Fundamentals of Jyotisha (Vedic Astrology) Part III

ॐ श्री गुरावे नमः !

GRAHA/PLANETS characteristics and description

Graha, (Planets as they are normally called) are cosmic entities and represent Lord Vishnu’s incarnations, which have the capacity to influence any living thing through other living things on this earth plane, Table 17 lists all the Lord Vishnu’s Avataras (Incarnations).

The moment a living thing takes birth, The hour, minutes, seconds and the Graha situation of that moment is drawn as a equation and deposited in the account of that native, the native’s physical and mental faculties develop based on this equation, the Rising sign has the maximum influence on the native and based on that equation native gets his/her shape, size, abilities or deficiencies, but the Graha as they are in continuous motion, influence the native almost every moment based on their position generally called as Gochara/Transits,
Therefore, the basic point one has to understand is that there are two levels.

First the basic Graha Equation at the time of birth, the natal chart.

Second the Gochara/Transits (The current position of Graha using the native’s configuration)

We will deal with this when I will take up analysis of the Chart in one of my future posts.

Graha/Planet: Parameters pertaining to the Graha and their characteristics.

Lagna is the most important point in the horoscope; it is the Rasi/zodiac sign that rises in the East, on the latitude of birth. The apparent rising of a Rasi is due to the rotation of the earth on its own axis, causing every degree of the zodiac seemingly ascends on the eastern horizon, approximately, every two hours one Rasi passes via the horizon, i.e. every degree taking 4 minutes to ascend and this duration is based on the concerned latitude.

Shubha Graha/Benefics/Krura Graha/malefics: Each Graha can be classified as Benefic if it gives beneficial phala/result or, as a malefic if it gives negative or malefic effect, Table no 18 lists the Graha’s as Benefics or Malefics.

Note: A natural Benefic Graha is supposed to be always delivering beneficial phala or result to the Native and the Krura (Malefic) Graha’s always the malefic effect, but this is not actually true, many factors influence this property of the Graha’s,

Like position of the Graha, the number of the House it is posited in, the mutual relationship with other Graha posited with it, mutual Drishti, Avastha and strength of the Graha etc.

Table no 19 lists some of the important characteristics of Graha’s starting from the Surya (Sun) to Sani (Saturn), the list shows the main governance of each Graha, in the human body, time scale, taste, trees, fabric, seasons, and the main abode.


The governances listed in the Table no 19 suggest the characters of the Native also, meaning the Native ruled by particular Graha/Planet will have the same characteristics in his way of living, his/her choice of color, place, taste, materials, and physical and mental attributes etc.

Further the table no 20 lists remaining characteristics of the Graha like status, complexion, ruling deity, sex of the Graha, element, social status, nature, eyes, shape of the body, habits, quality of brain, and other features.


The characteristics listed in the Table no 19 and 20 are for reference purpose whenever a native needs to be described for his/her characteristics, physical and mental attributes, the above given characteristics come very handy.

Graha/Planets and their Strengths: Basically, strength here means the ability to bring an effect it could be positive or negative, the natural order of planets based on there natural strengths is: Surya (Sun), Chandra (Moon), Shukra (Venus), Guru (Jupiter), Budh ( Mercury), Mangal (Mars)and Sani (Saturn) in decreasing order.
Further to the natural strength of the Graha’s, the Avasthas of the Graha’s is most important, Avastha is to see the situation of the Graha/Planet, is it a infant?, young or is it too old, is it ashamed or proud etc. It tells us the State and condition of the Graha/Planet and based on the condition of the Graha/Planet the Phala/Result can be explained.There are two sets of Avasthas, the second set of Avasthas i.e. Shayan Adi Avasthas is most important and should be considered to make predictions regarding strength etc. Table no 22, 23 and 24 lists all the types of Avasthas and their level of Phala/Result.

Rule 1: In case of odd Rasi’s the order starts with Baal to Mrit (Dead) and in case of even Rasi’s the order is from Vriddh (Old) to Baal.

