In Vedic numerology two numbers come from your date of birth. The moolank (birth number) comes from the day of the month, and the bhagyank (destiny number) comes from the whole date. Both are reduced to a single digit from 1 to 9, and each digit belongs to a graha. This page shows exactly how, with worked examples you can check by hand.
How the moolank is calculated
Take the day of the month on which you were born. If it is a single digit, that is the moolank. If it has two digits, add them, and if the total still has two digits, add again, until one digit is left.
- Born on the 7th: the moolank is 7.
- Born on the 18th: 1 plus 8 is 9, so the moolank is 9.
- Born on the 29th: 2 plus 9 is 11, and 1 plus 1 is 2, so the moolank is 2.
Because the day can only be 1 to 31, there are nine possible moolanks, and each has three or four birthdays. For example, number 1 covers the 1st, 10th, 19th and 28th, and number 4 covers the 4th, 13th, 22nd and 31st.
How the bhagyank is calculated
Write the full date as numbers, add every digit of the day, month and year together, and reduce the total to one digit in the same way.
For 15 August 1947 the digits are 1, 5, 0, 8, 1, 9, 4 and 7. They add up to 35, and 3 plus 5 is 8, so the bhagyank is 8. The moolank for the same date is 1 plus 5, which is 6.
For 29 October 1990 the digits are 2, 9, 1, 0, 1, 9, 9 and 0, which add up to 31, and 3 plus 1 is 4. The moolank is 2, since 29 reduces to 11 and then 2.
The compound number
The total before the last reduction is called the compound number. Some teachers read it as well: 29 is a compound that ends in 2, and 31 is a compound that ends in 4. The calculator shows the compound beside the single digit when there is one. How much weight to give it varies between teachers, and we use it as a footnote only.
Master numbers are not kept
Western numerology often stops at 11, 22 or 33 and treats them as master numbers. The Indian method followed here reduces every total to 1 to 9, so 11 is read as 2, 22 as 4 and 33 as 6. A few Indian teachers mention the double digit as a heightened form of the single one, which the compound number above already captures.
Which planet does each number belong to
| Number | Planet | Number | Planet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun | 6 | Venus |
| 2 | Moon | 7 | Ketu |
| 3 | Jupiter | 8 | Saturn |
| 4 | Rahu | 9 | Mars |
| 5 | Mercury |
Reading the two together
When the moolank and bhagyank are the same number, tradition reads that planet’s themes as strongly emphasised. When they differ, the books describe the moolank as the way you come across and the bhagyank as the direction of the life, and look at whether the two planets are friendly to one another. The friendly and less friendly lists are on each number’s page. They are a reflection aid, not a prediction of how any particular life will go.
Enter your date in the moolank and bhagyank calculator to have both worked out and shown with their steps. The Lo Shu grid uses the same date digits in another way, and the name number gives a third figure from your name. The numerology hub lists everything in the section.
Frequently asked questions
↳ How do I find my moolank?
Take the day of the month you were born and add its digits until one digit is left. The 23rd gives 2 plus 3, which is 5. A day of 1 to 9 is already the moolank.
↳ How do I find my bhagyank?
Add every digit of the full date of birth and reduce the total to one digit. For 15 August 1947 the digits add to 35, and 3 plus 5 gives 8.
↳ Is the month a number or a name in the calculation?
It is the number of the month: January is 1 and December is 12, so December adds as 1 plus 2.
↳ Do I use the date in my certificate or the date I celebrate?
Use the recorded date of birth. If you were born near midnight, tradition does not settle the question, and many teachers simply use the date on the certificate.
↳ Why are 11 and 22 not master numbers here?
The Indian system reduces every total to 1 to 9. Western numerology keeps 11, 22 and 33, which is one of the main differences between the two.