Kendra (angular houses)
The kendras are the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses, the four angles of the chart. They are the pillars of a Kundli: planets here are strong and visible, and their lords shape the course of life.
Also known as: kendra bhava, kendra houses, quadrant houses, vishnu sthana
The four kendras stand for the self (1st), home (4th), partnership (7th) and career (10th). They are also called Vishnu sthanas, places that sustain life. A chart with strong, well-occupied kendras tends to give stability and the ability to act effectively in the world.
Planets in kendras are prominent and act with strength. Several important yogas depend on them: the Pancha Mahapurusha yogas, Gaja Kesari (Jupiter in a kendra from the Moon) and the Raj yogas formed between the lords of kendras and trikonas.
Kendra lordship has a twist. Natural benefics that rule kendras lose some of their kindness, a flaw called kendradhipati dosha, while natural malefics that rule them lose their harshness. A planet that rules a kendra and a trikona together is a yogakaraka.