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Core concept

Bhava

Bhava is a house in Vedic astrology: one of the twelve divisions of the birth chart, each governing a set of life areas such as self, wealth, siblings, home, children, work or marriage. Houses are counted from the Lagna, which is the 1st house, and Kundli Saathi uses the whole-sign system, in which each house is one full zodiac sign.

Bhava is also spelled Bhav or Bhaava, and in Devanagari is written भाव; "house" and "bhava" mean the same thing. It is not a Rashi (a fixed 30° zone of the zodiac) and not a Graha (a planet), though a Rashi occupies each house and Grahas sit within them.

Bhava illustration

What is a bhava in astrology?

A bhava is one of the twelve compartments of a kundli. Where the Rashi says which zodiac sign a planet is in, the bhava says which area of life it acts on. The 1st bhava starts at the Lagna, and the others follow in zodiac order. Each house has a ruling planet, its house lord, whose placement and strength describe how that area of life tends to unfold.

What does each of the twelve houses govern?

The 1st house is the self and body (first house); the 2nd wealth, speech and family; the 3rd siblings, courage and skill; the 4th home, mother and inner peace; the 5th children, mind and creativity; the 6th service, enemies and debt; the 7th marriage and partnership; the 8th longevity, research and sudden change; the 9th fortune, father and dharma; the 10th career and status; the 11th gains, friends and elder siblings; and the 12th loss and liberation.

How are houses counted in the whole-sign system?

In the whole-sign system the entire Lagna sign is the 1st house, the next sign is the 2nd, and so on around the zodiac. The sign of the nth house is the Lagna sign advanced by n − 1 signs, so for a Leo Lagna the 4th house is Scorpio, and the 7th house is always the sign directly opposite the Lagna. Kundli Saathi counts houses this way in every chart. The free Lagna calculator shows the house each planet occupies.

What are kendra, trikona and dusthana houses?

Houses are grouped by role. The kendras (angles) are the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th; the trikonas (trines) are the 1st, 5th and 9th; and the dusthanas (difficult houses) are the 6th, 8th and 12th. A planet that rules both a kendra and a trikona is a yogakaraka. Which planet rules which house depends entirely on the Lagna, so the same planet can be a supportive lord in one chart and a demanding one in another.

Bhava at a glance

  • A Vedic birth chart has twelve bhavas (houses), counted from the Lagna, which is the 1st house.
  • In the whole-sign system each house is one full zodiac sign, and the nth house is the Lagna sign advanced by n − 1 signs.
  • The 7th house is always the sign directly opposite the Lagna, and the 10th house is nine signs ahead of it.
  • Kendras are the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses; trikonas are the 1st, 5th and 9th; dusthanas are the 6th, 8th and 12th.
  • Each house has a lord, the planet that rules the sign occupying it, and the lord depends on the Lagna.

Frequently asked questions

What is a bhava in astrology?

A bhava is a house: one of the twelve divisions of a Vedic birth chart, each tied to particular areas of life such as self, wealth, home, children, work or marriage. Planets are read according to the house they occupy and the houses they rule, counted from the Lagna.

How many houses are in a Vedic astrology chart?

Twelve. The 1st house begins at the Lagna, the rising sign at birth, and the other eleven follow in zodiac order. In the whole-sign system used by Kundli Saathi, each house is one complete sign of the zodiac. The 7th is always opposite the Lagna.

Which house is for marriage in astrology?

The 7th house governs marriage and partnership. It is always the sign directly opposite the Lagna. Its lord, the placement of Venus as the natural significator of the spouse, and the Navamsa chart are read together for marriage questions. It is one of the four kendra houses.

What are kendra and trikona houses?

Kendras are the angular houses, the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th, which are the pillars of the chart. Trikonas are the trine houses, the 1st, 5th and 9th, associated with fortune and merit. A planet ruling one of each is called a yogakaraka.

What is a house lord?

The house lord is the planet that rules the zodiac sign falling on a house. For a Libra Lagna, for example, the 7th house is Aries, so Mars is the 7th lord. The lord’s own sign, house and strength describe how that area of life is likely to unfold.

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Related terms

  • Lagna

    Lagna is the ascendant in Vedic astrology — the zodiac sign rising on the eastern horizon at the exact time and place of birth. It becomes the 1st house of the chart and sets the order of all twelve houses.

  • Kundli

    Kundli is the Vedic birth chart — a diagram of the sign, house and degree of each of the nine grahas at the exact moment and place of a person's birth. Every other reading in Vedic astrology, from Dasha timing to marriage matching, starts from it.

  • Karaka

    Karaka is a 'significator' — a planet naturally associated with a particular person or area of life, such as the Sun with the father, the Moon with the mother and mind, or Venus with the spouse. A karaka is read together with the house and house lord for the same theme.