A yoga is a specific combination of planets that classical Jyotish treats as meaningful — two planets in a particular relationship, or a house lord in a particular place. There are hundreds in the literature. This is a reference to the ones you are most likely to encounter, each with the exact chart condition that forms it, so you can check your own chart rather than take anyone’s word for it.
Two things worth saying up front. First, several of the most famous yogas are extremely common — Gajakesari occurs in roughly a third of charts and Budha-Aditya in a large share — so being told you have one is rarely the distinction it sounds like. Second, the difficult yogas are the ones most often used to sell remedies, and most of them have well-established cancellation conditions that go unmentioned. Both are noted on each page below.
Our free kundli detects 11 of these deterministically from your birth chart and will not claim any yoga it hasn’t actually verified. The rest are documented here as manual checks.
Mars in its own sign (Aries or Scorpio) or exalted (Capricorn), placed in a kendra — the 1st, 4th, 7th or 10th house from the Lagna.
Bhadra Yoga· auto-detectedMercury in its own sign (Gemini or Virgo) or exalted (Virgo), placed in a kendra from the Lagna.
Hamsa Yoga· auto-detectedJupiter in its own sign (Sagittarius or Pisces) or exalted (Cancer), placed in a kendra from the Lagna.
Malavya Yoga· auto-detectedVenus in its own sign (Taurus or Libra) or exalted (Pisces), placed in a kendra from the Lagna.
Shasha Yoga· auto-detectedSaturn in its own sign (Capricorn or Aquarius) or exalted (Libra), placed in a kendra from the Lagna.
A lord of a kendra (1st, 4th, 7th, 10th) and a lord of a trikona (1st, 5th, 9th) in conjunction, in mutual aspect, or in exchange of signs.
Viparita Raja YogaLords of the 6th, 8th or 12th houses placed in one another’s houses — a dushthana lord sitting in a dushthana.
Neecha Bhanga Raja YogaA debilitated planet whose debilitation is cancelled — most commonly when the lord of the sign it occupies, or the lord of its exaltation sign, sits in a kendra from the Lagna or the Moon.
Amala YogaA natural benefic — Jupiter, Venus, or unafflicted Mercury — placed in the 10th house from the Lagna or from the Moon.
Saraswati YogaJupiter, Venus and Mercury all placed in kendras, trikonas or the 2nd house, with Jupiter strong — in its own, exalted or friendly sign.
Parivartana Yoga· auto-detectedTwo planets occupying each other’s signs — the lord of house A in house B while the lord of house B sits in house A.
Chamara YogaThe Lagna lord exalted and placed in a kendra while aspected by Jupiter; or, in the alternative formulation, two benefics together in the 1st, 7th, 9th or 10th house.
Kahala YogaThe 4th and 9th lords in kendras from one another, with the Lagna lord strong; or the 4th lord exalted or in own sign while the 10th lord is likewise placed.
The lords of the 2nd (accumulated resources) and 11th (gains) in relationship with the lords of the 1st, 5th or 9th — by conjunction, aspect or exchange.
Lakshmi YogaThe 9th lord in its own or exaltation sign placed in a kendra or trikona, with the Lagna lord simultaneously strong.
Vasumati YogaNatural benefics — Jupiter, Venus and Mercury — occupying the upachaya houses, the 3rd, 6th, 10th and 11th, counted from the Lagna or the Moon.
Parvata YogaBenefics occupying the kendras while the 6th and 8th houses are empty or occupied only by benefics; or the Lagna and 12th lords in kendras or trikonas with benefic aspect.
Jupiter placed in a kendra from the Moon — the same sign as the Moon, or the 4th, 7th or 10th from it.
Chandra-Mangala YogaThe Moon and Mars conjunct in the same sign, or in mutual aspect.
Sunapha YogaOne or more planets other than the Sun — and excluding Rahu and Ketu — occupying the 2nd house from the Moon.
Anapha YogaOne or more planets other than the Sun — and excluding Rahu and Ketu — occupying the 12th house from the Moon.
Durudhara YogaPlanets other than the Sun occupying both the 2nd and the 12th houses from the Moon simultaneously.
Adhi YogaNatural benefics — Jupiter, Venus and Mercury — occupying the 6th, 7th and 8th houses counted from the Moon.
Mercury conjunct the Sun in the same sign.
Vesi YogaA planet other than the Moon — and excluding Rahu and Ketu — occupying the 2nd house from the Sun.
Vasi YogaA planet other than the Moon — and excluding Rahu and Ketu — occupying the 12th house from the Sun.
Ubhayachari YogaPlanets other than the Moon occupying both the 2nd and the 12th houses from the Sun.
No planet other than the Sun in either the 2nd or the 12th house from the Moon — the Moon standing entirely without planetary company on either side.
Shakata YogaThe Moon placed in the 6th, 8th or 12th house from Jupiter.
Grahan YogaThe Sun or the Moon conjunct Rahu or Ketu in the same sign.
Daridra YogaMost commonly described as the 11th lord (gains) placed in a dushthana — the 6th, 8th or 12th house — or afflicted lords of the 2nd and 11th.
Generate a free kundli to see which of these are actually present in your chart, alongside your Lagna, nakshatra and dasha timeline.
Create your free kundliRelated: doshas explained · the 27 nakshatras · the 9 mahadashas