or astrological doctrine

taravī (from Arabic tarbīʿ) see square

tasdī (from Arabic tasdīs) see sextile

tāsīra (from Arabic tasyīr ‘sending out’) designation of several Tājika daśā systems, only one of which bears a vague similarity to the prognostic method so named in Arabic sources; see direction

taślī (from Arabic tathlīth) see trine

terms (transl. Greek ὁρία) division of a zodiacal sign into five unequal parts, each ruled by one of the five non-luminary planets; ultimately of Mesopotamian origin

tithi lunar date or 1⁄15 of a pakṣa, defined by the movement of the moon in 12° segments of ecliptical longitude towards an opposition (full moon) or conjunction (new moon) with the sun

trairāśika see triplicity

transit real-time movements of planets through the zodiac, particularly as superimposed on the natal figure

trikoṇa zodiacal sign or house forming one side of an equilateral triangle with the ascendant (or, secondarily, some other point); houses 5 and 9

triṃśāṃśa 1. pre-Islamic Indian version of the terms; 2. occasionally used as a synonym of haddā (Graeco-Arabic terms) in Tājika

trine 1. aspect angle of 120° longitudinal separation or, more generally, occupation of signs forming one side of an equilateral triangle within the zodiac; 2. see trikoṇa

triplicity group of three zodiacal signs forming an equilateral triangle and ruled jointly by three planets: one primary, one secondary, and one participating

trirāśi see triplicity

tropical defined by the equinoxes, relative to which the fixed stars progress

udayāntara correction for the obliquity of the ecliptic; cf. equation of time

upacaya ‘increasing’: pre-Islamic Indian classification of houses 3, 6, 10 and 11

upadaśā fourth-level period; cf. daśā

varga ‘group’: in pre-Islamic Indian astrology, the subdivision of a zodiacal sign into smaller units, typically of equal size and corresponding to a zodiacal sign or assigned a planetary ruler

vargottama ‘optimal’ varga, particularly navāṃśa, identical with the zodiacal sign within which it is found (e.g., the Arabic navāṃśa in the sign Arabic)

varṣaphala ‘results of the year’; cf. revolution

varṣapraveśa ‘commencement of the year’; see revolution

vidaśā see pratyantardaśā

vighaṭī, vighaṭikā see pala

vikrama Indian era beginning in 58 BCE

viṃśopaka (also viśopaka) point system of astrological strength (based on a particular coin denomination), properly with a maximum score of 20

vināḍī see pala

vipala 1⁄60 of a pala

virūpa 1⁄60 of a rūpa

watch see prahara

weakness see debility

yamayā (from Arabic jāmiʿa ‘collection’) the 6th Tājika yoga

yoga 1. in pre-Islamic Indian tradition, predefined combination of astrological factors signifying a specific outcome in human affairs; 2. in Tājika, 16 categories of planetary interrelations resting chiefly on aspect configurations and zodiacal dignities; 3. in the calendar, sum of the sidereal longitudes of the sun and moon, arranged in a series of 27 divisions

yuga 1. astronomical cycle of just over 5 solar years; 2. cosmological cycle of world ages; cf. ahargaṇa

zodiac belt extending some 9° of latitude north and south of the ecliptic, divided equally into twelve signs, within which the planets are observed