Divisions of Time in a Day

There are different ways in which a day is reckoned as per the Hindu calendar when compared to the conventional system which is used for all practical purposes. As per normal wisdom it is generally perceived and believed that a day commences at the stroke of midnight right at the dot of 12 AM at any part of the world and runs up till the next day when 24 hours passes paving the way for the next day to begin. This is evident with new year celebrations being held right at the stroke of 12 AM and even while wishing people Birthdays, there is a notion to wish them right on the money when the clock hits 12 AM. Even India is said to have obtained Independence right at the stroke of midnight at the mark of 12 AM when the date moved to 15th August 1947.

Having said all this, the interesting thing to note is that based on Hinduism there is a sea of difference when it comes to how a day is to be reckoned. For a Hindu day, the guiding reference point happens to be the time of Sunrise and a day is said to commence from sunrise until the next day of sunrise when the next day is said to commence. Because the sunrise time holds fort, one would see different places recording different times of start and end when reckoning a day. Even coming to general logic, in many of the calendars one would see a start time of 6 AM igniting the start of the day as it happens to be the closest approximate ball park time when sunrise is said to occur across India and most other countries. However to be exact and when fixing the time for important events, only sunrise time needs to be taken and 6AM should be considered just for ease of use and as an approximate calculation. Thus, there is a clear head and shoulders difference of at least 6 hours when a day is reckoned as per practical norms (12 AM) and when considering the time for fixing and calculating auspicious time intervals (6AM) as per the Hindu system. 

Before delving into the different time divisions as per the Hindu system, let us briefly look into the different time horizons popular in the western world. These are not exactly defined but generally tends to be followed. On a larger framework, a day tends to be divided into 3 parts viz Morning, Afternoon and Evening. Morning is said to run from Midnight (12AM) until Midday (12PM) followed by a 6 hour slot for Afternoon running from 12PM to 6PM and the remaining 6 hours of the day namely from 6PM to 12AM being the time of Evening. This can be extended into 7 zones with the ending period being given separate names with 12AM being classified as Midnight, 12PM called as Midday, 6AM or around sunrise termed as Dawn and around 6PM or sunset being classified as Dusk. This can again be classified into 14 parts with Afternoon comprising of Early Afternoon, Mid Afternoon and Late Afternoon, Evening consisting of Early Evening, Mid Evening, Late evening and entire Morning portion which runs from 12AM to 12PM being classified as Late Night, Early Morning, Mid Morning and Late Morning and on top of that we have the 4 markers of Midday, Midnight, Dawn and Dusk. Sometimes it is also believed that the split of the day which is divided into 3 viz Morning, Afternoon and Evening can actually be split as 4 with equal windows for Morning, Afternoon, Evening and also a Night portion included from 12AM to 6PM. 

Let's now look at the various time divisions in a day which are prevalent in the Indian system

2 part time division: (1 in day and 1 in night)
As mentioned earlier, the constitution of a Hindu or Vedic day runs from the commencement of sunrise until the next sunrise. The entire day from Sunrise to next day Sunrise is divided into 2 portions viz the part from Sunrise to Sunset and from Sunset to next day Sunrise. The former is known as day time and the latter is known as night time. The time duration may not be equal for both but for an equal day and night portion in a day, it can be said to comprise of 12 hours each with sunrise portion running from 6AM to 6PM and Sunset portion from 6PM to 6AM of next day.

4 part time division: (2 in day and 2 in night)
As per Tamil timekeeping, dividing the day into 4 portions is called as 'Naal Naanku Kaalam' translating to four periods of the day. They are classified as under:
1) Kaalaiyil (Morning): 6 AM to 12 PM
2) Mathiyil (Afternoon): 12 PM to 6 AM
3) Maalai (Evening): 6 PM to 12 AM
4) Iravu (Night): 12 PM to 6 AM

6 part time division: (3 in day and 3 in night)
As per Tamil tradition, an entire day happens to be divided into 6 periods ('Pozhudhugal') with 3 of the periods being during day time and 3 of the periods occurring during night time. The classification is as given below:
1) Kaalai (Morning): 6 AM to 10 AM
2) Nanpagazh (Noon): 10 AM to 2 PM
3) Yerpaadu (Afternoon): 2 PM to 6 PM
4) Maalai (Evening): 6 PM to 10 PM
5) Yamam (Night): 10 PM to 2 AM
6) Vaigarai (Dawn): 2 AM to 6 AM

Coming to Astrology treatise, as per the age old classic "Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra", one of the features in ascertaining the six fold strength of planets is through the rule of Tribhagha Bala where day and night is said to be divided into 3 equal parts with specific planets gaining strength accordingly based on the time of birth. The information of the same is shared below:
Day Time First Part: 6 AM to 10 AM - Mercury becomes strong
Day Time Second Part: 10 AM to 2 PM - Sun becomes strong
Day Time Third Part: 2 PM to 6 PM - Saturn becomes strong
Night Time First Part: 6 PM to 10 PM - Moon becomes strong
Night Time Second Part: 10 PM to 2 AM - Venus becomes strong
Night Time Third Part: 2 AM to 6 AM - Mars becomes strong
Jupiter is always said to be strong at any point of the day or night. Also as per one tradition, it is said that Jupiter is the torchbearer of the Panchang element of 'Vara' which makes perfect sense based on its assertion that it's always strong irrespective of whether birth takes place during day time or night time.

8 part time division: (4 in day and 4 in night)
There is another time division which divides an entire day into 8 parts allotting 4 parts to the day and 4 parts to the night. This is called 'Prahara' which is a Sanskrit term for unit of time. The first Prahara is said to begin at Sunrise and the 4th Prahara is said to end when Sunset begins. Likewise the 5th Prahara starts when Sunset begins and the last Prahara ends with the completion of Sunset leading to Sunrise of the next day.  The names of the Praharas and the time slot of approximately 3 hours each is listed below
1) Purvaanha (Day): 6 AM to 9 AM
2) Madhyaanha (Day): 9 AM to 12 PM
3) Aparaanha (Day): 12 PM to 3 PM
4) Saayankaala (Day): 3 PM to 6 PM
5) Pradosha (Night): 6 PM to 9 PM
6) Nishitha (Night): 9 PM to 12 AM
7) Triyaama (Night): 12 AM to 3 AM
8) Usha (Night): 3 AM to 6 AM

10 part time division: (5 in day and 5 in night)
Somewhat similar to Prahara, there is another sub division as per the Hindu calendar which divides both the day time hours and night time hours into 5 equal parts. For an equal day and night, this would equate to 2 hours 24 minutes each. The names of it is given below
1) Prata (Day): 6 AM to 8:24 AM
2) Sangava (Day): 8:24 AM to 10:48 AM
3) Madhyahna (Day): 10:48 AM to 1:12 PM
4) Aparaanha (Day): 1:12 PM to 3:36 PM
5) Sayana (Day): 3:36 PM to 6 PM
6) Pradosha (Night): 6 PM to 8:24 PM
7) Ratri (Night): 8:24 PM to 10:48 PM
8) Madhya Ratri (Night): 10:48 PM to 1:12 AM
9) Apa Ratri (Night): 1:12 AM to 3:36 AM
10) Prata Sandhya (Night): 3:36 AM to 6 AM

Also, as per ancient tamil literature, there is a system called as 'Pancha Pakshi' where Pancha means the number '5' and Pakshi means 'Bird'. It is believed that the 5 elements of Air, Fire, Water, Earth and Ether are represented by these birds and each of these birds Vulture, Owl, Crow, Cock and Peacock performs an activity for the 2 hours and 24 minutes allotted which includes Eating, Walking, Ruling, Sleeping and Dying. The method of splitting the day time and night time into 5 parts is termed as 'Yama'.
For more detailed discourse on Pancha Pakshi Shastra, one can refer to the below link:
https://tuningmymelody.blogspot.com/2019/04/time-technique-of-pancha-pakshi-shastra.html?m=0

16 part time division: (8 in day and 8 in night)
This classification of time is of prime importance as it's actually used for decoding auspicious and inauspicious time slots within a day. There are three different methodologies which is earmarked in the calculation of the definition of time.

Kala Vela: This is used to mark the designated time zones by each of the 7 planets viz Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. There are 8 periods of about 1 hour and 30 minutes each within Sunrise and Sunset but only 7 planets to be assigned. Hence the extra portion is considered to be headless and a blank or Lordless portion is assigned to it. There is however a thought process given to mention it as Rahu but that portion is not necessarily the time period for 'Rahu Kalam' and hence should not be confused. The time period ruled by Jupiter and Saturn are said to be Yama Ghanta Kala and Gulika Kala respectively which is used in ascertaining time slots for activities.

Gowri Panchanga: This is used especially in Tamil Nadu especially to delineate important activities to be performed based on allotting the time slots into 8 each for sunrise and sunset. Here the 8 parts are assigned to the 7 planets Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn and the 8th portion is given specifically to Rahu and that forms the basis for Rahu Kalam which is used quite extensively as a period to avoid in the South especially while performing auspicious tasks.

