Navagraha: Meaning of the Nine Planets in Vedic Astrology

The navagraha are the nine grahas, or “planets”, of Vedic astrology: the Sun (Surya), Moon (Chandra), Mars (Mangal), Mercury (Budh), Jupiter (Guru), Venus (Shukra), Saturn (Shani) and the two lunar nodes, Rahu and Ketu. Each graha signifies particular people and areas of life, rules signs and a dasha period, and is classed as a natural benefic or malefic with its own friends and enemies among the others.

What “graha” means

Graha means “one who grasps” or seizes. It is not the astronomer’s word for a planet. The Sun is a star and the Moon a satellite, while Rahu and Ketu are not bodies at all but the two points where the Moon’s path crosses the Sun’s, which is why eclipses happen near them. What the nine share is influence.

Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are not part of classical Jyotish. A few modern astrologers note them, but Parashara and the other classical authors work with nine.

Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra pictures the nine as a royal court. The Sun is the king and the Moon the queen, Mars the commander, Mercury the prince, Jupiter and Venus the ministers, Saturn the servant, and Rahu and Ketu the army. The picture is a quick guide to each graha’s character.

The nine planets at a glance

The dasha column gives the length of each planet’s Mahadasha in the 120-year Vimshottari cycle, explained in our guide to Mahadasha and Antardasha.

The nine grahas one by one

Sun (Surya). The king and the soul: self-confidence, the father, government, authority and vitality. It is exalted in Aries and debilitated in Libra. A mild natural malefic, its heat warms but can also scorch, which is why planets too close to it become combust.

Moon (Chandra). The queen and the mind: emotions, the mother, comfort, nourishment and the public. It is exalted in Taurus and debilitated in Scorpio, and it is a benefic when waxing. Its nakshatra at birth starts your dasha sequence, and your Moon sign is used for transits, Sade Sati and matching.

Mars (Mangal). The commander: courage, energy, competition, younger siblings, land and technical skill. It is exalted in Capricorn and debilitated in Cancer. Mars is also the planet behind Manglik dosha.

Mercury (Budh). The prince: intellect, speech, trade, numbers, writing and humour. It is exalted in Virgo and debilitated in Pisces. Mercury takes on the colour of the planets it joins, and it never strays more than about 28° from the Sun, which is why the two so often form Budhaditya yoga.

Jupiter (Guru). The teacher of the gods and the greatest benefic: wisdom, dharma, teachers, children, wealth and grace. It is exalted in Cancer and debilitated in Capricorn. Its aspect is one of the best protections a house can receive, and in a kendra from the Moon it can form Gajakesari yoga.

Venus (Shukra). The teacher of the asuras: love, marriage, beauty, the arts, comforts and vehicles. It is exalted in Pisces and debilitated in Virgo. Venus is the natural significator of the spouse, and its 20-year dasha is the longest of all.

Saturn (Shani). The servant and the judge: discipline, work, time, endurance, service and longevity. It is exalted in Libra and debilitated in Aries. Slow and exacting, it rewards patience, and for Taurus and Libra ascendants it is the best planet in the chart. Its transits from the Moon give Sade Sati and Shani Dhaiya.

Rahu. The Moon’s north node: ambition, hunger for experience, the foreign and the unconventional, technology and sudden rises. It is said to act like Saturn and to give the results of the lord of the sign it occupies.

Ketu. The south node, always exactly opposite Rahu: detachment, intuition, research, spirituality and moksha. It is said to act like Mars and often marks skills that come almost by instinct.

For every planet’s exaltation and debilitation degrees, see exalted and debilitated planets.

Natural benefics and malefics

The classical texts sort the grahas by nature:

• Natural benefics (shubha grahas): Jupiter and Venus, a waxing Moon, and Mercury when it is not joined by malefics.
• Natural malefics (papa grahas): Saturn, Mars, Rahu and Ketu, with the Sun as a mild malefic.

“Malefic” does not mean evil. Saturn brings discipline and staying power; Mars brings courage and drive. Malefics often give good results in the 3rd, 6th, 10th and 11th houses, where struggle turns into growth, as the 12 houses guide explains.

Natural nature is only the first layer. Each planet also becomes a functional benefic or malefic for your ascendant, depending on the houses it rules. For a Taurus ascendant, Saturn rules the 9th and 10th and is the chart’s finest planet, while Jupiter, the great benefic, rules the 8th and 11th.

Planetary friendships

Each planet treats the others as friends, neutrals or enemies. These natural (naisargika) relationships come from Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra:

Notice that friendship is not always mutual. The Moon has no enemies, yet Mercury counts the Moon as one, and Mars dislikes Mercury while Mercury is merely neutral to Mars. The texts differ on Rahu and Ketu; the rows above are the scheme our Kundli uses.

These relationships do real work in a chart:

• Dignity. A planet in a friend’s sign is at ease; in an enemy’s sign it is strained.
• Yogas. Parashara’s version of Gajakesari asks that Jupiter not sit in an enemy’s sign, such as Mercury’s Gemini or Venus’s Libra.
• Matching. Graha Maitri in Kundli matching compares the friendship of the two Moon-sign lords.

Classical texts then adjust these natural ties by position. Planets in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th or 12th from one another become temporary friends, and the two layers combine into a five-step scale from great friend to great enemy. Our Kundli’s dignity column uses the natural relationships in the table.

Aspects and speed

Every graha casts a full aspect (drishti) on the 7th house from itself. Mars also aspects the 4th and 8th, Jupiter the 5th and 9th, and Saturn the 3rd and 10th. Many traditions give Rahu and Ketu the 5th, 7th and 9th.

Speed decides how long each planet’s transit lasts in a sign:

• Moon: about two and a quarter days.
• Sun, Mercury and Venus: about a month, longer when Mercury or Venus turns retrograde.
• Mars: about one and a half to two months, longer when retrograde.
• Jupiter: about a year.
• Rahu and Ketu: about eighteen months, moving backwards through the zodiac.
• Saturn: about two and a half years.

Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn all have retrograde spells, and classical texts treat a retrograde planet as strong, not weak.

Simple supports for each graha

Each graha has a beej mantra and traditional items for daan, or charity, and each of the seven visible planets rules a day of the week. Chanting a planet’s mantra, or giving its items to people in need on its day, are gentle, low-cost supports that anyone can use. Worship of all nine together, at a Navagraha shrine or at home, is a common prayer for balance.

Each graha also has a gemstone, from ruby for the Sun to cat’s eye for Ketu. A gemstone strengthens a planet’s influence, good and difficult alike, so wear one only after a full chart check by a qualified astrologer. Our guide to choosing a gemstone explains why, and the Gemstones page reads the suitable stones from your chart.

To see where the nine grahas sit in your own chart, create your free Kundli. The planet table shows each one’s sign, house, dignity and nakshatra, and marks any that are retrograde or combust.