Progeny in Jyotish II: Number & sex of children

Number of children

1. The number of children can be found out by counting the Navamsa gained by the 5th lord.

For example, the 5th lord is placed in Virgo Rasi and Gemini Navamsa. Counting from Gemini (Navamsa) to Virgo Rasi [Virgo (6) - Gemini (3) = 3], we have four signs, i.e., the 5th lord has to gain three Navamsas to reach Virgo or upto three children should be anticipated (COVA- Page 190). This is however a crude method can can be used with care.

Max. no. of child = Rasi sign – Navamsa Sign

Pt. Rath says that, for this method to work, the 5th lord should be placed with the Jupiter (Karaka for Navamsa). However, from an illustration given in Page 200 of COVA, we see that this is not a necessary condition. Here Mars is not associated or aspected by Jupiter, but the Lagna is aspected by Jupiter from the 7th, through Rasi and Graha Drsti both. Here we might conclude that for this method to work, Jupiter should be strongly placed in the horoscope and influence the factors of progeny.

2. This can also be seen from the planets aspecting the 5th by Graha or Rasi Drsti.

Rider: The number of children is limited by the Rahu - Ketu axis, unless Jupiter is strongly placed in the D-1, to eliminate all the putra Dosas. (COVA, Page 184)

Birth of Twins

The signs Aquarius and Scorpio have two lords each and hence if they happen to be the house of child/ pregnancy, they can indicate twins.

Most standard texts prescribe the involvement of the Signs Gemini, Virgo, Scorpio or Aquarius for the birth of the twins. They add Gemini and Virgo also to Aquarius and Scorpio, since the signs are lorded by Mercury whose nature is dual.

Illustration

In the chart of the standard nativity, the 5th lord Moon is in Aquarius Rasi and Pisces Navamsa, which shows that there are possibilities of 11 children, however while we count from Pisces we have to stop in Taurus, because Gemini is occupied by a node. Thus the maximum no. of children is limited to 2 only shown by the signs Aries and Taurus.

Saptamsa chart can be seen for more details about children. The details of judging Saptamsa Chart is given in subsequent section.

• 1st child: The Saptamsa Lagna is in an Odd sign and hence the counting shall be in a zodiacal manner. The 1st child is shown by the 5th lord Mars, placed in Gemini with Moon and Ketu.
• 2nd child: The 2nd child is shown by the 7th lord Mercury. Mercury is placed in Scopio and has exhange. Scorpio generally shows female child being an even sign. Due to the exchange of planets, it indicate male child. Its worthwhile to note that the 6th lord, the maraka is aspecting Mercury, showing that the child shall face terrible condition and can face death. However, due to Graha Dristi of Jupiter on Mercury and Rasi Drsti on the Lagna, the child is saved.

Sex of children

The Rasi Chart

For matters concerning children, the placement of the fifth lord and the planets should be seen from the Jupiter, the naisargika putra karaka. If there are planets in strengths from the Jupiter, they can indicate the number and nature of the children. The placement of the fifth lord from Jupiter will indicate the extent of gains from Children etc.- Pt. Sanjay Rath (COVA, Page 169)

Normally for determination of sex of the child, the chart of the father is a better indicator. (COVA, Page 188)

The Saptamsa

The timing of birth of Individual children, their nature, abilities and fortune is seen in the Saptamsa chart. This has been explained in detail by Maharishi Jaimini Upadesha Sutras. (COVA 8.6.1)

Counting

The first child is seen from the 5th house counted zodiacally or anti-zodiacally depending on whether the Lagna is ODD or EVEN . The subsequent pregnancies are seen from every third house (Manduka Gat i). Thus if an odd sign ascends in the Saptamsa, the individual pregnancies are seen in the 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th etc. If an even sign ascends in the saptamsa, the individual pregnancies are seen in the 9th, 7th, 5th, 3rd and so on. (COVA)

After the Manduka Gati reached the point of start, the sequence of jumps would repeat again, which can’t be allowed. To counter this problem, the next sign arrived at is by Crawling the sign. For illustration, after the jump sequence reaches from 5th to 3rd, the next sign after 3rd would be 5th again, thus here the jump doesn’t progress to the 5th, but the 4th there in, where the frog is supposed to be crawling, than jumping as there is no space for jumping, 5th house, being already considered. “Thus the order of pregnancy becomes 5-7-9-11-1-3-4-6-8-10-12-2. For even sign the sequence becomes 9-7-5-3-1-11-10-8-6-4-2-12.”