Rule 2: Estimate the effects due to a Bhava, after ascertaining the strength and weakness, weak Grahas cause reduction in good effects, while stronger ones give greater effects. If a Graha, posited in Karm Bhava, is in Lajjit, Kshudhit Avastha, or Kshobhit Avastha, the person will always be subjected to miseries. If a Graha in Putra bhava is in Lajjit Avastha, the progeny will be destroyed or only one child will survive. The spouse of the native will pass away if there is a Graha in Yuvati bhava and is in Kshobhit, or in Trushit Avastha.
Rule 3: A Garvit Graha will cause happiness through new houses and gardens, regal hood, skill in arts, financial gains at all times and improvement in business.A Mudit Graha will give residences, clothes, ornaments, happiness from lands and wife, happiness from relatives, living in royal places, destruction of enemies and acquisition of wisdom and learning.
A Lajjit Graha will give aversion to God, loss of intelligence, loss of child, interest in evil speeches and listlessness in good things.
A Kshobhit Graha will give acute penury, evil disposition, miseries, financial debacles, distress to feet and obstruction to income, due to royal wrath.
Kshudhit Graha will cause downfall, due to grief and passion, grief because of relatives, physical decline, troubles from enemies, financial distress, loss of physical strength and an eclipsed mind, due to miseries.

A Trushit Graha will cause diseases through association with females, leading over wicked deeds, loss of wealth, due to one’s own men, physical weakness, miseries, caused by evil people and decline of honor. 

Shayan Adi Avasthas:

Calculation of Shayan Adi Avasthas: Multiply the number of the Star occupied by the Graha being calculated by the number denoted by the Graha (Surya 1 to Sani 7). Multiply the obtained figure with the number of the Navamsa of the Graha. Add to this the number of the birth asterism (Ruling star, the one, occupied by Chandra), the number of Ghatis of birth and the number of Rasi’s, The Lagna gained from Mesh (Mesh 1, Vrishabha 2 and so forth). This figure should be divided by 12 and the remainder will indicate the corresponding Avastha of the Graha.

The sub-states ( Drishti, Chesht and Vichesht) in the said Avastha can be found out in the following way. Multiply the figure (Shayan 1 to Nidr 12), denoted by the Avastha concerned, by the same figure and increase it by the figure, denoted by the Anka value for the first syllable of the native’s personal name. Divide the product so obtained by 12. The remainder there of should be further increased by constant additives of the Grahas in the following way: Surya 5, Chandra 2, Mangal 2, Budh 3, Guru 5, Shukra 3, Sani 3, Rahu (Ketu) 4. The product so arrived at should be divided by 3. In the process of calculation, if it happens, that the remainder is one, it is Drishti, if two, it is Chesht and, if zero, it is Vichesht.


All the Shayan Adi Avasthas are discussed in detail from Table no 25 to 36, each Graha and its effects in each situation is listed in the said tables. If Surya is in Upavesan Avastha the native will be an artisan, dark in complexion, devoid of learning and miserable. One will serve others.

Should Mangal be in Upavesan in Lagna, the native will be extremely sinful and he will incur several diseases, will be indigent and not peaceful. If Upavesan occurs for Mangal in Dharma, the native will lose his whole wealth apart from his wife and progeny, If in Netrapani there will be all kinds of happiness.

If Surya is in Putra, Dharma, Karma, or Yuvati. In other bhavas Netrapani of Surya will give eye diseases and enmity with all. Mangal in Netrapani in Lagn will give poverty and will destroy the native’s wife and progeny; if Mangal is in Netrapani in other bhavas, this confers on the native all kinds of wealth and happiness from wife and children. The Dhana or Yuvati position of Mangal in Netrapani will cause fear from lions and snakes apart from giving earnings from lands. Furthermore, the native’s wife will predecease him.

Table no 26 and 27 list all the Graha’s and their effects if in Upavesan and Netrapani Avastha respectively. 

If Surya is in Prakash Avastha, the native will be meritorious, religious and liberal, will enjoy pleasures, be equal to a prince and will enjoy the status of Kubera, the God of wealth. However, the Prakash Avastha of Surya, placed in Yuvati bhava, or Putra bhava will cause loss of the first child and will produce many litigations. Should Mangal be in Prakash in Putra, or in Yuvati, the native would lose his wife and all children. If Mangal is placed in Putra in Prakash and is yuti with Sani, the native will kill cows.

If Surya is in Gaman Avastha, the native will incur diseases of the feet and will be very mean. Should Mangal be in Gaman in Lagna, the native will be active in his assignments, will incur diseases of the joints, burning pains in the eyes and will obtain dental afflictions and the like, he will have fear from dogs and will adore the guise of a female. In other Bhavas Mangal in Gaman will bring royal favors, leadership and luxuries of life. 


