The concept of Vedic astrology was developed during the ancient times in India. The term is also referred as 'Hindi astrology' or 'Indian astrology.' Although, its original name is Jyotish which has been derived from a Sanskrit word jyotisa. The word meant light or heavenly body. The concept is also used as a predictive medium, not only by individuals but also by countries and businesses alike. During the middle ages, in middle east, the term gave rise to a new term called 'western astrology.' The term mainly focused on heavenly bodies and planets, as well as their relationship with respect to person or the country. The study take into account the time of birth in relation to the position of those particular bodies.

Time system and the interpretation method are the two main differences between western and Indian astrology. Where the time system is used to classify the 'houses' or areas of life that the planets are positioned. While in the interpretation method, the study uses 'Yoga's' to unfold the energies and influences of a particular planets or configurations. The use of 'Yoga's' in Vedic astrology began from the old Sanskrit texts, which were written more than 3000 years ago and covered almost every aspect of humane life. The study of Vedic astrology is a large system of philosophy and much wider than astrology alone. This is the main difference between western and Indian astrology. Hence, Vedic astrology has a more hostile and all inclusive approach towards life possibilities.

Most scholars who practices the art of Vedic/Jyotish astrology claim that, it is more accurate. As it involve not just fate as some people think, but also the choices. This helps in making the 'right' decisions in one's life.