The Five Principles

Sage Satyacharya discussed the five principles (pancha siddhanta) of horoscopy in Satyajatakam. These being:

1.  Graha Sheela: Intrinsic attributes and behaviors of the planets;
2.  Karakattwa: Intrinsic significances of the planets, karakatwa;
3.  Nakshtra or Asterismal Position: Also known as tara sambandha whereby planets are considered from their asterismal placement from the natal lunar asterism (the star in which moon is placed at birth) or the 10th or 19th therefrom.
   
   

   Ruler	Star #	Name	Effect
   Ketu Venus Sun Moon Mars Rahu Jupiter Saturn Mercury Ketu Venus	01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 111	Janma Sampat Vipat Kshema Pratyari Sadhaka Vadha Maitra Param Maitra Janma' Sampat'	+   moderately positive  +   moderately positive -    negative results +   moderately positive -    negative results +   moderately positive -    negative results +   moderately positive ++ excellent +   moderately positive ++   moderately positive

   
   
   Let us consider that the Moon is in Aries 2d and thus in the star of Ketu in a chart The sequence of star-relationships in this specific example would be:
   
   The relative positions from sign (rashi) and in stars would be an important factor to consider. For instance, a planet that is the bhukti-lord and in the 3rd star from the dasha-lord might find it difficult to facilitate positive results fully. The effects are modulated by the intrinsic or chart specific qualities of the planet such as strength, beneficence and participation in a particular yoga or arishta (-) as well as mutual location of major and sub-lords in the chart, etc.
4.  Planetary Strength: This is based on the placement of the planets in a chart in signs and divisions, as well as the planetary states or awasthas.
5.  Rulerships of Specific Houses in a Chart: This is very important in Jyotish and along with the dispositorship of signs (and stars) forms the crux of our system.

Essentially, one must realize that the following building blocks are used in a Jyotish analysis.

•  Rising sign - which orients and aligns the zodiacal circle of signs (impersonal) with the circle of houses in a given chart (personal), bringing the two together. There is a considerable lack of unanimity in what is understood and utilized by jyotishis as a house or bhav. In the experience of many a house or bhav would be represented by the entire sign placed in a house with reference to the first house or rising sign, regardless of where in the sign the rising degree (ascendant) might be placed. For instance, if the 28th degree of Cancer is rising, then the entire sign of Cancer would be in the first house or tanu bhav, the entire sign of Leo would be in the 2nd house or dhan bhav, and so on. This is known as the “whole sign as a house” system. Other house division systems in astrology include: equal house, Placidus, Regiomontanus, Zenith, Campanus, etc. Most are used in western or tropical astrology but Placidus is also used in Krishnamurthi Paddhati and some jyotishis utilize the equal house division (Sripati Paddhati).

•  House groups: The houses are next viewed in sets or groups,

• i. Trines or Trikonas: The trines 1st, 5th and 9th are the most important benefic houses. Some consider the 1st as a weak trine or a weak benefic (the 1st is considered to be an angular house, as well). Since the first house represents the self and the ultimate decision maker in most things that we do, as well as the primary perceiver of reality as one experiences it first hand, this can be seen as the most important house in all considerations such as yogas and associations with other planets. I, therefore, vote for giving it a lot of importance in all delineations, for good and bad effects. The trines essentially form the tripod on which our life-experience rests upon. The 9th house indicates our past, going beyond this lifetime, our ancestral roots, our karma that is ripe and ready and which brought us to the present station in the journey of soul. Little wonder, therefore, that this is the house we look at for matters such as our luck, fortune and destiny, things over which we have little control, in this lifetime. The 5th, on the other hand, represents the future, the next generation (children), it also signifies 'that' which we have the capability of creating. This has implications greater than simply our innate creativity, but also includes the karma and actions that we create, now -- deeds over which we have relatively 'greater if not full' control. So, in a sense, our 9th house indicates that which might be predestined, whereas, the 5th represents to some extent that which is within our free-will to create and accomplish. The 5th house is 3rd from the 3rd (house of initiative, actions, purushartha) and this again underscores the association of 'free-will' and the 5th house in a spiritual manner as opposed to the physical, worldly things. It must be realized that karma exists in a timeless realm, whereas, we experience it within the temporal constraints of our existence which gives us the perception of time as a linear entity. The 5th, though forward-looking and prospective in nature, is not entirely free from what is known as 'purva-punya', effects generated by earlier deeds, which then appear as our current spiritual state and the Grace that we may receive through mantras, remedies, upaayes (which literally means procedural solutions). So, paradoxically, there is a timelessness link between the 5th and 9th houses in some ways.
  
