Understanding Enemies & Competitors through 6th House in Astrology

The article sheds light on enemies, competitors, and weaknesses via the 6th house of the horoscope in Vedic Astrology. It also explains some important yogas of Jyotish namely Dhimantha Yoga and Jaya Yoga.

In Vedic Astrology, the 6th house of our horoscope represents enemies, obstacles, litigations, fights, opposition,  disease, accidents, wounds, celibacy, separation in marriage, etc.

The 6th lord in our birth chart represents the intelligence of our enemies, competitors, and opponents.

Planets placed in the 6th house in a birth chart represent what we do with this opposition or competition.

Natives having Moon or Jupiter in the 6th house are very kind as they treat enmity with compassion and kindness, finally.

Mercury in the 6th house is fine but natives may say many unpleasant words (verbal aggression) in retaliation, during confrontations.

Venus in the 6th house has Marana Karaka Sthana, causing the native to feel drained after peaceful efforts.

Most deadly are, people having kroor grahas/natural malefic planets like Rahu, Ketu, Mars, Saturn, and Sun in the 6th house. If these planets are in debility then it is worse. It shows repeated non-dignified means to overcome opposition. Such natives punish the opposition strongly with the Naisargik Karak tatva of the planet placed in the 6th house.

For example, if one has Rahu in the 6th house, then the native would use threats, cheating or deceiving, and force, etc to handle the enemy. They are also ruthless when treating an adversary.

According to Vedic astrology, if natural malefic planets are present in the 6th house, it considered good for the person. It is because they enable one to handle a difficult and notorious enemy/opponent with toughness.

The best is not to have any planet here.

Read about all the 12 Houses in Astrology, their meaningsand significances

6th house in Navamsa chart (D9): Confrontations & enmity with spouse in astrology

When we consider the 6th house of astrology in Navamsa chart (D9), it shows the fights & confrontations one has with the spouse/partner.

So when one has natural benefic planets placed in the 6th house, then one has less severe fights and quarrels with the spouse.

On the century side, when many natural malefic planets are placed in the 6th house, it shows intense and harsh behavior during confrontations and/or utilization of force and physical violence in married life.

Whenever we have a combination of natural benefic and natural malefic in the 6th house, then we can expect mixed results: peaceful at sometimes and harsh & ruthless otherwise. We have to judge who is more powerful and those planets shall govern the behavior of the natives.

While using Arudha Lagna: When the Shatru Pada or A6 is placed in the 12th house from Arudha Lagna, then the native ignores the enemies.

Dhimantha Yoga in Vedic Astrology (knowledgeable & brilliantly intelligent) involving the 6th lord.

The word Dhimantha means one who is highly knowledgeable and brilliant. Yoga means union or a combination.  Therefore, Dhimantha Yoga means the combination in the natal chart that makes one highly intelligent.

The placement of the 6th lord in Lagna is a Dur or bad yoga, as it shows suffering & disease coming to the native. However, when the 6th lord forms yoga with the Lagnesh, it is a Raja yoga. This Raja Yoga is called Dhimantha Yoga, making one radiantly intelligent in problem-solving.

Why so?

Lagna is our existence or sharia/body, the 6th lord placed here gives disease & suffering to the body, so is bad.

The Lagna lord is our primary driver, he represents the intelligence that we apply in life to face various circumstances.

The basic rule of competition: to be victorious, we need not be supremely superior, but just a little bit better than our opponents. It is enough to win and rule!

Lagna lord in yoga ( means synchronization ) with the 6th lord enables one to keep a vigilant eye on the entire existence of the enemies and empowers one to do counter-attacks as and when required. Not only such a native is sharp & clever in solving problems but also capable of defeating a powerful & deadly enemy.

Lord Shri Rama Chandra’s birth chart has this combination of Dhimantha Yoga. He has a Cancer ascendant with Moon and Jupiter placed in Lagna thereby connecting the Ascendant and 6th house lord.

Why do we have enemies?

The enmity is a concept in Maya or the material manifested world.

We know that the 6th house in astrology shows our Shad Ripu or the six weaknesses.

Vedic Philosophy describes that we all have six weaknesses, that we need to overcome to attain Nirvana or Moksha. They are kama (desire), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha or (attachment), mada (the dogmatic pursuit of desires), and matsarya (jealousy). The knowledge body of Tantra even goes further and adds bhay (fear) and sharm (shame) to the list making them 8 in number.

Our karmas are in the 10th house. The dharma of our karmas is in the 9th house from it or in the 6th house.

These six weaknesses make us do some karmas, so our Shad Ripu (six weaknesses) is the basic cause of all our karmas.

The marak or killer of any bhava in Jyotish is the 7th house from it. Consequently, the 7th house from the 6th house i.e. the 12th house becomes the marak of our all-worldly weakness.

12th is the house of giving, the house of even giving up, and limited identifying and identifying self with the Supreme Being (Lord Narayan or Shiva).

Sooner or later we must pay back for all our negative karmas to attain Nirvana. Every action has an equal and appropriate reaction according to the laws of Karma.

So be kind and try to forgive and forget the grudges.

Jaya Yoga in Jyotish: It means victory and success over enemies or competitors.

Strong 10th house lord of success and achievements and weak 6th lord of enemies and competitor forms Jaya yoga. The 10th lord should ideally be exalted or be in its multrikona sign. The 6th lord on the other hand should either be debilitated or in the enemy’s sign.

So the intelligence of the enemy is weak and the success or achievements of the natives are extremely powerful. If Jaya Yoga is present in a birth chart then the native can easily overcome any kind of opposition or enmity with ease and achieve whatever they like to do. Making them victorious.

If the 6th lord is in debility then we should check for the cancellation of debility or Neecha Bhanga of the planet. If the 6th house lord has  Neecha Bhanga or cancellation of debility and the 10th lord is not very strong, then it should not be considered a great Jaya Yoga.

We find Jaya Yoga in the Dashamsha (D10) chart of ex-U.S. President George W. Bush who ruled the United States of America for two consecutive tenures from 2001 to 2009. In the horoscope below, the 10th lord Mars is exalted in the sign Capricorn and the 6th lord Jupiter is debilitated. For sure, Jupiter gets Neecha Bhanga but Mars is in tremendous strength.

Birth Charts of U.S. President George W. Bush, in East and South Indian style, to demonstrate Jaya Yoga of Vedic Astrology. Horoscope of U.S. President George W. Bush to demonstrate Jaya Yoga of Vedic Astrology.

Shatru Pada (A6) & tangible enemies or competitors:

Some Jyotish software name the bhav pada of the 6th house of enemies and obstruction as Shatru Pada or A6.
One of the best placements of Shatru Pada (A6) is in the 12th house from Arudha Lagna (AL).

Shatru Pada (A6) represents: the tangible and real physical enemies or competitors (people) of a native. Twelth  is the house of ignoring or giving up and loss.

So in such placement, the native constantly ignores his enemies (A6) in the practical world and focuses on his work only: very good for success in the long run.

On the contrary side, the enemies/ competitors of the person make sure that the person is well remembered in the world because of their actions in this context. Consequently, the image of the native gets the visibility and attention of the people.

For enemies/competitors (Shatru pada, A6), the Arudha Lagna of the native is in the 2nd house and the 2nd house is very important for the sustenance of any Arudha Pada. So to help sustain themselves, the enemies or competitors will do so for the natives.


-If you would like to read about friends and companionship in Jyotish. What are some of the combinations which foster friendship in a natal chart then please see our article: Friends in Astrology.

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