Darapada and Upapada

Rebirth or mokṣa

Bṛhat Parāśara Kārakādhyāyaḥ
सर्ववार्ताधिकारी च बन्धकृन्मोक्षक्रत् तथा॥८॥
sarvavārttādhikārī ca bandhakṛnmokṣakrat tathā
sarva– whole, entire, all every; vārtta– having means of subsistence, practising any business or profession, karma; adhikāra-m. authority, government, rule, administration, jurisdiction; ca-and; bandha-m. binding, tying, fetter, arrest, imprisonment; kṛntana-n. cutting, cutting off, dividing; mokṛa-m. emancipation, liberation, release; kṛt-making, doing, performing, accomplishing, author; tathā-so also, in like manner;
Translation: [The ātmakāraka] has complete jurisdiction and authority over the entire field of karma and is responsible for binding or imprisonment of the soul in the cycle of rebirth or can grant emancipation or release wherefrom by cutting off the yoke of bondage.
Release or emancipation is examined from the twelfth house. Whereas the twelfth house from lagna shows the release from the body or the last stage of life, the twelfth house from kārakāṁśa, also called jīvanamuktāṁśa shows release from the cycle of rebirth or mokṣa. The term jīvanamuktāṁśa is mentioned in the Chandrakalā nāḍi and the state of a jīvanamukta is described in the Srimad Bhagavatam while discussing the avadhuta brāhmaṇa. Suffice is to say here that it is a state which can be achieved in this body through complete and total detachment (Pisces/12^th house) etc.
Just as mokṣa is examined from the 12^th house from the kārakāṁśa, bandha or bondage in the cycle of rebirth is examined from the seventh house from kārakāṁśa. Whereas the seventh house from lagna in the birth chart is the lagna of conception indicating the bondage of this birth due to desires (7^th house is the seat/Kendra of the Kāma trikoṇa), the seventh house in the punya (death) chart shows the place of rebirth. For example, if Mars is in the 7^th house the native is reborn in an island. Such dictums are mentioned in the classics that have only possible use in death charts and confirm the thought about the 7^th house and rebirth. Similarly the seventh house from kārakāṁśa shows the strongest desire causing rebirth and planets in this house can also give marriage and fulfil all the desires for which one is born.

Battle between 7^th & 12^th houses

The seventh house and twelfth house are paraspara ṣaḍāṣṭaka (mutually 6/8 or inimically disposed). Thus, normally rebirth indicated by the 12^th house and rebirth indicating by the 7^th house mutually opposing directions of the soul and both of these cannot happen. Guru means a teacher and one that guides thinking or processes logic in a certain direction based on ‘individual preferences and senses’. Venus is the asura guru (teacher of the dark path or apara vidyā) because he rules the seventh house of the natural zodiac and guides the thoughts towards fulfilment of desires and rebirth. It is through the semen ruled by Venus that rebirth occurs. Jupiter is the sura-guru (teacher of the bright path or para vidyā) because he rules the 12^th house of the natural zodiac and guides the thoughts towards emancipation and spirituality.
However, in some cases when the lords of the 7^th and 12^th houses are natural friends then they come in the category of mitra ṣaḍāṣṭaka where the native is promised both fulfilment of the desires and wishes pertaining to the incarnation as well as emancipation by following the spiritual path of the iṣṭa devatā. For such people, marriage can cause spiritual growth and fulfilment. A thorough examination of not only the 7^th and 12^th houses but also the dārā-pada (A7) and upapada (A12 or UL) is necessary to take any view on marriage and material comforts and renunciation of the same.
The significators of these are Venus (marriage) and Ketu (renunciation and mokṣa). The Paurāṇic episodes related to Tulasi (Venus) Gaṇeśa (Ketu) shows how Tulasi gets cursed by Gaṇeśa to lose her purity and spouse by Viṣṇu as she disturbed Gaṇeśa when He was meditating on Viṣṇu. In turn Tulasi curses Gaṇeśa to have two spouses at the same time. This works in a strange way in charts where Ketu in 7^th house or A7 and Venus in 12^th house or UL can give two spouses at the same time confirming the curse of Tulasi. In the opposite, Venus in 7^th house or A7 and Ketu/Rāhu in 12^th house or UL can cause loss of spouse or two marriages after losing a spouse or even renunciation of spouse as the curse of Gaṇeśa. On the other hand, Venus in the 12^th house from lagna or āruḍha lagna (AL can show someone losing his spouse while Ketu so placed can cause delay in marriage or complete denial of marital bliss. Venus in the 6^th house from AL can show absence of marriage or separation from spouse while Ketu so placed shows a spiritual person who maybe cheated in relationships.

