Jupiter Bhāva: Strong or Weak?

There is an endless debate on the house position of Jupiter as making the bhāva strong or weak. Recently an astrologer of Delhi stated a generic absurd dictum that “Jupiter and benefics weaken the house they occupy while malefics strengthen the house they occupy”. I was pointed to a paper of my friend and fellow astrologer Chandrasekhar Sharma.

In a paper on Pancha Mahāpuruṣa Yoga, Śrī Chandrasekhar Sharma opines as follows:

Similarly Guru is said to distort (भ्रष्ट) or harm one of the indications of the bhava he occupies, so in strength, he might harm the bhava occupied though he will give excellent results of the bhavas that he aspects and good results of the other indications of the bhava occupied. Many modern astrologers find it difficult to accept this position. I have seen the dictum coming true every time. But this being a principle on which there are divergent opinions, I would like to give an old shloka, often quoted by my father and astrologers of his generation, leaving the acceptance or otherwise of the said principle to the better judgement of the learned.
जन्मलग्ने गुरूश्चैव रामचन्द्रो वनागतः।
तृतीये बलि पाताले चतुर्थे हरिश्चन्द्रयोः॥
janmalagne gurūścaiva rāmacandro vanāgataḥ|
tṛtīye bali pātāle caturthe hariścandrayoḥ||
षष्ठे द्रौपदीहरणञ्च हन्ति रावणाष्टमे।
दशमेदुर्योधनं हन्ति द्वादशे पाण्डुवनामतम्॥
ṣaṣṭhe draupadīharaṇañca hanti rāvaṇāṣṭame|
daśameduryodhanaṁ hanti dvādaśe pāṇḍuvanāmatam||
Guru occupying lagna in Lord Rama’s horoscope made him get banished to forests by his father, Guru in 3rd bhava caused the King Bali being sent to Patala (abode of Asuras- netherland under water) by lord Vishnu, 4th bhava occupied by Guru in King Harishchandra’s chart took away his kingdom, Dushshaasana (one of the Kauravas in Mahabharata) tried to strip Draupadi’s clothes on account of Guru occupying 6th bhava in her chart, King Ravana died (in war with Lord Rama) on account of Guru occupying 8th bhava, Guru occupying the 10th bhava in King Duryodhana’s chart resulted in his death at the hands of Bhima in Mahabharata, and Pandavas were sent to forest on account of their defeat in Dyuta (a type of gambling game of the Kings) on account of occupation of 12th bhava in Yudhishthira’s chart.

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Any statement should not be blindly accepted as the final truth simply because it is written in Sanskrit language and the purpose and intent need to be technically examined to ascertain its accuracy and validity. Seven examples are given in the śloka to bring forth the point being made that “Jupiter destroys the house it occupies”.

Śrī Rama: Jupiter in Lagna

जन्मलग्ने गुरूश्चैव रामचन्द्रो वनागतः।
janmalagne gurūścaiva rāmacandro vanāgataḥ|

The first example is that of Śrī Rama where it is stated that “Guru occupying lagna in Lord Rama’s horoscope made him get banished to forests by his father”. Such a statement goes contrary to the teachings of the Ramayana where it is stated that Rama was banished to the forest due to the advent of Saturn daśā. In fact it was the curse of Saturn from the 4^th house (home) that expelled Rama from his home due to the machinations of his step-mother (4^th house) and maid servant Manthara (Saturn). The fact that his father was trapped by a boon made to his step-mother is incidental and is the karmic expression of a curse from the parents of Shravana Kumar. Saturn implemented that curse causing the separation between Rama and father Dasaratha. We have separately shown how to calculate this Saturn daśā using the Mūla daśā system which brings forth the functioning of curses in horoscopes. Lagna is the character of a person and with Guru in lagna intelligence and character are said to be strengthened. It is because of Jupiter exalted in lagna that Rama is called ‘Puruṣottama’. In fact father Dasaratha asked Rama to rebel against this boon given to Kaikeyi and fight and take the kingdom as is the kṣatriya dharma, but Rama refused to do so. The arguments He gives is what makes the difference between ordinary mortals and Puruṣottama Śrī Rama – and that comes from a strong Jupiter or exalted Moon in Lagna bhāva – supreme intelligence and wisdom that upholds all that which is righteous and truthful.