  The first house represents the present -- our current station. Since our current horoscope is linked strongly to the moment of our birth and is indeed a route map of this lifetime, it makes a lot of sense to study the 1st house carefully to see which houses, and signs it is connected with, in order to acquire an understanding of the direction that we originally intended to follow. It pays to remind ourselves from time to time that we as souls are the creators of our horoscopes and the designers of our destiny and so some of us may indeed choose to alter our course in life, at times. Leaving the spiritually advanced aside, most of us come to this lifetime to learn how to make spiritually correct decisions. The concept of being crushed and trapped forever in the concrete prison of fatalistic karma hastily interpreted from the 'old' age and the careless, carefree abandon of the new age are both extremes and both positions are perhaps illusory.

• ii. Angles or Kendras: While the three trines represent our experiences in time (past, present and future), the angles, 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th are connected with and represent our surroundings and the people close to us, thus, from the 1st we see the nature of the self, the person closest to us, and our inner space. From the 4th we study our mother and all the places which generally represent as our secure resting places, our mother's womb, the ancestral home, the native surroundings we were raised in, the sanctuary we return to each day, as well as our final resting place in this worldly journey.
  
  The 7th deals with all that which is truly a part of self but that we tend to project outside. It is that part of ourself that we continue to seek outside of us. The significant other, the externalized half, the other gender, our interactions with others outside of our circle are all covered by this angular house.
  
  Finally, there is the 10th which describes our work and occupational surroundings, and goes even beyond our daily mundane and worldly work, and describes the purpose, the major tasks that we bring to this lifetime, with us, the quality of supportive influences and people that help us attain this. According to Laghu Parashari Bhashya an accompanying text to Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, in the order of increasing strength the houses are: 1, 4, 7 and 10th the strongest.

• iii) Trikas or Challenges: Our challenges, impediments and our losses are indicated by the 6th, 8th and 12th houses. These govern among many other things, VI: sicknesses and enemies, VIII: hidden parts of our self, our defects, our chronic obstacles -- as well as our hidden strengths, and, XII: our losses, separations (detachments) and confining situations. In some senses, all of these houses have the ability to confine us, to subject us to regimentation and under controls that we are not naturally inclined towards accepting, and those things that help focus our awareness on specific issues and problems, in a worldly and also perhaps in a spiritual way. These houses bring us face to face with our vulnerabilities, showing us the fragile, human parts of our 'selves'.
   
  One important basic principle of Jyotish involves treating any house that is being examined as the first or orienting house. The houses that are in trinal or angular relationship with the said house, represent the helpful influences to the matters ruled by the house that is being examined. Those houses that lie in the 6th, 8th or 12th from the house under study would adversely interfere with the fructification of this house. The 6th and 8th are particularly malefic in this type of consideration. This mode of studying a house is also applied when examining dasha effects. If the bhukti lord is well-placed from the dasha lord, the two can work harmoniously, and if these happen to be benefics and mutual friends in the horoscope under scrutiny, can lead to very desirable and positive results. Experience indicates that the major period lord is the more important one and if the sub-period lord makes connections with the major period lord (sign exchange or mutual reception, occupancy of the same sign, aspects, etc.) then the sub-period would show up the effects of major period lord. If such an association is not there, then the sub-period lord would show its independent effects, within the general boundaries of what is promised or indicated by the major period lord.