Chart 1: Two spouse

In Chart 1, Ketu is in the 7^th house and Venus is in Upapada in Leo showing the curse of Tulasi on the native. The native had a love affair in college and continued to date even after he was engaged to and married another lady (second spouse). He has two sons from his first love from college and a daughter from his second spouse. The spouse know of each others existence and are doing everything to get each other out of the triad relationship. The native is immersed in this mess of a relationship all the time and the spiritual path is quite disturbed or blocked as the mind does not have the time to dwell on this subject.

Chart 2: Swami Prabhupada-renunciation of marriage

The converse is applicable in the chart of Sri Prabhupada where Venus is in A7 in Virgo and Rāhu (node) is in Upapada in Aquarius. This shows the curse of Gaṇeśa (which for very spiritual people can be a blessing in disguise). Using Caturasiṭi sama daśa (10^th lord in 10^th house), we note that Prabhupada renounced his spouse when she preferred to have tea instead of him at the age of 54 years (1950) in Sun daśā Venus antardaśā. Four years later in Moon daśā Mars antardaśā he took to the vanaprastha life and finally in 1959 in Moon daśā Venus antardaśā, he renounced and took sannyāsa. The crucial role played by debilitated Venus (with nīcabhaṇga rājayoga but in 6^th house from AL, placed in A7 and with nodal axis along the UL) is noteworthy confirming the curse of Gaṇeśa for losing spouse and going towards Viṣṇu.

Chart 3: Female ditches

In Chart 3, Ketu is in the 7^th house and Venus is not only the lord of Upapada but also aspects the Upapada in Libra. The lady had a long standing boyfriend who was not financially stable and then she fell in love with an immigrant Indian who was much older than her. She was always suspected of continuing the relationship with the old boyfriend, which is evident due to the presence of the curse of Tulasi (see Chart 1). Her husband was a top executive in a company and got her a consulting contract in the company so that they could live together. When the question of child came up, she took a transfer to another continent and later divorced him. Venus in the second house shows poor sexual relationship with spouse[ref]NOTE ON VENUS: Venus can be placed in houses 11, 12, 1, 2, or 3 houses from the Sun (dharma). When behind the Sun it shows sexual immaturity and indulgence whereas when ahead of the Sun it shows sexual maturity and abstinence in general. Of these, the placement in the second/eighth house from the Sun and /or lagna can indicate complete denial of sexuality. In the charts of Rāmakrishna Paramhaṁsa and Vevekananda we find Venus in the second from both Lagna and Sun showing denial or abstinence throughout life whereas in the chart of Sri Prabhupada it in the second from the Sun alone showing denial or abstinence in old age after he renounced marriage and took Sannyāsa.[/ref]. Marriage with the ‘sugar daddy’occurred in Jupiter daśā Venus antardaśā and separation occurred in Sun antardaśā when she got decent alimony and could continue with her first (original) love.

Chart 4: Bhanu Pratap Shukla

In Chart 4, Venus is in A7 and UL as well in Leo and Rāhu instead of Ketu is in the 7^th house. Compare this to Chart 1 where Venus is also in UL in Leo but A7 has two planets Sun and Mercury in Libra. Again, Chart 4 has debilitated Rāhu in seventh house and Chart 1 has exalted Ketu in 7^th house. The native of Chart 4 is a confirmed bachelor, has practiced celibacy throughout life and has dedicated his life to social service and the nation.

NOTE: Merely looking at UL and 7^th house cannot decide whether a person is to marry. The dārāpada (A7) plays a significant role in sexual desires and their fulfilment or renunciation. Venus in A7 in the Charts 2 and 4 of Prabhupada and Bhanuji was responsible for curtailing their sexuality and they would strive to renounce the same completely.

