What are planetary relationships (Maitri) in Vedic astrology?

Every graha has a set of other grahas it treats as friend, neutral, or enemy. When two planets sit together, aspect each other, or exchange signs, how they behave depends on that relationship. A friendly pair tends to cooperate and strengthen the result. A hostile pair tends to drag on each other even when both are otherwise well-placed. Reading dignity without reading relationships is one of the most common ways a chart gets misread.

What is the difference between Naisargika, Tatkalika, and Panchadha Maitri?

Naisargika (natural) relationships are permanent — they come from each planet's inherent nature and never change. Tatkalika (temporal) relationships are specific to your chart and are calculated from how planets sit relative to each other in houses. Panchadha Maitri (fivefold relationship) is the final combined reading of the two — this is the one actually used in Shadbala strength calculation and in most classical interpretation, so it is usually the most practical to rely on.

How are temporal (Tatkalika) friendships calculated?

From each planet's point of view, any other planet sitting in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, or 12th house from it is treated as a temporal friend. Planets in the 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, or 9th are temporal enemies. This is why the same two planets can be friends in one person's chart and enemies in another — it depends entirely on where they land in your particular birth chart.

Does a planet being a bitter enemy mean it gives bad results?

Not automatically. Bitter enemy status means the two planets' combined output tends to be reduced or friction-heavy — not that either planet is harmful by itself. A dignified planet with a bitter enemy relationship may still produce results, just with more strain or less ease than the same planet sitting with a friend. Relationships are a modifier on top of dignity and dasha, not a standalone verdict.

Where is the planetary relationship table actually used in interpretation?

Three main places. First, in Shadbala — the six-fold strength calculation includes a positional-strength component based on Panchadha Maitri. Second, when interpreting conjunctions and aspects between two planets, the relationship decides whether they help or hinder each other. Third, in dasha reading: when a planet's Mahadasha or Antardasha runs, its friendships with the bhava lords it touches often explain why two charts with the same dasha produce very different outcomes.