Discover the Characteristics of the 9 Planets in Astrology: Must Know Jyotish Fundamentals

The 9 planets, together, are called Navagrahas in Jyotish. Nava means 9 and Graha means Planet. Understand the significance of each of them in great detail and expand your Jyotish knowledge.

Initially, the characteristics of the 9 planets in Astrology are presented in summary. Later, a more fundamental deception of each one of them is given. Finally, all the characteristics of their personality are presented in detail, based on multiple criteria via images containing tables.

The tables elaborate on the characteristics of the 9 planets considering their: signification, status, sex, dressing style/clothes, primordial element, caste/varna/profession, guna, dhatu/moola/jeeva, sapt dhantu, adobe, periods, taste, trees, growth, and Deities, etc.

All the information is practically useful for reading a birth chart, analyzing annual charts, interpreting a prashna kundali, evaluating transit, finding Muhurta, and/or providing Vedic Remedies, etc.

Mother Nature has given a unique personality and some exclusive characteristics to each of these 9 planets. The positive influence of planets in a birth chart grants the native certain qualities. These qualities are directly related to the persona of the planets. We can observe that some people have outstanding qualities while others are only mediocre.

One can check the placement of planets in the birth chart and find the corresponding qualities, using the following astrological criterias:

Criterias for having qualities, given by the 9 planets in astrology are:

1. The planet must be placed in trines (1,5,9 House) in the Navamsa chart (D9) or the planet should be Vargottama.
The term Vargottama in Vedic Astrology means that the planet is placed in the same sign in the Rashi chart D1 and the Navamsa chart.

2. Alternatively, the planet should lord a trinal house in the Navamsa kundali and should be strong.
Planets placed in their exaltation sign, multrikon sign, own sign, and friendly sign are considered strong. In the exaltation sign, they have the highest strength.

The article also provides multiple Deities associated with each planet. Therefore, one can benefit from this information and worship the Gods of their choice for auspicious results in life.

9 planets and their Characteristics in Astrology in Summary:

♦ Sun: Leadership, management, spirituality, social service, knowledge of beats and rhythm (dancers/musicians), etc.

♦ Moon: Compassion, imagination, healing, nurturing, social skills, etc.

♦ Mars: Strength, courage, logical thinking, discipline, ability to defend or attack, etc.

♦ Mercury: Learning ability, analytical ability, communication, humor, flexibility, negotiation, etc.

♦ Venus: Romance, love, sensuality, worldly intelligence, artistic qualities (poetry, drawing, designing), fighting spirit, self-motivation, the spirit of enjoyment/ entertainment, etc.

♦ Jupiter: Wisdom, judgment, knowledge, righteousness, religiosity, economics/finance, law, etc.

♦ Saturn: Hard work, patience, perseverance, determination, tolerance, strictness, etc

♦ Rahu: Research, innovative thinking, diplomacy, ability to spy, scheming, cheating, etc

♦ Ketu: Intuition, mathematics, spirituality, detachment, ability to hide, ability to do precision work, etc.

9 planets and their Characteristics in Astrology: Fundamental description of each planet in detail:

 Sun or Surya Dev: The King & Top Boss

Among the 9 planets, the Sun is the king and his characteristics in astrology are: 

Jyotish Shastras describes that the Sun’s eyes are honey-colored. He has a square body. He has clean habits, is bilious (pitta prakriti), intelligent (dhiman), and has limited hair on his head. 

Surya Dev is the king of the planetary hierarchy and represents the universal soul called Sarvatma. 

His positive influence in a birth chart grants the native good leadership abilities, and good management skills, and makes him a good administrator. Therefore the person is also good at the utilization and distribution of resources. Sun, karaka of kingship and hence gives good knowledge of politics and the public sector. He also makes one good at doing social service.

Surya Dev ruling Chandas gives a good sense of rhythm that dancers, singers, or musicians have. It also makes a native very good at playing musical instrument(s).

Sun is a very spiritual planet, he is Naisargik Atma Karaka hence he develops great spiritual inclination and a person has a lot of interest in religious books of higher philosophy like (Bhagwat Geeta, Bible, Kuran, etc) because of Sun.

Being a Kshatriya by Karmas he gives good acumen to use sharp objects like sward/knives well. 

Sun is the Karaka of Raj Yoga in Jyotish.  

Gods or the Deities associated with the Sun are Lord Shiva, Bhagwan Shri Ram in Vishnu Avatar, and Devi Matangi. 

