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Planetary Strengths

Contents:

 

Introduction to Shadbala
Sthana Bal
Kala Bal
Dig Bal
Chesta Bal
Naisargika Bal
Drik Bal
Example Chart
Exaltation and Debilitation table

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction to Shadbala:

“Shadbala” refers to six sources of strengths. “Shad” in Sanskrit is six and “Bala” is Strength. The six sources of strength are:

All these strengths are calculated and then added up to form “Shadbala”.

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Sthana Bal:

“Sthana Bal” refers to 5 sources of strengths. ”Sthana” in Sanskrit means place. The 5 types of “Sthana Bal” are:

Uchcha Bal: When a planet gets exalted it gets 30 shashtiamsas (it is a unit of measurement). For example, when Sun gets exalted at 10 degrees Aries, then it will get 30 shashtiamsas and at 10 degrees Libra, it gets 0 shashtiamsas. For finding the values for other planets we use interpolation technique. Like 180 degrees are equivalent to 30 shashtiamsas. So 90 degrees (if Sun is in 10 D Cancer [Degrees-Sun's Exaltation point]) will be equivalent to ( 30/180 ) * 90 shashtiamsas which comes out to be 15 shashtiamsas.

For finding the Exaltation points of different planets ref. Exaltation and Debilitation table.

Saptavarga Bal: For calculating this bala we need to look into the seven divisional charts like:

If a planet is in its Mooltrikona Rasi (it gets 45 shashtiamsas), in its own Rasi ( 30 shashtiamsas), in Best friend Rasi ( 22.5 shashtiamsas), in friend Rasi ( 15 shashtiamsas), in Neutral Rasi (7.5 shashtiamsas), in Malefic Rasi ( 3.75 shashtiamsas), and in worst malefic Rasi (1.875 shashtiamsas). Similarly, these values occur for the other 6 divisional occupations, viz. Hora, Dreshkana, Saptamsa, Navamsa, Dwadasamsa, and Trimamsa. All these added together gives the planet's  SaptaVarga Bal.

Ojayugma Bal: Each of 'Venus and Moon' gets 15 shashtiamsas when they occupy the even sign, for they are strong in even sign which are referred as feminine signs (and 'Moon and Venus' are female planets). while others get 15 shashtiamsas when they occupy the odd signs. This rule is applicable to Navamsa also. In other words, a planet can get a maximum of 30 shashtiamsas.

Kendra Bal: A Planet in a Kendra(1, 4, 7, 10)  gets full strength (60 shashtiamsas) , while one in Panaphara (2, 5, 8, 11) gets half (30 shashtiamsas), and the one in Apoklima(3, 6, 9, 12) gets a quarter of 'Rupa' (which is 15 shashtiamsas) of Kendra Bal.

Dreshkana Bal: Male, female, and neutral planets respectively get a quarter Rupa according to placements in the first, second and third dreshkana. The planets are male, female ,neutral as under:

For Example, if Sun is in first dreskana it gets 15 shashtiamsas of any sign. And in the same way Mercury gets 15 shashtiamsas when it is in the second dreshkana of any sign.

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Kala Bal:

“Kala Bal” refers to 9 sources of strengths. ”Kala” in Sanskrit means time.

The 9 sources of strengths are:

Nathonatha Bal: According to BPHS (Brihat Parasara Hora Shastra) Moon, Mars and Saturn are powerful in the night and Sun, Jupiter and Venus are powerful in the day. For Example, Sun gets 60 shashtiamsas at noon and gets 0 shashtiamsas at midnight.

Mercury is always strong and so will get 60 shashtiamsas always whether its a day or night.

Paksha Bal: Deduct from Moon's longitude that of Sun. If the sum exceeds 180 D , deduct 180 D from the product so obtained. And then divide the same by 3 which will indicate the Paksha Bal of each of the benefic planets. The Paksha Bal of benefic should be deducted from 60 which will go to each malefic as Paksha Bal.

In other words, during the Shukla Paksha (when the moon is Waxing) Venus, Jupiter, a unblemished Mercury and Moon (From the 8th tithi of Shukla Paksha to the 8th tithi of Krishna Paksha) are strong.

And in Krishna Paksha (when the moon is waning) Sun, Mars ,Saturn and Moon (From 8th tithi of Krishna Paksha to 8th of Shulka Paksha) are strong.

Tribhaga Bal: One 'Rupa' (or 60 shashtiamsas) is obtained by Mercury (if birth is) in the first one third part of day time, by Sun in the second one third part of the day and by Saturn in the last third part of the day. Similarly, Moon, Venus, and Mars get full Bal (of one Rupa) in the first, second, and last one third parts of the night. Jupiter gets this Bal at all times.

For Example, a person takes birth in the second part of the day, the Sun gets 60 shashtiamsas.

Abda Bal: 'Abda' means year . So the planet who is the lord of the year gets 15 shashtiamsas.The year lord is the lord of the day on which the astrological year of birth starts. To calculate this we do the following steps:

The remainder will indicate the week day on which the astrological year for the birth of the native, started. Remainder 1 indicates Sunday, 2 indicates Monday, and so on and so forth

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Masa Bal: To calculate this we divide the 'Ahargan' by 30 and the quotient (neglecting the remainder) indicates months passed from Creation to birth. The completed months be multiplied by 2 and increased by 1. The sum obtained should be divided by 7 and the remainder indicates on which day the birth month begun. The planet then gets 30 Shashtiamsas.

