The 9 Planets (Navagraha) in Vedic Astrology

Lesson notes

• The first four grahas: Surya = Sun Chandra = Moon Mangal = Mars Budha = Mercury
• Three more: Guru = Jupiter (also called Brihaspati) Shukra = Venus Shani = Saturn That's seven. The last two are Rahu and Ketu.
• Rahu and Ketu are not planets you can see. They are the two points where the Moon's path crosses the Sun's path, so they are called shadow planets.
• Each graha stands for something in your life: Sun - soul, father and authority Moon - mind and emotions Mars - courage and energy Mercury - intellect and speech
• Three more: Jupiter - wisdom and teachers Venus - love and comforts Saturn - discipline and delay
• The days of the week in Hindi are named after the grahas: Ravivar - Sun Somvar - Moon Mangalvar - Mars Budhvar - Mercury Guruvar - Jupiter Shukravar - Venus Shanivar - Saturn

Practice questions and answers

Match the Sanskrit names

Answer: Surya = Sun; Chandra = Moon; Mangal = Mars; Budha = Mercury. Four down, five to go.

Match the Sanskrit names

Answer: Guru = Jupiter; Shukra = Venus; Shani = Saturn; Chandra = Moon. Guru is also called Brihaspati.

How many grahas are used in Vedic astrology?

Answer: 9. Sun to Saturn is seven, plus Rahu and Ketu.

True or false: Rahu and Ketu are physical planets you can see in the sky.

Answer: False. They are the two points where the Moon's path crosses the Sun's path - shadow planets.

Which graha shows your mind and emotions?

Answer: Moon. Chandra = mind. That's why the Moon sign matters so much.

Which graha shows the soul and authority?

Answer: Sun. Surya = soul, father and authority.

Match each graha to its keyword

Answer: Mars = Courage; Mercury = Intellect and speech; Venus = Love and comforts; Saturn = Discipline and delay. One keyword each is enough for now.

Which graha is linked to wisdom and teachers?

Answer: Jupiter. That's why Jupiter is called Guru.

Guruvar (Thursday) is named after which graha?

Answer: Jupiter. Hindi weekdays follow the grahas: Ravivar is the Sun's day, Somvar the Moon's.

Shanivar (Saturday) is named after ___.

Answer: Saturn. Saturday = Saturn = Shani.

What does Navagraha mean?

Nava means nine and graha means "one that grasps" or "one that seizes". A graha is not exactly a planet in the modern astronomical sense. It is any point in the sky that "grasps" your life and influences it.

That is why the Sun and the Moon count as grahas even though the Sun is a star and the Moon is a satellite, and why Rahu and Ketu count even though they are not physical bodies at all. Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are not part of the classical Navagraha; traditional Vedic astrology works with these nine.

The 9 grahas at a glance

The weekdays in Hindi and Sanskrit are named after the seven visible grahas. Rahu and Ketu, being shadow points, have no day of their own.

The Sun (Surya): the soul and the king

The Sun is the source of light and life, so in a chart it shows your soul (atma), your sense of self and your vitality. It also represents your father, people in authority, government and fame.

A strong Sun often gives confidence, leadership and good health. A troubled Sun can show ego problems, a difficult relationship with the father or trouble with authority. The Sun is hot, dry and male.

The Moon (Chandra): the mind and the queen

The Moon reflects the Sun's light, just as the mind reflects the soul. It shows your mind (manas), emotions, memory, comfort and your mother. It also represents the public and how people respond to you.

The Moon moves fastest of all the grahas, which is why Vedic astrology relies on it for daily predictions, dashas and transits. A bright, well-placed Moon gives emotional balance; an afflicted Moon can show anxiety or restlessness.

Mars (Mangal): the warrior

Mars gives courage, drive, physical energy and the ability to act. It represents younger siblings, land and property, engineers, soldiers, surgeons and sports. When it is badly placed it can bring anger, accidents or quarrels.

Mars is central to Manglik dosha, a marriage check you can run with the free Manglik calculator.

Mercury (Budha): the messenger

Mercury rules the thinking, talking and calculating mind. It represents speech, writing, learning, maths, business, trade and humour. It is the youngest graha, so it is playful and quick.

Mercury is neutral by nature: it takes on the colour of the planets it sits with. With benefics it behaves well; with malefics it can turn sharp or nervous.

Jupiter (Guru): the teacher

Jupiter is the most benefic graha. It represents wisdom, teachers, religion, ethics, children, wealth and good fortune. In a woman's chart it is also a significator of the husband.

Wherever Jupiter sits, it tends to protect and expand. Its aspect on a house is considered a blessing.

Venus (Shukra): love and comfort

Venus rules love, romance, marriage, beauty, art, music, vehicles and luxury. In a man's chart it is the main significator of the wife. Venus is the teacher of the asuras (demons) in myth, so it also stands for worldly pleasure and refinement.

