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In short: Sunapha, Anapha and Durudhara are the three lunar yogas formed by planets beside the Moon. A planet in the 2nd from the Moon forms Sunapha, a planet in the 12th forms Anapha, and planets on both sides form Durudhara. Together they are the opposite of Kemadruma, the Moon with no neighbours.
The rule
Counting signs from the Moon, and excluding the Sun (and, for most authors, Rahu and Ketu):
- Sunapha: one or more planets in the 2nd sign from the Moon.
- Anapha: one or more planets in the 12th sign from the Moon.
- Durudhara: planets in both the 2nd and the 12th.
What it means
The planets beside the Moon support the mind from either side. Sunapha is traditionally linked with self-earned wealth and intelligence, Anapha with health, dignity and enjoyment, and Durudhara — support on both sides — with wealth, generosity, comforts and renown. The planet involved colours the result:
| Planet beside the Moon | In the 2nd (Sunapha) | In the 12th (Anapha) |
|---|---|---|
| Mars | courage, enterprise, property gained by effort | boldness, leadership, a strong constitution |
| Mercury | learning, eloquence, skill in arts and trade | eloquence, poetic skill, good reputation |
| Jupiter | wisdom, virtue, wealth and respect | dignity, learning, the favour of rulers |
| Venus | comforts, vehicles, beauty and a good family | attractiveness, pleasures, refined taste |
| Saturn | steady but hard-won possessions, perseverance | endurance, many dependants, possessions through effort |
These are summaries of the themes given in Brihat Jataka ch. 13 and BPHS, in our own words; the texts' wording is often more specific and sometimes harsher.
A worked check
With the Moon in Gemini, a planet (other than the Sun) in Cancer forms Sunapha, a planet in Taurus forms Anapha, and planets in both form Durudhara. If neither sign holds a planet, check for Kemadruma and its cancellations.
What strengthens it
Benefics beside the Moon, dignified and unafflicted, give the most favourable forms; a bright Moon strengthens all three.
What weakens or cancels it
A debilitated or afflicted planet weakens the result. Malefics on both sides of the Moon are read by many astrologers as papa kartari, hemming by malefics, rather than as a favourable Durudhara.
Background
These yogas are among the oldest in Indian astrology, described already by Varahamihira. They are useful precisely because they are simple: a quick look at the signs either side of the Moon shows whether the mind is supported, and by what kind of planet. Any of them also cancels Kemadruma.
When it gives results
A yoga gives its results mainly in the dashas of the planets that form it. Here that means the mahadashas and antardashas of Moon (Vimshottari mahadasha lengths: Moon 10 years). Within those periods, transits of Jupiter and Saturn over the planets or houses involved often mark the moments when the yoga becomes visible.
Checking it in a chart
To judge this yoga in a real chart, Sunyra checks, in order: that the formation rule is met exactly (by sign, using whole-sign houses); the dignity of Moon by sign and in the navamsa; combustion, retrogression and planetary war; aspects from natural benefics and malefics; the houses the planets rule for the ascendant; Shadbala strength; and the running and coming dashas. A yoga that passes these checks is described with confidence; one that does not is described as weak or partial.
How to read it honestly
Like every yoga, this one describes a potential. Whether and when it shows depends on the strength of the planets involved, the houses they rule, aspects from benefics and malefics, the divisional charts, and the dashas of the planets that form it. Classical texts list hundreds of yogas, and most charts contain several; no single yoga decides a life.
Related yogas
These yogas are often read alongside this one:
- Gajakesari Yoga — Gajakesari yoga — 'elephant and lion' — forms when Jupiter is in an angle (1st, 4th, 7th or 10th) from the Moon.
- Kemadruma Yoga — Kemadruma yoga forms when there are no planets in the signs on either side of the Moon (the 2nd and 12th from it).
- Adhi Yoga — Adhi yoga forms when the natural benefics — Mercury, Jupiter and Venus — occupy the 6th, 7th and 8th signs from the Moon.
- Chandra-Mangala Yoga — Chandra-Mangala yoga forms when the Moon and Mars are together in one sign (and, in some texts, in mutual aspect).
- Shakata Yoga — Shakata yoga — 'cart' yoga — forms when the Moon is in the 6th, 8th or 12th sign from Jupiter.
FAQ
What is the difference between Sunapha and Anapha? Sunapha is a planet in the 2nd sign from the Moon; Anapha a planet in the 12th. Durudhara is both.
Do these yogas cancel Kemadruma? Yes. Kemadruma requires both the 2nd and 12th from the Moon to be empty.
Do Rahu and Ketu count? Most authors exclude them; some include them.
Sources
- Brihat Jataka of Varahamihira, ch. 13 (lunar yogas)
- Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, ch. 37 (Santhanam)
Written by Sunyra Editorial. Astrology is a tradition of interpretation; read this as guidance, not a forecast. Disclaimer.
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