Shadbala

sanskrit: षड्बल (Ṣaḍbala)

Definition

Shadbala — Sanskrit for "six strengths" — is the Vedic way of scoring a planet's overall strength by adding up six independent measures. In the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra these are Sthana Bala (positional), Dig Bala (directional), Kala Bala (temporal, which includes Ayana Bala), Cheshta Bala (motional), Naisargika Bala (natural), and Drik Bala (aspectual). They are worked out for the seven planets from the Sun to Saturn, leaving out the nodes. The total is given in virupas, sixty of which make one rupa — one rupa being a planet's strength at deep exaltation.

In Tradition

Across both the classical texts and modern Jyotish writers, Shadbala is treated as one number you build up: a planet's strength comes from six separate sources, added together in rupas and virupas (60 virupas = 1 rupa), then measured against a minimum each planet needs to count as strong enough to deliver its results. Several authors add a caution — the figure still has to be interpreted, and it aids a full chart reading rather than replacing it.

In Practice

An astrologer reads Shadbala to see whether a planet is strong enough to play its part and to deliver the results of the houses it rules. The total rupa figure is checked against per-planet thresholds: Phaladeepika sets the rupa-totals at which each planet counts as strong, and the Uttara Kalamrita warns that the period of a planet under five rupas brings misery. Where two planets touch one house or share a yoga (a planetary combination), Narasimha Rao notes the one with higher Shadbala most likely gives the results, and Charak singles out Sthana, Dig, Kala and Cheshta bala as the ones a yoga especially needs to bear fruit. Since the full calculation is laborious, deFouw and Svoboda observe that many readers pull out the major pieces — exaltation, debilitation, directional strength — rather than work the whole thing; Frawley and Levacy suggest letting a computer do it.

Historical Origin

Shadbala is laid out in Chapter 27 of the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, attributed to Parasara, and its Rupa/Virupa units appear in that text's aspect and strength chapters. It is also covered in Phaladeepika by Mantreswara and the Uttara Kalamrita of Kalidasa, while the related Rasmi Bala (ray-strength) is given in Saravali by Kalyana Varma. Modern authors who explain it include Raman, Frawley, Levacy, Behari, Charak, deFouw and Svoboda, Cole, Harness, and Narasimha Rao.

Definition

In Tradition

In Practice

Historical Origin

Further Reading