Basics of Signs (Rāśis), Houses (Bhāvas) and Planets (Grahas)

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Basics of Signs (Rāśis), Houses (Bhāvas) and Planets (Grahas)

This article explains how horoscopic charts are drawn, what each zodiac sign “is like,” how houses are grouped, and the classical attributes of the nine planets used in Vedic astrology.

How a Horoscopic Chart Is Drawn

Indian horoscopes are drawn in three standard layouts. The underlying sky-map is the same; only the diagram differs. A planet always sits in the house that corresponds to the sign it occupies.

  • North Indian (diamond) chart: houses are fixed in place; signs “move” through them.
  • South Indian chart: signs are fixed; houses are numbered relative to the ascendant.
  • Eastern (Bengal) chart: a regional variant also in use.

The Signs (Rāśis)

Classical appearance & habitat (Vāmana Purāṇa)

The signs are imagined as living forms and locales. A traditional dialogue between Pulastya and Nārada (cited from the Vāmana Purāṇa) describes their looks and haunts:

  • Mesha (Aries): ram-shaped head; huntsman’s tracts; thorny places.
  • Vr̥ṣabha (Taurus): bull; fields and villages; watery spots.
  • Mithuna (Gemini): pair (man–woman); marketplaces; crossways.
  • Karka (Cancer): crab; tanks, wells, rivers, lakes.
  • Siṃha (Leo): lion; mountains, caves, forests.
  • Kaṇya (Virgo): maiden; gardens, cornfields, granaries.
  • Tulā (Libra): balance; bazaars, courts of justice.
  • Vr̥ścika (Scorpio): scorpion; anthills, sandy tracts, poison-places.
  • Dhanu (Sagittarius): centaur/archer; sacrificial posts, hermitages.
  • Makara (Capricorn): sea-creature; river mouths, spots haunted by aquatic animals.
  • Kumbha (Aquarius): pot; wells, water stores, potters’ quarters.
  • Mīna (Pisces): two fish; oceans, confluences, watery expanses.

Body parts represented

Each sign rules a body zone from head (Aries) to feet (Pisces): head; face/neck; shoulders/arms; chest; heart/back; belly; lower belly; genitals; thighs; knees; calves; feet.

Stature (build/height) tendencies

  • Short: Aries, Taurus, Gemini.
  • Tall: Cancer, Leo, Virgo.
  • Even/medium: Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces.

Diurnal strength & rising type

  • Strong by day: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius. (By night, the rest.)
  • Rising imagery: Pr̥ṣṭhodaya (rising “hind-first”: Aries, Taurus, Leo, Sagittarius); Śīrṣodaya (head-first: Gemini, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Aquarius); Ubhayodaya (both/balanced: Cancer, Capricorn, Pisces).

Primary classifications

  • Gender: odd signs are masculine; even signs are feminine.
  • Movement: Chara (movable: Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn); Sthira (fixed: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius); Dwisvabhāva (dual: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces).
  • Directions: East (Aries/Taurus/Gemini), South (Cancer/Leo/Virgo), West (Libra/Scorpio/Sagittarius), North (Capricorn/Aquarius/Pisces).
  • Elements (tattvas): Fiery (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), Earthy (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), Airy (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius), Watery (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces).

Living nature, constitution, caste

  • Biological “gait”: Quadrupeds (1, 2, 5, back-half of 9, front-half of 10); Bipeds (3, 6, 7, 11, front-half of 9); Insect-type (4, 8); Aquatic (12, back-half of 10).
  • Constitution: Mineral (dhātu: 1, 4, 7, 10); Vegetable (mūla: 2, 5, 8, 11); Animal (jīva: 3, 6, 9, 12).
  • Caste grouping: Kṣatriya (1, 5, 9); Vaiśya (2, 6, 10); Śūdra (3, 7, 11); Brāhmaṇa (4, 8, 12).

Sign lords

Starting from Aries: Mars, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Saturn, Jupiter.

The Houses (Bhāvas)

The twelve houses cover “all conceivable” life matters. The ascendant (lagna, 1st house) is primary—every other house is read in relation to it, and planets modify their baseline nature with respect to the lagna.

