Understanding Houses (Bhavas) & Planets (Grahas)
The Vedic birth chart (Janma Kundali) is a celestial map divided into 12 sections called Houses (Bhavas). Within these houses reside the Planets (Grahas). The interplay between the houses, the signs they contain, and the planets occupying them forms the foundation of a personalized and accurate Vedic astrology reading from DashaClub.
The 12 Houses (Bhavas): Areas of Life
Each house represents specific areas and experiences in life. The sign occupying a house and the planets within it influence how those areas manifest for an individual. Here's a brief overview:
- 1st House (Lagna/Ascendant): Self, personality, physical body, appearance, overall vitality.
- 2nd House: Wealth, family, speech, food, early education.
- 3rd House: Siblings, courage, communication, short journeys, skills.
- 4th House: Mother, home, property, vehicles, emotional happiness, inner peace.
- 5th House: Children, creativity, intelligence, education, romance, investments.
- 6th House: Health, debts, enemies, obstacles, daily work, service.
- 7th House: Marriage, partnerships (business & personal), spouse, desires.
- 8th House: Longevity, transformation, hidden matters, inheritance, occult studies.
- 9th House: Father, fortune, higher education, spirituality, long journeys, dharma.
- 10th House: Career, profession, status, public life, karma (actions).
- 11th House: Gains, income, friendships, elder siblings, hopes, aspirations.
- 12th House: Expenses, losses, liberation (moksha), foreign lands, subconscious mind, isolation.
Quick Reference: 12 Houses and Their Significations
| House | Sanskrit | Primary Significations | Natural Significator |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Tanu Bhava | Self, body, personality, appearance | Sun |
| 2nd | Dhana Bhava | Wealth, speech, family, food | Jupiter |
| 3rd | Sahaja Bhava | Siblings, courage, communication | Mars |
| 4th | Sukha Bhava | Mother, home, vehicles, emotions | Moon |
| 5th | Putra Bhava | Children, creativity, intelligence | Jupiter |
| 6th | Ari Bhava | Enemies, disease, service, debts | Mars/Saturn |
| 7th | Kalatra Bhava | Spouse, partnerships, business | Venus |
| 8th | Randhra Bhava | Transformation, death, inheritance | Saturn |
| 9th | Dharma Bhava | Father, luck, higher learning, travel | Jupiter |
| 10th | Karma Bhava | Career, status, authority, fame | Sun/Saturn |
| 11th | Labha Bhava | Gains, friends, desires, income | Jupiter |
| 12th | Vyaya Bhava | Loss, spirituality, foreign lands | Saturn/Ketu |
The 9 Planets (Grahas): Cosmic Energies
Vedic astrology utilizes 9 primary celestial influences, known as Grahas. "Graha" translates to "that which grasps or seizes," indicating their power to influence our lives. They represent different energies and psychological functions:
- Sun (Surya): Soul, self-esteem, authority, father, vitality, leadership.
- Moon (Chandra): Mind, emotions, mother, nurturing, public perception, intuition.
- Mars (Mangal): Energy, action, courage, siblings, conflict, ambition, logic.
- Mercury (Budha): Intellect, communication, learning, analysis, adaptability, commerce.
- Jupiter (Guru): Wisdom, expansion, fortune, spirituality, teachers, higher knowledge, optimism.
- Venus (Shukra): Love, beauty, relationships, comfort, luxury, arts, pleasure.
- Saturn (Shani): Discipline, responsibility, structure, limitations, karma, longevity, detachment.
- Rahu (North Node): Obsession, ambition, foreign influences, illusion, unconventionality, future karma. (Shadow planet)
- Ketu (South Node): Detachment, spirituality, past karma, intuition, liberation, loss. (Shadow planet)
Creating Your Custom DashaClub Chart
The specific sign occupying each house (determined by your Ascendant/Lagna) and the placement of these 9 Grahas within those houses and signs create your unique birth chart. Analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, aspects, and relationships between these planets and houses allows DashaClub to provide a deeply personalized and accurate astrological interpretation, far more detailed than generic predictions.
Written by
DashaClub Vedic Astrology Team
Our team combines authentic Vedic astrology (Jyotish) methodology with modern computational precision. Every guide on DashaClub is grounded in the Vimshottari Dasha system, sidereal zodiac calculations, and traditional Parashari principles — the same methods used to generate over 50,000 personalized birth charts on our platform.