Learning astrology

How to learn KP astrology, from sub lords to horary

Krishnamurti Paddhati rewards careful learners and punishes shortcuts. Here is what to learn first, how the sub lord and the 249 numbers work, and which Readers to study in which order.

Updated 2026-11-05

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Short answer

To learn KP astrology, first learn the Vedic basics (signs, the 27 nakshatras and the Vimshottari dasha), then study K. S. Krishnamurti's six KP Readers in order: casting the chart with cusps, star lords and sub lords, significators, ruling planets and horary with numbers from 1 to 249 ^1,2. A general Jyotish foundation course such as ICAS's one-year Jyotisha Praveena covers the groundwork ⁵. On Kismo you can list KP as one of your practices, and the decision on your application comes within 2 days of one chat reading.

Founder: Prof. K. S. Krishnamurti, born 1 November 1908 at Thiruvaiyaru, Tanjore district ¹
Core texts: Six Krishnamurti Padhdhati Readers, published by Krishman & Co, Chennai ¹
What KP adds: A sub lord: each nakshatra split into 9 parts in Vimshottari proportion ¹
Horary numbers: 1 to 249, one for each sign, star and sub combination ^1,2
Ephemeris and houses: Raphael's ephemeris with the Krishnamurti ayanamsa, cusps from Raphael's Tables of Houses ²
Learn first: Signs, the 27 nakshatras and the 120-year Vimshottari dasha ⁴

The method

What is KP astrology, and how is it different from traditional Jyotish?

KP astrology, or Krishnamurti Paddhati, is a 20th-century method that judges a chart mainly through star lords and sub lords. Its founder spent years testing rules on collected horoscopes, including twins, because general rules could not tell twins apart ¹.

K. S. Krishnamurti took voluntary retirement from government service in 1961 to teach the method across India ¹. He started the monthly magazine Astrology and Athrishta in 1963 and died in March 1972 ¹.

KP element	What the Readers say it does
Star lord	Shows which matters a planet signifies ¹
Sub lord	Shows whether the result is helpful or harmful, success or failure, delayed or denied ¹
Cusps	Houses are measured from cusp to cusp ³
Ruling planets	The lords of the moment of judgment, used to choose and confirm ³
Dasha	Vimshottari is the only dasha used for timing ²

Foundations

What should you learn before you start KP?

Before KP, learn the Vedic foundation: the 12 signs, the 27 nakshatras and the Vimshottari dasha, because every KP sub is cut from them ^1,4. Without those, the Readers feel like tables of numbers with no meaning.

A one-year foundation such as ICAS's Jyotisha Praveena covers casting, nakshatras, the Vimshottari dasha and basic transit ⁵. Our page on learning Vedic astrology maps the same ground in more detail.

The core idea

How do KP sub lords and the 249 numbers work?

A KP sub is one of nine unequal slices of a nakshatra, each sized in proportion to its lord's years in the Vimshottari dasha ^1,4. A nakshatra spans 13 degrees 20 minutes, so the widths below follow from simple arithmetic.

Sub lord	Vimshottari years	Width of its sub (calculated)
Ketu	7 ⁴	46' 40"
Venus	20 ⁴	2° 13' 20"
Sun	6 ⁴	40'
Moon	10 ⁴	1° 06' 40"
Mars	7 ⁴	46' 40"
Rahu	18 ⁴	2° 00'
Jupiter	16 ⁴	1° 46' 40"
Saturn	19 ⁴	2° 06' 40"
Mercury	17 ⁴	1° 53' 20"

Nine subs in 27 nakshatras makes 243, yet KP counts 249, because some subs straddle two signs and are counted once in each ¹. The last, number 249, is the Saturn sub of the Mercury-ruled star at the end of Pisces, from 27° 53' 20" to 30° ¹.

For horary, the person asking names a number between 1 and 249, and the cusps are worked out for that division ². Our guide to KP horary for yes or no questions shows a full example.

The order

What is the best order to learn KP?

The best order for KP follows the Readers: casting first, then theory, then judgment, then horary and transits. Each step depends on the one before.

Cast a chart the KP way: Raphael's ephemeris with the Krishnamurti ayanamsa and cusps from Raphael's Tables of Houses ², then check your software against a hand-cast chart.
Learn what star lords and sub lords mean for planets and for cusps ¹.
Learn significators and house groups, for example marriage judged from the 7th cusp's sub lord and timed through houses 2, 7 and 11 ³.
Learn the ruling planets of the moment of judgment and use them to confirm ³.
Use ruling planets to rectify birth times: Reader 1 fixes a birth given as 3:45 am on 7 March 1944 at 2:40 am, the reported time being war time ².
Practise horary with numbers from 1 to 249 ², and leave transits for last ¹.

Books

Which KP books should you read, and in what order?

