What Nirayana Means for Your Chart
Nirayana (निरयण) means "without the solstice" — the sidereal, star-fixed zodiac used in all Vedic astrology. The opposite is Sayana (tropical), which moves with Earth's equinoxes. In Nirayana, Mesha (Aries) begins near the fixed star Revati (Zeta Piscium), not the spring equinox. Because of precession, the two zodiacs now differ by roughly 24 degrees. Your Vedic chart always uses Nirayana positions.
Nirayana vs. Sayana Compared
| Feature | Nirayana (Sidereal) | Sayana (Tropical) |
|---|---|---|
| Anchor point | Fixed stars | Vernal equinox |
| Used in | Vedic / Jyotish | Western astrology |
| Precession | Accounts for it | Ignores it |
| Sun in Aries | Apr 14–May 14 | Mar 21–Apr 19 |
Why It Matters in Practice
Every planet in your Vedic chart is placed in the Nirayana zodiac. This means your Vedic Sun sign is typically one sign earlier than your Western Sun sign. Nakshatra positions, Dasha calculations, and Rashi placements all depend on accurate Nirayana longitudes. Always verify that your software is set to Sidereal / Nirayana before generating a Vedic chart — using tropical positions will produce completely wrong results.