The Sahams (सहं / Arabic: Sahm, plural As-hām) in Tājika Jyotiṣa and in Arabic astrology (particularly as seen in Abu Ma‘shar, Al-Biruni, Albumasar, etc.) are fundamentally the same concept, both in philosophical origin and mathematical method.
1. Common Origin
Both systems — the Indian Tājika Śāstra and the Arabic (Perso-Arabic) astrological corpus — trace their roots to the Hellenistic Greek system of Lots or Parts (Greek: klēroi).
• In Greek astrology, a Lot (later Arabic Sahm, Sanskrit Saham) is a sensitive point in the horoscope, calculated by taking the arclength distance between two planets or points and projecting it from a third point, usually the ascendant.
• The most famous example is the Lot of Fortune (Sahm al-Sa‘ādah / भाग्य सहं).
Thus, both Tājika and Arabic formulas are descendants of this same Hellenistic technique.
2. Mathematical Structure — the Formula
Both systems use identical mathematical logic:
[\text{Saham (Lot)} = \text{Ascendant} + (\text{Point A} - \text{Point B})]
• This is the basic rule for determining any saham or lot.
• Sometimes the direction of subtraction changes depending on day or night births — again, a feature shared by both Tājika and Arabic/Greek practice.
For example:
• Fortune (Bhāgya Saham) = Asc + (Moon − Sun) for day births, and Asc + (Sun − Moon) for night births.
→ This is exactly the same as the Arabic Sahm al-Sa‘ādah.
3. Nomenclature and Correspondence
Many Sahams found in Tājika Neelakanthi, Tājika Paddhati, and Varṣaphala texts have direct Arabic equivalents:
Tājika Saham (Sanskrit) Arabic Lot (Sahm) Meaning
Bhāgya Saham Sahm al-Sa‘ādah Fortune / Prosperity
Mṛtyu Saham Sahm al-Mawt Death
Jīvana Saham Sahm al-‘Umr Life-span
Rājya Saham Sahm al-Mulk Kingship / Authority
Bandhana Saham Sahm al-Sijn Imprisonment
Vyaya Saham Sahm al-Khasārah Loss
Vidyā Saham Sahm al-‘Ilm Knowledge
Putra Saham Sahm al-Walad Children
Strī Saham Sahm al-Zawj Wife
The names, meanings, and results correspond closely — sometimes even word-for-word — showing the Persian-Arabic transmission into Indian Tājika Jyotiṣa around the 12th–13th century CE.
4. Purpose and Interpretive Use
In both systems:
• Each saham denotes a specific life-theme (wealth, death, marriage, imprisonment, etc.).
• The lord of the saham, its placement, and aspects (drishti or i‘tibārāt) are judged to forecast the condition of that area of life, identical in logic.
Thus, both use sahams as derived ascendants or topic-specific lagna points.
5. Differences (Minor but Important)
Although the principle is identical, there are small differences:
• Indian Tājika texts Sanskritized the planetary names and sometimes simplified the number of sahams.
• Some formulas were slightly adjusted to fit the Indian zodiacal convention (sidereal vs. tropical).
• Interpretive language in India was rephrased using bhāva and graha dṛṣṭi terminology.
But the core method and idea remain the same — mathematical identity with Arabic formulas.
6. Historical Transmission
• The Tājika system came to India likely through Perso-Arabic astrologers under the early Delhi Sultanate period (~12th–13th century CE).
• Sanskrit works like Tājika Nīlakaṇṭhī, Varṣa-prakāśa, and Sārāvalī’s Tājika appendices directly adapted Arabic sahams into Indian usage.
In Short:
Aspect Tājika Saham Arabic Sahm (Lot) Similarity
Origin : Hellenistic astrology Hellenistic astrology Identical roots
Formula Asc + (A − B) Asc + (A − B) Same structure
Use Life-topic judgment Life-topic judgment Same interpretive logic
Variation by day/night Yes Yes Same
Transmission From Arabic via Persia to India. From Greece to The Arabs. Sequential inheritance
Conclusion
The Sahams of Tājika Jyotiṣa are essentially identical to the Arabic Lots, both in concept and computation.
They are the same Hellenistic technique, adapted to Indian astrological language.
The only differences are terminological and cultural — not mathematical or philosophical.
