The Baladi states split a sign into five parts of 6°. In an odd sign they run Bala, Kumara, Yuva, Vriddha, Mrita; in an even sign the reverse. A planet gives a quarter of its results in Bala, half in Kumara, the full share in Yuva, very little in Vriddha and no result in Mrita. The Jagradadi states go by dignity: awake in its own or exaltation sign, dreaming in a friend's or neutral sign, asleep in an enemy's or debilitation sign.
☕ States, not verdicts
An avastha is a state a planet is in. These two sets describe how fully a planet can deliver what it signifies. They describe the planet, not you.
The Baladi set reads the degree (Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (Santhanam–Kapoor ed.), ch. 45, v. 3, p. 449). Each sign is cut into five parts of 6°, named for the ages of life. In an odd sign the order runs from Bala to Mrita; in an even sign it turns round. Each state carries a share of the planet's results (Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (Santhanam–Kapoor ed.), ch. 45, v. 4, p. 449); the parts are in the card “The five parts by degree” below, the shares in “Each state's share of results” further down. Mrita is a planet that gives no result. Nava's horoscope page labels the five Beginning, Half, Full, Waning and Dormant.
Jataka Parijata gives the same order of ages by degree (Jataka Parijata (tr. Subramanya Sastri), ch. II, v. 84, p. 87), though its verse does not state the width of the parts.
The Jagradadi set reads dignity (Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (Santhanam–Kapoor ed.), ch. 45, vv. 5–6, pp. 449–450): a planet is awake (Jagrat) in its own or exaltation sign, dreaming (Svapna) in a friend's or neutral sign, asleep (Sushupti) in an enemy's or debilitation sign. The results are full, middling and none.
Jataka Parijata reads the waking states from the navamsa instead of the sign (Jataka Parijata (tr. Subramanya Sastri), ch. II, v. 85, p. 89). What Nava follows: Parashara, by the sign in the rasi chart, with the compound relation to the sign's lord; each grade is in “Waking states by dignity” further down.
The ages of a planet
- Odd sign: 0°–6° Bala (Beginning), 6°–12° Kumara (Half), 12°–18° Yuva (Full), 18°–24° Vriddha (Waning), 24°–30° Mrita (Dormant)
- Even sign: 0°–6° Mrita (Dormant), 6°–12° Vriddha (Waning), 12°–18° Yuva (Full), 18°–24° Kumara (Half), 24°–30° Bala (Beginning)
- Mix-up: Mrita means harm. It means the planet gives no result of its own; nothing more.
- Mix-up: the states run the same way in every sign. In an even sign the five Baladi parts run in reverse.
- Mix-up: a sleeping planet is a bad planet. Sushupti says how much it delivers, not whether what it signifies is good.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the avasthas in Nava?
On the horoscope page, as badges beside each planet: Beginning, Half, Full, Waning or Dormant, then its Jagradadi state.
Why does the page call Mrita Dormant?
Because the book gives the state a share of nil: the planet's results are at rest. Dormant says that without a frightening word.
Do the nodes have avasthas?
Nava gives Rahu and Ketu the Baladi state, which needs only the degree. The states that need dignity are for the seven planets.
Deep dive: shares, waking states and the other states
The tables “Each state's share of results” and “Waking states by dignity”, then mood, condition and activity.
🍰 Each state's share of results
| State | Share of results |
|---|---|
| Bala (Beginning) | a quarter |
| Kumara (Half) | half |
| Yuva (Full) | the full share |
| Vriddha (Waning) | very little |
| Mrita (Dormant) | no result |
👁️ Waking states by dignity
| State | Signs |
|---|---|
| Jagrat (awake) | exalted, moolatrikona, own sign |
| Svapna (dreaming) | great friend's sign, friend's sign, neutral sign |
| Sushupti (deep sleep) | enemy's sign, great enemy's sign, debilitated |
🌗 Three more sets
The same chapter gives the Deeptadi states by dignity, the Lajjitadi states by company and house, and the Shayanadi states by a count. They are on Deeptadi, Lajjitadi and Shayanadi.
🧭 What this builds on
Dignity, and the share of results a planet gives by its sign, are on dignity and the share of results.