How to Write Your Sankalpam: Gotram, Birth Star and a Clear Purpose

Before the first mantra of a japam is chanted, or the first offering is placed in a homam fire, the purohit pauses to take a sankalpam (సంకల్పం). In a few flowing Sanskrit sentences he names the moment, the place, the person on whose behalf the ritual is being done, and the blessing being sought. It takes only a minute or two, yet it is the thread that ties the whole remedy to you.

Many devotees who book a remedy online are unsure what to write in the sankalpam box, or do not know their gotram or birth star. This guide explains in plain language what a sankalpam is, what each of its parts means, how to find the details it needs, and how to write a purpose that is clear and sincere. At the end you will find a checklist of everything the Jataka Remedies booking form asks for.

What a sankalpam is, and why it matters

The Sanskrit word sankalpa means a firm resolve or a considered intention. In ritual practice it is the formal declaration made at the start of a pooja, japam, homam or vratam: at this time, in this place, for this person, this ritual is undertaken for this purpose. Traditional teaching holds that worship done without a sankalpam is incomplete, because it is the intention that gives the act its direction.

When a remedy is performed online, the sankalpam matters even more. You are not seated before the kalasham yourself, so the purohit takes the sankalpam in your name and gotram, and the ritual is dedicated to you just as it would be if you were present. This is how every Jataka Remedies service is performed by default, with progress shared as videos on your WhatsApp until the ritual is complete.

• It gives directionThe purpose you state is the blessing the ritual is dedicated to, so a clear sankalpam keeps the remedy focused.
• It identifies youName, gotram and birth star place you precisely, in the way the tradition has always identified a devotee.
• It is your resolve tooTaking a sankalpam is a quiet commitment on your part as well: to pray, to be patient and to do your share.
• It opens every ritualFrom a simple Ganapathi pooja to a full Navagraha Shanti, every remedy begins with this statement.

The parts of a traditional sankalpam

The exact wording differs between regions, Vedic schools (shakhas) and families, but a Telugu sankalpam usually moves through the same stages. You do not need to memorise any of it, because the purohit recites it, but knowing the parts shows why each detail on the booking form is needed.

1. Dedication

Most sankalpams begin by offering the act to the Divine, with words such as 'mamopātta samasta durita kṣaya dvārā śrī parameśvara prītyartham': for the removal of the faults I have accumulated, and for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord. The remedy is framed first as worship, not as a transaction.

2. Time (kaalam)

The purohit then places the ritual in time, moving from the cosmic to the everyday: the present kalpa and manvantara, Kali Yuga, the name of the year in the sixty-year cycle (samvatsaram), the half-year (ayanam), the season (ruthuvu), the month (masam), the fortnight (paksham), the lunar day (tithi), the weekday (vaasaram) and the star of the day. These come from the panchangam for the day of the ritual, so you do not need to supply them.

3. Place (desham)

Next comes the place: Jambudvipa, Bharata varsha, Bharata khanda, the land south of Mount Meru, and then the local region and rivers near where the ritual is performed. For an online remedy this describes the place of the ritual, wherever in the world you happen to live.

4. The devotee (karta)

Now the sankalpam turns to you: your gotram, your name, your birth star (nakshatra) and your Moon sign (rashi). Sanskrit grammar changes with gender, for example 'nāmadheyasya' for a man and 'nāmadheyāyāḥ' for a woman, which is one reason the booking form asks for gender. Your rashi follows from your birth star, and your horoscope settles it where a star spans two signs.

5. Purpose (phalam)

Then the blessing sought is stated. Traditional wording often includes a general prayer for well-being, 'kṣema sthairya vijaya abhaya āyurārogya aiśvarya abhivṛddhyartham': for safety, stability, success, freedom from fear, long life, health and growing prosperity. After it comes the specific purpose that you write on the booking form.

6. The ritual (karma)

Finally the ritual itself is named, such as Sani mantra japam, Ganapathi pooja or Navagraha homam, with the resolve that it will now be performed. With that, the purohit begins.

How to find your gotram

A gotram (గోత్రం) is a family lineage traced back to a rishi, a sage of the Vedic age. Bharadwaja, Kashyapa, Vasishtha, Atreya, Kaundinya, Srivatsa and Harita are among the many gotrams heard in Telugu families. The gotram passes down the father's line, so brothers, sisters and paternal cousins share it.

1. 1.Ask the elders in your family

   Parents, grandparents, and uncles or aunts on your father's side usually know it. It is spoken aloud at weddings, upanayanams and annual ceremonies.

