Shadbala Calculator
Frequently asked questions about Shadbala
What are the six sources in Shadbala?
Sthana (position), Dig (direction), Kala (time), Chesta (motion; also Cheshta), Naisargika (natural) and Drik (aspects; also Drig). Each is measured in virupas, 60 of which make one Rupa. The total in Rupas is compared with a classical minimum for that graha; Relative is Rupas divided by that minimum.
How is this different from Vimsopaka Bala and Ashtakavarga?
Vimsopaka Bala scores varga dignity out of 20. Ashtakavarga counts bindus of support in a sign, mainly for transits. Shadbala scores the planet itself from six sources. Saptavargaja inside Sthana is related to Vimsopaka but it is not the 20-point scale. The same Shadbala table also sits on the Strength tab of Kundli Maker.
Does a planet below its minimum never work?
No. Below minimum means that graha has less six-fold strength on paper, so its dasha may ask for more effort. House, aspects, dignity and transits still matter. A quiet chart can still deliver through a modest Shadbala score. Treat the table as one research layer, not a verdict on character.
Why are Rahu and Ketu missing?
Classical Shadbala is stated for the seven grahas from Sun to Saturn. The nodes have no exaltation, own sign in the same way, or naisargika scale in this method, so they are omitted here and on Kundli Maker.
How much does birth time accuracy matter?
A great deal for Dig and Kala. Dig uses house direction from Lagna; Kala uses sunrise, hora, weekday from sunrise, and paksha. A Lagna on the wrong side of a sign boundary can move kendra strength and Dig. Naisargika does not depend on time. The Moon-star timeline most people start with is Vimshottari Mahadasha.
Why might another program show different totals?
Sthana, Dig, Naisargika and the required-Rupa minima are stable. Chesta, Ayana and the year/month (Abda/Masa) lords use standard approximations, so software that picks another sub-method can differ by a few virupas. This page matches Kundli Maker exactly.
What is Shadbala?
Shadbala is the six-fold strength of a graha in virupas (60 virupas = 1 Rupa). The six sources are Sthana (position: exaltation, seven vargas, odd/even sign, kendra, drekkana), Dig (direction: 10th for Sun and Mars, 1st for Jupiter and Mercury, 4th for Moon and Venus, 7th for Saturn), Kala (time: day or night, paksha, hora, weekday, month, year, ayana), Chesta (motion; also spelled Cheshta), Naisargika (a fixed natural scale from Sun down to Saturn) and Drik (graha aspects; also spelled Drig). Relative strength is Rupas divided by a classical minimum for that planet. This page uses the same engine as the Strength tab on Kundli Maker.
It is not Ashtakavarga (bindus of support in a sign), not Vimsopaka Bala (varga dignity out of 20), and not the Bhamsha (D27) Chart (the varga of strengths and weaknesses). Saptavargaja Bala is one slice inside Sthana, not the 20-point Vimsopaka scale. Rahu and Ketu are not scored. A planet below its minimum is not a verdict that it never works - house, aspects and dasha still matter.
Enter the exact birth time and pick the city from the dropdown so Lagna, house cusps and sunrise are right on the sidereal (Lahiri) zodiac. Chesta, Ayana and year/month lords use standard approximations, so another program may differ slightly. Results are free to share or save as a PDF. Editorial pages are reviewed by Astro Arpita Nath.
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