BPHS Ch.11 — Houses 1–7 Significations per Parashara: Enemies in 2nd, Vision Loss in 7th & Death from 7th
BPHS Ch.11 (Bhava Viveka = house meanings). 1st house: body, appearance/beauty, intellect, complexion/color, character strengths+weaknesses, happiness+sadness, innate nature. 2nd house: wealth, grains/stored food, family, ENEMIES ("Amitrakam"), web of death, metals+gems. Surprise: Parashara lists enemies under 2nd! Three types of enemies: 2nd = wealth-related enmity (money/litigation disputes); 6th = general rivalries; 8th = deadly enmity (life-on-the-line). 3rd house: boldness, initiative, siblings, SMALL journeys ("Prayanakam" with diminutive suffix -ka), vehicles, mantras+yantras. 4th house: mother, happiness/comforts, house/property, relatives. 5th house: children, kingdom (gaining), "Apabhransha" = LOSING the kingdom (fall from position — both gaining AND losing are 5th house). Mantras+yantras+vidya, intellect/buddhi. 6th house: enemies (general rivalries), STEPMOTHER/co-wife ("Sapatni Mataram"), maternal aunts/uncles, serious worries (fear as though dying), wounds/ulcers. 7th house: spouse, LONG journeys ("Prayanam" without diminutive — contrast with 3rd house short journeys), business/trade, LOSS OF VISION ("Nashtavikshana"), DEATH OF SELF ("Maranam svadeshasya"). Two surprises from 7th: vision loss (not 12th as commonly assumed); death of self (not just 8th house). "First time I am hearing about 7th house for loss of vision — even I thought 12th house."
"Parashara says 7th house shows loss of vision. He says 2nd house also shows enemies — not just 6th. And 5th house shows both gaining AND losing the kingdom. Every time we read Parashara carefully, we find something we didn't know."
— P.V.R. Narasimha Rao
BPHS Chapter 11 — Bhava Viveka Adhyaya (Begins)
Maitreya's question (opening shloka): "The evil combinations and their cancellation I have heard from you. Now tell me: from which house, what results, how should these be judged?"
Parashara then systematically lists the primary significations of each house.
House Significations per Parashara (Complete List)
1st House (Lagna)
| Signification | Original term |
|---|---|
| Body | Deham |
| Appearance and beauty | Rupam |
| Intellect/wisdom | Jnanam |
| Complexion/color | Varnam |
| Character strengths and weaknesses | Balabalam |
| Happiness and sadness | Sukham duhkham |
| Innate nature | Svabhavam |
"All these should be seen from the lagna bhava."
2nd House (Dhana Sthana)
| Signification | Original term |
|---|---|
| Wealth | Dhanam |
| Grains/food stored | Dhanyam |
| Family | Kutumbam |
| Enemies | Amitrakam |
| Web of death | Mrtyujalam |
| Metals and gems | Dhatu-ratna |
Surprise finding: Parashara lists enemies under the 2nd house, not only the 6th.
"Enemies should be seen from 2nd as well as 6th, not just 6th."
Three types of enemies across three houses:
- 2nd house enemies: Those arising on account of wealth/money (litigation over money, financial enmity)
- 6th house enemies: General enmity, rivalries with people
- 8th house enemies: Deadly enmity where you have to put your life on the line
3rd House (Vikrama Sthana)
| Signification | Original term |
|---|---|
| Boldness | Vikramam |
| Initiative | Vrschya (attendant/servant) |
| Siblings | Bhratradi |
| Short journeys | Prayanakam (small suffix "ka" = small journey) |
| Vehicles | Vahana |
| Mantras and yantras | Yantra-mantra |
Note: The word "prayanakam" for 3rd house uses diminutive suffix "ka" suggesting small journeys. For 7th house, "prayanam" (no diminutive) is used = long journeys.
