What is Ashtakavarga? Understanding the 337-Point System

Ashtakavarga is one of the most practical yet underused tools in Vedic astrology. It is a scoring system where each of the seven grahas (Sun through Saturn) contributes benefic points, called bindus, to each of the twelve zodiac signs. The word "ashta" means eight — the points are contributed from eight reference points: the seven planets plus the Ascendant (Lagna).

The system was described in the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (BPHS) and is primarily used for two purposes: judging the strength of signs and houses in a birth chart, and assessing the quality of planetary transits.

The Constant 337

Each planet has a fixed total of bindus it contributes, regardless of the chart. These totals are properties of the system itself, not of any individual horoscope:

This total of 337 is the same for every single horoscope. What changes is how those 337 bindus are distributed across the twelve signs. That distribution is what makes each chart unique in its Ashtakavarga profile.

BAV and SAV: Two Levels

Bhinnashtakavarga (BAV) is the individual chart for each planet. It shows how many bindus that specific planet contributes to each of the twelve signs. For example, Sun's BAV might show 6 bindus in Aries, 4 in Taurus, 3 in Gemini, and so on — always totaling 48.

Sarvashtakavarga (SAV) is the master chart. It adds together all seven BAVs, giving each sign a combined score out of 56 (the maximum possible, since each of the 8 reference bodies can contribute 1 bindu per sign, and 7 planets × 8 = 56). The twelve SAV scores always sum to exactly 337.

How to Read SAV Scores

The average SAV score per sign is 337 ÷ 12 = 28.08. Signs are then interpreted relative to this average:

• 30+ bindus — Strong sign. Transits through this sign tend to deliver positive results.
• 25–29 bindus — Moderate. Transits here have mixed effects.
• Below 25 — Weak. Transits through this sign may struggle to manifest or produce challenges.

Why Ashtakavarga Matters for Transits

Knowing that Saturn is transiting your 10th house tells you the area of life affected (career). But it doesn't tell you whether that transit will be beneficial or difficult. Ashtakavarga answers that question: if the sign Saturn is transiting has a high SAV score (30+), the transit is likely to produce positive career outcomes. If the score is low (below 25), the same transit may bring obstacles or delays.

This is what makes Ashtakavarga so valuable — it provides a quantitative basis for what would otherwise be qualitative guesswork about transit results.

Computing Ashtakavarga

Each planet has a table of benefic places (houses) counted from eight reference points: itself, the other six planets, and the Lagna. For example, when the Sun is in a particular sign, it contributes a bindu to houses 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 from its own position. These tables are fixed by BPHS and are the same for all horoscopes.

What changes is where the planets actually are in your chart. The contribution pattern is the same, but it lands on different signs depending on the natal positions.