Planet condition and strength
Graha yuddha (planetary war) in Vedic astrology
Graha yuddha, or planetary war, happens when two of the five planets Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn are within one degree of each other. Tradition names one the winner and treats the loser as weakened. The Sun, Moon and nodes do not take part.
Updated
Graha yuddha: how the API computes it
Graha yuddha means planetary war. It applies to the five planets Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. It happens when two of them stand within one degree of each other.
The Sun, the Moon and the nodes (Rahu and Ketu) never take part. Tradition names a winner, and the loser is weakened. Texts differ on who wins: the planet farther north, or the brighter one.
The API takes the planet farther north (CH-19). POST /v1/shadbala gives the six-part strength score. There, the strength from planetary war is called yuddha bala, and it is part of the time strength.
The winner gains the gap between the two planets' strength from position, direction and time, and the loser loses the same amount (SB-12). In most charts no two of these planets are that close, so the value is zero.
Get it from the API
Planet and house strength (shadbala and bhava bala). 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/shadbala
# John Doe, born Aug 15, 1990, 10:30 AM, New York
curl -X POST "https://apiforastrology.com/api/astrology/v1/shadbala" \
-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
{
"shadbala": {
"grahas": {
"Sun": {
"sthana": {
"uchcha": 23.74,
"saptavargaja": 142.5,
"ojhayugma": 0,
"kendradi": 30,
"drekkana": 0,
"saptavargaja_detail": {
"D1": "great_friend",
"D2": "mulatrikona",
"D3": "neutral",
"D7": "great_friend",
"D9": "neutral",
"D12": "friend",
"D30": "great_friend"
}
},
"kala": {
"nathonnatha": 47.49,
"paksha": 38.6,
"tribhaga": 0,
"kalanga": 0,
"ayana": 95.86,
"yuddha": 0,
"tribhaga_lord": "Mercury",
"kalanga_detail": {
"varsha": {
"lord": "Moon",
"virupas": 0
},
"masa": {
"lord": "Mercury",
"virupas": 0
},
"vara": {
"lord": "Mercury",
"virupas": 0
},
"hora": {
"lord": "Mars",
"virupas": 0
}
}
},
"totals": {
"sthana": 196.24,
"dig": 47.79,
"kala": 181.94,
"cheshta": 95.86,
"naisargika": 60,
"drik": -30.45
},
"total_virupas": 551.38,
"rupas": 9.19,
"required_rupas": 6.5,
"ratio": 1.41,
"strong": true,
"rank": 1
},
"Moon": {
"sthana": {
"uchcha": 52.81,
"saptavargaja": 116.25,
"ojhayugma": 15,
"kendradi": 15,
"drekkana": 15,
"saptavargaja_detail": {
"D1": "mulatrikona",
"D2": "great_friend",
"D3": "enemy",
"D7": "friend",
"D9": "great_friend",
"D12": "enemy",
"D30": "enemy"
}
},
"kala": {
"nathonnatha": 12.51,
"paksha": 42.8,
"tribhaga": 0,
"kalanga": 15,
"ayana": 0.67,
"yuddha": 0,
"tribhaga_lord": "Mercury",
"kalanga_detail": {
"varsha": {
"lord": "Moon",
"virupas": 15
},
"masa": {
"lord": "Mercury",
"virupas": 0
},
"vara": {
"lord": "Mercury",
"virupas": 0
},
"hora": {
"lord": "Mars",