 Moon or Chandra Dev: The Queen & Bureaucrats

The Moon is the queen in the hierarchy and its characteristics are very windy (Vata Prakriti) and phlegmatic (Kapha Prakriti). He is learned and has a round body. Moon has auspicious looks and a sweet speech. He is fickle-minded and is eager to have a physical relationship (Madan-atur) or he has a lustful character.

Moon grants a native with a very fertile imagination. The native can create stories very easily like an author or make one an author.

The people blessed by the moon are excellent at comprehending psychology and become excellent psychologists. The planet is Naisargik Karaka (natural significator) for mothers hence grants great healing & carrying attitude/skills and makes excellent nurses, doctors, or healers in all domains where these skills or qualities are a prerequisite (carrying and nurturing children, old people, mentally or physically ill people).

Moon gives us a super sense of melody and grants a native a voice that can generate even dead emotions, it makes excellent singers.

Moon is also a natural significator for society in general and makes a person very social in general and grants great social skills to a native. Consequently, the person becomes likable to all.

Deities associated with the Moon are Mother Gauri/Parvati and Shri Krishna in Vishnu Avatar.

Mars or Mangal Dev: The Commander and Chief of the Army

Among the 9 planets, Mars is the commander and chief of the army and his characteristics in astrology are: 

Mangal Dev has blood-red eyes, is fickle-minded, liberal, bilious, given to anger, and has a thin waist and thin physique. 

Mars is the general of the army of Gods (Devas), is a planet of war and aggression, and represents agni tatwa  (fire element) in us. It represents initiative, courage, strength, and the ability to defend ourselves and control others when required.

Mars represents security and defense and it enables a native to acquire self-defense skills as taught in martial arts (karate, boxing, taekwondo, judo, etc). It also gives knowledge of weapons or warheads.

A positive Mars helps make a native a good and skilled engineer. Mars gives us the acumen to understand and utilize good logic. He gives us the ability to break down problems into parts and solve them systematically, one by one.

Being a fiery planet, it empowers a native to use the fire judiciously and hence helps make great cooks, and fire managers in various domains.

Being a warrior by nature he makes a native very disciplined in life and makes him a strict follower of the timetable.

Mars also gives good legal knowledge and jurisprudence (The science of juridical law; the knowledge of the laws, customs, and rights of men in a state or community, necessary for the due administration of justice).

Gods associated with Mars are lord Narasimha in Vishnu Avatar, goddess Baglamukhi, Shri Kartikeya, and Hanuman ji.

Mercury or Budh Dev: The Prince

Mercury is the prince of the planetary hierarchy. He is endowed with an attractive physique and can use words with many meanings. He is fond of jokes and fun-filled entertainment. Budh Dev has a mix of all three humors (vata, pitta, kapha).

Mercury rules bhu-tatwa (earth element) of concrete things, efforts, work, and achievements.

Mercury, being a rajsik planet (having passion) rules business, commerce, and trade. His characteristics make a person very good in fields like sales, business development, product management, marketing, and business in general.

Mercury is very good at counting and all professionals requiring this key skill are ruled by the planet (accounting, statistics, pricing, etc.).

He is the planet of scholarship, one blessed with Mercury is proficient at analyzing complex scenarios, and is very quick in learning. The planet gives excellent memory to retain things fresh in mind.

It is quite changeable and adaptable and enables one to cope with diverse situations/interlocutors rapidly.

Mercury rules speech and communication. He makes one a good communicator, who can express oneself in a concrete way (both oral and written). The planet enables one to learn many languages and makes a native brilliant teacher.

Mercury makes one good at sculpturing, weaving, copying things & reproducing them, and mimicking etc. He gives a person an excellent sense of humor and presence of mind.

Mercury also makes one adept at dancing, gymnastics yoga, etc.

Gods associated with Mercury are lord Vishnu, lord Buddha in Vishnu Avatar, and Goddess Tripura Sundari.

Jupiter or DevGuru Brihaspati: Preceptor of Devas & Minister in King’s court

Jupiter is the minister, teacher of Devas, and priest among the 9 planets. He has a big body, tawny (brown to brownish-orange color) hair, and eyes, is phlegmatic (kapha Prakriti), intelligent (with wisdom), and learned in all shastras.

The supreme characteristic of DevGuru Brihaspati is the personification of knowledge called Dhi-Shakti among us and hence gives us wisdom, discretion, and judgment. He represents universal peace and brotherhood and inculcates these qualities in a native thereby making him very respected and loved by all.

