One wants to understand the unfolding of Karma through Vedic astrology, once it becomes clear that surprising though it is to the modern, uninitiated mind, you could readily say, broad brushes, that everything happens as indicated in the horoscope; barring minor irritants such as wanting things to happen at a particular time and in a particular way, but then what is actually happening is very much in conformity with what a well-versed person would fathom from the various combinations formed by the Grahas, Rashis and any number of Jyotisha parameters.
So, suppose one is at a crucial juncture in life for example, and either has sufficient knowledge of the Vedanga or is in a position to consult a Jyotishi, what could some of the more important areas of scrutiny be, so as to get a firm grip on the prospects. These need not be discussed in any particular order since quite obviously the meaning is that they ought to all be considered, apart from any other areas that come to mind, for this type of study or reflection is quite fluid or subjective and is not really formulaic.
There is a general mistake made in overlooking transits on the Arudha Lagna (AL) itself. The AL indicates all life itself, everything that is visible about any person. It is the Lagna for the Arudha Chakra, and it is the AL which gives meaning to that chart. When Jyotisha is being looked at to determine Karmic prospects and next steps, something of overarching important such as Saturn transit on the Arudha Lagna cannot be overlooked. Shani is very crucial and His transit on the AL indicates that overall life itself is feeling the burden of past Karma, assuming there is burden to be discharged, at that time. Any other matters will almost run subservient to this kind of transit. Everything stands to get lowered in stature, blocked, overlooked, invisible and somewhat dirty with past Karma. If such a transit should occur at a conspicuous time in the Dasha system, such as Dasha Sandhi, then the Dasha will necessarily have to be evaluated keeping in mind the modifications exerted by this transit. It is not just the transit of Shani in the 4th House or the 8th House which is to be studied; that on the Arudha Lagna itself can never be overlooked.
Since it is a recent note and is available for reading, let us also bring in Yuti/ conjunctions of planets which are influencing the Dasha in the manner stated. Now, if the Mahadasha of a dire malefic has commenced, and which is conjoined a strong or exalted benefic, then the person who is aware of the principles governing Yuti of Grahas in the context of Dasha, would expect positive events to fructify immediately. Those expectations might be belied if the transit on the AL is overlooked. It is an onerous time and may require remedies to get through.
Dasha Sandhi is also a testing time because life realities are being altered. If the succeeding Dasha is very different in nature from the one which has just gone, and works from different areas in the horoscope then it would bring in major changes and make for a new or renewed life experience.
Leaving conjunctions for a moment, let us dwell upon the Paka Lagna, the sign where the lord of the Udaya Lagna is placed. This is where the intelligence and brain function of the individual is being applied. It matters a lot where the Dashanatha is placed from the Paka Lagna. It matters even more where the Dashanatha is placed from the Atmakaraka. The 8th House from these places, for instance, is a place of transformation and plumbing the depths of Karma in some way or the other. From the Paka Lagna, it can certainly indicate a time of changing of the self. The 8th House is one of the Dusthanas but may not be truly bad if occupied by a benefic Rashi and Graha. Even so, the Dasha by definition is not easy because it is far away from the personality of the person. Transformation does not occur in a commonplace way. From the Atmakaraka (AK) it holds a greater significance because the changes are not merely at the behavioural or the intellectual level but at the soul level. If the former Dasha occupies such a place and the latter is more conventionally placed from the Lagna Lord and/ or the AK, the changes in life will be welcome and there may be a feeling of having completed a rite of passage. The 6th House is far more difficult. It is a house of punishment and likely to be especially difficult from the AK, more so if malefic signs and planets, or those that are weak are involved.
The soul does not lend itself to empirical examination or scrutiny. Anything to do with the AK is therefore difficult to understand and come to terms with, till the time the AK becomes favourable; at that time the tide could be said to have turned. The 6th House from the AK shows the punishment coming at the soul level and is serious.
Now, assuming one is coming from such a Dasha into a different one, the Sandhi if vitiated by an adverse transit can make the wait longer. An anticipation of the glorious could be tempered with malefic-ruled experiences. At such times, doubt springs forth whether anything has meaning and thereby makes the experience worse. However, the play of Karma is not contingent in that manner on human frailty. As soon as matters improve in transit or the Antaradasha changes, putting an end to the Sandhi period, things will start happening accordingly.
