Planet condition and strength
Ashtakavarga in Vedic astrology
Ashtakavarga is a scoring system that rates each sign of a chart from eight reference points: the seven visible planets and the ascendant. For each planet, every sign earns 0 to 8 points, called bindus. A sign with more bindus is a better place for that planet, which astrologers use to judge how a transit will go.
Updated
Ashtakavarga: how the API computes it
Eight contributors give points: the seven planets from the Sun to Saturn, plus the ascendant (rising sign). Each one gives a point, called a bindu, to certain signs. The signs are counted from where the contributor sits (AV-01). This is done for each of the seven planets. That gives seven tables of 12 signs, and each sign gets 0 to 8 bindus in each table.
Added together, the seven tables make the sarvashtakavarga. They always hold exactly 337 bindus in any chart, and the API checks this on every request (AV-02). That is about 28 bindus per sign on average, so a sign with more is read as stronger.
POST /v1/ashtakavarga returns each planet's table, the totals and short readings. The two classical reductions, old steps that lower some scores, are returned but not applied (AV-04). The strong and weak labels are this API's own ranges.
The old texts give numbers but no grading (AV-05).
Ashtakavarga in a real API answer
POST /v1/ashtakavarga200 OK{
"sarva": {
"Aries": 28,
"Taurus": 37,
"Gemini": 31,
"Cancer": 30,
"Leo": 20,
"Virgo": 22,
"Libra": 31,
"Scorpio": 23,
"Sagittarius": 31,
"Capricorn": 26,
"Aquarius": 33,
"Pisces": 25
},
"sarva_total": 337
}Get it from the API
Ashtakavarga: strength points for each sign. Here is the call to API for Astrology (apiforastrology.com) for our sample, John Doe, born Aug 15, 1990, 10:30 AM, New York.
POST /v1/ashtakavarga
# John Doe, born Aug 15, 1990, 10:30 AM, New York
curl -X POST "https://apiforastrology.com/api/astrology/v1/ashtakavarga" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $ASTROLOGY_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"year":1990,"month":8,"day":15,"hour":10,"minute":30,"second":0,"latitude":40.7128,"longitude":-74.006,"timezone":"America/New_York"}'Answer (long lists shortened)200 OK
{
"bhinna": {
"Sun": {
"Aries": 3,
"Taurus": 4,
"Gemini": 4,
"Cancer": 6,
"Leo": 3,
"Virgo": 1,
"Libra": 5,
"Scorpio": 3,
"Sagittarius": 6,
"Capricorn": 5,
"Aquarius": 4,
"Pisces": 4
},
"Moon": {
"Aries": 4,
"Taurus": 7,
"Gemini": 4,
"Cancer": 3,
"Leo": 2,
"Virgo": 3,