Vara Bal: The planet which rules the day at which the person is born receives 45 Shashtiamsas. This planet can be found by looking in the ephimeris.

Hora Bal: Hora in sanskrit means 'Planetary hour'. Each day from sunrise to sunrise is divided into 24 equal parts of one hour . These Horas are ruled by the 7 planets from Sun to Saturn. The first Hora of the day is ruled by the lord of the week day. The 2nd one is ruled by the lord of the 6th week day counted from the first ruler. The 3rd Hora is ruled by the lord of the 6th week day counted from the 2nd Hora lord. Similarly, it proceeds in the same manner till the first Hora of the next day is taken over by the lord of that day himself. Whichever planet rules the birth Hora gets the Hora Bal. Horas are to be calculated for mean local time and not standard time of births). The Planet who rules the hora gets 60 Shashtiamsas.

Ayana Bal: 45, 33, and 12 are the Khandas for calculating Ayana Bal. Add Ayanamsa to the planet (for which Ayana Bal is required) and find out the Bhuja (distance from the nearest equinox). Add the figure corresponding to the rasi (of the Bhuja) to the Bhuja. The degrees, etc., of the Bhuja (devoid of rashi) should be multiplied by the figure corresponding to the highest of the left out Khandas and divided by 30. Add the resultant product to the sum obtained earlier. Convert this to rashi, degrees, minutes, and seconds. If Moon and Saturn are in Libra or ahead add to this 3 Rasis, and if in Aries to Virgo reduce from this 3 Rasis. Similarly, it is reverse for Sun, Mars, Venus, and Jupiter (i.e. addition or deduction in converse).  For Mercury, 3 Rasi's are always additive. The resultant sum in Rasi, degrees, and minutes be divided by 3 to get the Ayana Bal in Rupas.

Notes: Ayana Bal can be found out on the following simple formula.

Ayana Bal = [ 23 degrees 27’ plus or minus declination ] x 1.2793

The following points have to be remembered in respect of declination. When Moon or Saturn have Southern declination, or when Sun, Mars, Jupiter, or Venus have Northern declination, take plus. In a contrary situation in respect of these 6 planet, take minus. As far as Mercury is concerned, it is always plus whether he has Southern declination or Northern declination. Declinations) can be ascertained from a standard modern ephemeris. Sun’s Ayana Bal is again multiplied by 2 whereas for others the product arrived in Shashtiamsas is considered as it is.

Yuddha Bal: If there is a war between the two planets, then ), the difference between the Shad Balas of the two should be added to the victor’s Shad Bal and deducted from the Shad Bal of the vanquished.

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Dig Bal: 

This is also referred as 'directional strength'. The planets get DigBala as follows:

A planet gets a 60 Shashtiamsas of Dig Bala when it is in middle of the house. And when it is 180 D from the house where it gets the maximum Bala it gets 0 Shashtiamsas. Say Saturn in the middle of the 7th house will get the 60 Shashtiamsas and in the middle of the 1st house 0 Shashtiamsas.

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Chesta Bal:

Chesta bala refers to the 'movement' of the planets in the Zodiac. Eight kinds of motions are attributed to planets. These are:

The strengths allotted due to such 8 motions are: 60, 30, 15, 30, 15, 7.5, 45, and 30.

Sun’s Cheshta Bal (or motional strength) will correspond to his Ayana Bal.  Moon’s Paksha Bal will itself be her Cheshta Bal.

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Naisargika Bal: 

Divide one Rupa (or 60 Shashtiamsas) by 7 and multiply the resultant product by 1 to 7 separately, which will give the Naisargika Bal due to Saturn, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Moon, and Sun, respectively.

So Sun will always have 60 Shashtiamsas and so the other planets Shashtiamsas will remain same for all the horoscopes.

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Drik Bal:

Drik Bal in sanskrit means 'Aspect Strength'.

All planets aspects to the 7th fully. Saturn, Jupiter and Mars aspects respectively on the 3rd and the10th, the 5th and the 9th, and the 4th and the 8th apart from the 7th aspect.     

The Sun, Moon, Venus and Mercury aspect the planet in the seventh sign( which is 180 D) from it. The point which is 120 degrees from these planets is aspected by these planets by 50%, the point which is 90 degrees by 75% aspect, the point which is 60 degrees by 25% aspect and the point which is 30 or 150 degrees by 0%.

So we calculate the Drik Bala based on the aspects.

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Example Chart:

 12

1

2

3

 11

Rasi

   4  

10

   5

9

8

      7

        6

The Sample Horoscope

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Exaltation and Debilitation table:

Planets

Exaltation

 Debilitation

Rasis

Degrees

Rasis

Degrees

Sun

Aries

10

Libra

10

Moon

Taurus

3

Scorpio

3

Mars

Capricorn

28

Cancer

28

Mercury

Virgo

15

Pisces

15

Venus

Pisces

27

Virgo

27

Jupiter

Cancer

5

Capricorn

5

Saturn

Libra

20

Aries

20

The Exaltation and Debilitation points of the Planets

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