The 3rd House
Sahaja bhava
What the 3rd house rules and what Parashara says of it, how to read it in your own kundli with a worked example, each graha in it, and where its lord sits.
What Parashara says
Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, chapters 11 and 14BPHS reads the 3rd house for courage, attendants and helpers, brothers and sisters, upadesh (initiation into a teaching) and journeys; it also lists the death of parents among its matters. BPHS 11.4
When it is strong: A benefic in the 3rd, or aspecting it, gives siblings and courage, says BPHS. When the lord of the 3rd and Mangal (Mars) together aspect the 3rd or sit in it, the text expects good results for this house; happiness from siblings follows when Mangal or the 3rd lord is in a kendra (the 1st, 4th, 7th or 10th house), a trikona (the 5th or 9th), exaltation or friendly divisions. BPHS 14.1–2, 14.5–6
When it is afflicted: If the lord of the 3rd and Mangal (Mars) are with a malefic or in a malefic's sign, or together in the 8th, BPHS warns of loss of siblings. It also counts Surya (Sun) in the 3rd as adverse for elder siblings, Shani (Saturn) there for younger ones, and Mangal there for both. BPHS 14.3, 14.5–6, 14.14
These are the text’s readings under its conditions, as the old texts write them for a man; they apply to anyone. A real kundli is read as a whole.
How to read your 3rd house
the checks the Janam Kundli report makes- Find its lord. Your lagna decides which rashi falls in your 3rd house, and so which graha rules it. The table further down gives it for every lagna.
- See where the lord sits from your lagna. In a kendra (the 1st, 4th, 7th or 10th) or the 5th or 9th, or in the 3rd itself, it helps; in the 6th, 8th or 12th it is hidden, and the house’s matters come more slowly. In its own rashi, exaltation or moolatrikona (a stretch of a rashi where a graha works most like itself, ranked just below exaltation) it is strong; debilitated, weak.
- Count from the 3rd house itself. The lord in the 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th, 10th or 11th from it supports it; the 6th, 8th or 12th from it is a difficult place. For the 3rd, those are your 8th, 10th and 2nd houses.
- Look at the grahas in it. Guru (Jupiter) or Shukra (Venus) in it helps. The 3rd is an upachaya house, which grows with effort, so Shani (Saturn), Mangal (Mars), Rahu and Ketu here are not counted against it.
- See which grahas look at it. Any graha in your 9th house casts its drishti (a graha’s glance: the houses it looks at feel its influence) on the 3rd. Mangal (Mars) also looks at it from your 8th and 12th, Guru (Jupiter) from your 7th and 11th, and Shani (Saturn) from your 1st and 6th. Our reports give Rahu and Ketu Guru’s 5th and 9th drishti, so they look at it from the 7th and 11th too. Guru’s or Shukra’s drishti helps; a malefic’s weighs against it, except in an upachaya house like this one.
- Count its ashtakavarga points. Out of 56, a house with 28 or more carries its matters well; one under 25 asks for effort.
- Read its karaka (the graha that naturally signifies a house’s matters, whatever the lagna) beside it. Mangal (Mars) is the natural significator of the 3rd’s matters, whatever your lagna.
Each help counts one point for the house and each weight one against. Two or more on balance for it reads strong; any balance against it, weak; anything between, mixed.
An example: the 3rd house in a real kundli
From the Janam Kundli report
3rd · Sagittarius Strong
Its lord Jupiter sits in your 9th house in Gemini, in an enemy's sign.
In it: Saturn.
Drishti on it from Sun, Jupiter and Venus.
Its lord stands in the 7th from the house itself — a supporting place.
for it: lord well placed from your lagna · lord in the 7th from the house itself, a supporting place · drishti from Jupiter and Venus · 29 points, 28 or more
Read together: a house that gives its matters readily.
This is the chart on our home page. The Janam Kundli report reads all twelve of your houses this way, with the dasha periods that bring each one forward.