Chogadiya: This is again kind of similar to Gowri Panchanga but sticks to only 7 planets excluding Rahu and there is also no blank portion as given by Kala Vela. This is used like a Muhurtha timing in the North of India and the 8th portion within Sunrise again happens to be the planet ruling the first portion and the sequence follows in similar vein across the whole day.

It should be noted that the calculation differs for all of Kala Vela, Gowri Panchanga and Chogadiya depending upon the weekday in operation. A detailed exposition listing out the uses and it's calculation has been laid out below in this link:
https://tuningmymelody.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-8-unit-division-of-time-cycle-kala.html?m=0

24 part time division: (24 in entire day from Sunrise to next day Sunrise)
This concept is called as 'Hora' which divides the entire day from Sunrise to next day Sunrise allotting one hour each for all 7 planets viz Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. The day always starts with the Hora ruling the day viz Sun for Sunday, Moon for Monday, Mars for Tuesday, Mercury for Wednesday, Jupiter for Thursday, Venus for Friday and Saturn for Saturday. There is a debate however whether this needs to be split as 12 each for Sunrise and Sunset respectively but it does not really serve the element of 'Hora' which technically means Hour or 60 minutes. If Sunrise time happens to be let's say 13 hours and Sunset only 11 hours, then almost 65 minutes will be assigned for a planet during day time and only 55 minutes during night time. It defeats the very existence of the name 'Hora' and the time span between one sunrise to next sunrise is always on the ball park of 24 hours with just a minute or two adjusted here or there which makes one hour for a planet being assigned far more weight age. The Hora gets calculated in the order of the most slowest planet to the most fastest planet which goes in the form of Saturn -> Jupiter -> Mars -> Sun -> Venus -> Mercury -> Moon.

A more detailed explanation of the concept of Hora and how it's calculation is obtained is available on the below link:
https://tuningmymelody.blogspot.com/2019/04/timing-events-with-gowri-panchanga-and.html?m=0

30 part time division: (15 in day and 15 in night)
This is termed as 'Muhurta' and is of utmost importance when fixing time for various events. There are 30 Muhurta's in a day with 15 being part of day time and the remaining 15 considered during night time. 'Muhurta' is a Hindu unit of time and denotes a division of a period of 1/30th of a day which is roughly 48 minutes each. Each Muhurta is said to further break into smaller units of time such as 1 Muhurta of 48 minutes can be segregated into 30 Kalas (1 Kala = 1.6 Minutes or 96 seconds) and each Kala can be further bifurcated into 30 Kashtas (1 Kashta = 3.2 seconds). The list of all Muhurta's and their timing of operation for an equal day & night is listed below.
1) Rudra: 6.00 AM to 6:48 AM
2) Ahi: 6:48 AM to 7:36 AM
3) Mitra: 7:36 AM to 8:24 AM
4) Pitr: 8:24 AM to 9:12 AM
5) Vasu: 9:12 AM to 10:00 AM
6) Varaha: 10:00 AM to 10:48 AM
7) Viswadeva: 10:00 AM to 11:36 AM
8) Vidhi: 11:36 AM to 12:24 PM
9) Sutamukhi: 12:24 PM to 1:12 PM
10) Puruhuta: 1:12 PM to 2:00 PM
11) Vahini: 2:00 PM to 2:48 PM
12) Naktanakara: 2:48 PM to 3:36 PM
13) Varuna: 3:36 PM to 4:24 PM
14) Aryaman: 4:24 PM to 5:12 PM
15) Bhaga: 5:12 PM to 6:00 PM
16) Girisa: 6:00 PM to 6:48 PM
17) Ajapada: 6:48 PM to 7:36 PM
18) Ahir Budhanya: 7:36 PM to 8:24 PM
19) Pushya: 8:24 PM to 9:12 PM
20) Ashwini: 9:12 PM to 10:00 PM
21) Yama: 10:00 PM to 10:48 PM
22) Agni: 10:48 PM to 11:36 PM
23) Vidhatr: 11:36 PM to 12:24 AM
24) Kanda: 12:24 AM to 1:12 AM
25) Aditi: 1:12 AM to 2:00 AM
26) Jeeva: 2:00 AM to 2:48 AM
27) Vishnu: 2:48 AM to 3:36 AM
28) Dyumadgadyuti: 3:36 AM to 4:24 AM
29) Brahma: 4:24 AM to 5:12 AM
30) Samudra: 5:12 AM to 6:00 AM

60 part time division: (60 in entire day from Sunrise to next day Sunrise)
Like how 24 hours constitutes a day, as per Hindu division each of 24 minutes are termed as 'Ghati' running from Sunrise till the next day Sunrise. There is no separate name available for every Ghati or and it's usually a unit of time. If a day from sunrise to next day sunrise exceeds or falls mildly short of 24 hours, then the Ghati is adjusted accordingly but in general a Ghati is said to constitute 24 minutes. In the olden days, horoscopes were written to decode the time based on Ghati's and Vighati's (60 Vighati's is 1 Ghati) elapsed as compared to the procedure today when the exact time is mentioned. Like Hora which is said to be an hour of time running across Sunrise to next day Sunrise, similarly Ghati comprises of 60 components with a running time of 24 minutes each. However it should be noted that for the calculation of Mandi alone, Ghati needs to be divided as 30 each in the period of Sunrise and Sunset as the formula for computation is clearly elucidated in the astrological work 'Uttara Kalamrita' written by Sage Kalidas which mentions that Mandi is said to rise accordingly in a day based on the Ghati's elapsed during day time and night time. It is also to be noted that this will always fall somewhere in the middle of the portion assigned to Saturn in the Kala Vela calculation viz Gulika Kala.
Sunday - 26 Ghatikas after sun rise, 10 Ghatikas after sun set
Monday - 22 Ghatikas after sun rise, 6 Ghatikas after sun set
Tuesday - 18 Ghatikas after sun rise, 2 Ghatikas after sun set
Wednesday - 14 Ghatikas after sun rise, 26 Ghatikas after sun set
Thursday - 10 Ghatikas after sun rise, 22 Ghatikas after sun set
Friday - 6 Ghatikas after sun rise, 18 Ghatikas after sun set
Saturday - 2 Ghatikas after sun rise, 14 Ghatikas after sun set

There is even a consideration to divide a day into 32 parts each for day and night so as to blend well with it being a multiple of 8 as a 'Yamardha' is technically said to be an eighth part of a day. This would equate well with the division of Kala Vela which divides the day and night into 8 equal parts and the Mandi will fall exactly in the middle of the Saturn's portion assigned as Gulika Kala. However it doesn't make complete sense as a day is said to be comprising of 60 Ghatika's only and 64 (32 each for day and night) is used just for ease of use and get the exact middle point. Irrespective Mandi will always fall only in the period of Gulika in and around the middle portion. For more information regarding the calculation of Gulika and Mandi, the below link can be referred.
https://tuningmymelody.blogspot.com/2018/09/ascertaining-gulika-and-mandi-in.html

Note: It should be noted that 'Ghati' is also known alternatively as Ghatika, Nazhika, Pala etc and is known as a unit of time equal to one sixtieth of a day. Also all the times mentioned above is based on the fact that Sunrise begins at 6:00 AM and Sunset at 6:00 PM. The computation of different facets of time should be factored based upon the actual sunrise time and not standard 6:00 AM. It is not expected to remember all the different units of time however remembering some of the important time dimensions can be helpful such as decoding Yama Ghanta Kala and Gulika Kala which occurs based on 'Kala Vela' computation, Rahu Kalam which arises based upon 'Gowri Panchanga', knowing time of Hora and Muhurta in operation can also be helpful but however can always be checked from an Almanac. It would however be good to know the Sunrise and Sunset timings each day of the particular place one is residing as that forms the crux for majority of the time divisions.

Hitherto Unusual Transit Methods in Horoscope Evaluation - Murthy Nirnaya and Shani Vahana

Whenever a yearly transiting planet such as Jupiter, Saturn, Rahu or Ketu is transiting from one sign to another, there is usually plenty of curiosity associated as to how it will play up for each Moon or Ascendant sign. While transits are not the be all and end all in evaluating a horoscope, it somehow inkles a dose of expectation that some turnaround is bound to take place. 

Jupiter's rounds of movement from one sign to another invokes hope that something auspicious will take place especially when it ends up going 2nd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th from Moon sign granting it the 'Guru Bala' title. Saturn's transits are usually perceived with a sense of fear especially when it tends to be Sade Sati which is 12th, 1st and 2nd from Moon sign and also Ashtama Shani which is 8th from Moon is usually dreaded. Rahu/Ketu's movement is looked at as stumbling blocks but in general it is preferred when it is transiting in to the Upachaya houses viz 3rd, 6th, 10th and 11th.

