Shadbala — literally "six strengths" — measures how much real power each planet carries to deliver its results. Where dignity tells you whether a planet is comfortable, Shadbala tells you how strongly it can act, on a numeric scale.
Sthana (positional — exaltation, own-sign across divisions, angular placement), Dig (directional — the right planet in the right quarter of the sky), Kala (temporal — day/night, lunar phase, weekday & hour), Cheshta (motional — retrograde and speed), Naisargika (natural, fixed order of brightness), and Drik (aspectual — the net benefic minus malefic gaze).
Each planet's total is expressed in rupas (units of 60). A planet is considered strong when it meets its required minimum (Sun 6.5, Moon 6, Mars 5, Mercury 7, Jupiter 6.5, Venus 5.5, Saturn 5 rupas). Below that, it must work harder to deliver.
Calculations follow the classical Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra six-fold method with the Lahiri ayanamsha. Shadbala is a strength framework for reflection and guidance — it describes how well a planet can express itself, not a guarantee of specific events.
Each planet has its own required minimum in rupas (Sun 6.5, Moon 6, Mars 5, Mercury 7, Jupiter 6.5, Venus 5.5, Saturn 5). At or above that, the planet is well-resourced to deliver its results; the further past, the stronger. Below it, the planet still acts but with more effort and delay.
Dignity (exaltation, own sign) tells you whether a planet is comfortable. Shadbala tells you how strongly it can act, on a number scale, by combining six separate strengths — positional, directional, temporal, motional, natural and aspectual. A planet can be dignified yet still weak overall, or vice versa.
It depends on the matter you care about. For career you weigh the 10th lord's strength, for marriage Venus and the 7th lord, for wealth the 2nd and 11th lords. A strong planet delivers the results of the houses it rules and occupies more fully and on time.
No. A weak planet isn't harmful — it simply delivers its results with more effort and less consistent timing, and can still give good outcomes when it's well placed by house and dignity. Shadbala is one strength layer, read alongside the whole chart, dashas and transits.
The vertical line marks each planet's required strength. A bar reaching past it meets its Shadbala minimum; the further past, the stronger it is for that planet (each graha needs a different amount).
Virupas are 60ths of a rupa. A planet at or above its required rupas is well-resourced to give its results; below, it delivers with more effort and delay. This describes capacity, not fixed outcomes.
Shadbala shows how powerfully each planet can act. A full Kundality reading weaves that into your dashas, transits and life themes — career, marriage, wealth and timing — in plain language.
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