Methodology
How we cite
SahiKundli's stance on classical Sanskrit citations — what they are, what they claim, and what they don't.
Every interpretive claim on SahiKundli is anchored to a specific classical text, chapter, and shloka. This page explains what those citations do and don't claim.
What we cite
Two classical Sanskrit texts form the spine of our interpretive layer: Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (BPHS) and Saravali. Additional texts — Phaladeepika, Jaimini Sutras, Brihat Jataka, and others — are cited as the platform expands into divisional charts, yogas, and dasha analysis.
Edition policy
Chapter and shloka numbering differs across translations and recensions of these texts. To keep citations auditable, SahiKundli keys all references to a single canonical edition per text:
- BPHS: R. Santhanam translation, Ranjan Publications, 1984 (two volumes)
- Saravali: R. Santhanam translation, Ranjan Publications
If you read a different edition and find a different shloka at the cited location, that is a recension difference, not a SahiKundli error. Additions of further canonical editions will be documented in this entry as the platform's source base grows.
What a citation means
A citation establishes that the interpretation we present is part of the documented classical tradition, traceable to a specific text. It is the Jyotisha equivalent of a legal brief citing foundational case law: it shows the lineage of the claim, not its empirical truth.
What it does not mean
A citation is not a claim of empirical validity, scientific support, or predictive guarantee. Classical Vedic astrology is a coherent symbolic and computational framework developed over more than a millennium. Whether its predictive claims hold up to controlled empirical testing is a separate question — one SahiKundli takes no position on, and one citations alone cannot resolve.
Three layers, kept separate
Much of consumer astrology blurs three distinct things:
- Astronomical computation — real, measurable, verifiable. Held to scientific standards. SahiKundli uses Swiss Ephemeris (NASA JPL accuracy) and Lahiri ayanamsa (the Indian government standard).
- Classical interpretation — textually documented in Sanskrit literature. Held to scholarly standards: correct citation, faithful translation, edition transparency.
- Empirical validation — whether the interpretive claims, when tested against outcomes, prove predictive. Largely absent or contested. SahiKundli does not claim this.
The platform's commitment is that the first layer is rigorous, the second is honest, and the third is not pretended.
If you are a researcher or scholar wishing to verify a specific citation, the edition references above are sufficient to do so.