The nodes generally indicate the last child. For exapmple, if Rahu is in the 7th or joins the seventh lord, the native may have two children. (Jaimini Sutras)

Sex of the Child

The sex of the child is seen from the lord of the sign ruling the house of pregnancy. If the lord is exalted or conjoin male planets (Sun, Rahu, Jup, Mars), the issue is male. If the lord is debilitated or conjoins female planets (Moon, Ketu, Venus), the issue is female. Saturn and Mercury are eunuch planets, but they have found to indicate female and male children respectively.

If the lord of the sign is neither exalted/ debilitated, not conjoins any other planets, the sex of the child is seen from the nature of the sign occupied by it. All Odd signs excepting the Aquarius and Gemini are male birth signs while all the even signs, expecting Cancer and Pisces are Female birth signs.

Riders

1. Effect of Parivartana

1.1 On Counting:

If there is a exchange of house (Parivartana Yoga) between the Saptamsa Lagna lord and the lord of any other house, the counting will be based on whether the other sign is ODD or EVEN and not the oddity of the Saptamsa Lagna. However the counting still starts from the Saptamsa Lagna. (COVA, Page 193)

1.2 On sex of child:

If a lord of the child associate with a planet, lets say Venus and there is a parivartana of this planet with another Planet, let’s say Sun. The influence of the other planet, namely Sun will be more dominant over the lord of the child, in determining the sex of the child. (COVA, Page 193).

However, if there is a parivartana of the lord of child with another planet, then the sex of the child, determined by the lord of the child is simply reversed. For e.g., if the lord of the child is Venus is placed in Leo, with Moon and the lord of Leo, Sun is placed in house of Venus, Taurus, then the sex of the child indicated by Venus in conjunction with Moon, i.e., Female, shall be changed to Male.

2. Lord of child placed in house of another child

If the lord of a child is placed in the house of another child, then one of the children indicated by them shall survive. For illustration the 5th lord is placed in the 7th house, one of the children signified by the 5th and the 7th lords will survive. (Pt. Sanjay Rath).

However, in COVA, Pt. Sanjay has presented one more viewpoint while showing the use of Drekkana for co-borns, whereby when the counting reaches a sign which houses another lord of the child, the count crawls over to another sign. To illustrate the point he says “However, Capricorn houses two sisters as indicated by Mercury and Jupiter and should normally have limited the number of elder co-borns. Since the number is actually higher, the next sign Aquarius will indicate the co-born.” (COVA, Page 120)

2.1. Two children lords placed together:

If two lords of the child are placed together, then one of the children shall survive. For e.g., if the lords of 5th and 9th are placed in the same sign, then one among the children shown by them shall survive. However, it is difficult to determine who among them shall survive and can only be determined from practical events. In the present case, if there is a miscarriage of the first child, the 3rd child shown by the 9th lord shall survive and vice-versa.

2.2. One planet becomes lord of two children:

If one planet happens to indicate more than one child, then the first child will be shown by the lord of the child however, the 2nd one will be shown by the house of the child and the planets placed therein. To illustrate his point Pt. Rath says in COVA- page 120, when one of the children have been indicated by Mars (House of child – Scorpio), and the next house of the child happens to be Aries, Mars will not show the child, however Aries, placed with Moon will show a sister who is emotional (Moon) and Rash (Aries). Had there been no planet, then Aries would have shown male birth.

3. Saptamsa lagna lord in Marana Sthana from lord of child

If Venus becomes the lord of Saptamsa Lagna, the issues indicated by the planets in the 8th from Venus cannot survive unless conjoins Ketu (Ganapati), as these issues will have Venus in the Marana Sthana (Reference). The same principle can be extended to other planets. Thus in case of Different Saptamsa Lagna, the placement of the lord of the child in the following places cannot survive.

• Sun- 2nd
• Moon- 6th
• Mars- 7th
• Mercury- 7th
• Jupiter- 11th
• Venus - 8th
• Saturn- 1st
• Rahu - 5th

Thus the principle states that if the Saptamsa Lagna lord is placed in a Marana karaka Sthana from the Lord of the child, then either the parent or the child survive, unless, there is a blessing.

Om Tat Sat