Bali Rāja: Jupiter in Third

The second example given is that of Rāja Bali having Jupiter in the third which caused him to be banished to pātāla (lowest of nether worlds). We have never seen the horoscope of Rāja Bali and are unable to comment on its accuracy but that does not deter us from verifying the veracity of the statement. Jupiter in third bhāva is in maraṇa kāraka sthāna and will cause the death of the native – to this there is no doubt.

Reconsider the facts – Rāja Bali was performing a great sacrifice where he was donating whatever the brāhmaṇa asked for. Viṣṇu came as the incarnation ‘Upendra’ who is worshipped as the Vāmana avatāra and asked for ‘three steps’. The king was amused and asked him what he would do with just three steps of land, take a village at least he suggested. The priest Śukrācārya was able to see that this ‘little brāhmaṇa boy’ was none other than Viṣṇu, the lord of the three-worlds himself, and suggested that Bali refuse to give any donation. [Even when we make mighty resolves greed symbolised by the passion (rajas) of Venus, always stands on the way to good karma]. King Bali weighed the advice of his mentor carefully – he had realised that this strange request of ‘three-steps’ from this little brāhmaṇa boy was not flimsy and that this must be Viṣṇu himself. On the one hand, he had the option of refusing the request and become a mockery by unsparing historians as ‘the king who could not even donate three-steps of land’ while on the other, there was the chance of immortality as Viṣṇu must grant a blessing if a person is truthful and dharmic. These two choices that were given to Rāja Bali are known in jyotiṣa as (a) maraṇa sthāna Guru where the greed overcomes a native from doing his dharma leading to continuous rebirths or (b) bhāgya yoga i.e. good fortune of association and blessing of Viṣṇu (9^th house) caused by a natural benefic like Jupiter aspecting the 9^th bhāva.

Rāja Bali made a choice of making that donation and became immortal and the king of one of the lower worlds (tala). Question is would we have had the courage to make the same choice or would greed overcome us?

Rāja Hariśchandra: Jupiter in Fourth

Once again, we have never seen the horoscope of Rāja Hariśchandra and are unable to comment on its accuracy but that does not deter us from verifying the veracity of the statement.

Jupiter in the fourth bhāva or Venus in the tenth bhāva causes mahānta (greatness) yoga. Now let us ask a simple question – how shall we know that someone is actually great unless he is subject to adversity? It is only under conditions of adversity that the real character of a person is exhibited. Rāja Hariśchandra also came under such terrible adverse conditions when tested by the Maharṣi Viśvāmitra. But if such a test was not given to him and he had not proved his mettle, would the world sing his song to children and extoll them from being as truthful as ‘Satyavadi Hariśchandra’? In any case, Hariśchandra did get his wife, child and kingdom back – so in the end, planets in the 4^th bhāva give you an opportunity to prove your mettle and become famous just as Saturn in the fourth bhāva did for Sri Rama. If you are unaware of this great king of the solar dynasty, please read these stories (a) Mythological for Kids (b) Wikipedia: Harishchandra..

Mahādevī Draupadi: Ṣaṣṭha Guru

षष्ठे द्रौपदीहरणञ्च हन्ति रावणाष्टमे।
ṣaṣṭhe draupadīharaṇañca hanti rāvaṇāṣṭame|

Once again, we have never seen the horoscope of Darupadi and are unable to comment on its accuracy but that does not deter us from verifying the veracity of the statement.

