Ishta phala is a planet's good potential and kashta phala its bad potential; the two add up to 60. Parashara works ishta from two measures, one from exaltation and one from motion, each running from 1 to 7: ishta is ten times each less one, averaged. A second rule scores placement, from 60 good points in exaltation to none in debilitation. The Nava app does not compute this. This page explains the rule only.
☕ Two sides of one capacity
Shadbala says how able a planet is. This chapter asks a second question: of that ability, how much leans to the good and how much to the bad? The answer comes in two measures called rays (Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (Santhanam–Kapoor ed.), ch. 28, vv. 2–4, p. 289). The exaltation rays grow with the distance from the planet's debilitation point. The motional rays use the same step on the planet's cheshta kendra; for the Sun and the Moon the book gives its own starting points.
Ishta phala is ten times each measure less one, averaged; kashta phala is 60 less that (Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (Santhanam–Kapoor ed.), ch. 28, vv. 5–6, p. 290). With both measures at 7, ishta is the full 60; with both at 1, it is none.
A second rule scores placement (Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (Santhanam–Kapoor ed.), ch. 28, vv. 7–10, p. 290), in the card “The book's placement points” below. The first five places lean good, the neutral sign sits between, and the last three lean bad. Outside the rasi chart the points are halved.
Parts of this chapter cannot be read with confidence: the step that scales the rays, and the verse that weights the result by shadbala. The Nava app does not compute this. This page explains the rule only.
Good and bad points by placement
- Exalted: 60 good, 0 bad
- Moolatrikona: 45 good, 15 bad
- Own sign: 30 good, 30 bad
- Great friend's sign: 22 good, 38 bad
- Friend's sign: 15 good, 45 bad
- Neutral sign: 8 good, 52 bad
- Enemy's sign: 4 good, 56 bad
- Great enemy's sign: 2 good, 58 bad
- Debilitated: 0 good, 60 bad
- Mix-up: kashta means suffering for the person. It is a measure of the planet's bad side, the complement of ishta out of 60.
- Mix-up: ishta and shadbala are the same. Shadbala measures how able a planet is; ishta splits that ability into a good side and a bad side.
- Mix-up: the placement points are the same in every varga. They are halved outside the rasi chart.
Frequently asked questions
Is ishta phala in my Nava horoscope?
No. The rule needs a step the text does not settle, so it is explained here and not worked for any chart.
What are the rays here?
A measure from 1 to 7 used only to reach ishta. The separate chapter on planetary rays gives a different count, with its own maximum for each planet.
Why do the good and bad points always add to 60?
The book defines the bad side as 60 less the good side, at every placement.
Deep dive: the rays, and what this builds on
Where the measures come from.
☀️ Planetary rays
A later chapter counts each planet's rays on its own scale, from its maximum at deep exaltation down to none. That count is on planetary rays (rashmi).
🧭 What this builds on
The cheshta kendra the motional measure uses is on motional strength. The debilitation points are on exaltation and debilitation.