The Nine Grahas of Vedic Astrology

नवग्रह

What are the nine grahas in Vedic astrology?

The nine grahas are the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu. Graha means 'seizer', not 'planet' — the Sun and Moon are luminaries, and Rahu and Ketu are the two shadow points where the Moon's orbit crosses the ecliptic. Each owns signs, has a sign of exaltation and debilitation, casts aspects, and holds a fixed number of years in the Vimshottari dasha cycle.

Seven of the nine have physical bodies. Rahu and Ketu do not — they are the lunar nodes, the two points where eclipses happen, and they own no sign of their own. That is why they take their results from whichever planet rules the sign they occupy and from whatever they sit with.

Every value on these pages — sign ownership, exaltation and debilitation degrees, moolatrikona spans, natural friendships, special aspects and dasha years — is classical and checkable against any standard text. Where the classical sources genuinely disagree, as they do about the exaltation of Rahu and Ketu, the page says so instead of picking one and presenting it as settled.

Suryaसूर्यSelf, father, vitality, authority, bones, the eyesChandraचंद्रMind, mother, emotion, habit, fluids, the publicMangalमंगलCourage, siblings, land, surgery, machinery, bloodBudhबुधIntellect, speech, trade, writing, skin, the nervous systemGuruगुरुWisdom, teacher, children, wealth, dharma, the liverShukraशुक्रMarriage, love, art, comfort, vehicles, the reproductive systemShaniशनिDiscipline, delay, labour, old age, the poor, longevityRahuराहुDesire, obsession, foreign lands, technology, sudden gain, illusionKetuकेतुDetachment, past merit, isolation, insight, sudden loss, liberation

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