Planets (grahas)
The Moon (Chandra) in Vedic astrology
Chandra is the mind (manas): in Jyotish the Moon matters more than the Sun. Your dashas are counted from its nakshatra, your transits and Sade Sati from its sign, and its phase shows how much calm and resource you carry.
| Nature | Benefic |
|---|---|
| Own signs | Cancer (Karka) |
| Exaltation | Taurus (Vrishabha) |
| Debilitation | Scorpio (Vrishchika) |
| Vimshottari dasha | 10 years |
| Nakshatras | Rohini, Hasta, Shravana |
| Natural friends | Sun (Surya), Mercury (Budha) |
| Natural enemies | — |
What the Moon signifies
The Moon is the karaka of the mind, feelings, memory and the mother. It shows how a person takes in the world, what they need to feel safe, how they sleep and recover. In the body it rules the fluids, the breasts, the stomach and the left eye in men (the right in women).
The Moon is the fastest graha: it crosses a sign in about two and a quarter days and a nakshatra in roughly a day. People born on the same day share a Sun but can have different Moons — it is the Moon that makes charts individual.
Waxing and waning
Parashara counts the Moon as a benefic when it is far from the Sun, near full, and as a malefic near the new Moon. A Moon within about 72° of the Sun is weak in paksha bala: a finer sensitivity, but faster fatigue. A bright Moon gives emotional stability and the support of others.
The Moon is exalted in Taurus (deepest at 3°), owns Cancer and is debilitated in Scorpio. A Moon in Scorpio is not “bad”; it feels more deeply and for longer, and benefits from conscious work with anxiety.
The Moon as the reference point
The Chandra lagna — the chart drawn from the Moon's sign — is read alongside the ascendant, and Indian daily horoscopes (rashiphal) are given by Moon sign. The Vimshottari cycle starts from the Moon's nakshatra; the 36-guna compatibility test uses it; and Saturn's passage over the Moon and the signs either side of it is Sade Sati.
The Moon's dasha
The Moon's mahadasha lasts 10 years: home, family, the mother, property, public life and work with people. A strong Moon brings popularity and peace of mind in its dasha; an afflicted one (with Rahu, Ketu or Saturn) brings mood swings and a need to protect sleep and the nervous system.
Questions
How do I find my Moon nakshatra?
Which matters more in Jyotish, Sun sign or Moon sign?
What is Kemadruma yoga?
See also
Positions and tables: sidereal zodiac, Lahiri ayanamsha — the same as professional Jyotish astrologers use, and the same calculation as the charts in JyotiSoft. Updated 2026-10-10.
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