Since the nodes , Rahu & Ketu do not have a physical body , hence they have been left out of the strength calculations. However, since the nodes Rahu & Ketu work as proxies, they deliver their results with the same strength or intensity as the graha they follow in the chart.

This specific strength or number is known as shadbala in vedic astrology and according to maharishi parasara of the Brihat parasara hora shastra, shadbala is a type of spashta bala or specific strength and must always be considered and calculated.

No matter what superior raja yogas or other auspicious yogas are formed , just as a skilled warrior cannot win wars without the right type of weapons, even the best of grahas and yogas cannot deliver if they do not meet the required strength number.

On the contrary , sometimes we desire or thank for certain grahas to be weak or have come up short of that magic number, since these are the grahas that are most malefic or inauspicious in the chart and them being weak is actually a blessing in disguise as now they wouldn’t be able to harm with full potency and even if the person laxed a bit on remedies, he could still be doing okay.

But imagine the same malefics now with 150-200% power, and you surely have end of life scenarios at hand when the right dasha comes along and should these malefic planets associate or aspect some other good grahas who also tend to be weaker than them, their promises are also held back and not delivered in full.

Thus , from the point of view of understanding why certain areas of life are more troublesome than others and why certain aspects of life are naturally so lucky for us, analysis of shadbala is a must.

Even from the viewpoint of wearing gemstones or choosing the urgency of which remedies need to be focused upon for major changes in life to be seen, without the calculation , analysis and understanding of shadbala , its pretty much a shot in the dark.

In a future post, I will elaborate on the finer mathematical calculations that go into arriving the magical power index number and wanted to keep this post about the concept , use and importance of shadbala.

Maharshi parasara in the BPHS states :-

“Balheena tadi haani, sabale cha mahaphalam”

Which means, grahas which have lost their strengths or are less than 100% cause loss of their characteristics and the ones which are 100% or more give great results.

So irrespective of whether the graha is benefic or malefic, if it is low in shadbala , it will cause loss of results and if extra strong , great and powerful results must be expected.

In future posts, I will also discuss how individual panchanga elements are impacted by shadbala scores and how this affects the native on a daily basis.