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Learn - Planets
Every planet has one sign where it is exalted (uccha), at its most powerful, and the opposite sign where it is debilitated (neecha), at its weakest. It also has signs it rules. The table below lists all nine grahas. Open any planet for the step-by-step way to check whether it is strong in your own birth chart.
| Planet | Exalted in | Debilitated in | Own sign |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun (Surya) | Aries (Mesha), 10° | Libra (Tula), 10° | Leo (Simha) |
| Moon (Chandra) | Taurus (Vrishabha), 3° | Scorpio (Vrishchika), 3° | Cancer (Karka) |
| Mars (Mangal) | Capricorn (Makara), 28° | Cancer (Karka), 28° | Aries (Mesha), Scorpio (Vrishchika) |
| Mercury (Budh) | Virgo (Kanya), 15° | Pisces (Meena), 15° | Gemini (Mithuna), Virgo (Kanya) |
| Jupiter (Guru) | Cancer (Karka), 5° | Capricorn (Makara), 5° | Sagittarius (Dhanu), Pisces (Meena) |
| Venus (Shukra) | Pisces (Meena), 27° | Virgo (Kanya), 27° | Taurus (Vrishabha), Libra (Tula) |
| Saturn (Shani) | Libra (Tula), 20° | Aries (Mesha), 20° | Capricorn (Makara), Aquarius (Kumbha) |
| Rahu (Rahu) | Gemini (Mithuna) | Sagittarius (Dhanu) | Aquarius (Kumbha) |
| Ketu (Ketu) | Sagittarius (Dhanu) | Gemini (Mithuna) | Scorpio (Vrishchika) |
From strongest to weakest: exalted, moolatrikona, own sign, a friend’s sign, a neutral sign, an enemy’s sign, debilitated. This is the first and most quoted check, but it is only one of several.
A planet in a kendra (1st, 4th, 7th, 10th) or trikona (1st, 5th, 9th) can act freely. In the dusthanas (6th, 8th, 12th) it struggles to give good results for that house, though malefics often do well in the 3rd, 6th and 11th.
Each planet has one house where it gets full directional strength, and the opposite house where it has none.
A planet too close to the Sun is combust (asta) and loses some of its independence.
Jupiter or Venus with or aspecting a planet supports it. Saturn, Mars, Rahu or Ketu with it, or a planet hemmed between malefics on both sides (papakartari), weakens it.
A planet in the same sign in the birth chart and the Navamsa is vargottama, and gains a lot of strength. A planet exalted in the birth chart but debilitated in the Navamsa delivers less than its sign promises.
Shadbala adds up six kinds of strength (position, direction, time, motion, natural strength and aspects) into one number for each planet. It is the most complete single measure, and AstroPal computes it for every chart.