Neecha Bhanga Raja yoga
Neecha bhanga raja yoga is a classical rule that a debilitated graha can be cancelled, and that the cancellation can produce a strong result. The term means cancellation of debilitation.
What it is
The standard conditions include the lord of the debilitation sign being in a kendra from the Lagna or Moon, or the exaltation lord of that sign being in a kendra. The lists of conditions differ between texts.
How it is worked out or read
Because the conditions are many and their lists vary, the site does not check neecha bhanga. The debilitation signs are given in the exaltation article.
Where it appears on this site
The debilitation signs are in the exaltation and debilitation article. The cancellation rules are discussed in the yoga strength article.
The debilitation signs
For reference, the debilitation signs are: Sun in Tula, Moon in Vrishchika, Mars in Karka, Mercury in Meena, Jupiter in Makara, Venus in Kanya and Saturn in Mesha. Each is the sign opposite the planet's exaltation, so the lords and exalted planets needed for the cancellation checks can be read straight from these pairs.
Conditions for cancellation
A debilitated planet is traditionally weak, but the texts list conditions under which the debilitation is cancelled, called neecha bhanga. The commonly cited conditions include: the lord of the sign the planet is debilitated in, or the lord of its exaltation sign, being in a kendra from the Lagna or the Moon; the planet that is exalted in that same sign being in a kendra from the Lagna or the Moon; the debilitated planet being aspected by the lord of its sign; and the debilitated planet being exalted in the navamsha. Different texts give somewhat different lists.
A worked example
Jupiter is debilitated in Makara. The lord of Makara is Saturn, and Mars is exalted in Makara. If Saturn or Mars stands in a kendra from the Lagna or the Moon, the texts consider Jupiter's debilitation cancelled. Jupiter's own exaltation sign is Karka, ruled by the Moon, so the Moon in a kendra from the Lagna is also cited by some authorities as a cancelling condition.
From cancellation to Raja yoga
When debilitation is cancelled, some texts go further and describe the result as a Raja yoga, a combination for rise and recognition. The image is of someone who begins from a weak position and rises through effort. Modern readers often note that people with Neecha Bhanga Raja yoga describe a pattern of early difficulty in the planet's themes followed by strength. As always, the planet's house, the dashas and the rest of the chart determine how the pattern shows in a particular life.
Reading a cancellation honestly
A cancellation of debilitation is a claim that a weakness is offset by another factor. A reader should name the specific condition that is said to cancel it and check whether that condition holds. Where the source is unclear or the condition is disputed, the reader should say so rather than treat the cancellation as settled.