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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.

Names and related terms
graha bala · planet strength · Vedic planetary strength

Editorially reviewed: · Reviewed by OpenFate · Editorial Methodology

Overview

Planetary strength is not one universal Vedic score. A useful statement names its method, planet, chart layer, inputs and scale. Dignity, BAV, SAV and shadbala answer different questions and cannot be freely substituted.

At a glance

Ask first
Strong according to which method?
Dignity
Placement relative to a named table
Ashtakavarga
Counts from declared contribution rules
Boundary
No measured success probability

Why can one planet look strong and weak?

A dignity label describes a planet’s placement under a specific sign or degree-band rule. Ashtakavarga counts encode relationships to designated references. Shadbala combines six categories under another calculation procedure. Different outputs are not automatically contradictory.

Rao explicitly distinguishes purposes in Chapter 15. His explanation is traditional methodology, not scientific validation of life outcomes. A report must show which method produced its statement rather than use “strong” as a free-standing verdict.

Exaltation and a lower SAV count

Consider an invented Mercury at 15° Virgo and a displayed raw SAV value of 24 for Virgo. Mercury’s dignity classification and the sign’s SAV count are different fields; the SAV number is not Mercury’s individual BAV.

The example does not compute a total shadbala or prove that Mercury overcomes every other condition. To reproduce the two fields, check the dignity table and the seven component rows behind SAV separately.

What can a software badge support?

A badge supports only its documented calculation. OpenFate’s inspected facts expose placement/dignity, varga and raw BAV/SAV information with eligibility gates; the career-evidence contract explicitly lists shadbala unavailable.

Do not estimate an absent strength number from a color, a degree rank or a high SAV house. If making consequential choices, use practical evidence and relevant professional advice; a traditional metric is not a calibrated prediction of success.

Sources and editorial basis

  1. P. V. R. Narasimha Rao: Vedic Astrology — An Integrated Approach
    Rao, Chapter 15, §§15.1–15.3, printed pp. 187–189: distinct purposes of strength methods and six categories of shadbala. §15.3 explicitly excludes the full shadbala algorithm from the book. Chapter 3, §3.3 and Table 6, pp. 34–35 supplies the cited dignity examples; Chapter 12, §§12.3–12.4, pp. 151–153 defines BAV and SAV separately. OpenFate support claims use the separate implementation review; none of these sources validates a success probability.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.
  2. OpenFate Editorial Methodology
    OpenFate 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.
  3. OpenFate Vedic implementation: local source review, 2026-09-08
    OpenFate 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.
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