Marriage, compatibility and Manglik dosha

‘Marriage’ is probably the most sensitive and crucial issue where I, as an astrologer and also as a psychotherapist (after all astrologers do play this dual role), go beyond religious or legal discussions. A growing number of social researchers are concluding that getting and most important staying married is a key to economic prosperity and longevity and a bad marriage can be lethal to economic, physical and emotional well-being. 

A good marriage can bring countless benefits within and beyond the home. In the psychological web that is ‘marriage’, there is no sure formula to know which threads are 'good', crucial and which are illusory. You may agree, the security of a stable and happy marriage provides the sanity and decompression that is so necessary to functioning in such a stressful world today.

‘Men are from Mars and women are from Venus’ but law of nature is such that there is a strong physical attraction between a man and a woman. It is very difficult to comprehend the chemistry of any relationship (is it something concerning with the past birth!). Men and women are psychologically different but have strange vibrations and transmission of feelings from heart to heart, which brings them together. There are many films, books, songs and poems sung and written in the praise of love. But, when two people in love tie the knot that is ‘get married’ it somehow changes the chemistry or equation of love, as if there is tussle between the forces of attraction and forces of repulsion, and if the latter is overpowering it leads to pain and separation.

 

In this article, I will not talk about the legal and social nature of marriage and not go deep into astrological compatibility also but concentrate only on one of the factors of the Vedic matchmaking of the horoscopes of the boy and the girl—MANGLIK DOSHA. Please note, there are many astrological considerations in match making of horoscopes but I want to concentrate only on ‘manglik dosha’ or planet Mars and its placement in horoscope chart. 

For centuries, marriage was viewed as an economic, religious and social institution, and plenty of miserable and mismatched couples stayed together for various reasons-children, religion or other practical reasons. Not anymore. Today in modern relationships, people are looking for a partnership, and they want partners who make their lives more interesting. I would like to mention here, one very interesting (you may agree or may be find it amusing) research findings that spouses eventually adopt the traits of the other — and it becomes slower to distinguish differences between them, or slower to remember which skills belong to which spouse. It’s not that these couples lost themselves in the marriage; instead, they grew in it, and when I say stable and happy marriage, I mean this and I do not mean marriage with no fights or disagreements. Planet Mars is the commander-in-chief of planets; it signifies a fighting power as is evident from the fact that it is a fiery and masculine planet.  It signifies energy, both constructive and destructive. The position of Mars in relation to the houses or sectors in a horoscope chart is very significant in matchmaking.

What is the meaning of Manglik dosha? Manglik means when planet Mars is posited in 1st, 2^nd, 12^th, 4^th, 7th and 8^th house of a horoscope chart.  Dosha, a Sanskrit word, means a flaw. 

As per Vedic astrology, if manglik dosha is found in both the horoscopes of the girl and the boy then this dosha gets cancelled. This is the general belief. Unfortunately, so much importance is given to it that in search of a suitable manglik match many marriages are delayed and probably the cause of acute mental tensions and anxieties. Granted, manglik dosha should not be ignored but there are so many cases where manglik dosha gets cancelled which is completely overlooked. Placement of Mars in 6 houses out of 12 total houses/sectors causes manglik dosha, so as per mathematical calculation, in all probability, there is 50% chances for the manglik dosha to be present!!!

 Following are the cases where Mars even if it is in 2^nd, 12^th, 4^th, 7^th or 8^th house the manglik dosha gets cancelled: -

1.      When Mars is in its own sign (Aries, Scorpio), exalted (Capricorn) or in the houses owned by his friends (Sun, Jupiter, Moon) manglik dosha gets cancelled.

2.      If Mars is in the 2^nd house but in Gemini or Virgo sign, no dosha.

3.      If Mars is in 12^th house but in Taurus, Libra, no dosha.

4.      If Mars is in 7^th or 8^th house, I have found in my experience, it brings lot of identity issues in marriage and should not be ignored or if you are ‘too much in love’ then understand there will be issues and you will with your ‘power of love’ will overcome them.

5.      For Cancer and Leo ascendant Mars is a yogakaraka wherever it may be no dosha at all.

6.      For Aquarius ascendant Mars in the 4^th/8^th house, no dosha.

7.      If benefic Jupiter or Venus is in ascendant, no dosha.

8.      If Mars is in conjunction or aspected by Jupiter or Moon, no dosha.

Thus, we see that percentage of manglik cases decreases if we consider these factors. 

In consideration of marriage various factors other than manglik dosha should also be carefully examined for a stable and happy marriage and I may write more about this later….