Laghu Parashari, also known as Jataka Chandrika, is an important treatise on the Vimshottari Dasha system and is based on Brihat Parasara Hora Shastra. The Vimshotri Dasha system is a well accredited Paddhati of Hindu Predictive Astrology. Sage Parasara expounded a large number of Dashas for the purpose of delineating the course of life of the native, but he strongly advocated that Vimshotri Dasha is the befitting Dasha in Kaliyuga. This remarkable treatise is compiled in just forty two verses and yet it contains all the fundamental principles on which the Parashari system is based and is widely relied upon by the exponents of Vedic astrology. In fact, the author designated this concise composition as Udu-Daya Pradeepa wherein Udu connotes Nakshatra, Daya stands for Dasha and Pradeepa is the illumination. In other words, this Laghu Parasari is the enlightenment of Ududashas or Vimshotri Dasha System of Sage Parashara. It also characterizes diverse positioning of planets in twelve houses with respect to each Lagna where it tackles the entire gamut of Karakas, Marakas and Dashaphalas in various possible ways.
The forty two principles enshrined in Laghu Parasari forms the first part of Jataka Chandrika which in all has 80 Shlokas and the second part carries the remaining Shlokas assigned to assess the varied characteristics of planets the way they assume in twelve Lagnas by adopting principles initiated in Laghu Parasari of the text. Based on these acquired status of the planets, the predictions are made. The Laghu Parasari is predominantly referred to in the northern and the Jataka Chandrika is widely read in the southern areas of India by the devoted savants of astrology.