Sun in 12th for libra lagna: a long life of 100 years?

            In Bṛhat Parāśara Horā Śāstra, there is a śloka which says that for tula (libra) lagna, if the Sun is in the 12^th house it will give a long life of hundred years[1]. Yes! This is clearly the śloka, but… when we go through some examples we see that it does not function. Why? Is Parāśara wrong? No… Parāśara is not wrong, he is only teaching us how to think astrologically. The principle behind this statement is a matter of discussion, but the most considerable is that the Sun is a bādhakeśa (obstructor) for libra lagna, so his position in 12^th is good, as the obstruction will be destroyed in the 12^th of losses. But if we assume that this is the principle behind this śloka, any bādhakeśa in 12^th will be good, and this need to be researched. But the question here is more simple, I’m focusing only on 11^th lord Sun in 12^th house virgo for a libra lagna. I did a research on this, with at least 30 charts and my findings was:

(1)  No one lived for 100 years.

(2)  Some even lived for less than 40 years, but they were few.

(3)  The persons which lived more, lived for 80 to 90 years.

(4)  70 to 85 years appears to be the most normal age limit for those with this combination.

            Here is some examples:

Jimmy Carter lived for 90 years, and here we find Sun in the 12^th with a śubha ubhaycara yoga. The 1^th, 8^th, 10^th lord and ayu kāraka Saturn[2] are in kendras and 11^th house. Saturn is also in his exaltation forming a mahāpuruṣa yoga. All this confirms a long life.

This is the chart of Leon Boellman, and he lived for only 35 years. A śubha ubhaycara yoga is present also, as well as in the chart of Jimmy Carter, however the lagna suffers with a papākartari yoga, and the 8^th house contains Ketu. Many planets are in the 12^th house, which is not good, this includes the other two sattva planets: Moon and Jupiter, which are responsible for sustaining life, and they are receiving the aspect of Mars, Ketu and suffering from combustion and conjunction with Sani. All this shows a short life.

Scott Beckett lived for 37 years, and in his chart we find Sun conjoined Mercury which is retrograde and receiving the aspect of Saturn, a bad combination for longevity according to Parāśara[3]. Moon also is in a very bad situation in his chart with low pakṣa bala and conjoined Mars and Rāhu in lagna without the dṛṣṭi of any benefic, a yoga for short life[4].

So, here follows some of the basic principles which we need to see before going to accept that Sun in 12^th for libra lagna will make the person live long:

(1)  If śubha ubhayacara, or śubha kartari yoga on lagna is present, the 1^th, 8^th and 10^th lord are in good positions, while Saturn also is in a good situation, the person will live long.

(2)  If papā ubhayacara yoga or a papā kartari on lagna is present, 1th, 8^th, and 10^th lord, as well as Saturn is bad positioned, this will make the person have a short life. Benefics in bad houses retrograde and afflicted by malefics also will shorten the longevity, especially if they are Venus or Jupiter.

(3)  Moon is very important when we’re talking about longevity.

With this short study in mind we can perceive that only Sun in 12^th house for a libra lagna cannot make the person live for 100 years, and if we study the chapter 9 and 10 of Horā Śāstra  and apply the principles described there, we’ll see that all that Parāśara is teaching is how to think astrologically. Parāśara gives to us many pieces that we have to see conjointly, but for this, first we need to understand their underlying logic. Like, in chapter 9 he says that those who have Saturn in lagna, Jupiter in 3th and Moon in 8^th will immediately go to the abode of Yama after their birth, a dreadful statement! But when I studied some considerable number of charts with this combination I didn’t found them giving death at young age, especially with those which have libra lagna, as in their case Saturn gets exalted in 1th, Jupiter in own/mūlatrikoṇa sign in 3th and Moon in exaltation/mūlatrikoṇa sign at 8th. All the charts that I collected with this yoga was of persons, which had long life, and the same occurs with other statements present in chapter 9: they simply don’t work 100% when applied alone. This principles cannot give us confidence in prediction if we rely on them alone, but when we understand their logic and apply them conjointly and intelligently, so we'll have very good results, as they are precious gems for chart analysis, because as Parāśara says: "O Brahmin, first of all the astrologer should take into consideration from the ascendant the evils and the antidotes for those evils, and then should be told the effects of the 12 houses like tanu, etc. - 1.9 BPHS".

Hari Om Tat Sat

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[1] 6.10. BPHS

[2] 3.9 BPHS

[3] 4.9. BPHS

[4] 12.9 BPHS