Badhak

bādhaka is defined as oppressing, paining, opposing , hindering , injuring
sthāna - place of standing or staying , any place , spot , locality , abode , dwelling , house , site bādhaka sthāna then is that house or dwelling that hinders, opposes or brings pain.


Bādhaka sthāna calculation
The calculation from the lagna (ascendent) is based upon the lagna's type i.e. movable, fixed, or dual sign. This sequence of movable , fixed and dual repeats itself 4 times ( 4 x 3 = 12 signs), starting with Aries being movable, Taurus being fixed, then Gemini being dual. This again starts with movable for Cancer, fixed for Leo, and dual for Virgo. Like that it continues until we end with Piscis being a dual sign. So finding one's lagna as movable , fixed or dual sign is straightforward.

Now, if one's lagna is movable, then the bādhaka sthāna is 11 houses from the lagna. Say one's ascendant is Aries - we count 11 houses and end with Aquarius being the bādhaka sthāna location. If Taurus or a fixed sign, such as Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius, is one's lagna, then count 9 signs from that location. Note for a Taurus lagna the bādhaka sthāna location is Capricorn. If one has a Scorpio lagna, then 9 signs from there is Cancer.
And if one had a dual sign lagna such as Gemini, Virgo,Sagittarius or Pisces, then count 7 houses to arrive at the bādhaka sthāna location.

Note that the sign and the lord brings obstacles to one's life. The lord of the bādhaka sthāna is called bādhakeśa. Here is the insight that is not well known ( outside of those that study jyotiś). The natural bādhaka sthāna location is Aquarius . It is lorded by two - śani and rāhu, they are considered the natual bādhakeśa-s in a chart. They bring delay (saturn), rebirth (rāhu), obstacles ( both), deception (rāhu), etc.


Blessings in the Chart
If the bādhakeśa is ill-placed, say in the 10th house, then there is issues with career; in the 2nd house or 11th, then there is troubles with wealth creation or gain. Yet if that 10th house was a house of exaltation for the bādhakeśa , it can can work to remove obstacles. If the bādhakeśa was placed, say in the 12th house, then too, good can come from this placement.


Is there more to this bādhakeśa?
Yes, there is the dṛṣṭi of bādhakeśa. Dṛṣṭi means sight, seeing , viewing. This is when the bādhakeśa views other houses from its position. Just as you can look out your window and see your neighbor across the way, so can the various grāhaka. This dṛṣṭi of bādhakeśa influences other houses.

Then there is deva, pitr, abhicara, sarpa , etc etc. bādhaka-s that can occur and is outside of this introduction to this concept. Yet no matter the type it boils down to the placement of bādhakeśa in one's chart.


Are there remedial measures (some call upāya) ?
Yes. That said, it has been my experience that the remedies have to be quite specific, done at the right time, place, with the proper intent, people, etc. It is a very exact practice. The results can be from meager to rewarding in nature.

I can tell you without reservation I am at a loss for prescribing the correct remedial measure that would yield results without question or doubt. I have tried many of the measures. While I have felt positive about doing them, I cannot say my results where directly attainable/unattainable from the actions that were performed. To this I look to smarter, more learned and experienced jyotiṣa's other then me. I consider myself a śiṣya - no more, or less - the student, willing to learn from others.