▁z od iac ▁signs . ▁ ▁H indu ▁z od iac ▁▁ ▁According ▁to ▁math ematic ian - histor ian ▁Mont uc la , ▁the ▁H indu ▁z od iac ▁was ▁adopted ▁from ▁Greek ▁z od iac ▁through ▁communic ations ▁between ▁ancient ▁India ▁and ▁Greek ▁emp ire ▁of ▁B act ria . ▁The ▁H indu ▁z od iac ▁uses ▁the ▁sid ere al ▁coordinate ▁system , ▁which ▁makes ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁fixed ▁stars . ▁The ▁Trop ical ▁z od iac ▁( of ▁Mes op ot am ian ▁origin ) ▁is ▁divided ▁by ▁the ▁inter sections ▁of ▁the ▁e cli ptic ▁and ▁equ ator , ▁which ▁sh ifts ▁in ▁relation ▁to ▁the ▁back drop ▁of ▁fixed ▁stars ▁at ▁a ▁rate ▁of ▁ 1 ° ▁every ▁ 7 2 ▁years , ▁creating ▁the ▁phenomen on ▁known ▁as ▁pre cess ion ▁of ▁the ▁equ ino xes . ▁The ▁H indu ▁z od iac , ▁being ▁sid ere al , ▁does ▁not ▁maintain ▁this ▁season al ▁alignment , ▁but ▁there ▁are ▁still ▁similar ities ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁systems . ▁The ▁H indu ▁z od iac ▁signs ▁and ▁corresponding ▁Greek ▁signs ▁sound ▁very ▁different , ▁being ▁in ▁S ansk rit ▁and ▁Greek ▁respectively , ▁but ▁their ▁symbols ▁are ▁nearly ▁identical . ▁For ▁example , ▁d han u ▁means ▁" bow " ▁and ▁corresponds ▁to ▁S ag itt arius , ▁the ▁" arch er ", ▁and ▁k umb ha ▁means ▁" water - p itch er " ▁and ▁corresponds ▁to ▁Aqu arius , ▁the ▁" water - car rier