Saturn (Shani): the slow teacher

Saturn is the slowest visible graha: it takes about 29½ years to circle the zodiac and about 2½ years in each sign. It represents discipline, hard work, delay, servants and labourers, old age and longevity.

Saturn is feared because it brings pressure and delay, but it is also the planet of justice and lasting results. What Saturn gives, it gives slowly and permanently. Its famous transit around the Moon is Sade Sati.

Rahu and Ketu: the shadow planets

Rahu and Ketu are not bodies in the sky. They are the two points where the Moon's orbit crosses the ecliptic (the Sun's apparent path). Rahu is the north node and Ketu is the south node. They always sit exactly opposite each other, 180 degrees apart, and they move backwards through the zodiac.

Eclipses can only happen when the Sun and Moon line up near these points, which is why myth describes Rahu and Ketu as the head and tail of a demon who swallows the Sun and Moon.

• Rahu shows desire, ambition, obsession, foreign lands, technology, illusion and sudden rise.
• Ketu shows detachment, spirituality, past-life skills, research and sudden loss or letting go.

Rahu always wants more of the world; Ketu is already leaving it.

How to remember the nine grahas

• By the weekdays: Sunday to Saturday give you the first seven in order: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn. Then add the two shadows, Rahu and Ketu.
• By light: two luminaries (Sun and Moon), five visible planets (Mars to Saturn), two shadows (Rahu and Ketu).
• By the royal court: the Sun is king, the Moon queen, Mars the army chief, Mercury the prince, Jupiter and Venus the ministers, and Saturn the servant. Lesson 10 covers this in detail.

Natural benefics and malefics among the nine

The grahas fall into two broad groups by nature (you will study this properly in Lesson 9):

• Natural benefics: Jupiter, Venus, Mercury (when not with malefics) and a bright, waxing Moon.
• Natural malefics: Saturn, Mars, Rahu, Ketu, the Sun (the mildest of them) and a dark, waning Moon.

Benefics tend to protect and give comfort. Malefics bring pressure and effort, which can build strength and achievement. Neither group is simply good or bad.

Traditional associations of the grahas

Each graha also has traditional colours, metals, directions and gems. These are used in remedies, rituals and temple worship:

Gemstones are powerful in tradition and should never be worn just because a graha seems weak; a strong gem on the wrong planet can amplify problems. Ask an experienced astrologer before wearing one.

How fast do the grahas move?

Speed matters because it decides how long a graha stays in a sign:

• Moon: about 2¼ days per sign.
• Sun, Mercury, Venus: about a month per sign.
• Mars: about 1½ months per sign.
• Jupiter: about a year per sign.
• Rahu and Ketu: about 1½ years per sign.
• Saturn: about 2½ years per sign.

Fast grahas colour days and weeks; slow grahas shape whole years. Unit 4 of this course is all about these movements (transits).

Key takeaways

• The Navagraha are the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu.
• A graha is anything that influences life, which is why the Sun, Moon and the two lunar nodes are included.
• Each graha signifies people and life areas, such as the Sun for the father and the Moon for the mother.
• The weekdays are named after the seven visible grahas, a handy memory aid.

Common beginner mistakes

• Calling Rahu and Ketu "planets you can see". They are calculated points, not bodies in the sky.
• Treating malefics as evil. Saturn and Mars bring hard work and courage, and they do very well in certain houses (3, 6, 10 and 11).
• Using modern outer planets. Classical Vedic astrology uses the nine grahas. Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are not part of Parashari rules.
• Reading one planet alone. A graha's results depend on its sign, house and the planets around it. That is what the rest of this course teaches.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 9 planets in Vedic astrology?

Sun (Surya), Moon (Chandra), Mars (Mangal), Mercury (Budha), Jupiter (Guru), Venus (Shukra), Saturn (Shani), Rahu and Ketu. Together they are called the Navagraha.

Why are the Sun and Moon called planets in astrology?

In Vedic astrology a graha is anything that influences life, not a planet in the astronomical sense. The Sun and Moon are the two most important grahas, so they are included.

Are Rahu and Ketu real planets?

No. They are the lunar nodes: mathematical points where the Moon's orbit crosses the Sun's path. They have no physical body, which is why they are called shadow planets.

Which planet is the most powerful in Vedic astrology?

It depends on the chart. Jupiter is the most benefic, Saturn is the most feared, and the Sun and Moon are the most important for health and mind. In any individual chart, the strongest graha is the one that is well placed by sign and house.

Why are Uranus, Neptune and Pluto not used?

Classical texts such as Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra were written around the seven visible planets and the two nodes. Most Vedic astrologers still work with these nine only.