Upapada Lagna: The Marriage Point

This material was presented and copyrighted at the Boston SJC Workshop September 2004 and
CD/MP3 of the lecture is available through SJC.

The goal of this chapter is to first explain the Upapada Lagna (UL) so you understand what, how
and why it represents relationship. Then learn how to interpret its significations as well as
understand some traditional Vedic remedies regarding the Upapada. Finally having understood
how the UL works and how it can be traditionally remedied, learn to understand it in a way
where you will be able to give practical advise regarding a couples relationship.

The Arudha Lagna is the most important (pradhna) Arudha. The second most important Arudha
is the Upapada Lagna (the Arudha of the 12th house). Upa means near or relating to (as well as
giving and ornament), and is calculated from the sign near and related to the lagna and shows the
person who ends up near and relating to you.

Rishi Parasara begins the teaching of the Upapada in the Upapaddhyya of BPHS,

How does the UL differ in interpretation from other relationship points?

There are many places we can analyze for different aspects of marriage and relationship. It is
good to understand the different points to be clear about what we are looking at. The karakas for
relationship are Venus and Jupiter and their affliction will show blessings or curses in getting a
healthy relationship or not. They also reveal overall tendencies towards relationships, it is
important to see there placement in the rasi and navamsa. The Darakaraka shows the atma of the
partner, shows what type of soul the person has and issues related to that level. The 7th house of
the Rasi indicates how you relate to others, it is your doorway to the world and shows how you
relate to the public (karaka Venus). The person you relate to the most and who reflects you the
most is the love partner.
The 7th lord will show the physical conditions of relationship and whether they are fruitful or
barren. The A7 is connected to business partners and to sexual relations. The 7th house of the
navamsa shows the skills, abilities and general nature of the partner which predominates over the
7th house of the Rasi. It will also show the partners sexual tendencies. The Upapada will show
about the marriage partner or a very serious relationship. It shows the nature of the family a
person comes from, it shows how the people will relate to each other, and whether the
relationship will last or not and what will make it last. It will show how many children are
coming from that relationship verse a previous relationship. It is important for timing marriage
and its break. The UL lord will indicate the nature of the family of the partner, and therefore will
often indicate the status of the partner themselves.

Why does the UL represent the marriage partner?

First one needs to understand the 12th house more deeply and then see how the UL is the person
representing this. The Upapada (also called guana pada) is that which rides the 12th house, it
shows who is the image of the 12th house. The 12th house from the Lagna is what you have
given, what you physically give,and where you give your intelligence/energy. The 12th house
indicates jail, hospital, ashram, loss, pleasures of the bed, sleeping (loss of consciousness), as
well as the bed where you sleep. Charity is a form of energy, and the 12th house shows where
you give your energy. Benefics in the 12th are called shubha yoga and show giving to good
things. Malefics in the 12th are called Ashubha yoga and indicate putting energy into negative
things. The Sun is in maranakaraka sthana in the 12th house because is the house of Saturn, and
there is no life/light there. When A3, A9, AS3, AS9 are 12th, 2nd, 6th or 8th from the Sun it
indicates no ability to give life for this reason.

The 12th house is a house of loss or giving and the Arudha of it shows who you are giving to.
Those you give to the most are often your wife and children. Marriage itself happens when one
starts earning and one is able to give. Sometimes this giving might just be giving money for
support, sometimes this giving will be home caring. The importance is that if there is no giving
then there is nothing to sustain a relationship. If the partner didnt do anything for you, you
would not want to marry them.

The 7th house is the 8th from 12th house, it shows what is removing separateness and giving
marriage. The 12th house doesnt show sex it shows being alone/celibate and the 7th house (8th
from that) is what ends being alone. The 12th house is connected to sanyas and celibacy, the 8th
from this ends that, and makes a person get married and removes celibacy, therefore the 7th
house needs to be pure to maintain sanyas, and longevity of sanyas is seen from the 7th house.
Therefore the A7 is used to see the sexual partner and sexual relations, not the UL.

The 12th house is the 8th from the 5th house, it will show the longevity of your
kula/lineage/family. The UL shows who will help you give longevity to your
kula/family/lineage. The 7th house is 3rd from the 5th house showing it is upachaya from the 5th
, meaning it will make your kula grow. The 12th house is 6th from the 7th which is also
upachaya for the 7th house, which means it will make sex increase, it is therefore connected to
the pleasures of the bed, the place to be alone to grow the 7th house, to mature it into real
intimacy. The 6th house on the other hand is 2nd from the 5th and is therefore a maraka (death
giver) to the 5th house, it is not good for children or increasing the kula and indicates celibacy. It
is important to note that the twelfth house is important for relationship but it doesnt represent
sexual desires.

