If a benefactor happens to be the lord of the kendras, then kendrathipathy dosha is said to exist, if I am right. But it is not as simple as it sounds, and it gets complicated by various conditions and exceptions attached to it. Most importantly, it is supposedly applicable to only four ascendants — Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces — and that too comes with a lot of riders.

Kendrathipathy dosha is not a valid concept

I think the concept of kendrathipathy dosha does not make much sense. Let me explain why: Basically, kendras (1, 4, 7, and 10) are powerful places. So, just by assuming the lordship of the kendras, one doesn’t become a malefactor. Only if a malefactor becomes powerful, he is dangerous. On the other hand, if a benefactor occupies a kendra, he should do immense good. Therefore, I don’t think kendrathipathy dosha is a valid concept.

Malefactors for the zodiac signs

But that’s not the end of my argument. The phenomenon of a specific malefactor for each rasi has been best explained by sage Pulippani. In other words, sage Pulippani speaks of a badhakathipathy for every rasi. To clarify, a badhakathipathy (malefactor) is one who causes harm. So, a badhakathipathy will cause harm during his dasa period.

First, let’s get to the basics. The 12 zodiac signs are divided into three groups: cardinal, fixed, and dual.

Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn are the cardinal signs.
Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius are the fixed signs.
Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces are the dual signs.

Malefactor for the cardinal signs

Sage Pulippani classifies the malefactors on the basis of these groups. Firstly, he declares the badhakathipathy for the cardinal signs:

சூடப்பா சரராசி செனித்தபேர்க்கு
சுகமில்லை லாபாதி பதியினாலே
ஆடப்பா அகம்பொருளும் நிலமும் சேதம்
அப்பனே அரசருட தோஷமுண்டாம்
தேடப்பா திரவியமும் அளித்தாரானால்
திடமான அரிட்டமடா தேடமாட்டான்
வீரப்பா கோணத்திலிருக்க நன்று
விளம்பினேன் புலிப்பாணி வினையைப்பாரே

 புலிப்பாணிச் சித்தர்

For those who are born in a cardinal sign,
The 11th lord will do no good to the jataka.
House, property, and land will be destroyed.
He will face the ire of the king (government).
But if the 11th lord bestows wealth on the jataka,
it portends disaster (or death).
Instead, if placed in a trikona, the 11th lord will do good
I, Pulippani, say so.

sage pulippani

The 1, 5, and 9th houses are the trikonas. If the 11th lord is placed in these houses, he will do good for the jataka.

Malefactor for the fixed signs

Secondly, for the fixed signs, he says:

பாரப்பா திரராசி செனித்தபேர்க்கு
பாங்கான பாக்யாதி பதியுமாகா
கூறப்பா கோணத்தில் மேவினாலும்
கொற்றவனே பலனளிப்பான் அரசாலாபம்
வீரப்பா மற்றவிடந் தனிலேநிற்க
வெகுபயமாம் பலனில்லை வினையில்துன்பம்
சீரப்பா போகருட கடாஷத்தாலே
சிறப்பாக புலிப்பாணி செப்பினேனே

For those born in a fixed sign,
The 9th lord will do no good to the jataka.
If he is placed in the trikona sthana
He will yield benefits and favours from the king.
But if placed elsewhere, he will
Do no good, and cause anxiety and suffering.
I, Pulippani, say so
With the blessings of sage Boghar.

Malefactor for the dual signs

Finally, for the dual signs, he identifies the badhakathipathy thus:

செப்புவாய் உபயத்தில் செனித்தபேர்க்கு
சிறந்ததொரு சப்தமனு மாகாதப்பா
ஒப்புவாய் உலகத்தில் அவதிமெத்த
ஊழ்வினையைத் தடுப்பாரு முலகிலுண்டோ
தப்புவாய் திடல்நாசம் தனமும் நாசம்
தார்வேந்தர் பகையுமுண்டு தேகதுன்பம்
இப்புவியில் போகருட கடாஷத்தாலே
இடமறிந்து திசையறிந்து வியம்புவாயே

For those born in a dual sign,
The 7th lord will do no good.
The jataka will face a lot of hardships.
Who can stop the effects of past-life karma?
Wealth and property will be destroyed.
He will face the ire of the kings and suffer ill-health.
With the blessings of sage Boghar you tell the results,
taking into account the position and dasa of the 7th lord.

In these three verses, Pulippani speaks about the malefactor (bhadhakathipathy) for the three groups of zodiac signs. More importantly, if the bhadhakathipathy is placed in a trikona, he doesn’t harm the jataka. But if he is placed elsewhere, he brings about destruction during his dasa period; specifically, if he occupies a kendra, he becomes very powerful and unleashes destruction on a large scale.

Badhakathipathy for each zodiac sign

Sage Pulippani actually names the specific malefactor for each zodiac sign separately in other verses (discussed here), and they generally conform — with a few exceptions — to the rules enunciated above. The specific malefactors have been noted down in their respective signs in the picture below.

SaturnJupiterJupiterVenusMarsMarsJupiterVenusMercuryVenusMercuryMoonSun

For example, Saturn is the malefactor for Aries; Jupiter for Taurus, Gemini, and Virgo; and so on.

Summing it up

We see that for Gemini and Virgo, Jupiter is a badhakathipathy, and for Sagittarius and Pisces, Mercury is a badhakathipathy. Consequently, these observations could have led to the origin of the concept of kendrathipathy dosha; but it doesn’t speak the full picture and misrepresents the facts. Therefore, in my opinion, it is not a valid concept.

By contrast, the concept of badhakathipathy, as enunciated by Pulippani, is very simple. Moreover, he clearly specifies the condition when the badhakathipathy will not harm the jataka, if not producing outright benefic results. That is to say, a badhakathipathy doesn’t harm the jataka if placed in a trikona. But if he is placed in a kendra, he unfortunately becomes very powerful and causes immense destruction during his dasa period.

Please note that the saptarishis used a tropical zodiac with sidereal nakshatras — which I have established conclusively in another article — and the rules discussed in Saptarishi Nadi were intended for interpretation of a chart computed with tropical zodiac, as opposed to sidereal zodiac.