Indian astrology is based on the theory of fate. The good and the bad actions of the past life determine your fate or Karma of your present life, and the actions of your present life determine your future Karma. According to Indian astrology a person is born at that place, on that day and on that moment when his individual fate is in perfect mathematical harmony with the progress of the stars in heaven.
However it does not preach total dependence on fate. Astrology lets you know what you were born with, what your possibilities are, the limitations, your strong points and your drawbacks. What type of life partners and professions suit you and to expect is also indicated. It also prescribes various remedial measures to ward off the bad effects and to enhance the good results. Astrology is your roadmap of destiny. However your fate is in your hands.
The scriptures guide us by telling us what is good and what is bad; what to do and what not to do; how to do and how not to do. You are given a piece of land and the seeds to
sow, how much effort to put in to it, what amount of manure and water to add and when how to reap the produce is your job.
After that it is you who have to act using your knowledge intelligence, discrimination and experience. Fate is like a game of cards where you cannot help the cards that have been dealt to you but how to play them is in your hands. You may get good cards but if you play badly you will lose and you may get bad cards and still may win if you play carefully. Do not blame the roadmap if you get drunk, drive badly and have an accident!
Jyotisha ( Or
Jyotish from
Sanskrit {{IAST|jyotiṣa}} from
{{IAST|jyótis-}}"light, heavenly body") is the traditional
Hindu system of
astronomy and
astrology Also known as
Hindu astrology more recently
Vedic astrology It has three branches:
[{{IAST|triskandham jyautiṣam horā ganitam samhiteti ca}}Bṛhat Parāśara Horāśāstra 1.2]
*
Siddhānta : [[Indian astronomy]].
* Saṁhitā
: [[Mundane astrology]], predicting important events related to countries such as war, earthquakes, political events, financial positions, [[electional astrology]], house and construction related matters ([[Vāstu Shāstra|Vāstu Śāstra]]), animals, portents, omens, and so on.
* Horā :
Hora (astrology) in detail.
Note- This ancient art is perhaps the only way known to mankind in which workable eternal principles can be astutely applied to contemporary life with aplomb, and real issues in the lives of very real people can be diagnosed and addressed. This in turn illustrates the sheer magic of predictive Vedic Astrology, perhaps the closest thing to metaphysical meaning in existence, bereft of prejudices tainted by colour, creed, nationality, profession and other such personal attributes.
The foundation of Hindu astrology is the notion of
bandhu of the
Vedas (scriptures), which is the connection between the
Macrocosm and microcosm and the macrocosm. Practice relies primarily on the
sidereal zodiac which is different from the
tropical zodiac used in
Western astrology in that an
[[ayanamsa|ayanāṁśa]]adjustment is made for the
sidereal time of the
Great year Hindu astrology includes several nuanced sub-systems of interpretation and prediction with elements not found in Hellenistic astrology, such as its system of
lunar mansion (
[[nakshatras|Nakṣatra]].
Astrology remains an important facet in the lives of many
Hindu . In
Hindu culture newborns are traditionally named based on their jyotiṣa charts, and astrological concepts are pervasive in the organization of the calendar and holidays as well as in many areas of life, such as in making decisions made about marriage, opening a new business, and moving into a new home. Astrology retains a position among the
science in modern
India ["In countries such as India, where only a small intellectual elite has been trained in Western physics, astrology manages to retain here and there its position among the sciences." David Pingree and Robert Gilbert, "Astrology; Astrology In India; Astrology in modern times" Encyclopædia Britannica 2008] Following a judgement of the
Andhra Pradesh High Court in 2001, some Indian universities offer advanced degrees in astrology.
[Mohan Rao, Female foeticide: where do we go? Indian Journal of Medical Ethics Oct-Dec2001-9(4), http://www.issuesinmedicalethics.org/094co123.html issuesinmedicalethics.org]; T. Jayaraman, A judicial blow, FrontlineVolume 18 – Issue 12, Jun. 09 – 22, 2001 http://www.hindu.com/fline/fl1812/18120970.htm hinduonnet.com]]
The term
Hindu astrologyhad been in use as the English equivalent of
Jyotiṣasince the early 19th century.
Vedic astrologyis a relatively recent term, entering common usage in the 1980s with
self-help publications on
Ayurveda or
Yoga The qualifier "Vedic" is however something of a
misnomer [Kuśāla Siddhānta, "Some questions concerning the UGC course in astrology", http://www.ee.iitkgp.ernet.in/~soumitro/bt/archives/astrology.pdf Breakthrough Vol.9, No.2, November 2001, p.3]][Narlikar (2001)][P. Norelli-Bahelet (2002)] as there is no mention of
Jyotiṣain the Vedas, and historical documentation suggests
horoscopic astrology in the Indian subcontinent was a Hellenic influence post-dating the
Vedic period [Pingree(1981), p.67ff, 81ff, 101ff] This, however, is widely debated since an authoritative work on Jyotish called the
Bṛhat Parāśara Horāśāstra is said to be spoken by Sage
Parashara who existed before the Hellenic Period and contributed to Rigveda.
History
Jyotiṣa is one of the
Vedanga the six auxiliary disciplines used to support Vedic rituals.
[Flood, Gavin. Yano, Michio. 2003. The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism.Malden: Blackwell.]Early jyotiṣa is concerned with the preparation of a calendar to fix the date of sacrificial rituals.
Nothing is written on planets.
There are mentions of
eclipse causing "demons" in the
Atharvaveda and
Chandogya Upanishad the Chāndogya mentioning
Rahu In fact the term
graha which is now taken to mean
planet originally meant demon.
The Ṛgveda also mentions an eclipse causing demon,
Svarbhānu however the specific term of "graha" becomes applied to Svarbhānu in the later
Mahabharata and
Ramayana
It is only after the Greek settlement in Bactria (third century BC) that explicit references to planets are attested in Sanskrit texts.