2. 2.Look through family papers

   Wedding invitations, horoscopes written at birth, and receipts from temple archanas or poojas often record the gotram.

3. 3.Ask your family purohit or temple

   The priest who performs ceremonies for your family, or a temple where your family regularly offers poojas, may have it noted.

4. 4.If it truly cannot be found

   Customs differ. Many purohits use Shiva gotram when the family gotram is unknown, and some traditions use Kashyapa gotram, since the sage Kashyapa is regarded as a progenitor of all beings. If you are unsure what to enter, ask us on WhatsApp before you book.

A note for married women

In most Telugu and South Indian families, a woman takes her husband's gotram after marriage, and her sankalpam is taken in that gotram. Some families and communities follow a different custom. If your family's practice differs, follow it, and if in doubt, ask your elders or your purohit.

How to find your birth star

Your birth star, or janma nakshatra (జన్మ నక్షత్రం), is the nakshatra the Moon occupied at the moment of your birth. There are 27 nakshatras, from Aswini to Revati, and each is divided into four quarters called padas. Your Moon sign, or rashi (రాశి), follows from it. Here are the usual ways to find it:

• Your horoscope (jatakam). A Telugu horoscope usually states the janma nakshatra and its pada near the top, together with the rashi.
• Family memory and records. Many families note the star when a child is born, and elders often remember it because it is used for naming ceremonies and birthday poojas.
• A panchangam and your birth details. With your exact date, time and place of birth, the star can be worked out from a panchangam or a reliable Jyotisha program.
• A consultation. For certainty, and to learn which remedies suit your chart, you can book a chart consultation with Mrs. Madhavi Sharma, senior astrologer at MSAstrology.

Note that the star printed on today's calendar is the star of the day, not your birth star, and the Western sun sign is not your Vedic rashi.

How to write your purpose clearly

This is the part only you can write. The booking form's hint puts it simply: write why the japam is done, for good education, marriage, job benefit and so on. A good purpose is specific, positive and sincere. It needs no Sanskrit and no formal language. Plain English or Telugu is perfect, and the purohit will include it in the sankalpam.

• Be specificName the area of life: studies, marriage, career, health or family. One or two clear intentions are better than a long list.
• Be positiveAsk for what you hope will grow, such as peace, stability or success, rather than for anything to go wrong for someone else.
• Be humblePray for support and blessings rather than demanding a fixed result by a fixed date.
• Use your own languageEnglish, Telugu or both are welcome. Spell names the way you want them to be said.

What to leave out

• Wishing harm on anyone. A sankalpam asks for blessings. It is never directed against another person.
• Deadlines and guarantees. 'Must get the job by March' turns a prayer into a demand, and no ritual can promise an outcome.
• Long lists. If there are many concerns, choose the one or two that matter most now. Other intentions can be taken up in another remedy.
• Private details you need not share. A few words such as 'good health and recovery' are enough. There is no need to describe a diagnosis.

Sankalpams for the whole family

Many rituals are done for the whole household. Traditional wording includes the phrase 'asmākaṁ saha kuṭumbānām', for us together with our families, so the person or couple performing the ritual pray for everyone at home.

When booking, fill in the form with the details of the main person: the one whose chart the remedy was advised for, or the head of the family for a household pooja such as Ganapathi pooja or Lakshmi pooja. If you would like other family members named, add their names, their relationship to you and their birth stars in the sankalpam box, along with their gotram if it differs, as it may for a married daughter.

• Graha remedies are personal. A japam advised for one person's chart, such as Sani japam during Sade Sati, is normally taken in that person's own name.
• For a child, enter the child's own name, gotram and birth star, with the parents' names in the father's and mother's name fields.
• For a couple, many families name both husband and wife, who in most Telugu traditions share a gotram after marriage.

Your booking checklist

Keep these details ready before you open the booking form. It takes only a few minutes, and having everything to hand means your sankalpam can be taken correctly the first time.

Then review your details and pay securely online through Razorpay. Rituals are performed online by default. If you would prefer to attend in person, you can ask for that and the request will be reviewed. When you are ready, Book a Remedy.

Remedies that begin with your sankalpam

A Ganapathi pooja is often chosen before a new beginning, Navagraha Shanti worships all nine grahas together, and a graha japam such as Sani japam, Guru japam or Budha japam focuses on one planet. Learn more in our Navagraha Shanti guide, graha japam and daanam explained and Sade Sati and Shani remedies.