Among the 5 Tatwas (5 Building blocks of creation) it represents Akash Tatwa which gives meaning and direction to our existence. It also governs cohesion and helps bind people and things together.

Being a very deep thinker he makes a native interested in higher philosophies and makes him very philosophical.

He also gives very good knowledge of grammar and the origin of words and languages.

Being a Guru of Devas (Gods) he gives a lot of knowledge of religion, religious scriptures, and such traditional knowledge of righteousness and Dharma.

He legitimizes things in the society so that there is a proper order for all and hence gives excellent knowledge of law to a native.

Jupiter has a very wide view and makes a person excellent in subjects like geography and other related subjects.

Being Naisargik karaka (natural significator) of wealth, he blesses a native with vast knowledge of finance, economy, and optimization and enhancement of resources on a national and/or global scale.

Seeking and sharing knowledge, teaching, and showing others the right path are the karmas of Guru, consequently, Jupiter grants a native wide interest in diverse fields and helps him acquire absolute knowledge in at least one field.

Deities associated with Jupiter are Shri Vaman Dev in Vishnu Avatar, lord Dakshinamurthy (lord Shiva),  Shri Indra, Tara Devi, etc. 

Venus or Shukra Dev: Teacher of Demons and Minister in King’s court

While discussing 9 planets and their characteristics in astrology, Venus is the minister and the teacher of Demons called Asuras and is the son of Maharishi Bhrigu. He is joyful and has a charming physique, beautiful eyes, and curly hair. He is a poet and is phlegmatic and windy (kapha + vata prakriti).

Venus is the preceptor of demons (asura) called Shri Shukracharya and ruler of the entire private sector.

He is a Jala-tatwa (watery) planet and rules the feelings and emotions of human beings. He rules sensuality, love, and romance.

Shukra makes one very good in domains like painting, drawing, decoration, etc. The planet Venus bestows the ability to write beautiful poetry with rhyming words and fluidity.

He makes a native very good at designing things. It may be any kind of design right from the designer of high-tech electrical/electronic circuits, building architectures, vehicles, objects, accessories, etc.

It gives a native a very fine eye for detail, useful for many professions, and makes a native eloquent speaker.

Venus is a very knowledgeable guru and critic and gives his advice to improve things/situations.

Being a Rajo-guna (having passion) planet, he makes a native very passionate in general and maintains his procreation abilities till very old age. Venus gives a good fighting spirit to never give up or to try again and again until one gets what one wants.

People blessed by the planet have very high levels of self-motivation and they can rather motivate others to face the challenges of life. Venus has the power of Mrutunjaya Mantra to bring life force back in the dead, which is why people blessed by Venus can dare to take big challenges and can try to revive any finished situation.

Venus rules the private sector in general and gives a native good micro-management skills needed there. He is a consultant and adviser of the private sector and rules over policies, practices, business strategies, and management of the enterprise world.

Deities associated with Venus are Goddess Mahalaxmi, Goddess Sachi/Indrani, the consort of Shri Indra, Shri Parshuram in Vishnu Avatar, and Maharishi Bhrigu.

Saturn or Shani Maharaj: Common Man or Blue Collar Worker

Shani Maharaj is a laborer and a common man. He has an emaciated (very thin) and long body, tawny (orange-brown) eyes, is windy in temperament, has big teeth, is indolent (lazy) and lame, and has coarse hair.

When Saturn is strong, it represents the hard work and effort necessary for achieving success in life. His blessings give us the ability to put all our efforts into the pursuit of our goals.

Saturn gives us the capacity to digest or tolerate a lot of physical pain and mental suffering. In adverse conditions in life, Saturn helps a native face life with less difficulty.

Among the 9 planets in astrology, the characteristics of Saturn make one tolerant, patient, persistent, and determined.

Saturn helps a native have good self discipline therefore a person can impose austerity on himself like a monk. A person blessed by Shani Maharaj has an immense capacity to repeatedly do things without any frustration.

He makes a native good at doing things by hand (like sewing, making objects from clay, playing a musical instrument, etc.). Saturn also makes a native good archer.

Saturn infuses philosophy in a human being and makes him very philosophical, especially sorrow-related philosophies.

Being traditional by nature he makes a native interested in history, antiques, and/or old-fashioned things.

Deities associated with Saturn are Shri Kurma Avatar, Goddess Kali, Yamraj, and Lord Brahma.

