Vedic Astrology · Glossary
Kundli
कुंडली
The Vedic birth chart — a map of the sky at the moment of birth showing all planetary positions and house placements.
Kundli (also spelled Kundali) is the Hindi/Sanskrit word for the Vedic birth chart (Janma Kundli = birth horoscope). It is a map of the sky at the exact moment and place of birth, showing the positions of all 9 Vedic grahas (planets): Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu — distributed across the 12 rashis (zodiac signs) and 12 bhavas (houses). A Kundli is the foundational document of Vedic astrology: every prediction, every Dasha-Antardasha timing, every yoga identification, every muhurta selection for that individual is based on their Kundli. The Kundli is cast from three pieces of information: date of birth, exact time of birth, and place of birth. The accuracy of the Kundli — and therefore of all astrological predictions — depends critically on the accuracy of the birth time. Even a 4-minute error can shift the Lagna (ascendant) into a different sign.
Examples
- ◆A Kundli showing Jupiter in the 10th house (Karma Bhava) in Gemini for a Virgo Lagna native indicates a career involving teaching, philosophy, or international work
- ◆Kundli Milan (chart matching) compares two Kundlis for marriage compatibility using Ashtakuta matching
- ◆Prashna Kundli (horary chart) is a Kundli cast for the moment a question is asked, used when the birth time is unknown
Related Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kundli in astrology?
A Kundli is the Vedic birth chart — a map of the sky at the exact moment and place of your birth. It shows the positions of all 9 Vedic planets across the 12 zodiac signs and 12 houses. The Kundli is the primary tool of Vedic astrology: all predictions, timing of events (Dasha-Antardasha), yoga identifications, and auspicious date selections for that individual are based on their Kundli. It requires date of birth, exact birth time, and birthplace to generate.
What information do I need for my Kundli?
To generate an accurate Kundli, you need three things: (1) Date of birth — day, month, year. (2) Exact time of birth — the more precise the better; even a 4-minute difference can change the ascendant sign. Check your birth certificate or hospital records. (3) Place of birth — city and country, for the exact geographic coordinates and local time zone. If you don't know your exact birth time, a skilled astrologer can use chart rectification techniques, but this adds complexity.
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