Viparita Raja yoga

Hindu astrology considers the 3rd, the 6th, the 8th and the 12th bhavas counted from the Lagna (Birth Ascendant) or from the Chandra- lagna (Natal Moon), as Dushtasthanas or evil bhavas, more importantly the latter three bhavas. Parashara has deemed the lord of the 3rd along with the lord of the 11th bhavas to be the Papa or Papi grahas (Source: Laghu Parashari). The lords of the 6th, the 8th and the 12th generally act as functional malefics and give adverse results during the course of their respective dashas and transits even if they happen to be natural benefics or simultaneously own an auspicious bhava. Parashara has termed the situation of the lord of the 6th, the 8th or the 12th, in the 6th, the 8th or the 12th other than their own as giving rise to Arishta yogas and has assigned bad results only. Auspicious yogas such as the Raja yogas and the Dhana yogas can co-exist with Arishta yogas, but then the native availing the benefits of Rajya and also riches, will remain unhappy at personal level.[1] Janardan Harji in the Second Chapter titled Bhavesha-phala nirupana of his treatise on predictive astrology Mansagari states that the lord of the 6th in 8th causes physical ailments according to the characteristic and nature of that planet; in the 12th loss of wealth, earning after immense hardship and dependence on past works and deeds. The lord of the 8th in the 6th gives great variety of problems affecting wealth, health and conduct, and in the 12th makes one insincere, dishonest, a liar, a thief or a cheat. The lord of the 12th in the 6th makes one a miser, causes Balarishta and gives weak eyesight or an eye-disease, in the 8th if a papagraha makes one aimless and unenterprising, if a benefic planet then an accumulator and a hoarder of wealth.[2] All planets are rendered weak when the Moon is devoid of strength. The Moon is easily influenced by other planets and therefore, the ava-yogas (evil yogas) caused by planets involving the Moon are generally found to be more effective which so is because of its proximity to the Earth and rapid orbital motion; a weak and ill-placed Moon can create havoc in one’s life.[3]

The lords of the dushtasthanas can confer good results under certain conditions. The lord of the 6th situated in a benefic and friendly sign or navamsa either in the 10th or in the 2nd house from the lagna makes one bold and daring, in both eventualities it will be in a trine from its own house. The strong lord of the 12th exalted and aspected by benefics blesses one with many comforts and much wealth.[4] And, there is the dictum according to which rule lords of inauspicious bhavas when placed in inauspicious bhavas cease to act inauspiciously and actually tend to produce favourable results because the lords of inauspicious bhavas invariably destroy the significance of the bhavas they occupy and also by virtue of their occupation of a dushtasthana because having become themselves weak they are less prone to give their bad results. Thus, Mantreswara in his Phaladeepika has assigned favourable results when lords of the 6th, the 8th or the 12th are situated in the 6th, the 8th or the 12th house counted from the Lagna-kendra other than in their own house - the lord of the 6th in the 8th or in the 12th house confers the favourable Harsha yoga, the lord of the 8th in the 6th or in the 12th house confers the favourable Sarala yoga and the lord of the 12th in the 6th or in the 8th house confers the favourable Vimala yoga, then there is rise in status, fame and financial gains during the dasha of the planet so placed.[5]

Kalidasa in his Uttara Kalamrita vide Sloka IV.22 states that the lord of the 8th in 6th or in the 12th, the lord of the 6th in the 8th or in the 12th and the lord of the 12th in the 6th or in the 8th house from the Lagna (Ascendant) give rise to extraordinary Raja Yogas provided these lords are mutually related by conjunction or by mutual aspect or by mutual exchange of signs, and at the same time do not relate with any other planet i.e. house-lord; and in case all three are involved then a very powerful Raja yoga will arise.[6] This is the Viparita Raja yoga that confers learning, longevity, fame and prosperity, illustrious friends, success in all ventures and victory over foes. Enhanced status and financial stability in the dasha of the planet causing this yoga and which result is also witnessed in the dasha of the planet associating with it.[7] Thus, in a nativity the lord of the 3rd in the 8th house in conjunction with lord of the 6th or the 8th but devoid of influence, association or aspect of any natural benefic planet gave yoga results. Viparita Raja yoga arose because of weak position of the lords of these bad houses.[8]

There are serious doubts about the claim that the mutual exchange of signs (parivartana of houses) between dusthana lords produce Viparita Raja Yoga. The VRY concept operates on the principle that the dusthanas get weaker and less malevolent when their lords are placed in other dusthanas. In case there is a parivartana or exchange of house lords, then as per the dictums of Vedic Astrology, both houses get stronger. That is unlikely to produce any good. This is the rationale being followed by both classical sources (Phaldeepika) and brilliant modern Gurus like Barbara Pijan Lama, when they say that the lord of a negative house shouldn't be in its own house for VRY to operate. So 6th lord in 6th wouldn't produce an effective Harsha Yoga, 8th lord in 8th won't give a useful Saral Yoga et al.

The lord of the 8th exalted in the 6th house does not ipso-facto give rise to a Raja yoga even if joined by the lord of the 6th although there are those who insist that if lords of the 6th, the 8th or the 12th join in the 6th, the 8th or in the 12th or at least two of them are in any of these houses or they exchange signs only then Viparita Raja yoga arises.[9] but all insist that this yoga should be pure, that is to say, with this Raja yoga obtaining no other house lord should aspect, conjoin or associate with the lords of the Trikasthanas giving rise to the Viparita Raja yoga.[10] In the case of a Pisces lagna born, who had the lord of the 12th exalted in the 12th and the lord of the 8th was in the 6th, no Viparita Raja yoga resulted because of the lord of the 2nd and the 9th joining the lord of the 8th.[11] Morarji Desai, the former Prime Minister of India, was born with Viparita Raja yoga and he had duly availed the benefits of this yoga; he had Venus occupying the 8th house as the lord of the 12th house from the Lagna.[12]

• Dainya yoga