However apart from the well established means of witnessing transits, there are also other methods which are a tad different from usual. On that basis would like to highlight emphasis on the scope of Murthy Nirnaya transit as well as Shani Vahana transit. These two are not necessarily based on the sign the yearly planet is moving from the Lagna / Moon but in essence based on a particular energy which works more like a Prasna indicating what to look forward to from the perspective of these transits.

Murthy Nirnaya Transit:
This is a transit which works according to your natal Janma Rasi (Moon sign). This is common for all transits but the catch as per this method is it works based on where transiting Moon is stationed exactly at the time during the transit of the yearly planet. The computation works from Natal Moon to Transiting Moon with the anchor being the yearly transit planet and accordingly results are derived.

For the sake of easy understanding, let us take an illustration. Lets say Jupiter is transiting to Sagittarius on a particular date and time. During the time of Jupiter's transit we need to check where Moon is placed and let us say Moon is placed in Libra when Jupiter moved into Sagittarius. Now we need to compare the house Libra is placed from natal Moon position. If Natal Moon is in Aries, then we can say it is 7 signs since Aries to Libra equated to 7 signs. Now based on the signs moved, there is a bracketing of auspiciousness into 4 compartments as seen below:

1,6,11 - Very Good - Swarna (Gold)
2,5,9 - Good - Rajata (Silver)
3,7,10 - Average - Tamara (Copper)
4,8,12 - Bad - Lohita (Iron)

Based on the above example, for an Aries Moon born person, since 7 is Tamara (Copper), this transit would said to be average. The interesting feature is there is no relevance to the sign in which the main planet transit is happening which would be Jupiter and Sagittarius as seen from above case. Only the natal Moon and the placement of Moon at the time of the big ticket transit is considered which makes this method pretty unique. However the liability with this method happens to be on account of different Ayanamsa and Panchanga followed. As per one scheme of Panchanga, the planet Jupiter (say) may be transiting on a particular date whereas in another view it might be on a different date and we know Moon is ever revolving moving signs every 2 and quarter days. This can cast some issues with regard to the auspiciousness of the transit which can be an issue when using Murthi Nirnaya Transit.

Shani Vahana Transit:
This is a methodology of ascertaining transits exclusively for Saturn when it moves to a new sign or Nakshatra. Saturn is assigned a vehicle based on it's transit and accordingly results are ascertained. As per this method we need to know the Nakshatra in operation when Shani Dev changes signs in addition to our birth Moon Nakshatra. 

For instance lets say Saturn is transiting to Capricorn into the Nakshatra of Uttara Ashada. Also lets say natal Moon Nakshatra of a person is Poorva Phalguni. In this case we need to add 21 (number sequence of Uttara Ashada) and 11 (number sequence of Poorva Phalguni). The number sequence is the Nakshatras counted from Ashwini which is taken as #1 to Revathi which is #27. The total of 21 and 11 adds to 32. Now 32 needs to be divided by 9 which yields a reminder of 5. The reminder will decide the vehicle. In case it's perfectly divisible with no reminder then No.9 from the list needs to be taken. Listed below is the Numbers, Vehicles in the form of Animals and the Auspiciousness.

#1 - Donkey - Not favorable
#2 - Horse - Very favorable
#3 - Elephant - Not favorable
#4 - Buffalo - Mixed
#5 - Lion - Favorable
#6 - Jackal - Very Unfavorable
#7 - Crow - Not favorable
#8 - Peacock - Very favorable
#9 - Swan -  Very favorable

In general Swan vehicle is said to be most auspicious and Jackal vehicle is said to be most inopportune. Peacock is also said to be really favorable and Horse is considered highly auspicious. On the flip side, Crow is said to infuse plenty of tensions whereas Elephant is mentioned to give results against expectations and Donkey is indicative of lack of auspiciousness. A lion is considered good especially acting as a trigger in defeating enemies whereas Buffalo's results are said to be mixed and dependent on the work put in. Based on the above example, #5 happens to be Lion vehicle which is favorable. In this method, we can even view based on the Nakshatra within the sign Saturn is transiting and not just the zodiac sign. To explain, for a particular Natal Moon Nakshatra say Punarvasu, Saturn transiting into Uttara Ashada in Makara isn't good since 7+21 = 28 which means reminder 1 translating to Donkey that is unfavorable. However when Saturn moves into Shravana it would be better since 7+22 = 29 amounting to reminder 2 reflecting Horse which indicates very favorable. Hence this comes handy when ascertaining transits especially when Saturn transits each Nakshatra of the zodiac to understand how Saturn will pan out for each natal Moon Nakshatra.

Functional Benefics and Malefics for Every Ascendant

Ascertaining which planets play the role of functional benefics and malefics for every Ascendant can sometimes be a tricky task as many a time you would figure that they happen to lord 2 houses of which one is favorable and the other not so. Also we need to consider several other factors to estimate as per the rule book before laying out a crystallized version of the planets that endow the best and worst results for each of the Lagnas. However looking at the whole picture holistically in the form of a melisma will help in classifying the results in a more refined manner.

Grouping of House Lords:
The best way to start to start this exercise would be to classify the houses into 4 groups as the planets lording a particular house has a major say in the deliverance of results. Hence let's look at the broad grouping of house rulers.
Group 1 : 1,5,9 - Trikona Lords are considered to be beneficial
Group 2 : 1,4,7,10 - Kendra Lords are considered neutral and subject to certain conditions
Group 3 : 12,2,8 - Association Lords are considered to act according to conditions
Group 4 : 3,6,11 - Trishadaya Lords are considered to be malefic

From the above list of 4 groups, on a very broad perspective we can say that planets being the lords of first 2 groups are beneficial and planets lording Groups 3&4 are maleficent. Hence house owners of 1,4,5,7,9,10 are in general considered to be good and lords of 2,3,6,8,11,12 are said to be bad. Also to note is that the order of beneficence or maleficence is based on increasing order. For instance considering the Trikona Lords, 9th is more auspicious than 5th which in turn is more beneficial than the Ascendant Lord. Likewise for the Kendras 10>7>4>1 in providing results. Same way in the association lord category 12th is less malefic to 2nd who again is less harmful than 8th which is most malefic and lastly in the Trishadaya group the 3rd is a lessor malefic compared to 6th who again is less detrimental than 11th who is said to be the most malefic of them all. We have to also keep in mind that 9th and 10th are most benefic in Group 1 and 2 respectively whereas 8th and 11th are most malefic in Group 3 and 4 respectively. Also we find that the Lagna alone is repeated both in Group 1 and 2 which is on account of being both a Trikona as well as Kendra Lord. However it should be taken into account that the Lagna Lord is always generally considered to be favorable.

Planetary Relationship:
After classifying the house lords into different groups, it's salient to also understand the planetary relationship existing between the 7 planets. We need to consider the permanent friendship and we can ignore Rahu/Ketu as they don't own any of the signs independently and only considered as co-owners. This planetary friendship is also crucial in determining the role of functional benefics and malefics. Attached below is the table of permanent friendship among the planets.

Natural Benefics and Natural Malefics:
Apart from classifying the lordship of houses into different groups and knowing about the permanent nature of relationship between planets, it's also essential to know which planets are considered to be natural benefics and malefics. This is especially important to adumbrate results further such as with regards to Kendradhipathi Dosh etc. Hence let's take a list of the natural benefics and malefics.
Natural Benefics:
Venus
Jupiter
Well Associated Mercury
Waxing Moon

Natural Malefics:
Mars
Saturn
Sun
Waning Moon
Ill Associated Mercury

We find Mercury and Moon coming in both these lists and hence warrants a need to understand the same. Mercury is said to be a benefic when associated with a natural benefic and a malefic when associated with a natural malefic. Here for the purpose of natural malefic we need to consider Rahu and Ketu also. For association we need to factor a degree span of 12° which is the key for any yoga formation. If Mercury is alone and not associated with any planet also it is to be treated as a natural benefic. With regard to Moon, the classification is more simple. If it's a waxing Moon or Shukla Paksha it is to be treated as a natural benefic whereas if it is in waning state or Krishna Paksha, it's to be considered as a natural malefic. This list is important when deducing Kendradhipathi because it's said that Natural Benefics lose their potency if they happen to be owners of a kendra.