Returning to the specific case of conjunctions which occur frequently, and it is equally commonplace to have Mahadashas of Grahas involved in Yuti, let us continue with the basic example construed in the other paper referred to, in order to familiarise oneself with real-life ramifications. It has been written there that the conjoined malefic whose Dasha it literally is, will insist on furnishing a context to His liking. Depending on the nature of the malefic, and even more importantly on the nature and strength of the conjoined benefic, this will manifest. For example, Rahu will give an elusive context or reference-frame and if the benefic is Budha say in Kanya Rashi/ Virgo, the experience is likely to be stellar. In this particular example, both Rahu and Budha are extremely strong. Let us take the 10th Bhava for these examples for the placement of the conjoined Grahas because the 10th Bhava is Swarga Bhava and the treatise could be more transparent for that reason for the sake of understanding.
In this example, Dhanusha (Dhanu) would be the Udaya Lagna and Rahu would act as the 3rd and 10th lord and Budha is the 7th and 10th lord in the 10th Bhava. One can easily say that this would be probably the best phase for working life and in life overall because the malefic planet Rahu is Himself very well-disposed. There will be intrigue in the work due to Rahu’s placement there but unconventional heights are promised due to Rahu. Here the foreign element in work in Rahu Mahadasha is very strongly indicated because Rahu rules foreigners and foreign lands, distant cultures and so on. More importantly, the results of Mercury will come because He is an exalted benefic in the 10th Bhava from the Lagna. As indicated, the visible facets of this Mahadasha should be judged from the AL. Such an individual is likely to have profound financial gains in the Dasha in an intellectual arena with domain expertise. Conflict in work cannot be avoided because Mercury does not like Rahu, despite both being Daitya Grahas anything leaning towards the deviant or the shocking is to be scrupulously avoided, due to the context being furnished by the actual or literal Dasha lord, Rahu. Given Sagittarius Lagna and the fact that Mercury is 10th lord let us assume that the individual works in finance or banking. Then the gains, acclaim, renown and financial apogee will be there to see, albeit in a foreign company, foreign establishment or any combination of these Karmic aspects.
Let us take one more malefic-benefic combination for the sake of discussion where the Dasha of the conjoined malefic comes while being placed in the 10th House. Saturn-Moon Yuti in the 10th Bhava is associated with the delayed fructification of some heartfelt desires. Understandably, the delay is caused by Shani, and the desires are ruled by Chandra. Saturn in the 10th House is difficult because His significations are strengthened and Saturn is the only planet who gives better results when weak, though He continues to be Himself. When the effects of the Moon come in Saturn Dasha, it will not only be a delayed fructification of cherished desires but a reprieve from life experiences of a certain kind especially if the Moon is strong, say in Cancer or exalted in Taurus. In Cancer, it is a peculiar situation because Saturn in Cancer in the 10th House Himself gives Rajayoga. This would be Tula Lagna where Chandra is the 10th lord in the 10th House and Shani is Yogakaraka. This forms a profound Rajayoga and the results of the Moon will come only after some jostling for space as with the Rahu-Mercury example above because the malefics in strength will not readily allow the benefics to take over
the results.
Chandra in the 10th Bhava generally speaking is a highly favourable placement because in Prithvi Loka, the Moon is King. All happiness and sorrow is felt in the mind ruled by the Moon. The 10th House in physiology is associated with the legs, and the Moon in strength will take the individual to the best hotels which are ruled by Moon in strength, as too by Venus, the Jala Tattwa Grahas. The Moon indicates the Queen and is one half of the royal couple. The 10th Bhava is Swarga and is also referred to by the grandiose name of ‘throne’. Naturally, the luminaries are considered excellently placed in the 10th House and the King, Surya, additionally has Digbala here with the blessings of Indra. Generally what is found in such a conjunction is that Saturn forces the individual to make aesthetic choices which belong more properly in the Victorian era. He will bring in an element of the rustic to the best destinations in the country or in the world. Furniture is ruled by Saturn and decor is ruled by the Moon. The presence of Saturn infuses the qualities of the ancient or vintage to all these. The only thing is that since it is effectively the Dasha of the benefic, everything will be top—notch and beautiful, commensurate with the strength of the benefic Moon.
As the contextual effect of the malefic wanes, the elements of the rustic or the vintage are gradually overwhelmed by lighter, more vibrant entities and Karmic structures ruled by the benefic but the presence of the malefic will remain in the nature of choices made (not the choices themselves), or the underlying substratum (not that which actually manifests as the main thing).
