Ashtakavarga and Strength: Read the Right Metric
Choose between BAV, SAV, dignity and shadbala explanations; learn why counts, labels and unavailable metrics cannot be treated as one strength score.
Overview
Vedic “strength” can refer to different calculations. This guide separates planetary dignity, a planet-specific BAV count, the combined SAV distribution and the six-component shadbala method instead of treating them as one interchangeable score.
At a glance
- BAV
- One planet, eight contributing references
- SAV
- Seven BAV rows summed by sign
- Dignity
- A separate placement classification
- Shadbala
- Separate method; not an inferred count
Explore concepts
- Vedic Astrology Wiki
Planetary Strength in Vedic Astrology: Which Measure?
Separate dignity, ashtakavarga and shadbala, read conflicting-looking fields correctly, and avoid converting a placement label into an overall success score.
Read definition - Vedic Astrology Wiki
Ashtakavarga: Eight References, BAV and SAV Explained
Learn the eight-reference ashtakavarga structure, inclusive sign counting, notation differences and the distinction between raw counts and reductions.
Read definition - Vedic Astrology Wiki
Bhinnashtakavarga BAV: Read One Planet’s Eight Inputs
Read a BAV cell as a count of eight references, distinguish it from SAV, and see why equal totals can conceal different contributors.
Read definition - Vedic Astrology Wiki
Sarvashtakavarga SAV: Add BAV Rows and Map Houses
Calculate a SAV cell from seven BAV values, distinguish sign order from house order, and check raw totals without turning them into outcome guarantees.
Read definition - Vedic Astrology Wiki
Ashtakavarga 337 Points: Checksum, Not a Destiny Score
See why the named seven raw BAV totals add to 337, how bindu notation and table variants differ, and why a matching total does not validate every cell.
Read definition - Vedic Astrology Wiki
Shadbala Meaning: Six Strengths vs Supported Metrics
Understand shadbala’s six categories and why dignity, BAV or SAV fields do not establish a complete shadbala score in an OpenFate report.
Read definition
Which strength page should I use?
Start with the planetary-strength page when a report calls a planet strong without naming a metric. Use the BAV and SAV pages to read the two levels of ashtakavarga aggregation; use the 337 page to audit a specific raw-table total.
The shadbala comparison explains what that six-component method means and what the inspected OpenFate facts actually support. A visible dignity label or SAV chart should not be read as proof that a full shadbala computation ran.
Three fields, three different answers
Imagine a report showing one planet’s BAV count of 5 in a sign, the same sign’s SAV count of 30, and shadbala unavailable. Five counts contributing references for that planet; thirty sums seven planetary rows.
Neither number fills the missing shadbala field. You cannot compare 5 and 30 as though they share a scale, or infer a six-component score from their ratio. The example is about reading fields, not forecasting an event.
What makes an audit useful?
Keep the named table, contributor set, zodiac and sign-to-house mapping with every count. Raw, reduced and weighted tables serve different purposes. A familiar total can survive a cell error or a different table variant.
Traditional strength terminology does not measure a person’s value, wealth or safety. After verifying the arithmetic, keep the interpretation conditional and avoid turning a colored badge into a certainty about life outcomes.
Sources and editorial basis
- P. V. R. Narasimha Rao: Vedic Astrology — An Integrated ApproachRao, Chapter 12, §§12.1–12.4, printed pp. 145–153; Tables 19–25: eight reference contributors, individual raw BAV values and seven-target SAV aggregation. §12.6, pp. 156–157: prastara preserves contributor identity. §§12.7–12.8, pp. 157–162: reduced tables are separate; bindu/rekha notation and Moon/Venus contribution positions vary. The 337 figure is an explicitly identified raw-table checksum; it does not establish cell-wise equivalence between Rao’s preferred variant and the inspected OpenFate table or validate any life outcome. Example vectors and sums are editorial arithmetic, not claimed calculated birth charts.A named practitioner’s introduction to Jyotish. Used for terminology and a stated method, not universal school agreement or scientific validation. The added March 18, 2010 note describes changed views; it does not establish a fully revised 2010 edition.
- OpenFate Editorial MethodologyOpenFate Editorial Methodology, stable sections #editorial-principles, #editorial-workflow, #editorial-ai, and #editorial-context. Used for the calculation/interpretation and evidence-boundary policy.OpenFate separates deterministic chart calculation, traditional interpretation, and modern editorial explanation.
- OpenFate Vedic implementation: local source review, 2026-09-08OpenFate local implementation review, 2026-09-08: app/modules/vedic/logic/policy.ts VEDIC_ENGINE_POLICY.karakaScheme and supportsVedicBav; facts.ts computeKarakas and computeSarvashtakavarga; constants.ts SAV_TABLES, SAV_EXPECTED_TOTALS and SAV_EXPECTED_GRAND_TOTAL; career-evidence.ts buildVedicCareerEvidence.unavailable. The reviewed policy uses seven roles without Rahu and a fixed classical-order exact-tie break. Raw BAV rows total 48/49/39/54/56/52/39, summing to 337; the Moon/Venus variant entries differ from Rao’s stated preference. BAV visibility depends on stored contract, and career evidence explicitly marks shadbala unavailable. This is a dated code review, not proof of current deployment or empirical prediction accuracy.An editorial review of local policy and calculation source files, not an independently accessible publication or proof of the deployed version. Implementation limitations and discrepancies remain separate from traditional arithmetic.