Verse 1 – Conditions Indicating Planetary Weakness
नीचार्य व्यरिभांशगोऽस्तमनगोसत्वष्टिभागोपगो
युद्धे विजितोऽरिदृष्टसहितो विद्य गभान्तस्थितः ।
बालत्वस्थविरत्वगस्त्रिकपतिस्तद्दृष्टयुक्तो मृतो
वृद्धश्च त्रिकगस्त्वसद्गणगतो रूक्षोऽवरोही ततः ॥१॥
A planet is considered weak when it is:
- in its
sign of debilitation (nīca),
- in the
sign of an enemy or a bitter enemy,
- occupying
a debilitated Navāṁśa,
- combust
by the Sun,
- placed
in a cruel Ṣaṣṭyāṁśa (60th division),
- defeated
in planetary war (graha-yuddha),
- conjoined
with or aspected by enemy planets,
- situated
at the end of a sign,
- in infancy
(bāla) or old age (vṛddha),
- the lord
of a trika house (6th, 8th, or 12th),
- conjoined
with or aspected by trika lords,
- in a dead
(mṛta) state,
- placed
in a trika house (6th, 8th, or 12th),
- occupying
inauspicious vargas,
- dim,
dry, or lustreless in appearance (rūkṣa),
- or in descending
motion (avarohī).
Commentary
This verse gathers together the classical conditions that
diminish a planet's strength (bala). These may arise from weakness of sign
placement, divisional dignity, planetary state, house
placement, planetary associations, motion, or other
avasthās. A planet suffering from several of these conditions loses much of
its capacity to produce favourable results and may instead manifest the adverse
significations of the houses it owns or occupies.
Simplified Explanation
A planet is regarded as weak when it:
- occupies
its debilitation sign, an enemy's sign, or a bitter
enemy's sign.
- falls
in a debilitated Navāṁśa, a malefic Ṣaṣṭyāṁśa, or other inauspicious
divisional placements.
- is combust,
defeated in planetary war, or situated in the last degrees of a
sign.
- is in infancy,
old age, or a dead (mṛta) avasthā.
- owns
or occupies the 6th, 8th, or 12th house, or is associated with
their lords.
- is conjoined
with or aspected by enemy planets.
- appears
lustreless or dry (rūkṣa), or is in descending motion (avarohī).
Note: The greater the number of these afflictions
present, the weaker the planet becomes. Conversely, many of these defects can
be mitigated or even cancelled by strong sources of strength such as
exaltation, own sign, mūlatrikoṇa, vargottama, benefic aspects, or high ṣaḍbala.
