Jyotisha (or
Jyotishyam from
Sanskrit , from "light, heavenly body") is the traditional
Hindu system of
astrology, also known as
Hindu astrology,
Indian astrology, and more recently
Vedic astrology. The term
Hindu astrology has been in use as the English equivalent of
Jyotiṣa since the early 19th century, whereas
Vedic astrology is a relatively recent term, entering common usage in the 1980s with
self-help publications on
Āyurveda or
Yoga.
Vedanga Jyotisha is one of the earliest texts about astronomy within the Vedas. However, historical documentation shows that
horoscopic astrology in the
Indian subcontinent came from Hellenistic influences, post-dating the
Vedic period.