Ashtakavarga System of Prediction –Part 47 By Dr. E.S.Neelakantan In our earlier article we discussed rules pertaining to the role of Saturn is Ashtakavarga and we resume that discussion in this article. Since Saturn, by and large, denotes all negative and evil features in a chart, care is required in interpretation. In medical practice,there is an axiom, when in doubt, give the benefit of the doubt to the patient. If a patient comes with a fever, the physician will not assume that the disease is typhoid, malaria or meningitis. The doctor will proceed on the assumption that it is an ordinary fever and start the treatment with an analgesic or a broad spectrum antibiotic. If the fever does not subside, he may order further tests.Again take cricket for example - when there is an appeal for leg before wicket, the umpire in doubt, will give the benefit of doubt to the batsman.
An Astrologer while taking up a horoscope for examination, should proceed on the basic assumption that all the bhavas are productive of good results. If you scan the rules in Astrology, the chances of bhava fructifying is high in turns of probability theory and no astrologer should proceed on a negative assumption and then expect the hypothesis to be proved wrong,while judging a chart. Here is an anecdote: A patient went to a physician seeking treatment for a thyroid problem. The doctor assured the patient that the condition he is supposed to suffer from is curable but wanted to know, who arrived at the diagnosis. The patient said, “Doctor, recently I went to Book Fair and bought a book of about hundred pages on Thyroid and read it fully. On the last chapter, there was an appendix containing all the symptoms indicative of thyroid. Since I have all those symptoms, I feel I am a patient of Thyroid.” The doctor replied in a calm tone: Recently I went to a book shop and purchased a book on thyroid which runs to about thousand pages. After reading the book and based on my experience, I can tell you that you are not suffering from thyroid. You may please go home happy.”
When Saturn possessed of strength and associated with 5 or 6 bindus is in first first bhava, the person concerned will undergo sorrows right from the birth and will undergo loss of wealth. If Saturn is in debilitation house and is associated with 5 or more bindus, then the person will be long lived provided Moon is in an auspicious Varga.
Do you sense any contradiction in the verse quoted above? If Saturn is in Lagna and also with 5 or 6 bindus, it should give good results, but why does the author take a contrary view? Take for instance Saturn in Lagna in Libra with 6 Bindus. Saturn is in lagna; it is a Yogakaraka and is placed in a house with 6 bindus. Will it not take a person to the pinnacle of glory? Why then does not the author say that the person will be sorrowful and be deprived of wealth? I, for one, can think of one possibility, All said and done, Saturn is Karaka of sorrow. A thief is a thief whether he comes in a suit or in tattered robes. Saturn is Saturn, you can modify its Karakatwas or ownership of houses but you cannot change its character. A leopard cannot change its spots – so goes the adage.Lagna denotes the personality of a person. So Saturn in Lagna gives somewhat undesirable results even when possessed of strength and large number of bindus in its BAV Chart. I will give another reason why there is so much confusion in interpretation of Saturn and its results. There is a rule which runs as follows: Those planets which are weak in the Natal Charts give results attributed to them. The converse is true of Saturn. Let me explain this rule. Mercury rules over speech, acquisition of knowledge and power of discrimination. If one has a strong Mercury, one will be learned and eloquent and a weak Mercury makes one a dullard.
Coming to Saturn, we know it rules over longevity, sorrow, death and destruction. If Saturn is strong, will you have more of sorrow or less of sorrow, meaning you will be happy? Apply the above rule,” Converse is true of Saturn.” If Saturn is strong, one will have less of sorrow. This is the crucial point we have to understand in interpretation of results pertaining to Saturn. However some scholars have taken a routine interpretation and have not appreciated this subtle point. So while reading the verse, we have to understand that point number one, Saturn in Lagna gives sorrows. But the second point, Saturn if associated with 5 or 6 bindus in the above rule is not the cause of sorrow but an ameliorating factor. If Saturn were to be present with less than 5 bindus, one will have more of sorrows, while its presence with more than 5 bindus causes less of sorrows.
In moments of sorrows, what saves a person? Divine Grace. This is true not only of all human beings but animals too. Here is an anecdote:-Yogi Ramsuratkumar used to live under a peepul tree in Tiruvannamalai. One night he was sleeping under the tree with other devotees. At about midnight, suddenly Yogi Ramsuratkumar arose saying, “this beggar has an important job”.He started walking as others followed him. A mile or two away, there was a large farm land and in the center was a huge well that irrigated the land. The well did not have walls, and a horse had fallen into it.We need to save the horse, said Yogi. Looking at the sheer size of the fallen horse, the people around said, “Let us call the fire station”.Yogi replied, “If you can save the horse, go ahead. Otherwise, leave it to this beggar”.Puranas say that the elephant Gajendra who was in pain, cried out to the Lord and the Lord arrived from Heaven to save it.Now, it was this horse, and no one knew how it cried out, and Yogi Ramsuratkumar was there to save it! Yogi went around the well twice and then, swaying his hand-fan, chanted, “Om Sri Ram! Jai Ram! Jai Jai Ram!” and then, just as we watch it in a movie, the horse gently jumped out and ran away! This is not a cooked up story! Even today, there are people who had witnessed this event. People asked Yogi, 'Bhagwan! How come you are capable of doing such miracles? Yogi replied, No No! This beggar is not capable of doing any miracles. Only Ram Naam ( name of Lord Rama) is doing miracles! In our life we enjoy or suffer depending on our 'paapa' and 'punya'. The imprints of our past deeds (prarabhda karma ) follow us. No one's life is filled with just happiness or just sorrow. Life is a mix of both happiness and sorrow.In this life, when we encounter misery, , if we cry
out the name of the Lord, He comes down to help us, irrespective of the situation.This was the advice of Yogi Ramsuratkumar. What moral can we derive out of this story in an astrological sense?The horse fell into the well because of karma,which is comparable to the adverse influence of Saturn.But the same event also obtained the grace of a Guru which is represented by the benefic effects of Saturn in a functional role.Saturn,I might say can not only pave the way for suffering but also ensure redemption from karma in an overall sense. (To be continued) **********************
