The 9 Grahas

The nine grahas are the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn, and the two nodes of the Moon, Rahu and Ketu. Each rules signs and nakshatras, has its friends and enemies, and signifies particular things in a life.

GrahaSanskritRulesExaltedFallenDayDashaNakshatras
Sun Surya Leo Aries Libra Sunday 6 years Krittika, Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashadha
Moon Chandra Cancer Taurus Scorpio Monday 10 years Rohini, Hasta, Shravana
Mars Mangal Aries, Scorpio Capricorn Cancer Tuesday 7 years Mrigashira, Chitra, Dhanishtha
Mercury Budh Gemini, Virgo Virgo Pisces Wednesday 17 years Ashlesha, Jyeshtha, Revati
Jupiter Guru Sagittarius, Pisces Cancer Capricorn Thursday 16 years Punarvasu, Vishakha, Purva Bhadrapada
Venus Shukra Taurus, Libra Pisces Virgo Friday 20 years Bharani, Purva Phalguni, Purva Ashadha
Saturn Shani Capricorn, Aquarius Libra Aries Saturday 19 years Pushya, Anuradha, Uttara Bhadrapada
Rahu Rahu — Taurus Scorpio Saturday 18 years Ardra, Swati, Shatabhisha
Ketu Ketu — Scorpio Taurus Tuesday 7 years Ashwini, Magha, Mula

Graha by graha

The Sun (Surya), a natural malefic, rules Leo; the site's table has it exalted in Aries and fallen in Libra. Its friends are the Moon, Mars and Jupiter, its dasha lasts 6 years, and it signifies soul, father, authority, vitality, ego, government, leadership.

The Moon (Chandra), a natural benefic, rules Cancer; the site's table has it exalted in Taurus and fallen in Scorpio. Its friends are the Sun and Mercury, its dasha lasts 10 years, and it signifies mind, mother, emotions, comfort, public, intuition.

Mars (Mangal), a natural malefic, rules Aries and Scorpio; the site's table has it exalted in Capricorn and fallen in Cancer. Its friends are the Sun, the Moon and Jupiter, its dasha lasts 7 years, and it signifies energy, courage, siblings, land, drive, conflict, discipline.

Mercury (Budh), a natural benefic, rules Gemini and Virgo; the site's table has it exalted in Virgo and fallen in Pisces. Its friends are the Sun and Venus, its dasha lasts 17 years, and it signifies intellect, communication, commerce, learning, analysis.

Jupiter (Guru), a natural benefic, rules Sagittarius and Pisces; the site's table has it exalted in Cancer and fallen in Capricorn. Its friends are the Sun, the Moon and Mars, its dasha lasts 16 years, and it signifies wisdom, wealth, children, dharma, guru, expansion, fortune.

Venus (Shukra), a natural benefic, rules Taurus and Libra; the site's table has it exalted in Pisces and fallen in Virgo. Its friends are Mercury and Saturn, its dasha lasts 20 years, and it signifies love, marriage, luxury, arts, vehicles, beauty, pleasure.

Saturn (Shani), a natural malefic, rules Capricorn and Aquarius; the site's table has it exalted in Libra and fallen in Aries. Its friends are Mercury and Venus, its dasha lasts 19 years, and it signifies discipline, longevity, career, service, delay, perseverance.

Rahu, a natural malefic, rules no sign; the site's table has it exalted in Taurus and fallen in Scorpio. Its friends are Venus, Saturn and Mercury, its dasha lasts 18 years, and it signifies ambition, foreign matters, innovation, obsession, illusion.

Ketu, a natural malefic, rules no sign; the site's table has it exalted in Scorpio and fallen in Taurus. Its friends are Mars, Venus and Saturn, its dasha lasts 7 years, and it signifies spirituality, detachment, moksha, past karma, intuition.

Reading the table

Graha means one who seizes: the word covers the Sun and the Moon, the five planets seen with the eye, and the two nodes of the Moon, Rahu and Ketu, which are points rather than bodies. Each of the seven rules one or two signs; the nodes, in the classical scheme the site follows, rule none. The Vimshottari dasha gives each graha a period, 120 years in all, and the order of the periods is the order of the nakshatra lords: Ketu, Venus, the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury, each ruling three nakshatras nine apart. The seven days of the week are named for the seven visible grahas.

Where each graha stands in your chart, and how strong it is by Shadbala, is in a free birth chart; where they are today is in the panchang.