Lagna and Houses in Vedic Astrology Lessons Basic
Common References for Houses
It may be noted from the list above that each house shows many matters. It may be confusing at first to pick the right meaning that is relevant in a particular analysis. It becomes easier with experience. We have to note the area of life seen in the divisional chart under examination. We have to choose the meanings of houses that are relevant in that area of life. For example, the 4th house shows education, vehicle, house and mother (among other things). A list of the areas of life seen in various divisional charts is given in the chapter on “Divisional Charts”. We see from it that learning is seen from D-24, pleasures and comforts from D-16, house and immovable property from D-4 and parents from D-12. So the 4th houses in D-24, D-
16, D-4 and D-12 show education, vehicle, house and mother (respectively).
We should also take cognisance of the kind of matters shown by various references and interpret the meaning of a house accordingly. The 4th house from lagna, the 4th house from arudha lagna and the 4th house from paaka lagna can mean different things, depending on the matters shown by lagna, arudha lagna and paaka lagna. Now we will learn about the most common references used in finding houses and the matters shown by them.
Depending on the matter we are analyzing, we should look at the correct divisional chart, the correct reference and the correct house. Then only good results can be obtained. All this complexity may be perplexing to new students. However, there is something we should realize. Human existence is a very complicated thing and it is silly and unscientific to expect a simplistic model for the complicated human life. Though Vedic astrology has too many parameters used in chart analysis, they are all important as they give us the degrees of freedom necessary for modeling something as complicated as human life. However, if we do not understand what each parameter means and end up using them in a mixed-up way, we will get nowhere. So readers should strive to understand these basics very clearly.
Lagna is the most commonly used reference when finding houses. If no reference is mentioned when houses are listed, it means that lagna – the default reference – was used. Lagna shows true self. If we are trying to understand someone’s status in society, lagna may not be the correct reference. Status does not relate to “true self”. It is a part of the illusion of this world. However, if we are trying to understand someone’s intentions in doing something or someone’s knowledge or someone’s persistence, it relates to “true self”. So they are seen from the houses counted from lagna. Lagna shows true self. It shows the overall spirit of “I” (self).
Chandra Lagna (Moon lagna)
Chandra lagna means Moon taken as a reference. We can find houses from Moon. Because Moon is the significator of mind, these houses show things from the perspective of mind. For example, someone may be working in a routine job, but he may have an active and enterprising mind and he may be using it in his career. In that case, the 10th house (career) from lagna may have the influence of Saturn (routine job) and the 10th house from Moon may have the influence of Mars (active and enterprising).
Houses counted from Moon are useful in looking at things from the point of view of mind. When we judge how happy one is, how ambitious one is and how one views one’s career, the role of mind is paramount. So Chandra lagna should not be ignored.
Ravi Lagna (Sun lagna)
Ravi lagna means Sun taken as a reference. We can find houses from Sun. Because Sun is the significator of soul, these houses show things from the perspective of soul. For things related to physical vitality also, Sun is an important reference.
Computation of arudha lagna (AL) will be explained in the chapter on “Arudha Padas”. For now, the readers should remember that arudha lagna shows how a native is perceived in the world. It also shows the status of a native. A planet in the 10th house from lagna may give some important developments in one’s profession. A planet in the 10th house from Chandra lagna may give some important mental activity in one’s profession. A planet in the 10th house from arudha lagna may give some important developments in one’s professional status.
Paaka lagna is important when analyzing the natal chart, dasas and transits. Paaka lagna is nothing but lagna lord taken as a reference. If someone with Pisces lagna has Jupiter in Cancer, then Cancer becomes paaka lagna. If someone with Leo lagna has Sun in Virgo, Virgo becomes paaka lagna.
Rasis represent situations and forces influencing the course of a native’s life and planets represent individual beings. Lagna lord represents the physical self of a native. So that is what paaka lagna shows. Houses counted from paaka lagna throw light on matters related to the physical self of a native.
