Nabhasa Yogas Explained
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Most yogas in Vedic astrology are about one or two planets: Jupiter in a kendra from the Moon, a planet in its own sign in an angle, two lords exchanging houses. The Nabhasa yogas are different. They look at the whole sky at birth and ask one question: how are the seven planets spread out?
Nabhas means sky. Sage Parashara lists 32 of these "sky patterns" in the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra and says something unusual about them: their results are felt all through life, whatever dasha is running, because they describe the overall shape of the chart.
Only the seven planets from the Sun to Saturn are counted. Rahu and Ketu are left out.
The four groups
| Group | Number | What it looks at |
|---|---|---|
| Asraya (dependence) | 3 | Whether all planets are in movable, fixed or dual signs |
| Dala (petal) | 2 | Benefics or malefics filling three kendras |
| Akriti (shape) | 20 | The geometric figure the planets make by house |
| Sankhya (number) | 7 | How many signs the seven planets occupy |
3 + 2 + 20 + 7 = 32.
The three Asraya yogas
These depend on the movable, fixed and dual signs.
| Yoga | Condition | Said to show |
|---|---|---|
| Rajju (rope) | All seven planets in movable signs | A life of movement and travel, ambition, liking for new places |
| Musala (pestle) | All seven in fixed signs | Steadiness, self-respect, lasting wealth and position |
| Nala (reed) | All seven in dual signs | Skill, versatility, cleverness with resources |
These are rare, since all seven planets must fall in just four of the twelve signs.
The two Dala yogas
The natural benefics are Jupiter, Venus and Mercury (and a bright Moon); the natural malefics are Saturn, Mars and the Sun.
- Mala (garland): the benefics occupy three of the four kendras. It is said to give comfort, good food and clothes, vehicles and a pleasant life.
- Sarpa (serpent): the malefics occupy three of the four kendras. The texts describe a harder, more effortful life. Read it as a chart that has to work for what it gets, not as a sentence.
If you are unsure which houses are kendras, see Kendra Trikona and Dusthana Houses.
The twenty Akriti yogas
Here the planets draw a figure. All seven planets must be inside the houses named.
In two houses
| Yoga | All planets in |
|---|---|
| Gada (mace) | Two adjacent kendras (1st and 4th, 4th and 7th, 7th and 10th, or 10th and 1st) |
| Sakata (cart) | The 1st and 7th |
| Vihaga (bird) | The 4th and 10th |
In trines and kendras
| Yoga | Condition |
|---|---|
| Sringataka (crossroads) | All planets in the 1st, 5th and 9th |
| Hala (plough) | All planets in another set of trines: 2-6-10, 3-7-11 or 4-8-12 |
| Vajra (thunderbolt) | Benefics in the 1st and 7th, malefics in the 4th and 10th |
| Yava (barley grain) | Malefics in the 1st and 7th, benefics in the 4th and 10th |
| Kamala (lotus) | All planets in the four kendras |
| Vapi (well) | All planets in the houses next to the kendras (2, 5, 8, 11) or all in 3, 6, 9, 12 |
In four houses in a row
| Yoga | Houses |
|---|---|
| Yupa (sacrificial post) | 1st to 4th |
| Sara (arrow) | 4th to 7th |
| Sakti (spear) | 7th to 10th |
| Danda (staff) | 10th to 1st |
In seven houses in a row
| Yoga | Houses |
|---|---|
| Nauka (boat) | 1st to 7th |
| Kuta (peak) | 4th to 10th |
| Chatra (umbrella) | 7th to 1st |
| Chapa (bow) | 10th to 4th |
| Ardha Chandra (half moon) | Seven houses in a row starting from a house that is not a kendra |
In alternate houses
| Yoga | Houses |
|---|---|
| Chakra (wheel) | The six odd houses: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 |
| Samudra (ocean) | The six even houses: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 |
The meanings follow the picture. Kamala, with every planet in an angle, is praised for fame and virtue. Chakra and Samudra, with planets spread evenly round the chart, are praised for authority and wealth. Yupa (planets around the Lagna) points to a self-directed, principled life, Sara (around the 4th and 7th) to craft and effort, Sakti (around the 7th and 10th) to hard work in the outer world, and Danda (around the 10th and Lagna) to service and duty. Nauka, the boat, is linked with earning through water, travel or trade; Chatra, the umbrella, with protecting and helping others.
The seven Sankhya yogas
These simply count how many signs hold the seven planets.
| Signs occupied | Yoga | Said to show |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Veena (lute), also called Vallaki | Love of music and the arts, many friends, a cheerful leader |
| 6 | Dama (garland) | Generous, helpful to others, respected |
| 5 | Pasa (noose) | Skilful at work, talkative, many people around them, many ties and duties |
| 4 | Kedara (field) | Practical, truthful, helpful, gains from land or steady work |
| 3 | Sula (trident) | Sharp, brave, intense, a life of concentrated effort |
| 2 | Yuga (yoke) | Unconventional, independent of the usual social path |
| 1 | Gola (ball) | Everything focused on one area of life |
The harsh words the old texts use for Sula, Yuga and Gola describe the imbalance of a chart packed into a few signs: great force in one direction and little elsewhere. Such charts often belong to specialists.
An important rule: a Sankhya yoga counts only when no other Nabhasa yoga is present. If the planets are in four signs but those signs are the four kendras, the chart has Kamala yoga, not Kedara.
How to find yours
- Mark the signs of the seven planets from the Sun to Saturn. Ignore Rahu and Ketu.
- Are all seven in movable signs, all in fixed signs or all in dual signs? Then it is Rajju, Musala or Nala.
- Do the planets fit one of the Akriti figures by house from the Lagna, or do benefics or malefics fill three kendras?
- If nothing fits, count the signs occupied. That number gives the Sankhya yoga.
Example. A chart has the Sun, Mercury and Venus in Virgo, the Moon in Taurus, Mars in Capricorn, Jupiter in Pisces and Saturn in Gemini. All seven planets are not in one group of signs, so there is no Asraya yoga, and they do not form any of the figures. They occupy five signs (Virgo, Taurus, Capricorn, Pisces, Gemini), so the chart has Pasa yoga: a capable, busy person with many connections and responsibilities.
How much weight to give them
A Nabhasa yoga is the background of the chart. It says whether life is spread wide or concentrated, steady or mobile. The detail still comes from the Lagna, the house lords, the dashas and specific combinations such as the Pancha Mahapurusha yogas. A planet in its own or exalted sign lifts any pattern, and a so-called difficult pattern with strong planets usually shows a focused, hard-working person.
Summary
The 32 Nabhasa yogas read the spread of the seven planets across the chart. Three depend on movable, fixed and dual signs; two on benefics or malefics in the kendras; twenty on the figure the planets make; and seven on the number of signs occupied, from Veena (seven signs) down to Gola (one). They colour the whole life and do not wait for a dasha, and they are best read as the frame within which the rest of the chart works.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are Nabhasa yogas?
Nabhasa yogas are 32 patterns formed by the way the seven planets from the Sun to Saturn are spread over the signs and houses of a birth chart. They describe the general shape of a life, not one event.
Are Rahu and Ketu counted in Nabhasa yogas?
No. Only the seven visible planets, the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn, are counted.
When do Nabhasa yogas give their results?
Parashara says they work throughout life and do not depend on a particular dasha, because they describe the whole pattern of the chart.
What is the most common Nabhasa yoga?
The Sankhya yogas are the most common. Most charts have the seven planets in four, five or six signs, which gives Kedara, Pasa or Dama yoga.
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