Bhava Karakatva

Par!"ara, in his monumental work, the B#hat Par!"ara Hor! $!stra has identied two categories of celestial
bodies, moving (cara) and non-moving (sthira). The moving bodies are the planets (grahas) comprising our
solar system, namely, the Sun (S%rya), Moon (Candra), Mercury (Budha), Mars (Ma&gal), Venus ($ukra),
Jupiter (B#haspati) and Saturn ($ani). The sun is included in the category of grahas, despite the fact it actually
does not move and is in fact a star. The sun and the moon are known as the luminaries in astrological parlance,
although the moon does not have any light of its own, but reects the suns light. The moon is a satellite of the
earth and revolves around it and hence enjoys a special gravitational relationship with it. The two points where
the moons orbit cuts across the ecliptic path of the sun are known as the nodes of the moon. Since these points
are junctures of gravitation between the sun, moon and earth binding them in a special relationship, Par!"ara has
ascribed to them the status of planets, rather shadow planets known as R!hu (North Node) and Ketu (South
Node). The outer planets of our solar system, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were not discovered during Par!"aras
time and are not included for astrological purposes, although western astrologers tend to incorporate them in
their chart interpretations. There are also 11 moving Upagrahas (proto planets or satellites) which are
quintessentially mathematical points.
The non-moving bodies are the stars or nak'atras. There are 27 nak'atras beginning with A"wan(, covering the
ecliptic path, each nak'atra measuring 1320 of this arc. This is further divided into four quarters or padas, of
3! each, adding to a total of 108 padas. These 27 constellations are also known as lunar mansions as the moon
transiting through these constellations, completes a round of the ecliptic in a lunar month, spending
approximately one day in each nak'atra, known as tithis. Thirty tithis comprise a lunar month, which is further
divided into two fortnights or pak'as. The "ukla pak'a is the waxing phase of the moon till it is full on p%r)im!,
after which it begins to wane till it reaches the new moon or amavasya. The waning phase is known as k#')a
pak'a. A new lunar month commences, when the sun and moon are conjunct at the same longitude. As the moon
progresses, it shoots ahead of the sun and is longer in longitude by 12. As the moon nishes one cycle of the
zodiac it catches up with the sun once again and a new lunar month commences. The name of the lunar month is
determined by the r!s( in which the sun-moon conjunction takes place at the beginning of a new lunar month.
The nak'atra chakra overlaps with the zodiac belt or the R!"i Cakra. The zodiac is a broad belt extending to on
9 either side of the ecliptic path. As the planets do not veer much from the ecliptic, they more or less stay
within this belt. The Bha Cakra is composed of 360. Each degree measuring 60 minutes (k!la) and each
minute, 60 seconds (vik!la). An arbitrary point Aries is marked as the beginning of the zodiac. This is
determined by the position of the star Spica in the middle of the zodiac at 180.
The Bha Cakra is divided into 12 sections or houses, known as signs or r!"is, extending to 30 each. These 12
r!"(s are: Me'a (Aries), V#i'abha (Taurus), Mithuna (Gemini), Karka (Cancer), Si*ha (Leo), Kany! (Virgo),
Tul! (Libra), V#i"cika (Scorpio), Dhanu (Sagittarius), Makara (Capricorn), Kumbha (Aquarius) and M(na
(Pisces). Each r!"( is composed of 9 nak'atra padas. For e.g., Aries consist of 4 padas of A"w(ni, 4 padas of
Bhara)( and 1 padas of Roh()i and 2 padas of M#ga"(r! and so on, till it nishes with the 4 padas of Revat( in
Pisces. In this way, the 108 nak'atra padas coincide with the 12 r!"(s.
The Sun along with the other 8 grahas, the 27 nak'atras and the 11 Upagrahas comprise the Jyoti'a Cakra. The
measurement of time and the knowledge of destiny are eternally played out in the Jyoti'a Cakra, the study of
which is the subject matter of Jyoti'a. The Jyoti'a cakra operates at three overlapping levels: the Nak'atra
Cakra, the R!"( Cakra and the Bha Cakra. The grahas are moving bodies which traverse across these cakras and
through the various nak'atra padas.
