Several components admit more than one classical method. The Reading School selector (Raman / Classical BPHS / Custom) in the Shadbala panel chooses among them. The figures on this page describe the standard Raman scheme. See the Shadbala guide for how to switch reading schools.
Formula overview
The total Shadbala for each planet is the sum of six independent balas:1. Sthāna-bala — positional strength (Raman, ch. III)
Sthāna-bala measures where a planet sits in the zodiac and which dignities it holds. It is itself the sum of five sub-components:
For Uccha-bala, Parāśara’s rule applies: take the planet’s longitude minus its debilitation point; if the result exceeds 180°, subtract from 360°. That remainder, scaled linearly, gives the virūpa value — 60 at exact exaltation, 0 at exact debilitation.
The Saptavargaja tier values — how many virūpas a planet earns for occupying its mūlatrikoṇa, own sign, great friend’s sign, and so on — are what the Custom → Saptavargaja option toggles between (for example, the BPHS six-tier scheme versus Raman’s seven-tier scheme).
2. Dig-bala — directional strength (Raman, ch. IV)
Each planet is strongest in one cardinal direction, expressed as a house, and weakest in the opposite house. Strength increases with proximity to the planet’s strong point and reaches a maximum of 60 virūpas exactly at that cusp.3. Kāla-bala — temporal strength (Raman, ch. V)
Kāla-bala is the largest and most intricate of the six balas. It bundles several time-based sub-strengths, each reflecting the planet’s relationship to the moment of birth:4. Cheṣṭā-bala — motional strength (Raman, ch. VI)
Cheṣṭā means “effort” or “motion.” A planet that is retrograde or moving slower than its mean speed is considered to be exerting extra effort and therefore gains strength, up to a maximum of 60 virūpas. The classical derivation uses the planet’s position relative to its śīghrocca and mean-motion tables from traditional astronomy.The Sun and Moon never retrograde, so they carry no ordinary Cheṣṭā-bala. By convention, the Sun’s Ayana-bala and the Moon’s Pakṣa-bala serve in its place. The Custom → Cheṣṭā option lets you compute motional strength either from classical mean-motion tables or from modern (heliocentric) true speeds.
5. Naisargika-bala — natural strength (Raman, ch. VII)
Naisargika-bala is a fixed constant for each planet, ordered by apparent brightness. It never changes from chart to chart:
The values step down in equal increments of 60⁄7 ≈ 8.57 virūpas from the Sun to Saturn.
6. Dṛk-bala — aspect strength (Raman, ch. VIII)
Dṛk-bala captures the net effect of all aspects falling on a planet. Benefic aspects add virūpas; malefic aspects subtract them. Because of this, Dṛk-bala can be negative — the only bala in the system for which that is possible. Raman’s Dṛṣṭi Kendra rule weights each aspect by orb: the effect begins beyond 30° ahead of the aspecting planet, peaks at the exact aspected degree, and fades toward the 300th degree.Minimum strength required
The total Shadbala is judged against a classical minimum for each planet. Meeting or exceeding the threshold means the planet is considered fully strong in the chart:
The ratio displayed in the panel is:
Related measures
- Ishta & Kashta Phala (Raman, ch. X) — “benefic yield” and “malefic yield,” derived primarily from a planet’s Uccha-bala and Cheṣṭā-bala. They measure the quality of a planet’s results, not just its raw quantity of strength.
- Bhāva-bala (Raman, ch. IX) — the strength of each house, built from its lord’s strength, the strength of planets occupying it, planets aspecting it, and its intrinsic significations. The same six-bala machinery, applied to houses rather than planets.
Worked totals — sample chart
The table below shows the panel output for the app’s sample chart:
The Sun clears its threshold nearly twice over (1.95×). The Moon and Saturn both fall just short (0.91 and 0.98 respectively). For guidance on interpreting these numbers in context, see the Shadbala guide.