Navagraha now · 31 October 2026

The nine grahas

In jyotish, the grahas are the primary agents through which a chart is read. This page is an index to the nine: Surya (Sun), Chandra (Moon), Mangal (Mars), Budh (Mercury), Guru (Jupiter), Shukra (Venus), Shani (Saturn), Rahu (North node), and Ketu (South node).

The first seven are the grahas associated with the visible planetary bodies. Rahu and Ketu are the lunar nodes, calculated points rather than physical planets, and are traditionally grouped with the nine for the purposes of a reading. Each entry on this page describes what that graha signifies in a Vedic chart and how its periods are approached.

Benefics and malefics

Classical texts commonly group the grahas as benefic (shubha) or malefic (papa), though the classification is not rigid. A graha's nature is read in context: its sign, house, ownership, associations and strength all colour how it expresses.

• Natural benefics are usually given as Guru and Shukra, with Budh and Chandra benefic when unafflicted.
• Natural malefics are usually given as Surya, Mangal, Shani, Rahu and Ketu, with Budh and Chandra capable of turning malefic under certain conditions.

Traditions differ on the finer points. Some schools weigh functional benefic and malefic status by ascendant more heavily than natural nature; others give greater weight to natural classification. Where traditions differ, this page notes the variation rather than settling it.

Transits and dashas

A graha is read in two main ways. The first is transit (gochara): the graha's current movement through the signs and its relation to the natal chart. The second is dasha: the sequential periods assigned to each graha, during which its significations are said to come forward.

Both are read together with the natal placement, not in isolation. A transit or dasha is meaningful in a chart because of where that graha sits and what it rules there.

For personal charts, consult a qualified jyotishi. This page is a reference guide, not a prediction.