The AL is the maya of the lagna and the UL is the maya of the 12th house. It shows something
tangible that is being given or lost. It shows who will help increase the longevity of the kula
(family). As the 12th house is 6th from the 7th it shows who gives upachaya to the 7th, who
helps it grow, so it is the person who helps in the cultivation of what is shared as sex in the 7th
house. In Jyotish, this is seen as the marriage partner and the UL lord indicates the marriage
partners family.

How is marriage to be defined astrologically?

The defining of marriage becomes very slippery and is generally given as a serious committed
relationship for more than a year, but there are many variations to this. There are people who live
together for a long time but lack seriousness, or people who do the full marriage process and
divorce in a matter of weeks or months. The Upapada will show natural marriage not what a
priest or judge might say. Two people are naturally married when the relationship reaches a level
of seriousness. This is not be confused with relationships that may only be connected to the A7
(sexual attraction/ physical relationship).

Old texts like Manusmriti list 8 types of marriage (ashta vivaha). Of these eight types, 4 were
considered dharmic (righteous) while 4 were considered adharmic (not in line with natural
order). This shows they werent the ways to get married but were ways in which a marriage-like
bond was created between two individuals. These 8 types of marriage relate to the 8 planets other
than Venus who is the natural karaka of marriage. This is important to keep in mind when seeing
blessings and curses on the UL and Venus. These types of marriage are very ancient and must
not be taken literally in modern times, but we must understand the essence of the marriage bond
indicated by them.

How can different marriages and marriage partners be differentiated?

The first partner is seen from the UL, the second partner is seen from the 8 th house of the UL
(UL2), the 3 rd partner is seen from the 8 th to the second UL (UL3) and so on. Often times (in
modern society) it takes a few questions to determine the exact partner of reference when
interpreting a UL relationship. Some people may have had only one or two serious relationships
but westerners can often have difficulty determining which relationships were serious, and which
were just passing flings. This makes interpretation harder and will test your skills to determine
the exact person one is referring to when discussing a UL relationship.

In the same way the UL is showing the marriage itself, the nature (abilities) of the 1 st partner are
seen from the 7 th house of the navamsa, while the next partner is seen from the 2 nd house in
the navamsa (the 8 th from the first significator). The 3 rd partner is seen from 9 th house (the 8
th from the 2 nd house).
When a person has multiple marriage partners at the same time, as many Mormons do, the UL2
(the second UL) is seen 6 th from the first UL. Additional wives are again seen from the 6 th
house from that significator. The 8 th house will show an end to the previous relationship. The 6
th house is upacharya, it is growing, and shows the growth of the Upapada. The Upapada is a
point of giving and this shows also that the amount needed to give (expenditure) is growing.

How do we use the UL in interpretation?

The UL is primarily seen as the partner and the relationship itself, it is used as a lagna in and of
itself. It will show qualities of the partner, their career, their family, children from the
relationship, longevity, as well as fructification of the relationship even becoming a marriage.

I. Upapada Signs and Conjunctions

Rishi Parasara gives his first teaching on interpretation based on benefic and malefic planets and
signs relative to the UL:

The statements of Parasara must be looked at in their essence. Here we learn that the nature
(malefic/benefic) of the planets with the Upapada shows the nature of relationship. A benefic
lord will make a happy relationship as will the conjunction of benefics. In general, the more well
placed a planet the better the significations it will give here.

The Sun supports relationship, but becoming neecha the Sun acts malefic as even the other
benefic planets will do, they will not give shubha results at the same level. Numurologically, the
the Sun is connected to the number 12, and the UL comes from the 12 th house, this is how the
Sun is giving its blessings to the Upapada. The Sun also represents lineage and as the Arudha of
the 12 th house shows who will help you give longevity to your kula (family) the Sun is a strong
protector. For this reason the Sun is to be considered among the list of benefics. When the Sun is
in an enemies sign it will have less support to protect the Upapada, and when neecha it will not
help at all but instead may hurt the UL as every neecha planet will. When a planet becomes
uccha it will protect the UL even if it is a malefic, as it will take on more sattvic qualitites.
Though it will still have some negative attributes of that planet, while the Sun is a pure benefic
for the UL.

