Telugu Astrology

నవగ్రహాలు

Navagraha — The Nine Planets

The Navagrahas (nine planets) are the celestial forces that govern karma, time, and the unfolding of destiny in Vedic astrology. Each graha influences specific areas of life, and understanding their current positions helps in muhurta selection, dasha interpretation, and remedies.

What are the Navagrahas?

In Vedic astrology, the nine celestial bodies — Surya (Sun), Chandra (Moon), Mangala (Mars), Budha (Mercury), Guru (Jupiter), Shukra (Venus), Shani (Saturn), Rahu, and Ketu — are called the Navagrahas. The word "graha" comes from Sanskrit, meaning "one that grasps" or "one that influences."

Unlike Western astrology which uses 10 planets (including Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto), the Vedic system works with these nine grahas. Rahu and Ketu are not physical bodies — they are the north and south lunar nodes, points where the Moon's orbit intersects the ecliptic. Yet they exert profound influence on a birth chart, governing karma, sudden events, and spiritual evolution.

Every individual is born under the Mahadasha (major period) of one of these nine grahas, calculated from the Moon's nakshatra at birth. Together, the nine grahas complete a 120-year Vimshottari Dasha cycle — a framework for understanding the timing of events throughout a human life.