What it means
Classically the nine grahas divide into shubha - Jupiter, Venus, a waxing Moon and a well-associated Mercury - and ashubha: Saturn, Mars, Rahu, Ketu, the Sun, and Mercury when it keeps harsh company. This is the natural, chart-independent list, and it is the one most summaries stop at.
How it is read
The list that actually matters is functional, and it is decided by the Lagna. A planet is judged by the houses it owns from the ascendant: the lords of the 1st, 5th and 9th behave well almost regardless of their nature, and the lords of the 6th, 8th and 11th behave badly almost regardless of it. So Saturn, naturally harsh, is among the best planets for a Taurus or Libra ascendant, because from there it owns trines. Jupiter, naturally gentle, is difficult for a Taurus Lagna for the same structural reason.
What to watch for
The practical consequence is that 'I have malefics in my chart' is not information. Everyone does - four of the nine are naturally harsh and they are always somewhere. What can be read is which houses they own from your Lagna, where they sit, and what they aspect. A summary that labels a planet good or bad without naming your ascendant has skipped the only step that changes the answer.
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