Planet Dignity and Combustion Calculator
Dignity describes how well placed a planet is in its sign, and combustion marks planets lying close to the Sun. This tool checks both for the seven planets in your birth chart.
The levels of dignity
Each planet has a sign of exaltation, where it is traditionally strongest, and a sign of debilitation directly opposite. The exaltation points used here are the Sun at 10 degrees Aries, the Moon at 3 degrees Taurus, Mars at 28 degrees Capricorn, Mercury at 15 degrees Virgo, Jupiter at 5 degrees Cancer, Venus at 27 degrees Pisces and Saturn at 20 degrees Libra. Exaltation and debilitation apply to the whole sign.
Moolatrikona is a stretch of degrees in one sign where a planet works close to its best, such as the Sun from 0 to 20 degrees Leo or Saturn from 0 to 20 degrees Aquarius. The Moon and Mercury have exaltation and moolatrikona in the same sign. For them, exaltation ends at the exaltation degree and moolatrikona takes over after it.
If none of these apply, the tool checks whether the planet is in a sign it rules. Failing that, it looks at the compound friendship between the planet and the lord of its sign, and labels it great friend, friend, neutral, enemy or great enemy. The checks run in a fixed order: exalted, debilitated, moolatrikona, own sign, then the relation to the sign lord.
Combustion
A planet is called combust when it lies within a set distance of the Sun in longitude. The distances used are 12 degrees for the Moon, 17 for Mars, 14 for Mercury, 11 for Jupiter, 10 for Venus and 15 for Saturn. When Mercury is retrograde its limit narrows to 12 degrees, and for retrograde Venus it narrows to 8. The Sun itself cannot be combust.
The table shows each planet's distance from the Sun next to its limit, so you can see whether it is well inside the range or near the edge. Celestial latitude is not taken into account.
Reading the result
Each row gives the planet's sign, degree, retrograde status, dignity, sign lord, relation to that lord, and combustion details. Read dignity and combustion together with house placement and aspects, since astrologers rarely judge a planet from one factor alone. These labels describe traditional associations from Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra and the Surya Siddhanta, not predictions.
Positions are sidereal with the Lahiri ayanamsa and whole signs. Rahu and Ketu are not included. The calculation is done by MyAstroLuck's own engine.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between own sign and moolatrikona?
Own sign is any sign the planet rules. Moolatrikona is a narrower range of degrees, usually in one of those signs, that tradition ranks above own sign.
Why is the Moon in Taurus sometimes exalted and sometimes moolatrikona?
Both fall in Taurus. The tool treats the Moon as exalted up to 3 degrees Taurus and as moolatrikona from 3 degrees onward. Mercury in Virgo works the same way around 15 degrees.
What does combust mean?
The planet lies within a set number of degrees of the Sun in longitude. The table shows the distance and the limit used for each planet.
Why does retrograde change the combustion limit?
Traditional rules give Mercury and Venus a narrower limit when they are retrograde: 12 degrees for Mercury and 8 for Venus.
Which ayanamsa is used?
The Lahiri ayanamsa, with whole signs.
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