Other Points of Consideration:
1) In Many cases planets tend to own 2 houses and in such a case the Mool Trikona placement is considered paramount and has a higher say than the other house it owns. Hence for Mars - Aries is more important than Scorpio, Venus - Libra holds a higher say than Taurus, Mercury - Virgo sign plays more crucial role than Gemini, Jupiter - Sagittarius is considered fort over Pisces and for Saturn - Aquarius is given higher priority than Capricorn.
2) When 2 planets own a good lordship and an evil lordship, the good ownership can stall the ill effects of the other planet. Here good means only under Group 1 and specifically only 5th and 9th lord as they are the only kona Lords. Lagna Lord can be factored based on which house it rules also being a Kendra Lord.
3) The 8th lord ownership of Sun and Moon is not considered to be evil. This is possible only for Capricorn Ascendant where Sun is 8th lord and Sagittarius Ascendant where Moon is 8th lord. But however if the lord of 8th simultaneously owns kama trikona lordship namely 3rd, 7th and 11th then it becomes very inauspicious.
4) Maraka houses which is the 2nd and 7th also need to be considered into the equation. A planet simultaneously holding ownership to both these houses can be troublesome and it happens especially for Movable sign Ascendants. Even in cases where only 7th ownership is held and which happens to be lorded by Natural Benefic, it also additionally attracts blemish of Kendradhipathi.
5) Rahu and Ketu are not considered in the study of Functional Benefics and Malefics. They are more influenced by their placement in the horoscope along with association and despositors.

Functional Benefics and Functional Malefics:

➜ Aries Ascendant - Ruler Mars
Functional Benefics: Mars, Jupiter, Sun
Functional Malefics: Mercury, Saturn, Venus
Functional Neutrals: Moon
Mars - Ruler of 1 and 8: Here 1 comes under both Trikona (Group 1) and Kendra (Group 2) Lord whereas 8th happens to be Associated (Group 3) Lord. Being a Trikona it's auspicious and as a natural malefic being Kendra Lord it becomes strong. The 8th lordship being Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is both a trikona and kendra as already seen and in good dignity. Also to note is that 1st house ownership happens to be the Mooltrikona sign. Hence Mars can be considered to be a functional benefic.
Venus - Ruler of 2 and 7: Here Venus rules an Association (Group 3) and a Kendra (Group 2) house. The 2nd lord being an Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is a kendra that happens to be neutral. On account of being a natural benefic lording a kendra, Venus suffers from the blemish of Kendradhipathi. Venus treats the Lagna Lord as it's neutral. However in this scenario since both 2nd and 7th happen to be Maraka house, Venus is to be considered as a functional malefic.
Mercury - Ruler of 3 and 6: Both comes under Trishadaya (Group 4) Lordship. Mercury treats Lagna Lord as it's neutral but however on account of owning 2 dire malefic houses, Mercury becomes a first rate malefic.
Moon - Ruler of 4: Here Moon comes as a Kendra (Group 2) Lord and Kendradhipathi needs to be evaluated. Moon being a Natural Malefic is better off compared to being a Natural Benefic as blemish of Kendradhipathi will be evaded. Moon happens to be friend to the Lagna Lord but however since no Trine lordship is governed, it can at best be considered a Functional Neutral
Sun - Ruler of 5: Here Sun happens to be a Trikona (Group 1) Lord and hence happens to be extremely auspicious. Sun also happens to be friend of Lagna Lord and hence Sun is considered to be a Functional Benefic
Jupiter - Ruler of 9 and 12: Jupiter rules a Trikona (Group 1) and an Associated (Group 2) house.  Since Jupiter holds auspicious trine lordship of 9th house which is also its Mooltrikona house it is very beneficial. Being an associated lord, we need to check other ownership which is trine rulership that again makes it favorable. Jupiter also treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. Hence Jupiter can be considered to be a Functional Benefic.
Saturn - Ruler of 10 and 11: Here Saturn rules a Kendra (Group 2) and a Trishadaya (Group 4) house. Being a natural malefic owning highest 10th house kendra makes it strong. However ownership of highest 11th house Trishadya makes it highly malefic. Saturn also treats Lagna Lord as it's enemy. On account of not ruling a trine and at the same time owning most malefic 11th house makes Saturn a functional malefic.

➜ Taurus Ascendant - Ruler Venus
Functional Benefics: Saturn, Mercury
Functional Malefics: Jupiter, Moon, Venus
Functional Neutrals: Sun, Mars
Venus - Ruler of 1 and 6: Here 1 comes under both Trikona (Group 1) and Kendra (Group 2) Lord. 6th happens to be a Trishadaya (Group 4). Being a Trikona it's auspicious but as a natural benefic owning a Kendra it loses strength and suffers from the blemish of Kendradhipathi. In addition it also owns a malefic Trishadaya house which also becomes the Mool Trikona house. Even though it's the owner of Ascendant, considering the factors Venus is to be considered a functional malefic.
Mercury - Ruler of 2 and 5: Here Mercury rules an Associated (Group 3) house in addition to  a Trikona (Group 1) house. The 2nd lord being an Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is a trikona that happens to be beneficial. As Lord of 5th house which also happens to be Mooltrikona it is really favorable. Mercury also treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. Hence Mercury can be considered to be a functional benefic.
Moon - Ruler of 3: Here Moon stakes ownership to a Trishadaya (Group 4) house. Moon treats Lagna Lord as it's neutral but however on owning a malefic house, it becomes a functional malefic.
Sun - Ruler of 4: Here Sun happens to own a Kendra (Group 2) house. It should be noted that Sun being one of the luminaries can own only one house and being a natural malefic is strong in Kendra owning also the sign of it's Mooltrikona. Sun considers the Lagna Lord to be it's enemy. However being strong Kendra Lord, Sun is to considered as a functional neutral.
Mars - Ruler of 7 and 12: Here Mars rules a Kendra (Group 2) and an Association (Group 3) house. As a natural malefic being Kendra Lord it becomes strong. The 12th lord being an Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is a kendra which is neutral and in good dignity. Mars also treats Lagna Lord as it's neutral. Hence Mars can be said to be a functional neutral
Jupiter - Ruler of 8 and 11: Here Jupiter rules an Association (Group 3) and a Trishadaya (Group 4) house. The 8th lord being an Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is a Trishadaya which makes it significantly harmful. Ownership of highest 11th house Trishadya makes it highly malefic. In addition Jupiter also treats Lagna Lord as it's enemy. Hence Jupiter is said to be a functional malefic.
Saturn - Ruler of 9 and 10: Here Saturn rules a Trikona (Group 1) and a Kendra (Group 2) house. Being owner of highest 9th house trine it is highly beneficial and being natural malefic owning highest 10th house kendra makes it very strong. This is a combination of Raja Yogakaraka. Saturn also treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. Hence Saturn is to be considered a functional benefic.

➜ Gemini Ascendant - Ruler Mercury
Functional Benefics: Venus, Saturn
Functional Malefics: Mars, Jupiter, Sun
Functional Neutrals: Mercury, Moon
Mercury - Ruler of 1 and 4: Here 1 comes under both Trikona (Group 1) and Kendra (Group 2) whereas 4th happens to be Kendra (Group 2) Lord. Being Trikona Lord Mercury will be auspicious but however Mercury being ill associated will not suffer from Kendradhipathi Dosh and in fact is better than a well associated Mercury. However being the owner of Ascendant and not ruling any house under Group 3 or 4, Mercury can be said to be a functional neutral. 
Moon - Ruler of 2: Here Moon being owner of an Associated (Group 3) House, we need to see the other house it rules which isn't applicable since Moon rules only one house. Moon treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. Hence Moon can be considered to be a functional neutral. 
Sun - Ruler of 3: Here Sun is ruler of a Trishadaya (Group 4) house. Though Sun treats Lagna Lord as it's neutral but on account of owning an evil house, Sun has to be considered a functional malefic.
Venus - Ruler of 5 and 12: Venus rules a Trikona (Group 1) and an Associated (Group 2) house.  Since Venus holds auspicious trine lordship of 5th house which is also its Mooltrikona sign it is very beneficial. Being an associated lord, we need to check other ownership which is trine rulership that again makes it favorable. Venus also treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. Hence Venus can be considered to be a Functional Benefic.
Mars - Ruler of 6 and 11: Here Mars owns 2 evil Trishadaya (Group 4) houses. Mars also treats Lagna Lord as it's enemy and coupled with owning 2 dire malefic houses, Mars becomes a prime functional malefic
Jupiter - Ruler of 7 and 10: Here Jupiter owns 2 kendra (Group 2). But considering the fact that Jupiter treats Lagna Lord as enemy and also suffers kendradhipathi dosh for both it's ownership, Jupiter is to be considered a functional malefic.
Saturn - Ruler of 8 and 9: Here Saturn rules an Associated (Group 3) house in addition to a Trikona (Group 1) house. The 8th lord being an Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is a trikona that happens to be beneficial. As Lord of 9th house which also happens to be in Mooltrikona sign it is really favorable. Saturn also treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. Hence Saturn can be considered to be a functional benefic.

