What Is Kundli? Complete Guide to Birth Charts

Start with the chart, then read the interpretation

A Kundli is a map of planetary positions for a birth date, time and place. In Vedic astrology, readers interpret that map using signs, houses, planetary relationships and dasha periods. The calculated chart and its interpretation are different things: astronomical positions can be checked, while an interpretation is not a guaranteed account of your future.

Three things to check in your first reading

1. Birth details: check the date, local time and selected city before calculating. A city with the same name in another country can produce the wrong location and time zone.
2. Ascendant and Moon: the Ascendant sets the starting point for houses; the Moon has a separate sign and nakshatra. They describe different parts of a traditional reading, so do not treat them as interchangeable.
3. Calculation settings: compare charts using the same zodiac and ayanamsa. AskSoma uses Swiss Ephemeris with Lahiri ayanamsa. Different settings can explain a disagreement without either result being a software error.

An example of reading a chart label

If a chart lists “Moon: Taurus” and “Ascendant: Leo”, Taurus is the Moon sign and Leo is the rising sign. This example explains the labels; it is not a calculated chart for a real person. Start by finding those two labels in your own result, then open the house and planet explanations rather than reading every prediction at once.

What if the birth time is uncertain?

Keep the uncertainty visible. The Ascendant and houses depend on time, and the Moon may cross a sign or nakshatra boundary during the day. An approximate time should not become a confident claim about those placements. A Kundli cannot establish a medical diagnosis, investment outcome or whether a relationship will succeed.

Calculate your free Kundli with your birth details, or read how AskSoma calculates charts. You can inspect the chart first and choose whether to create an account for a personalised conversation.