The blemish adverse disposition of Mars

A. The Mangala Dosha is the blemish attributed to an adverse placement of the planet Mars in a horoscopic chat. A person with such an adverse disposition of Mars is labeled as a Mangalik. The Mangala Dosha is said to arise when Mars is located in the 1st, the 4th, the 7th, the 8th or the 12th house from the lagna. In South India where much is made of the Kuja-dosha (Kuja is another name for Mars), the 2n house is also added to the above five places. The astrologers who place a lot of important on this dosha go a step further and extend this rule to not only the Lagna proper but also to the Chandra Lagna, to Venus and to the Navamsha Lagna (in descending order of importance). This means that if Mars is found to be in any of these positions considered from any of he reference points mentioned above, viz., the Lagna proper, the Moon, Venus as well as the Navamsha Lagna, the native becomes a Mangalik. The existence of the Mangala Dosha in a horoscope is considered a negative factor in marital life.

Q. Does it not mean that a majority of people will be found to be afflicted by the Mangala Dosha? Even if one considers the location of Mars as adverse in certain houses from the Lagna proper only, statistically speaking, nearly half the population of the world will be Mangalic.

A. Yes, you are right. It appears that too much emphasis has been laid on this Dosha or blemish. The presence of Mars in certain strategic locations in the horoscope may adversely influence the marital life of a native only in certain cases and not invariably. Each horoscope needs a thorough examination to assess the severity of such an affliction. Therefore, undue importance to Mangala Dosha should not be given. Many learned astrologers have thrown, sedate light over this subject, both in North India and in South India. They have explained when it is a serious dosha and when it is not.

Q. Why is it called a dosha or blemish? What are its effects?

A. It is really a paradox that Mars has been described as causing a dosha or blemish. The word "Mangala' in fact signifies 'auspiciousness'. Mars, however, does create problems also. The problems are primarily in respect of marital harmony. Since it involves another person, namely the spouse, extraordinary anxiety has been associated with it. The subject acquires importance in thso etardition-bound societies where marriages are arranged by parents, and the horoscopes of the bride and the groom are matched as a precursor to marriage. A suitable match for a girl with Mangala Dosha becomes difficult to find, specially so in the South. It is said that the girl would become a widow or the boy a widower if the spouse happens to be Mangalik.

Q. Why are these effects attributed to these placements of Mars?

A. Mars is a first-rate malefic and has a violent (urga) temper. It instills the element of aggression or violence into the houses of the horoscope that it occupies or aspects. The houses where the location of Mars produces the Mangala Dosha are in some way or the other concerned with marital bliss and domestic peace. The lagna, for example, is important for all aspects of an individual. A violent planet in the lagna instills aggression in the nature of the native himself. The second house concerns itself with the immediate family of the native, an important area in the life of one living in a social setup where a joint family system is a rule rather than exception. The fourth house is the house of domestic comforts and harmony. The seventh house rules over the sexual partner as well as the sexual life of the native. The eighth house is extremely important sa it concerns itself with the quality and the longevity of the marital life, also called as the sowbhagya. This concept of the sowbhagya is very important in India, particularly for women. A woman considers herself sa blessed and auspicious as long as her husband is alive. A traditional way to bless a married girl in India is to wish her to be sowbhagyawati, i.e., one blessed with long association with her husband. The twelfth house deals with the pleasures of the bed, an inherent constituent of married life. By its occupation of these sensitive houses, Mars not only adversely affects the houses it occupies but also the ones it aspects. This may be briefly mentioned as follows: First house: It spoils domestic peace and comforts due to its 4th aspect on the 4th house, marriage due to its 7th aspect on the 7th house and sowbhagya due to its 8th aspect on the 8th house. The 8th house is also the prosperity of the husband's family which may get adversely affected. Second house: It spoils the immediate family by its placement, progeny by its 4th aspect on 5th house, 8th house significations (e.g., prosperity of the spouse's family, longevity and inheritance of the native, etc.) by 7th aspect and the 9th house significations (e.g., younger coborns of the spouse, fortune of the native, etc.) by its 8th aspect. Fourth house: It spoils the 4th house significations due to its placement, 7th house due to its 4th aspect, 10th house (which becomes the 4th aspect, and the 11th) house (which is the house of progeny for the spouse) by its 8th aspect. The 4th house placement is considered particularly ominous for mother-in-law in India. Seventh house: It spoils the marriage due to its placement, this being the house denoting the spouse, 10th house which is the house representing mother-in-law, and 2nd house which is the house of longevity of the spouse being 8th from the 7th. Mars in 7th house can give diseases of the sexual organs if adversely afflicted. Eighth house: It spoils the house of sowbhagya. Another term for this is mangalya or 'auspiciousness' (of married life). From the eighth house, Mars also aspects the third house of the chart, which falls in the ninth from the seventh thus signifying the bhagya (or fortune) of the spouse. Twelfth house: It spoils the house of bed-pleasures by placement and the 7th house by its 8th aspect. The description given above for placement of Mars has been done primarily from marital point of view. These effects would stand vastly modified (and sometimes nullified) by a careful consideration of:

1. which Lagna does the native have, thereby fixing the lordships of Mars and other planets which may have association with Mars;
2. aspect of benefits on Mars and/or houses related to marriage, primarily 7th;
3. aspect of malefics likewise;
4. the sign or rashi in which Mars is posited;
5. placement of other planets with respect to Mars, specially Venus; and
6. placement of Venus in Rashi or Navamsha chart in the signs owned by Mars/Saturn