➜ Cancer Ascendant - Ruler Moon
Functional Benefics: Mars, Moon, Jupiter
Functional Malefics: Mercury, Venus
Functional Neutrals: Sun, Saturn
Moon - Ruler of 1: Lagna Lord Moon happens to be both a Trikona (Group 1) and Kendra (Group 2). Moon doesn't own any other house. Being Trikona Lord Moon will be auspicious. It would be favorable if Moon doesn't suffer blemish of Kendradhipathi Dosh being Kendra Lord. However all things considered, being the owner of Ascendant it can said to be a functional benefic.
Sun - Ruler of 2: Here Sun being owner of an Associated (Group 3) House, we need to see the other house it rules which isn't applicable since Sun rules only one house. Sun treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. Hence Sun can be considered to be a functional neutral. 
Mercury - Ruler of 3 and 12: Mercury owns a Trishadaya (Group 4) in addition to an Association (Group 3) house. Being owner of Trishadaya it becomes a malefic. Being an associated lord, we need to check other ownership which is Trishadaya which makes it significantly harmful. Mercury also treats Lagna Lord as it's enemy. Hence Mercury is a functional malefic.
Venus - Ruler of 4 and 11: Here Venus rules a Kendra (Group 2) and a Trishadaya (Group 4) house. Being a Kendra Lord, Venus suffers blemish of Kendradhipathi Dosh. As a lord of Trishadaya it becomes malefic by default. In addition Venus also treats Lagna Lord as it's enemy. Hence Venus is a prime functional malefic.
Mars - Ruler of 5 and 10: Here Mars rules a Trikona (Group 1) and a Kendra (Group 2) house. Being owner of 5th house trine it is highly beneficial and being natural malefic owning highest 10th house kendra makes it very strong. This is a combination of Raja Yogakaraka. Mars also treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. Hence Mars is to be considered a functional benefic.
Jupiter - Ruler of 6 and 9: Here Jupiter rules a Trishadaya (Group 4) as well as a Trikona (Group 1) house. Being owner of a Trishadaya which also happens to be the Mooltrikona sign, it happens to be malefic. However Jupiter also rules a trine conferring it to be favorable. Jupiter also treats Lagna Lord as it's friend getting exalted in its sign. We have to consider the fact that when a planet rules a trine, it is advantageous even if it also simultaneously happens to lord an evil house. Hence Jupiter is a functional benefic.
Saturn - Ruler of 7 and 8: Here Saturn rules a Kendra (Group 2) and an Association (Group 3) house. As a natural malefic being Kendra Lord it becomes strong. The 8th lord being an Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is a kendra which happens to be neutral and in good dignity. Saturn also treats Lagna Lord as it's enemy. However since no Group 4 house ownership is involved, Saturn can be said to be a functional neutral.

➜ Leo Ascendant - Ruler Sun
Functional Benefics: Mars, Sun, Jupiter
Functional Malefics: Mercury, Venus, Saturn
Functional Neutrals: Moon
Sun - Ruler of 1: Lagna Lord Sun happens to be both a Trikona (Group 1) and Kendra (Group 2) . Sun doesn't own any other house. Being Trikona Lord Sun will be auspicious and as a natural malefic owning kendra it becomes strong. Hence Sun can be considered to be a functional benefic
Mercury - Ruler of 2 and 11: Here Mercury rules an Association (Group 3) and a Trishadaya (Group 4) house. The 2nd lord being an Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is a Trishadaya which makes it significantly harmful. Ownership of highest 11th house Trishadya makes it highly malefic. Mercury however treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. But on account of owning a Trishadaya house with no trine influence Mercury is said to be a functional malefic.
Venus - Ruler of 3 and 10: Venus rules a Trishadaya (Group 4) and a Kendra (Group 2) house. Ownership of 3rd house makes it malefic. On account of being a natural benefic lording a kendra, Venus suffers blemish of Kendradhipathi. Venus also treats the Lagna Lord as it's enemy. Hence Venus is a functional malefic.
Mars - Ruler of 4 and 9: Mars owns both a Kendra (Group 2) and Trikona (Group 1) house. As a natural malefic being kendra Lord it becomes strong and being a trikona it is highly auspicious. This is a combination of Raja Yogakaraka. Mars also treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. Hence Mars is to be considered a functional benefic.
Jupiter - Ruler of 5 and 8: Jupiter rules a Trikona (Group 1) and an Associated (Group 2) house.  Since Jupiter holds auspicious trine lordship of 5th house which is also its Mooltrikona house it is very beneficial. Being an associated lord, we need to check other ownership which is trine rulership that again makes it favorable. Jupiter also treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. Hence Jupiter is to be considered a Functional Benefic.
Saturn - Ruler of 6 and 7: Saturn owns a Trishadaya (Group 4) in addition to a Kendra (Group 3) house. Being owner of Trishadaya it becomes a malefic. As a natural malefic being Kendra Lord it becomes strong. There is no trine influence and Saturn also considers the Ascendant Lord as its enemy. Hence Saturn is to be considered a functional malefic.
Moon - Ruler of 12: Here Moon being owner of an Associated (Group 3) House, we need to see the other house it rules which isn't applicable since Moon rules only one house. Moon treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. Hence Moon can be considered to be a functional neutral.

➜ Virgo Ascendant - Ruler Mercury
Functional Benefics: Venus, Saturn, Mercury
Functional Malefics: Moon, Mars, Jupiter
Functional Neutrals: Sun
Mercury - Ruler of 1 and 10: Here 1 comes under both Trikona (Group 1) and Kendra (Group 2) whereas 10th happens to be Kendra (Group 2) Lord. Being Trikona Lord Mercury will be auspicious but however Mercury being ill associated will not suffer from Kendradhipathi Dosh and in fact is better than a well associated Mercury. However being the owner of Ascendant and not ruling any house under Group 3 or 4, Mercury can be said to be a functional benefic. 
Venus - Ruler of 2 and 9: Here Venus rules an Associated (Group 3) house in addition to a Trikona (Group 1) house. The 2nd lord being an Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is a trikona that happens to be beneficial. As Lord of 9th house it happens to be favorable. Venus also treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. Hence Venus is to be considered as a functional benefic.
Mars - Ruler of 3 and 8: Here Mars owns a Trishadaya (Group 4) in addition to an Associated  (Group 3) house. Being owner of Trishadaya it becomes a malefic. The 8th lord being an Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is a Trishadaya which makes it significantly harmful. Hence Mars is to be considered as a functional malefic,
Jupiter - Ruler of 4 and 7: Here Jupiter owns 2 kendra (Group 2). But considering the fact that Jupiter treats Lagna Lord as enemy and also suffers kendradhipathi dosh for both it's ownership, Jupiter is to be considered as a functional malefic.
Saturn - Ruler of 5 and 6: Here Jupiter rules a Trikona (Group 1) as well as a Trishadaya (Group 4) house. Since Saturn holds auspicious trine lordship of 5th house it is beneficial. Being owner of Trishadaya that also happens to be Mooltrikona sign it becomes heavy malefic. Saturn however treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. We have to consider the fact that when a planet rules a trine, it is advantageous even if it also simultaneously happens to lord an evil house. Hence Saturn is to be considered as a functional benefic.
Moon - Ruler of 11: Here Moon is ruler of a Trishadaya (Group 4) house. Though Moon treats Lagna Lord as it's friend but on account of being owner of an evil house, Moon has to be considered a functional malefic.
Sun - Ruler of 12: Here Sun being owner of an Associated (Group 3) House, we need to see the other house it rules which isn't applicable since Sun rules only one house. Sun treats Lagna Lord as it's neutral. Hence Sun can be considered to be a functional neutral. 

➜ Libra Ascendant - Ruler Venus
Functional Benefics:  Saturn, Mercury
Functional Malefics: Jupiter, Sun
Functional Neutrals: Venus, Mars, Moon
Venus - Ruler of 1 and 8: Here 1 comes under both Trikona (Group 1) and Kendra (Group 2) Lord whereas 8th happens to be Associated (Group 3) Lord. Being Lagna Lord and also a Trikona it's auspicious but as a natural benefic being Kendra Lord it loses strength and suffers from the blemish of Kendradhipathi. The 8th lord being an Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is both a trikona and kendra as already seen. However unlike Taurus where Venus owns a Trishadaya Lord as it's other lord here it only owns an Associated house which is not a dire malefic. Also being Ascendant Lord of it's Mooltrikona sign, Venus is to be considered a functional neutral.
Mars - Ruler of 2 and 7: Here Mars rules an Association (Group 3) and a Kendra (Group 2) house. The 2nd lord being an Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules and being a natural malefic being Kendra Lord it becomes strong. Mars also treats the Lagna Lord as it's neutral. However in this case since both 2nd and 7th happen to be Maraka house, Mars is to be considered as a functional malefic.
Jupiter - Ruler of 3 and 6: Both comes under Trishadaya (Group 4) Lordship. Jupiter also treats Lagna Lord as it's enemy.Hence Jupiter becomes a first rate malefic.
Saturn - Ruler of 4 and 5: Saturn owns both a Kendra (Group 2) and Trikona (Group 1) house. As a natural malefic being kendra Lord it becomes strong and being a trikona it is highly auspicious.This is a combination of Raja Yogakaraka. Saturn also treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. Hence Saturn is to be considered a functional benefic.
Mercury - Ruler of 9 and 12: Mercury rules a Trikona (Group 1) and an Associated (Group 2) house. Since Mercury holds auspicious trine lordship of 9th house it is beneficial. Being an associated lord, we need to check other ownership which is trine rulership that again makes it favorable. Mercury also treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. Hence Mercury is to be considered as a Functional Benefic.

