Ashtakavarga System of Prediction Part – 45 By DR.E.S.NEELAKANTAN In part 44, we discussed some of the salient features of Saturn’s role in Ashtakavarga. In this article, I am going to respond to certain issues raised by one of our readers over email. First let us read and understand the points raised by our reader by going through the email. I refer to the article “Ashtakavarga system of Prediction Part-42” by Dr.E.S.Neelakantan. His definition for different yogas is very good. Type-IV yoga also involved exalted signs of Kujadhis. He mentioned only two own signs of Mars—Aries and Scorpio omitting Mar’s exalted sign Capricorn. Regarding Rajayoga for the late Mrs. Indira Gandhi whether it is there or not in her nativity she had occupied the highest seat of power in India for about 15 years. Indira Gandhi comes under Rajayogas prescribed for Royals by ancient sages. The maharishi’s classification of Rajayogas for Royals and non-Royals is redundant in the present set-up of democracy in India. Indira Gandhi’s nativity has three great exchange yogs which are par excellence viz 1) exchange of Lord of Lagna Moon and 7th Lord Saturn 2) exchange of 2nd Lord Sun and 5th Lord Mars 3) exchange of 6th Lord Jupiter and 9th Lord Venus Dr.E.S.Neelakantan noted in Indira Gandhi’s horoscope 6th Venus as 4th Lord had curtailed the longevity of her mother. Instead of reviewing Kamala Nehru’s horoscope for her short life, his passing comment will give the readers an impression that the sons and daughters horoscope would give an indication of their parents longevity. It was a method used by the pastmasters when there were no horoscopes for their parents. Now a days, parents, grand parents and great-grand parents have their horoscopes cast in different system and different ayanamsa. Astrologers could well do research on those horoscopes who have short life. Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari as fondly he was called “Rajaji” (Scorpio Ascdt) had two exchange yogas in addition to Pournami Yoga and Exalted 9th Moon in 7th house. Former President Rajendra Prasad had exchange yogas involving 3 planets in a 3-way exchange but not exactly three mahaparivarthana yogas involving six planets like Indira Gandhi. Regarding Dharma-Karmadhipati yoga is concerned whether it is formed in auspicious

houses (barring 6, 8, 12) or not as per Sage Mantreswara, it has given only due effect when these are formed in their own signs or such yogas are in either 9th or 10th. Aspecting is just aspect only. There is no point in referring to ancient books for all time and all things. One will have to find out from the public whether these yogas present in thier horoscope worked for them as per text books. Exchange of Lords come under the exchange yoga. In the case of prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh (Dhanus Ascdt) DKYoga is formed in 10th house with the fusion of Karmadhipati Mercury (exalted) with Dharmadhipati Sun. Whereas in the nativity of the late and revered leader of Tamil Nadu Perarinjar Anna, 9th Lord Mercury in the 9th house and 10th Lord Venus in the 10th house. Actress Padmini has DK Yoga (Taurus Asc) Saturn in 9th house. In the case of Taurus Ascendant solitary Saturn could form DK yoga. In regard to Sachin Tendulkar’s horoscope (Taurus Asc) Dharma-karmadhipati Saturn is posited in the Lagna. It is a unique case of Dharma-Karmadhipati Yoga of unmatched and unrivalled excellence. Dr.E.S.Neelakantan literally translated the meaning of Rajayoga and opted for only one person out of billions. This is not correct interpretation of Rajayoga. In a democracy, from a panchayat councillor to prime minister enjoys Rajayoga. “As in those days kings were mainly the major beneficiaries of astrology, the author (Kalyana Verma) hints at the better use of this science for the kings. Primarily the yogas explained in this chapter (Raja Yogas: Chapter-35) ensured kingship in olden days. In modern context, these yogas in their order will confer a high degree of position, richness, status and the like. And the word Rajayoga throughout the gamut of astrology be understood in this sense only and not in a literal sense of making one a king.” noted R.Santanam the great translator of the Classic “Saravali”. What the general public wants or their meaning of Rajayoga is—good income, good family (spouse and children) own house, a vehicle, and the timely occurence of all auspicious and inauspicious occasions in his family i.e. his own marriage, progeny and panchadasa karmas of his putra, putri in right time and the death of their parents in their very old age, that is all there is to it. Having read the email the first point I would like to concede is that Ruchaka yoga is formed even when Mars is in Capricorn and therefore the reader is correct. While I mentioned only Aries and Scorpio, it is natural that Capricorn being the exaltation house of Mars should also be included. The reader’s second point regarding the chart of Mrs.Indira Gandhi is that she was the Prime Minister irrespective of any Rajayoga being present or absent in her chart and Kamala Nehru’s chart should have been the basis for determination of her longevity. Answers to these points are there in the reader’s email itself; when he says, “It was a method used by the pastmasters when there were no

