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This post will record matters related to the study of cardinal principles of Jyotish. The standard basics can be learnt from any primer on the subject or from any other text. This post will focus on writing about the standard facets A Brief Look at the Twelve Lagnas of the subjects of Vedic Astrology and the techniques of interpretation in given situations. The writing will not follow any pattern but will record understanding of Jyotish in a random manner.
THE SUN: The Sun is the King of the solar system and represents kingship in general in human affairs. It is a solitary planet, being the leader and may not like its boundaries being breached. People strongly influenced by the Sun are sticklers for propriety and are very fond of rules and are aware of the importance of abiding by them and have people abide by them too. The Sun is bilious in nature and so are the people ruled by the Sun, having an excess of Pitta or a Pitta constitution. The Sun also rules small firearms.
Sun is also referred to as Ravi and the Devata associated with the Graha is Surya. The Sun rules political leaders and politics and leaders in any field whatsoever. The Sun finds its Marana Karaka Sthana in the 12th House, its exaltation in Mesha Rashi/ Aries and its debilitation in Tula Rashi/ Libra. In Marana Karaka Sthana, the King is reduced to penury and there are dwindling resources.
The Sun is at its most powerful in the 10th House from the Lagna where it has 100% Digbala/ directional strength. The Sun is a decision-maker, a leader and therefore it shines in the arena of work and Karma. Ravi is also the Karaka for the 10th House and shows the resources and fame that exist in work.
Ravi is the Naisargika/ natural Atmakaraka and indicates the soul. It also indicates temples being the primary Karaka of the 9th House from the Lagna. The Sun also rules physicians and is also the Karaka of the Lagna, the Self, and the way in which the self shines.
The Sun indicates power and brilliance. The Sun in the 12 signs indicates the 12 Adityas, the Dwadash Adiyta. The practical relevance of the Adityas lies in the fact that the relevant and correct form of the Aditya is to be worshipped considering the nature of the sign. The Aditya corresponding with the sign of the Naryana Dasha may also be worshipped as this is the place where Narayana sits during a specific Dasha.
The other useful thing is to analyse the Rashi and Bhava placement of the Sun and worship the Adityas associated with the Bhavas/ signs.
The Sun governs music and rhythm. The Graha is associated with the Bhagwad Gita. The Sun is the giver of all resources and should be used as a reference for the Mahadasha Graha in the Vimshottari Dasha scheme.
DASHAS:
There are many Dasha systems in Jyotish, erroneously written as ‘Dasa’ by Vedic Astrologers in the West, unless the ‘s’ in Dasa carries a diacritical sign. In any case, Dashas are the dynamic factors in Jyotish along with Gochar/ transits.
Though so many Dashas are prescribed in the classics, the practitioners must use three Dashas: the Vimshottari Dasha, the Narayana (or the Padakrama Dasha) and the Moola Dasha. The Vimshottari should be used to gauge the social stimuli coming from society and also the responses of the person based on his unique psychology.
It must never be forgotten that Parashara deemed this Dasha to be universally applicable. It is an extremely potent tool for dynamic analysis and this should be read in the context of the fact that timing of events is generally a quite difficult task. There are six levels to this Dasha and all may be used. Having said that, the Mahadasha, Antardasha and the Pratyantardasha levels are usually sufficient to derive an accurate picture about the dynamic state of the horoscope.
The Surya Lagna, the Chandra Lagna, the Arudha Lagna and the Uday Lagna should all be used as reference points for this Dasha.
The Narayana Dasha or the Padakrama Dasha is not a timing device based on the Graha but on the signs/ Rashis.
It indicates the sustaining presence of Narayana in any Rashi or sign. This makes the Aditya of that Rashi quite important.
The Narayana Dasha is referred to as the King amongst the Dasha systems for its efficacy. The Dasha period is best divided into three parts and the order in which the Dasha Rashi, the lord of the Dasha Rashi and the Grahas that might be posited in or aspecting the Dasha Rashi would depend on the nature of the Rashis involved: whether Sheershodaya (rising head first), or Prishthodaya (rising hind-parts first) or Ubhayodaya (rising in the middle).
The Narayana Dasha indicates deterministic influences in the framework of circumstantial reality rather than that of desire simpliciter.
The Dasha Rashi can be treated as the Lagna and the chart can be analysed from that reference point. The entry chart for the period can also be used and the Dasha Pravesha Chakra can also be interpreted to understand the probable impact of the period, using some of the specific principles used for the interpretation of this chart.
The Narayana Dasha can be and ought to be computed for the Varga Chakras/ divisional charts to gauge the circumstantial realities in operation in specific areas of life.
The Moola Dasha shows the root of past Karma as the word Moola indicates root. This Dasha is used in conjunction with the Shashthyamasha Chakra/ D-60 chart and gives astounding results as to the nature of Karma being experienced by a person, no matter what the circumstantial reality is or what the social stimuli are.
