The Six-Fold Strength of Planets
Shadbala is a cornerstone of Vedic Astrology, providing a systematic method to quantify the strength of each planet in a horoscope. This "six-fold" strength is a composite score derived from various factors like position, direction, time, motion, nature, and aspects. A high Shadbala score indicates a planet's powerful capacity to deliver its results, whether positive or negative, during its designated periods. This application provides an interactive guide to understanding each component.
1. Sthana Bala - Positional Strength
This is the most complex component, evaluating a planet's strength based on its placement. Use the interactive calculators below to understand how each sub-strength is derived.
| Planet | Exaltation (Uchcha) | Debilitation (Neecha) |
|---|---|---|
| Sun ☉ | 10° Aries | 10° Libra |
| Moon ☽ | 3° Taurus | 3° Scorpio |
| Mars ♂ | 28° Capricorn | 28° Cancer |
| Mercury ☿ | 15° Virgo | 15° Pisces |
| Jupiter ♃ | 5° Cancer | 5° Capricorn |
| Venus ♀ | 27° Pisces | 27° Virgo |
| Saturn ♄ | 20° Libra | 20° Aries |
2. Dik Bala - Directional Strength
Planets gain strength in a specific direction (house) that aligns with their nature. Full strength (60 Virupas) is at the house midpoint, zero in the opposite house.
East (1st House)
☿ ♃
Mercury & Jupiter gain full strength here.
South (10th House)
☉ ♂
Sun & Mars gain full strength here.
West (7th House)
♄
Saturn gains full strength here.
North (4th House)
☽ ♀
Moon & Venus gain full strength here.
3. Kala Bala - Temporal Strength
This measures a planet's strength based on time-related factors, such as the time of day, the phase of the Moon (Paksha), and even the lord of the hour of birth.
Nathonnatha Bala (Diurnal/Nocturnal Strength)
The Sun, Jupiter, and Venus are strong during the day (diurnal). The Moon, Mars, and Saturn are strong at night (nocturnal). Mercury is always strong. Strength is max at midnight for nocturnal planets and at noon for diurnal planets.
Paksha Bala (Lunar Phase Strength)
Benefic planets (Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus) gain strength during the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha - from New Moon to Full Moon). Malefic planets (Sun, Mars, Saturn) gain strength during the dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha - from Full Moon to New Moon).
Tribhaga Bala (Third-of-Day/Night Strength)
The day and night are each divided into three parts. Mercury is strong in the first part of the day, the Sun in the second, and Saturn in the third. The Moon is strong in the first part of the night, Venus in the second, and Mars in the third. Jupiter is always strong.
Other Strengths
Additional strength is given to the lords of the birth year (Varsha), month (Masa), day (Dina), and hour (Hora). Ayana Bala is also calculated based on a planet's declination, related to its position relative to the celestial equator.
4. Chesta Bala - Motional Strength
This evaluates the strength of a planet based on its motion relative to its average speed. A retrograde planet is considered very powerful as it appears to be moving backward from our perspective on Earth, signifying a concentrated or intensified energy.
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⟲
Retrograde (Vakra): Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn gain maximum Chesta Bala (60 Virupas) when fully retrograde. This is a state of great power and intensity.
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〜
Stationary/Anuvakra: A planet that is about to turn retrograde or direct also gains significant strength.
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→
Fast Motion (Atichara): When a planet is moving faster than its average speed, its Chesta Bala is low.
-
☉☽
Sun & Moon: The calculation is different for the luminaries. The Sun's strength is based on its northernly motion (part of Ayana Bala). The Moon's strength depends on its phase and brightness (part of Paksha Bala), as it's always moving fast and never goes retrograde.
5. Naisargika Bala - Natural Strength
This is a fixed, intrinsic strength assigned to each planet based on its natural luminosity and importance. It represents the inherent hierarchy of power among the planets, regardless of their position in any particular chart.
- Sun (☉) - The most powerful (60 Virupas)
- Moon (☽) - (51.4 Virupas)
- Venus (♀) - (42.8 Virupas)
- Jupiter (♃) - (34.3 Virupas)
- Mercury (☿) - (25.7 Virupas)
- Mars (♂) - (17.1 Virupas)
- Saturn (♄) - The least powerful (8.6 Virupas)
6. Drik Bala - Aspectual Strength
This measures the influence of other planets' aspects on a given planet. Benefic aspects increase a planet's strength, while malefic aspects decrease it. The strength of the aspect depends on the exact angle and the power (Shadbala) of the aspecting planet.
- Aspecting Planets (Drishti): All planets cast a full aspect on the 7th house from their position. Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn have special aspects. Mars also aspects the 4th and 8th houses; Jupiter the 5th and 9th; and Saturn the 3rd and 10th.
- Nature of Aspect: Aspects from natural benefics (Jupiter, Venus, well-associated Mercury, bright Moon) are considered helpful and add positive Drik Bala. Aspects from natural malefics (Saturn, Mars, Sun, afflicted Mercury, dark Moon) are considered challenging and subtract strength.
- Calculation: The exact aspectual value (Drishti Bala) is calculated based on the angle between the planets. For example, a perfect 180° opposition is a full aspect (60 Virupas), while a 120° trine is also powerful. The final Drik Bala is the sum of all positive aspects minus the sum of all negative aspects. A positive result is added to the total Shadbala, and a negative result is subtracted.