If in Agaman Avastha, Surya in Vyaya bhava or in Yuvati bhava will destroy progeny and will give very limited wealth. Mangal in Agaman will cause piles and diseases of the rectum.



If in Agam Avastha, Surya will give many miseries, an ugly appearance and foolishness. However, he will give wealth. Surya in Bhojan Avastha in Dharma bhava will cause many hindrances to spiritual and religious undertakings. In other bhava’s Surya in Bhojan Avastha will cause head and ear diseases, apart from joint pains. If Mangal is in Bhojan, or in Shayan in Putra or in Randhra, there will be premature death for the native. In other bhava’s Bhojan Avastha of Mangal will confer wealth.

Surya in Kautuk Avastha will have fear from enemies, Surya in Kautuk in other Bhavas will number of daughters, two wives, itch, excellence, liberality etc.
Should Mangal be in Nritya Lips and happens to be in Lagna, Dhana, Yuvati, or Karma, the native will receive all kinds of happiness; there will be miseries in abundance, if Mangal is in Nritya Lips and placed in Randhra or Dharma apart from incurring untimely death. In other Bhavas Nritya Lips of Mangal will make the native akin to Kubera. Mangal in Yuvati or in Dharma in Kautuk will give several diseases and death of the first child and wife. In other bhavas Kautuk will confer scholarship, various kinds of wealth, two wives and more female children.


If Surya is in Nidr Avastha, the native will be predisposed to incur piles and elephantiasis, will experience a lack of peace and he is liable to lose his first child. In Nidr Mangal in Lagn, Dhana, Sahaj, Dharma, Karm, or Labh will give scholarship, foolishness and poverty. Putra or Yuvati placement of Mangal in Nidr will give many miseries and many male children. Should Rahu join Mangal in Nidr in any bhava, the native will have many wives, be miserable and will. 



Rule 4. If a benefic Graha is in Shayan, there will be benefic effects at all times.
If a malefic is in Bhojan, everything will be destroyed.
Should a malefic in Yuvati be in Nidr Avastha, auspicious effects will follow, provided, that there is no Drishti from another malefic.
Premature death, due to royal wrath, will happen, if there is a malefic in Randhra bhava in Nidr, or in Shayan Avastha.
If in the case of a malefic in Randhra Bhava in Nidr, or Shayan there happens to be a benefic Drishti, or the Yuti (conjoined) of a benefic, (untimely) death will be in the river Ganges, i.e. Gangetic belt, shrines etc.
If there is a malefic in Karma bhava in Shayan, or Bhojan, the native will face many miseries because of his own deeds.
O excellent of the Brahmins, doubtlessly a Raj Yoga will come to pass, if Chandra is in Karma bhava in Kautuk, or Prakash Avastha.
Thus, the good and bad effects should be guessed, assessing the strength and weakness of the Grahas, concerning all the Bhavas.
Graha/Planets and mutual relationships and behaviorPlanets like human beings have friendship, enmity and neutral relationships with each other. The relationship is of two types, Permanent and Temporary. By friendship and enmity we mean that the rays of one Graha will be intensified or countered by the other Graha.
Natural Relationships. Note the Rasi’s, which are the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th and 12th from the Moolatrikona of a Graha. The Grahas ruling such Rasi’s are its friends, apart from the Lord of its exaltation Rasi. Lords other than these are its enemies. If a Graha becomes its friend as well, as its enemy (because of the said two computations), then it is neutral, or equal.
Temporary Relationships. The Graha, posited in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, or the 12th from another, becomes a mutual friend. There is enmity otherwise. (This applies to a given Horoscope/Janm Kundali).

The final compound relation ship should be deduced based on the following table no 38.


Ratio of Effects: A Graha in exaltation gives fully good effects, while in Moolatrikona it is bereft of its auspicious effects by one fourth. It is half-beneficial in its own Bhava. Its beneficence is one fourth in a friendly Rasi. In an equal’s Rasi, one eighth of auspicious disposition is useful. The good effects are nil in debilitation, or enemy’s camp. Inauspicious effects are quite reverse with reference to what is stated.

Non-luminous Upa-Grahas (Sub-Grahas/ Sub-Planets).