Interpretation can get specific, for example a benefic sign with malefic aspects can indicate a
good person/relationship that will go bad due to malefic situations. If the UL was in Scorpio with
the Moon and benefic aspects, it would show a bad person/relationship that will eventually
evolve into a better situation. Always strengthen the benefics aspects or planets involved in the
situation.

Jaimini gives upadesa (additional commentary) and says,

Subha (good), Bandhat (bound too, joined), Sundari (beautiful). When the UL is joined good
(benefic) planets the partner/relationship is beautiful. This is interpreted as the partner is a
beautiful person (indicates beauty of character, as 7 th house of Navamsa is seen for outer
beauty, chara darakaraka is seen for spiritual evolution beauty). This makes the relationship a
good (beautiful) experience. The partner is happy receiving what you are giving. In this same
way a malefic conjunct the UL will make the partner harsher (according to the planet and its
state) and therefore make the relationship harsher and the partner is more demanding.

II. Upapada Lord

Rishi Parasara says that an exalted UL will bring a partner from a noble family, while
debilitation will do the opposite.

Jaimini gives upadesa and says that

 The Lord of the UL indicates the family the
partner comes from. If the lord of UL is exalted the person will come from a well to do family
and will have high standards the opposite will be the case with a neecha UL lord. In the chart of
James, he has his own Arudha Lagna lord exalted but it is conjunct Rahu and Saturn, so though
he has the potential to rise to great things in life he prefers to live a simple life owning very little.
He lives in a VW bus that he constructed into an incredible house on wheels. It is famous for the
elaborate wood work and stained glass both inside and outside the bus. Even though he lives a
simple life the main partners in his life have all come from very upper class, very well to do
families, which is not his particular interest, though it is his karma. The Upapada is in Aries in
the fourth house with its lord Mars and an exalted Sun. The conjunction of the UL with an
exalted planet will lift it up, especially since it is in its own sign. The more well placed the Lord
of the UL the higher the status of the family the spouse comes from.

He is not comfortable with the relationship because the UL is 12th from his Arudha Lagna. The
UL in Aries with the fiery Sun and Mars is too much and 12th from Arudha Lagna (the house of
secret enemies to the Arudha) shows he will not want to put the time and energy into the
relationship. Upapada fasting will be important for him.

The next chart has the opposite situation.

Using Ketu as the lord of the UL in Scorpio, it is debilitated in Taurus. This also puts a
debilitated planet with the UL itself. The Atmakaraka was in the 7th house of the navamsa,
which can make the partner more affluent. But the UL lord is neecha, and the conjunction of
Rahu with the UL made the marriage partner a thief, who eventually went to jail. If Rahu was
well placed, the partner could be an engineer working on big machinery but negatively placed it
made him a thief. The marriage partner was spiritual, AK in the navamsa 7th, as the partner
would go to temple to pray to his deities before going out to commit crime. The navamsa 7th
house is showing more the nature of the partner. The story of the partners family background
will unfold according to the story of the UL lord.

Notice that we used Ketu for the UL lord. There are two arudha lords, when an arudha is placed
in the signs of Scorpio or Aquarius. Both lords will have an effect. Sometimes just the
stronger/most influential planet will give effect. Other times the weaker planet gives its results
first, then the stronger planet gives its results.

The strength of the UL itself will often determine if the relationship turns into a legal marriage or
not. Some serious relationships fail to fructify into a marriage due to lack of strength shown by
the UL. Weak placements such as 6th, 8th, or 12th from the UL, curses, bhadak and bad
positions can hurt the UL.

In the next chart (4th October 1971 @1PM in Townsville, Queensland, Australia), Marriage
Refusal, a Hindu woman was going to marry a Muslim but was refused with religion as the
reasoning. The UL lord is vargottama and debilitated (which makes it extra debilitated), it is also
Venus in the 8 th house of the navamsa (which hurts the significations of marriage), it is also the
AK which insures it gives the results indicated. The lord of the UL is not only neecha but it is
12th from the UL itself, indicating loss. The lord of UL positioned 6th, 8th, or 12th from the UL
is not good and weakens its significations. Combined with the other factors of Venus, the woman
was refused marriage. The Arudha Lagna is 12th from the Upapada Lagna, so the UL rejected
her. The Lord of the Upapada is 12th from the UL so the family also rejected the marriage.
Though the chart shows she was refused legal marriage, the relationship was a UL because the
individuals had real intent to marry. The social planets denied social acceptance of the
relationship; the Moon is 6th from the UL and Venus and Mercury are 12th from it. The UL is
broken even though there was not a legal marriage, and eighth from it will indicate the next
marriage partner. Being that it technically was a UL, the lord of the second, Mars, has raja banga
yoga (debilitated in nava) showing not enough resources to support the relationship. Jupiter
placed in the second from UL helped cause the break as well. Jupiter significates religion, and
Jupiter is in the badhakasthna from the lagna showing it causes her obstacles in life, Jupiter in
badhaka often indicates religious significations as obstacles.

