How to Read a Ramal Jyotish Prastar: 16 Shakals, Witnesses, Judge and Verdict Score
3 November 2026
Ramal Jyotish is the Indian form of geomancy: you ask one clear question, throw the pasa, and read the answer from sixteen dot figures called shakals. It looks simple on screen, but every part of the chart has a job. This guide walks through the whole reading in the order the Astrometry Ramal Jyotish Software follows it, from framing the question to the final verdict score, so you can see why the software gives the answer it does.
What a Ramal chart is made of
Every shakal has four rows, read from top to bottom: head (fire), neck (air), body (water) and feet (earth). Each row has either a single dot (odd) or a double dot (even). Four rows with two possible values give exactly sixteen figures, and each figure carries a name, a planet, an element and a nature. The full chart, called the Prastar, has sixteen houses:
- Houses 1 to 12 - the twelve bhavas, from Self (Tan Bhav) to Losses (Vyaya Bhav).
- House 13 - the Right Witness, your side, the past and the background of the question.
- House 14 - the Left Witness, the other party's side, the future and outside influences.
- House 15 - the Judge (Qazi), the most important shakal for a yes or no answer.
- House 16 - the Reconciler (Natija), the long-term result and how the matter settles.
Before you throw: framing one question
The rulebook the software uses is strict about preparation, and the quality of the answer depends on it:
- Sit somewhere quiet and clean, preferably facing east or north, and calm your mind for a minute.
- Frame one clear question. "Will I get the job and move abroad?" is two questions. Ask them separately.
- Do not ask the same question again on the same day. The first answer stands.
If you already practise Prashna (horary) astrology, the discipline will feel familiar: the moment of asking is part of the chart, so a vague or repeated question weakens it.
Which house your question belongs to
Ramal judges the house that matches the real subject of the question. Type your question in English, Hindi or Hinglish and leave the subject on auto, and the software matches its words against the rulebook's keyword lists for each house. It shows the house it chose and why. You can always pick the house yourself instead.
| House | Typical questions |
|---|---|
| 1 - Self | How will my day or year go? What is my current condition? |
| 2 - Wealth | Will I get money? Will I get my money back? |
| 3 - Siblings and Courage | Will my short trip succeed? Will my message get a reply? |
| 4 - Home | Will I buy a house or vehicle? How is my mother? |
| 5 - Children | Will I pass my exam? Will my love affair succeed? |
| 6 - Enemies | Will I recover from illness? Will I clear my debt? |
| 7 - Marriage | Will I get married? Will the business partnership succeed? |
| 8 - Obstacles | Will I get my inheritance? Will the surgery go well? |
| 9 - Fortune | Will I travel abroad? Will I get a visa? |
| 10 - Career | Will I get the job? Will I get promoted? |
| 11 - Gains | Will my wish be fulfilled? Will I get profit? |
| 12 - Losses | Will I settle abroad? Will my expenses reduce? |
Judge the real subject, not incidental words. A question about recovering from an operation is a house 6 question (illness and recovery), even though the word "surgery" also appears in the house 8 list.
Throwing the pasa
A Ramal pasa has two rods, each carrying four dice, and each die shows either one dot or two. The first throw gives two figures: the first rod becomes house 1 and the second rod house 2. The second throw gives houses 3 and 4. In the software you press Throw the pasa and watch both throws. If you own a physical pasa, throw it yourself and then tap the dot rows of the four mothers to enter your real result; the whole chart is recalculated from your figures.
Without a pasa, the traditional method is to draw sixteen rows of random dots on paper without counting, then mark each row odd (one dot) or even (two dots). Every four rows make one mother figure.
How the 16-house Prastar is built
Only the first four figures come from the throw. Every other house is derived from them by fixed rules, which is why the chart is fully traceable:
| Houses | Name | How each is formed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | Mothers | Directly from the two throws |
| 5 to 8 | Daughters | House 5 takes the head rows of houses 1, 2, 3 and 4 in order; house 6 the neck rows; house 7 the body rows; house 8 the feet rows |
| 9 to 12 | Nieces | Two figures added row by row (even total = two dots, odd total = one dot): 9 = 1+2, 10 = 3+4, 11 = 5+6, 12 = 7+8 |
| 13 | Right Witness | 9 + 10 |
| 14 | Left Witness | 11 + 12 |
| 15 | Judge | 13 + 14 |
| 16 | Reconciler | 15 + 1 |
A useful check from the rulebook: the Judge always has an even total of dots. If a hand-drawn chart gives an odd total, there is a mistake in the addition.
The sixteen shakals at a glance
Each shakal has a score that feeds the verdict. The table lists the Ramal name, the familiar Western geomancy name and the nature given in the rulebook.
| Shakal | Western name | Planet | Nature | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nusratul Dakhil | Fortuna Major | Sun | Most favourable | +3 |
| Kabjul Dakhil | Acquisitio | Jupiter | Very favourable | +2 |
| Farah | Laetitia | Jupiter | Very favourable | +2 |
| Bayaz | Albus | Mercury | Favourable (gentle) | +1 |
| Nusratul Kharij | Fortuna Minor | Sun | Favourable (short-lived) | +1 |
| Ataba Dakhil | Caput Draconis | Rahu | Favourable (for beginnings) | +1 |
| Nakiul Khad | Puella | Venus | Favourable | +1 |
| Jamaat | Populus | Moon | Neutral | 0 |
| Ijtima | Conjunctio | Mercury | Neutral (favours meetings) | 0 |
| Tariq | Via | Moon | Neutral (changeable) | 0 |
| Lihyan | Puer | Mars | Mixed, leaning unfavourable | 0 |
| Kabjul Kharij | Amissio | Venus | Unfavourable | -2 |
| Uqla | Carcer | Saturn | Unfavourable (delaying) | -2 |
| Ankees | Tristitia | Saturn | Unfavourable | -2 |
| Humra | Rubeus | Mars | Unfavourable | -2 |
| Ataba Kharij | Cauda Draconis | Ketu | Unfavourable (good for endings) | -2 |
The score is only part of a shakal's meaning. Lihyan, for example, scores zero but is described as strong for competitions and disputes where you must stand firm, and weak for marriage and peace talks. The report prints each shakal's full meaning, what it favours and its advice under the verdict.