In jyotiṣa, natural benefics in the sixth bhāva cause ‘upachaya’ or growth effect. These natural benefics are Jupiter, Mercury, Venus and Moon. This is also the house of enemies and Jupiter, if retrograde and also aspected by malefics can destroy the horoscope (life of native). On the other hand, Jupiter in the sixth, if strong can cause destruction of all enemies and the native is blessed by the goddess Kālikā. Harihara (book Praśna Marga) teaches that in whichever bhāva Jupiter is place is where we find Nārāyaṇa. While it can be argued that Jupiter in the sixth may have seen Dushshaasana attempting to disrobe Draupadi, but we can also say that it was Jupiter that brought the hand of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and although Dushshasana tried to disrobe Draupadi, he failed as no matter how much he tried, the cloth did not finish – behold! It was another miracle of Kṛṣṇa. We are more inclined to agree with the teachings of Praśna Marga (Guru is God) and other standard texts (ṣaṣṭha Guru can be upachaya) rather than this dictum. Finally the entire clan of the Kaurava got annihilated due to Draupadi’s anger – that is Kālikā. So, we can say that Guru in sixth can cause total destruction of enemies when in strength.

Rāvaṇa: Aṣṭama Guru

षष्ठे द्रौपदीहरणञ्च हन्ति रावणाष्टमे।
ṣaṣṭhe draupadīharaṇañca hanti rāvaṇāṣṭame|

Guru in the 8^th bhāva is said to generate asura yoga – Dr. Raman also mentions this in his writings. The native can be overcome by base emotions. However, this example is not apt to prove the point as Rāvaṇa finally got mokṣa. So to argue that Rāvaṇa was finally killed due to Jupiter in the 8^th bhāva may be correct to say, but what is not being said is that he also got mokṣa. Is this a good example to prove a point about ‘bad effects of Jupiter in the 8^th bhāva’? I longevity calculations it causes kakṣya vṛddhi.

Duryodhana: Daśama Guru

दशमेदुर्योधनं हन्ति द्वादशे पाण्डुवनामतम्॥
daśameduryodhanaṁ hanti dvādaśe pāṇḍuvanāmatam||

Once again, we have never seen the horoscope of Rāja Duryodhana and are unable to comment on its accuracy but that does not deter us from verifying the veracity of the statement.

To say that Duryodhana lost his kingdom, all siblings and life due to tenth house Guru maybe accurate as per stated facts of the Mahabharata. But why would Guru do such a thing unless we also take into consideration that he was born at the moment of the exact solar eclipse in his lagna. Therefore, it is not right to blame the tenth house position of Jupiter for the losses he sustained but rather to see that the exact solar eclipse symbolising ‘blindness’ that occurred in his lagna was the real cause of his ruin. This blindness was the product of the blindness of his parents – one natural (father) and the other enforced (mother blindfolded herself for life) and their love for him was also blind. The result was a simpleton who was totally misguided by his crafty uncle into the pitfalls of adharma. Once again, how is Jupiter responsible for this predicament and not the solar eclipse of his birth? Kṛṣṇa tried very hard to help him see reason and ensure that Duryodhana retained the Kuru kingdom by even offering the compromise of the five villages…

Pāṇḍu: Dvādaśa Guru

दशमेदुर्योधनं हन्ति द्वादशे पाण्डुवनामतम्॥
daśameduryodhanaṁ hanti dvādaśe pāṇḍuvanāmatam||

In translating the śloka, my friend Chandrasekhar Sharma writes, “Pandavas were sent to forest on account of their defeat in Dyuta (a type of gambling game of the Kings) on account of occupation of 12th bhava in Yudhishthira’s chart.” This time we are in a position to verify that Jupiter is not in the 12^th bhāva (dvādaśa) in the chart of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. Instead it is exalted in the 8^th bhāva.

I think the ‘Pandu’ mentioned in this śloka is the father of the Pāṇḍava and younger brother of Dhritarashtra. Once again, we have never seen the horoscope of Rāja Pandu and are unable to comment on its accuracy. We leave it here with the following statement:

Jupiter is the only real blessing in a horoscope for its station is the home of Bhagavan Viṣṇu. From here it connects to all the sages and seers who are tied to its truth force. It is the only protector of mankind.