Moon - Ruler of 10: Here Moon comes as a Kendra (Group 2) Lord and Kendradhipathi needs to be evaluated. Moon being a Natural Malefic is better off compared to being a Natural Benefic as blemish of Kendradhipathi will be evaded. Moon happens to be neutral to the Lagna Lord but however since no Trine lordship is governed, it can at best be considered a Functional Neutral

Sun - Ruler of 11: Here Sun is ruler of a Trishadaya (Group 4) house. Also Sun treats Lagna Lord as it's enemy. Hence Sun is to be considered a functional malefic.

➜ Scorpio Ascendant - Ruler Mars
Functional Benefics:  Jupiter, Moon, Sun
Functional Malefics: Mercury, Venus, Saturn
Functional Neutrals: Mars
Mars - Ruler of 1 and 6: Here 1 comes under both Trikona (Group 1) and Kendra (Group 2) Lord. 6th happens to be a Trishadaya (Group 4). Being Lagna Lord and also a Trikona it's auspicious and as a natural malefic being Kendra Lord it becomes strong. In addition it also owns a malefic Trishadaya house which happens to be the more important Mool Trikona house. However being owner of Ascendant and not containing kendra blemish, Mars is to be considered as a functional neutral.
Jupiter - Ruler of 2 and 5: Here Jupiter rules an Associated (Group 3) house in addition to  a Trikona (Group 1) house. The 2nd lord being an Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is a trikona that happens to be beneficial. As Lord of 5th house it is favorable. Jupiter also treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. Hence Jupiter is to be considered as a functional benefic.
Saturn - Ruler of 3 and 4: Saturn rules a Trishadaya (Group 4) and a Kendra (Group 2). Ownership of 3rd house makes it malefic. As a natural malefic being Kendra Lord it becomes strong. There is no involvement of trines and Saturn also treats the Lagna Lord as it's enemy. Hence Saturn is to be considered as a functional malefic
Venus - Ruler of 7 and 12: Here Venus rules a Kendra (Group 2) and an Association (Group 3) house. As a natural benefic being Kendra Lord it loses strength and suffers from the blemish of Kendradhipathi. The 12th lord being an Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is a kendra which happens to be neutral but suffers the blemish as seen above. Venus however treats Lagna Lord as it's neutral. Considering lack of trine association toppled with Venus suffering Kendradhipathi blemish, Venus is to be considered as a functional malefic.
Mercury - Ruler of 8 and 11: Here Mercury rules an Association (Group 3) and a Trishadaya (Group 4) house. The 8th lord being an Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is a Trishadaya which makes it significantly harmful. Ownership of highest 11th house Trishadya makes it highly malefic. There is no trinal involvement and Mercury treating Lagna lord as it's neutral doesn't come as a saving grace. Hence Mercury is to be considered as a functional malefic.
Moon - Ruler of 9: Here Moon happens to be a Trikona (Group 1) Lord and hence happens to be extremely auspicious. Moon also happens to be friend of Lagna Lord and hence Moon is considered to be a functional benefic.
Sun - Ruler of 10: Here Sun owns the highest kendra (Group 2) house. Though there is no trinal influence Moon and Sun jointly act very favorably to this Ascendant being the 9th and 10th lord respectively. Sun also considers Mars as it's good friend. Hence Sun is a functional benefic.

➜ Sagittarius Ascendant - Ruler Jupiter
Functional Benefics:  Mars, Sun
Functional Malefics: Venus, Saturn
Functional Neutrals: Jupiter, Mercury, Moon
Jupiter - Ruler of 1 and 4: Here 1 comes under both Trikona (Group 1) and Kendra (Group 2) whereas 4th happens to be Kendra (Group 2) Lord. Being Trikona Lord Jupiter will be auspicious but suffers blemish of Kendradhipathi Dosh being lord of Kendra. However being the owner of Ascendant and not ruling any evil house it is to be considered as a functional neutral.
Saturn - Ruler of 2 and 3: Here Saturn rules an Association (Group 3) and a Trishadaya (Group 4) house. The 2nd lord being an Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is a Trishadaya which makes it significantly harmful. Ownership of 3rd house makes it highly malefic. Saturn however treats Lagna Lord as it's neutral. But on account of owning a Trishadaya house with no trine influence Saturn is said to be a functional malefic.
Mars - Ruler of 5 and 12: Mars rules a Trikona (Group 1) and an Associated (Group 2) house.  Since Mars holds auspicious trine lordship of 5th house which is also its Mooltrikona house it is very beneficial. Being an associated lord, we need to check other ownership which is trine rulership that again makes it favorable. Mars also treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. Hence Mars is to be considered as a Functional Benefic.
Venus - Ruler of 6 and 11: Both comes under Trishadaya (Group 4) Lordship. Venus treats Lagna Lord as it's neutral but however on account of owning 2 dire malefic houses, Venus becomes a first rate malefic.
Mercury - Ruler of 7 and 10: Here Mercury owns 2 kendra (Group 2) houses. Mercury being ill associated will not suffer from Kendradhipathi Dosh and in fact is better suited than a well associated Mercury.  However Mercury on account of treating Lagna Lord as its neutral and owning highest 10th kendra that also happens to be Mooltrikona sign, Mercury is considered to be functional neutral
Moon - Ruler of 8: Here Moon being owner of an Associated (Group 3) House, we need to see the other house it rules which isn't applicable since Moon rules only one house. There is also a specific rule which says that Moon owning 8th lordship does not confer it to be a malefic.Taking this into account and also considering that Moon considers Lagna lord as its friend, Moon can at best be considered to be a functional neutral.
Sun - Ruler of 9: Here Sun happens to be a Trikona (Group 1) Lord and hence happens to be extremely auspicious. Sun also happens to be friend of Lagna Lord and hence Sun is considered to be a Functional Benefic.

➜ Capricorn Ascendant - Ruler Saturn
Functional Benefics:  Venus, Mercury
Functional Malefics: Jupiter, Mars, Moon
Functional Neutrals: Saturn, Sun
Saturn - Ruler of 1 and 2: Here 1 comes under both Trikona (Group 1) and Kendra (Group 2) Lord whereas 2nd happens to be Associated (Group 3) Lord. Being Lagna Lord and also a Trikona it's auspicious and as a natural malefic being Kendra Lord also it becomes strong. The 2nd lordship being Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is both a trikona and kendra as already seen and in good dignity. Here it's the 2nd house which is the Mooltrikona and not the Lagna.  However on being owner of Ascendant, Saturn is to considered as a functional neutral.
Jupiter - Ruler of 3 and 12: Jupiter owns a Trishadaya (Group 4) in addition to an Association (Group 3) house. Being owner of Trishadaya it becomes a malefic. Being an associated lord, we need to check other ownership which is Trishadaya which makes it significantly harmful. Jupiter treats Lagna Lord as it's neutral. But on account of owning a Trishadaya house with no trine influence Jupiter is considered as a functional malefic.
Mars - Ruler of 4 and 11: Here Mars rules a Kendra (Group 2) and a Trishadaya (Group 4) house.
As a natural malefic being Kendra Lord it becomes strong. As a lord of Trishadaya it becomes malefic by default. In addition Mars also treats Lagna Lord as it's neutral. But on account of owning a Trishadaya house with no trine influence Mars is considered as a functional malefic.
Venus - Ruler of 5 and 10: Here Venus rules a Trikona (Group 1) and a Kendra (Group 2) house. Being owner of 5th house trine it is highly beneficial and owner of highest kendra makes it very powerful but is subject to blemish of Kendradhipathi Dosh. However on owning both a trikona and kendra, it becomes a combination for a Raja Yogakaraka.  Venus also treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. Hence Venus is to be considered as a functional benefic.
Mercury - Ruler of 6 and 9: Here Mercury rules a Trishadaya (Group 4) as well as a Trikona (Group 1) house. Being owner of a Trishadaya, it happens to be malefic. However Mercury also rules a trine which is also it's Mooltrikon sign conferring it to be very favorable. Mercury treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. We have to consider the fact that when a planet rules a trine, it is advantageous even if it also simultaneously happens to lord an evil house. Hence Mercury is considered as a functional benefic.
Moon - Ruler of 7: Here Moon becomes a Kendra (Group 2) Lord and Kendradhipathi needs to be evaluated. Moon being a Natural Malefic is better off compared to being a Natural Benefic as blemish of Kendradhipathi will be evaded. Moon happens to be neutral to Lagna Lord but becomes a Maraka on account of being owner of 7th house for a Movable sign. Hence Moon is a functional malefic
Sun - Ruler of 8: Here Sun being owner of an Associated (Group 3) House, we need to see the other house it rules which isn't applicable since Sun rules only one house. There is also a specific rule which says that Sun owning 8th lordship does not confer it to be a malefic. Taking this into account and even though Sun considers Lagna lord as its enemy, Sun needs to be considered as a functional neutral.

