| Planet | Sanskrit | Signifies | Nature | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | Surya | Soul, father, authority, vitality | Malefic (mild) | Leo |
| Moon | Chandra | Mind, mother, emotions, nourishment | Benefic (waxing) | Cancer |
| Mars | Mangala | Energy, courage, siblings, property | Malefic | Aries, Scorpio |
| Mercury | Budha | Intellect, speech, commerce, skill | Neutral | Gemini, Virgo |
| Jupiter | Brihaspati | Wisdom, fortune, children, dharma | Benefic | Sagittarius, Pisces |
| Venus | Shukra | Love, beauty, comfort, art | Benefic | Taurus, Libra |
| Saturn | Shani | Discipline, karma, endurance, longevity | Malefic | Capricorn, Aquarius |
| Rahu | — (North Node) | Ambition, foreign matters, obsession | Malefic | — |
| Ketu | — (South Node) | Detachment, spirituality, past karma | Malefic | — |
Jupiter and Venus are the natural benefics, joined by the waxing Moon and a well-placed Mercury. The Sun, Mars and Saturn are natural malefics, as are Rahu and Ketu. The nodes are special: they are not physical bodies but the two points where the Moon's orbit crosses the ecliptic, and they always sit exactly opposite one another — Rahu pulling toward worldly desire, Ketu toward detachment and release.
A graha's results depend on its dignity — whether it sits in exaltation, its own sign, or debilitation — along with the house it occupies and the planets it aspects or joins. When those results actually unfold is governed by the Vimshottari Dasha system, which assigns each planet a period of years. Reading the grahas, the houses they fall in, and the running dasha together is the heart of chart interpretation.
The Navagraha are the nine 'grahas' of Vedic astrology: the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn, plus the two lunar nodes Rahu and Ketu. Each graha signifies particular themes in life, and its placement by sign, house and aspect shapes how those themes play out in a chart.
Jupiter and Venus are natural benefics, and the waxing Moon and well-placed Mercury are favourable too. The Sun, Mars, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu are natural malefics. These labels are starting points only — a 'malefic' that is strong and well-placed can give excellent results, while a weak benefic may struggle.
Rahu and Ketu are not physical planets but the two points where the Moon's path crosses the ecliptic — the north and south lunar nodes. Rahu is linked to worldly desire, ambition and foreign or unconventional matters; Ketu to detachment, spirituality and the residue of past karma. They are always exactly opposite each other in the chart.
The Sun rules Leo and the Moon rules Cancer; Mars rules Aries and Scorpio; Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo; Jupiter rules Sagittarius and Pisces; Venus rules Taurus and Libra; and Saturn rules Capricorn and Aquarius. Rahu and Ketu, being nodes, own no sign, though they act strongly through the sign and house they occupy.
Each graha carries significations, rules certain signs, and casts aspects on other houses. Its strength depends on the sign it sits in (exaltation, own sign or debilitation), the house it occupies, and the planets it joins or aspects. The Vimshottari Dasha system then times when each planet's results unfold across life.