Lagna shows the concept of self and it deals with one’s true personality. The physical existence of the person is different from this conceptual self. This applies to all divisional charts. Let us take an example. The 5th house shows scholarship, memory and success in competition. All these are related to learning and they are seen in D-24, the chart of learning. But they are better seen from different references. Let us find the best reference for each.
Success in competition is related to the illusions and perceptions of the world and so the most appropriate reference is arudha lagna. The 5th house from arudha lagna shows success in competition. Scholarship is not a measurable attribute of the physical existence. It is a property of one’s true personality and one’s conceptual self. So the 5th from lagna shows scholarship. If we take the self that exists physically and take its part as applicable to the area of life shown by D-24 (i.e. learning), memory is a direct attribute of that self. Memory is a property of one’s self that physically exists. So the 5th house from paaka lagna shows memory the best. Saturn’s transit13 over the rasi containing one’s lagna may throw obstructions and hamper one’s activities. Saturn’s transit over the rasi containing one’s Chandra lagna may create frustration and mental depression. Saturn’s transit over the rasi containing one’s paaka lagna may leave one feeling sick all the time and attack the physical vitality.
Atma karaka stands for the soul of the person. Atma karaka is an important reference point in a chart. Because the soul is an important factor in deciding the nature of inner self than the physical existence, atma karaka is an important reference point in navamsa chart. Navamsa chart throws light on the inner self and the rasi occupied by atma karaka in it is called “Karakamsa”. We can analyze navamsa chart with respect to Karakamsa. The 12th house from Karakamsa shows the liberation of the soul and the situation of Ketu there is conducive to moksha. Propitiation of the deities corresponding to the strongest planet in the 12th house in navamsa from Karakamsa lagna can take one’s soul towards moksha.
Ghati lagna (GL) shows self, from the point of view of power, authority and fame. When we analyze promotions in career or political power of politicians, this reference is very important.
Hora lagna (HL) shows self, from the point of view of wealth. This reference is important when analyzing one’s wealth.
Apart from the above references, we use several “graha lagnas” or planetary references. For each house, a planet works as the natural significator. To see matters signified by a house, we can take the relevant planet as the reference
Table 12: Houses signified by planets
Sun 9th, 10th, 11th
Moon 4th, 1st, 2nd, 11th, 9th
Saturn 8th, 12th
When we analyze courage or persistence or weapons or younger brothers or the expenditure on house or the expenditure on car, we have to analyze the 3rd house in the relevant divisional chart. In all those cases, we can see the 3rd house from lagna and the 3rd house from Mars and draw conclusions based on the strength of both. If Mars is stronger than lagna, then the 3rd house from Mars may be more important than the 3rd house from lagna. Similarly, we see the 4th from lagna and the 4th from Moon for mother. We see the 9th from Sun and the 9th from lagna for father. We see the 12th from lagna and the 12th from Saturn for losses. We see the 5th from lagna and the 5th from Jupiter for progeny. We see the 7th from lagna and the 7th from Venus for marriage.
In addition to the above list, we can find a house with respect to the naisargika karaka (natural significator) who signifies the matter shown by a house. For example, Venus signifies vehicles. D-16 is the chart that shows vehicles and pleasures. So the 4th from Venus in D-16 can show one’s happiness from vehicles and other luxuries. As Mercury is the natural significator of speech, the 2nd house from lagna and the 2nd house from Mercury show speech (in rasi, D-9 and D-2714). A complete list of naisargika karakas of different matters can be found in the chapter on “Karakas”.
There are some special categories of houses:
(1) The 1st, 5th and 9th houses form a triangle and they are known as “konas” or
“trikonas” or “trines”.
(2) The 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses are called “kendras” or “quadrants” or “angles”.
(3) The 2nd, 5th, 8th and 11th houses are called “panapharas” or “succedants”. These
are basically the quadrants from the 2nd house.
(4) The 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th houses are called “apoklimas” or “precedants”. These
are basically the quadrants from the 3rd house.
(5) The 3rd, 6th, 10th and 11th houses are called “upachayas”.
By P.V.R. Narasimha Rao