# Vedic FAQ Collected questions that come up during Vedic integration. If yours isn't here — email [hello@astroway.info](mailto:hello@astroway.info), we'll add it. ## Which ayanamsas are supported? Which to choose? The API supports **7 ayanamsas**: | Code | Name | When to use | |---|---|---| | `lahiri` *(default)* | Chitra-Paksha | Indian government standard; the largest mass market. For most Vedic apps — this. | | `raman` | B.V. Raman | If your app targets the South Indian market (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu). | | `krishnamurti` | KP | If calling `/v1/vedic/kp/*` — KP has its own ayanamsa. | | `yukteshwar` | Sri Yukteshwar | Distance from Spica; theosophical / Western-leaning audiences. | | `fagan-bradley` | Fagan/Bradley | Western sidereal (not Vedic). For astrologers migrating from sidereal-Western traditions. | | `de-luce` | De Luce | Older astrologers' choice, rare. | | `jn-bhasin` | JN Bhasin | Specific school, rare. | The difference between ayanamsas is usually 0.5–1.5° — for most natal charts it **does not change the signs**, but it affects degree-based techniques (Nakshatra position, Argala, etc.). ## Sidereal or tropical? What does the API return? **By default, Vedic endpoints return sidereal positions** (zodiac fixed to stars, ayanamsa applied). Western endpoints (`/v1/chart`, `/v1/synastry`) return **tropical** (zodiac fixed to the equinox). For tropical-Vedic (a rare edge case — Sanjay Rath and Ernst Wilhelm propose it) — pass `zodiac=tropical` to the Vedic endpoint that supports it. ## Which school for which use case? | School | Region / Audience | Strength | |---|---|---| | **Parashara (BPHS)** | All Vedic world — universal baseline | Most complete corpus of techniques; always start here | | **Jaimini** | Tamil Nadu + advanced practitioners | Karaka-based predictions; AK-driven life themes | | **Lal Kitab** | Punjab + North India | Unique remedies (upayas), Manglik-specific | | **KP (Krishnamurti)** | Tamil Nadu + Andhra Pradesh | Sub-lord theory, precision in event-timing | Pratyangira, AstroSage and other major APIs mostly ship Parashara only. AstroWay covers **all four** through separate endpoint groups. ## Ashtakoot or Dashakoota — which market? | | Ashtakoot | Dashakoota | |---|---|---| | **Region** | North/Central India, Pakistan, Nepal | South India (Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala) | | **Scale** | 36 points max | 10 koots (factors) | | **Components** | Varna + Vashya + Tara + Yoni + Graha Maitri + Gana + Bhakoot + Nadi | Dina + Gana + Mahendra + Stri-Dirga + Yoni + Rashi + Rashi-adhipathi + Vashya + Rajju + Vedha | | **API** | `/v1/vedic/compatibility/ashtakoot` | `/v1/vedic/compatibility/dashakoota` | If your matchmaker serves all of India — call `/v1/vedic/compatibility/full` — you get both + Manglik + Bhrigu. ## Mangal Dosha — why does it matter? Mangal Dosha = Mars in the 1/2/4/7/8/12 house from the Lagna, Moon, or Venus (schools interpret differently). In India — this is a **deal-breaker for marriage**: if both partners have a Mangal affliction without compensation, a traditional astrologer won't green-light without upayas (remedies) or compensating factors. API endpoint: `/v1/vedic/compatibility/manglik-check` — returns `{ chart1: { manglik: true/false, severity, factors }, chart2: ..., compensation: ... }`. ## D9 (Navamsha) — why is it the most important varga? D9 = 9-fold division of each sign = detailed "soul-level" chart. In Vedic — used for: 1. **Marriage predictions** — Venus + 7th lord in D9 show the true nature of married life 2. **Strength of planets** — a planet strong in D1 but weak in D9 = "shows but doesn't deliver" 3. **Vargottama** — a planet in the same sign in D1 and D9 = special strength API: `/v1/vedic/vargas` returns all 16 divisions