Each graha in the 3rd house
by Lal Kitab, each with its own page| Graha | Lal Kitab | What it gives here |
|---|---|---|
| Surya (Sun) | Good | The Sun in the 3rd house gives courage, good relations with siblings, and success through personal effort. |
| Chandra (Moon) | Good | The Moon in the 3rd house gives bravery, good siblings, and success in communication-related fields. |
| Mangal (Mars) | Good | Mars in the 3rd house (pakka ghar, the house Lal Kitab gives a graha as its own, where it is steadiest) gives immense courage, victory over enemies, and support from siblings. It is a very strong position. |
| Budh (Mercury) | Good | Mercury in the 3rd house gives sharp intellect, success in writing and business, and good siblings. |
| Guru (Jupiter) | Hard | Jupiter in the 3rd house makes the person overly generous to siblings, and money can be lost through others. |
| Shukra (Venus) | Good | Venus in the 3rd house gives artistic siblings, love of music and arts, and short profitable journeys. |
| Shani (Saturn) | Good | Saturn in the 3rd house gives success through hard work, discipline in communication, and loyal siblings after the age of 30. |
| Rahu | Good | Rahu in the 3rd house gives courage for unconventional ventures, success in media, and foreign travel. |
| Ketu | Mixed | Ketu in the 3rd house is a mixed placement in Lal Kitab. Trouble can come through brothers, lawsuits and travel, while the children do well and the person stays devout. |
Who rules your 3rd house
it depends on the lagna| Lagna | 3rd house rashi | Its lord |
|---|---|---|
| Mesh (Aries) | Mithun (Gemini) | Budh (Mercury) |
| Vrishabh (Taurus) | Kark (Cancer) | Chandra (Moon) |
| Mithun (Gemini) | Singh (Leo) | Surya (Sun) |
| Kark (Cancer) | Kanya (Virgo) | Budh (Mercury) |
| Singh (Leo) | Tula (Libra) | Shukra (Venus) |
| Kanya (Virgo) | Vrishchik (Scorpio) | Mangal (Mars) |
| Tula (Libra) | Dhanu (Sagittarius) | Guru (Jupiter) |
| Vrishchik (Scorpio) | Makar (Capricorn) | Shani (Saturn) |
| Dhanu (Sagittarius) | Kumbh (Aquarius) | Shani (Saturn) |
| Makar (Capricorn) | Meen (Pisces) | Guru (Jupiter) |
| Kumbh (Aquarius) | Mesh (Aries) | Mangal (Mars) |
| Meen (Pisces) | Vrishabh (Taurus) | Shukra (Venus) |
Where your 3rd lord sits
what Parashara says of each placement (BPHS chapter 24)| Lord in | What it gives |
|---|---|
| 1st house | With the lord of the 3rd in the 1st, BPHS gives self-made wealth, devotion to worship, courage and intelligence, though without much formal learning. BPHS 24.25 |
| 2nd house | With the lord of the 3rd in the 2nd, the text warns of a heavy build, little courage or effort, discontent, and an eye on others' spouses and others' wealth. BPHS 24.26 |
| 3rd house | With the lord of the 3rd in the 3rd itself, BPHS gives happiness through siblings, wealth and children, a cheerful nature and great happiness. BPHS 24.27 |
| 4th house | With the lord of the 3rd in the 4th, the text gives happiness, wealth and intelligence, but speaks of a spouse of harsh nature. BPHS 24.28 |
| 5th house | With the lord of the 3rd in the 5th, BPHS gives children and a virtuous nature. If a malefic joins or aspects it, the text speaks of a spouse of fierce temper. BPHS 24.29 |
| 6th house | With the lord of the 3rd in the 6th, the text describes enmity with siblings, affluence, poor relations with the maternal uncle and affection from the maternal aunt. BPHS 24.30 |
| 7th house | With the lord of the 3rd in the 7th, BPHS describes an inclination to serve the government or those in power, with little happiness in childhood and happiness towards the end of life. BPHS 24.31 |
| 8th house | With the lord of the 3rd in the 8th, BPHS warns of a leaning towards theft and a living earned in others' service, and, as a caution, speaks of death at the gates of those in power. BPHS 24.32 |
| 9th house | With the lord of the 3rd in the 9th, the text gives little happiness from the father, good fortune through the spouse, and joy from children and other pleasures. BPHS 24.33 |
| 10th house | With the lord of the 3rd in the 10th, BPHS gives every kind of happiness and self-made wealth, but warns of an inclination to support women of poor character. BPHS 24.34 |
| 11th house | With the lord of the 3rd in the 11th, the text gives steady gains in trade, intelligence without much schooling, a daring nature, and service to others. BPHS 24.35 |
| 12th house | With the lord of the 3rd in the 12th, BPHS warns of spending on wrong deeds and of a father of bad character, and speaks of good fortune through a woman. BPHS 24.36 |
Common questions
5 questionsWhat does the 3rd house rule in astrology?
Younger siblings, courage, effort and short trips. It is called the Sahaja bhava, and is an upachaya.
Which grahas are good in the 3rd house?
By Lal Kitab: Surya, Chandra, Mangal, Budh, Shukra, Shani and Rahu.
Who is the karaka of the 3rd house?
Mangal (Mars), as Parashara names it (BPHS 32.34).
What if my 3rd house is empty?
An empty house is not a weak one. With no graha in it, the 3rd is read through its lord, the grahas that look at it, its ashtakavarga points and its karaka.
Which grahas aspect the 3rd house?
Any graha in the 9th; Mangal (Mars) also from the 8th and 12th, Guru (Jupiter) from the 7th and 11th, and Shani (Saturn) from the 1st and 6th.
A graha reads the same for everybody. Your chart does not.
Where each graha sits in your kundli, which bhavas it rules for your lagna and which dasha is running decide what it does for you. Make your free kundli to see all nine.
Create free kundli
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