Standard groupings

  • Kendras (quadrants): 1, 4, 7, 10 (highly significant).
  • Panapharas (successant): 2, 5, 8, 11.
  • Apoklimas (cadent): 3, 6, 9, 12.
  • Trikonas (trines): 1, 5, 9—highly auspicious with Kendras; together they decide health, wealth, status, rise and virtue (the lagna is both a Kendra and a Trikona).
  • Upacayas (growth houses): 3, 6, 10, 11—struggle, competition, achievement.
  • Trika / Duṣṭhānas: 6, 8, 12—debt, disease, loss, misery.
  • Āyu-sthānas (longevity): 8 and 3 (8th from 8th).
  • Maraka-sthānas (death-inflicting): 2 and 7.

Halves of the chart

  • Visible vs. invisible: 7→1 is visible; 1→7 is invisible.
  • East vs. West: 10→4 is eastern; 4→10 is western.

The Planets (Grahas)

Nine planets used

Vedic astrology uses nine grahas; their English equivalents are: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rāhu (north node), Ketu (south node).

1) Physical attributes (classical descriptions)

  • Sun: square-built; curly hair; impressive voice; medium height; red eyes; dark-red complexion; strong bones; bilious; firm; saffron robes.
  • Moon: slim/roundish; lovely eyes; white complexion; short curly hair; amiable; sāttvika; restless; high sexual urge; white robes.
  • Mars: fierce red eyes; short; tough/youthful; generous yet excitable; tāmasika; bilious; fair.
  • Mercury: slim, beautiful; dark-green hue; witty; ambiguous/nuanced speech; rājasa; mixed humours; green robes.
  • Jupiter: big-bellied; pale eyes; virtuous; phlegmatic; scriptural; bright yellow; sāttvika; forgiving; yellow dress.
  • Venus: dark-brown; handsome; symmetric; poetic; amorous; long arms; windy/phlegmatic; rājasa; vigorous; multi-coloured robes.
  • Saturn: tall, lean, weak; dark; stiff hair/limbs; large teeth; lazy; windy; cruel; tāmasika; lame; dark/shabby robes.
  • Rāhu & Ketu: bluish, smoky; wild bearing; intelligent; windy constitution.

2) Planetary lordship of signs

  • Sun → Siṃha; Moon → Karka; Mars → Meṣa & Vṛścika; Mercury → Mithuna & Kanyā; Jupiter → Dhanu & Mīna; Venus → Vṛṣabha & Tulā; Saturn → Makara & Kumbha.

3) Castes

  • Brāhmaṇas: Jupiter, Venus; Kṣatriyas: Sun, Mars; Vaiśyas: Moon, Mercury; Śūdra: Saturn.

4) Essential nature (guṇa)

  • Sāttvika: Sun, Moon, Jupiter.
  • Rājasika: Mercury, Venus. Tāmasika: Mars, Saturn.

5) Kāla-puruṣa (time-person) rulerships

Sun—soul; Moon—mind; Mars—essence; Mercury—speech; Jupiter—wisdom/comforts; Venus—semen; Saturn—miseries.

6) Social status analogies

King: Sun, Moon; Commander: Mars; Heir apparent: Mercury; Ministers: Jupiter, Venus; Servant: Saturn; Army: Rāhu & Ketu.

7) Gender

Masculine: Sun, Mars, Jupiter; Feminine: Moon, Venus; Neuter/eunuch: Mercury, Saturn.

8) Body constituents

Sun—bones; Moon—blood; Mars—marrow; Mercury—skin; Jupiter—fat; Venus—semen; Saturn—nerves.

9) Places represented

Temple (Sun); watery places (Moon); fires/forges (Mars); playgrounds (Mercury); treasure houses (Jupiter); bedroom (Venus); dumps/dirty sites (Saturn).

10) Directions & directional strength

  • Directions: East—Sun; NW—Moon; South—Mars; North—Mercury; NE—Jupiter; SE—Venus; West—Saturn; SW—Rāhu.
  • Directional strength (diga-bala) houses: Mercury/Jupiter—East (1st); Sun/Mars—South (10th); Moon/Venus—North (4th); Saturn—West (7th).

11) Natural benefics & malefics

Benefics: Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus. Malefics: Sun, Mars, Saturn, Rāhu, Ketu. (The waning Moon and afflicted Mercury act malefic.)

12) Exaltation, debilitation & Mūlatrikoṇa

Planets are especially strong in exaltation or mūlatrikoṇa; the debilitation point lies 180° opposite the exaltation point.

13) Natural mutual friendships

Classical authors (Varāhamihira citing Satyāchārya) derive each planet’s natural friends from sign-lord relationships (exaltation-lord, and lords of 2, 12, 5, 9, 4, 8 from its mūlatrikoṇa).

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