Rāśis
The twelve named divisions used in the zodiacal framework.
Introductory source-based synthesis. External references were consulted for the stated scope; specialist peer review is not claimed.
Twelve names, a defined framework
The Positional Astronomy Centre lists twelve rāśis, from Meṣa to Mīna. They are named zodiacal divisions in the framework used by the panchang. A source should specify its reference system before a reader compares positions or dates.
Sign, constellation and house
A rāśi should not be silently equated with a modern astronomical constellation or with a chart’s bhāva. The categories do different work. Nor does recognizing the name of a division establish the validity of a claim about a person’s temperament.
Record the convention
When reading a table, note whether it uses nirayana or sayana positions and what convention is stated for its origin. Then identify the same term in a classical or modern interpretative source. Keep the geometrical framework and its symbolic interpretation in separate notes. The observatory currently teaches vocabulary and source use; it does not generate a birth chart or assign a personal zodiac reading.
- Level
- Introductory
- Format
- Self-paced reading
Learning modules
01Twelve rāśi names
Use the sources below to identify a source passage, write one question about its context, and record the vocabulary you want to understand. The introductory essay above supplies context; expanded lessons are planned.
Read the study-method note02Reference conventions
Use the sources below to identify a source passage, write one question about its context, and record the vocabulary you want to understand. The introductory essay above supplies context; expanded lessons are planned.
Read the study-method note03Rāśi and bhāva distinction
Use the sources below to identify a source passage, write one question about its context, and record the vocabulary you want to understand. The introductory essay above supplies context; expanded lessons are planned.
Read the study-method noteSources & further reading
- 01Positional Astronomy Centre · Names of tithis, nakṣatras and rāśisinstitutional reference
Reference consulted for the introductory account; follow the source for its full context.
Consulted 2026-11-07 - 02Vardhman Mahaveer Open University · CIJ-01, Phalita Jyotiṣainstitutional reference
Contents and units 2–3 consulted for traditional terminology. Predictive and medical assertions elsewhere in this course are not adopted here.
Consulted 2026-11-07