Planetary Friendship

sanskrit: मित्र (Mitra) / शत्रु (Satru) / सम (Sama)

Definition

Planetary friendship is how the grahas (planets) relate to one another — as Mitra (friend), Satru (enemy) or Sama (neutral). It works in two layers. The natural (naisargika) relationship is fixed; the temporary (tatkalika) relationship depends on where each planet sits in a given chart. Combine the two and you get a planet's compound dignity, which raises or lowers how much good it can do from its sign. Combining them yields a five-fold scale — great friend, friend, neutral, enemy, great enemy — with Adhi Mitra naming the great-friend bond.

In Tradition

Across this classical and modern Jyotish material, the agreement is that the two layers must be combined: the fixed natural relationship and the temporary one, which shifts from chart to chart as planets change position. You add the temporary status to the natural status to settle where a planet finally stands toward another. The sources agree on this structure but describe the temporary relationship through differing schemes, not one shared rule.

In Practice

A jyotishi (Vedic astrologer) reads planetary friendship to judge how much good a planet can do from its placement, combining the fixed natural relationship with the temporary one and reading the result on the friend-neutral-enemy scale. The sources reach the temporary status by different routes. Cole gives a position rule: counting from a planet, those in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th and 12th are its temporary friends, and those in the 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th its temporary enemies; this is added to the natural status to find the five-fold result for any planet not already in its own sign, exaltation, mulatrikona or debilitation. Larsen instead warns it cannot be applied loosely, since it depends on the purpose, and splits it into one relationship based on support and Raja yoga and another based on physical disposition (bhava sambandha). For the natural relationships, you draw on Varahamihira's table of each planet's friends, enemies and neutrals.

Historical Origin

The natural Mitra, Satru and Sama relationships are tabulated in Varahamihira's Brihat Jataka (Appendix Table E, Usha & Shashi translation), placing the scheme firmly in the classical Sanskrit tradition. Larsen traces the support-and-Raja-yoga form of the temporary relationship to Maharshi Parashara. Modern authors including Larsen, Cole and Raman elaborate the framework, and Raman records Adhi Mitra as the intimate or great friend.

Definition

In Tradition

In Practice

Historical Origin

Further Reading