"Libra": 5,
"Scorpio": 4,
"Sagittarius": 3,
"Capricorn": 4,
"Aquarius": 7,
"Pisces": 3
},
"Mars": {
"Aries": 3,
"Taurus": 4,
"Gemini": 5,
"Cancer": 4,
"Leo": 1,
"Virgo": 3,
"Libra": 4,
"Scorpio": 3,
"Sagittarius": 5,
"Capricorn": 2,
"Aquarius": 3,
"Pisces": 2
},
"Mercury": {
"Aries": 3,
"Taurus": 5,
"Gemini": 6,
"Cancer": 5,
"Leo": 4,
"Virgo": 3,
"Libra": 6,
"Scorpio": 3,
"Sagittarius": 7,
"Capricorn": 3,
"Aquarius": 5,
"Pisces": 4
},
"Jupiter": {
"Aries": 6,
"Taurus": 7,
"Gemini": 3,
"Cancer": 4,
"Leo": 4,
"Virgo": 5,
"Libra": 4,
"Scorpio": 5,
"Sagittarius": 3,
"Capricorn": 6,
"Aquarius": 5,
"Pisces": 4
},
"Venus": {
"Aries": 6,
"Taurus": 5,
"Gemini": 4,
"Cancer": 4,
"Leo": 4,
"Virgo": 5,
"Libra": 4,
"Scorpio": 3,
"Sagittarius": 4,
"Capricorn": 3,
"Aquarius": 5,
"Pisces": 5
},
"Saturn": {
"Aries": 3,
"Taurus": 5,
"Gemini": 5,
"Cancer": 4,
"Leo": 2,
"Virgo": 2,
"Libra": 3,
"Scorpio": 2,
"Sagittarius": 3,
"Capricorn": 3,
"Aquarius": 4,
"Pisces": 3
}
},
"bhinna_by_sign_number": {
"Sun": {
"1": 3,
"2": 4,
"3": 4,
"4": 6,
"5": 3,
"6": 1,
"7": 5,
"8": 3,
"9": 6,
"10": 5,
"11": 4,
"12": 4
},
"Moon": {
"1": 4,
"2": 7,
"3": 4,
"4": 3,
"5": 2,
"6": 3,
"7": 5,
"8": 4,
"9": 3,
"10": 4,
"11": 7,
"12": 3
},
"Mars": {
"1": 3,
"2": 4,
"3": 5,
"4": 4,
"5": 1,
"6": 3,
"7": 4,
"8": 3,
"9": 5,
"10": 2,
"11": 3,
"12": 2
},
"Mercury": {
"1": 3,
"2": 5,
"3": 6,
"4": 5,
"5": 4,
"6": 3,
"7": 6,
"8": 3,
"9": 7,
"10": 3,
"11": 5,
"12": 4
},
"Jupiter": {
"1": 6,
"2": 7,
"3": 3,
"4": 4,
"5": 4,
"6": 5,
"7": 4,
"8": 5,
"9": 3,
"10": 6,
"11": 5,
"12": 4
},
"Venus": {
"1": 6,
"2": 5,
"3": 4,
"4": 4,
"5": 4,
"6": 5,
"7": 4,
"8": 3,
"9": 4,
"10": 3,
"11": 5,
"12": 5
},
"Saturn": {
"1": 3,
"2": 5,
"3": 5,
"4": 4,
"5": 2,
"6": 2,
"7": 3,
"8": 2,
"9": 3,
"10": 3,
"11": 4,
"12": 3
}
},
"totals": {
"Sun": 48,
"Moon": 49,
"Mars": 39,
"Mercury": 54,
"Jupiter": 56,
"Venus": 52,
"Saturn": 39
},
"sarva": {
"Aries": 28,
"Taurus": 37,
"Gemini": 31,
"Cancer": 30,
"Leo": 20,
"Virgo": 22,
"Libra": 31,
"Scorpio": 23,
"Sagittarius": 31,
"Capricorn": 26,
"Aquarius": 33,
"Pisces": 25
},
"sarva_by_sign_number": {
"1": 28,
"2": 37,
"3": 31,
"4": 30,
"5": 20,
"6": 22,
"7": 31,
"8": 23,
"9": 31,
"10": 26,
"11": 33,
"12": 25
},
"sarva_total": 337,
"reductions": {
"trikona": {
"Sun": {
"Aries": 0,
"Taurus": 3,
"Gemini": 0,
"Cancer": 3,
"Leo": 0,
"Virgo": 0,
"Libra": 1,
"Scorpio": 0,
"Sagittarius": 3,
"Capricorn": 4,
"Aquarius": 0,
"Pisces": 1
},
"Moon": {
"Aries": 2,
"Taurus": 4,
"Gemini": 0,
"Cancer": 0,