The Sun, resplendent and glorious in his twelve forms, as the ruler of the day and the lord of the grahas, is the
controller of K!la or Time. The three navels of his amazing one-wheeled chariot are the triptych of k!las, bh%ta,
bhavi'ya and vartam!n (past, future and present) and the different k!la sankhy!s or the measurements of time
like k'a), muh%rta, divasa, r!tri, pak'a, m!sa, sa*vatsara, #tu, anayna and yugas are the different parts of his
chariot. The Sun determines another three-fold division of time, s#'+i, sthiti and pralaya and as Brahm!, Vi')u
and Mahe"vara, he governs the Wheel of Time or the K!la Cakra, within whose spokes, every living being is
caught. Time as governed by the Sun in the Hindu philosophical tradition, is cyclical, unlike modern
mathematical time that is linear.
The Sun takes approximately 360 days to traverse the zodiac. At intervals of 30 days the Sun and the Moon
conjoin in a sign. This is the reason the zodiac is divided into 12 r!"( with the Sun spending 30 days in one sign.
These 30 days represent the Solar month. This is the beginning of the measurement of time. Without ,ditya,
there can be no k!la or measurement of time and without k!la there can be no order in the universe. The Suns
basic measurement of time on earth is from sunrise to sunrise, as it traverses the complete round of the twelve
r!"(s, demarcating the period into day and night, aho and r!tri, as the Sun is invisible for one half of the time
period. Together it is known as ahor!tri, from which the word Hor! has sprung to denote the study of jyotish as
Hor! $!stra. So the Suns movement around the dv!das r!"is is the fundamental unit of time the life of a living
being. This is Time that is perfectly ordered and regular, and that which follows the parth of Brahma. This
ordered Time is known as Yama. He is dharma personied and is a son of S%rya. Yet there is another Time,
another son of the same S%rya, that is irregular, and that does not follow dharma. It functions from midnight to
midnight and heralds all that is inauspicious and malevolent. This is Mah!k!la, and he is predominant is Kali
Yuga, as dharmas presence is weak during this period. Yamas time includes destruction and death but as mere
events, like the dance of $iva which signies pralya and is the culmination of all creation as per natures law.
Mah!k!las destruction is demonic and evil. If Yama is death, then K!la is apam#tyu.
There are two existing methods of dening bh!vas. One is the universally accepted method of Par!"ara and the
other is the $r(pati Paddhati. The $r(pati Paddhati recognized the Midheaven or the tenth house as a very crucial
point in a horoscope and one which cannot be ignored. He therefore charts his path from the lagna to the 10
th

house, or from Praj!pati (the ruler of lagna) to Indra (the ruler of the 10
th
house), and divides the area into three
parts. This comprises half the lagna, the 11
th
and the 12
th
houses and a half of the 10
th
house.
Par!"aras position on the other hand begins with his object of worship, namely S%rya and Brahma. S%rya the
sun god, the source of all light, is but another name for jyoti'a. Brahm! is the creator of this universe. Together,
Brahm! and S%rya represent Praj!pati or the lagna. To Par!"ara, everything in the horoscope is based on the
lagna, a point depicting the moment of creation. The horoscope is thus nothing but a map of the heavens at the
time life began. Since the lagna is the entirety, it is but only natural that bh!va should be based on the lagna and
the lagna lord. Bh!vas portray a persons perceptions regarding his own life. The self or the created being
(which is lagna), once created, beings to perceive and bh!vas represent his perceptions of the different aspects
of his life, as characterized by separate houses. The $r(pati Paddhati therefore fails here as it cannot be applied
to the created being, but only for the devas like Indra.
