ASHTAKAVARGA SYSTEM OF PREDICTION PART – 13 Dr. E.S. NEELAKANTAN Introduction:

We have seen the Ashtakavarga features of Jupiter in our last two issues. Here we continue with the same subject and proceed to discuss the intricacies involved in the Ashtakavarga of Jupiter.

One popular misconception I wish to clear here. We always say that Jupiter is the foremost benefic for any chart. On the contrary Saturn is the greatest malefic. Prima facie, these views appear to be correct. Or, do they merely appear true? Really speaking, the above view is false. Let me place my arguments before you.

Only natural benefics are prone to Kendradipatyadosha. Natural malefics are exempt from this rule. Saturn as lord of 4 in 4 is good, while Jupiter as lord of 4 in 4 is bad.This is as far as natal charts are concerned. Jupiter in Gochara in Janmarasi is as bad as Saturn in Janmarasi in Gochara. The nomenclature is slightly different. For Jupiter we say “Janma Guru” and for Saturn it is “JanmaSani” which is part of “sade sati”.

Really speaking, a person born in Taurus, Libra, Capricorn or Aquarius as rising sign would find Saturn an admirable ally. On the other hand, there is no rising sign for which Jupiter is an unmixed blessing.

The final argument, I wish to place before you is the dictum, “Karaka in bhava is bad for the bhava”(karakoBhavanasaya). Jupiter in 5 comes under this rule. Jupiter is 5 is bad for the

House of children. Saturn is an exception to this rule – hence Saturn in 8 is actually a welcome placement. If you see a chart with Saturn in 8 predict long life.

Having heard all my arguments, I put you in the position of a judge to pronounce verdict on this question – “Jupiter Vs Saturn – which is more beneficial to a person?” With this prelude, we move on to discuss the intricacies of Jupiter’s Ashtakavarga in the greater detail. Two points I wish to stress here – • It is always good to have Jupiter with more than 5 bindus in a chart. • Even if Jupiter is in 6, 8 or 12 the mere fact it has obtained 5 or more bindus will bestow, wealth, long life and victory over enemies.

Matters relating to children are to be found out from Jupiter’s Ashtakavarga. In olden days people used to have unlimited children. Two reasons can be attributed to that.


In olden days, fecundity of people was more as the level of stress was much less compared to what it is today.
Cost of maintaining a family was less compared to what it is today. Today life has become far more complicated than at any other point of time in history. Even India is now getting into the same type of civilization prevalent in western countries. All these factors have resulted in families with fewer children. Even the simple pleasures of childhood seem to be strangely absent in today’s world. A personwill be bestowed with as many children as there are bindus in the house occupied by the sign – dispositor of the 5th house from Jupiter. The characteristic of children will correspond to the donors of the bindus.

The appearance of the children will have to predicted from the planetary indications provided by Varahamihira in BrihatJataka [chapter ІІ, verse 8] Table 1 gives us a clear picture of these indicators.

TABLE 1 SUN – Well – proportioned body, bilious, short hairs, coloured eyes. MOON - Proportionate body, good eyes, sweet speech. MERCURY – Fond of humour ;mix of air,wind and bile MARS - Bilious, fickle minded, thin waist JUPITER – Corpulent body, phlegmatic VENUS – Beautiful eyes, body with more of wind and phlegm SATURN – Lean, tall, rough hairs Table 2 gives the areas of the body, over which the planets exercise control TABLE 2 SUN

BONE

MOON

BLOOD

MERCURY

SKIN

VENUS

SPERM

JUPITER

BRAIN

MARS

MARROW

SATURN

NERVES

The character and nature of children born will have to be interred from the planetary indications provided by Varahamihira in BrihatJataka [chapter ІІ, verse 7] [see Table 3 as follows] TABLE 3 QUALITY