Q. If such a large chunk of humanity suffers from this dosha, has a remedy or an antidote been found for it?

A. Some astrologers have opined that these positions of Mars cause excessive sexual urge in the native. If its gratification is not found in a normal way then marital disharmony may ensue. And probably for this reason, the remedy for this dosha is a matching dosha in the chart of the spouse. And fortunately, there are nearly as many boys having this dosha as girls. Go in His cosmic wisdom certainly must have made one boy to suit one girl. Mars does not discriminate on the basis of gender. Some say that the adverse effects of the Mangala Dosha peter off after the age of 28, therefore, marriage performed after 28 is relatively safe. In our view this is an oversimplified approach since it has taken care of only one factor, i.e., 'delay in marriage' and not the other factors. In fact any affliction to the 7th house, its lord or the Karaka would cause delay, not Mars alone. And, therefore, the stigma of causing this dosha should not be shouldered by Mars alone. A more appropriate approach may be to avoid, if possible, conducting marriage, in a chart with Mars' affliction, in the antardasha of Mars since affliction due to Mars will come to fruition primarily during the dasha of Mars. The experts who suggest gems for any adverse features in the chart recommend wearing fo coral, set in gold, in the ring finger.

Q. Is there a quantitative method by which the extent of dosha may be ascertained in the chart of a boy or a girl?

A. Dosha-Samya - equal amount of dosha in the charts of bride and groom - is the key to matching the horoscopes. A simplistic view of matching the dosha is to have, in the chart of the spouse, the placement of Mars in one of the same houses as makes one a Mangalik. A Mangalika thus matches with a Mangalika. It has also been said that if a chart shows Mangala Dosha and the chart of the spouse has any of the other malefics like Saturn, the Sun, Rahu or Ketu placed in the 1st, 4th, 7th, 8th or 12th house, then there is a matching dosha. A purely quantitative method is popular in Kerala which helps the astrologer calculate the extent of total dosha numerically (pertaining to marriage) including Mangala-dosha (see accompanying table). Angarak-dosha is the name that is given to this dosha in Kerala.

Q. How does one use the table given here to assess the dosha?

A. The table above can be used to calculate Mangala dosha separately also. Otherwise it can be used to calculate consolidated quantum of evil perpetrated by all the malefics. The values given in the table are from the ascendant only. From the Moon these should be halved and from Venus they should be cut down to 25%.

1. Find out the values that are applicable in a chart from ascendant first. Add them up. Call the figure 'A'
2. Similarly, repeat the above step for the Moon and add up the figures. Reduce it by 50%. Call it 'M'.
3. Repeat the above step from Venus and add the figures, Reduce it to 25%. Call it 'V'.
4. To get the total dosha add up A+M+V. Divide it by 128, if you like, and round off the fractions.
6. If one wants only the Mangala dosha, the values for Mars alone should be considered; the values for other malefics may be ignored.

It is interesting to note that the above table has taken into account the nature of the sign in which the dosha-causing malefic planet is situated. This factor is important but probably a more important factor is the lordship of Mars (and the other malefics) in a particular chart.

Q. Besides the quantitative method described above, is there a qualitative method too for assessing the dosha?

A. Yes! As hinted earlier, the Lagna is very important. For example, if the Lagna is Leo, Mars is the Yogakaraka planet being the 4th and 9th lord. Such a Mars placed in Kendras (1st, 4th and 7th) cannot be considered bad. If it is in the 4th house (Scorpio) it is in its own house, protecting the domestic comforts rather than spoiling them. Likewise, Mars is the Yogakaraka planet for Cancer Lagna too and is not considered to be causing the Mangala Dosha. Bhava Chandrika, an astrological text, says that Mars posited in the signs of Venus, viz., Taurus and Libra, does not cause Mangala Dosha. The truth behind this needs verification by careful research, specially because the reverse of this, i.e., Venus in the signs of Mars, viz., Aries and Scorpio, (even in the Navamsha chart) is said to cause inclination towards unnatural sex. Jatak Tatwa, another standard treatise on predictive astrology states that Venus and Mars conjoined in the 7th or the 10th, or in mutual kendras cause sexual pervesions. For those born with Taurus Lagna the Mangala Dosha practically comes to naught. If it is in the 12th house, it is aspecting the 7th house which is Mar's own house (Scorpio). If it is in the Lagna or 4th house, it is again aspecting the 7th house which is its own. Its placement in the seventh is its placement in its own house which it cannot damage. However, in the 2nd and 8th houses, it is not as safe. For Libra Lagna people too, Mars may not be too problematic in marital matters for a similar reason.

Q. Ignorance about Mangala Dosha causes a lot of anxiety in many home. It is justified?

A. Ignoring Mangala Dosha is also not right. Matching of horoscopes by a competent astrologer can save calamitous results in many cases. Mangala Dosha by itself is generally not so serious unless the 7th house, its lord and karaka have other severe afflictions too. Therefore, the entire horoscope must be scruitinized as a whole. After all, besides Mars, there are eight other planets in the horoscope which may also have some bearing (benefic or adverse) on the houses related to marital harmony. An isolated Mangala Dosha should not cause much concern. One is likely to find as many happy couples with Mangala Dosha as without it, in a real world.