"virupas": 0
}
}
},
"totals": {
"sthana": 214.06,
"dig": 9.19,
"kala": 70.98,
"cheshta": 21.4,
"naisargika": 51.43,
"drik": 14.67
},
"total_virupas": 381.74,
"rupas": 6.36,
"required_rupas": 6,
"ratio": 1.06,
"strong": true,
"rank": 6
},
"Venus": {
"sthana": {
"uchcha": 26.22,
"saptavargaja": 120,
"ojhayugma": 30,
"kendradi": 30,
"drekkana": 0,
"saptavargaja_detail": {
"D1": "neutral",
"D2": "neutral",
"D3": "neutral",
"D7": "neutral",
"D9": "great_friend",
"D12": "mulatrikona",
"D30": "great_friend"
}
},
"kala": {
"nathonnatha": 47.49,
"paksha": 21.4,
"tribhaga": 0,
"kalanga": 0,
"ayana": 55.21,
"yuddha": 0,
"tribhaga_lord": "Mercury",
"kalanga_detail": {
"varsha": {
"lord": "Moon",
"virupas": 0
},
"masa": {
"lord": "Mercury",
"virupas": 0
},
"vara": {
"lord": "Mercury",
"virupas": 0
},
"hora": {
"lord": "Mars",
"virupas": 0
}
}
},
"totals": {
"sthana": 206.22,
"dig": 5.39,
"kala": 124.09,
"cheshta": 10.46,
"naisargika": 42.86,
"drik": -22.92
},
"cheshta_detail": {
"seeghrochcha": 77.66,
"mean_longitude": 119.74,
"true_longitude": 98.33,
"kendra": 31.38
},
"total_virupas": 366.11,
"rupas": 6.1,
"required_rupas": 5.5,
"ratio": 1.11,
"strong": true,
"rank": 7
},
"Jupiter": {
"sthana": {
"uchcha": 59.77,
"saptavargaja": 93.75,
"ojhayugma": 15,
"kendradi": 30,
"drekkana": 15,
"saptavargaja_detail": {
"D1": "great_friend",
"D2": "great_friend",
"D3": "great_friend",
"D7": "enemy",
"D9": "neutral",
"D12": "neutral",
"D30": "neutral"
}
},
"kala": {
"nathonnatha": 47.49,
"paksha": 21.4,
"tribhaga": 60,
"kalanga": 0,
"ayana": 55.94,
"yuddha": 0,
"tribhaga_lord": "Mercury",
"kalanga_detail": {
"varsha": {
"lord": "Moon",
"virupas": 0
},
"masa": {
"lord": "Mercury",
"virupas": 0
},
"vara": {
"lord": "Mercury",
"virupas": 0
},
"hora": {
"lord": "Mars",
"virupas": 0
}
}
},
"totals": {
"sthana": 213.52,
"dig": 35.25,
"kala": 184.82,
"cheshta": 8.89,
"naisargika": 34.29,
"drik": -21.94
},
"cheshta_detail": {
"seeghrochcha": 119.74,
"mean_longitude": 90.43,
"true_longitude": 95.69,
"kendra": 26.68
},
"total_virupas": 454.84,
"rupas": 7.58,
"required_rupas": 6.5,
"ratio": 1.17,
"strong": true,
"rank": 4
},
"Mercury": {
"sthana": {
"uchcha": 53.58,
"saptavargaja": 93.75,
"ojhayugma": 15,
"kendradi": 15,
"drekkana": 0,
"saptavargaja_detail": {
"D1": "great_friend",
"D2": "neutral",
"D3": "enemy",
"D7": "enemy",
"D9": "enemy",
"D12": "own",
"D30": "great_friend"
}
},
"kala": {
"nathonnatha": 60,
"paksha": 21.4,
"tribhaga": 60,
"kalanga": 75,
"ayana": 35.33,
"yuddha": 0,
"tribhaga_lord": "Mercury",
"kalanga_detail": {
"varsha": {
"lord": "Moon",
"virupas": 0
},
"masa": {
"lord": "Mercury",
"virupas": 30
},
"vara": {
"lord": "Mercury",
"virupas": 45
},
"hora": {
"lord": "Mars",
"virupas": 0
}
}
},
"totals": {
"sthana": 177.33,
"dig": 51.94,
"kala": 251.73,
"cheshta": 40.71,
"naisargika": 25.71,
"drik": -14.44
},
"cheshta_detail": {
"seeghrochcha": 254.86,
"mean_longitude": 119.74,
"true_longitude": 145.75,