To calculate the position of Sub-Graha’s:

Add 4 Rasis 13 degrees and 20 minutes of arc to Surya’s longitude at a given moment to get the exact position of the all-inauspicious Dhoomketu.
Reduce Dhooma Ketu from 12 Rasis to arrive at Vyatipat, Vyatipat is also inauspicious.
Add six Rasis to Vyatipata to know the position of Parivesh. He is extremely inauspicious.
Deduct Parivesh from 12 Rasis to arrive at the position of Chap (Indra Dhanus), who is also inauspicious.
Add 16 degrees 40 minutes to Chap, which will give Ketu (Upa Ketu), who is a malefic.
By adding a Rasi to Upa Ketu, you get the original longitude of Surya. These are the Grahas, devoid of splendor, which are malefics by nature and cause affliction.

Rule 5: Effects of Sub-Grahas. If one of these afflicts Surya, the native’s dynasty will decline, while Chandra and Lagna, respectively, associated with one of these, will destroy the longevity and wisdom. So declared Lord Brahma, the Lotus-Born.

Calculations of Gulik and other Kalavelas.

The portions of Surya etc. up to Sani denote the periods of Gulik and others. Divide the day duration (of any weekday) into eight equal parts. The eighth portion is Lord-less. The seven portions are distributed to the seven Grahas commencing from the Lord of the weekday. Whichever portion is ruled by Sani, will be the portion of Gulik. Similarly make the night duration into eight equal parts and distribute these, commencing from the Lord of the 5th (by) week. Here again, the eighth portion is Lord-less, while Sani’s portion is Gulik. Surya’s portion is Kaala, Mangal’s portion is MR^ityu, Guru’s portion is Yamaghantak and Budh’s portion is Ardhaprahar. These durations differently apply to different places (commensurate with variable day and night durations).

Gulik’s Position. The degree, ascending at the time of start of Gulik’s portion (as above), will be the longitude of Gulik at a given place. Based on this longitude only, Gulik’s effects for a particular nativity be estimated.
Calculation of Pranapad.
Convert the given time into Vighatis and divide the same by 15. The resultant Rasi, degrees etc. be added to Surya, if he is in a Movable Rasi, which will yield Pranapad. If Surya is in a Fixed Rasi, add 240 degrees additionally and, if in a Dual Rasi, add 120 degrees in addition to get Pranapad. The birth will be auspicious, if Pranapad falls in the 2nd, 5th, 9th, 4th, 10th, or 11th from the natal Lagna. In other, Bhavas Pranapad indicates an inauspicious birth.
Ardhaprahar, Yamaghantak, MR^ityu, Kaala and Gulik are the 5 Kalavelas, suggested by Maharishi Parasara. The day duration, according to altitude, is divided into eight equal parts. The eighth portion is without any lord. The first portion is allotted to the weekday Lord. Other portions follow in the order of weekday Lords. We consider five portions of Grahas, ignoring that of Chandra and Shukra. The portions of Surya, Mangal, Budh, Guru and Sani are, respectively, called Kaala, MR^ityu, Ardhaprahar, Yamaghantak and Gulik.
In case of night, the durations or 1/8th parts are allotted in a different order. The first portion goes to the Graha, ruling the 5th weekday Lord, counted from the day in question. The others follow in the usual order. Here again, the 8th part is without any lord. The portions of Grahas from Kaala to Gulik are the same in nomenclature in the night also.
Out of the 5 Kalavelas, viz. Gulik etc., four except Kaala (related to Surya) have their own Rasi system in the respective Rasis, ruled by their fathers. Gulik, son of Sani, has Kumbha, as his own Bhava. Guru’s son, Yamaghantak, has it in Dhanus. Ardhaprahar, Budh’s son, is in own Rasi, if in Mithuna. MR^ityu, son of Mangal, has Vrishchika, as own Bhava. It is not known, why Kaala, a son of Surya shifted to Makara, a Rasi of his brother (Sani), leaving his father’s Simha. Obviously, Sani has given his Moolatrikona to his son Gulik, while he gave Makara (a secondary Rasi) to his ‘brother’ Kaala.
People without any Indian tongue will have little difficulty pronouncing and understanding the natural meaning of these terms, for an Indian born most of the terms should be part of their daily language. sorry, you have get used to them, if you want to understand the actual meaning.

More to follow............................................

ॐ नमः शिवाय!

Surya Ianala, April 22, 2007, Montreal