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 Jupiters 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 Jupiters 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 todays 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 , 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 , verse 7] [see Table 3 as

follows]

TABLE 3

PLANETS QUALITY

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 5th

bhava.

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 wont 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 mans life. When the above principle is adopted in Jupiters

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