"Leo": 0,
"Virgo": 0,
"Libra": 1,
"Scorpio": 1,
"Sagittarius": 1,
"Capricorn": 1,
"Aquarius": 3,
"Pisces": 0
},
"Mars": {
"Aries": 2,
"Taurus": 2,
"Gemini": 2,
"Cancer": 2,
"Leo": 0,
"Virgo": 1,
"Libra": 1,
"Scorpio": 1,
"Sagittarius": 4,
"Capricorn": 0,
"Aquarius": 0,
"Pisces": 0
},
"Mercury": {
"Aries": 0,
"Taurus": 2,
"Gemini": 1,
"Cancer": 2,
"Leo": 1,
"Virgo": 0,
"Libra": 1,
"Scorpio": 0,
"Sagittarius": 4,
"Capricorn": 0,
"Aquarius": 0,
"Pisces": 1
},
"Jupiter": {
"Aries": 3,
"Taurus": 2,
"Gemini": 0,
"Cancer": 0,
"Leo": 1,
"Virgo": 0,
"Libra": 1,
"Scorpio": 1,
"Sagittarius": 0,
"Capricorn": 1,
"Aquarius": 2,
"Pisces": 0
},
"Venus": {
"Aries": 2,
"Taurus": 2,
"Gemini": 0,
"Cancer": 1,
"Leo": 0,
"Virgo": 2,
"Libra": 0,
"Scorpio": 0,
"Sagittarius": 0,
"Capricorn": 0,
"Aquarius": 1,
"Pisces": 2
},
"Saturn": {
"Aries": 1,
"Taurus": 3,
"Gemini": 2,
"Cancer": 2,
"Leo": 0,
"Virgo": 0,
"Libra": 0,
"Scorpio": 0,
"Sagittarius": 1,
"Capricorn": 1,
"Aquarius": 1,
"Pisces": 1
}
},
"ekadhipatya": {
"Sun": {
"Aries": 0,
"Taurus": 3,
"Gemini": 0,
"Cancer": 3,
"Leo": 0,
"Virgo": 0,
"Libra": 0,
"Scorpio": 0,
"Sagittarius": 3,
"Capricorn": 4,
"Aquarius": 0,
"Pisces": 0
},
"Moon": {
"Aries": 2,
"Taurus": 4,
"Gemini": 0,
"Cancer": 0,
"Leo": 0,
"Virgo": 0,
"Libra": 0,
"Scorpio": 0,
"Sagittarius": 1,
"Capricorn": 1,
"Aquarius": 1,
"Pisces": 0
},
"Mars": {
"Aries": 2,
"Taurus": 2,
"Gemini": 1,
"Cancer": 2,
"Leo": 0,
"Virgo": 1,
"Libra": 0,
"Scorpio": 0,
"Sagittarius": 4,
"Capricorn": 0,
"Aquarius": 0,
"Pisces": 0
},
"Mercury": {
"Aries": 0,
"Taurus": 2,
"Gemini": 1,
"Cancer": 2,
"Leo": 1,
"Virgo": 0,
"Libra": 0,
"Scorpio": 0,
"Sagittarius": 4,
"Capricorn": 0,
"Aquarius": 0,
"Pisces": 0
},
"Jupiter": {
"Aries": 3,
"Taurus": 2,
"Gemini": 0,
"Cancer": 0,
"Leo": 1,
"Virgo": 0,
"Libra": 0,
"Scorpio": 0,
"Sagittarius": 0,
"Capricorn": 1,
"Aquarius": 1,
"Pisces": 0
},
"Venus": {
"Aries": 2,
"Taurus": 2,
"Gemini": 0,
"Cancer": 1,
"Leo": 0,
"Virgo": 2,
"Libra": 0,
"Scorpio": 0,
"Sagittarius": 0,
"Capricorn": 0,
"Aquarius": 1,
"Pisces": 2
},
"Saturn": {
"Aries": 1,
"Taurus": 3,
"Gemini": 2,
"Cancer": 2,
"Leo": 0,
"Virgo": 0,
"Libra": 0,
"Scorpio": 0,
"Sagittarius": 1,
"Capricorn": 0,
"Aquarius": 0,
"Pisces": 0
}
},
"applied": false,
"note": "computed and reported, never applied. Texts disagree on whether the reductions apply, in what order, and what happens in the occupancy cases. The convention used is named in pindas.conventions -- see rulebook AV-03, AV-04."