• iv) Connecting Houses: The remaining three houses, 2nd, 3rd and 11th, deal primarily with our acquisitions and how we go about acquiring those. Through these houses, we connect and communicate with others, often in a materialistic and material sense. It must be mentioned that the 6th house also qualifies to be considered as a part of this triad, since it is also a upachaya or house dealing with earnings, growth and usually indicates acquisitions obtained while in service of others. Sage Satyacharya does not consider it as an 'evil' place for a house-lord to be placed in (see below). However, readers are advised to test this position which must not be taken too literally.

So, when viewing a chart we must first look at these four sets of houses, namely, 1-5-9, 4-7-10, 6-8-12 and 2-3-11. There are a few different ways of looking at these:

Strength: The simplest way is to look at the strengths of the houses and of their lords using the full-scale v/graha shadbal system. From a practical point of view, it is best not to have the 6-8-12 set excessively strong, as a general rule. It is best to have the trines, 1-5-9, strongest and balanced (equally strong!) in the chart. In Jyotish, planets can be in strong or weak, friendly or inimical signs -- this is based on their nature and temporal placements and is taken into consideration as part of the classical strength determination.

Relative Placement of Ruler: The next thing to look at is the placement of the ruler from its own houses. A ruler placed in a trine or angle from its house would be able to help matters governed by the house. If placed in 6th or 8th from its house or in the 6th, 8th or 12th from the ascendant (1st house in radix), then the house under study is likely to suffer to some extent. Please note that a planet placed in the 12th sign from its own house is not necessarily a weakening influence, though it is so, when placed in the vyaya bhav or house of loss from the ascendant. In the same vein, unless otherwise weak or afflicted, the mere presence of the lord of the ascendant in the 12th house is not necessarily detrimental for the indications of the 1st house. This could be treated as an exception that applies to the first house. If lords of other houses are placed in the 12th from ascendant (the horoscope's 12th house), the indications of those houses may suffer. Perhaps this is why when the lord of dusthanas (trikas, bad places!), 6th, 8th and 12th are placed in the 12th house, these houses do not prosper and thus result in a net positive effect for the nativity in a worldly sense. This forms part of what is known as a 'vipareet rajyoga' or paradoxical-regal combination!

Tri-fold Connectivity: The connectivity between the house, the house ruler and the dispositor must be reviewed. The dispositor is the planet that rules the sign in which a house ruler is placed. If Aries is rising and Mars is in Capricorn, then Saturn as the lord of Capricorn is the dispositor for the 1st house (and for the 8th, Scorpio in that chart, as well).

Executor or Karaka: Finally, we should routinely look at the executor or the significator for the house under review. These planets may be considered as the secondary rulers for a house. Although, only a few significators are listed in standard books, many more house-significations may be attributed to each planet. One can generate a list by associating the intrinsic attributes of the planets with areas and activities in life. Sun, for instance, is the significator for father, wood, light, energy, government, administration, bones, teeth, eye, eyesight, structure, and much much more (For more detailed discussion of these and other material suitable for the beginner please study my on-line article  For Beginners in Jyotish

One can examine these planetary significators in two ways, firstly, by studying their strength and disposition as viewed from the perspective of the house they signify as well as the placement of the significators from the ascendant. The second way is to treat the house that holds the significator as the ascendant and viewing the relationship/placement of other planets therefrom, considering their natural benefic and malefic natures and properties.

Other Considerations: Other considerations and ways of examining the planetary associations and relationships also exist. These include their placement in nakshatras, i.e., the stellar division of the zodiac, and the considerations of the 'body' (sharira) and "spirit" (jeeva) dispositors. Divisional charts, particularly the nonile or novile harmonic -- navamsha, is examined in several ways to judge the connectivity between planets and signs. There are many other esoteric and practical techniques that can be utilized to define and examine the ways in which planetary indicators associate with each other and connectively manifest their energies. These are fairly advanced considerations and techniques that lie ahead in your path as a jyotishi.

