Cheshta bala is strength from motion. For Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn it is greatest when the planet is retrograde, nearest the Earth. The book lists eight motions with their virupas, and gives a formula, the cheshta kendra, divided by 3, without saying how the two fit together. The Sun's motional strength is his ayana bala and the Moon's is her paksha bala.
☕ Strength from motion
Seen from the Earth, the planets from Mars to Saturn speed up, slow down, stop and run backwards for a while. The book names eight such motions and gives each a strength (Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (Santhanam–Kapoor ed.), ch. 27, vv. 21–23, pp. 284–285), in the card “Motions and their virupas” below. Retrograde motion earns the most.
It then gives a formula. Take the planet's seeghrocha, a mean point tied to the Sun, and subtract the average of the planet's mean and true positions. Fold the result so it is no more than 180°, and divide by 3 (Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (Santhanam–Kapoor ed.), ch. 27, vv. 24–25, p. 285). The book does not say how the formula and the eight motions fit together.
The Sun and the Moon never turn back, so they get other measures (Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (Santhanam–Kapoor ed.), ch. 27, v. 18, p. 283): the Sun's motional strength is his ayana bala and the Moon's is her paksha bala.
The formula needs mean positions, and the book's own rates for them cannot be recovered from the text. What Nava follows: the verse's formula for Mars to Saturn, with modern mean positions in place of the book's, and the Sun's and the Moon's rule as the book gives it. It does not score the eight motions.
The book's eight motions
- Vakra (retrograde): 60 virupas
- Anuvakra (retrograde, re-entering the previous sign): 30 virupas
- Vikala (stationary): 15 virupas
- Manda (slowish): 30 virupas
- Mandatara (slower): 15 virupas
- Sama (even, gathering speed): 7.5 virupas
- Chara (fast): 45 virupas
- Atichara (fast, entering the next sign): 30 virupas
- Mix-up: a retrograde planet is weak. In shadbala it is the reverse: retrograde motion earns the most motional strength.
- Mix-up: Nava adds up the eight motions. They are the book's own figures, shown here; the strength Nava gives comes from the formula.
- Mix-up: the Sun and the Moon have no motional strength. They do; it is taken from their ayana and paksha bala.
Frequently asked questions
Where is cheshta bala in Nava?
It is the Motion column of the shadbala table on the horoscope page, in rupas.
Why does a retrograde planet score high?
A planet runs backwards when the Earth passes it, so it is at its nearest. The formula gives its largest value there.
What is the seeghrocha?
A mean point used in the old planetary theory. For Mars, Jupiter and Saturn it is the mean Sun; for Mercury and Venus it is the planet's own mean position around the Sun.
Deep dive: where motion feeds in next
Good and bad potential, and what this builds on.
🔁 Ishta and kashta
The book combines a planet's exaltation strength and motional strength into its good and bad potential. That rule is on ishta and kashta.
🧭 What this builds on
This is the motional part of shadbala. The Sun's and the Moon's measures are on time strength.