Reproduced from Modern Astrology, October 2015
The
Sanskrit/Hindi term ‘Upa’ is comparable to the English prefix ‘vice’. Thus, the
terms ‘Pada’ and ‘Upapada’ can be understood similarly to ‘president’ and ‘vice
president’; we might even say ‘Pada’ and ‘vice Pada’ in English. Suppose the
ascendant is considered the 'president,' with its Pada being the main Pada. In
that case, we must identify which house, next to the ascendant, can govern the
horoscope if the ascendant is weak or compromised. ‘Anuchar’ means a follower,
the one who is next and can assume power in the absence of the principal.
Upapada is also known as ‘Gouna Pada’; ‘Gouna’ is a Sanskrit/Hindi word
signifying secondary status.
According to
the KTPY system, the word ‘Pitra’ signifies the ascendant. The question then
arises: which house is the follower, next to the ascendant, that can assume the
ascendant's power in a given horoscope? Scholars hold divergent views on this
matter. Some consider it to be the 2nd house or the 12th house; others suggest
the 5th house, and some propose it is the house where the ascendant lord is
posited. This diversity of interpretations leads to a perplexing situation when
trying to determine the correct meaning of the Sutra. Each scholar presents
arguments and examples to substantiate their view. Astrology offers
considerable scope for proving even erroneous opinions amidst thousands of
prediction rules, much like the difficulty of identifying a few thieves among
many saints. The varied interpretations of a single verse sufficiently
illustrate this point.
If we are
studying the Jaimini system and trust Jaimini Rishi, he consistently preferred
the seventh house when the ascendant is weak. Upapada is associated with
matters related to marriage. A basic theme of the ‘Pada’ system is that a Pada
pertains to the affairs of the house for which it is calculated. Since the Pada
of the ascendant functions like the ascendant itself, the Pada of the 9th
house, for instance, deals with all matters connected to the 9th house.
Therefore, it is logical to study marriage-related matters through the Pada of
the 7th house. As Upapada is known for such matters, Jaimini Rishi appears to
indicate the 7th house by using the word ‘Anuchar’.
The 2nd
house signifies family, household (Kutumb), and finance. The 12th house is
known for loss, bed pleasures, sleep, secrecy (including secret sins), and
salvation, among other things.
Arguments in
favor of the 2nd house: Proponents argue that ‘Pitra’ signifies the ascendant
(as per the KTPY system) and ‘Anuchar’ means a follower—the next sign to
potentially replace the ascendant. However, an individual can have a family or
household without marriage or a spouse; one is part of a family from birth.
Thus, this house may not hold such paramount importance concerning a spouse
that Rishi Jaimini would describe as a separate Pada for it, imbuing it with an
importance comparable to the Pada of the ascendant.
Arguments in
favor of the 12th house: Advocates suggest ‘Anuchar’ (the follower) refers to
one who stands just behind the ascendant (‘Pitra’), similar to a disciple
behind a master, which corresponds to the 12th sign. Although the 12th house
relates to bed pleasures, these are typically associated with sleep or intimacy
of a secret (potentially sinful) nature. It is unlikely that Rishi Jaimini
would assign matters of marriage, a socially accepted institution where
intimacy is a recognized aspect, to the 12th house. How could he indicate the
12th house by the word ‘Anuchar’ in this context?
Arguments in
favor of the 5th house: Some interpret ‘Pitra’ as father and ‘Anuchar’ as his
son, which the 5th house represents. This interpretation takes both words
literally, without applying the KTPY system. The 5th house is primarily known
for progeny, which is the fruit of marriage. It is improbable that Rishi
Jaimini would assign both marriage and progeny to the same indicator.
Therefore, considering the 5th house for Upapada seems illogical. Another
objection is that if this interpretation were true, the word ‘Pitra’ would be
taken without the KTPY system, and the entire Sutra would not involve this
coding method. It is a general principle that in each Sutra, usually only one
word is decoded using the KTPY system.
The house
where the ascendant lord is placed is indeed a very important position in a
horoscope. However, the word ‘Anuchar’ offers no hint towards this placement.
Hence, we cannot adopt this interpretation for Upapada, though it might
constitute a separate method for examining a horoscope.
Dr. Suresh
Chandra Mishra, in his Hindi commentary on Jaimini Sutram, notes that the
oldest commentators on Jaimini Sutram have taken the Pada of the 7th house for
Upapada, stating ‘Saptamatpadmupadm,’ even though Dr. Mishra himself supported
the Pada of the 12th house.
1. Calculation Method of a Pada
The question
now concerns the unit of measurement. Should it be by house sign, or should it
be longitudinal?
First,
observe the two Jaimini Sutras below:
Rishi
Jaimini describes the mutual disposition of the Pada of the ascendant and the
Pada of the seventh house. He states that the Pada of the seventh house is
auspicious and promotes a friendly attitude if it falls in Kendra (1st, 4th,
7th, 10th), Kona (1st, 5th, 9th), or Upachaya (3rd, 6th, 10th, 11th) houses
from the Pada of the ascendant. Conversely, if it is in the 6th, 8th, or 12th
house from the Pada of the ascendant, disharmony between the couple is feared.
