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Whether you are new to Vedic astrology or comparing results with another program, the questions below cover the conventions and design choices that affect what you see in your chart. If your issue isn’t listed here, head to the Troubleshooting page.
Because Jyoti Guide uses the sidereal zodiac, not the tropical zodiac used by most Western astrology software. The two frameworks differ by about 24° today, which means many people’s sidereal Sun sits in the sign before their familiar Western one. This is expected and correct — it is not an error. Read more at Why sidereal?.
The app defaults to Lahiri, with Raman and Pushya also available. Switching ayanāṁśa recomputes the entire chart, because every sidereal position shifts together. See Ayanāṁśa options for a full comparison of the three.
Whole-sign houses — the sign containing your Lagna becomes the entire 1st house, and each subsequent sign becomes the next house in order. This is the oldest and most widely used system in classical jyotiṣa. Learn more in The sidereal sky.
It uses the mean node, which is the most common convention in jyotiṣa. Ketu is placed exactly opposite Rāhu. If you are comparing with a program that uses the true node, expect a small difference in Rāhu/Ketu’s degree position.
Very important. The Moon’s sign and most planetary positions change slowly across a day, but the Lagna (rising sign) changes roughly every two hours, and the twelve houses are anchored to it. Divisional charts and Vimśottarī daśā start dates are also highly time-sensitive. If your birth time is uncertain, see Troubleshooting → I don’t know my exact birth time.
No. Enter the local clock time at the birthplace exactly as recorded. The app looks up the time zone for the place you select and converts to UTC internally, accounting for historical offsets and daylight-saving rules.
These are the units of planetary strength used in the Shadbala system: 1 rūpa = 60 virūpas. A planet’s total virūpa score is divided by its minimum threshold to produce a strength ratio — a ratio of 1.0 or above means the planet meets the classical standard for full strength. See Shadbala for the full computation.
Several steps within Shadbala have more than one accepted method. Before comparing numbers, make sure the reading school (Raman, Classical BPHS, or Custom) and the ayanāṁśa both match between the two programs. See Shadbala → Reading schools for details on what each school changes.
They measure different things. Shadbala measures the inherent strength of each planet using six weighted components. Ashtakavarga maps benefic-point support onto each sign and house and is especially useful for evaluating transits. The two systems are complementary — a strong planet in a weak house, or vice versa, tells its own story.
No. The Ashtakūṭa total is a useful screening tool, but it does not stand alone. Doshas such as Bhakūṭa, Nāḍī, and Mangal carry their own weight and can override an otherwise good total. You should also examine the D1 and D9 marriage houses for both charts. See Assessing a match for a full walkthrough.
The Hindu calendar is luni-solar and inserts an intercalary leap month — Adhika māsa — roughly every three years to stay aligned with the solar year. When a leap month falls before a festival’s normal lunar month, the festival shifts accordingly. The Panchāng detects and reports this automatically. See Panchāng → the leap month.
No. Jyoti Guide computes your chart and calculates the classical measurements — Shadbala scores, daśā periods, transits, compatibility points, and so on. Interpretation is yours. The app does not predict specific events, recommend actions, or give personal life advice of any kind.
You have four options on every chart view:
  • Copy share link — a URL that re-opens the exact chart in anyone’s browser.
  • Full report (PDF) — a formatted document you can save or print.
  • Copy chart — a Markdown summary of every computed value, handy for notes or comparisons.
  • Offline copy — a self-contained snapshot for use without an internet connection.
See Exports & sharing for step-by-step instructions. Keep in mind that birth data is personal — share links thoughtfully.