Hora meaning in Vedic astrology: birth charts and hours

As a branch of Jyotish, Hora is also called jataka, meaning horoscopy. A birth-chart reading, like the ones Skybond offers, belongs to this branch.

Separately, 'hora' is also the name of a time unit. Each day, from sunrise to sunrise, is divided into 24 horas, each almost an hour long and ruled by a planet.

So you may meet the word in both senses: the skandha behind birth charts, and the planetary hour of the day.

Related terms

• Skandha →Skandha refers to the three traditional branches of Jyotish: Siddhanta, Samhita and Hora.
• Birth chart →Birth chart: a map of where the signs, planets and lagna sat at the moment you were born, drawn across 12 areas, one per sign.
• Lagna →Lagna is the Vedic ascendant: the sign rising on the eastern horizon at the moment and place of birth.

Lessons that use this term

• What is Vedic astrology (Jyotish)? A beginner's guide →
• Classical texts of Vedic astrology: BPHS, Phaladeepika, Saravali →

Sources for this entry

1. P.V.R. Narasimha Rao, Vedic Astrology: An Integrated Approach
2. OnlineJyotish, Vedic astrology lessons