➜ Aquarius Ascendant - Ruler Saturn
Functional Benefics:  Venus, Mercury, Saturn
Functional Malefics: Jupiter, Mars, Moon
Functional Neutrals: Sun
Saturn - Ruler of 1 and 12: Here 1 comes under both Trikona (Group 1) and Kendra (Group 2) Lord whereas 12th happens to be Associated (Group 3) Lord. Being Lagna Lord and also a Trikona it's auspicious and as a natural malefic being Kendra Lord it becomes strong. The Lagna sign also happens to be the Mooltrikona house. The 12th lordship being Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is both a trikona and kendra as already seen and in good dignity. Hence Saturn should be considered to be a functional benefic.
Jupiter - Ruler of 2 and 11: Here Jupiter rules an Association (Group 3) and a Trishadaya (Group 4) house. The 2nd lord being an Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is a Trishadaya which makes it significantly harmful. Ownership of highest 11th house Trishadya makes it highly malefic. Jupiter treats Lagna Lord as it's neutral. But on account of owning a Trishadaya house with no trine influence Jupiter is said to be a functional malefic.
Mars - Ruler of 3 and 10:  Mars rules a Trishadaya (Group 4) and a Kendra (Group 2) house. Ownership of 3rd house makes it malefic. As a natural malefic being Kendra Lord ruling highest 10th house, it becomes strong. Also Mars treats Lagna Lord as it's neutral. But however on account of owning a Trishadaya house with no trine influence Mars is considered to be a functional malefic.
Venus - Ruler of 4 and 9: Venus owns both a kendra (Group 2) and trikona (Group 1) house. On account of owning a natural benefic lording a kendra, Venus suffers from the blemish of Kendradhipathi. It also rules an auspicious trikona house. However on owning both a kendra and trikona it becomes a combination for a Raja Yogakaraka. Venus also treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. Hence Venus is to be considered as a functional benefic.
Mercury - Ruler of 5 and 8: Mercury rules a Trikona (Group 1) and an Associated (Group 3) house. Since Mercury holds auspicious trine lordship of 5th house it is beneficial. Being an associated lord, we need to check other ownership which is trine rulership that again makes it favorable.  Mercury treats Lagna Lord as it's neutral. Since trine house is owned and other house owned is not a dire malefic, it can safely be assumed that Mercury can be considered to be a functional benefic.
Moon - Ruler of 6: Here Moon is ruler of a Trishadaya (Group 4) house. Moon treats Lagna Lord as it's neutral but on account of being owner of an evil house, Moon has to be considered a functional malefic.
Sun - Ruler of 7: Here Sun becomes a Kendra (Group 2) Lord. As a natural malefic being Kendra Lord it becomes strong. Sun however considers Saturn to be its enemy. There is no trinal influence but by his mere presence of being a kendra lord with no maleficence, Sun becomes a functional neutral.

➜ Pisces Ascendant - Ruler Jupiter
Functional Benefics:  Mars, Moon, Jupiter
Functional Malefics: Venus, Saturn, Mercury, Sun
Functional Neutrals: 
Jupiter - Ruler of 1 and 10: Here 1 comes under both Trikona (Group 1) and Kendra (Group 2) whereas 10th happens to be Kendra (Group 2) Lord. Being Trikona Lord Jupiter will be auspicious but suffers blemish of Kendradhipathi Dosh being lord of Kendra. However being the owner of Ascendant also ruling highest kendra house and not ruling any evil house it can be said to be a functional benefic.
Mars - Ruler of 2 and 9: Here Mars rules an Associated (Group 3) house in addition to a Trikona (Group 1) house. The 2nd lord being an Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is a trikona that happens to be beneficial. As Lord of 9th house it happens to be favorable. Mars also treats Lagna Lord as it's friend. Hence Mars is to be considered as a functional benefic.
Venus - Ruler of 3 and 8: Here Venus owns a Trishadaya (Group 4) in addition to an Associated  (Group 3) house. Being owner of Trishadaya it becomes a malefic. The 8th lord being an Associated Lord, we need to see the other house it rules which is a Trishadaya which makes it significantly harmful. Hence Venus is to be considered as a functional malefic
Mercury - Ruler of 4 and 7: Here Mercury owns 2 kendra (Group 2) houses. Mercury could suffer Kendradhipathi dosh based on its association. Mercury treats Jupiter as its neutral but at the same time is also it's killer owning the 7th house. Also not having any trinal influence, Mercury is to be considered as a functional malefic
Moon - Ruler of 5: Here Moon happens to be a Trikona (Group 1) Lord and hence happens to be extremely auspicious. Moon also happens to be friend of Lagna Lord and hence Moon is considered to be a Functional Benefic
Sun - Ruler of 6: Here Sun is ruler of a Trishadaya (Group 4) house. Sun treats Lagna Lord as it's friend but on account of being owner of an evil house, Sun has to be considered a functional malefic.
Saturn - Ruler of 11 and 12: Saturn owns a Trishadaya (Group 4) in addition to an Association (Group 3) house. Being owner of Trishadaya it becomes a malefic. Being an associated lord, we need to check other ownership which is Trishadaya which makes it significantly harmful. Saturn treats Lagna Lord as it's neutral. But on account of owning a Trishadaya house with no trine influence Saturn is said to be a functional malefic.

Observation and Notes to Keep in Mind:

➤ Trikona Lordship Specialty

A Trikona Lordship (1,5,9) is always beneficial but it applies unanimously only to 5,9 ownership. Lagna (1st Lord) also happens to be a Kendra and hence it needs to be evaluated from that angle also.

➤ Special Demarcation to 10th
A) Dual Signs:
The 10th house in many cases happens to be a Yoga conferring house. Considering the Dual Ascendants for Virgo and Pisces the Lagna Lords Mercury and Jupiter happen to be Functional Benefics whereas for Gemini and Sagittarius the Lagna Lords Mercury and Jupiter only happen to be Functional Neutrals. Lagna ownership is common for all these Ascendants and each of these ascendants is susceptible to the blemish of Kendradhipathi Dosh but however Virgo & Pisces holding 10th ownership is given superior weight over Gemini & Sagittarius controlling 4th ownership.
B) Sun for Scorpio:
For Scorpio Ascendant, Sun only rules the 10th house and there is no trinal influence. But despite that it is given the status of functional benefic as it's expected to combined with the Moon who is the 9th lord conferring a Rajayoga.

➤ Impact of Kendradhipathi
A) 2nd & 7th Lords - Aries & Libra Ascendants:
For Aries, Venus rules the 2nd and 7th house whereas for Libra, Mars rules the 2nd and 7th houses. For Aries, Venus is considered as a functional malefic whereas for Libra Mars is a functional neutral. This is because for Aries, Venus being 7th Lord is exposed to the blemish of Kendradhipathi which also happens to be in it's Mooltrikona sign. This makes Venus a functional malefic for Aries. However for Libra, Mars being 7th Lord does not have the impact of Kendradhipathi. In fact, the Kendra house of Aries being also the Mooltrikona sign of Mars, it's ownership only enhances the house. Hence Mars is classified as a Functional Neutral for Libra.

B) 7th & 12th Lords - Taurus & Scorpio Ascendants:
For Taurus, Mars rules the 7th and 12th house whereas for Scorpio, Venus rules the 7th and 12th house. For Taurus Mars is  considered as a a functional neutral whereas for Scorpio Venus is a functional malefic. This is because in Taurus Ascendant, Mars rules the 7th house of Scorpio and does not have the impact of Kendradhipathi. This makes Mars a functional neutral. However for Scorpio Ascendant, Venus being the 7th Lord of Taurus is exposed to the blemish of Kendradhipathi and hence Venus is classified as a Functional Malefic for Scorpio.

➤ 6th supersedes 8th in malefic ownership - Mars & Venus Ascendants
A) Aries & Scorpio:
For the Mars ruled Ascendants namely Aries and Scorpio, apart from owning Lagna they rule the 8th and 6th respectively. For Aries, Mars is a functional benefic whereas for Scorpio Mars is only a functional neutral. This is mainly due to Aries being the Lagna Lord also happens to be the Mooltrikona sign and also when considering 8th placement being Associated Lord it will look at other house in question which is the 1st that happens to be in good dignity. For Scorpio, the Mooltrikona house becomes evil 6th house owner and increases maleficence.