How do we see the longevity of relationship from the Upapada Lagna?though there was not
a legal marriage, and 8th from it will indicate the next marriage partner. Being that it technically
was a UL, the lord of the second, Mars, has raja banga yoga (debilitated in navamsa) showing
not enough resources to support the relationship. Jupiter placed in the 2nd from UL helped cause
the break as well. Jupiter significates religion, and Jupiter is in badhak sthana from the lagna
showing it causes her obstacles in life, Jupiter in badhak often indicates religious significations
as obstacles. Jupiter is also marana karaka sthana from the AL showing she is perceived as
hurting religion.

The second house from the UL is one of the most crucial houses for relationship. This section
will talk briefly about classical reference to the second house from the UL, and the remedial
measures will go into greater detail. It is the most crucial house as it is the sustenance of the
relationship, it feeds the relationship. The second house is a natural maraka house and it shows
the longevity of the relationship. Strong lord of the second from UL and Benefics conjunct and
aspecting it will support marriage. Weak lords of the second and malefic association will destroy
marriage. Rishi Parasara teaches:

The 2nd house from the UL will show the sustanence of relationship/marriage. If the 2nd is
strong, even if the UL has malefics (giving a negative relationship) the 2nd house will hold the
relationship together. In the opposite case, if there is malefic association in the 2 nd house from
UL, it will break the relationship even if it is with a good person and good situation (strong UL).
The UL is evaluated to see the situation of the relationship. The 2nd from the UL is evaluated to
see if the relationship will last.

The next few verses from Rishi Parasaras Upapada Chapter show this concept in more depth.
The amount of verses devoted to the UL is representative of its importance, and with in that is is
worth noting the large number of verses on the 2nd house from UL as well.

[sanskrit from here down has not been turned into image files yet]

%paFe itIye=ip SvSvaimhs<yute, Sv]Rge tTptaE vaip y kaip Usur. 11.

ySy jNmin yaegae=y< s nrae ijsm, %rayui; indaRrae vTyev n s<zy>. 12.

Oh excellent of Brahmins, if the UL or the 2nd therefrom be occupied by its own lord or if the
said lord is in his own house, the death of wife will be at an advanced age. If a planet is being
constant indicator of wife and is in its own house, there will be a loss of wife only at a later
date.

Jaimini says the same thing in slightly different words,

If the second is conjoined by its lord or its lord is placed elsewhere in own sign or in exaltation,
loss of spouse, if at all, will be only in an advanced age. 1.4.8

These verses are speaking of the wife as if she dies, but this is in a culture not overly using
divorce (though they did have it). These indications for age of the wife are to be used for age
of the relationship. Longevity relative to the UL is then to be taken as not how long the spouse
will live, but how long they will live in your house. Malefics hurt the longevity of a
marriage/relationship. A well placed/strong lord of the second from UL will make the
relationship last. The sustenance for the relationship will be strong and therefore the union will
stay together. Dynamics within that relationship are seen from synestry, but whether the people
stay together or not is seen from the 2 nd house from the UL.

Parasara gives another shloka, saying what was mentioned later by Jaimini, but adding the 2nd
house. He says that a benefic will make the wife sundar (beautiful) placed in the UL or 2nd
house from it. Jaimini said the same thing relative to the UL only, Parasara speaks of Sundari
(beauty) relative to the UL and the sustenance of the relationship.

%paFe itIye va zusMbxtae ij, jatSy suNdrI ayaR Vya pgu[aiNvta. 15.

Oh Brahmin, if the UL or 2 nd from the UL is related to a benefic, the wife will be beautiful,
fortunate and virtous.

There are often only slight differences between what Parasara taught and Jaiminis upadesa
(commentary). After giving the results of benefics in the 2 nd from UL, Jaimini mentions some
of the results of malefics.
 If the 2 nd from Upapada has malefic aspects or conjunctions the native loses his wife or
renounces the world. 1.4.2
If the 2nd from UL has beneficial conjunction/aspect, pravrajya/loss of spouse may not occur.
1.4.5