Bh!va Alternate Names K!raka K!rakatva
First Lagna, Tanu Sun Body, Health, Life, Form, Structure, Beauty, Fame,
Self-Respect, Honour
Second Dhana Jupiter Wealth, Treasure, Family, Clan, Face, Eyes, Mouth,
Food, Speech, Gold, Buying and Selling
Third Bhr!t#, Sahaja Mars Siblings, Younger Siblings, Efforts, Exertions,
Overcoming by Strength, Courage, Mating, Sexuality,
Communications, Writing, Hands, Arms, Shoulders,
Cooking
Fourth Sukha, Bandhu,
M!t#, Tur(ya
Moon Mother, Happiness, Friends, Education, Perfumes,
Luxuries, Vehicles, House, Home, Land, Fame,
Respect, the Heart, Faith, Loyalty, Chest, Healing and
Cure
Fifth Putra, Suta Jupiter Children, Intelligence, Dh( or Perception, Citta, Mana,
Knowledge, Talent, Mantra, Yantra, Deities, Devotion,
Love, Blessings from Past Life, Power, Position and
Authority, Transition in Jobs, Stomach
Sixth Ari, Ripu, $atru Saturn Enemies, Obstacles, Ability to Fight Diseases, Wounds,
Suffering, the 'a-ripus, Uncles and Aunts, Relatives,
Litigation, Servants, Pets, Service, Fighting Ability,
Celibacy, Pelvis
Seventh Kalatra, J!y! Venus Spouse: Wife, Husband, Marriage, Married Life,
Domesticity, Travel, Business, Partnerships,
Reproductive Organs
Eighth Nidhana, Randhra Saturn Longevity, Cause of Death, Disease, Litigation, Victory
and Defeat
Ninth Dharma, Bh!gya Sun Dharma, Fortune, Religious Function, Penance,
Pilgrimage, Guru, Father, Teacher, Temple, Ling
Distance Travel, Higher Studies, Knowledge, Thighs
Tenth Karma Mercury Throne, Work, Profession, Esteem, Respect, Power and
Position, Inuence, Achievement, Success, Eyesight,
Knees
Eleventh L!bha, ,ya Jupiter Income, Gains, Rewards, Friends, Social Circle, Elder
Siblings, Jyoti'a, Shanks
Twelfth Vy!ya Saturn Expenditure, Investments, Loss, Mok'a, Imprisonment,
Hospitalization, Meditation, Tapasy!, Bed Pleasures,
Dreams, Foreign Connections, Long Distance Travel
and Immigration, Feet
Bh!va Alternate Names K!raka K!rakatva
First Lagna, Tanu Sun Body, Health, Life, Form, Structure, Beauty, Fame,
Self-Respect, Honour
Second Dhana Jupiter Wealth, Treasure, Family, Clan, Face, Eyes, Mouth,
Food, Speech, Gold, Buying and Selling
Third Bhr!t#, Sahaja Mars Siblings, Younger Siblings, Efforts, Exertions,
Overcoming by Strength, Courage, Mating, Sexuality,
Communications, Writing, Hands, Arms, Shoulders,
Cooking
Fourth Sukha, Bandhu,
M!t#, Tur(ya
Moon Mother, Happiness, Friends, Education, Perfumes,
Luxuries, Vehicles, House, Home, Land, Fame,
Respect, the Heart, Faith, Loyalty, Chest, Healing and
Cure
Fifth Putra, Suta Jupiter Children, Intelligence, Dh( or Perception, Citta, Mana,
Knowledge, Talent, Mantra, Yantra, Deities, Devotion,
Love, Blessings from Past Life, Power, Position and
Authority, Transition in Jobs, Stomach
Sixth Ari, Ripu, $atru Saturn Enemies, Obstacles, Ability to Fight Diseases, Wounds,
Suffering, the 'a-ripus, Uncles and Aunts, Relatives,
Litigation, Servants, Pets, Service, Fighting Ability,
Celibacy, Pelvis
Seventh Kalatra, J!y! Venus Spouse: Wife, Husband, Marriage, Married Life,
Domesticity, Travel, Business, Partnerships,
Reproductive Organs
Eighth Nidhana, Randhra Saturn Longevity, Cause of Death, Disease, Litigation, Victory
and Defeat
Ninth Dharma, Bh!gya Sun Dharma, Fortune, Religious Function, Penance,
Pilgrimage, Guru, Father, Teacher, Temple, Ling
Distance Travel, Higher Studies, Knowledge, Thighs
Tenth Karma Mercury Throne, Work, Profession, Esteem, Respect, Power and
Position, Inuence, Achievement, Success, Eyesight,
Knees
Eleventh L!bha, ,ya Jupiter Income, Gains, Rewards, Friends, Social Circle, Elder
Siblings, Jyoti'a, Shanks
Twelfth Vy!ya Saturn Expenditure, Investments, Loss, Mok'a, Imprisonment,
Hospitalization, Meditation, Tapasy!, Bed Pleasures,
Dreams, Foreign Connections, Long Distance Travel
and Immigration, Feet

Bhava and Rashi Sandhi
Sandhi or the transition zone between one bhava and another and between two rashis, is a problematic eld of
study in jyotish. It is a nebulous area where astrologers have so far failed to throw light on the reasons behind
the peculiar nature of planets in sandhi and their effects on peoples lives. Being transitional in nature, sandhis
are fuzzy and grey areas and planets placed in them are extremely fragile. They not only provide troublesome
lives to their natives, but continue to torment them throughout their lives by being unable to provide the results
of their bhavas or their rashis. The asymmetrical juxtaposition of the rashi and bhava chakras complicates the
situation further whereby bhavas and rashis overlap each other and planets caught in these points, affect both
their rashi and bhava positions. Astrologers have tended to overlook this aspect entirely where planets in sandhi
occupying different rashis and bhavas will not yield results of one or the other. It is therefore necessary to
examine this phenomenon from closer quarters.
