Vedic Glossary
58 terms · Sanskrit + Telugu + English definitions
వేద శాస్త్ర నిఘంటువు
Panchanga (5 terms)
Tithi
తిథి
Lunar day — the time it takes for the Moon to gain 12° angular distance from the Sun.…
Nakshatra
నక్షత్రం
Lunar mansion — one of 27 divisions of the ecliptic, each 13°20'.…
Yoga (Panchanga)
యోగం
The combined angular distance of the Sun + Moon, divided into 27 units of 13°20' each.…
Karana
కరణం
Half of a tithi — there are 11 karanas, of which 4 are fixed (Shakuni, Chatushpada, Naga, Kintughna)…
Vara (Weekday)
వారం
The day of the week — Sun (Ravi), Moon (Soma), Mars (Mangala), Mercury (Budha), Jupiter (Guru), Venu…
Astrology (15 terms)
Rashi
రాశి
Zodiac sign — one of 12 divisions of the ecliptic, each 30°.…
Lagna (Ascendant)
లగ్నం
The zodiac sign rising on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth — the foundation of the entire …
Graha (Planet)
గ్రహం
A celestial body — Vedic astrology uses 9 grahas (navagraha): Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Ven…
Navagraha
నవగ్రహాలు
The 9 grahas — Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, Ketu.…
Pada
పాద
A quarter of a nakshatra. Each nakshatra has 4 padas of 3°20' each.…
Bhava (House)
భావం
A house in the birth chart — there are 12 bhavas, each representing a life area.…
Kundli (Birth Chart)
కుండలి
The Vedic birth chart — map of planetary positions, lagna, and houses at the moment of birth.…
Navamsa (D9 Chart)
నవాంశం
The 1/9 divisional chart — derived by dividing each rashi into 9 parts.…
Dasha (Vimsottari)
దశ
The 120-year Vimsottari Dasha — planetary period system predicting timing of life events.…
Rahu
రాహు
The north lunar node — point where Moon's orbit crosses ecliptic going north. Shadow planet.…
Ketu
కేతువు
The south lunar node — point where Moon's orbit crosses ecliptic going south. Shadow planet.…
Parihara (Remedies)
పరిహారం
Vedic astrological remedies to mitigate doshas, planetary afflictions, or bad transits.…
Rahu-Ketu Transit
రాహు-కేతు సంక్రమణం
Rahu and Ketu move retrograde through the zodiac, spending 1.5 years in each sign.…
Guru Peyarchi (Jupiter Transit)
గురు పెయర్చి
Jupiter spends ~12 months in each rashi — major auspicious transit.…
Gocara (Transit)
గోచారం
Current planetary position vs natal chart position — used for daily/monthly predictions.…
Time (8 terms)
Rahu Kalam
రాహు కాలం
The 1.5-hour daily inauspicious window ruled by Rahu — avoid starting new ventures.…
Yamagandam
యమగండం
A 1.5-hour daily inauspicious window — avoid important activities, especially travel.…
Gulikai (Gulika Kalam)
గుళికై
A 1.5-hour daily inauspicious window — the upagraha period of Saturn.…
Abhijit Muhurtam
అభిజిత్ ముహూర్తం
The most universally auspicious daily 48-minute window — centered at solar noon.…
Brahma Muhurtam
బ్రహ్మ ముహూర్తం
The 96-minute pre-dawn window (1.5 muhurtas before sunrise) — most sacred for meditation.…
Muhurtam
మూహుర్తం
An auspicious time chosen for a specific activity based on tithi, nakshatra, vara, yoga, and karana …
Choghadiya
చౌఘడియా
A muhurtam system dividing each day + night into 8 slots, each ~1.5 hours.…
Sandhya
సంధ్య
Twilight — the daily junction times. Three sandhyas: sunrise (Pratah), noon (Madhyahna), sunset (Say…
Dosha (8 terms)
Sade Sati
శని సాడే సాతి
