Arudhas and dhrusti

Arudhas (risen ones)
Introduction
Lagna shows true self. However, people’s perceptions of a person can be different from reality. Usually, how one is perceived by others is more important in material life than who one really is. A political leader perceived by people as a powerful and influential person may in reality be a coward and a confused man always in doubt. But the reality does not matter in deciding his material life. Perceptions matter more. People perceive him as a strong leader and that matters the most in deciding his political career.
A political leader generally perceived as an honest man may in reality be badly corrupt. A person generally perceived as an intelligent person may in reality be of average intelligence. An intelligent person may score poorly in examinations and people may not know his intelligence.
If someone studied at IIT (a top engineering institute of India), people may think that he is very knowledgable. If someone studied at an obscure university, people may not get the same impression. But it is possible that people’s perceptions are wrong and the person who studied at IIT is less knowledgable. If an astrologer is frequented by a top politician, people may get an impression that the astrologer is good. If an astrologer maintains a low profile, people may think that he is average. But the latter astrologer may be more learned in reality.
What people perceive about a person can often be different from reality. However, perceptions and reality are both important to an astrologer. For predicting some matters, we need knowledge of the perceptions (e.g. success of a politician in elections, success in a competitive examination, promotion at office etc). For predicting some internal matters, on the other hand, true self should be clearly understood.
So we, astrologers, should be able to separate reality from perceptions and understand both correctly. We should understand the true nature of a person and also how he is perceived by the world. Arudha padas are a very important concept of Vedic astrology and they help us with that tough, but important, task.
Computation of Bhava Arudhas
Arudha padas of all the 12 houses (bhavas) in all the divisional charts are defined as follows:
(1) Take sign containing the house of interest in the divisional chart of interest.(1) Find the sign occupied by the lord of that house.
NOTE: Aquarius is owned by Saturn and Rahu. Scorpio is owned by Mars and Ketu. Take the stronger lord in the case of houses falling in these two signs. The chapter on “Error! Reference source not found.” will explain the rules used in comparing the strengths of planets.
(1) Count signs from the house of interest to the sign containing its lord. Counting is in the zodiacal direction always. For example, if the house we are interested in is in Gemini and its lord Mercury is in Aquarius, we count signs from Gemini to Aquarius and get 9.(1) Count the same number of signs from the sign containing the lord and find the ending sign. In the above example, we count 9 signs from Aquarius and we end up in Libra.(1) Exception: If the sign found thus in step (4) is in the 1st or 7th from the original sign in step (1), then we take the 10th sign from the sign found in step (4). Otherwise we don’t make any change.
(1) The resulting sign contains the arudha pada of the house of interest.
Arudha pada of a house is simply called arudha or pada also. In this book, we will denote the arudha pada on nth house with An. For example, arudha pada of 4th house is A4 and arudha pada of 9th house is A9.
Use of Arudha Lagna
While lagna stands for true self, arudha lagna (AL) stands for the maya associated with self. It shows the how the native is perceived in the material world. It shows the status of the native. A timid and confused individual may be perceived in the world as a strong leader. In that case, that is the maya associated with his personality and AL shows it.
Because arudha lagna deals with maya, illusions, perceptions and impressions, it is very important in judging various materialistic things. For example, Parasara and Jaimini taught that the 11th and 12th houses from AL show financial gains and expenditures. Natural malefics in the 3rd and 6th houses from AL show someone who is perceived as a bold person who hits enemies hard. Since such impressions are usually formed about materially successful people, malefics in the 3rd and 6th from AL make one bold and materially successful. Natural benefics in the 3rd and 6th houses from AL make one very gentle and restrained in public behavior. Such a person does not fight with others boldly. This combination is usually found in the charts of saints and saintly and mild-natured people.
The 10th house from lagna in D-10 shows one’s true conduct in society. It shows the one’s career and the true nature of one’s karma (work). The 10th house from AL in D-10 shows perceptions about one’s conduct in society. It deals more with one’s status in career.
Use of Bhava Arudhas
Arudha padas show the maya (illusion) of material world. Arudha pada of nth house shows the maya associated with the matters signified by of nth house.
For example, 1st house stands for self. While the first house from lagna stands for true self, its arudha pada (AL) stands for the maya associated with self. It shows the how the native is perceived in the material world. It shows the status of the native.
The 4th house in D-16 shows happiness from vehicle. It shows true happiness from a vehicle.
