The Navagraha: The Nine Planets of Vedic Astrology Explained

Updated November 2026. This guide describes a traditional system for information only. It does not predict events or give personal advice.

The Navagraha, or “nine planets”, are the nine heavenly bodies used in Vedic astrology (jyotisha) and honoured in Hindu worship. This guide gives each a short profile, using the traditional vocabulary, so a reader can follow the terms that appear in a birth chart or in a temple. It describes what the tradition says; it does not predict anything.

The nine, at a glance

Graha	English	Day	Rules (own signs)	Exalted in	Debilitated in	Dasha years
Surya	Sun	Sunday	Leo	Aries	Libra	6
Chandra	Moon	Monday	Cancer	Taurus	Scorpio	10
Mangala	Mars	Tuesday	Aries, Scorpio	Capricorn	Cancer	7
Budha	Mercury	Wednesday	Gemini, Virgo	Virgo	Pisces	17
Guru (Brihaspati)	Jupiter	Thursday	Sagittarius, Pisces	Cancer	Capricorn	16
Shukra	Venus	Friday	Taurus, Libra	Pisces	Virgo	20
Shani	Saturn	Saturday	Capricorn, Aquarius	Libra	Aries	19
Rahu	North lunar node	none (Saturday in some practice)	none in most schemes	varies by school	varies by school	18
Ketu	South lunar node	none (Tuesday in some practice)	none in most schemes	varies by school	varies by school	7

The dasha years add up to 120, the span of the Vimshottari dasha system. The weekday order in the table is the same as the order of the week in India, and each weekday is named after a graha.

Profiles

Surya (Sun)

The Sun is the king of the planets in the tradition, standing for the soul (atma), vitality, authority, the father and government. It is worshipped at sunrise, with the Surya Namaskar and the Gayatri Mantra, and festivals such as Makar Sankranti and Chhath honour it. The Sun Temple at Konark in Odisha is among the best-known monuments to Surya.

Chandra (Moon)

The Moon represents the mind, emotions, the mother and nourishment. Its sign at birth, the Moon sign or rashi, is the main reference point in Vedic astrology, and the nakshatra of the Moon sets the starting dasha. Because the Moon’s phase decides the tithi, it is also the basis of the Hindu calendar; see panchang basics.

Mangala (Mars)

Mars stands for energy, courage, drive, land, siblings and conflict. Its placement in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th or 12th houses is the basis of the Manglik idea (see our Manglik guide). Tuesday and the god Hanuman are associated with it.

Budha (Mercury)

Mercury represents speech, intellect, learning, trade and communication. It is often called the prince of the planets, and is said to take on the nature of the planets it is close to.

Guru (Jupiter)

Jupiter stands for wisdom, teachers, religion, children and expansion, and is regarded as the most benefic planet. Thursday is its day, and many people honour teachers and make offerings of yellow flowers or turmeric on it.

Shukra (Venus)

Venus stands for love, beauty, the arts, comfort, marriage and vehicles. Its teacher form is Shukracharya, the guru of the asuras in the Puranas. Friday and the goddess Lakshmi are associated with it.

Shani (Saturn)

Saturn stands for time, discipline, labour, restriction and endurance. It moves slowly, about two and a half years per sign, which is why its transits get so much attention; see Shani and Sade Sati.

Rahu and Ketu

Rahu and Ketu are the two lunar nodes, always exactly opposite each other, and they travel backwards through the zodiac, completing a cycle in about 18.6 years. Rahu stands for appetite, ambition, foreign things and illusion; Ketu stands for detachment, spirituality and loss. Their story, from the churning of the ocean, is told in our Kalasarpa guide. The daily Rahu period is calculated in the Rahu Kaal calculator.

How the planets are used in a chart

Sign and house. A planet is read by the sign (rashi) and house (bhava) it occupies. Own, exalted and friendly signs are said to strengthen it, and debilitated and enemy signs to weaken it.
Aspects (drishti). Planets are said to “look at” other houses; all planets aspect the 7th house from them, and Mars, Jupiter and Saturn have special additional aspects.
Dasha. The planetary period running at a given time, from the Vimshottari system, is used as a timeline.
Transit (gochara). The current position of planets, seen from the Moon sign.

The Navagraha in worship

Many Hindu temples have a Navagraha shrine, a platform with nine deities, usually the Sun in the centre or in a chariot, with the others around. Devotees walk around the shrine, often nine times, and light lamps. The Navagraha Stotra, one verse for each planet, is a common prayer, and the verse for Saturn quoted in our Sade Sati guide is one of them. These are devotional practices, valued for the routine and community they provide.

How to read the claims

The traditional descriptions are symbolic. The planets are real objects, and the meanings assigned to them were built up over centuries; they are not measurable influences. Reading a chart can be a way to reflect on one’s own character and plans, but decisions about health, money and relationships should rest on professional advice.

Frequently asked questions

What are the Navagraha?

Navagraha means "nine planets" in Sanskrit. In Vedic astrology they are the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and the two lunar nodes, Rahu and Ketu.

Why are Rahu and Ketu called planets?

They are not physical bodies. They are the two points where the Moon's orbit crosses the Sun's apparent path, and the tradition treats them as shadow planets because eclipses happen near them.

Are Uranus, Neptune and Pluto used?

Classical Vedic astrology uses only the nine, since the others cannot be seen with the naked eye and were unknown to the early texts.

What is the Vimshottari dasha?

It is a 120-year cycle of planetary periods starting from the Moon's nakshatra at birth. Each planet rules a period: Ketu 7 years, Venus 20, Sun 6, Moon 10, Mars 7, Rahu 18, Jupiter 16, Saturn 19 and Mercury 17.