What it means
Classical penalty — Jupiter's natural significations (dharma, teachers, expansion, ethical judgment) are weakened when he sits in his 'death house'. Manifests as difficulty accessing wise counsel, blocked teaching impulse, or dharma-adharma confusion. Compound reading: check whether Jupiter is aspected by benefics or afflicted further by malefics. This is a pattern named in the classical texts. It is not a verdict, and many people who have it live happily.