> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.jyotiguide.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Shadbala: How to Read Your Six-Fold Planetary Strength
> Understand how Shadbala scores every planet numerically across six strength sources, what the minimum thresholds mean, and how to apply the results.
Shadbala ("six strengths") is the classical attempt to put a number on how strong each planet truly is. A planet can be well-placed by sign yet weak overall once direction, time, motion, and aspects are factored in — or it can be modest by sign but compensate through other sources. Shadbala adds up six independent components into a single total, which you then compare against a planet-specific **minimum requirement** to judge whether it can deliver on its chart promises. This page explains how to read every section of the Shadbala panel; the full computation formulae are at [Shadbala computation](/reference/shadbala-computation).
## The unit: rūpas and virūpas
Strength is measured in **rūpas**. Each rūpa subdivides into 60 **virūpas** (also called Ṣaṣṭiāṁśas), so the relationship is simply:
> **1 rūpa = 60 virūpas**
The panel always shows both: a planet's total in virūpas (for example `584.26`) and the equivalent in rūpas (`9.74`). The virūpa figure is the one used for arithmetic comparisons; rūpas are easier to read at a glance.
## Reading the totals table
The table ranks the seven classical planets from strongest to weakest. Here is what a typical chart looks like:
```text theme={null}
Rank Planet Total (virūpas) Rūpas Min req Ratio
1 Sun 584.26 9.74 300 1.95
2 Jupiter 482.56 8.04 390 1.24
3 Mercury 469.50 7.83 420 1.12
4 Venus 453.49 7.56 330 1.37
5 Mars 442.08 7.37 300 1.47
6 Moon 326.50 5.44 360 0.91
7 Saturn 295.16 4.92 300 0.98
```
**Min req** is the classical minimum strength a planet should reach, expressed in virūpas. These thresholds are fixed by tradition — Sun 300, Moon 360, Mars 300, Mercury 420, Jupiter 390, Venus 330, Saturn 300 — and correspond to the values in B. V. Raman's *Graha and Bhava Balas*.
**Ratio** is simply the planet's total divided by its minimum requirement. A ratio at or above **1.0 means full strength**. In the sample above the Sun is exceptionally strong at 1.95×, while the Moon (0.91) and Saturn (0.98) fall just short of their individual thresholds.
The minimum requirements differ by planet because the *expected* strength differs. Mercury is held to a higher bar (420 virūpas) than the Sun (300). A planet below its threshold is not inherently malefic — but it may struggle to fully manifest the significations and house topics it governs.
## The six balas
The overall total is the sum of six independent components. The table below identifies each one; you can find every formula spelled out in [Shadbala computation](/reference/shadbala-computation).
| Bala | Strength from… |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Sthāna-bala** | Position — exaltation, sign dignity across the *vargas*, odd/even sign placement, and angular strength. |
| **Dig-bala** | Direction — each planet has one compass direction (house) where it is strongest. |
| **Kāla-bala** | Time — day/night cycle, fortnight, year/month/day/hour rulerships, planetary war, and more. |
| **Cheṣṭā-bala** | Motion — retrograde and slow-moving planets gain additional "motional" strength. |
| **Naisargika-bala** | Natural — a fixed, unchanging value per planet, from brightest (Sun) to dimmest (Saturn). |
| **Dṛk-bala** | Aspect — the net of benefic minus malefic aspects falling on the planet. |
Click **Show six-bala breakdown** inside the panel to expand the per-component figures for every planet and inspect exactly where a planet's strength is coming from (or where it is leaking).
## Reading schools
Several steps in the Shadbala calculation have more than one accepted classical method. The panel lets you choose which convention to apply:
Follows B. V. Raman's conventions as set out in *Graha and Bhava Balas*. This is the default and the most widely cited modern treatment. Use it when comparing results with standard textbooks or other Jyotish software that cites Raman.
Follows the *Bṛhat Parāśara Horā Śāstra* values directly. Some formulas — notably the Saptavargaja scoring table — differ from Raman's interpretation. Use this when working with traditional commentaries or teachers who cite Parāśara directly.
Exposes individual method choices so you can mix conventions where needed. The key knobs are:
* **Saptavargaja** — how dignity across the seven vargas is scored (e.g. *BPHS 6-tier* vs. Raman's table).
* **Cheṣṭā** — how motional strength is derived (*Modern heliocentric* vs. classical mean-motion tables).
* **Minimum required** — which threshold set to apply when computing the ratio (e.g. *BPHS, Sun = 300*).
Because reading schools differ, two applications can report slightly different Shadbala totals for the identical chart and **both be correct** — they are using different conventions. Before comparing numbers across sources, confirm that both are using the same reading school.
## How to use it
Before leaning on a planet — say, the 10th-house lord for career matters — check that its ratio clears 1.0. A strong, dignified lord delivers on its house; a weak one tends to underperform even when other indications look promising.
The planet with the highest total (here the Sun at 1.95×) often dominates the native's personality and the life themes associated with the houses it rules or occupies. It is a useful anchor when the chart seems to pull in several directions.
Shadbala measures the strength of each **planet**; [Ashtakavarga](/guides/ashtakavarga) measures the support of each **sign and house**. Reading both gives you strength from two independent angles — one centred on the planet, one on the terrain it moves through.
For every formula that underpins these numbers, continue to [Shadbala computation](/reference/shadbala-computation).