in a single call; focus on D9 for marriage/relationship features. ## Why is birth time critical? What to do if unknown? Vedic is highly **time-sensitive**: - The Lagna (Ascendant) changes every ~2 hours — that shifts the WHOLE chart - Moon Nakshatra changes every 6–8 hours - Dasha balance (initial period) depends on the Moon's nakshatra position If the exact time is unknown: 1. **Sunrise chart** — use 06:00 local time as an approximation. The Lagna will be Aries/Taurus for a Leo/Capricorn Sun; some Vedic astrologers consider sunrise charts valid for general-tendency forecasting 2. **Rectification** — call `/v1/rectification` with 2-3 known life events (marriage, child, job switch) — the API returns a probable birth-time window 3. **Disclaimer to the user** — tell them results with unknown time are an approximation, not an exact chart ## Which house systems are supported? Vedic traditionally uses **Whole Sign** houses (the entire sign = one house). Western — Placidus / Koch / Equal etc. AstroWay's default for Vedic = **Whole Sign**. For KP endpoints — Placidus (KP convention). Pass the `houseSystem` parameter if you need a different one: `whole-sign`, `placidus`, `koch`, `equal`, `porphyry`. ## Can I mix Vedic + Western in one app? Yes — and it's even **recommended** for multi-tradition audiences. Architecture: 1. The natal chart is computed once — Western and Vedic endpoints share the same input (date/time/lat/lon) 2. Expose a "Western view" / "Vedic view" toggle in your UI 3. Vedic Moon sign (rashi) is often confused with the Western Sun sign — warn the user about the difference 4. Compatibility — you can show BOTH: Western synastry + Vedic Ashtakoot simultaneously The `/v1/compat/astro-vedic` endpoint does this automatically — Western synastry × Vedic Ashtakoot bridge. ## What ephemeris is used? How accurate is it? **Swiss Ephemeris** (LGPL) — the same engine used by Solar Fire, Kepler, Astro Gold, Janus, AstroSeek. Accuracy: - Planetary positions: ±1 arc-second vs NASA JPL ephemeris - House cusps: ±1 arc-minute - Ayanamsa: Lahiri-table cross-validated against official Indian government tables For Vedic-specific calculations (Nakshatra-position, Vimshottari balance, Vargas) — cross-checked against **PyJHora** (de-facto Python reference); divergences < 0.01° where present. Divergence report — `docs/AUDIT-TRAIL.md` in the repo. ## Can I cache results? How? Yes — most Vedic endpoints are **deterministic** for the same chart input. Stable cache key: hash(date + time + lat + lon + ayanamsa + endpoint). The API also offers an `X-Idempotency-Key` header — a 5-minute cache on the api-calc side. On a cache hit, credits **are not charged**. ## How are response texts localized? Vedic endpoints that return **interpretations** (yoga descriptions, dosha meanings, muhurat reasons) accept the `lang` parameter. Supported: 20 languages (T0 — uk/en/de/ru manual; T1 — pl/es/pt/hi/fr/ko AI Beta; T2/T3 — planned). Details: [`/en/languages/`](/en/languages/). If an endpoint returns **numeric** data (degrees, dates, sign indices) — those are language-neutral. Text fields (`note`, `meaning`, `manifestation`) — localized. ## What does YELLOW status mean? YELLOW = the endpoint works, but has **one of three characteristics**: 1. **Single-author school** (Lal Kitab, KP) — no cross-verification with other schools because they don't exist 2. **Scoring / heuristic-based** (compatibility 0-100, breakup-timing) — numeric score subjective by nature 3. **Intrinsic precision limit** (rectification, Bhrigu match) — the algorithm has an inherent precision floor See `docs/AUDIT-TRAIL.md` for a specific endpoint — it states **why YELLOW** and **whether there's a path to GREEN**. For most — no (intrinsic), and that's an honest disclaimer for integrators. ## Useful links