The Strength of Planets is a measure of Isvara’s Grace in the Spheres of the Houses, which they rule

All life-events are not on the same footing in astrology. Some life-events are very significant, pleasant and memorable for individuals. Such life-events could be either benefic, bringing happiness, health, success in professional and family life, as well as in the spiritual life. Or, these significant life-events could also be undesirable [malefic], bringing unhappiness, set-backs in professional life, losses, theft, enmity, accidents, quarrels, ill-health, even death and dishonour, etc.

Especially in the SA, it is well understood that the ‘degree of auspiciousness or intensity of Grace’ in a certain life-event is proportional to the strength of that House or the strength of that House Lord, who is involved in that Transit Significant Event [TSE]. Likewise, weak planets and their weak MTHs give rise to delayed or even weak life-events, with their attendant smaller measure of success and Grace. [See also Sec. 3.(i) of Part V]

(i) ‘The Strength of Planets’ decide the nature of our life-events – an illustrative example:

For example, if the strong IVH Lord’s minor period is running, according to the ‘Vimshottari-Dasa Clock-Time’ and in the course of Transit, if this strong IVH Lord is again strong and comes under the strong benefic aspect of Jupiter, say, in the IVH, then this might lead to an expensive and a good car coming into the individual’s life, at that point of ‘Clock-Time’. Whereas, if the IVH Lord is natally rather weak and is running its sub-period and comes under the Tr influence of a strong benefic Jupiter, this might lead to the fructification in the form of only a second-hand car coming into the life of the individual. Thus, it is always the strength of the planets and the strength of the Hs they rule, which will decide the degree or magnitude of the beneficence which the Transit Significant Event [TSE] brings into the individual’s life.

Likewise, the affairs of a H suffer a delay or denial and go into a set-back whenever that house Lord is badly placed and/or , also suffers an affliction in this condition of bad-placement, thus becoming very weak. These sutras are important in the SA.

For these reasons, it is important to understand the role played by the energy of the planets. A more energetic planet [i.e. strong planet] gives a more intensely happy event, whereas a weak planet gives an event which blesses us with mild and fleeting happiness. An exalted planet in a good benefic H with a strong dispositor will give excellently auspicious results, whereas a weak planet with a weak dispositor will not only delay the fructification of the expected event, which the individual desires, but also, when the fructification does occur, that life-event will not bring intense beneficence and intense happiness, on account of the much smaller measure of grace that is associated with weak planets.

(ii) Propitiatory Charities for the FMs gradually nullify the Afflictions, which the FMs have created in the Birth- Chart:

In the SA, to alleviate such unhappy disappointments, on account of the delays and denials due to the weak FBs; these weak FBs are strengthened by means of a Kavach and the afflictions are nullified gradually, by means of Remedial Measures in the form of Propitiatory Charities. Once this is done, as the energy of the concerned planet has been raised, the manifesting life-event will certainly be a happier and more bountiful one, especially when the Kavach and the Remedial Measures have been in place for the minimum time-span of something like at least six-months to a year. Therefore, in the SA, tremendous emphasis is laid upon the saving and redeeming power of simple Remedial Measures, in the form of Propitiatory Charities, which have the power to nullify the afflictions from the FMs to an appreciable degree.

(iii) The SA ‘Strengths’ of Planets is much more reliable than ‘Shadbala’ and ‘Ashtakavarga’, used in Vedic Astrology:

In traditional VA, the strengths of planets are assessed by means of a system of strengths called Shadbala and then again there is another independent system of strengths called Ashtakavarga, which tells us in which Sign, which planet of the individual is strong or weak, etc. In the SA, we neither use the Shadbala system of strengths of the planets, nor do we use the Ashtakavarga system; but instead use, entirely different, stringent criteria for ascertaining the strengths of the planets. It often happens that even though the Shadbala assigns ‘good strengths’ to planets; from the point of view of the SA, these Shadbala strengths are found inadequate for giving reasonably good auspicious life-events. Many Vedic astrologers already know very well that often Shadbalas of planets are quite unreliable and can be quite misleading.