It shows the nature of Karma being experienced. It is a Dasha which must be used if the horoscope has been rectified till the D-60 levels.
The conditional Nakshatra Dashas may be used as well.
RASHI:
A Rashi or sign is a span of arc admeasuring 30 degrees and indicates inanimate realities of existence. Rashi contains the inanimate source material. There are twelve Rashis in the zodiac. The Rashi is divided into various parts based on which the Varga Chakra/ divisional charts are constructed. For example the division of a sign into three equal parts admeasuring 10 degrees each is called the Drekkana or the Dreshkana and this forms the basis for the D-3 chart. Likewise, the division of a sign into nine equal parts admeasuring 3 degrees and  20 minutes of arc is called the Navamsha and leads to the D-9 chart. Since the 3rd and 9th Houses relate to siblings and Dharma respectively, these matters are judged in detail from the relevant Varga. This division leads to the creation of all the divisional charts.
The Rashi is the terrain traversed by the Sun/ Ravi as Aditya.
The attributes of the sign rise when an Arudha Pada is posited in it. A person feels the energies of the planet and Rashi and the correlations between the two when a planet is placed in a sign.
The Rashi should not be forgotten amidst judging the impact of Yogas because it is the substratum for the other Jyotish entities to work.
VIPREETA RAJA YOGA:
The term Vipareeta suggests something contrary to expectation. It simply means the reverse or opposite. Raja Yoga is well known but perhaps not so well understood. At this time, let us say it means attainment and fame and wealth and such positives.
The term Vipareeta Raja Yoga suggests favourable results accruing in circumstances and realities that do not point to such favourable results. Many times the Vipreeta Raja Yoga can be a flash in the pan and at others it may be a sustained thing.
There are rules in Jyotish which indicate as to when the results of the Yoga may be sustained and when not. But prior to that it should be understood as to when the Yoga may be said to be formed. The Vipareeta Raja Yoga is formed when the lords of the Dusthana, the evil houses, the 6th, 8th and the 12th when reckoned from the Lagna join.
It is usually thought that the Yoga may be formed only when such joining occurs in one of the Dusthana itself, but this is not so. Other snippets on this combination may be found at this website at: Musings on Vipreeta Raja Yoga
The more recognised form of the Yoga occurs in the Dusthana where the lords of the 6th, 8th and the 12th House combine in any way in the 6th, 8th and the 12th Houses. The condition is that a single lord of the Dusthana may not be placed in its own Bhava/ House for the Yoga to occur. In other words, if the lord of the 6th Bhava is placed in the 6th Bhava itself, the Yoga cannot be said to be formed. If the 6th Lord is placed in the 8th Bhava then the inimical attributes of the 6th Lord are weakened and therefore sudden success might accrue, suddenness being a feature of the 8th Bhava from the Lagna.
Since the term Yoga contemplates the union of two entities, the Yoga may be formed only if the lords of two houses join and thus the union of the 6th and the 8th Lords in the 12th Bhava for instance would be a potent Rajayoga.
Some include the lord of the 3rd House in this list and the 3rd Bhava as a Dusthana/ evil house and not without good reason. There is a dictum from BPHS which states that if the 3rd lord is Neecha/ debilitated and the Lagna Lord is strong, then the native experiences Rajayoga.
The basic fact to remember in the context of the Vipreeta Raja Yoga is that when it occurs in the Dusthana, the constituent planets should be weak in Rashi and/ or Navamsha. It is possible for the Yoga to occur in the Kendra/ quadrant or the Trikona/ trine from the Lagna as well. Not many people are aware of this and Pt. Sanjay Rath for the first time illustrated this Yoga in his papers on the chart of PV Narasimha Rao, the ex-Prime Minister of India.
Since the Vipreeta Raja Yoga (VRY) is a special Yoga involving the lords of the evil Bhavas, their placement in the quadrants and trines from the Lagna creates unique situations. As the Dusthana lords in the auspicious Bhavas, they can create difficulties and tests and this forms the background in which the Yoga then works and brings surprising success in the circumstances of stress etc associated with the Dusthana lords. The Kendras are the pillars of life and stresses here can show up prominently in crucial areas of life. Therefore such Yogas can be challenging at the outset. In order for the VRY to work with efficacy in the Kendra or the Trikona from the Lagna, the Grahas forming the Yoga must be strong in the Rashi and in the Navamsha.
Gemstones should be prescribed with a lot of care in cases of this Yoga because of the lords of the adverse houses involved.
THE LAGNA/ ASCENDANT AND THE LAGNA LORD/ LAGNESH:
The sign rising on the eastern horizon is called the Lagna or the Ascendant. The lord of the rising sign is called the Lagna Lord or the Lagnesh. The Lagna is the commencement of the nativity and it is the first house of the chart. The Lagnesh being the lord of this sign is the most important planet.
The Lagna decides the circumstances of the person. It is the present and the birth realities of the person. It indicates the personality of the person. The Lagna Lord shows the person in action or motion and indicates how the intelligence/ Buddhi of the person shapes his decisions and in which areas of life. These are the two main identifying factors for the person at the intrinsic level.

