Vedic Shastra refers to knowledge and its teaching in the context of technical or specialized knowledge. The Vedas are the oldest extant Hindu texts which were compiled from large literature by Sage Vyasa. He split them into two broad sections:

1. The Karma Kanda : it deals with the rites, rituals and actions of an individual. It speaks of the repercussions of a certain kind of action, both material as well as spiritual gains.
2. The Dnyana Kanda: it includes the wisdom one requires to achieve liberation from the rebirth cycle and attain Brahma- the ultimate truth.

Vedas also contain six scholarly principles named Vedangas: 

1. Shiksha (teaching): it concerns itself with correct enunciation and diction that should be practiced by a scholar
2. Chhanda (metre): each shloka has a poetic metre and aesthetic rhythm that should be followed. Chhanda lays rules for each kind of shloka.
3. Vyakarana (syntax): the grammatical structure of the language is explained in order to avoid misinterpretation.
4. Nirukta (dictionary): it defines and explains the meaning of used words in shlokas
5. Jyotish (stars): a system that calculates planetary movement to predict events as well as determine suitable times to perform certain activities.
6. Kalpa (performance guide): it provides details on the performance of rituals in the correct manner.

In ancient times, information was passed down orally. The Vedic texts are referred to as the shruti. The written form followed 3000 years later when scribes began to record much of India’s literary, scientific, spiritual and astrological heritage. Granite slabs, malleable copper plates, and tree bark were used to inscribe information.

What is Vedic Astrology?

A science with intricate calculations and methodical rules, Vedic Astrology explains the causes behind one’s life events. Many of us are skeptical because we only see a tip of the iceberg: a one-liner in the newspaper cannot apply universally to each individual. The truth is, every person will have different experiences according to the planetary positions at their time of birth and the current planetary transit and Mahadasha.

The seed of this brilliant discipline was sowed eons ago by Sage Parashara. He authored the fundamental literature for astrology named Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra. Sub-disciplines like Naadi, Jaimini and KP that have gained popularity are derived from Hora itself. These are systems developed via minute changes in the method applied by the mother science. Furthermore, it has the capacity to have correct knowledge of the native’s past as well as future. These facts are determined on the basis of complex correlations between various charts that are unique to an individual.

The term ‘hora’ finds its roots in the Sanskrit word ‘ahoratra’ which translates to “throughout the night”. Hora proposes an imaginary belt of the 12 signs in the sky that moves through constellations eternally, hence the reason for the name. 

Kundali

Kundali means chart, it is the basic tool for Hora Shastra. Kundali (the chart) contains 12 sections called Bhavas (houses), each Bhava is assigned to few particular karakatwas (topics) like relations / career / marriage / finance / destiny / Moksha etc. Each Bhava indicates particular body parts of a human being. 

Janma Kundali (Birth chart) also known as Natal chart is the blueprint of Planetary positions in each rashi (sign) at the exact time of birth of an individual. Astrologer studies the combination of 12 signs, 9 planets and 27 nakshatra and applies the current transit of planets and nakshatra for predictions.

Panchang

The panchang is an annual Hindu calendar containing astronomical data arranged according to the positions of planets and nakshatras. Panch means five and anga means body, which can be translated as five bodies. Tithis (date), Vaar (day), Nakshatra (constellation), Yog (combinations) and Karan (half part of the day) are the 5 elements which make Panchang.  

It is used to determine the better day and time to perform an important activity, such as the beginning of a project, marriage, travel, pooja,  inauguration, asset purchasing, housewarming, etc. This comes under the scope of electional astrology, also known as Muhurta Shastra. A suitable muhurta is necessary when one is putting his/her efforts, finance and emotions in an activity. It gives you more chances of success if it is done by electing a suitable Muhurta according to your Kundali.    

Another purpose of the panchang is determining compatibility of potential marriage suitors. The tabloids that determine gunas according to signs and Nakshatras match the factors (gunas) which help to determine compatibility for their quality married life, understanding, progeny, etc.

Medical Astrology

Ayurveda and Astrology have been going hand-in-hand since the humans began studying both disciplines. To this day, we can determine physiological ailments via the patient’s birth chart. As we spoke about Hora, we discussed each house having its own specialties; all organs within the human body are distributed among these 12 bhavas and an astrologer can determine the nature and root of one’s disorder with the help of posited planets. This can help the native in many ways: it can avoid misdiagnosis, and serve as a precaution. 