Scoring System: According to atyacharya, a bhav or house would be strengthened by the following:

1.  When the lord of the bhav is placed between (flanked by) benefic planets. This is also called 'shubha kartari' yoga.
2. 2. When the lord of the bhav receives aspect from benefic planets.
3.  When the lord of the bhav is strong by virtue of being in exaltation, moolatrikona, its own, or friendly sign.
4.  When the lord is placed in an Upachhaya sthana from lagna. These are the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 10th or 11th houses from lagna.
5. When the lord of bhav is in an angle (kendra) from the lagna or lagna-lord.
6. When the lord of bhav is in a trine (1, 5, 9) from lagna or lord of lagna.

For each of the above, a planet can receive a score of 1 or 0. In item 5 and 6, scores of 0.5 to be assigned for each of the considerations, 0.5 from lagna and 0.5 from lord of lagna.

On the other hand, a house is weakened in the following situations:

1. Lord of bhav is flanked by malefics in the 12th and 2nd house from it (papakartari yoga).
2. Lord of bhav receives aspect of malefics
3. The lord of bhav is weak in strength by being in debility, or in inimical signs
4. The lord of the house is combust.
5.  The dispositor of the lord of a bhav (the lord of the sign that holds the lord of bhav under scrutiny) is weak, debilitated, or in inimical sign.
6.  The lord of the bhav under study is in the 8th or 12th house from the lagna or from the lord of lagna.

For each of the above there can be a score of -1 or 0. In item f, a score of -0.5 for each of the considerations: lagna and lagna lord.

Looking at the tenth house, we see that:

The lord mercury is not flanked on both sides (0)
The lord does not receive aspects from benefics (0)
The lord is in the sign of a neutral (0)
The lord is not placed in an upachaya (0)
The lord is not placed in an angle from the lagna (0)
The lord is not placed in a trine from the lagna or its lord (0)

Total benefic points = 0

On the malefic side of the equation,

The lord of 10th bhav is not flanked (0)
The lord does not receive aspects (0)
The lord of the 10th bhav is neither weak nor strong (0)
The lord of the house is not combust (0)
The dispositor of the 10th lord mercury (Moon) is not strong (-1)
The lord of the bhav is in the 8th from lagna (-0.5)
but not from the lord of lagna (0)

Total points = -1.5

The points a planet can obtain can range from -6 to +6. We can add 6 to the scores obtained to convert the range into positive numbers and this would result in a percentile range from 0 to 12. In our example the sum total that the Sun in this chart gets is:

0 + (-1.5) +6 = 4.5. This corresponds to a percentage of 37.5% indicative of difficulties in reaching full potentials insofar as the 10th house is concerned.

While numerical measures such as these help one, it must be noted that they must not be taken as the final value. For instance, in this scheme, we have not taken into full consideration things such as composite shadbal, vimshopaka and nakshatra effects, etc. The numbers derived here serve as starting points and must be modulated with proper judgment.

The Proof of the Pudding

 Without digressing too much from the subject matter at hand, this may be a good time to look into why we are putting so much effort into learning the dashas and their wonderful reminder to us that the Universe is indeed connected! That, I think, is the most beautiful reassurance that astrology was meant to give to us! It is unimaginable otherwise why the distant planets going about their business of circling around the sun have such profound impact on, concordance with, and relevance to the billions (at least on our planet) of human lives through the language of astrology.

This chart is of Benazir Bhutto and while there shall always remain the niggling doubt as to which one is the correct chart and so on in this chart that I provide an intriguing consonance between her ill-fated career and assassination, and the signature of the Jyotish indicators is highlighted and can be used as a somber and somewhat macabre illustration of the principles that underlie the human experience.