PLANETS Sun, Moon, Jupiter

SATTWA

Mars, Saturn

TAMAS

Mercury, Venus

RAJAS

A little bit of explanation is needed here, as many people fail to understand what exactly are Sattwa, Tamas, and Rajas. I wish to explain this in the light of a parable narrated by Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Once a traveller was walking through a dense forest. He was waylaid by three dacoits. The first dacoit said that the hostage be killed on the spot. The second one said that instead of killing, we will loot his money and personal belongings and tie him to a tree. The third dacoit said that hebe allowed going scot free. Concluding his story Ramakrishna Paramahamsa said that in this parable, the first dacoit is Tamas which deadens you. The second one dacoit is Rajas which binds you. The third dacoit is Sattwa which liberates you. The most significant message of this story is that, at the end of the day, all the three Sattwa, Tamas and Rajas are only dacoits. In other words they are enemies not friends. They are fictitious super impositions on the soul and therefore fit to be discarded. The real aim of life is to transcend these three qualities. The following characteristics are to be understood from Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas. [Refer Table 4] Table 4 SATTWA -

Kindness, fixed purpose, truthfulness, straightforward ,reverence for Gods and preceptors.

RAJAS -

One who is fond of women, poetry, literature, one who is courageous.

TAMAS -

Deceitful, stubborn, lazy, revengeful, sleepy.

Sattwa gives happiness, makes a person wise. Rajas denotes desire for objects, binds the atman by the ropes of karmic results. Tamas denotes ignorance, makes a person negligent in his duties and also gives rise to passion and avarice. Rishis of ancient times were adepts in telling stories, pregnant with meaning and which are easy to understand.The Ramayana, for instance is just a story but for a person endowed with the faculty of discrimination, it is a mine of wisdom.

For example, by reading the qualities of the three demon brothers, Ravana, Vibhishana and Kumbakarna, what do you understand? For a moment, recount their respective qualities and see which of the three, Sattwa, Rajas, Tamas, they represent. Vibhishana was fond of Lord Rama; he was truthful – so he represents Sattwa. Ravana had lust of Sita, he was also courageous – so he represents Rajas. Kumbakarna was a demon who used to sleep for six months at a stretch. He prayed for ‘Nirdevatvam’ or ‘one who is on a par with Devas’. When the Almighty appeared before him and blessed him with wish fulfillment, he by way of a slip of the tongue asked for ‘Nidrevatvam’ or ‘one who is always asleep’ and his wish was instantaneously fulfilled. So, Kumbakarna stands for the quality of Tamas. Another vexed question which often crops up is; when a person will be blessed with a child? If either of the following rules is satisfied, one will have an issue in the early part of his married life. a) The 5th lord is situated very near the 5thbhava. b) The lord of the 5th house is very close to the bhava occupied by the lagna lord. There is another way to reckon, when a person will be blessed with a child. For this we need to know the meaning of the terms Kendra, Panapara and Apoklima. The cardinal houses are known as Kendras, meaning lagna, 4th house, 7th house and 10th house. From the lagna, the 4th house denotes ‘Sukrasthana’ or ‘Matrusthana’. If you treat the 4th house as lagna, then 4th from that house is the 7th house. Again 4th from the 7th house is the 10th house and similarly 4th from 10th is the lagna. We say that exactly at noon time if we perform an activity the deed will fructify soon. That is because it comes under an auspicious Muhurtha called ‘AbhijitMuhurtha ’. What is

the specialityof AbhijitMuhurtha? The Sun is in the 10th house – exactly over your head. If we stand under the Sun, at that moment, your shadow won’t fall on the ground. Sun in lagna, means the exact time of sun rise. Sun in the 7th means, time of sun set. Sun in the 4th means, midnight. So all these points are crucial and they are areas of special importance in Astrology. Kendras, Panaparas and Apoklimas are clearly explained in Table 5 below Table 5 Kendras

1, 4, 7, 10

Panaparas

2, 5, 8, 11

Apoklimas

3, 6, 9, 12

The house which is immediately next to a Kendra is a Panapara house and the house which is immediately next to a Panapara house is an Apoklima house. From general rules of Astrology, we understand that a planet in Kendra gives results in the initial stages of a man’s life. When the above principle is adopted in Jupiter’s Ashtakavarga, we derive the following thumb rules. a) When the lord of the 5th house occupies a Kendra, a person will be blessed with a child soon after marriage. b) If the aforesaid planet occupies a Panapara, one will get a child in the middle part of married life. c) If the aforesaid planet occupies an Apoklima house, delay is likely and one will be blessed with a child, late in life.

- THE END