Jaimini Astrology uses a few concepts differently from other systems of astrology. One of the interesting aspects of Jaimini is Bhava Padas or Arudhas. The birth chart gives us details about the actual situation of a person’s life and how he or she feels about it. The Arudhas on the other hand reveal how this person is perceived by others in different areas of life.
Arudha And Maya
The reality of a person’s life does not always match what society at large perceives it to be. While the general public is in awe of and even envious of a certain celebrity, the true story in that celebrity’s life may be so different. It is only when we have celebrity suicides or other issues that the reality comes out. We learn that though the image of the person is glittery (Arudha) and beautiful, in their own minds and daily life (actual chart) they are miserable.
Arudha is a technique to decode this difference between reality and perception. While the birth chart states the reality, the Arudha defines the perception. One can use an online Arudha Lagna calculator or arrive at the Bhav Padas manually as instructed here.
Popular Arudhas
Astrologers who do not follow Jaimni are aware of two of the Arudhas and use them. The first common Arudha is the Arudha of the Lagna itself. This is the Arudha Lagna or Pada and the chart is read from that point. Another very popular Arudha is that of the 12th house which is also the Upapada Lagna.
However, the Arudha concept can also be applied to all the houses of the birth chart. The Arudha of any house reveals the Maya of that house. So the Lagna being the self, the Arudha of the Lagna is the illusion of the self. It is the Maya that the person projects to the world as well as the status as perceived by the world. The astrologer must keep in mind that the true self is still the Lagna, the Arudha is nothing but the perception.
The Names Of The Bhav Padas
Each of the Bhav Padas has a specific name. Some people prefer to mark the Arudhas simply as AL, A2 etc. The names of the Arudhas of each house are:
| House | Popular Names Of Arudha |
| 1 | Arudha Lagna, Pada Lagna, Arudha, Pada |
| 2 | Dhanarudha, Dhana Pada, Vittta Pada, Vittarudha |
| 3 | Bhatrarudha, Bhratri Pada, Vikrama Pada, Vikramarudha |
| 4 | Matri Pada, Vahana Pada, Sukha Pada, Sukharudha, Matrarudha, Vahanarudha |
| 5 | Mantra Pada, Mantrarudha, Putrarudha, Buddhi Pada, Putra Pada |
| 6 | Roga Pada, Rogarudha, Satrarudha, Satru Pada |
| 7 | Dara Pada, Dararudha |
| 8 | Mrityu Pada, Randhrarudha, Kashta Pada, Kashtarudha, |
| 9 | Bhagya Pada, Bhagyarudha, Dharma Pada, Guru Pada, Pitri Pada, Pitrarudha |
| 10 | Karma Pada, Karmarudha, Rajya Pada, Swarga Pada, Swargarudha |
| 11 | Labha Pada, Labharudha |
| 12 | Upapada Lagna, Upapada, Moksha Pada, Gaunapada, Vyayarudha |
Bhav Padas And The Divisional Charts
Astrologers study the Arudha of each house in the birth chart itself. Jaimini astrologers also look at the relevant house in the appropriate divisional chart to gauge the true happiness or reality of what the person gets. The Arudha of that house in the divisional chart is also studied. So the house shows the person’s happiness and the Arudha shows the outward perceived happiness. Examples are the D-16 chart for vehicles and the D-24 for education.
Education
If we take the example of education, the fourth house of the D-24 shows the actual education and the circumstances of education of the person. The Arudha of the 4th house in the D-24 shows how the world perceives the person’s education. So depending on the chart the person could be well educated and respected for his or her education in the world. But, the person in their own heart may feel inadequate or lacking in terms of education.
This logic can also be used for judging why people who are exceptionally bright and intelligent fail to make it through competitive exams and interviews. The explanation is that their birth chart indicates their intelligence but since the Arudha of the 4th and 5th houses have malefic influences, they are not able to convey that brilliance to others. It also explains why bright people sometimes study in very ordinary educational institutions.
In the same manner, the career and the type of workplace can also be studied. The Arudha of the tenth house in the D-10 chart gives information about the circumstances of the person’s place of work.
Upapada Lagna and Arudha Of The Seventh House
The Bhav Pada that attracts a lot of interest if the Arudha of the 12th house. This is the Upapada Lagna. It gives more details about the person’s spouse and marriage. One can see if there is any planet in this house. The nature of the planet describes the qualities of the spouse.
Mars in the UL can signify a bold and also bad-tempered spouse, Mercury signifies intelligence and a fickle mind, Sun is a person from a good family but with ego issues and so on. The entire birth chart can be assessed from the point of view of the UL to get finer details of the person’s married life. Just as in a birth chart, the 8th is the house of longevity. So, the 8th from the UL indicates the longevity of the marriage. The 2nd and 7th houses of a birth chart are the Maraka Sthanas. So, from the UL, the 2nd and 7th can show the danger to marriage. Malefics in these houses or even malefic aspect to these houses can make matters worse.
Upapada Vs Darapada
If the Arudha of the 12th house is studied for marriage one might wonder what the Arudha of the 7th house indicates. The Pada of the 7th house is the Darapada also gives us clues to the person’s sexuality. One can also say that the UL is the spouse while the Darapada indicates all sexual partners. This 7th house is also the house of the other. It shows how we interact with other people in general. So, the Arudha of the 7th house tells us about the people we associate with and how we interact with them. In the D-10 the Arudha of the 7th shows how we interact with people at the workplace.
Other Houses
One can study the Arudhas of the other houses keeping in mind their significations. For example, the third house is valour, courage as well as communication. So a weak third house but a strong 3rd house Pada may indicate a rather timid and scared person at heart who is perceived as very brave by the world. If the person being assessed is an author or someone in social media, the Arudha of the 3rd house especially in the D-24 and D-10 charts show their reception in the world. The nature of the Rashi in which the Arudha of the 3rd house is placed tells us more about the nature of the social media content or writing of the person.
In a similar manner, the 5th house is studied for a politician, for devotion to Mantra and Bhakti as well as the person’s intelligence. This is because the 5th house signifies intelligence and well as Mantra Jaap. The 9th house shows how fortunate a person really is and its Arudha how fortunate he is perceived to be.
Money And The 11th House
The Arudha of the 11th house of gains tells us about the financial status of the person. Similarly, the 12th house of loss and expenditure tells us about the flip side of the coin. The Arudhas of both the 11th as well as the 12th house gives us a good overall picture of the financial status of the person.
Intelligent Application OF Bhav Padas
The keen astrologer will be well aware that all these indications are to be interpreted in an intelligent manner. The Arudha is only the illusion and cannot promise what is not present in the basic birth chart. The birth chart of a person should also be studied and decoded based on the Desh Kaal Patra or the circumstances of the person. The time place and situation of a person make an immense difference to the reading of the chart. The Dashas should also be considered to see when indications will fructify if at all.
When using Arudhas in a divisional chart, it should only be applied to the significations of that particular chart. For example, marriage related indications are only seen in the D1 and the D-9 or Navamsa chart. But the Arudha of the 12th house in the D-10 chart tells you how colleagues at the workplace perceive the spouse. So, the point of view from which the Maya of the Arudha is perceived depends on the significance of the chart.
When studying a Bhav Pada one must study it just like any other way of studying a house in the birth chart. The planet in the house is assessed, the aspects to the house are studied and then the significators, as well as the lord of that house, are interpreted. All the other factors and characteristics of the house and the Rashi also come into play. There are many other Lagnas that one can use to interpret a chart.
