Harmonic Chart in Vedic Astrology
Harmonic Chart in Vedic Astrology, Janam Patri
19-20th Century
Ink on Paper
16 in ×16 in
Vedic Culture
History
Jyotish or Vedic astrology had been traditionally practiced by the Vedic culture throughout India which has roots dating back to 3000 BCE.1 The name “Vedic” originates from that of the Vedas. The Vedas were four ancient (1400-400 BCE)2 Indian texts that served as a discussion for religion and ritual procedures. The Vedas there contain a section on astronomy (known as Jyotisha), which has served as the basis for Jyotish.3
Within Jyotish, there are the Shodasha Varga also known as “harmonic charts” which each contribute to the horoscope reading of an individual.4 Among these harmonic charts, Janam Patri is a horoscope in Vedic astrology studying grahas5 (Sanskrit for planets) and their influence on an individual’s life. This chart, in particular, is titled “The ninth-month cycle,” 6 indicating that this piece is a Navamsa (also spelled Navamsha) or harmonic ninth chart. When this person was born, an astrologer observed influential grahas and constructed this Navamsa for the individual. The Navamsa traditionally focuses on relationships, mostly marriage,7 and what will be complementary in a partner as well as how open the individual is to sharing inner or spiritual values.8
Theme and Interpretation
Vedic astrologers will attempt to answer the previously mentioned topics by decoding this chart, which tells how specific grahas influence events the person will encounter at certain times. The twelve leaf-like shapes, within the chart’s circle, contain Sanskrit characters9 while each of these shapes represents a bhavas (house) carrying factors that influence the person’s life.10 Within each bhava, one character labels the bhava’s index (from one to twelve) while the others provide names of the grahas within that bhava. bhava containing only the index number means no graha is influential in this zone.
Within the bottom-most bhava, the character “१” (“1” in Sanskrit) labels it to be the first bhava while the other character “व” suggests बृहस्पति (Brihaspati, Jupiter in Sanskrit).11 Rotating counterclockwise, bhavas २ (2), ३(3), ४(4), ५(5)…१२(12) are labeled respectively, some with grahas contained while others do not.12 While most bhava have zero to one graha, the fifth bhava includes both श (suggesting Saturn) and बु (suggesting Mercury), and Mercury’s proximity to the chart’s center suggests it is more dominant than Saturn.13
The first bhava (also referred to as the Ascendant) embodies the overall personality of a person and how they appear to others, with it generally considered to be the most indicative bhava.14 This birth chart has Brihaspati (Jupiter) in the position of the first bhava.15 Jupiter is referred to as the planet of intelligence and creativity.16 Therefore, having Jupiter in the first bhava of the Navamsa indicates that a romantic partner will be the complement of this individual with their knowledge. Other commonly associated traits with grahas presented in this chart include sociability and trading for Mercury, hardworking for Saturn, and bravery for Mars.17 The rich and complex interpretations that could be made of this chart show how art and rituals sometimes comprise people’s attempts to comprehend the unknowns through deciphering signals sent by the universe.
Eric Zhu
Undecided
Class of 2026
Claire Hofstra
Chemical Engineering
Class of 2026
Annotated Bibliography
Frawley, David. The Astrology of Seers: A Comprehensive Guide to Vedic Astrology. Salt Lake City, Utah: Passage
Here, Frawley discusses the origins of Vedic astrology as wel as it’s historical significance. Additionally, Frawely goes into great detail about the different aspects of Vedic astrology such as the houses, planets, and their meaning in different astrological contexts.
Lambert, H.M. Introduction to the Devanagari script for students of Sanskrit Hindi
Marathi,Gujarati and Bengli. London: Oxford University Press: London, 1953.
Lambert’s book studies Sanskrit and Hindi characters from syllabary to conjunct characters. Sanskrit is a complex language with different forms, and Lambert’s book is crucial in allowing us to understand which “version” the chart is written in and the direct meanings those characters represent.
Michael, Witzel. “The Vedas.” Oxford Bibliographies. Accessed October 11, 2023. https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780195399318/obo-9780195399318-0146.xml?q=astronomy.
Here, Frawley discusses the origins of Vedic astrology as wel as it’s historical significance. Additionally, Frawely goes into great detail about the different aspects of Vedic astrology such as the houses, planets, and their meaning in different astrological contexts.
Frawley, David. The Astrology of Seers: A Comprehensive Guide to Vedic Astrology. Salt Lake City, Utah: Passage
On this website, Witzel discusses the Vedas texts including what they are, why they are important, and goes into detail about its various topics. Specifically, looking at the astronomy section, Witzel discusses what the hymns in the Vedas. Throughout this source Witzel includes a variety of additional relevant sources.
Rao, Narasimha. Vedic Astrology: An Integrated Approach. New Delhi: Sagar Publications, 2004.
The book by Rao offers a comprehensive overview of Vedic Astrology, how astrology charts are constructed, and how to read them. Using examples of South and North Indian charts, Rao explains general concepts, elements, and components of Vedic astrology charts in detail, especially over sections on grahas (planets) and bhavas (houses). Rao’s book provides crucial information on what constitutes a graha/bhava and the underlying meanings of various grahas in Vedic astrology.