If we count
house-wise, only odd-numbered houses from the ascendant (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc.)
can become a Pada. Consequently, a mutual 6th, 8th, or 12th position relative
to the ascendant Pada is not possible with house-wise counting. Secondly, with
house-wise calculation, we cannot examine further subdivisions of a Pada.
Therefore, longitudinal distance must be preferred to obtain the Pada of a
house. The formula is thus:
Pada =
Longitude of house lord – Longitude of house cusp + Longitude of house lord
For the best
results, in my experience, the calculation of the house cusps should be
according to the Sripati method.
3.
Exceptions
Some argue
that the first and seventh houses are not eligible to attain the rank of Pada
and that, instead, the 10th and 4th houses take their respective ranks. This
is, in my view, an incorrect interpretation. They quote two Sutras to support
their view, but these Sutras are merely illustrative examples related to the
principle, not exceptions to it. No Sutras suggest that the 10th and 4th houses
should be used instead of the 1st and 7th.
Only a word
in a Sutra can have its hidden meaning deciphered using the KTPY system. It is
a general scheme in Jaimini Sutram that Jaimini Rishi referred to only one word
per Sutra via the KTPY scheme, although in some cases, more than one word might
denote the same entity (e.g., house, sign, or planet). Therefore, in this
context, we cannot interpret both ‘SWA’ and ‘DARA’ or both ‘SUT’ and ‘JANM’
using the KTPY system. Only one word in each of these Sutras, namely ‘SWA’ and
‘SUT’, is subject to the KTPY scheme. The word ‘SWA’ signifies four, and ‘SUT’
signifies seven as per the KTPY scheme. The true meaning of these Sutras is
that if the ascendant lord is in the 4th house, the Pada will be in the 7th
house (DARA), and if the ascendant lord is in the 7th house, the Pada will be
in the 1st house (JANMA).
4. Which
House is Important to Examine from Upapada: Upapada Itself or the Second
Therefrom?
To
understand the significance of a house, we always examine the house itself to
discern trends related to its indications, not the second house from it. It is
logical to examine the house itself. Even in the Jaimini system, Pada itself is
important; so why would Jaimini Rishi prefer the 2nd house over Upapada itself
for matters of marriage?
Perhaps it
is thought that the 2nd house is related to marriage matters. No, not at all.
The 2nd house has no primary connection to marriage matters; any association is
tertiary at best. The 7th house is the prime house for marriage, and Upapada is
calculated for this house. Therefore, Upapada itself holds the importance.
‘Tatra’ is the opposite of ‘Atra’; ‘Tatra’ means ‘there,’ and
‘Atra’ means ‘here.’ Wherever the word ‘Atra’ is used in Jaimini Sutram, it
signifies only ‘here.’ Therefore, the true meaning of the word ‘Tatra’ in such
contexts is ‘there,’ referring to Upapada itself.
Hence, the word ‘Tatra’ does not consistently indicate the 2nd house in the Jaimini Sutram in the context of Upapada's primary focus.
Every Sutra has a hidden meaning, requiring extensive practical study and logical thinking. While a Rishi might have spent a lifetime completing a single profound work, some modern authors produce numerous books within a short period. It sometimes seems there is a race among them to have more books published under their names.
Commentators on Jaimini Sutram have often been heavily dependent on other works written much later than Jaimini Sutram itself. Some of these older scriptures may have been manipulated over time (Prakshipta: containing interpolations, polluted, or having verses added later). I believe there may be a missing link between the oldest and later astrological works.
- Now let us see some examples-
DOB- female: December 24, 1973, 3h
36m at Piparia (78E21, 22N45) (M.P.)
1- Husband of the above female-
His P1 is on
Aquarius, and his P7 is at the sign Capricorn; both are mutually in the
2nd-12th position. His P7 is occupied by its lord Saturn, but with a planet in
debility and within the aspect of Mars. Hence, P7 and its lord are both in
affliction.
3-
Male-
He and his wife both are not accepting each other. A court case for divorce was
filed by both after about two years of marriage.
His P1 and
P7 are both mutually in the 6th-8th relationship. The Upapada (P7) sign Cancer
with its lord Moon, but Moon is in debility in the Navamsa. Further, the P7 and
its lord are both under the heavy influence of Saturn and Mars.
4- Wife of the above native- DOB: May 12,
1981, 6h 15m at Jabalpur (79E57, 23N10), M.P.
P1: 0s-04° 40` and P7: 5s-29° 02`
Her P1 and
P7 are both mutually in the 6th-8th relationship. Further, her P7 at sign Virgo
is under the impact of Saturn by position and of Ketu through aspect. In the
Navamsa chart, this point is posited by Mars within the aspect of Saturn.
Learned readers can imagine the Navamsa chart.
1- Female-DOB: January 17, 1983, at 5h
40m at Pipariya (78E21, 22N45), M.P.
Her husband caught her
red-handed with her lover one night and divorced her within about two years of
marriage.
P1: 6s-08° 54` and P7: 3s-19° 10`
Her P7 (Cancer) and P1 (Libra) both
are in a 4th-10th mutual relationship. Some consider this square aspect as a
hostile aspect. Her P7 is at sign Cancer and is 8th from her
ascendant within the aspect of Saturn. In the Navamsa chart, this point is
occupied by weak Venus and Ketu and aspected by Saturn, Sun, and Rahu. Observe
the chart-
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Raghvendra Khare
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