What is debilitation of a planet ?
The debilitation of a planet is considered the weakest and most unfavourable position of a planet by sign placement. A condition in which all the significations of that planet suffers. This is because of the fact that certain planets do not align with the qualities of certain zodiac sign (which is their debilitation sign). For example Moon in Scorpio.
The Cancellation of Debilitation
The debilitated planet is a major deficiency in a birth chart. The worse examples are Scorpio Moon where significations like metal stability and emotional strength suffers, Virgo Venus where positive fruits of love and marital bliss are hampered, Libra Sun where self esteem and confidence take a hit, Cancer Mars making someone shy away from being courageous, Pisces Mercury causing intellect problems, Capricorn Jupiter falling in many big values and morals of a ideal Human and Aries Saturn which is sometimes a complete wipe out of patience, determination and will power. All these stated above can be very much true if other factor didn’t makeup of it, in the Birth chart.
They are mostly described in astrology as being most unfavourable conditions for planet to be in Birth chart. But fate for not everyone is the same. These same planets sometimes with the virtue of overall birth chart condition and certain planetary alignments transforms their results and effects in the favour of native. When they change to over come their deficiency astrologers call it Neecha Bhanga of a planet and, when they change to not only overcome their weakness but uplift native to certain level, then they cause a Neecha Bhanga Raja Yog.
Lets see which factors can cause Neecha Bhanga of a Planet :
What conditions in astrology can cause Neecha Bhanga or Cancellation of Debilitation for a Planet ?
- When a debilitated planet is in an exchange of signs. (When debilitated planet undergoes Parivartana Yog.)
- When a debilitated planet is with an exalted planet.
- When the dispositor of the debilitated planet is conjunct with or aspects that debilitated planet. (Jupiter is debilitated in Capricorn, so Saturn becomes dispositor.)
- When the exaltation lord of the debilitated planet is conjunct with or aspects the debilitated planet. (Jupiter is exalted in Cancer, so Moon becomes exaltation lord.)
- When the dispositor of the debilitated planet falls in an angle from the Lagna or the Moon.
- When the exaltation lord of the debilitated planet falls in an angle from the lagna or the Moon.
- When the planet that gets exalted in the sign of the debilitated planet is in an angle from the Lagna or the Moon. (Sun gets exalted in the sign of Mars, so Sun is the planet in this case if Mars is debilitated.)
- When two debilitated planets are in mutual aspect.
The exchange of signs, placement of debilitated planet with a exalted planet and sign dispositor of debilitated planet being in conjunction or aspecting that weak planet, while at the same time being in a Kendra (angle position) house are strongest ways I believe that the debilitation of a planet can get cancelled. Still these are the all possible ways listed above which can cause the Neecha Bhanga as per astrological texts.
Neecha Bhanga Raja Yog
What is Neecha Bhanga Raja Yog ?
Neecha Bhanga Raja Yog is a condition in the birth chart in which not only debilitation of the planet gets cancelled, but that planet very strongly overcomes the neecha state and other factors for that debilitated planet are so supportive that it gives rise to a Raja Yog.
How Neecha Bhanga Raja Yog happens ?
The treatise on astrology, Phaladeepika written by Mantreswara speaks about Neecha Bhanga Raja Yog at the end of chapter named as Maharaja Yogas. Lets see what the verses says :
“If at birth a planet is posited in sign of debilitation and the lord of the sign of debilitation be in Kendra (angle) from the Moon or Lagna, or the planet that is exalted in the sign be in Kendra from the Moon or Lagna, the debilitation of the planet concerned gets cancelled and a Raja Yoga is from enabling the native to become a very powerful King.”
“Should at birth a planet be posited in his sign of debilitation, and the lord of that depression sign and the lord of the planet’s exaltation sign are in Kendra position mutually, the debilitation gets cancelled. The Neecha Bhanga Raja Yog so formed produces a powerful King of Kings (Emperor).”
“If a planet is in his sign of debilitation, and is aspected by the lord of that sign, the debilitation gets cancelled and the Neecha Bhanga Raja Yog so formed will make the native become ruler of earth and famous. And if in the above Yog the planet be placed auspiciously more better effects may be expected.”
“When the planet is posited in his sign of debilitation, if the lord of the sign so occupied or the lord of the planet’s exaltation sign be in a Kendra position with reference to the Lagna or the Moon, the person so born will become very wealthy emperor. He will perform virtuous actions and will be very powerful, famous and affluent.”
“If a planet in his sign of debilitation be in Kendra position with reference to the Moon or the Lagna, the debilitation gets cancelled and the Neecha Bhanga Raja Yog so formed will produce an emperor revered by other kings.”
The concept of Neecha Bhanga Raja Yog has always remained as the topics of heavy discussion in astrologer community and this topic is even much debated with lots of views and counter views. These are my personal views on this special yog, but I will strongly recommend a new learner of Jyotisha and my readers to follow them as it will help them to reduces the failure rates while weighting a Necchabhanga Raja Yog and its fruits.
First of all any Raja Yog in Jyotisha should only mean to contribute some prosperity and some good position in life, in its singular effects. The outcomes like Kingship, Authority and wide fame are the matter of more complex outcome which generally results from many contributing factor of birth chart (not by only one or two planet).
Extending this theory further, the outcomes ascribed to Neechabhanga Raja Yog are so profound, that it can make a person Maharaja (Emperor). It is very obvious for anything like this to happen whole chart needs to push the fortune into this direction. So for Necchabhanga Raja Yog to give its literal effects as described by Mantreswara in Phaladeepika, a very very strong Neecha Bhanga is required. These very strong Neecha Bhanga can be indicated when a planet receives Neacha Bhanga from many different ways.
So at least two (but I recommend three if other auspicious yogas are less in number in chart) conditions from the above listed 8 conditions or as described in verses of Phaladeepika should be fulfilled, with Lagna and Moon (or at least any one) be strong in birth chart, fruits ascribed to a true Necha Bhanga Raja Yog can be witnessed.
Lastly I will add some other contributing condition which are led down astrologer H. R. Seshadri Iyer :
Iyer added that if a debilitated planet is Retrograde at the same time or the sign dispositor of that planet is in very good condition like Exalted or having DigBala (directional strength) and be in Kendra (angle) house can significantly eliminate the Neccha effects.
Planets and their sign/point of debilitation (with other dignities) :
| Planet | Own Signs | Exaltation | Debilitation | Moolatrikona |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | Leo | 10° Aries | 10° Libra | 0-20° Leo |
| Moon | Cancer | 3° Taurus | 3° Scorpio | 4-30° Taurus |
| Mars | Aries, Scorpio | 28° Capricorn | 28° Cancer | 0-12° Aries |
| Mercury | Gemini, Virgo | 15° Virgo | 15° Pisces | 16-20° Virgo |
| Jupiter | Sagittarius, Pisces | 5° Cancer | 5° Capricorn | 0-10° Sagittarius |
| Venus | Libra | 27° Pisces | 27° Virgo | 0-15° Libra |
| Saturn | Capricorn, Aquarius | 20° Libra | 20° Aries | 0-20° Aquarius |