Bhava sandhi
There are two existing methods of dening bhavas. One is the universally accepted method of Parasara and the
other is the Sripati Paddhati. The Sripati Paddhati recognises the midheaven or the tenth house as a very crucial
point in a horoscope and one, which cannot be ignored. He therefore charts his path from the lagna to the 10
th

house, or from Prajapati (the ruler of lagna) to Indra (the ruler of the 10
th
house), and divides the area into three
parts. This comprises half the lagna, the 11
th
and the 12
th
houses and a half of the 10
th
house.
Parasaras position on the other hand begins with his object of worship, namely Surya and Brahma. Surya the
sun god, the source of all light, is but another name for jyotisha, or the light of god. Brahma is the creator of this
universe. Together, Brahma and Surya represent Prajapati or the lagna. To Parasara, everything in the horoscope
is based on the lagna, a point depicting the moment of creation. The horoscope is thus nothing but a map of the
heavens at the time life began. Since the lagna is the entirety, it is but only natural that bhava should be based on
the lagna and the lagna lord. Bhavas portray a persons perceptions regarding his own life. The self or the
created being (which is lagna), once created, begins to perceive and bhavas represent his perceptions of the
different aspects of his life, as characterised by separate houses. The Sripati Paddhati therefore fails here as it
cannot be applied to the created being, but only for the devas like Indra.
A bhava or a rashi may be dened as nine navamshas. Navamshas are xed and comprise one fourth of a
nakshatra. The last navamsha of a bhava which is 3 20 and the starting navamsha of the next bhava, which is
again 3 20, comprise the areas delineated as bhava sandhi.
Rashi sandhi
Lagna being a sensitive point, any planet placed in rashi sandhi loses its power to do any good for its own
house, and subsequently destroys the house. A planet in bhava sandhi on the other hand, will only be concerned
about saving its own house and not be bothered about its environment. Bhava and rashi sandhis therefore act in
opposite ways while meting out their negative results. The lagnadhipati when placed in the lagna, usually gives
a person name and fame, but if placed in bhava sandhi, it will not do anything remarkable for him. Let us take
the example of the native given below.
Chart 1 Male

The native in Chart 1 was born with an unrecorded but an approximate birth time. Upon his birth it was
predicted that he would achieve great fame for himself. On this basis the placement of lagnadhipati Jupiter in
Pisces lagna was ascertained outside the bhava sandhi boundary. For a lagnadhipati placed in bhava sandhi
would not have made it possible for the native to have written several books and acquire a name for himself as
he did internationally in astrology. The lagnadhipati in this case has not only protected the bhava, but being the
lord of the lagna placed in its own house, reached the native to great heights of intellectual creativity and fame.
Chart 2 Female

The above chart is an example of rashi sandhi, whereby the planet placed in rashi sandhi has destroyed its own
houses. Mars, lord of 2
nd
and 9
th
houses is placed at rashi sandhi at 05 Taurus, the transitional point between
the rashis Aries and Taurus. Being lord of the 2
nd
and 9
th
houses, it has denied the native the fruits of these
houses at a physical plane. As lord of 2
nd
house, Mars at bhava sandhi has prevented the native from creating
and sustaining a home and family. While as lord of 9
th
house it has denied her pitrisukh, as she lost her father
when she was 21 years. This is a clear example of how a planet placed in rashi sandhi destroys the houses it
owns.
The worst forms of rashi sandhis are known as gandantas. Parasara has identied 3 gandantas, namely, Pisces-
Aries, Cancer-Leo and Scorpio-Sagittarius overlapping their nakshatra gandantas at Revati-Ashwini, Ashlesa-
Magha and Jyeshta-Moola. Of these he considers the Jyeshta-Moola gandanta to be the worst aficted and the
Revati-Ashwini to be the least problematic. The deity of the nakshatra lord is to be propitiated for the solution
to this predicament.
One must note that a planet placed in rashi sandhi may or may not occupy the same bhava. If the planet is in
rashi sandhi and in the same bhava, it will give the result of the bhava rather than the rashi. If it is placed in a
different bhava, the results of the ownership of the house will prevail. In the case there are too many planets in
one rashi, the native will be confused as to what he truly desires. In this instance the placement of the lords of
the bhavas in the different houses becomes very important.
Share this: