बालादि अवस्था Bālādi Avasthā

The baladi avasthas describe a planet's age: infant, adolescent, youthful, old, or spent — how much of its power is available, depending on where it sits within its sign. Two planets can share a sign and still be worlds apart in what they deliver, and one reason is age. As a planet crosses its 30° sign it is treated as living a lifetime in miniature: newborn and barely able (Bala), growing (Kumara), in full youthful vigour (Yuva), aging and tiring (Vriddha), and at last spent (Mrita). A planet in its youthful middle gives its significations at full strength; one that is infant or dying promises the same things but can hardly carry them out. There is a twist worth knowing — the ages run forward through the odd signs but backward through the even ones — so position within the sign, not the sign alone, decides how much life a planet has to spend. It is a reminder that dignity is not the whole story: even a well-placed planet may be too young or too old to do much with its gifts.