Argala Meaning and Calculation

Most students learn early that planets influence a house by sitting in it or by aspecting it. Sage Parashara and Sage Jaimini describe a third kind of influence, which they call argala. The word means a bolt or a latch, the bar that fixes a door. A planet that has argala on a house "bolts" its affairs: it intervenes and has a decisive say in how the matters of that house turn out.

Argala explains many things that aspects alone do not, such as why the 2nd house (family and resources) and the 11th house (gains and friends) matter so much to the person, though neither house aspects the Lagna in the usual way.

The houses that cause argala

Pick a reference point. It can be a house (say, the Lagna or the 10th house) or a planet. Count from the sign of that reference point.

Argala from	Kind	Obstructed by planets in
2nd house	Primary	12th house
4th house	Primary	10th house
11th house	Primary	3rd house
5th house	Secondary	9th house

So planets in the 2nd, 4th, 11th and 5th from any house intervene in its affairs. The obstruction is called virodha argala (counter-argala).

It is easy to see why these houses matter by taking the Lagna as the reference:

• The 2nd is food, family and money: what sustains the person.
• The 4th is home, mother and peace of mind: what shelters the person.
• The 11th is gains and helpful friends: what the person receives.
• The 5th is intelligence, past merit and children: what guides the person.

The obstructing houses are the ones that take away: the 12th (expense) against the 2nd, the 10th (work and duty) against the 4th (rest and home), the 3rd (one's own effort) against the 11th (gains received), and the 9th against the 5th.

The special argala from the 3rd

There is one exception. Malefic planets in the 3rd house from the reference point give an argala of their own, and it is not obstructed. Parashara asks for three or more malefics; many astrologers accept any strong malefic there. The reason is practical: malefics in the 3rd give courage and the will to fight, which pushes the matter forward.

When does the obstruction work?

Planets in the obstructing house do not always cancel the argala. The rule is a comparison of strength:

• If the obstructing house has fewer or weaker planets than the argala house, the argala stands.
• If the obstructing house has planets that are equal or stronger, by number or by strength, the argala is blocked.
• If the obstructing house is empty, the argala is unobstructed and gives its full result.

When both sides are strong, the matter is contested: it comes, but with a struggle between the two influences.

Benefic and malefic argala

Argala says that a planet intervenes. The nature of the planet says how.

• Shubha argala: from natural benefics such as Jupiter, Venus, a well placed Mercury and a bright Moon. The intervention is supportive and smooth.
• Papa argala: from natural malefics such as Saturn, Mars, the Sun, Rahu and Ketu. The intervention is forceful. It can still give results, often through pressure, discipline or conflict.

A planet in its own or exalted sign gives a cleaner result whatever its nature.

The reverse count for Ketu

Rahu and Ketu move backward through the zodiac. For this reason the tradition counts the argala houses in reverse when Ketu is the reference point: the 2nd, 4th and 11th are counted backward from Ketu's sign. Some teachers apply the reverse count to Rahu as well.

A worked example

Take a Leo Lagna and look at the argala on the Lagna.

House from Lagna	Sign	Planets
2nd	Virgo	Mercury
12th	Cancer	none
4th	Scorpio	Mars
10th	Taurus	Saturn and the Moon
11th	Gemini	Jupiter
3rd	Libra	none
5th	Sagittarius	none

• 2nd house: Mercury in its own sign Virgo gives a benefic argala. The 12th is empty, so nothing obstructs it. Speech, learning and family resources firmly support this person.
• 4th house: Mars in its own sign Scorpio gives a strong, forceful argala on matters of home and property. But the 10th holds two planets, Saturn and an exalted Moon, against one. The obstruction is stronger, so work and duty tend to override home life.
• 11th house: Jupiter gives a benefic argala and the 3rd is empty. Gains, elders and well-wishers reliably help.
• 5th house: empty, so there is no secondary argala.

Read together: a person well supported by education, family means and helpful contacts, whose career makes steady demands on domestic life.

Where astrologers use argala

• On the Lagna, to see what sustains and shapes the person.
• On any house, to judge its results. Argala on the 7th is studied for partnership, on the 10th for career, and so on.
• On a planet, to see what helps or presses on what that planet stands for. The Atmakaraka, described in Atmakaraka and the Chara Karakas, is often studied this way.
• On the Arudha Lagna, to see what builds or limits a person's standing in the world. See Arudha Lagna Meaning and Calculation.
• In sign dashas. During the period of a sign, planets with argala on that sign become active.

Argala is usually read alongside two other tools: the ordinary planetary aspects and the sign aspects of Jaimini. An aspect shows what a planet looks at and wishes for; argala shows what actually intervenes.

Common mistakes

1. Counting from the wrong place. Argala is always counted from the reference house or planet, not from the Lagna, unless the Lagna is the reference.
2. Treating every obstruction as final. Compare the two sides first.
3. Calling malefic argala bad. Saturn's argala on the 10th house can build a career through discipline.
4. Forgetting the 3rd house. Malefics there help the reference, they do not harm it.

Summary

Argala is the intervention of planets placed in the 2nd, 4th and 11th from a house or planet, with a secondary argala from the 5th. Planets in the 12th, 10th, 3rd and 9th obstruct these, but only when they are equal or stronger. Malefics in the 3rd give a special argala of their own. Benefics intervene gently and malefics forcefully. Used with aspects, argala tells you which planets truly have a say in any matter of the chart.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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