In her case, rahu is a strong maraka since it is placed in the 2nd house with gulika. Sun and mars too are indicative of the same being placed in the 7th, the other maraka house which also happens to be the badhaka house in her chart. On the ill-fated day of 27th December 2007 when she faced her destiny – the vimshottari dasha of Saturn-Jupiter-sun was in effect. Saturn is in the star of mars and aspecting it fully. Jupiter is the lord of first house but in the house of enemies and in the star of moon the lord of the 8th house and longevity. Without the falsely misplaced optimism and sense of purpose would she have dared to go so unprotected amidst the very crowd that had earlier made an attempt to kill her. The anthara lord is sun who too is placed in the 7th and thus the maraka house and in the star of rahu who is placed in the 2nd (maraka house) with gulika an extremely evil upagraha. At the time of assassination, look at the transits! Jupiter and sun are in the 7th house with the natal lord of lagna in the chart of the moment! And Saturn is right across from the strong maraka rahu as per the natal chart. The death came by as she was travelling (3rd house) during a moment of extreme confusion (ketu placed with Saturn). In this case the two dasha markers, Jupiter and sun were also placed in the 7th which is a badhakasthana. To top it all, the weekday was Thursday ruled by Jupiter and the hora at the moment belonged to: Mercury which rules over maraka sthana, and is the ruler of the rising moment at the ill-fated event and in natal chart is placed in the 8th in the rahu ketu axis. Rahu as touched upon earlier is a strong maraka and with gulika placed in the 2nd house which signifies death. Most intriguing!

Plethora

When it comes to dashas, Jyotish is resplendent with dashas that offer directions to the nativity as to the sign of times and to act appropriately – not just for personal and materialistic benefits which is certainly possible, but for lasting spiritual growth. That too is possible! Dashas are available to the jyotishi that utilize the asterismal perspective and others that utilize the rashis. Vimshottari the commonest is asterism-based, as is ashtottari and yogini which are very different from how they utilize the nakshatras. There are also rashi dashas such as chara and there are dashas like kala chakra which are based both on asterisms and rashis – a bridging of the two factors that have found many followers recently.

Truth be told, no dasha is perfect! Why else would the sages describe so many? Some jyotishis recommend using more than one, or several dashas in tandem and while it has been accomplished successfully by a few, the plethora generally has proven to be confusing for many beginners (for whom this series is meant).

Conditional dashas as described in Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra are really meant to be utilized by researchers since the few slokas in which each of the dashas have been described do not do justice to any of those individually.

Vimshottari

has therefore remained the mainstay for many jyotishis, certainly at the beginning until they are ready to incorporate more. I have found it useful to work with Vimshottari and Ashtottari dashas for individuals based on a simple hint given by G.C. Sharma in his translation of Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra. Vimshottari was recommended for those born during the Shukla paksha while Ashtottari was recommended for those born during the Krishna paksha. Some have further teased it into night births and day births.

Ashtottari

In my recently published article on actor Leo Dicaprio (EST: November 2008 issue) I have demonstrated how Ashtottari dasha can be utilized. The basic premise seems to be that one born in krishnapaksha has a slightly shorter lifespan hence utilizing a dasha of 108 years. This cannot be taken too literally because lots of people born in shuklapaksha die young while those in krishnapaksha live longer. And overall, there are not too many that live to be even 108 years, let alone 120! It is even more interesting to note that while ketu gets a period allocated to it, Ashtottari only allocates periods to rahu and ketu is missing. The utilization of nakshatras is different from Vimshottari also and nakshatras are utilized in groups or clusters of 3 or 4 stars alternately, as opposed to the sequential cycles as in Vimshottari, also the janma nakshatra of Sri Ram, Abhijit is utilized in the ashtottari scheme.

When to Use Which?