The KP books to read are Krishnamurti's six Readers, which include Horary Astrology and Gocharapala Nirnayam, on transits ¹. The Readers are published by Krishman & Co, Chennai, a company set up by his son K. Subramaniam ¹.

Reader	Subject	Why it matters
Reader 1	Casting the Horoscope	Ephemeris, tables of houses and birth time correction ²
Reader 3	Predictive Stellar Astrology	Star and sub theory and the full 249 table ¹
Reader 4	Marriage, Married Life and Children	Houses 2, 7 and 11 and the 7th cusp ³
Horary Astrology	Questions answered from a number	Numbers 1 to 249 ¹
Gocharapala Nirnayam	Transits	Timing on top of the dasha ¹

Read them with a pencil and your own charts open. Reader 3 says of the sub lord method, 'This alone comes correct' ¹; treat that as the founder's conviction, not a promise you can repeat to clients.

Learning

Where can you learn KP, and how long does it take?

You learn KP from the Readers plus a teacher who works in KP every day, after a general Jyotish foundation. The founder himself taught through lectures, a research institute in Madras and his magazine, and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan made him a visiting professor of astrology ¹.

Route	What it costs	What you get
Foundation at ICAS	Exam fee Rs 1,000 and life membership Rs 1,000; tuition set by each chapter, not stated publicly ⁶	One year of casting, nakshatras and dashas ⁵
The Readers on your own	The price of the books	The whole method, but nobody to check your judgment
A private KP teacher	Varies by teacher	Worked charts and corrections; ask before paying

Ask a KP teacher to show one horary chart worked from the number to the answer.
Ask which Readers the course follows.
Be wary of anyone who promises you will predict exact dates for every client.

Plan on a year for the foundation and about another year working through the Readers with real charts. KP needs astrology software that prints cusp, star and sub lords.

Ready?

When are you ready to answer KP questions for paying clients?

You are ready for paying KP clients when your horary answers stay the same however often you check them. Keep a notebook of questions from friends, with the number, your answer and the outcome.

You can name the sub lord of any cusp without guessing.
You can explain to a client, in two sentences, why the 7th cusp says yes or no.
You use ruling planets to check yourself, not to sound certain.
You can tell a client when a chart does not answer the question.

Clients

How do clients ask KP questions online?

Online clients bring KP astrologers short yes or no questions: will I get this job, will the visa come, will we get back together. Many do not know their birth time, which is where a number from 1 to 249 helps ².

Answer the question asked, give the timing the chart supports, and say how sure you are. Related reading: Prashna and birth time rectification.

On Kismo

How does a KP astrologer apply and read on Kismo?

A KP astrologer applies to Kismo in a browser, lists KP among the practices in the first step, and then does one chat reading of about 10 minutes with a real client. List Vedic astrology as well only if you also read the Parashari way, because the practices cannot be changed after you submit.

The client's card shows what your practice needs, such as the birth details and chart or the moment the question was asked.
You type every answer yourself; pasted text is sent back, and there is one try.
A person reads the whole reading and emails the decision within 2 days.

Once live, a request lasts 30 seconds, so accept first and set up your KP chart after. Clients pay per started minute at the rate you choose, from Rs 20 to Rs 1,000, so a clear horary answer is good value for them. Kismo does not run KP training; keep learning from the Readers.

Questions

What do astrologers ask about this?

Should I learn Vedic astrology before KP?

Yes. KP subs are slices of the 27 nakshatras sized by the Vimshottari years, so you need signs, nakshatras and the Vimshottari dasha first ^1,4. A one-year foundation such as Jyotisha Praveena covers them ⁵.

What does the number from 1 to 249 mean in KP?

Each number stands for one sign, star and sub combination of the zodiac. There are 249, not 243, because some subs cross a sign boundary and are counted in both signs ¹. In horary the person asking picks a number and the cusps are set for it ².

Which ayanamsa does KP astrology use?

KP Reader 1 tells students to use Raphael's ephemeris with the Krishnamurti ayanamsa, or the Krishnamurti ephemeris, together with Raphael's Tables of Houses for the cusps ².

Is KP more accurate than traditional Vedic astrology?

The KP Readers say so, but that is the founder's claim, not a tested result ¹. Many readers use both. With clients, say what the chart shows and how sure you are, never that an outcome is certain.

Can I list both KP and Vedic astrology on Kismo?

Yes, if you practise both. Kismo fixes your practices once you submit the application, so list every method you already use with clients, and the test client is drawn from the practices you list.

Does Kismo teach KP astrology?

No. Kismo runs no astrology training. The only course in the app is How to earn on Kismo, five short videos on consulting well, so learn KP from the Readers and a teacher before you apply.

Read for clients on Kismo

Set your own per-minute rate for chat and calls, from Rs 20 to Rs 1,000. Apply in your browser with your Aadhaar or PAN and one reading.