Ashtakavarga: Reading Planetary Strength and Transit Results from Bindus

The same transit brings one person a promotion and another only running around — why? The answer usually lies in Ashtakavarga. It is the system that gives every sign a score, so that «good or bad» is settled by counting rather than by guesswork.

This article covers, in order: how Ashtakavarga is built, the difference between Bhinnashtakavarga and Sarvashtakavarga, how many bindus count as good, and its practical use in transits and Sade Sati.

What Ashtakavarga is

«Ashtaka» means a group of eight. The seven planets (Sun to Saturn) and the Lagna are eight sources, and each of them gives benefic points — bindus — to the twelve signs for every planet. A sign either receives a bindu from a source (1) or does not (0), so a planet can have at most 8 bindus in a sign. Rahu and Ketu are not part of this calculation.

The rules come from Parashara's Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra: there is a fixed table of which source gives a bindu to which houses counted from its own position. The arithmetic is long but the idea is simple — the more sources support a sign, the more easily a planet delivers its results there.

Bhinnashtakavarga and Sarvashtakavarga

Two tables are produced:

• Bhinnashtakavarga (BAV) — each planet's own table; 0 to 8 bindus per sign
• Sarvashtakavarga (SAV) — the sign-by-sign total of all seven planets' bindus
• Each planet's total is fixed — Sun 48, Moon 49, Mars 39, Mercury 54, Jupiter 56, Venus 52, Saturn 39
• So the grand total of the Sarvashtakavarga is 337 in every chart — the only difference is how those bindus are spread across the signs

How many bindus count as good

Divide 337 by 12 and the average is about 28 per sign. The usual yardstick follows from that:

• 30 or more in the Sarvashtakavarga — the house is strong and its matters come together easily
• Between 25 and 30 — average; results in proportion to effort
• Below 25 — that area asks for more work and patience
• In a Bhinnashtakavarga, 4 bindus is middling, 5 or more is good, 3 or fewer is weak

Comparing houses — an old rule of thumb

It is not only one house that matters but the balance between houses. A well-known traditional rule: if the 11th house (gains) has more bindus than the 10th (work), and the 12th (expenses) has fewer than the 11th, results exceed the effort and earnings stay. Likewise, a high score in the Lagna is taken as support for the person's own capacity and health.

Remember — a low score does not make a house «bad». It only says that results in that area come later and with more effort.

Use in transits and Sade Sati

The most practical use of Ashtakavarga is in judging transits. If a planet has 4 or more bindus in its own Bhinnashtakavarga in the sign it is passing through, that transit goes better than expected; with 3 or fewer, the same transit drags.

That is why Sade Sati is not the same for everyone. Look at Saturn's bindus in the three signs it crosses — the phase with more bindus passes comparatively smoothly. The same test applies to Jupiter's yearly transit.

Further layers — kaksha and reductions

For finer timing each sign is divided into eight equal «kakshas» of 3°45′ each, ruled in order by Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury, the Moon and the Lagna. If the lord of the kaksha a transiting planet is in has given a bindu to that sign, those days are considered more fruitful.

After the Trikona and Ekadhipatya reductions, the remaining bindus give the «Shodhya Pinda», used in longevity and event timing. These are advanced layers — begin with the Sarvashtakavarga and Bhinnashtakavarga. The «Ashtakavarga» section of our free Kundali gives these tables ready-made.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How many bindus are considered good in Ashtakavarga?
In the Sarvashtakavarga, 30 or more bindus in a house is strong, 25 to 30 average and below 25 weak. In a single planet's Bhinnashtakavarga, 4 is middling and 5 or more is good.

Why does the Sarvashtakavarga always total 337?
Because each planet's total is fixed by rule — Sun 48, Moon 49, Mars 39, Mercury 54, Jupiter 56, Venus 52, Saturn 39 — which add up to 337. Only their distribution across the signs changes from chart to chart.

Can Ashtakavarga show how Sade Sati will go?
Yes. Look at Saturn's Bhinnashtakavarga bindus in the signs it is crossing — with 4 or more that phase is comparatively smooth; with 3 or fewer it asks for more patience.

⚠️ Ashtakavarga measures strength; it is not a verdict on its own — draw conclusions only together with the dasha, the house lords and the yogas.

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