It must be remembered in accordance with other instruction in this paper that the Lagna Bhava is a sign and thus shows circumstantial realities, including those relating to the self of the person. The Lagna Lord is a planet and thus shows animate realities and focusses on the personality of the person in action.

One opines that considering the pace and trajectory of the modern times, the two junctions of the Lagna and the Lagna Lord are of extreme importance. If life were to yield times which diffuse the sense of Self, apart from psychotherapy and such disciplines, Jyotish furnishes the most reliable road-map to generate or regenerate, as the case may be, one's awareness of the self. It furnishes an immediate and a realistic answer to the question 'Who am I?', generally and in specific circumstances.

ARUDHA PADAS

This is an important topic in Jyotish both for the purpose of understanding the horoscope and the person and for predictive purposes.

The Arudha Padas have a direct correspondence with the manifest attributes of life. All that is visible and tangible is governed by the Arudha Padas. An Arudha of a Bhava/ house is the reflection of that house around the lord of the house in question. The Arudha is the manifestation in the world of matters governed by a house. In other words, the source material of various facets of life, persons, events, themes and such constituents that make up the life experience are to be found in the Bhava or the house and the manner in which they manifest in the world is to be understood and evaluated through the Arudha Pada.

Each of the twelve Bhavas have an Arudha Pada; in the case of Scorpio/ Vrishchik and Kumbha/ Aquarius there are two Arudha Padas due to the fact that there are two lords for these signs.