While the Atmakaraka (AK) was not included in the previous note, He must be included here because inevitably He will be one of the conjoined planets in a Mahadasha scenario in any number of horoscopes and His effect has to be studied for that reason. For ease of understanding, let us continue with the examples discussed and keep them at the back of the mind. To these conjunctions, let us add the AK with the caveat that He is neither the most benefic nor the most malefic in a three-planet conjunction and therefore at the level of Graha, is free to give His own results without being tainted by the conjunctions. The company we keep, and so it is with the Grahas.
The Atmakaraka is the king of the horoscope just as Moon is the king of experiences on planet Earth, in Jyotisha. The AK is carrying the maximum Karma from the previous lifetimes and is ruling Prarabdha in this lifetime. For this reason, the AK is very difficult during His Vimshottari Dasha because His agenda is to free the soul of accumulated Karmic dross while the mind simply wants to enjoy life as indicated by the exaltation of the elitist Chandra in Vrishabha Rashi. Since the Janma Vimshottari commences from the Nakshatra of the natal Moon it is mind-centric and the Dasha of the AK is therefore quite difficult for the mind to accept given the Karmic burden. Due to this overarching importance of the AK, this Graha should not be weak in the horoscope. Without studying the AK there is no Phalita Jyotisha because He rules over all the other Grahas in the charts. Conversely, while the AK should be reasonably well-placed and strong, He should not be too strong for then His actions can be extremely potent both in the conventionally negative (and in the conventionally positive). Conventionally, because it is all just Karma. When one part is over, the other begins. Usually the AK is adverse to start with and then turns positive when the negative Karma is burnt in some way or the other. However, sometimes, especially with benefic AK, He is extremely good and auspicious in the first part and then starts to deliver the results of past onerous Karma later once the good is exhausted. All the most major Rajayogas need the involvement of the AK, therefore He cannot simply be termed negative, for convenience. Both the Lagnesha and the AK also act as the 8th lord because they are inextricably linked with past Karma, the AK exponentially so.
With this glimpse into the working of the AK, His conjunction with the Dasha lord and the planet giving the results of the Dasha lord will be most telling if the age of maturity of the AK is in that Dasha. Then He will tend to take things over from there, depending on lordship and significations. Both the other Grahas, being conjoined the AK have no choice but to follow the orders of the King. If the AK has been adverse before maturity then this conspicuous Dasha stands to unfold in greater significance depending on the strength and dignity of the AK. Malefic planets have positive significations as well, or at least those which are not afflicting by definition. These might come to the fore by way of context. If the AK is a friend of the benefic planet then He may choose to work through the benefic or they may work together since in any case the conjoined planets have to follow orders. The point then is what is the will of the AK at that time because all of life will be defined by that from then on. If the AK is very strong (we are discussing Grahas in the 10th House) and has been testing throughout life, then in the Swarga some other kind of experiences may come forth. Some planets are akin to Devatas due to their strength. There can be some significant Karma to interpret in these situations. Strength or Bala is knowledge which is protected by the Gada of Hanuman and cannot be delved into beyond this point.
Jupiter transit shows auspiciousness and the blessings from the heavans. If there is affliction from Saturn in transit it needs to be offset by Guru’s grace. Protection is needed if there is affliction to the 10th Bhava from important references in the chart. Likewise, the transit of Rahu is that of material bounty if in the right places, such as trines from the AL. That of Saturn, conversely, can be testing for physical health. If Saturn is afflicting the Kendras from the AL, it can significantly dampen the spirits even in the kind of situations envisaged above.
Decisions which may not find easy takers or supporters at the time of Dasha Sandhi can in fact be taken, particularly if sought to be taken in any case if only there was other support or guarantee or protection, with these kind of Graha placements. Karma tests nevertheless, when does it not, but then if the Prarabdha is such that there is a strong planet in one of the aforesaid situations, then He will show Himself when the time is right. Prarabdha is revealed through experience and the knowledge of the Shastra is primarily an instrument of faith, belief and submission, not to be commanded but to be bowed before. Some sort of benediction in the wasteland can quench the thirst. Prerna is another concept. Grahas embodying past Karma inspire and motivate to do various types of new Karma apart from delivering the results of past Karma. There is a line of teaching that in Manushya Yoni we have a choice insofar as new actions go. There is another which deems that freewill from the Upachaya Bhavas since in the charts, is part of Prarabdha and therefore bounded rationality. It could be a mix of both but there is no doubt that the human race despite its many predicaments is special in most ways. Inspirations filtered into the present from the very distant pasts can be used to act with the very distant futures in mind, to say nothing of the more immediate ones.
(C) Anurag Sharma
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