B) Taurus & Libra:
Extending the principles for the Venus Ascendants namely Taurus and Libra, apart from owning Lagna they also rule the 6th and 8th respectively. For Taurus, Venus is actually a functional malefic whereas for Libra Venus is a functional neutral. This is mainly due to Libra being the Lagna Lord also happens to be the Mooltrikona sign and also when considering 8th placement being Associated Lord it will look at other house in question which is the 1st which is a Trikona and Kendra. Here however unlike Mars for Aries, Venus suffers the blemish of Kendradhipathi and hence relegated to just being a functional neutral. For Taurus however, the Mooltrikona house becomes evil 6th house owner and increases maleficence.. Also as Lagna, since it suffers the blemish of Kendradhipathi, Venus ends up becoming a functional malefic for Taurus Ascendant.

➤ 2nd supersedes 12th in malefic ownership - Saturn Ascendants
A) Capricorn & Aquarius
For the Ascendants Capricorn and Aquarius, Saturn happens to be Lagna Lord and in addition for Capricorn it also happens to be 2nd lord whereas for Aquarius it is also 12th lord. For Aquarius, Saturn is however considered to be a functional benefic whereas for Capricorn it is a functional malefic. In both cases the other Lord happens to be an Associated Lord and so it must ring a bell regarding the nomenclature of differentiation. The reason is for Aquarius, Lagna lord happens to be in it's Mooltrikona sign and the other lordship is largely dependent on Lagna Lord which is stationed favorably. For Capricorn however the Lagna Lord is not a Mooltrikona sign. Also being a movable sign the 2nd house is susceptible to being a Maraka. Hence this is the reason Saturn is more beneficial to Aquarius as compared to Capricorn.

➤ Sun & Moon as Kendras:
- Aries Ascendant - Moon is Kendra (4th lord) and it's a functional neutral
- Taurus Ascendant - Sun is Kendra (4th lord) and it's a functional neutral
- Cancer Ascendant - Moon is Kendra (1st lord) and is a functional benefic (Benefic as Lagna Lord but subject to Kendradhipathi)
- Leo Ascendant - Sun is Kendra (1st lord) and is a functional benefic
- Libra Ascendant - Moon is Kendra (10th Lord) and it's a functional neutral
- Scorpio Ascendant - Sun is Kendra (10th Lord) and is a functional benefic (Combines with Moon being 9th lord proving to be auspicious)
- Capricorn Ascendant - Moon is Kendra (7th Lord) and is functional malefic (Impact of Kendradhipathi combined with being a Maraka Lord for this Ascendant)
- Aquarius Ascendant - Sun is Kendra (7th Lord) and it's a functional neutral

Summary Table of Functional Benefics, Functional Malefics and Functional Neutrals:

Rare Planetary Aspects in Vedic Astrology!

Aspects form an important area of play when analyzing horoscopes under the realm of Vedic Astrology. It is believed the planets cast their vision on the 7th sign from where they are placed apart from certain planets which are said to have special aspects. Listing below the usually accustomed aspects which are associated with the planets

Sun - 7th Aspect

Moon - 7th Aspect

Mars - 4th, 7th and 8th Aspect

Mercury - 7th Aspect

Jupiter - 5th, 7th and 9th Aspect

Venus - 7th Aspect

Saturn - 3rd, 7th and 10th Aspect

Rahu - No Aspect (Note: Some schools consider 5th, 7th and 9th aspect similar to Jupiter and sometimes even 12th as Rahu always moves in reverse direction)

Ketu - No Aspect (Note: Some schools consider aspects only for Rahu and not for Ketu but there are also other views that it holds the same like Rahu ie 5th, 7th and 9th aspect similar to Jupiter and sometimes even 12th as Ketu always moves in reverse direction)

Let's look at it from the planets in the solar system. The sequence goes about as Mercury -> Venus -> Earth -> Mars -> Jupiter -> Saturn -> Uranus -> Neptune -> Pluto

If you consider the order above, it is clear that the inner planets to Earth viz Mercury and Venus only possess 7th aspect. Moon who is always orbiting around the earth is also relegated to just the 7th aspect and replacing the Earth with the Sun from the parlance of Geo-centric system, it also possesses only the default 7th aspect. Rahu & Ketu which are in essence derived from the Moon's orbital path around the Earth do not possess any aspect. It may also be considered as possessing the same 7th aspect but since Rahu & Ketu are in essence only one object with Rahu representing the head and Ketu depicting the tail, the aspects aren't factored into account.

However the outer planets from the Earth viz Mars, Jupiter and Saturn have extra special aspects on top of the usual 7th aspect which the inner planets from Earth possess. We are not taking into account Uranus, Neptune and Pluto as they are beyond the scope of Vedic Astrology.

The sages have also advocated a partial aspects theory which is not used much in practice. As per this methodology, each planet influences a certain visionary scope apart from it's usual full aspect. The designated planet however is given full aspect responsibility in that territory as seen below:
4th & 8th Aspect - Each planet has 75% aspect (Mars alone has 100%)
5th & 9th Aspect - Each planet has 50% aspect (Jupiter alone has 100%)
3rd & 10th Aspect - Each planet has 25% aspect (Saturn alone has 100%)

Few other branches of astrology such as Nadi Astrology, Lal Kitab Astrology, Jaimini Astrology again have their own say in defining aspects. In Nadi, each planet is said to influence heavily on planets placed in trine to them. The 2nd & 12th aspect is also considered extensively with the 2nd being considered highly powerful for a planet in forward motion as it's believed to go and touch the planet in the next sign and likewise for planets in retro motion, the 12th forms high weightage. The 3rd, 7th, 11th trine are also given a smaller slice of aspect percentage and in effect only the 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th to a planet doesn't really have much of a say with respect to aspects. Lal Kitab also has it's own unique measure of aspects. As per it, the planet in 1st house aspects planets in 7th house but the vice versa doesn't hold true. Also there are percentages given to the extent a planet placed in a particular house has on other houses. Jaimini is more to do with the signs and it's believed each movable sign aspects every other fixed sign except the one next to it and likewise each of the fixed signs aspect all the movable signs except the one next to it. The Dual signs aspect each of the other dual signs.

On exploring the subject further on planetary aspects associated with Vedic Astrology, I got to figure there are some extra hidden aspects given to some of the inner planets Sun, Venus and also Rahu & Ketu apart from the usual 7th aspect. This is also backed up by one old Tamil text called "Jothida Arichuvadi" which delineates the aspects of planets by means of a sloka. Listing below the aspects of all planets including the unknown rare ones:

Sun - 3rd, 7th and 10th Aspect

Moon - 7th Aspect

Mars - 4th, 7th and 8th Aspect

Mercury - 7th Aspect

Jupiter - 5th, 7th and 9th Aspect

Venus - 6th, 7th and 8th Aspect

Saturn - 3rd, 7th and 10th Aspect

Rahu - 3rd, 7th and 11th Aspect

Ketu - 3rd, 7th and 11th Aspect

This may not match the solar system logic of all outer planets being given special aspects and inner planets being given just the default 7th aspect but we must also adhere and realize the fact that Vedic Astrology works largely on planetary energies. The reasons figured out for these extra aspects pertaining to Sun, Venus, Rahu&Ketu are as follows:

Sun (Extra 3rd and 10th aspect):
As per mythology, Sun happens to be the father of Saturn and we are well aware of Saturn possessing 3rd and 10th aspect. The dad is expected to have the same aspectual tendency as per his son and hence the proverb ''Like Father Like Son'' holds good here with Sun also possessing the special 3rd and 10th aspect.

Venus (Extra 6th and 8th aspect):
Venus represents 'Yoni' which translates to sexual organ. This portion is always protected by the left side and right side thigh. Even if any serious calamity takes place, it's the two sides to the left and right that always enable to protect the womb. These are the 6th (left) and 8th (right) aspect holding and protecting the 7th (yoni).

Rahu & Ketu (Extra 3rd and 11th aspect):
Both Rahu & Ketu are nodal points derived from Moon. Moon is said to rule the zodiac sign of Cancer whereas it's Mool Trikon (office of responsibility) sign is Taurus. When you count forward or backward from Cancer to Taurus you get 3,11 and hence Rahu/Ketu are believed to possess 3rd and 11th aspect.

It is interesting to note that as per this logic all the planets except Moon & Mercury have special aspects designed for them. Also if we look at the signs being aspected, all houses are being touched upon except 2/12 axis. Incidentally coming to the 2nd and 12th aspect, it is largely believed that the son of Saturn namely Mandi which is predominantly used in Southern part of India is said to have an aspect of one house before and after it's placement along with default 7th which effectively and indirectly means all houses aspects are considered if Mandi is also included in the mix. 

1st - Placement of the planets
7th - Default aspect for all planets
3rd - Sun, Saturn, Rahu & Ketu
11th - Rahu & Ketu
4th - Mars
10th - Sun & Saturn
5th - Jupiter
9th - Jupiter
6th - Venus
8th - Mars & Venus

2nd - Mandi

12th - Mandi