Classical Vedic cosmology and psychological astrology:
Pradhāna / Prakṛti- The primordial, undifferentiated material substratum of the universe—composed of the three guṇas: Sattva (clarity, lightness), Rajas (movement, desire), and Tamas (inertia, obscuration). It is the matrix from which all phenomena—mental and material—emerge.
Ātman- The pure witnessing consciousness—unaffected, non-material, and ever-luminous. It is the silent observer behind all mental modifications, untouched by the fluctuations of prakṛti.
Planetary role-Sun (self, pure being), Ketu (detached witness)
Buddhi- The faculty of discernment and intuitive intelligence. It is the pre-reflective ground of cognition, where latent tendencies (vāsanās) reside and from which determinate knowledge arises.
Planetary role- Jupiter (wisdom, discrimination), Mercury (cognition)
Ahaṅkāra- The individuating principle or ego-sense that claims ownership— “I am the doer.” It gives rise to the subjective pole of experience and binds consciousness to embodiment.
Planetary role- Mars (assertion, identity), Sun (ego-core), Rahu (false selfhood)
Manas- The coordinating mind that processes sensory data, mediates between buddhi and the senses, and organizes impressions into coherent temporal sequences. It is the seat of doubt, desire, and deliberation.
Planetary role- Moon (sensory mind), Mercury (discrimination)
Chitta- The internal organ of mind, comprising buddhi, ahaṅkāra, and manas. It is the dynamic field of mental activity, memory, and impressionability.
Planetary role- Moon (mental field), Mercury (integration), Venus (conditioning)
Pramāṇa- The valid means of knowledge acquisition. Sāṅkhya recognizes three: pratyakṣa (perception), anumāna (inference), and śabda (testimony). Nyāya adds upamāna (analogy).
Planetary role- Mercury (logic, inference), Jupiter (scriptural authority), Moon (perception), Venus (analogy)