Reading the chart step by step
- Check house 1. If Humra or Uqla falls in house 1, many Ramal teachers say the question should not be judged now. Humra shows a disturbed or rushed mind; Uqla shows the question itself is blocked. The software still gives the reading but shows this warning first, so you can decide to cast again later.
- Find the two key shakals: yours in house 1 and the matter's in the house of the question.
- Look for perfection, the link between you and the matter (see below).
- Read the Judge in house 15. A favourable judge supports yes, an unfavourable judge supports no, and the judge has the final word when other signs are mixed.
- Read the witnesses. House 13 shows your side and the past; house 14 shows the other side and the future.
- Read the Reconciler in house 16 for how the matter settles in the long run.
- Look at house 4 for the end of the matter, and at how strong the matter's shakal is in its own house.
Perfection: how you and the matter meet
| Type | What the software looks for | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Occupation | The same shakal is in house 1 and the house of the question | Strongest yes. The matter comes directly. |
| Conjunction | Your shakal, or the matter's, sits in a house next to the other | Yes, the matter comes together through effort. |
| Mutation | The two shakals appear side by side elsewhere in the chart | Yes, through other people or a change of plans. |
| Translation | Your shakal reappears in another house | Help may come from the area of life that house rules. |
| No perfection | None of the above | Unlikely unless the judge is very strong. The judge decides. |
How the verdict score is calculated
To turn the chart into one clear answer, the software uses the rulebook's point system:
Score = Judge score x 2 + house-of-question score + half of the house 1 score + 2 for occupation, conjunction or mutation (or +1 for translation)
The total is rounded to the nearest 0.5 and placed in one of five bands:
| Score | Verdict | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 4 or more | Yes, favourable | The matter is clearly supported. |
| 1 to 3.5 | Likely, with effort | It can succeed, but needs work, follow-up or patience. |
| -1.5 to 0.5 | Uncertain, wait and watch | Signs are mixed. Do not commit fully yet. |
| -4.5 to -2 | Unlikely for now | The chart does not support it at this time. |
| -5 or less | No, not favourable | The chart clearly opposes the matter now. |
A worked example from the rulebook
Question: "Will we get sale of 100 software next month?" Sales and reaching a target are gains, so the chart is judged in house 11.
- House 1 and house 11 both hold Nakiul Khad (+1): occupation, the strongest link, worth +2.
- The Judge is Kabjul Dakhil (+2), the shakal of money coming into your hands.
- Score: 2 x 2 + 1 + 0.5 + 2 = 7.5, which is Yes, favourable.
The verdict is not the whole story. House 4, the end of the matter, holds Uqla, a delaying shakal, so some deals may stick near the finish. The Reconciler is Ataba Kharij, which warns that momentum may drop afterwards. A good reading therefore says yes, close deals early, and plan the next month's pipeline now.
Timing and how the matter ends
Each shakal carries a traditional speed. Nusratul Kharij is very quick (days), Farah fairly quick (weeks), Kabjul Dakhil moderate (a few weeks to three months), while Uqla is very slow (months or years) and Ankees brings delays of months. The report uses the judge's timing for its "Timing" note.
House 4 shows how the matter finishes: a good shakal means it ends well, a delaying shakal (Uqla, Ankees) means the last part may be held up, and a leaving shakal (Kabjul Kharij, Ataba Kharij) means something slips away at the end. The Reconciler then shows whether the result settles well, settles neutrally, or brings some cost or regret later.
Common mistakes
- Asking two things at once. The chart can only judge one house.
- Recasting until you like the answer. The rulebook is clear that the first answer of the day stands.
- Ignoring the first-house warning. Humra or Uqla in house 1 is a reason to wait, not to push.
- Reading the score without house 4 and 16. A "yes" with a delaying end needs a different plan from a clean "yes".
- Using Ramal for medical or legal decisions. Treat it as traditional guidance alongside proper professional advice.
Online and Desktop access
The online software lets you throw the pasa, read the full Prastar and court, and download the report as a PDF, either per report or with an annual pass. Ramal Jyotish is also available as a lifetime Desktop Edition that runs the same rulebook on your own device and works offline once installed. For a shorter feature summary, see the Ramal Jyotish software overview. Setup steps are in the Desktop installation and activation guide, and current prices are on the pricing page. If you want to compare Ramal with other question-based methods, read birth chart vs horary and Prashna software or try the Vedic Prashna Software.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a birth chart for Ramal?
No. Ramal needs only the question and the throw. No birth date, time or place is used.
Can I enter the result of my own pasa?
Yes. After a throw, tap any dot row of the four mother figures to match your physical pasa. Houses 5 to 16, the perfection and the verdict are recalculated from your figures.
Why did the software choose a different house from the one I expected?
On auto, it matches your words to the rulebook's keywords and shows its reason. If the real subject is different, choose the house yourself before throwing.
Is the answer written by AI?
No. The chart, perfection, score and verdict are calculated from the supplied Ramal rulebook, and the written answer and traditional readings come from that same rulebook's texts.
Have a question in mind? Open Ramal Jyotish, write it in one clear sentence and throw the pasa.