The planet Mars is the significator of courage, determination and leadership in a birth chart. One would think that a strong Mars is a good thing to have. However, Mars is a much-feared planet that gets a bad reputation because of the dreaded Mangal or Kuja Dosh. It is also called Chevvai Dosham in South India. While there is logic to the significations of certain placements of the planet Mars, most of the superstitions are exaggerated and irrational.
What Is Mangal Dosh?
Mars the planet of courage and drive can be placed in any of the 12 houses of a chart. However, Mars in the 1st, 4th, 7th, 8th, and 12th is called Mangal Dosh. Some astrologers also consider Mars in the 2nd house as Mangal Dosh. This makes 6 houses out of a probability of 12 causes of Mangal Dosha. A person with Mangal Dosh is called a Manglik. So, half the people in the world are likely to be Manglik. Most cultures do not even know of this Mangal Dosh concept. If the superstition is true then the disasters that Mangal Dosh causes should decimate a lot of unsuspecting brides and grooms worldwide.
Misconceptions And Superstition
Danger To Life
The biggest superstitions with regard to Mangal Dosh is that it will shorten the life span of the spouse. In order to remedy this, bizarre practices are followed. A marriage of the Manglik person with a banana tree is conducted and the tree is then cut down. Another practice is marriage to a pot which is then broken. The marriage of the Manglik person with an inanimate object makes the inanimate object the spouse. When the ‘spouse’ is destroyed, it fulfils the Mangal Dosh of the person. The person then marries without any fear of the Dosh.
Unhappy Marriages
Mangal Dosh is said to cause unhappiness in the marriage. This is nullified according to superstition by marrying a Manglik person to another Manglik. The concept is that the double negatives nullify each other. The group fear of this Dosh is amply proven by the matrimonial listings that list Mangal Dosh and give it as much importance as everything else in the profile. So many good matches are rejected just because of the dreaded ‘Manglik’ tag.
The Effect Of Mangal In The Houses
Mars, as we know, is the planet that gives drive, determination, stamina, aggression, anger, passion and physical ability. Mars is the courage of the person. In addition to the 7th aspect that all planets have Mars also has two special aspects on the 4th and 8th houses from itself. So, when Mars is placed in a chart it affects the house that it is placed in as well as the houses 4th, 7th and 8th from itself. This can be a good or bad thing depending on the placement.
Most people blindly look at this Mars position and fail to consider so many other aspects of the horoscope. We can try to analyse why this is the superstition by analysing Mars in each of the Mangal dosh causing houses. Whether these traits are manifested in a good way or bad way is to be considered by taking the Rashi, house lords and other positions into consideration which is seldom done. A very well placed lord of the house or Mars being the lord of certain other houses can relive or emphasis the effects. Mars alone cannot improve or spoil the entire chart. In certain cases, of course, the Mars placement could indicate danger to life but this is true of many other planets in particular positions. Planets such as Rahu and Saturn can also cause problems but are not given the same fearful status as the Mangal Dosh.
Mars in the 1st
The first house tells us much about the person and their temperament. Mars in the 1st house gives the person all the Martian qualities of strength, ambition, hot-headedness, impulsiveness, aggression and being easily irritated. Mars in the 1st house has the 7th aspect on the 7th house of marriage which is why it is feared in marriage. Strangely enough, many ignore the fact that in certain Lagnas Mars here could give Raj Yogas. In good dignity, it could bless the native with wealth and a good constitution.
Mars in the 2nd
The 2nd house is the house of money, family and speech. So Mars here would bring fieriness into both significations. Naturally one would think that a person who is too aggressive and thoughtless in speech would make a poor partner. The other aspects to Mars and condition of the lord of the house could alter this character trait. The systems of astrology that fear this position attribute it to being the 8th house from the 7th house. This is interpreted as affecting the longevity of the spouse. In some positions, this can cause a Dhan Yoga and in others, the person could gain great wealth through the spouse.
Mars in the 4th
4th house is the house of mother, comfort, property and home. With Mars representing land, when this is a good position (depending on the lordship, house lord position, aspects etc) this could actually signify good relations with mother and acquisition of real estate. When it is not in a good situation it decreases the significations and can harm the peace, mother or property. Since it also aspects the 7th, 10th and 11th houses, it is suspected to cause marital and professional troubles.
Mars in the 7th
Mars in the house of marriage is the most feared. It is suspected to bring its fiery nature into marriage as well as to the 10th, 1st and 2nd house by aspect. It is said to make the person very quarrelsome and angry in matters related to the spouse. Some even attribute separation, death of spouse and divorce to this position. It could also indicate sexual perversions of unfaithfulness. However, in a better situation, this could mean that the person will make long travels. Benefic aspects could also help improve this position.
Mars in the 8th House
Mars is the 8th house is sometimes thought to be as bad as Mars in the 7th. This Mars is thought to affect longevity as well as the gains of the spouse. We should also take into consideration that a good Mars here could actually signify good longevity. The significations of Mars in the chart with regard to the houses that Mar’s lords will be badly affected by Mars in the 8th.
Mars in the 12th house
Mars in the 12the will cause loss to the houses that Mars lords. It also has an aspect to the 3rd, 6th and 7th houses thus increasing financial problems.
Mangal Dosh: Myth Or Truth
So as we can see above, the presence of Mars in certain houses has the possibility of causing much trouble. One can also see that these definitions of troubles are very conditional. Any planet in the 8th and 12th are likely to cause some issues and even that is conditional.
Mars is energy and courage and that is not always a bad thing. What is important is channelling it properly and finding a partner who will complement this energy. Particularly for women, changing lifestyles have made being confident an advantage. Modern married life no longer favours a meek and docile wife. A wife today has to be a very involved and capable partner to her husband.
Manglik + Manglik
One should keep in mind that the danger in the blind superstitious assumptions with regard to Mangal Dosh has some roots in fact. These positions can cause issues. But just blindly matching a Maglik with another Manglik is not going to solve any issues. If anything, if all other factors in the horoscopes are not matching, you could be setting two people on the road to great unhappiness in the marriage.
Whether a person is Manglik or not, the horoscopes should be matched based on a complete study by a competent astrologer. Being Manglik is not as terrible as it is portrayed to be. It is merely an indication of a Mars that is in or aspecting the 7th house. Whether this is going to make the person a very passionate and energetic spouse or an angry aggressive one cannot be merely decided by this factor alone.
A matching horoscope must be chosen for a person Manglik or not based on the matching and balancing of all aspects of the chart. A good and fulfiling partnership is one in which each partner enhances the best in the other and balances out the worst. Most of the time, superstitious practices are by people who are not genuine astrologers. Some want to make quick money by suggesting remedies that are unnecessary. Others are ignorant of the complete analysis methods of a chart and blindly follow superstition without understanding the actual facts behind the beliefs and practices. In the process, many ideal matches are discarded just because of Mars.
More on Mangal Dosh here.