One may be very happy with a Bajaj Chetak (an inexpensive two-wheel vehicle popular in India) or even a bicycle and one owning three Mercedes Benz cars may be unhappy with them and always dreaming of owning a better vehicle. One’s true happiness from vehicle has nothing to do with the type of vehicle owned. However, people perceive one with 3 Mercedes Benz cars as a happier person in the matter of vehicle, compared to a Chetak owner. This is the maya associated with “happiness from vehicle” in this material world. So this is shown by A4.
Benefics influencing the 4th house in D-16 show someone who is happy with his vehicle(s). Benefics influencing A4 in D-16 show someone who is perceived to be happy with his vehicle(s). So planets influencing A4 in D-16 shed light on the physical vehicle owned by a person. Someone with Venus in own sign in A4 and Saturn in 4th (in D-16) may own luxurious vehicles (i.e. perceived to be happy with respect to vehicle) but not be happy. Someone with Saturn in A4 and Venus and Jupiter in 4th (in D-16) may own a small vehicle (i.e. perceived to be unhappy with respect to vehicles), but be happy with it.
As shown above, 4th house in D-16 deals with happiness from vehicles. In D-24, 4th house deals with learning and education. A4 in D-24 deals with the maya (illusion) associated with learning. What is it?
If someone studied at IIT (a top engineering institute of India), people may think that he is very knowledgable. If someone studied at an obscure university, people may not get the same impression. But it is possible that people’s perceptions are wrong and the person who studied at IIT is less knowledgable.
So A4 in D-24 shows the school or university and the environment in which one’s learning takes place. Usually that decides what impression people form about one’s learning.
Similarly, A10 in D-10 shows the maya associated with one’s karma (action – career). We form an impression about one’s career based on the place and environment where one’s work takes place. So A10 in D-10 shows one’s workplace. One with Mars in A10 in D-10 may work at dynamic places or engineering companies. One with Jupiter in A10 in D-10 may work at a university or college or a court of law or a temple.
One important arudha pada used in Jyotish is upapada lagna (UL) – the arudha pada of the 12th house. This shows one’s marriage and spouse. Planets in UL show the kind of marriage one has and the kind of spouse one gets. For example, Mercury in UL can show intelligent (when good) or indecisive (when bad) spouse. Ketu in UL can show spiritual (when good) or short-tempered (when bad) spouse. Sun in UL can show a charming spouse from a respectable family. It can also show an authoritative spouse. Mars in UL may show a bold spouse (when good) and a quarrelsome spouse (when bad).
The 8th house from UL shows the longevity of marriage and the 2nd and 7th houses from UL show the end of marriage. Malefics like Mars, Saturn and nodes in these houses from UL can result in troubles for the marriage and even a divorce.
Nature of spouse and the length of the marriage are two different issues. If Mars and Saturn are in UL and Jupiter is in the 8th from UL, it may show a long marriage to an argumentative and mean spouse. If Jupiter is in UL and Mars and Saturn in the 8th from it, one may have a noble spouse but the marital life will be very rough and there can even be a divorce. In such a case, propitiating Saturn and Mars can help (for more, see the chapter on “Error! Reference source not found.”).
The 7th house shows relations and A7 (darapada) shows the illusion associated with them, i.e. the kind of people one usually interacts with. Based on the kind of people one deals with, we perceive the nature of one’s relations. If one has a friend who is a prostitute, people may get a negative impression about one’s dealings. If one has a friend who is a famous film star, there is some glamour associated with one’s relations. Thus darapada shows the kind of people one associates with and that plays an important role in forming people’s impressions about one’s relations. In D-10, darapada may show professional associates. In D-24, it may show friends at college or colleagues in the pursuit of knowledge. In D-20, it may show colleagues or friends in religious activities.
The 3rd house shows one’s boldness. The 3rd house from lagna and the 3rd house from Mars show one’s true boldness and the 3rd house from AL shows how bold one is perceived. In addition, A3 shows the maya surrounding one’s boldness. It shows what drives the perceptions of people about one’s boldness. The weapons one possesses may drive those perceptions and A3 may show one’s weapons.
