Most Indian families have a printed kundli in a drawer, usually a diamond-shaped chart full of numbers and short planet names. Few people can read it. Learning how to read a kundli at a basic level takes one sitting: find the Lagna, count the houses, and decode the numbers and abbreviations. Everything else in Jyotish builds on those steps.
Step 1: the houses are fixed, the signs move
In the North Indian chart, the houses never move: the top central diamond is always the 1st house (Lagna), and houses run anticlockwise from there: the triangle to its upper left is the 2nd, the one below that the 3rd, the left diamond the 4th, and so on around to the 12th, the triangle to the upper right of the Lagna.
Is the South Indian chart read the same way?
No. In the South Indian chart the signs are fixed in place (Meena at the top-left, then clockwise) and the Lagna is marked wherever it falls. The information is the same; only the layout differs.
Step 2: the numbers are signs
The number written in each house is the sign in that house: 1 Mesha (Aries), 2 Vrishabha, 3 Mithuna, 4 Karka, 5 Simha, 6 Kanya, 7 Tula, 8 Vrishchika, 9 Dhanu, 10 Makara, 11 Kumbha, 12 Meena. The number in the top diamond is your Lagna sign.
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Step 3: the planet abbreviations
| Planet | Hindi name | Common short form |
|---|---|---|
| Sun | Surya | Su |
| Moon | Chandra | Mo / Ch |
| Mars | Mangal | Ma |
| Mercury | Budh | Me / Bu |
| Jupiter | Guru | Ju / Gu |
| Venus | Shukra | Ve / Shu |
| Saturn | Shani | Sa / Sha |
| Rahu | Rahu | Ra |
| Ketu | Ketu | Ke |
Short forms vary between printers and software, so check the legend on the printout when in doubt.
Step 4: what the houses cover
| House | Main themes | House | Main themes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Self, body, personality | 7th | Marriage, partnerships |
| 2nd | Family, speech, savings | 8th | Longevity, sudden events |
| 3rd | Courage, siblings, effort | 9th | Fortune, dharma, teachers |
| 4th | Home, mother, vehicles | 10th | Career, status |
| 5th | Children, intelligence, romance | 11th | Gains, income, friends |
| 6th | Debts, health, competition | 12th | Expenses, loss, foreign lands |
Step 5: how to read a kundli as a whole
Pick a planet, note the house it occupies and the sign there, then ask which houses it rules (from the sign numbers). Jupiter in the 10th house ruling the 9th, for example, ties fortune to career. Combinations like this are what yogas describe.
The astrology calculators draw a North Indian chart from the date, time and place of birth and do the counting: Raj Yoga, all kundli yogas, Ashtakavarga points and Guna Milan matching, each with the planets behind the result.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find the Lagna in a kundli?
In a North Indian chart it is the top central diamond; the number there is the Lagna sign.
Which direction do houses go in a North Indian chart?
Anticlockwise from the top diamond.
What do the numbers in a kundli mean?
They are sign numbers: 1 for Mesha (Aries) through 12 for Meena (Pisces).
What is the difference between North and South Indian charts?
North Indian fixes the houses; South Indian fixes the signs.
Which house shows career in a kundli?
The 10th house, read with its lord and planets in it.
Keep reading
- Astrology calculators: the free tool this guide explains.
- All astrology calculators
- Moon Sign vs Sun Sign: Why Your Rashi Isn't Your Zodiac Sign
Sources: North Indian chart convention; traditional house significations in Vedic astrology.