Saturn's 7.5-year transit over the 12th, 1st, and 2nd houses from natal Moon.…
Shani Dhaiya
శని దైయా
Saturn's 2.5-year transit over the 4th or 8th house from natal Moon — half-Sade-Sati.…
Kaal Sarp Dosha
కాల సర్ప దోషం
A yoga where all 7 main planets are hemmed between Rahu and Ketu — creates karmic obstacles.…
Pitru Dosha
పితృ దోషం
Karmic indebtedness to ancestors — indicated by Sun-Rahu/Ketu afflictions in the 9th house.…
Mangal Dosha (Kuja Dosha)
కుజ దోషం
Mars in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th, or 12th house — affects marriage compatibility.…
Nadi Dosha
నాడీ దోషం
Same Nadi (Adi/Madhya/Antya) for both partners in marriage matching — classically discouraged.…
Bhakoot Dosha
భకూట దోషం
When the rashis of bride and groom form 6-8 or 5-9 axis — challenging marriage compatibility.…
Grahan Dosha
గ్రహణ దోషం
Sun or Moon conjunct Rahu/Ketu — eclipse-like affliction in the natal chart.…
Compatibility (3 terms)
Calendar (7 terms)
Ayanamsa
అయనాంశం
The angular difference between tropical and sidereal zodiacs — caused by axial precession.…
Samvatsara
సంవత్సరం
A named year in the 60-year Telugu calendar cycle — 2026-27 is Vishvavasu / Parabhava.…
Masa (Lunar Month)
మాసం
Lunar month — 12 in the Hindu calendar: Chaitra, Vaishakha, Jyeshtha, Ashada, Shravana, Bhadrapada, …
Paksha
పక్షం
Lunar fortnight — Shukla Paksha (bright/waxing) or Krishna Paksha (dark/waning).…
Panchanga (Panchangam)
పంచాంగం
Hindu almanac — "pancha-anga" = five limbs (Tithi + Nakshatra + Yoga + Karana + Vara).…
Grahan (Eclipse)
గ్రహణం
Solar (Surya Grahan) or Lunar (Chandra Grahan) eclipse — Rahu/Ketu obscuring Sun or Moon.…
Lahiri (Chitra-paksha) Ayanamsa
లాహిరి అయనాంశం
The Government of India sidereal correction standard — defined by N.C. Lahiri's 1939 ephemeris.…
Ritual (6 terms)
Puja
పూజ
Worship — formal offering of love and devotion to a deity using 16 upacharas (steps).…
Aarti (Arati)
ఆరతి
The closing ritual of puja — waving a lighted lamp before the deity.…
Mantra
మంత్రం
A sacred sound, syllable, word, or phrase repeated for spiritual benefit.…
Gayatri Mantra
గాయత్రి మంత్రం
The most sacred Vedic mantra — invocation to Savitr (Sun). 24 syllables, Anushtub meter.…
Naivedyam
నైవేద్యం
Food offering to the deity — typically vegetarian, sattvic, freshly prepared.…
Vrata (Vow)
వ్రతం
A religious vow or fast — usually performed on specific tithis or for specific deities.…
Sanskara (5 terms)
Namakaran (Naming Ceremony)
నామకరణం
The Vedic naming ceremony — one of the 16 saṃskāras. Performed on 11th or 12th day after birth.…
Upanayanam (Sacred Thread)
ఉపనయనం
The Vedic initiation ceremony where a boy receives the Yajnopavita (sacred thread) and is initiated …
Sanskara (Saṃskāra)
సంస్కారం
One of the 16 Vedic life rituals from conception to death.…
Vivaha (Marriage)
వివాహం
The Vedic marriage ceremony — most important of the gṛhastha saṃskāras.…
Gruhapravesam (Housewarming)
గృహ ప్రవేశం
The auspicious ceremony for entering a new home for the first time.…
Vrata (1 terms)
About This Glossary
58 essential Vedic terms with English definition, Telugu transliteration, and Sanskrit etymology. Compiled by Pandit Ramachandra Sharma with references to classical texts: Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, Muhurta Chintamani, Surya Siddhanta, and the Gṛhya Sūtras.