We know that this universe consists of different kinds of energies. Not all the energies work with each other. They work against each other too in certain situations. We have seen conflicts between human beings, animals, birds, or any living creatures. Conflicts exist even with different countries or groups within the country.

Planets also do engage in a conflict like situations. When the energy of two planets comes in contact with each other, some kind of disharmony may arise. In astrology, this phenomenon is called Graha Yuddha or planetary war. Now the question is how close the two planets should come in contact which can be termed as planetary war. Dictums say when the distance between the planets becomes less than one degree, it can be considered as a planetary war.

When we say two planets in the same degree/longitude, they may not be situated very close to each other. They may be located thousands of kilometers apart. But when we are looking from the perspective of the Earth, they almost will be situated in a straight line.

Planetary war can occur with two or more planets, but only non-luminaires like Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn can be involved. Sun and Moon cannot be engaged in planetary war. Rahu and Ketu are also excluded from planetary war. Because when any planet comes near the Sun, it is called combustion as anything comes near the Sun will get burnt, whereas any planet that comes near the Moon, either becomes a source of strength or affliction to the Moon (Mind) depending on the lordship of that planet. As Rahu and Ketu are not physical bodies and generally they afflict other planets, there will be no question of Graha yudha.

Naturally, when two planets are involved in Graha yuddha, one will be victorious and the other will be defeated. The defeated planet will be unable to contribute positively for the native or on mundane matters. Also, most of the time, the victorious planet will take the charge of karakas of the defeated planet. But whenever graha yuddha occurs, the karakas of that particular house will have an adverse impact.

How to determine the winning planet

There are two factors that are very important in planetary war. It is very important to determine whether the planetary war is already over or it is yet to happen. Imagine two planets moving in the same direction. When a fast-moving planet crosses the longitude of a slow-moving planet or in other words, the longitude of a fast-moving planet is higher than the longitude of a slower moving planet, we can say that the planetary war is already over (or the effect will be very minimal). When the fast-moving planet is closing on a slow-moving planet within 1 degree of longitude (or the longitude of a fast-moving planet is less than the longitude of slow-moving planet and it is within 1-degree difference), we can say that planetary war is yet to happen. If they are moving in the opposite direction, we have to reverse the above calculations.

Brihat Samhita states that there are four possibilities of planetary war based on the longitude and direction of movement. They are, Bheda, Ullekha, Amsumardana, and Apasavya.

Bheda

When two planets appear to be moving in the same direction and one planet obstructs the view of the other. On account of overlapping they fight with each other. This is also called an occultation, where one planet is hidden by another planet that passes between it and the observer. In this case, Graha yuddha occurs when a fast moving planet comes closer to a slow moving planet provided both are moving in the same direction. Therefore, a fast moving planet will have less longitude than a slow moving planet.

Ullekha

When rims or discs of two planetary paths touch each other, but do not overlap. Because of the difference in latitudes, the two planets may not get overlapped. This is also called Rodhanam (Obstruction).

Amsumardana

When the rays of two planets appear to clash each other. It is also known as Rashmi mardana or Kirana sanghatana (clash of rays).

Apasavya

When a disc of one planet covers the other moving from another direction (retrograde motion), it is called as Apasavya. In this case, the planets appear to move from different directions (one of the planets will be retrograde), hence a planet with higher longitude is going for war against another planet.

Till now we have learned whether the Graha yuddha is over or yet to happen and also we have seen which planet is advancing to war towards which planet. Still, it is not clear who is winning the battle. To know that, we have to know the latitude of the planet. Most of the astrology Softwares will provide the latitude details.

Most of the scriptures state that a planet with a higher latitude compared to the other wins the war. There are three possibilities.

1. When both the planets are north of the ecliptic (apparent path of the Sun in the sky), the planet with higher latitude wins.
2. When both are on the southern side of the ecliptic (they will be marked with negative sign), the planet with less southern latitude wins.
3. When one of the planets is in the north of ecliptic and the other in south (negative), then the planet which is in the northern part will win.

However, there is one exception to the above rules with respect to Venus. Most of the scriptures proclaim that Venus will always win the war whether situated in north or south. Because Venus is by far the brightest planet in our solar system. The brightness of Venus can overshadow other planets.

Effects of Planetary War

When two planets are in Graha yuddha, the victorious planet will gain in strength and the vanquished planet will lose its significance. The house significations and karakatwas of the losing planet will be considerably diminished for the native or in mundane matters. The more a planet gets troubled, the more it creates anguish.

Effect on Mundane Astrology

As per Brihat Samhita, the effect of four different types of planetary war on mundane astrology are as follows.

Bheda yuddha (occultation) Rainfall will be disrupted and there will be disharmony within families and with friends. Kings or rulers will face more problems. It can also cause clashes between large tribes or ethnic groups.

Ullekha (obstruction) - There can be warlike situations/civil unrest or the use of large scale weapons. Rulers may face a revolt from subordinates. There can be a scarcity of food and which may lead to famine.

Amsumardana (clash of rays) - There can be fight or war between rulers or countries. People may suffer from disease and poverty

Apasavya - There can be large scale fights between the ruling class (internal or outside). Rulers' decision may go against people.