The 3rd house also shows one’s communication skills. The 3rd house in D-24 (chart of learning and knowledge) and D-10 (achievements in society) may show one’s writing skills. A3 shows the maya associated with one’s writing skills. One may have excellent writing skills, but not write any book. In such a case, people may not really appreciate one’s writing skills. One may be an average writer, but end up writing 20 books. In such a case, people may perceive him as a great writer. Thus the exact books written by one decide the perceptions of the world about one’s writing skills. So A3 in D-24 and D-10 may show the books or articles written by him. In this author’s D-10, for example, A3 is in Pisces. This can mean that he will be known for some books on saattwik and traditional subjects and astrology certainly fits the bill.
Let us take the 5th house as another example. It shows intelligence, following, devotion etc. The 5th house in D-20, the chart of religious activities, shows one’s devotion (bhakti) in religious activities. A5 in D-20 shows the things based on which the world forms an impression about one’s devotion. The mantras one recites, the poojas and the religious rituals one performs control the impression of the world about one’s devotion in religious matters. So A5 shows them.
The 5th house in D-10, the chart of career, shows the following one has. The world forms an impression about one’s following based on the power wielded by one. A political leader in a position of power is assumed to have a lot of following. So A5 can show the trappings of power enjoyed by one. It can also show awards.
In D-24, the chart of learning, the 5th house may show intelligence. A5 in D-24 shows the things based on which the world forms an impression about one’s intelligence in learning. These impressions are usually formed based on one’s performances in examinations, one’s scores in tests and one’s academic distinctions. So that is what A5 in D-24 shows.
Similarly, the 9th house shows one’s fortune. In D-24, it may show fortune related to learning. It can show the guidance received by one (i.e. guru – teacher). But the world forms an impression about one’s fortune in learning, based on the degrees received by one. One with an advanced degree is assumed to be more fortunate with respect to learning than one with a simple degree. So A9 can show one’s higher degrees.
In this manner, intelligent and blessed students can clearly understand the meanings of various arudha padas in various divisional charts. One cannot become a good Vedic astrologer by memorizing a lot of tables. One needs to understand the basics clearly and apply them intelligently.
All the principles of Vedic astrology should be understood and applied in the context of “desa” (country – place), “kaala” (time – age) and “paatra” (nature and class of the persons involved). When we interpret arudha padas, we are talking about the things based on which the world forms an impression about an aspect of the native. The things that drive the world’s perceptions can be different based on which world we are living in. They vary significantly from one place to another, from one age to another and from one class to another. Intelligent use of arudhas requires an astrologer to understand the world that the native lives in.
Meaning of Arudha
Arudha means the “risen one”. While one’s abilities and intelligence live inside one and one’s scores in examinations, awards and trophies etc “rise” in the material world out of the abilities and intelligence. The “risen ones” are what manifest materially and what the world can see. So the 5th house shows real abilities and intelligence, while the arudha of 5th shows awards, trophies and scores in contests etc. Arudha of each house shows what exists physically which the world can see and which rises from the matters of the house.
Computation of Graha Arudhas
Just as arudha padas of all houses (bhavas) are defined, arudha padas of all the nine planets (grahas) are also defined and they are called graha arudhas. They are computed as follows:
(1) Take the sign containing the planet of interest in the divisional chart of interest.(1) Find the sign owned by that planet.
NOTE: Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn own 2 signs each. In their case, take the stronger sign owned by the planet. The chapter on “Error! Reference source not found.” will explain the rules used in comparing the strengths of signs. Take the two signs, apply those rules and find the stronger sign.
(1) Count signs from the sign containing the planet of interest to the stronger sign owned by it. Counting is in the zodiacal direction always. For example, if the planet we are interested in is Sun and he is Gemini, we count signs from Gemini to Leo and get 3.(1) Count the same number of signs from the stronger sign owned and find the ending sign. In the above example, we count 3 signs from Leo and we end up in Libra.(1) Exception: If the sign found thus in step (4) is in the 1st or 7th from the original sign containing the planet, then we take the 10th sign from the sign found in step (4). Otherwise we don’t make any change.
(1) The resulting sign contains the arudha pada of the planet of interest.
Use of Graha Arudhas
Just as arudha padas of various houses show the illusions of the world related to the matters signified by various houses, arudha padas of various planets show the illusions of the native related to the matters signified by various planets. Houses show various aspects of the person’s life and their arudhas show how they are perceived in the world. Planets show various persons, forces and situations that impact various aspects of a person’s life and their arudhas show the related perceptions by the person.
Just as the perceptions of the world about a native can be totally different from the reality, perceptions of a native about himself, about the world and about the situations that (s)he goes through can be totally different from the reality. Graha arudhas throw light on these perceptions.