},
"lagna": {
"bhinna": {
"Aries": 4,
"Taurus": 4,
"Gemini": 4,
"Cancer": 4,
"Leo": 3,
"Virgo": 5,
"Libra": 5,
"Scorpio": 4,
"Sagittarius": 3,
"Capricorn": 3,
"Aquarius": 5,
"Pisces": 5
},
"bhinna_by_sign_number": {
"1": 4,
"2": 4,
"3": 4,
"4": 4,
"5": 3,
"6": 5,
"7": 5,
"8": 4,
"9": 3,
"10": 3,
"11": 5,
"12": 5
},
"total": 49,
"reductions": {
"trikona": {
"Aries": 1,
"Taurus": 1,
"Gemini": 0,
"Cancer": 0,
"Leo": 0,
"Virgo": 2,
"Libra": 1,
"Scorpio": 0,
"Sagittarius": 0,
"Capricorn": 0,
"Aquarius": 1,
"Pisces": 1
},
"ekadhipatya": {
"Aries": 1,
"Taurus": 1,
"Gemini": 0,
"Cancer": 0,
"Leo": 0,
"Virgo": 2,
"Libra": 0,
"Scorpio": 0,
"Sagittarius": 0,
"Capricorn": 0,
"Aquarius": 1,
"Pisces": 1
},
"applied": false
},
"in_sarva": false,
"note": "the ascendant's own ashtakavarga, from the same eight contributors. It always holds 49 bindus and is never added into the sarva, whose 337 belongs to the seven grahas. See rulebook AV-07."
},
"pindas": {
"by_table": {
"Sun": {
"rashi_pinda": 89,
"graha_pinda": 96,
"shodhya_pinda": 185
},
"Moon": {
"rashi_pinda": 79,
"graha_pinda": 41,
"shodhya_pinda": 120
},
"Mars": {
"rashi_pinda": 92,
"graha_pinda": 90,
"shodhya_pinda": 182
},
"Mercury": {
"rashi_pinda": 82,
"graha_pinda": 79,
"shodhya_pinda": 161
},
"Jupiter": {
"rashi_pinda": 67,
"graha_pinda": 39,
"shodhya_pinda": 106
},
"Venus": {
"rashi_pinda": 85,
"graha_pinda": 48,
"shodhya_pinda": 133
},
"Saturn": {
"rashi_pinda": 70,
"graha_pinda": 72,
"shodhya_pinda": 142
},
"Lagna": {
"rashi_pinda": 52,
"graha_pinda": 13,
"shodhya_pinda": 65
}
},
"computed_on": "ekadhipatya",
"applied": false,
"multipliers": {
"rashi": {
"Aries": 7,
"Taurus": 10,
"Gemini": 8,
"Cancer": 4,
"Leo": 10,
"Virgo": 6,
"Libra": 7,
"Scorpio": 8,
"Sagittarius": 9,
"Capricorn": 5,
"Aquarius": 11,
"Pisces": 12
},
"graha": {
"Sun": 5,
"Moon": 5,
"Mars": 8,
"Mercury": 5,
"Jupiter": 10,
"Venus": 7,
"Saturn": 5
}
},
"conventions": {
"trikona": "lowest of each trine subtracted; one zero leaves the trine alone, two zeros clear the third",
"ekadhipatya_occupied": "a sign holding one of the seven grahas, or the ascendant; the nodes do not count",
"ekadhipatya_one_occupied": "occupied figure larger or equal: the empty sign is cleared; smaller: the empty sign loses the occupied figure",
"reproduces": "a desktop program (Lahiri), all 16 rashi, graha and shodhya pindas on two charts"
},
"disputed": {
"virgo_multiplier": {
"used": 6,
"other": 5,
"sources_agree": false,
"note": "some printed tables give Virgo 5. With 5, a rashi pinda is lower by the reduced Virgo figure of that table."
}
},
"note": "rashi pinda weights each sign of the reduced table by its sign multiplier. Graha pinda weights the figure in each sign a graha occupies by that graha's multiplier. Shodhya pinda is their sum. Computed on the ekadhipatya-reduced tables and…"
},
"rule": "eight contributors -- the seven grahas and the ascendant -- each donate a bindu to their benefic places counted from themselves. Rahu and Ketu have no ashtakavarga.",
"invariant": "the seven tables always hold 337 bindus between them, whatever the chart",
"readings": [
{
"id": "ashtakavarga:Sun",
"graha": "Sun",
"sign": "Cancer",
"bindus": 6,
"bindus_out_of": 8,
"band": "strong",
"note": "read against the sign this graha natally occupies",
"text": [
"Ashtakavarga is a scoring system that gives each planet up to eight bindus (points of support) in every sign. Here, the Sun has six or more. That is as much support as the sign can give it. Your authority tends to work cleanly in the…",
"Each year the Sun passes through this sign for about a month. Use that month rather than waiting it out. The Sun's dasha years (its planetary period) also often show up more clearly in this area than anywhere else."
