The nine grahas of Vedic astrology are the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu. Daanyam uses those nine. A graha's traditional concern is not the same thing as its Mahadasha. Exaltation and debilitation below are the classical dignity table, not a score for one birth. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are not in this list.
Definition
Graha means that which grasps. In Jyotish the seven visible bodies and the two lunar nodes are the Navagraha. Natural benefic and natural malefic are traditional labels for how a graha is said to behave, not a moral judgment and not a medical diagnosis. Jupiter and Venus are the usual natural benefics. The Sun, Mars, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu are the usual natural malefics. Mercury takes on the company it sits with. The Moon is read with its phase.
How it works
Own sign, exaltation, and debilitation describe a graha's classical dignity in a sign. They are properties of the sign, published below as the traditional table. They are not computed from the sample birth.
A conjunction is two or more grahas in the same sign or house. An aspect in this tradition is a sign-based glance, graha drishti, not an orb drawn between tropical longitudes. This page does not calculate either one for a person.
Retrograde motion is an apparent backward pass. The guide golden does not store a retrograde flag, so this page does not invent one. A personal chart is where that fact belongs.
Each English Mahadasha page explains the years of that graha's major period. Open those for the period. Stay here for what the graha is said to signify.
Reference
Classical dignities for the seven visible grahas. Rahu and Ketu are listed without an exaltation degree because the schools do not agree on one.
| Graha | Traditional concern | Own sign | Exaltation | Debilitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | Soul, father, authority, vitality. | Simha | Mesha 10° | Tula 10° |
| Moon | Mind, mother, and the public mood. Read with the phase. | Karka | Vrishabha 3° | Vrishchika 3° |
| Mars | Courage, siblings, land, and conflict. | Mesha, Vrishchika | Makara 28° | Karka 28° |
| Mercury | Speech, commerce, and learning. Takes the company it keeps. | Mithuna, Kanya | Kanya 15° | Meena 15° |
| Jupiter | Wisdom, children, teachers, and growth. | Dhanu, Meena | Karka 5° | Makara 5° |
| Venus | Partnership, arts, and comfort. | Vrishabha, Tula | Meena 27° | Kanya 27° |
| Saturn | Labour, delay, limits, and longevity. | Makara, Kumbha | Tula 20° | Mesha 20° |
| Rahu | Appetite, foreign places, and unusual ambition. A node, not a body. | Schools differ | Not assigned here | Not assigned here |
| Ketu | Release, research, and what is already finished. Opposite Rahu. | Schools differ | Not assigned here | Not assigned here |
Worked example
The golden birth records Rahu as the Mahadasha lord at birth. That is a period fact, not a dignity score, and it does not say the person is 'a Rahu type.' The Moon's rashi is printed with it. The other eight longitudes are not on this fixture, so they are not invented here.
| Birth | Male, born 12 Aug 1995, 14:30 IST, Delhi |
|---|---|
| Date | 1995-08-12 |
| Time | 14:30 |
| Timezone | Asia/Kolkata |
| Lagna | Vrishchika (sidereal Scorpio) |
| Moon sign | Kumbha (sidereal Aquarius) |
| Moon nakshatra | Shatabhisha |
| Birth Mahadasha lord | Rahu |
| Lahiri ayanamsa | 23.798597° |
A common confusion
Opening Saturn Mahadasha does not mean Saturn is weak, exalted, or transiting your Moon. The period page is the chapter. Sade Sati is a transit. Dignity is the sign the natal graha occupies. Three different questions.
Calculate it
The Vedic birth chart page is where a personal set of grahas is calculated. The Mahadasha links explain each period. This page does not start a new calculator.
How the numbers are computed
The dignity degrees are the classical table, not an engine output. Lahiri positions for a real birth are on the method page and in the chart tools.
Questions
What are the nine planets in Vedic astrology?
Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu. Rahu and Ketu are the lunar nodes. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are not part of the Navagraha on Daanyam.
What is exaltation and debilitation?
Exaltation is the sign, and often the degree, where a graha is traditionally strongest. Debilitation is the opposite sign. The table is that classical list. It is not a percentage Daanyam computed for the sample birth.
Is a planet page the same as a Mahadasha page?
No. This page says what the graha traditionally signifies. The English Mahadasha page says what that graha's major period is like. Your own period comes from the Dasha calculator.