Summary
Arudha pada of a house shows the maya surrounding the matters signified by that house. It shows the factors based on which the impressions of people are formed. Arudha lagna or AL shows people’s impressions about a native. It shows one’s status in the material world. Darapada or A7 shows one’s relationships. Upapada (UL) shows one’s marriage and spouse. A4 in D-16 shows one’s vehicle. A4 in D-24 shows one’s school or college or university (place of education). A10 in D-10 shows one’s workplace.
Arudha padas of planets show the perceptions of the native about the world, about himself or herself and about the situations developing in his or her life.
Analysis of the positions of planets with respect to lagna shows reality. Analysis of the positions of planets with respect to AL shows perceptions of the world and material situation. Analysis of individual bhava arudhas throws light on various things based on which world forms impressions about a native. Analysis of the positions of the arudha padas of planets with respect to lagna shows the perceptions of the native.

Drishti (aspects)
Graha Drishri
All planets aspect the 7th house from them. For example, Sun in Ta aspects Sc. Mars in Ge aspects Sg. Moon in Le aspects Aq. Jupiter in Pi aspects Vi. Saturn in Cp aspects Cn. Find the 7th house from the planet and the planet aspects that house.
In addition, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn have special aspects:
· Jupiter aspects the 5th and 9th houses from him, in addition to the 7th house.· Mars aspects the 4th and 8th houses from him, in addition to the 7th house.· Saturn aspects the 3rd and 10th houses from him, in addition to the 7th house.
We can decide the signs and houses aspected by a planet as above. If any planet occupies the aspected houses, then the planet is also aspected. For example, Jupiter in Ta will aspect Saturn in Cp, because Cp is the 9th house from Ta and Jupiter aspects the 9th from him.
Rasi Drishti
Rasis aspect other rasis based on the following rules:
· A movable rasi aspects all fixed rasis except the one adjacent to it.· A fixed rasi aspects all movable rasis except the one adjacent to it.· A dual rasi aspects all other dual rasis.
For example, Ar is a movable sign. It aspects all the fixed signs except the one adjacent to it, i.e. Ta. So Ar aspects Le, Sc and Aq.
Ta is a fixed sign. It aspects all the movable signs except the one adjacent to it, i.e. Ar. So Ta aspects Cn, Li and Cp.
Ge is a dual sign. It aspects all other dual signs. So Ge aspects Vi, Sg and Pi.
Graha Drishti vs Rasi Drishti
A simple analogy will make things clearer. Look at planets as people. Let us take a priest as an example. Will he have some influence on his neighbors? Probably. Because he lives there, gets up early in the morning and recites mantras, it may influence his neighbors also. Because of the houses they live in, his neighbors come under his influence. How pious and god-fearing his influence makes his neighbors depends on other factors. If one of the neighbors is a dreaded criminal, he is not going to be influenced.
Let us take a dreaded criminal as another example. He may also have an influence on his neighbors. Youngsters living in the neighboring houses may enter the criminal world because of him. Ladies in the neighboring houses may stay inside their houses at night and not come out after certain time.
Thus we are influenced by people in neighboring houses. Influence exerted by planets by rasi drishti is similar to this influence.
Compared to this limited influence on the neighbors, a priest may have greater influence in the matters of the nearby temple where he works. He may have a lot of influence on devotees who come to visit the temple and who approach him for performing poojas, homas etc. Influence exerted with graha drishti is similar to this influence.
Influence exerted by rasi drishti is due to the sign a planet is in. This is analogous to the influence people exert on their neighbors. All planets in a sign will have rasi drishti on the same signs, just as people living in the same house see the same neighbors everyday and exert some influence over the same neighbors. But the influence they exert may differ. A priest may tell his neighbors to pray to God. His movie-loving brother living in the same house may talk the same neighbors into watching all the movies of a particular actress. Thus, planets in the same sign exert influence on the same houses and planets through rasi drishti, but the nature of the influence varies from planet to planet.
Influence exerted by graha drishti is due to the inherent nature of a planet. Different planets in the same sign may aspect different houses and planets with graha drishti. A priest may have great influence over the devotees at the temple he works at and his movie-loving brother living in the same house may have great influence over his movie-loving classmates and co-members of the fan club of an actress, of which he is president. Similarly, planets in the same sign may influence planets in different houses. However, everyone in a house may have a strong influence over friends of the family who visit the house frequently. Similarly, all planets aspect the 7th house from them and have an influence over it.