Other than the lunar paksha as the determinant for choosing Vimshottari over ashtottari, Parashara has also indicated that if Rahu occupies an angle or trine from the lagnesha, then ashtottari may be utilized. An exception would be if rahu is in the ascendant. In addition to this BPHS also indicates that for night-births in shuklapaksha (bright phase of moon) and day-births in Krishnapaksha (dark phase of moon), ashtottari can be used. These ‘conditionalities’ are given in BPHS as suggestions as opposed to firm directives. The text indicates that it is what others have utilized and Parashara was merely including these for completeness sake. Some jyotishis have taken this to mean that Parashara was not recommending that Ashtottari be used over vimshottari which has been clearly recommended (as also a few other of the many dasas described in BPHS, thereby leaving room for experimentation. The third directive (Vimshottari for suklapaksha day births and krishnapaksha night births while Ashtottari for the converse situations) has more merit as experimentation indicates. Sometimes when both ashtottari and vimshottari point in the same direction, effect-wise it represents a stronger likelihood.

Paraplegic Case

This young man sustained injuries and became paraplegic losing the functionality in all limbs. Scorpio rises with lagnesh mars with rahu and neechastha venus in the 11th house. Venus does get cancellation of debility due to mercury being in kendra from moon and lagna. Since the birth was in Krishnapaksha, this would be a candidate for using Ashtottari (rahu in kendra from lagnesh, Krishnapaksha birth during the daytime). The seriousness of the accident and consequences sustained on Wednesday the 22nd August 2007 are very unfortunate and grave.

Ashtottari

Venus, moon and mars hold sway over the day. Venus represents 7th and 12th house and is placed in the 8th from its nakshatra dispositor moon. Lagnesh mars is also in same nakshatra and the 6/8 relationship is not a good omen. Moon is involved in the dasa scheme. From the ashtottari nakshatra scheme (see Table), both are in hasta nakshatra which is associated with mars and thus represents accidents, injuries etc. Notice too that venus, mars and rahu the latter signifying sudden events, accidents are placed in the pada of 9th house. The ninth is badhaksthana in Scorpio and therefore the pada of that house will have a negative connotation as well. Jupiter the great benefactor is actually placed in the 9th house (badhaksthana) and forming a 6/8 relationship with its dispositor moon (also represents a rashi sambandha with planets in chara and sthira signs associating with each other) and was not helpful, other than perhaps not killing the individual by virtue of being a maraka and ketu’s dispositor. On the day of transit, a wednesday ruled by gnatikaraka mercury, retrograde venus was transiting the badhaksthana, Saturn was within few degrees of its natal position, with sun and mercury (few days after his birthday) across from natal moon and rahu right over the natal moon.

Vimshottari

Major lord Jupiter in badhaksthana, 6th from its dispositor in shani's nakshatra, rahu and mercury too involved. Atmakaraka Rahu and gnatikaraka mercury are negative indicators and the sudden injuries and dire consequences show up in this dasa scheme too, an indication of how destiny shows up strongly in charts when something inevitable has to occur.

Transits

As described both indicators of the dasas were transiting key positions. Jupiter and moon in lagna, the later in debility aspected by mars from the maraksthana, rahu transiting the moon and Saturn its natal position, while venus transits the badhaksthana, too many coincidences to be called such.

Recovery is likely to be very slow with signs of improvement during the period of mars after September 2009 (Vimshottari) and more sustained improvement after February 2010 when mars rules the bhukti in Ashtottari. The current transit of Jupiter in atichara gati (acceleration), neech rashi is not a good period and hope will dwindle.

Cautionary Note for Readers

Since many beginners would be reading and learning from this series, I must reiterate to them the fact that while sages have indicated different dasas, one must learn the dasa applications one by one and it is safest to first use Vimshottari ONLY which BPHS has recommended for all charts and when familiarity has been gained, then to move on to include or consider dasas such as Ashtottari, Jaimini system dasas, yogini etc. Otherwise there could arise confusion. This portion of this series was just to introduce readers to the possibilities beyond Vimshottari and illustrate how different dasas can co-operate and indicate similar trends.

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-  Continued