Rahu the son of Simhika, the Dragon’s head: Spies of Kingdom

Rahu is the foreigner and the chandal in the planetary system. He is the head of the demon Swarbhanu who was executed by Shri Vishnu after the churning of oceans called Samudra Manthan. Rahu gives one the ability to break the traditional known boundaries and explore the unknown in all fields. Therefore he makes an excellent researcher and brings about innovations in the world.

Rahu makes one a very good diplomat, the person can behave in a very refined and polished manner and achieve his objectives. 

Among the 9 planets in astrology, Rahu is the most mischievous one and his characteristics make one adept at scheming, cheating, and deceiving others. In a positive sense, the person can easily understand the scheming and cheating practices of others.

He makes one an excellent spy. One can only spy if his internal motives are not known to others. Therefore, in a positive sense, they represent various kinds of spies for the government and security agencies. 

Rahu gives knowledge of poisonous/dangerous chemicals or drugs, knowledge of nuclear technology, knowledge of physics, knowledge of metallurgy or metals manufacturing, and knowledge of big modern electronics, etc.

Deities associated with Rahu are Goddess Durga, Mother Chinnamasta, and Varaha Avatar in Vishnu Avatar.

Ketu the Dragon’s Tail: Border Security of Kingdom

The last of the 9 planets in astrology is Ketu and his characteristics include detachment, renunciation, and emancipation. He is called Moksha Karaka and shows liberation from the cycle of births and rebirths. He is an outcast and times completely headless. This planet represents the body of the demon Swarbhanu, without the head.

One outstanding characteristic Ketu gives us is good Intuition abilities. It means the person has prior knowledge of the future events in his life somehow. For example, if an accident is written in your destiny it will happen for sure, but strong and positive Ketu will tell you well in advance. You can do more Japas/Mantra chanting to reduce the intensity of such negative events.

Strong Ketu gives an excellent ability to individuals to do mathematics and numbers calculations very fast.

The person is very good at hiding things and can keep many secrets, thanks to Ketu. The planet also makes the person an expert in deceiving others and he can steal things with great ease.

Abilities to do precision work with expertise is another super skill that Ketu gives to us. 

It also enables us to make or repair precision instruments like microelectronics: mobile phones, watches, and other such high-tech precision devices.

In a positive sense, Ketu represents border security agencies or guardians for any place.

Deities associated with Ketu are Shri Ganesh, Shri Matsya Avatar in Vishnu Avatar, Goddess Dhumavati, and Mother Chamunda.

9 planets and their characteristics in Astrology: Detailed description based on multiple criteria using images containing tables.

 

The Characteristics of the 9 planets in Astrology considering their signification, status, sex, dressing style/clothes, and Deities.

9 Planets and Their Characteristics in Astrology considering: signification, status, sex, dressing style/clothes, and Deities.

-Malefic Planets or Kroor Grahas are harsh, pensive, and ruthless in their conduct: Sun, Mars, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu.

-Benefic Planets or Somya Grahas are nice, kind, and compassionate in their conduct: Venus, Jupiter, (Mercury with benefic), and Moon (from 8th tithi of Shukla Paksha to 8th tithi of Krishna Paksha)

 

9 Planets and Their Characteristics in Astrology considering primordial element, caste/ varna/profession, guna, dhatu/moola/jeeva, seasons, etc.

9 Planets and Their Characteristics in Astrology considering: primordial element, caste/varna/profession, guna, dhatu/moola/jeeva, seasons, etc.

-Caste/Varna/Profession: this categorization emphasizes the work a planet does in society. There are 4 kinds of Varna in the Vedic system; their name and types of work are:

(a) Kshatriya are rulers, warriors, and administrators.

(b) Vaishya are business people, commerce & trader class

(c) Brahmin are priests, teachers-educators, healers

(d) Shudra are worker class, professionals, entertainers

-Guna are of 3 types: Sattva Guna, Rajo Guna and Tamo Guna

-Dhantu, Moola, and Jeeva characteristics show the ruling planet for metals, trees, and living beings.

Planets and Their Characteristics in Astrology Considering sapt dhantu, adobe, periods, taste, trees or growth.

9 Planets and Their Characteristics in Astrology Considering: sapt dhantu or material forming our body, adobe, periods, taste, trees or growth

-Sapt Dhantu: represents the 7 types of material that form our body. They are bones, blood, bone marrow & nerves, skin, fat, semen and muscles.

 


Read our article to learn about Gemstones (Ratna) associated with the 9 planets and why and how they affect us.

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