Astrological systems

Hora Shastra

The word hora means a unit of time equivalent to an hour and in all likelihood has been the root of the same word. It is derived from two words ‘aho’ & ‘ratra’ meaning ‘day’ & ‘night’ respectively. This word also forms the first subdivision of the signs into two Hora’s ruled by the Sun & Moon. Thus, the word HORA broadly describes the quantity and quality of time.

It identifies the great Maharishi Parashara as the ‘father of Jyotish Astrology’ revealed knowledge about astronomy and Astrology and gave us the path and the rules to use this science in his classical text on Jyotish “Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra” (BPHS).

Hora Shastra is the mother of all other branches of astrology. Hora techniques are the base on which all sub-disciplines are developed by making some changes in rules or adding some new techniques. If one’s knowledge of Hora Shastra is incomplete, other techniques like Nadi or KP would be challenging to understand.

Naadi Shastra

Nadi is the Science of Thumbprints and the Science of Sounds too. With the help of divine guidance, the sages created records of everyone’s past, present and future on palm leaves, which fortunately are still intact even today. This great system was invented by Sage Agastya. The writing was almost always continuous, without any space between words. When the etching was complete, lamp black or turmeric was applied to increase contrast and make it readable, and oil was rubbed in to help preserve them.

The language inscribed on these palm leaves is in old poetic Tamil and is understandable to very few who are well versed in the art of Naadi reading. Nadi astrologers take your thumb print (right hand thumb for males and left hand thumb for females) on a piece of paper. Every thumb impression can be classified into a particular category and the leafs are categorized in bundles based on the thumb imprint categories. They say that for a particular thumb impression there could be several bundles each containing many leaves with the future of various individuals. 

Mundane (Medini) Shastra

Medini shastra which is nowadays known as Mundane astrology is helpful for predicting future of a country. When we say the future of a country, all the topics like political leaders, weather conditions, financial status, crops and trades get involved in Mundane astrology. Here the Planets and Nakshatra play the main role in prediction. Varahmihira has mentioned about Medini shastra (Mundane) in his Brihat Samhita. 

Krishnamurti Paddhati 

Krishnamurti Paddhati is a system (Paddhati) of astrological predictions generated by great Indian Astrologer late Prof. K.S. Krishnamurti. The accuracy of the time period of the events can be judged by the use of KP system. It is closely connected to the ideas of Nakshatra Dashas.

KP Astrology is based on the stellar system of prediction and it’s “Sub Lords. In Bhava Chalit Chart, we consider the first house from mid-point of the first house (First House cusp) to the midpoint of the second house (Second House cusp) whereas in the KP system, it is considered from the Lagna degree up to the next 30 degrees. The degree of houses may vary from 30 degrees. In the KP system, 360 degrees of the Zodiac Belt is divided into 12 unequal parts.

Jaimini Shastra

The Jaimini (Upadesha ) Sutras (systems) was led by a disciple of Rishi Vyasa and grandson of Parashara Maharishi Jaimini. He is also known as founder of the Purva Mimamsa branch of Hindu philosophy. Jaimini is an ancient Sanskrit text on the predictive part of Hindu astrology. This system mostly plays with the signs and the nature of signs. Also it has a different system of Karakas of the planet according to their degrees in each chart. This element changes everything in the prediction part in Jaimini Sutra. Here the Dasha system is also different from the Hora. Chara Dasha is widely used for prediction. 

Hastaresha Shastra (Palmistry) 

Palmistry analyses the individual’s life events on the basis of the lines on their palm. Experts are trained to look at the strain, length and intersections in intricate details. These minute details hold clues to predict events that may happen years in the future as well as in the recent time.

Vastu Shastra

Vastu Shastra is the Indian architectural system, and it recommends the layout and design of a space. It also suggests how arrangement of objects should be done in the space, following spatial geometry. Vishwakarma, the architect of Gods is said to have founded Vastu Shastra. Not just homespaces, but gardens, temples as well as plumbing systems are talked about in this science.