The jurisdiction and facets of 7th house of the horoscope

JYOTISHAAM SURYAADI GRAHANAM BODHAKA SHASTRAM

-----The knowledge and effect of planets is what jyotisha shastra is all about.

If planets are forces then houses are the fields for those forces to operate upon.

Each part of the zodiac is a solar mansion better called as sign or raashi. All the 12 rashis are classified in 4 groups or triplicities according to 4 elememts-

Fire element corresponds with spiritual processes in man.

Earth element corresponds with physical processes .

Air element corresponds with mental processes.

Water element corresponds with psychic processes.

Libra the 7th house of the zodiac, is an airy, odd, positive and masculine sign and thus tends to be more expressive and not passive in reactions. Libra also shows commencement of southern hemishere. It is also equinoctial sign . the end of virgo and beginning of libra cause day and night equal all over the world. This phenomenon occurs twice in a year. When sun shifts to aries and when sun shifts to libra.

We know aries is lagna in kaalpurusha horoscope and natural 7th house is libra. When ARIES denotes fire elememt we know that birth is a spiritual phenomenon and embodiment of the soul . the 7th house libra is having air element and is thus connected with mental phenomenon.

Thus natural 7th house libra and 7th lord venus have a say in marital matters and rather all matters denoted by 7th house.

As all my learned friends know that 7th house from any house is the completion house for that very house. when we say ascendant is the physical self ,the embodiment of the soul, it is very natural to assume that 7th is the house of physical union. so, rightly we connect marriage with 7th house. marriage is called vivaha and if we split it up it is likevivividha (many) and vaha vahan (taking charge) . the meaning is that vivaha is when a couple takes charge of various responsibilities in a commulative way. Moreso, the sense of completeness is justified when SHATPATHA BRAHAMANA says,one is incomplete without having a wife and a son.

About 7th house and its linkage with marriage has been discussed in our texts like mantres`wara has described in CHAPTER 10 of PHALADEEPIKA, parashara has described about 7th house and marriage in CHAPTER 18 OF BRIHAT PARASHARA HORA SHASTRA and many a number of texts like JATAKA SARA DIPA,

SANKETA NIDHI, SARAVALI etc. have discussed the 7th house, 7th lord and venuss placement and effects in all the houses and how venus and 7th lord behaves regarding marriage and also the dual lordship of 7th house lord and its mitigated effects regarding marital matters.

Even sage JAIMINI, has called the 7th house pada or arudha as DARA PADA(when dara stands to denote the spouse.) also in char karakas the 7th karaka with least longitude is called as dara karaka which is identical with the 7th house lord while predicting marital matters through jaimini system. Also in jaimini astrology, 7th house from lagna, pada lagna, dara pada, karkamsa lagna, dara- karaka etc. are considered to predict about the physical health, beauty and intellect of the spouse, and to know the quality and life of married life. This thing justifies that 7th house holds primary importance in marital matters.

Now, the point arises here why do we consider only 7th house for marital matters when we know that KAAMA TRIPLICITY houses are 3,7,11 houses and in kaalpurush horoscope, 3,7,11 signs i.e. Gemini, libra, aquarius are air signs and air signs are connected with mind and mental experiences. 7th is most important house of kaama trikone there are two reasons for this.

As 7th h is a Kendra house and thus shows more practicality of affairs. That is how, practical relationships and involvements are seen through 7th house

7th house denotes physical level involvements which are more worldly. although 11th house shows gratification of mental kaama and 3rd denotes spiritual union, but they act at a personal level.

7th house has a lot more to say and we can better understand it by the concept of purusha and prakriti. As in hindu philosophy of life, the process of manifestation of ethereal soul into material body is caused by the interaction between purusha and prakriti. astrologically saying, lagna shows purusha shakti, and 7th denotes prakriti. If lagna is the vital force then 7th is dissipation of the same. if lagna is the physical media,7th has to indicate the physical union and the purpose is procreation.

In Indian classical thoughts, marriage was deemed not as a mere compromise for setting up a new family,but it was one of the main steps in SHODASHA SAMSKARAS. The need and purpose of marriage in india has been different and special and its profundity was acknowledged with distict spiritual attributes. MANUSMRITI also gave three purposes of marriage.

1. 2. 3.

performing religious rituals having male progenies gratification of carnal urges.

It is noteworthy here that religious rituals have been accorded first place and sexual gratification comes last in importance. The reproduction purpose in marriage was a must in ancient India. Only after attaining a son, one is deemed qualified for attainment of emancipation(liberated soul).

In another reference in a mantra of ATHARVAVEDA, the groom tells his wife, I have married you with the sole desire to have virtuous progenies. Let us work togeather in this direction and live for hundred years. This confirms how procreation part had been taken as essential aspect in marriage.

