First House in Vedic Astrology - Bhava I

First House / Bhava-I in Vedic Astrology:

Other names for 1st House: - Lagna (Sanskrit लग्न) or Ascendant - Udaya Lagna - Tanu Bhava -The Rising Sign - Kendra Bhava - Trikon Bhava - Angle.


The First House is ruled by Aries and the planet Mars. It is the most Important house of the horoscope.

Mercury and Jupiter gets Directional strength in the 1st house  as they allow us to most easily gain wisdom(Jupiter) and adjust (Mercury) to the 1st house experience

1st Bhava in Vedic astrology shows * vitality * biological life * nature  of the individual.
It is the physical body and its expression into the world. 

in other words The first house reveals the true self of the native i.e. the inner self as well as the personality.

''PHALADEEPIKA" opines in shloka 10 of chapter I as under:-
लग्नं होरा कल्पदेहोदयाख्यं रूपं शीर्षं वर्तमानं च जनम |
वित्तंविद्या स्वान्नपाननि भुक्ति दक्षाक्ष्यास्यं पत्रिका वाक् कुटुंबम् ||  i e. the first house is named as "LAGNA", hora. Kalpa, deha, udaya, roop; sheersham (head), vartman (present time,) janma bith. The second house is called the house of vitta (wealth), vidya (education), anna panani bhuktim (eating and drinking, the right eye, face, letter, speech and the family.

It is from the first house that we come to know the most important qualities of any individual, and their main orientations in life.

The appearance, prominent personality traits and attributes, our general approach to life and how we express our self are all seen from the first house – the first house of the "Dharma Trine". 

The inner self and outer body are what the First House is all about.

It includes the structures of the native, the bodily proportions, height, color and the complexion. The lagna, lagna lord, the planets placed in it, the Moon sign lord and Navamsha Lagna would all determine the physical attributes of the native. 

First House is all about Appearance, Aura, The Self (Atman), psychology, physiology, constitution, innate nature, personality, character, temperament, ego, the empirical self, sense of self-worth, dignity, fame, splendor, general welfare, happiness, status in society, health, complexion, independence, individualism, innovation, initiation, vitality, competitive energy, longevity, victory over enemies, strength, vigor, place of birth,  All activities that occur in the present moment, which may include everything, if we are present to it. The first house shows the nature of all activities, wherever we find ourselves currently is the environment of the first house.

Whole life of a native can be evaluated from the first house; whether it is going to be smooth or troubled one, sickly or healthy can be seen from this house. Sage Parashar says that, if lagna lord is well placed in Kendra/ Trikona, the native will enjoy good health.

The strength of the lagna, lagna lord and the benefic/ malefic influence on them determines the longevity of a native. Benefic influences on lagna and lagna lord will impart grace to the personality.

Objects: 

Our body and anything in our immediate environment, now.

Body parts: 
head, brain - The body part of the first house has to do with the top of the head, which is the source of inspiration.

significations of first bhava:
As per Uttara Kalamrita, following can also be read from the first house:
i)                    Limbs and their size.
ii)                   Happiness/ Unhappiness
iii)                 Birth place/ childhood
iv)                 Knowledge/ wisdom
v)                  Honour, self-respect & strength
vi)                 Sleep/ dreams
vii)               Skin & Hair
viii)              Political life
ix)                 Peace & Dignity
x)                  Livelihood & ability to work
xi)                 Nature to insult & to avenge
xii)               Loss of decency
xiii)              Freedom from insult
xiv)             Nature to renounce
xv)               Gambling for others
xvi)             Stigma
xvii)            Endeavoring to preserve livestock
xviii)          Defamation from one’s own Kinsmen or persons of same caste.

After understanding the various significance of the Ascendant, it can be seen how this affects other related matters.
BEING THE:

12th house to 2nd - Loss of family, food

11th house to 3rd - Gain from brothers & friends

10th house to 4th - Status and reputation of mother

9th house to 5th - Long journeys, luck of children, higher studies, connection with strangers

8th house to 6th – Troubles, enemies and debtors

7 house to 7th - Affairs, health, appearance, interests of spouse

6th house to 8th - Illness of spouse’s family and relatives

5th house to 9th - Father’s fortune

4th house to 10th - Career achievement and ambitions

3rd house to 11th- Journey to Elder co-borns, friends

2nd house to 12th - Hospital bills, court fees, expenses

The effects of planets in the first house:
Sun in the first house gives strong vitality and a healthy level of self-confidence. However, it may also bring an overbearing nature and excessive ego.

The Moon in the first house brings a gentle, approachable nature. Often there is a large round face and large eyes. Yet, a person may act with inconsistency and lack confidence. They may spend too much time trying to please others and connect with others.

Mars in the first house natives often feel pushy and aggressive. They need to slow down and work on patience. Yet, there will be a lot of enthusiasm and passion for life. They will usually be quite competitive.

Mercury in the first house gives a very curious and experimental approach to life. There will usually be balanced and even features and attractiveness. The native will adjust easily to life circumstances, but may also speak too much and be scattered.

Jupiter in the first house will often make someone tall or perhaps heavy. There is usually optimism and hope and the person will often raise their eyes to the sky when they speak. They will be philosophical, but may also be over optimistic, overlooking important details.

Venus in the first house makes for attractiveness and usually lovely eyes and often curly hair. There will be pleasant manners and likability. But there may also be laziness, excessive compromise and perhaps sensual indulgence.

Saturn in the first house often makes one tall and thin. There may be crooked or prominent teeth. The native may hesitate and be overcome by past mistakes. There will often be a sunken or sullen nature, dark circles under the eyes and a  sort of grouchy surface nature.

Rahu in the first house makes for an native who is learning to be alone in this lifetime. This leads to eccentric and unpredictable behavior. This person feels like an outcast, but may make enormous progress in self-knowledge as a result. They will always be in search of a core identity beneath the many roles they must play.

Ketu in the first house and the native is often aware of every flaw in their character. They may be humble, even anonymous, preferring to blend in to the crowd. Yet there will be a quiet composure about these natives and a concentration of energy.