horoscopes for their parents”. My intention is to highlight yogas in Indira Gandhi’s chart. I made a passing reference to her fourth house. Anyway, the reader is right when he says all charts should be read as such and we should not take inputs from charts of their relatives for our predictions. It was not my intention either and both the reader and I share the same views. The reader has only confirmed my view that a three way Parivartana is rare by citing the charts of Rajaji and Babu Rajendra Prasad, who were stalwarts of yesteryears. Next the reader enters into an age old debate of Theory vs practice. Theory is incomplete without practice while practice alone without theory is even more useless. In today’s astrologers there is heavy preponderance on their individual views without sticking to theory. Here is an anecdote:A lady who was in her forties was taken to a physician for Asthma. The doctor wrote out a prescription. He called the lady’s son and said “If you show this prescription to another doctor, he will surely disagree with me. You decide for yourself. I have written a steroid, which is usually prescribed for temporary relief. What I suggest is that despite side effects, you keep this as a standard prescription for long term”. The lady and her son had full faith in the doctor. She used to take one tablet prescribed by the doctor daily in the morning.The lady was not only cured of Asthma but went on to live for another fifty years and passed away in her late nineties. Why I am discussing this anecdote is that sometimes a pragmatic view solves problems rather than theory. Having said that I would like to reiterate that students must interpret and understand theory as it is rather than alter it to suit their views.Please note that practice is not a substitute for theory.Interpretations for a rule can be many but what you should understand is what the propounder of that rule had in mind while formulating the theory. Here is another anecdote which highlights how a simple statement can be interpreted by people who do not understand why a rule is in place :There was a mandir in Haridwar frequented by lots of devotees with a notice board outside which said.”Leave your chappals here and enter”.This elicited lots of enquiries from devotees and the Manager of the mandir found it very difficult to answer the questions of some of the devotees.One devotee asked “ Sir,You say that I have to leave my chappal and enter but look,I am actually wearing a shoe.Can I enter the mandir with this shoe?”.Another devotee who had come barefooted to the mandir asked” Sir,Is it compulsory to enter this mandir after removing chappals? The manager said “ Yes”.The barefooted devotee said” Then I shall go to the nearest shop and buy a chappal and coming to the temple I shall leave it outside and enter”.Another devotee asked the

Manager.” Sir,one of my friends wishes to pray in this mandir to get a cure for the swelling in his legs.He cannot wear a chappal.Will you give him special permission to enter?”Another devotee asked ”Sir,On seeing the notice board I understand that I have to leave the chappal outside and enter;after the darshan is over can I wear the chappal and go or will I have to donate this chappal so that it becomes the property of the temple?”This was too much for the Manager and he immediately instructed the officer to remove the notice board. The reader’s viewpoint is that I took up for analysis Indira Gandhi’s chart which is one out of a billion charts. I cannot exactly comprehend what the reader is trying to communicate but let me submit that there is not enough space to discuss a billion charts. All that is needed is that the student or scholar should take my discussion of the chart as an example and do their own independent reading of charts. When a diabetic was on his deathbed, Dr.Frederick Grant Banting from Toronto administered insulin by way of an injection. Today the same is repeated all over the world on billions of diabetics. I would prefer billions of charts being analysed by students of Astrology rather than my doing it. Indira Gandhi’s chart could be taken as a model chart for understanding how to interpret yogas in a chart. According to Varahamihira “If there are three or more powerful exalted planets or planets in Moolatrikona, a person born in a royal family becomes a king. If the number is five or more, then persons born in ordinary families will become kings. In case these planets are powerless, then these persons will become wealthy men, instead of becoming kings (Brihat Jataka, XI / 13)”. The above verse needs one explanation. How can an exalted planet become powerless? For instance , if the exalted planet is in 8, it is powerless in terms of Digbala though it has Sthanabala. A prince becomes a king if three planets are powerful. A layman requires five planets. This is the distinction between royals and non – royals which the reader has referred to in his email. The reader is of the view that the Maharishi’s classification of Rajayogas for royals and non – royals is redundant in the present set of democracy in India. I feel that this distinction has validity even today. For instance, Indira Gandhi with her Rajayogas could become Prime minister not just because of her Rajayogas but also in part due to her birth in a royal family. If you take a list of ministers in India, many of them are here because they hail from a political family. Please note that in the absence of exalted or strong planets even a king could be reduced to the state of a commoner or even worse.This was the case with Bahadur Shah Zafar. The last Mughal emperor of India, Bahadur Shah Zafar II (Born 24 October 1775 – died 7 November 1862) was a famous Urdu poet of his times. He was not ambitious in nature and therefore was considered to be the weakest of all the Mughal rulers in the

history of India. He spent the last days of his life painfully in exile in Rangoon. In one of his couplets Bahadur Shah Zafar had lamented on the irony of his fate thus: I had requested for a long life a life of four days/Two passed by in pining, and two in waiting/How unlucky is Zafar! For burial/Even two yards of land were not to be had, in the land (of the) beloved./My life gives no ray of light, I bring no solace to heart or eye/Out of dust to dust again, of no use to anyone am I/Barred the door of the fate for me, bereft of my dear ones am I/The spring of a flower garden ruined/Alas, my autumn wind am I/I came into the world and what did I see?/Whatever I saw was just like a dream/Man is moulded from clay but/I saw him as a bubble of water. Bahadur Shah had Sun and Venus in Libra and Mars in Scorpio.In Bahadur Shah Zafar’s chart Sun is debilitated and no planet is exalted in his chart.Nevertheless both Venus and Mars occupy their own houses and though he rose to the level of a king,he at the same time brought about the end of the Mughal dynasty. (To be continued )