This glossary defines the Vedic astrology terms used across this site in plain language, so that no page depends on knowledge you do not have. The terms are grouped by what they describe — the transit itself, the chart, Saturn, and timing — and where a term has a fuller page, it links there. If you meet an unfamiliar word anywhere on the site, this is the page to check.
What are the core Sade Sati terms?
These are the terms that describe the transit itself.
- Sade Sati — the roughly seven-and-a-half-year period when Saturn transits the 12th, 1st and 2nd signs from the natal Moon. Covered in full on what Sade Sati is.
- Dhaiya — a two-and-a-half-year Saturn transit of the 4th or 8th sign from the Moon, distinct from Sade Sati. See Shani Dhaiya.
- Kantaka Shani — the Dhaiya from the 4th sign; associated with home, property and the mother. Also called Ardha Ashtama.
- Ashtama Shani — the Dhaiya from the 8th sign; associated with sudden change and joint finances. See Ashtama Shani.
- Panoti — a common regional name for Sade Sati (big panoti) and Dhaiya (small panoti).
- Rising, peak and setting phases — the three roughly-2.5-year stages of Sade Sati, named for Saturn’s position relative to the Moon. See the three phases.
- Dhaiya (as a phase) — each of the three Sade Sati phases is itself sometimes called a dhaiya, meaning a two-and-a-half-year span.
What are the chart terms?
These describe the birth chart and its components.
- Rashi — a zodiac sign. In Vedic astrology, “your rashi” usually means your Moon sign, the sign your natal Moon occupies.
- Moon sign (Chandra rashi) — the sign the Moon occupied at your birth. Sade Sati is measured from this, not the Sun sign.
- Lagna (Ascendant) — the sign rising on the eastern horizon at your birth. It determines whether Saturn is functionally supportive or challenging for you, and so shapes Sade Sati’s severity.
- Kundli — a Vedic birth chart, showing the planets’ positions at birth across the twelve houses.
- House (bhava) — one of twelve divisions of the chart, each governing areas of life. The 12th, 1st and 2nd houses from the Moon define Sade Sati.
- Nakshatra — one of 27 lunar mansions, a finer division of the zodiac than the signs. The Moon’s nakshatra at birth sets the dasha sequence.
What are the Saturn and timing terms?
These describe Saturn and the systems of timing.
- Shani — the Vedic name for Saturn, the planet of discipline, time and consequence. See Shani (Saturn).
- Gochar — transit; the current movement of a planet through the signs. Shani Gochar is Saturn’s transit. See Saturn transit.
- Vakri — retrograde; a planet’s apparent backward motion. Vakri Shani is retrograde Saturn. See Saturn retrograde.
- Dasha — a planetary period in the Vimshottari system, during which one planet rules the background of life.
- Mahadasha — a major planetary period. Saturn’s mahadasha runs 19 years. See Shani Mahadasha vs Sade Sati.
- Antardasha — a sub-period within a mahadasha, ruled by each planet in turn.
- Yogakaraka — a planet that is especially constructive for a given Ascendant. Saturn is a yogakaraka for Taurus and Libra Ascendants.
What are the calculation terms?
These describe how the dates and readings are produced.
- Ayanamsa — the offset between the tropical zodiac (Western) and the sidereal zodiac (Vedic), currently a little over 24 degrees. This site uses the Lahiri ayanamsa. See how we calculate.
- Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) — the ayanamsa adopted as the Indian standard for panchang calculation.
- Sidereal zodiac — the zodiac fixed to the actual stars, used in Vedic astrology, as opposed to the tropical zodiac fixed to the seasons.
- Paya (Murti Nirnaya) — the metal — gold, silver, copper or iron — assigned to a Sade Sati cycle based on the Moon’s position when Saturn enters the Sade Sati sign, indicating the cycle’s general tone.
- Panchang — the traditional Hindu almanac, against which Saturn’s transit dates can be verified.
- Severity score — this site’s 0–100 model of how demanding a Sade Sati is for a specific chart, weighing the Ascendant, natal Saturn, the running dasha and other factors. See is Sade Sati good or bad.
Frequently asked questions
What is a rashi?
A rashi is a zodiac sign. In Vedic astrology “your rashi” usually refers to your Moon sign — the sign your natal Moon occupied at birth — which is what Sade Sati is measured from.
What is the difference between rashi and lagna?
Rashi (Moon sign) is where the Moon sat at birth; lagna (Ascendant) is the sign rising on the horizon at birth. Sade Sati timing is measured from the rashi, while the lagna determines how severe the transit tends to be.
What is an ayanamsa?
The ayanamsa is the offset between the Western tropical zodiac and the Vedic sidereal zodiac, currently just over 24 degrees. It must be applied to convert positions correctly; this site uses the Lahiri ayanamsa.
What is a nakshatra?
A nakshatra is one of 27 lunar mansions, a finer division of the zodiac than the twelve signs. The Moon’s nakshatra at birth determines the Vimshottari dasha sequence.
What is Paya in Sade Sati?
Paya, or Murti Nirnaya, is the metal — gold, silver, copper or iron — assigned to a Sade Sati cycle based on the Moon’s position when Saturn enters the Sade Sati sign. It indicates the cycle’s general tone, and regional traditions differ on the mapping.
Sade Sati is a traditional system of interpretation within Vedic astrology. Interpretations are traditional readings, not predictions of outcome.