Learn
The nine grahas
Seven visible bodies and two shadow points. In Indian astrology all nine are called grahas, a word that means one who seizes or grasps.
How the nine are grouped
Tradition sorts the grahas by nature. Jupiter and Venus are the great benefics, and the waxing Moon and a well-placed Mercury are counted with them. The Sun, Mars and Saturn are the natural malefics: strong, hot or hard, and not bad in themselves. Rahu and Ketu are shadow points. Each graha also has friends, neutrals and enemies among the others, and these relationships are used when judging how well a planet sits in a sign.
Every graha is given a fixed number of years in the Vimshottari dasha cycle, 120 in all. Open any page below to see its signs, exaltation, years and the stars it rules.
Grahas and the days of the week
The weekdays are named for the first seven: Sunday for the Sun, Monday for the Moon, Tuesday for Mars, Wednesday for Mercury, Thursday for Jupiter, Friday for Venus and Saturday for Saturn. Rahu and Ketu have no day of their own.
See it in your own chart
The terms on this page appear in every birth chart report, explained for your own planets and dates.