Seventh (Dr) Bhva

Seventh bhva is variously called, Saptama (7th), Dr (wife, take to be wife, marry), Jy
(bringing forth of wife), Kalatra (wife, female of the species) and the Asta (setting, as this
bhva indicates the rshi on the western horizon at the time of birth) bhva etcetera.
There are many other matters indicated by the 7th bhva. Jtakbharanam describes them as
under:

ragaa cpi vaik kriyca jyvicrgamanaprayam|

strapravairhi vicraya kalatrabhve kila sarvamatet||
Meaning: War, trading/business, spouse, to and fro travel, expertise in sciences, should
indeed be analyzed from the Kalatra bhva.
Let us see what else can be analyzed from the 7th bhva. Being the 6th from the 2nd it could
indicate the enemies of the family or hindrance in education at school level and being the 5th
from the 3rd the first child and acquired knowledge or higher studies of younger sibling. 7th
bhva is 4th bhva from the 4th and therefore indicates both the happiness and house of the
Jtakas mother; whereas being the 3rd from the 5th it indicates both, the 2nd progeny as well
as the valour of first progeny or valour of acquired knowledge of the Jtaka. The 7th bhva is
2nd from the 6th bhva and therefore indicative of wealth of relatives, and being 12th to the 8th
bhva of yush i.e. life, it also indicates cessation of life and therefore is known as a strong
Mraka bhva (killer bhva). The 7th bhva being the 11th from the 9th bhva not only
indicates the earning of the Jtakas father, it also is indicative of earning of Jtakas 3rd
progeny. 7th bhva is placed in 10th house from the 10th bhva and thus can indicate the actual
work being done by the Jtaka in his career/place of work. Again being the 9th from the
11th it is indicative of the sense of duty of the Jtaka in earning the fruits of his labour,
whereas being the 8th from the 12th bhva it can indicate the legacy of maternal aunt/uncles
spouse or the longevity of his sleep or bed-pleasures and also perhaps the tenacity of his
search for spirituality. Obviously if there are benefic influences on the 7th bhva and its lord,
and the karaka also being endowed with strength, the effects would be benefic whereas they
being weak and the influence on them malefic, negative results may be obtained.
This 7th bhva is placed exactly opposite the Lagna bhva and is both complimentary as well
as competitive to that bhva. If we look at the attributes of this bhva carefully, we find that
this bhva represents constant change, to some extent. War as we know does not last forever,
trade or business has up and down cycles, and to and fro travel obviously is constant change
of place due to travel. When one marries, one changes ones state from a bachelor to a
married person and from state of being carefree bird to one who has to shoulder responsibility
of the family and so on. This again is the reason it is also considered as the bhva of partners.
One may however wonder why the author of Jtakbharanam has attributed expertise in
sciences to the 7th bhva, when 2nd, 4th and 5th are already said to be the Vidy bhvas, in
ascending order of learning. If one thinks carefully about what happens in everyday life
around us, we find that it is not necessary that all learned are recognized as being expert in
their sciences. This happens due the fact that only those who can apply the knowledge that
they have acquired to variable situations that arise, and find solutions to them are called
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Seventh (Dr) Bhva

experts in science. Again those that find new interpretation to previously propounded
theories, when faced with evidence to the contrary, are also called experts in science. This
again is why the 7th bhva is not called the bhva of science or learning but bhva indicating
an expert in application of a science, irrespective of whether one has been academically
trained for the science or has acquired the knowledge of that science, without any formal
training.
An important matter that is to be remembered in case of the 7th bhva in the area of spouse is
that whereas for both male and female Jtaka, the 7th bhva karaka is Venus, in case of
female Jtaka, Jupiter gets additional krakatwas as Patikraka (karaka for husband). It might
interest readers to know that in Ndi texts, Mars is considered as the karaka for husband and
Venus for wife. In analysis of 7th bhva, regarding longevity or otherwise of the marital bond,
it is well to remember that unless there is harm to the 7th bhva, its lord and its karaka,
simultaneously, one should not jump to a conclusion that marriage would be denied or break
down. One must also remember that aspect of Jupiter on the 7th bhva tends to reduce the
intensity of harm to the 7th bhva, the possible exception being when Jupiter occupies the
ascendant and Mars the 7th bhva leading to what is called the Unmda yoga (yoga leading to
mania, madness), which can indicate long time separation or complete breakdown of a
marriage.
An astrologer might be asked the direction in which the prospective spouse be born or living.
It is said that the direction of the place of birth of the spouse is indicated by rshi occupied by
the 7th lord whereas the direction of the spouses living is indicated by rashis that trine the
one occupied by Venus. I must caution the readers that this should not be taken literally, but
only as a possibility. The reason is that earth being round and distance between the place of
residence or birth of the spouse not being known, is say the direction indicated east, once the
distance from place of birth of Jtaka increases to half the circumference of earth it will lie in
the west. On the other hand the spouse could have been born in the same city and hospital in
a room just to the east of the Jtakas mothers room, but on a different date and time.
One can deduce from what is already said that if malefics influence the 7th bhva the person
might not be able to have long partnerships and if there is serious harm to the 7th he might not
be one who is good at business, unless it is a type of business where change is the norm, or
the Jtaka might himself changes his business direction often. One can also deduce that in
case of overcoming ones opponent, aspect of malefics on the 7th bhva in transit, will
indicate success to the Jtaka whereas their aspect on the lagna will indicate his defeat.
It is also not difficult to understand that one who has malefic influence on the 7th will like to
travel while those with benefic influence there may be reluctant traveler. One has to
understand that in case of Moon occupying or influencing the 7th bhva, its very nature being
variable the Jtaka might like travels and also would want to change the direction of his
business. In case of expertise in sciences influence of benefics on the 7 th coupled with its
occupation by lords of 2nd, 4th, 5th or the 9th can make one expert in sciences. Whether the
expertise will be in the area of his formal education or acquired knowledge will depend on
the ownership of bhva of such lord.
As has been our practice let us close this article by looking at the opinion of the learned
Vaidyantha who in his classic Jtaka Prijta where he says:

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Seventh (Dr) Bhva

ytrputrakalatrasaukhyamakhila sacintayetsaptamdukta
putrasukhsukhgamaphala sarva ca yattadvadet|
Meaning: Travels, progeny (2nd), happiness of spouse (marriage), happiness and unhappiness
of progeny and travels etcetera should all be analyzed and predicted from the 7th bhva.

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