The main classical texts of Jyotish
The classical texts of Jyotish fall into groups: the Vedanga Jyotisha, the siddhantas (astronomical treatises), the hora texts (on prediction and the chart) and the commentaries. Each group has a different purpose.
What it is
Well known texts include Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, Brihat Samhita, Jaimini Sutras, Phaladeepika and Jataka Paddhati. Their dates and authorship are debated, and many took their present form over centuries.
How it is worked out or read
The site does not quote these texts as sources for claims without a verified chapter and edition. The article for each text says what is known and what is not.
Where it appears on this site
The texts are described in the Brihat Parashara article, the Jaimini article and the others in the history section.
The three branches
The classical tradition divides Jyotish into three skandhas, or branches. Siddhanta, also called ganita, is mathematical astronomy: the calculation of planetary positions, eclipses and the calendar. Samhita covers mundane matters: omens, weather, the fortunes of countries and many practical subjects. Hora covers the reading of individual charts. Varahamihira wrote major works in all three, and his writings are a good map of the field in the sixth century.
Siddhanta texts
The main astronomical texts include the Surya Siddhanta, the Aryabhatiya of Aryabhata, the Brahmasphutasiddhanta of Brahmagupta, the Siddhanta Shiromani of Bhaskara, and the works of the Kerala school such as the Tantrasangraha of Nilakantha. Practical handbooks called karanas, such as Brahmagupta's Khandakhadyaka and Bhaskara's Karanakutuhala, simplified these for calendar making.
Hora texts
The main texts for chart reading include the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, the foundation of the Parashari system; Varahamihira's Brihat Jataka; Kalyanavarma's Saravali; Mantreshwara's Phaladeepika; Vaidyanatha's Jataka Parijata; and the Jaimini Sutras, which present a distinct system. These texts overlap a great deal, and later ones often quote earlier ones.
Muhurta, prashna and annual charts
Specialised texts developed for particular uses. For muhurta, the choice of auspicious times, the Muhurta Chintamani of Rama Daivajna, from around 1600, is the most widely used. For prashna, answering questions from the chart of the moment the question is asked, the Kerala text Prashna Marga is a major reference. For annual charts, the Tajika system, which shows influence from Persian and Arabic astrology, is set out in texts such as the Tajika Neelakanthi.
How to approach them
No one needs to read all of these to use Jyotish well. A sensible path is to start with one good translation of a hora text, such as the Phaladeepika or the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, and to read it alongside real charts. Keep a note of where each rule comes from, and when two texts disagree, note both rather than choosing one silently. The articles on this site introduce each of the major texts separately.
Translations and editions
Most of these texts are available in English and Hindi translations, some of them old enough to be in the public domain. Where possible, choose an edition that prints the Sanskrit verse alongside the translation, so that a doubtful rendering can be checked.