Now, the most important facet of 7th house is its maraka tattwa. For understanding it, we shall have to explore the phenomenon of transmigration of soul. here 7th house becomes a maraka house. How subtle it is that marriage house is a maraka house too. lets try and unfold the mystery.

We all know that 8th house is house of death and annihilation of prana shakti or the vital force, or sukshama sharira. When BRIHADARANYAKA UPANISHADA says, AHAM BRAHAMASMI i.e., I am BRAHMA . MANDUKYA UPANISHADA states- AYAM ATMA BRAHMA means this self is brahma .we mean to say,that the spirit is brahma and that is immortal. This is the jist of teachings of upanishadas.

One dies to be reborn again and this is law of nature. Astrologically , death is not the end of life and it is just a normal phenomenon like birth, growth, marriage, progeny etc. everything doesnt end with physical death otherwise concept of immortality would become false.

Lord Krishna in GEETHA, tells arjuna you and I (and all warriors standing here) have passed through many births. You know them not while I know them all. there is endless chain of births and rebirths for which 7th house is most vitally involved. The point to attach maraka tattwa to 7th house is-

If SRISHTI LAGNA is ARIES, then it is but natural that LIBRA has to be the setting sign of cosmic energy. Similarly, in every horoscope, lagna is rise of a birth and thus 7th house is setting of ones life into eternal cycles of rebirths.

If we take the classical references UTTARA KALAMRITA (chapter 4 verse 20 says

Yaddyadbhavadhan-------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------bandhaka:

tadraandhare ----------------------------------

----------------------------------------kramaat:|| 20||

it has been clearly mentioned in the above sloka that the owners of 2nd and 7th houses act as strong marakas(destroyers) to the native.

VAMANAPURANA confirms that lord shiva is identifiable with kaala purusha. Shiva is absolute cosmic current and parvati is his creative energy i.e. MAAYA. According to TANTRA SHASTRA , SHIVA without SHAKTHI is SHAVA(a corpse). So when lagna is the reservoir of prana shakthi then 7th is field of activity. If lagna is BEEJAM then 7th is the KSHETRAM. while discussing the progeny aspect of any human being we calculate the beeja sphuta (virility) in man to ascertain the reproductive strength in him and we determine the KSHETRA SPHUTA to find out wheather the woman is capable and fertile for procreation. This is because we believe that ascendant denotes purusha shakthi and 7th house denotes capabilities and fertility. In vaster terms, life force is lagna and usage of that force and its outcome depends on 7th house in a horoscope. in a way, 7th is the house of utilization of ones energy in different directions of life.

However UTTARA KALAMRITA of kalidas in chapter 5, KARAKAKHANDA has described multiple katkattwas of 7th house. sloka ||12|| and ||13||, say

Udvaha vyabhichaar --------------------------------

-----------------------------------chourya vadetsaptamaata:||

means as many as 37 things are to be judged from 7th house like possession of clothes , commerce or trade, chewing beetal leaves, having perfumes, food with cereals and ghee, break in travels, marriage, loose sex life and a lot more. All other classical texts like LAGHU JATAKAM, BRIHAD YAVANA JATAKA, SARVARTHA CHINTAMANI, BHAVA PRAKAS`A etc.,relate 7th house mainly with marriage and spouse and also additional related matters like trade, open enemies, public image, passions and pride, matters of coming and going, urinary tract etc.

Also acc. to theory of BHAVAT BHAVAM, 7th house is a powerful house from almost all important houses like it is 5th from 3rd house and 3rd from 5th, it is 9th from 11th house and 11th from 9th, 7th is also strong Kendra as it is 4th from 4th and 10th from 10th house . this is how, 7th houses denotes all important matters like, marriage, practical involvements, open enemy or competitors, social image, social interactions, professional distinctions, and fructification of desires.

However the positivity or negativity of these areas is indicated by planetary influences on 7th house in individual horoscopes.

Finally, if we take a broader viewpoint, ARTHA stands for material prosperity and KAAMA shows material satisfaction. ARTHA and KAAMA triplicities form AND MOKSHA triplicities) i.e. the spiritual summit. preyas which work in the direction of shreyas (DHARMA

DHARMA TRIKONA is for regularization of ARTHA and KAAMA in such a manner that we are led towards MOKSHA which is ultimate goal of life.

Our Vedas which are fountain head of knowledge are the means to acquire happiness or Preyas and shreyas. While preyas is the temporal happiness and shreyas is eternal happiness through gnana which is removal of avidya. Understanding it all in a wider perspective is the whole point in it.