"kendra": 122.12
},
"total_virupas": 532.98,
"rupas": 8.88,
"required_rupas": 7,
"ratio": 1.27,
"strong": true,
"rank": 2
},
"Mars": {
"sthana": {
"uchcha": 30.1,
"saptavargaja": 150,
"ojhayugma": 30,
"kendradi": 30,
"drekkana": 0,
"saptavargaja_detail": {
"D1": "own",
"D2": "great_friend",
"D3": "great_friend",
"D7": "friend",
"D9": "great_friend",
"D12": "great_friend",
"D30": "friend"
}
},
"kala": {
"nathonnatha": 12.51,
"paksha": 38.6,
"tribhaga": 0,
"kalanga": 60,
"ayana": 53.19,
"yuddha": 0,
"tribhaga_lord": "Mercury",
"kalanga_detail": {
"varsha": {
"lord": "Moon",
"virupas": 0
},
"masa": {
"lord": "Mercury",
"virupas": 0
},
"vara": {
"lord": "Mercury",
"virupas": 0
},
"hora": {
"lord": "Mars",
"virupas": 60
}
}
},
"totals": {
"sthana": 240.1,
"dig": 41.85,
"kala": 164.3,
"cheshta": 39.52,
"naisargika": 17.14,
"drik": 23.35
},
"cheshta_detail": {
"seeghrochcha": 119.74,
"mean_longitude": 334.64,
"true_longitude": 27.71,
"kendra": 118.56
},
"total_virupas": 526.26,
"rupas": 8.77,
"required_rupas": 5,
"ratio": 1.75,
"strong": true,
"rank": 3
},
"Saturn": {
"sthana": {
"uchcha": 37.96,
"saptavargaja": 31.88,
"ojhayugma": 15,
"kendradi": 60,
"drekkana": 0,
"saptavargaja_detail": {
"D1": "enemy",
"D2": "great_enemy",
"D3": "great_enemy",
"D7": "neutral",
"D9": "great_enemy",
"D12": "neutral",
"D30": "neutral"
}
},
"kala": {
"nathonnatha": 12.51,
"paksha": 38.6,
"tribhaga": 0,
"kalanga": 0,
"ayana": 58.11,
"yuddha": 0,
"tribhaga_lord": "Mercury",
"kalanga_detail": {
"varsha": {
"lord": "Moon",
"virupas": 0
},
"masa": {
"lord": "Mercury",
"virupas": 0
},
"vara": {
"lord": "Mercury",
"virupas": 0
},
"hora": {
"lord": "Mars",
"virupas": 0
}
}
},
"totals": {
"sthana": 144.83,
"dig": 32.06,
"kala": 109.22,
"cheshta": 48.7,
"naisargika": 8.57,
"drik": 59.78
},
"cheshta_detail": {
"seeghrochcha": 119.74,
"mean_longitude": 265.54,
"true_longitude": 266.13,
"kendra": 146.09
},
"total_virupas": 403.17,
"rupas": 6.72,
"required_rupas": 5,
"ratio": 1.34,
"strong": true,
"rank": 5
}
},
"ranked": [
"Sun",
"Mercury",
"Mars"
],
"unit": "virupas",
"virupas_per_rupa": 60,
"not_computed": [],
"note": "Ratio is rupas over the classical requirement; at or above 1.0 the graha is strong enough to deliver what its placement promises. The six totals are reported separately because a graha strong on positional grounds and weak on temporal ones…"
},
"bhava_bala": {
"houses": {
"1": {
"lord": "Mercury",
"bhavadhipati": 532.98,
"bhava_digbala": 60,
"sign_kind": "nara",
"total_virupas": 592.98,
"rupas": 9.88,
"rank": 1
},
"2": {
"lord": "Venus",
"bhavadhipati": 366.11,
"bhava_digbala": 50,
"sign_kind": "nara",
"total_virupas": 416.11,
"rupas": 6.94,
"rank": 9
},
"3": {
"lord": "Mars",
"bhavadhipati": 526.26,
"bhava_digbala": 20,
"sign_kind": "keeta",
"total_virupas": 546.26,
"rupas": 9.1,
"rank": 5
},
"4": {
"lord": "Jupiter",
"bhavadhipati": 454.84,
"bhava_digbala": 0,
"sign_kind": "chatushpada",
"total_virupas": 454.84,
