Mars in Vedic Astrology

General of the armies: that is the office entrusted to Mangala, Mars, third graha. He represents the power of the cosmic being. The associated ideas go together: energy, boldness, a marked taste for confrontation. He flares up quickly. He shows himself generous just as quickly, a detail often overlooked.

Mesha and Vrishchika are his two signs. He is exalted in Makara, with a peak at the twenty-eighth degree, and falls in Karka. As for the moolatrikona, that zone of vigor in his own sign, you can limit it to the first twelve degrees of Mesha, or extend it to degrees 0 to 18.

Mangala is malefic by nature, and the most pronounced of the three. Take the word literally: he cuts and he burns. His element is fire, his quality tamas. Powerful at night, he receives his directional strength from bhava 10, the house of deeds. His aspect is atypical: besides the seventh sign from him, he reaches the fourth and the eighth at full strength.

Surya and Chandra count among his friends, along with Guru. Budha is his enemy. Shukra and Shani remain neutral. He travels about 30 to 45 minutes of arc per day. He is called combust when he is drowned in the brilliance of Surya, that is within 17 degrees of it.

In a chart, he represents the younger siblings, read at the third house from him. He can also represent the sister, and the stronger of Chandra and Mangala reveals the mother.

Mangala rules Aries sidereal, Mesha and Scorpio sidereal, Vrishchika.