Planetary aspects (graha drishti) in Vedic astrology
Graha drishti (planetary aspect) is how a graha sees other signs, houses and planets. Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (BPHS) chapter 26 says every planet aspects the 7th sign from itself. Mars also aspects the 4th and 8th, Jupiter the 5th and 9th, and Saturn the 3rd and 10th.
You'll learn
- What graha drishti means
- The 7th aspect for every planet
- Special aspects for Mars, Jupiter and Saturn
- How Rahu and Ketu are treated on Skybond
Before thisNine planets (navagraha) in Vedic astrology: a beginner's guide
What aspect means here
Aspect is sign-based in the classical graha drishti system: count whole signs forward from the planet's sign. A planet sitting in an aspected sign is aspected too.
Whole-sign counting
Drishti means sight. In graha drishti, a planet casts its sight on certain signs counted from the sign it occupies. With whole-sign houses, each sign is also a house from the lagna, so the same count can be read as houses.
PVR gives a simple example: Jupiter in Taurus aspects the 7th sign Scorpio, and also the 5th and 9th signs from Taurus under Jupiter's special aspects.
BPHS chapter 26 lists the rules Skybond follows for the seven true planets. This lesson is only graha drishti, not rasi drishti (sign aspect), which is a separate advanced topic in the glossary.
The 7th aspect for all
- 01Find the sign the planet occupies
- 02Count that sign as 1
- 03Count forward seven signs; that sign is aspected
The Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn each aspect the 7th sign from their sign. That is the opposition sign in the zodiac.
BPHS chapter 26
BPHS chapter 26 opens with the universal 7th aspect. Mars in Gemini, for example, aspects Sagittarius by the 7th aspect, as well as Virgo and Capricorn by its special aspects.
Aspects are used to judge houses (BPHS chapter 11 mentions a house joined or aspected by a benefic) and to link planets for yogas such as mutual aspect in BPHS chapter 34 (verse 12) for raja yoga.
Special aspects
Mars
Also aspects the 4th and 8th signs from itself.
Jupiter
Also aspects the 5th and 9th signs from itself.
Saturn
Also aspects the 3rd and 10th signs from itself.
Only Mars, Jupiter and Saturn have extra aspects beyond the 7th. The Sun, Moon, Mercury and Venus use the 7th alone.
Mars, Jupiter and Saturn
BPHS chapter 26 names the extra sights for the three planets above. Transit articles on Skybond use the same counts when they list which signs Saturn or Mars touch from a given sign.
Mutual aspect for yoga purposes means each of two planets casts a full aspect on the sign the other occupies. Both must see each other under these rules, not merely sit in trine signs without sight.
Rahu and Ketu
Classical authors disagree on whether the lunar nodes cast graha drishti and which signs they would aspect. Skybond does not assign node aspects in its chart engine or transit copy.
Same caution as the Rahu and Ketu lessons
The nodes are shadow points, not visible bodies. Some calculators give Rahu and Ketu aspects; others do not. Skybond transit pages state that texts differ and omit node aspects for that reason.
For chart pattern matching, Skybond applies the Sun through Saturn rules listed in how Skybond reads a Vedic chart. Node results are read mainly through the house they occupy and the lord they join, following BPHS chapter 34 on nodes.
Practice count from one placement
Saturn in Pisces aspects Taurus (3rd), Virgo (7th) and Sagittarius (10th). That example appears in Skybond's Saturn in Pisces transit lesson.
Saturn in Pisces as a drill
Place Saturn in Pisces. Count Pisces as 1: the 3rd sign is Taurus, the 7th is Virgo, the 10th is Sagittarius. Those three signs receive Saturn's aspects under BPHS chapter 26.
From your lagna, those signs are also houses. A transit lesson counts them from the event sign; a natal reading counts them from the birth lagna.
When you check raja yoga, ask whether two lords mutually aspect under this table, not whether they are merely 5th or 9th signs apart.
Check yourself
Which signs does Mars aspect from Cancer?
Show answer
The 4th sign Libra, the 7th sign Capricorn and the 8th sign Aquarius, counting Cancer as 1.
Does Mercury have a special aspect?
Show answer
No. Mercury aspects the 7th sign only, like the Sun, Moon and Venus.
Where are these rules stated?
Show answer
BPHS chapter 26, summarized in PVR and in Skybond's how Skybond reads a chart page.
Key takeaways
- Every planet aspects the 7th sign from its sign.
- Mars adds the 4th and 8th; Jupiter the 5th and 9th; Saturn the 3rd and 10th.
- Mutual aspect for yogas uses these full aspects.
- Skybond omits Rahu and Ketu aspects because texts differ.
- Count in whole signs.
Next lessons
Conventions and sources
- Sidereal zodiac
- True Chitra Paksha ayanamsa
- Whole-sign houses
Skybond uses the sidereal zodiac, the True Chitra Paksha ayanamsa and whole-sign houses.
Sources for this page
- P.V.R. Narasimha Rao, Vedic Astrology: An Integrated Approach (graha drishti examples)
- Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (R. Santhanam translation) (ch. 26)
FAQ
What is graha drishti?
Planetary aspect: the signs a planet sees by the rules of BPHS chapter 26, counted in whole signs from the planet's sign.
Do Rahu and Ketu aspect in Skybond?
No. Skybond follows the seven-planet table and leaves node aspects unstated because sources disagree.
Drafted with AI from verified sources, fact-checked and edited by Skybond before publishing. Read more.