"rupas": 7.58,
"rank": 7
},
"5": {
"lord": "Saturn",
"bhavadhipati": 403.17,
"bhava_digbala": 50,
"sign_kind": "jalachara",
"total_virupas": 453.17,
"rupas": 7.55,
"rank": 8
},
"6": {
"lord": "Saturn",
"bhavadhipati": 403.17,
"bhava_digbala": 10,
"sign_kind": "nara",
"total_virupas": 413.17,
"rupas": 6.89,
"rank": 11
},
"7": {
"lord": "Jupiter",
"bhavadhipati": 454.84,
"bhava_digbala": 30,
"sign_kind": "jalachara",
"total_virupas": 484.84,
"rupas": 8.08,
"rank": 6
},
"8": {
"lord": "Mars",
"bhavadhipati": 526.26,
"bhava_digbala": 40,
"sign_kind": "chatushpada",
"total_virupas": 566.26,
"rupas": 9.44,
"rank": 3
},
"9": {
"lord": "Venus",
"bhavadhipati": 366.11,
"bhava_digbala": 50,
"sign_kind": "chatushpada",
"total_virupas": 416.11,
"rupas": 6.94,
"rank": 10
},
"10": {
"lord": "Mercury",
"bhavadhipati": 532.98,
"bhava_digbala": 30,
"sign_kind": "nara",
"total_virupas": 562.98,
"rupas": 9.38,
"rank": 4
},
"11": {
"lord": "Moon",
"bhavadhipati": 381.74,
"bhava_digbala": 20,
"sign_kind": "keeta",
"total_virupas": 401.74,
"rupas": 6.7,
"rank": 12
},
"12": {
"lord": "Sun",
"bhavadhipati": 551.38,
"bhava_digbala": 40,
"sign_kind": "chatushpada",
"total_virupas": 591.38,
"rupas": 9.86,
"rank": 2
}
},
"ranked": [
1,
12,
8
],
"unit": "virupas",
"not_computed": [
{
"component": "bhava_drishti",
"reason": "aspects on a house are not added: sources disagree on the arithmetic and no published figure could be reproduced, so no value is invented for it"
}
],
"note": "A house is largely as strong as its lord, which is why bhavadhipati bala dominates the total. Bhava digbala reads the kind of sign on the house midpoint (equal houses). Occupancy is not counted separately -- an occupying graha already…"
},
"reckoned_at": {
"is_day": true,
"hora_lord": "Mars",
"hora_rule": "sixty_minutes_from_sunrise",
"weekday_lord": "Mercury",
"vedic_weekday_index": 3,
"part_fraction": 0.3166,
"solar_noon_fraction": 0.5418
},
"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/shadbala | Planet and house strength (shadbala and bhava bala) |
| POST | /v1/planets | Planet positions and the ascendant |
What the API reference says
Each line is quoted from the reference page of the endpoint named above it.
- POST /v1/shadbala · Planet and house strength (shadbala and bhava bala)When two planets are at war (within one degree), the winner gains strength and the loser loses the same amount, shown as
yuddhawithyuddha_detail. - POST /v1/planets · Planet positions and the ascendant
planetary_warlists any pair of Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn within 1 degree of each other (graha yuddha).
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.
Related terms
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Your first answer
John Doe, New York
POST /v1/planets200 OK
- RisingVirgoHast
- SunCancerAshlesha
- MoonTaurusMrigashira
- MarsAriesKrittika
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