],
"language": "en",
"detail": "standard"
},
{
"id": "ashtakavarga:Moon",
"graha": "Moon",
"sign": "Taurus",
"bindus": 7,
"bindus_out_of": 8,
"band": "strong",
"note": "read against the sign this graha natally occupies",
"text": [
"Ashtakavarga gives every planet a score of up to eight bindus (points of support) in each sign. The Moon, which rules your mind and feelings, has six or more here. So your mind tends to be at ease in the matters this sign covers. Comfort,…",
"The Moon passes through this sign for about two days every month. Those days are among the best in the month for anything that needs your own judgment. So save important personal decisions for them when you can."
],
"language": "en",
"detail": "standard"
},
{
"id": "ashtakavarga:Mars",
"graha": "Mars",
"sign": "Aries",
"bindus": 3,
"bindus_out_of": 8,
"band": "weak",
"note": "read against the sign this graha natally occupies",
"text": [
"Ashtakavarga gives each planet up to eight bindus (points of support) in each sign. Mars, the planet of force and drive, has three or fewer here. Effort in the matters this sign covers tends to be wasted. Your energy is real, but it lands…",
"Force is the wrong tool here. Patience and handing work to others serve you better, especially in the weeks when Mars passes through this sign."
],
"language": "en",
"detail": "standard"
}
],
"gaps": [],
"language": "en",
"detail": "standard",
"fell_back_to_en": false,
"meta": {
"ayanamsa": "lahiri",
"ayanamsa_value": 23.7260727,
"julian_day": 2448119.10483,
"ephemeris": "JPL DE440s",
"node": "true",
"timezone": {
"source": "zone",
"offset_hours": -4,
"zone": "America/New_York",
"abbreviation": "EDT",
"dst": true,
"dst_hours": 1,
"ambiguous_resolved_by_fold": null,
"note": "read from the IANA tz database at this instant, so daylight saving and historical offset changes are included"
}
}
}Where the API returns it
| POST | /v1/ashtakavarga | Ashtakavarga: strength points for each sign |
| POST | /v1/transits/forecast | Upcoming transit periods for a chart |
| POST | /v1/forecast/couple/{theme} | Love, career or wealth forecast for a couple |
| POST | /v1/forecast/{theme} | Love, career or wealth forecast |
| POST | /v1/shadbala | Planet and house strength (shadbala and bhava bala) |
| GET | /v1/rashi/{sign}/today | Daily reading for a Moon sign, no chart |
What the API reference says
Each line is quoted from the reference page of the endpoint named above it.
- POST /v1/ashtakavarga · Ashtakavarga: strength points for each signThe response has one table per planet (bhinna ashtakavarga), their total (sarva ashtakavarga), and short readings.
- POST /v1/shadbala · Planet and house strength (shadbala and bhava bala)The service checks this on every request, as ashtakavarga checks its 337 points.
- GET /v1/rashi/{sign}/today · Daily reading for a Moon sign, no chartNo ascendant, house, running dasha (planetary period) or ashtakavarga goes into it.
- charts endpointsThe Jaimini, ashtakavarga and varshaphal endpoints also return short readings.
Feature page: Planetary strength. Who uses it: Astrologer consultation platforms. The classical rules the API follows are in the rulebook.
How we check the numbers
Every value here starts from planet positions worked out from NASA JPL planet data (DE440). We test them against NASA JPL Horizons, NASA's planet position service. On 25,571 positions from 1850 to 2149, the Sun and planets agree within 0.001 arc seconds. The Moon agrees within 0.011. On 2,000 random birth charts, the rising sign agrees with Swiss Ephemeris within 0.004 arc seconds. An arc second is 1/3,600 of a degree. A practicing astrologer reviews the rules behind these answers. See how we test.
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John Doe, New York
POST /v1/planets200 OK
- RisingVirgoHast
- SunCancerAshlesha
- MoonTaurusMrigashira
- MarsAriesKrittika
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