The Arudha Pada of the Lagna, called the Arudha Lagna (AL) can be taken to be a reference point for the study of the horoscope from the viewpoint of the Arudhas and gives important insights about the social and financial status and realities of the person. A distinction therefore is required to be made between the houses/ Bhavas from the AL on the one hand and the Arudha Padas of the various Bhavas from the Lagna on the other.
The Arudhas being societal and financial constructs are signified by the Moon/ Chandra which in turn is itself the Karaka for society. Planets which are friendly to the Moon at the natural level do well in the Arudha Pada.
The 3rd and 8th Bhavas from the Pada Lagna indicate the demise of the person whereas the zone of socio-financial emergence of the person falls in the 7th Bhava from the Arudha. The 9th Bhava from the Arudha Lagna is an unconditional supporter of the image of the person as it exists in the Mayik world.
NAKSHATRAThe Nakshatra are the lunar mansions lorded by the Moon/ Chandra. These are 27 in number with an intercalary Nakshatra also, called the Abhijit Nakshatra which is the 28th Nakshatra. The Nakshatra are what is visible in the night sky and hold many secrets. They are the primary reality in Jyotish and the Rashi are in fact derived from the Nakshatra and are not directly visible. Nakshatras must be used in horoscopic Analysis and yet since knowledge about them is not systematically and properly placed, this creates a problem. The Nakshatra is what protects when we sleep and due to this protection the Nakshatra are said to embody the Vayu Tattwa/ Airy element. The Vimshottari Dasha sequence is based on the lordship of the Nakshatra by a Graha in which Nakshatra the Moon is placed at the time of birth.The Nakshatras begin with Ashwini lorded by Ketu and carry a span of 13 degrees and 20 minutes of arc. The Nakshatras are grouped into categories and also three groups of nine Nakshatras each corresponding to various stages/ cycles in life. Some Nakshatras are special in nature, being imbued with options.The Nakshatras are used for understanding the Karma of the person both at the outer and inner levels and in some cases also at the level of leadership and great achievement at the level of the nation state etc. Such Karma is studied based on the Grahas, Rashis and Bhavas associated with the Nakshatras. The Nakshatras are also of primary importance in the performance of remedial measures.
The Nara Chakra for example is used by mapping the various Nakshatra to the body parts to understand the possible areas vulnerable to decay and damage. Nara Chakra: 1. Krittika: head (commences because Moon is exalted in Krittika, and not Rohini) 2. Rohini: forehead 3. Mrigashira: eyebrows 4. Ardra: eyes 5. Punarvasu: Nose 6. Pushya is the face in general 7. Ashlesha-ears 8. Magha: lips and chin 9. Purva Phalguni: Right hand 10. Uttara Phalguni: Left Hand 11. Hasta: fingers/ palm (?) 12. Chitra: Neck 13. Swati: Chest 14. Vishakha: breast 15. Anuradha: stomach 16. Jyeshtha: right side of the trunk 17. Moola: left side of the trunk 18. Purva Ashadha: back 19. Uttara Ashadha: waist 20. Shravana: genitals 21. Dhanishtha: anus 22. Shatabhishaj: Right Thigh 23. Purva Bhadrapada: Left Thigh 24. Uttara Bhadrapada: Shins 25. Revati: ankles 26. Ashvini: upper part of the feet 27. Bharani: lower part of the feet: soles

CHANDRA GUNA

The attributes of the Chandra Graha/ Moon as it attains its angular distance from Ravi/ the Sun, especially at the time of birth goes a long way on deciding the intrinsic quality of the mind/ cognition.

The following schematic can be used to decipher the basic state of the mind of the native:

Shukla Ashtami (S8) to Poornima (S15): Uttama Guna

Poornima (S15) to Krishna Ashtami (K8): Madhyama Guna

Amavasya (K15) to Shukla Ashtami (S8): Adhama Guna

Krishna Ashtami (K8) to Amavasya (K15): Udasina Guna

Th waning Chandra/ Ksheena Chandra may be described as masculine, aggressive, Vata dominated, unstable, dissatisfied and the Purna Chandra as feminine, passive, Jala dominated, stable and satisfied.

TRANSITS OVER THE ĀRŪḌHA LAGNA-

This is a subject not often touched upon. The easier way to understand this is through the Naisargika Kāraka/ natural significator which is the Moon. Any planet which is favourable to the Moon or friendly to this Graha does well in transit over the Ārūḍha Lagna. If we take Gurū for example, the transit of Gurū or Jupiter over the Āruḍha Lagna can be a blessing and can illustrate many things about the perceptions related to society, finance and social interaction. There can be expansion in wealth and social standing since Gurū is the Kāraka for rational and controlled growth. At the same time the transit of Gurū over the Ārūḍha Lagna is not as positive as that of Śukra or Budha as they are Rajas Guṇa Grahas and are more adept at creating. Gurū is a Sattwa Guṇa Graha. Tamas Guṇa Grahas such as Śani, Rāhu and Ketu can seriously damage the Ārūdha Lagna since they are inimical to the Moon as well and carry the agenda of damaging the significations of the Moon. Rāhu in particular can bring scandalous and shocking events to bear on the Ārūḍha Lagna.

These factors can be extended to the radix as well but due concession has to be made to Yogas which can offset the negatives and lead to major positives as well despite the placement of a bad planet in the Ārūḍha Lagna.




























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