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MyBirthChart

Planetary Position Calculator

Every reading in Vedic astrology starts from one table: where each of the nine grahas actually sits at the moment you were born. This calculator lays out the **sidereal sign, exact degree, nakshatra, house, dignity, and retrograde/combust status** of all nine grahas — Sun through Ketu — computed with the Lahiri ayanamsa against Whole Sign houses.

Ayanamsa: Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) · Houses: Whole Sign · Nodes: Mean Rahu/Ketu

Don't know your birth time? We'll approximate your chart using 6:00 AM local time. The Lagna (Ascendant) and house positions will be approximate.

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James Whitfield

Reviewers

Sarah Mitchell, M.A. in Cultural Astronomy & Astrology and Marcus Reynolds, Professional Astrologer & Astronomer

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Why Planetary Positions Are the Foundation

Every yoga, dasha, and divisional chart in Vedic astrology is built from these same nine raw positions. Getting them right — with an accurate ayanamsa, precise birth time, and correct location — is the single most consequential step in any chart reading; everything downstream inherits whatever precision (or imprecision) went into this table.

How to Read This Table

Sign and degree tell you where a graha sits in the zodiac; nakshatra and pada refine that into one of 27 lunar mansions for finer-grained readings (especially dasha timing); house places it relative to your Lagna; and dignity flags whether it's exalted, debilitated, in its own sign, or otherwise — a first-pass read on how strongly that graha is likely to express its significations.

Retrograde and Combust Flags

Retrograde motion (apparent backward movement as seen from Earth) is classically read as turning a graha's energy inward or delaying its typical significations. Combustion — sitting too close to the Sun to be "visible" — is read as weakening a graha's clarity, though the Sun's own combustion status is never applicable to itself.

Planetary Position Calculator FAQs

What does "sidereal" mean and why does it matter here?
Sidereal astrology measures planetary positions against the actual fixed backdrop of stars, correcting for the ~24° precessional drift between the tropical zodiac (which tracks seasons) and where the constellations actually sit today — Vedic astrology has always used the sidereal zodiac.
Why does this site use the Lahiri ayanamsa specifically?
Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) is the ayanamsa officially adopted by the Indian government's calendar reform committee and used by the overwhelming majority of practicing Vedic astrologers, making it the standard default.
What is the difference between a graha's sign and its nakshatra?
Sign (rashi) divides the zodiac into 12 equal 30° segments; nakshatra divides it into 27 equal segments of 13°20' each — a finer subdivision used primarily for dasha calculations and detailed personality/timing readings.
Do I need my exact birth time for accurate planetary positions?
For the Moon, Rahu, and Ketu especially — the fastest-moving points — yes, since they can shift signs within hours; the slower outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn) are far less sensitive to birth-time precision.
What does "dignity" mean for a planet?
Dignity describes a planet's classical strength in the sign it occupies — exalted (strongest), own sign, friendly sign, neutral, enemy sign, or debilitated (weakest) — a key first filter for how cleanly that planet is likely to deliver its significations.

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