Shadbala (“six-fold strength”) is the classical framework for measuring how strong each planet is in a given chart. The app computes it according to B. V. Raman, Graha and Bhava Balas, the primary source behind the Shadbala panel. All figures are in virūpas (also called Ṣaṣṭiāṁśas), where 60 virūpas = 1 rūpa. Chapter references below are to Raman’s book. Use this page as a technical companion to the panel itself — it tells you exactly where each number comes from and how the totals are judged.
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. Shadbala = Sthāna-bala + Dig-bala + Kāla-bala + Cheṣṭā-bala + Naisargika-bala + Dṛk-bala
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:
| Sub-component | Strength from | Maximum (virūpas) |
|---|
| Uccha-bala | Distance from the debilitation point. Zero at exact debilitation, rising linearly to the maximum at exact exaltation. | 60 |
| Saptavargaja-bala | Dignity (own sign, friend’s sign, exaltation, etc.) totalled across seven vargas: D1, D2, D3, D7, D9, D12, D30. | varies |
| Ojayugma-bala | Occupying the “correct” odd (oja) or even (yugma) sign and navāṁśa for the planet’s nature. | 15 (+15) |
| Kendrādi-bala | Angular house = 60, succedent (paṇaphara) = 30, cadent (āpoklima) = 15. | 60 |
| Drekkāṇa-bala | A planet in the appropriate decanate for its nature earns points. | 15 |
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.
| Direction | House | Planets strong here |
|---|
| East | 1st (Lagna) | Mercury, Jupiter |
| South | 10th | Sun, Mars |
| West | 7th | Saturn |
| North | 4th | Moon, Venus |
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:
| Component | Strength from | Maximum (virūpas) |
|---|
| Nathonnata-bala | Whether the chart is diurnal or nocturnal, and the planet’s preference for day or night. | 60 |
| Pakṣa-bala | The lunar fortnight — benefics gain strength as the Moon waxes, malefics as it wanes. | 60 |
| Tribhāga-bala | Rulership of the current one-third division of day or night. | 60 |
| Abda-bala | Lord of the birth year (Sāmvatsara). | 15 |
| Māsa-bala | Lord of the birth month. | 30 |
| Vāra-bala | Lord of the birth weekday. | 45 |
| Horā-bala | Lord of the birth planetary hour. | 60 |
| Ayana-bala | Declination north or south of the celestial equator, weighted by season. | 60 |
| Yuddha-bala | ”Planetary war” — when two planets are very close in longitude, the winner gains virūpas and the loser loses them. | — |
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:
| Planet | Naisargika-bala (virūpas) |
|---|
| Sun | 60.00 |
| Moon | 51.43 |
| Venus | 42.85 |
| Jupiter | 34.28 |
| Mercury | 25.70 |
| Mars | 17.14 |
| Saturn | 8.57 |
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:
| Planet | Minimum required (virūpas) | Minimum required (rūpas) |
|---|
| Sun | 300 | 5.0 |
| Moon | 360 | 6.0 |
| Mars | 300 | 5.0 |
| Mercury | 420 | 7.0 |
| Jupiter | 390 | 6.5 |
| Venus | 330 | 5.5 |
| Saturn | 300 | 5.0 |
Ratio = Total Shadbala ÷ Minimum required
- 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:
| Planet | Total (virūpas) | Rūpas | Min req (virūpas) | Ratio |
|---|
| Sun | 584.26 | 9.74 | 300 | 1.95 |
| Jupiter | 482.56 | 8.04 | 390 | 1.24 |
| Mercury | 469.50 | 7.83 | 420 | 1.12 |
| Venus | 453.49 | 7.56 | 330 | 1.37 |
| Mars | 442.08 | 7.37 | 300 | 1.47 |
| Moon | 326.50 | 5.44 | 360 | 0.91 |
| Saturn | 295.16 | 4.92 | 300 | 0.98 |
