Ashtakavarga: A Points System for Planetary Strength
Ashtakavarga is one of the most practical tools in Vedic astrology, and one of the least understood by newcomers. Where most chart-reading is interpretive, ashtakavarga is refreshingly numerical: it scores the strength of each sign with simple points, giving an at-a-glance map of where a chart is strong and where it is thin. It is especially valued for judging transits — for asking, in plain terms, whether a planet passing through a sign is likely to help or to struggle.
The idea behind the points
Ashtakavarga means 'the eightfold division'. For each planet, the system looks at how it relates to the seven planets plus the ascendant — eight reference points in all — and awards each sign a 'good' point, called a bindu, for every favourable relationship. A sign that earns many bindus from these eight contributors is considered supportive; one that earns few is considered weak. The result is a tidy grid of numbers laid over the zodiac, turning a tangle of relationships into something you can simply read off.
Bhinnashtakavarga and Sarvashtakavarga
There are two levels. The bhinnāṣṭakavarga is the individual chart for a single planet — say, the bindus each sign earns for Jupiter alone — which shows where that one planet is supported across the zodiac. The sarvāṣṭakavarga is the grand total: all the planets' charts added together, so each sign carries a combined score. A sign with a high sarva total is broadly strong; the whole zodiac's bindus add up to a fixed number, so the chart shows clearly where a person's strength is concentrated.
Reading transits with ashtakavarga
Ashtakavarga shines when judging transits. When a slow planet like Saturn or Jupiter moves into a sign, its bindu score in that sign (and in your sarva chart) suggests how the transit is likely to feel: a high score points to a more supported, productive passage, a low score to a more testing one. This is exactly why ashtakavarga is so loved for timing — it adds a concrete, numerical second opinion to the more interpretive reading of a transit, and it is hard to argue with a number.
What ashtakavarga is good for — and its limits
Used well, ashtakavarga is a clear strength meter: it shows which signs and houses a chart leans on, and it grounds transit predictions in something measurable. But it is one tool among many, not the whole craft. A high bindu count does not override the meaning of a difficult placement, and a low one does not erase a strong planet. The honest reading uses ashtakavarga as a sanity check alongside the houses, the daśā and the divisional charts — a number to inform judgment, never to replace it.
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See your ashtakavarga →Frequently asked questions
What is a bindu in ashtakavarga?
A bindu is a single 'good' point awarded to a sign when one of the eight reference points (the seven planets plus the ascendant) relates to it favourably. The more bindus a sign collects, the more supportive it is considered for the planet in question.
What is the difference between bhinnashtakavarga and sarvashtakavarga?
Bhinnāṣṭakavarga is the bindu chart for a single planet, showing where that one planet is supported. Sarvāṣṭakavarga is the combined total across all the planets, giving each sign an overall strength score — a quick map of where the whole chart is strong.
How is ashtakavarga used for transits?
When a planet transits a sign, its bindu score in that sign (and your overall sarva score) suggests how supported the transit is likely to be — a higher count points to a smoother, more productive passage, a lower one to a more testing one. It adds a numerical second opinion to transit reading.
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