An important exercise is to examine the placement of A7 and UL from the Āruḍha Lagna (AL). The āruḍha lagna is the most important sign and those in Kendra to AL shall flourish while those in duṣthāna shall perish. Saṅnyāsa is promised only if Venus is in a duṣthāna from AL. In the case of Chart 2 Prabhupada had Venus in the 6^th house from AL and took perfect saṅnyāsa and he wanted to take saṅnyāsa. On the other hand Bhanuji has Venus in AL with UL and A7 and never took saṅnyāsa.

Chart 5: Swami Vivekananda

In Chart 5 Venus is in the second house showing a lacy of sexuality either for self or spouse. The āruḍha lagna is with upapada and dārāpada in Leo indicating that Swami Vivekananda in his early days wanted to marry and settle down.

However, Venus is in the 6^th house from āruḍha lagna and renunciation was his destiny when his guru Ramakrishna forbade him to marry and instead directed him to lead Indian spiritual renaissance which started with the freeing of the soul from bondage and led to Indian Independence. Note that Venus is in the 2^nd house from both lagna and Sun. He was a celibate throughout life.

Harmony between 7^th and 12^th houses

If there is harmony between the 7^th and 12^th houses and their āruḍha, especially from kārakāṁśa then the native shall benefit and spiritual advancement occurs due to the support of a spiritual spouse.

Chart 6: Rāmakrishna Paramhansa

In Chart 6 the 7^th lord Sun is placed in lagna and it is also the chara dārākāraka. It is trines to its dispositor and lagna lord Saturn which is also the 12^th lord. The harmonious trine between the 7^th lord and lagna (also 12^th lord) shows that spouse shall contribute substantially to the spirituality of Śrī Ramakrishna. Since Saturn is naturally inimical to the Sun, Ramakrishna was initially disinclined to accept Śrī Sarada Ma although they were legally wedded in childhood (she was six years at the time of marriage). However on seeing her spiritual honesty, he agreed to her staying with him in the temple on the condition of complete abstinence from any physical contact. It is interesting to note that Venus is in the 2^nd house from both lagna and the Sun indicating that Thakur (Śrī Rāmakrishna) shall have complete celibacy throughout life even though married and staying with spouse. Śrī Sarada Ma was an epitome of perfect motherhood and she not only supported him completely in all spiritual practices but also agreed to him worshipping her as the manifestation of Tripurā Sundari (the form of Kali for the sustenance and starting of a Parampara-lineage).

The Upapada is in Aries and its lord Mars is exalted in the 12^th house of spirituality and is debilitated in Cancer navāṁśa. This would cause separation from spouse unless the relationship is strongly spiritual. Venus the significator is in the second and is also debilitated in navāṁśa in 12 house showing absence of physical contact. To add to this the ātmakāraka Rāhu is in dārāpada A7 in Taurus showing spirituality dominating over sexuality thereby confirming a spiritual bond and not physical bond.

In a way, Sarada Devi was Thakur’s first disciple. He taught her everything he learnt from his various Gurus. Impressed by her great religious potential, he began to treat her as the Universal Mother Herself. He said, ‘I look upon you as my own mother and the Mother who is in the temple’. Notice the upapada is in the 4^th house of mother confirming the truth behind Thakur’s words.

Chart 7: Spiritual spouse

In Chart 7 Ketu is in the 12^th house indicating troubles in marriage but this is fully blocked by the argalā of Jupiter in the second house. Upapada is in Libra with the 7^th lord Jupiter promising a very good marriage and spiritual growth due to marriage. This spiritual growth should satisfy Ketu and the marriage would be blessed. The dārāpada A7 is in Taurus and in Kendra to the āruḍha lagna confirming normal physical desire. However the upapada in the 12^th house from āruḍha lagna shows that the native may tend to ignore his spouse. If Jupiter is the strongest influence on lagna or the second house (in that order) and is unassociated then the native shall become very spiritual and shall search for the final truth-‘om tat sat’. Since Jupiter is 7^th lord and is in upapada this search shall begin after marriage and since the spirituality is coming through marriage Ketu shall not be averse to it.

Conclusion

The question of rebirth or mokṣa cannot be settled with the birth chart and the death chart called puṇya chakra has to be examined. We have explained how to examine this elsewhere in the paper titled ‘Saptaloka and Tala’ at the SJC West Coast USA conference.