Vedic astrology works with nine grahas, a word better translated as "seizers" or "influencers" than "planets". They are the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and the two lunar nodes, Rahu and Ketu. Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are not part of the classical system.
| Graha | Signifies | Own sign(s) | Exalted in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun (Surya) | Soul, father, authority, vitality, government | Leo | Aries |
| Moon (Chandra) | Mind, mother, emotions, public | Cancer | Taurus |
| Mars (Mangal) | Energy, courage, siblings, land, surgery | Aries, Scorpio | Capricorn |
| Mercury (Budha) | Intellect, speech, trade, learning | Gemini, Virgo | Virgo |
| Jupiter (Guru) | Wisdom, teachers, children, fortune, dharma | Sagittarius, Pisces | Cancer |
| Venus (Shukra) | Love, marriage, comforts, arts, vehicles | Taurus, Libra | Pisces |
| Saturn (Shani) | Discipline, work, delay, longevity, the masses | Capricorn, Aquarius | Libra |
| Rahu | Ambition, the foreign, innovation, obsession | — | (disputed) |
| Ketu | Detachment, spirituality, past skills, research | — | (disputed) |
Benefics and malefics
Natural benefics: Jupiter, Venus, a waxing Moon and an unafflicted Mercury. Natural malefics: Saturn, Mars, the Sun (mildly), Rahu and Ketu.
"Malefic" does not mean "bad for you". Saturn builds endurance and rewards patient work; Mars gives courage. And what matters most is the functional nature of a planet for your Lagna: which houses it rules in your chart.
Friendships
The grahas have natural friendships, used in matching (Graha Maitri) and in judging how a planet fares in another's sign. For example, the Sun, Moon, Mars and Jupiter are broadly one group; Mercury, Venus and Saturn another.
Rahu and Ketu
The nodes are the two points where the Moon's path crosses the Sun's. They are always exactly opposite each other and move backwards through the zodiac, spending about 18 months in each sign. They cause eclipses and act strongly through the houses they occupy and the planets they join. See Rahu and Ketu.
Strength
How well a graha delivers depends on its dignity (exaltation, own sign, debilitation), house, aspects, combustion, retrogression and divisional placements. A strong graha gives its significations fully in its dasha; a weak one struggles to.
Common questions
Why does Vedic astrology not use Uranus, Neptune and Pluto?
The classical system was built on the seven visible planets and the two nodes, and its sign rulerships, dashas and yogas are defined for them. Some modern astrologers add the outer planets as a secondary layer.
Which planet is the most important in my chart?
Usually the Lagna lord, followed by the Moon and the planet whose dasha you are running. The yogakaraka, if your ascendant has one, is also very important.
What are functional benefics and malefics?
Planets judged by the houses they rule for your ascendant. Lords of trikonas are functional benefics; lords of the 6th, 8th and 12th tend to be functional malefics, whatever their natural character.
See where your nine grahas sit in your free birth chart.