4th House (Sukha Sthana)
| Signification | Original term |
|---|---|
| Mother | Matr |
| Happiness/comforts | Sukha |
| House/property | Griham |
| Relatives | Parijantaye |
| Treasure/heritage |
5th House (Putra Sthana)
| Signification | Original term |
|---|---|
| Children | Putra |
| Kingdom (position) | Rajyam |
| Losing the kingdom | Apabhransha |
| Knowledge: yantras, mantras, vidya | Yantra-mantra tatha vidyam |
| Intellect/buddhi | Buddhes ca prabandhakam |
Note: 5th house shows both GAINING and LOSING the kingdom. This is noteworthy — Parashara specifically includes the fall from position.
6th House (Ripu Sthana)
| Signification | Original term |
|---|---|
| Enemies (general rivalries) | Setrun |
| Stepmother / mother's co-wife | Sapatni mataram |
| Mother's siblings (maternal aunts/uncles) | Matulam |
| Serious worries (fear as though dying) | Antakashanka |
| Wounds, ulcers | Vrana |
On Sapatni Mataram: "The husband's other wife, co-wife." In the 6th house because:
- 3rd from 4th (mother's house) = 6th = mother's sibling-like relationship
- In patriarchal Indian society where polygamy was common, the co-wife had a sibling-like relationship with mother (sometimes rivalry, sometimes solidarity)
- Could also mean stepmother in modern contexts
7th House (Jaya Sthana)
| Signification | Original term |
|---|---|
| Wife (spouse) | Jaya |
| Long journeys | Prayanam (no diminutive) |
| Business/trade | Vanijyam |
| Loss of vision | Nashtavikshana |
| Death of the self | Maranam svadeshasya |
Surprise #2: Loss of vision shown from the 7th house!
"First time I am hearing about 7th house for loss of vision. Even I thought 12th house."
PVNR's attempt at explaining: "Second house shows eyes; the dharma of 2nd house is seeing. The 9th from 2nd is the 10th house — we normally say 10th house shows eyesight. But why 7th house for loss of vision — I am not entirely clear."
Note: 7th house also shows death of self ("maranam svadeshasya") — not just 8th house.
8th House (Ayu Sthana)
| Signification | Original term |
|---|---|
| Longevity | Ayur |
| Hidden/protected places | Durgam |
| Inherited wealth from dead people | Mrta-dhanam |
| Past karmas and future karmas | Gacchanukam |
Deep insight on 8th house: "Gati means where the person has been (past), anu means what will follow (future). So the 8th house shows serious links to karmas from past lives AND serious karmas going into the future. The 8th house is the connection between lives."
"Even though the whole chart shows karma, 8th house is the karmic connection between lives."
9th House (Bhagya Sthana)
| Signification | Original term |
|---|---|
| Fortune | Bhagyam |
| Dharma/righteousness | Dharmam |
| Brother's wife | Bhratarupatni (7th from 3rd = 9th) |
| Pilgrimage | Tirtha-yatra |
| Wife's siblings (sister-in-law) | Syalam (3rd from 7th = 9th) |
10th House (Karma Sthana)
| Signification | Original term |
|---|---|
| Career/profession | Vrttim |
| Kingdom/position in society | Rajyam |
| Space/place in the world | Akashyam |
| Honor and respect | Manam |
| Being in far-away place/travel | Pravasasya |
| Father | Pituh |
Surprise #3: Parashara mentions father under the 10th house!
"He is mentioning the 10th house for father, not the 9th."
PVNR's response: "Let us for now just observe that Parashara said 10th house is father. Let us not switch to using 10th house. Let us continue using the 9th house. We will reconcile later. This is not everything Parashara will say about father — he will obviously mention more later."
Open question: Why does Parashara say 10th for father? PVNR says to wait for more context from later chapters before drawing conclusions.
11th House (Labha Sthana)
| Signification | Original term |
|---|---|
| Gains/income (various) | Adayam |
| Animals and livestock | Pashunam |
12th House (Vyaya Sthana)
| Signification | Original term |
|---|---|
| Expenditure | Jayam (expenses) |
| Enemies' activities and news | Vairivruantam |