Ashtamasthana - 8th house and Longevity

Ashtamasthana - 8th house and Longevity

Eight house is analysed in an horoscope to predict the longevity of a person.  Most of the recent commentaries analyse the 8th house and predict the type of death a person will beget.  This they do by analysis of the planets which are placed there.

Saturn has been regarded as the planet which gives longevity.  The strength of Saturn has to be determined by the rules put forth in calculating Graha Bala (planetary strength) in Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra. 

The role of Roga karakas and Marakas has not been well addressed and our focus is shifted only to the 8th house. It is a well known fact that the 12th from 8th (the 7th) and the 12th from the 3rd (the 2nd) are known to be maraka sthanas (House of killers). The particular position of the 2nd and the 7th lords have to be analysed in a chart. Their strengths and associations with other planets and their influence over the Ascendant lord has to be analysed. 

As per my experience, in most of the cases of death of native, the association of the maraka planets with the roga karaka planets (6th and the 11th lords) has played an important role in determining the time of death of a native, rather than that of the planets placed in the 8th house.  

In many cases the maraka planets when placed in the 8th, have detrimental role to play with regard to sudden demise of a person.

8th house or the Ayush sthana is said to give longevity or will determine the number of years a person has to spend in this Birth. All the three trik sthanas (6-8-12th houses) can be analysed to understand the karma a person has to go through in this lifetime.

In few cases though the person will be left with Karma (i.e to say he has to live to spend it) the maraka planets when come into play will do their job of trying to kill the native. In this situation when there is pending Karma of an individual and with no physical self, the sookshma shaeera (aural body) will be around till a certain period before getting its turn to get into another cycle of birth and death.

Therefore to understand the longevity of a person the Aayrudaya has to be calculated using the principles elucidated in the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra.