“Marriages are made in heaven” – so goes an English adage.
This adage really means that the life partner one gets in this life is decided by cosmic forces. And what better cosmic force can we conjecture than planetary vibrations in deciding the spouse of a person?
The 7th house in a person’s horoscope determines spouse. It is imperative that this house be tenanted by benefics if a person were to be blessed with a loving spouse. The trend in today’s world is to select the bride or bridegroom through extraneous factors such as education, status, job, income and financial background. No doubt, these factors bestow a sense of security to the person who is going to marry, but, is there something more than this which could have an impact on married life? My answer would be “yes”.
There is a saying “ Money can buy a house; but it cannot buy a home.” Whosoever coined this adage should be called a genius. Nobody said it better. In Tamilnadu, there is a festival called “Kaanum Pongal” which falls on the second day reckoned from Makar Sankranthi. On this day, people go to the places such as zoological gardens, beaches, cinema houses and other places of entertainment. One can see lakhs of poor people on the beach fronts but hardly anyone affluent,who is out there to enjoy. The multi – millionaires probably on this day sit in board rooms discussing how much profit they could generate in the financial year but the poor guys who do not know from where their next meal is going to come from, indulge in fun and frolic. Oliver Goldsmith wrote in “The Deserted Village”, “Where wealth accumulates, men decay.” This poem was written in 1770, but to this day it his words have proved prophetically true.
The Sun in the 7th is not a desirable feature in a horoscope but exceptions are there. For instance the Sun in 7 aspected by Jupiter is a welcome feature more so if the lagna is Aquarius as Sun becomes lord of 7. Moon in 7 makes a native passionate. Distinction should be made between waxing moon and waning moon. Waxing moon in 7 is good, while moon is good on the wane if it has certain beneficial features such as placement in Taurus or Cancer or the house of benefic.
Mars is the planet to watch out for while in the 7th. Mars denotes aggression, valour and haste. All these qualities have negative connotations in a person’s married life. One will get a cantankerous spouse if Ketu is in 7.
Presence of Saturn can delay marriage while in 7. Saturn can also give marriage to a person who is very old, or who is a divorcee or with a widow or a widower. It can also give marriage to a person who is dark in complexion.
Rahu is similar in effects to Saturn but can give an unconventional or heterodox marriage. It can also give marriage to a foreigner. Both Jupiter and Mercury give happiness in marriage while in 7. Jupiter in the 7th gives rise to stable and happy married life. I would suggest that Astrologers while giving guidance on matching of the charts should accord top priority to the charts where Jupiter is in the 7th in a sign other than Capricorn. Though Venus is a benefic, it is not fully favoured in 7th due to operation of the dictum, “Karako bhava Nasaya” , (Karaka in Bhava spoils the Bhava).
When Venus is 7 for Scorpio Lagna, there is another affliction given rise to, namely, Kendradipatya dosha. Venus in 7 is bad, when it is in Taurus or Virgo.
Individually both Saturn and Mars are bad in the 7th, but what if they were in conjunction? Results could be disastrous. I would advise students of Astrology to commit to memory, one rule on this topic “When Saturn and Mars are in the 7th house identical with Cancer, the spouse of that person will be chaste, fortunate and beautiful” (Phaladeepika, Chapter 10, Verse 3). The exception carved out by Mantreswara in Phaladeepika is unique in the sense that, all authors are unanimous in their verdict that Saturn or Mars can only give evil results. Both these are first malefics. Saturn in cancer is bad, while Mars in cancer is debilitated. But for the operation of this rule, any Astrologer might draw adverse influences if he/she comes across Mars – Saturn conjunction in the 7th house.
Yogas for multiple marriages
• Gemini as 7th house and afflicted by malefics gives two marriages.
• Two or more malefics in 2, not aspected by 2nd Lord.
• Two or more malefics in 7, not aspected by 7th Lord.
• Saturn and Rahu in 7, not conjoined with benefics.
• 7th Lord in 6 associated with Rahu.
• Venus and 7th Lord in a dual sign in Navamsa.
• Venus in Virgo Navamsa, afflicted.
To summarise all these rules, we can think of the following points as leading to remarriage.
• Affliction to 2nd house, 2nd Lord, 7th house, 7th Lord and Venus.
• Presence of V enus in dual signs.
• Affliction to 2nd Lord, 7th Lord and Venus at the Navamsa level.
• Influence of Rahu and Saturn on houses 2 and 7 and on Venus.
• Inter relationship between V enus and Mars: Presence of Venus in Martian signs and presence of Mars in Venusian signs.
If all these points are kept in mind, one can easily make out whether a person’s married life will be stable or unstable: whether the person will single to a single man or single woman or whether remarriage is indicated.
In some cases, a person marries, loses one’s spouse on account of death and is forces to remarry. Astrological clue to determine this is given by Mantreswara “When three fiery malefics (Sun, Ketu and Mars) occupy the 7th , a lady becomes a widow; if combined with the benefics she gets remarried (vide Phaladeepika, Chapter 11, Verse 3) The significance of this verse can be understood with a little bit of effort. The three fiery malefics are inauspicious in the 7th as Sun is an enemy of Ketu and Mars is a planet giving rise to Kuja dosha; if they combine with say, Jupiter then Jupiter does not prevent the death of spouse; it permits the loss of spouse but at the same time, revalidates married life by giving rise to a second husband. Thus married life exists but not without defect. In other words, a defect arises but apparently gets cured.
According to Mantreswara, “When either Saturn or Mercury occupy the 7th and two planets occupy the 11th , the native will have two wives.” (Phaladeepika, Chapter 10, Verse 5). If the lord of the 7th
house and Venus occupy a dual sign or Amsa, the relative will have two wives. The number of wives should be predicted by assessing the number of planets in conjunction with 7th lord and Venus.
When Moon in conjunction with Saturn occupies the 7th house, a woman will tend to remarry. If this combination occurs in a male chart, one will be either unmarried or issueless (Ibid, Chapter 10, Verse 8).
A question in general which people in general ask is: who will die first, husband or wife? Will they die together? The answer is furnished by Prithuyasas in Horasara.
“If a benefic occupies 8, the woman predeceases her husband. If simultaneously, a benefic and a benefic occupy 8, both husband and wife die simultaneously. Though there may be malefics in 7 and 8, a strong benefic in 9 will give her and her spouse, a long lease of life”(Chapter 25, Verses 47,48).
Having understood the rules of Astrology relating to happiness in married life, divorce, remarriage and death, let us now understand the remedial measures to be performed for happy married life.
The Swayamvara Parvathi Mantra is the best remedy for all ills plaguing marriage. The mantra is:
“Om Hreem Yogini Yogini Yogeswari Yoga bhayankari
Sakala Sthavara Jangamasya Mukha Hradayam Mama vasham Akharshaya Akharshaya swaha”
This mantra has to be learnt properly from a Guru and preferably chanted in the morning. There is a hymn called “Swayamvarakshara mantra mala stotram” which if recited daily confers prosperity, fame, health and the power to attract people.Vedic Pundits can be engaged to perform Swayamvara Parvati Homam ,which gives a ritualistic dimension to worship of Goddess Parvati. It can confer marriage to unmarried persons and bless them with connubial bliss. Goddess Parvati needs to be worshipped for marital happiness and to prevent setbacks in married life. It may be noted that devotees of Parvati will attain the grace of the Goddess,through which all forms of happiness and prosperity will be bestowed upon them.