It was only after the transmission of Hellenistic astrology that the order of planets in India was fixed in that of the seven-day week.
Hellenstic astrology and astronomy also transmitted the twelve zodiacal signs beginning with Aries and the twelve astrological places beginning with the ascendant.
The first evidence of the introduction of Greek astrology to India is the
Yavanajataka which dates to the early centuries CE.
The
[[Yavanajataka|Yavanajātaka]]("Sayings of the Greeks") was translated from Greek to Sanskrit by
Yavanesvara during the 2nd century CE, under the patronage of the
Western Satrap Saka king
Rudradaman I and is considered the first Indian astrological treatise in the
Sanskrit language.
[Mc Evilley "The shape of ancient thought", p385 ("The Yavanajātaka is the earliest surviving Sanskrit text in horoscopy, and constitute the basis of all later Indian developments in horoscopy", himself quoting David Pingree "The Yavanajātaka of Sphujidhvaja" p5)] However the only version that survives is the later verse version of Sphujidhvaja which dates to AD 270.
The first Indian astronomical text to define the weekday was the
Āryabhaṭīya of
Āryabhaṭa (born AD 476).
According to Michio Yano, Indian astronomers must have been occupied with the task of Indianizing and Sanskritizing Greek astronomy during the 300 or so years between the first
Yavanajatakaand the
ĀryabhaṭīyaThe astronomical texts of these 300 years are lost.
The later
Pañcasiddhāntikāof
Varāhamihira summarizes the five known Indian astronomical schools of the sixth century.
It is interesting to note that Indian astronomy preserved some of the older pre-Ptolemaic elements of Greek astronomy.
The main texts upon which classical Indian astrology is based are early medieval compilations, notably the
[[Bṛhat Parāśara Horāśāstra|{{IAST|Bṛhat Parāśara Horāśāstra}}]] , and Sārāvalī by {{IAST|Kalyāṇavarma}}.
The orāshastra
is a composite work of 71 chapters, of which the first part (chapters 1–51) dates to the 7th to early 8th centuries and the second part (chapters 52–71) to the later 8th century. The ārāvalī
likewise dates to around 800 CE.[David Pingree, ]IAST|Jyotiḥśāstra}}
(J. Gonda (Ed.) History of Indian Literature
, Vol VI Fasc 4), p.81 English translations of these texts were published by N.N. Krishna Rau and V.B. Choudhari in 1963 and 1961, respectively.
==Elements==
{{Cleanup-section|date=February 2010}}
===Rāśi – zodiacal signs===
The [[sidereal zodiac|Nirayana - sidereal or fixed zodiac]] is an imaginary belt of 360 degrees (like the [[tropical zodiac|Sāyana - tropical zodiac]]), divided into 12 equal parts. Each twelfth part (of 30 degrees) is called a sign or rāśi
([[Sanskrit]]: part). Vedic (Jyotiṣa) and Western [[zodiac]]s differ in the method of measurement. While synchronically, the two systems are identical, Jyotiṣa uses primarily the sidereal zodiac (in which stars are considered to be the fixed background against which the motion of the planets is measured), whereas most [[Western astrology]] uses the [[tropical zodiac]] (the motion of the planets is measured against the position of the Sun on the [[Equinox|Spring equinox]]). This difference becomes noticeable over time. After two [[millennium|millennia]], as a result of the [[precession of the equinoxes]], the origin of the [[ecliptic longitude]] has shifted by about 22 degrees. As a result the placement of planets in the Jyotiṣa system is consistent with the actual zodiac, while in western astrology the planets fall into the following sign, as compared to their placement in the sidereal zodiac, about two thirds of the time.
{{Rāśi table}}
The zodiac signs in Hindu astrology correspond to parts of the body:[Charak, Dr. K.S. (1996). ]Essentials of Medical Astrology
, Uma Publications, pp.5–6.
{|class="wikitable" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2"
|-
!Sign
!Part of Body
|-
|Meṣa (Aries)
|head
|-
|Vṛṣabha (Taurus)
|mouth
|-
|Mithuna (Gemini)
|arms
|-
|Karka (Cancer)
|thoracic cavity, chest and heart
|-
|Siṁha (Leo)
|stomach
|-
|Kanyā (Virgo)
|digestive system
|-
|Tula (Libra)
|umbilical area
|-
|Vṛścika (Scorpio)
|generative organs
|-
|Dhanu (Sagittarius)
|thighs
|-
|Makara (Capricorn)
|knees
|-
|Kumbha (Aquarius)
|Lower part of legs
|-
|Mīna (Pisces)
|feet
|}
=== Nakṣatras - lunar mansions===
[[File:Nakshatras.jpg|thumb|Nakshatras]]
A [[nakshatra|Nakṣatra
]] or [[lunar mansion]] is one of the 27 divisions of the sky, identified by the prominent star(s) in them, used in Hindu astrology.. Each nakṣatra is divided into quarters or
padasof 3°20. Of the greatest importance is the Abhiśeka Nakṣatra which is the King amongst all the Nakṣatras and worshipping and propitiating this Nakṣatra has the power to remedy all the other Nakṣatras. http://planetarytransformation.blogspot.com/2006/08/choose-chart-analysis-you-want.html Remedial measures] are in general the high-water mark of all realistic predictive astrology work and go a long way in mitigating Karma.
| class"wikitable" align"center" cellspacing"2" cellpadding""
|- bgcolor#cccccc
!#!! Name !! Location (Sidereal Longitude) !! Ruler !! Pada 1 !! Pada 2 !! Pada 3 !! Pada 4
|-
| 1||
Ashvinī (अश्विनी) || 0 – 13°20 Aries || Ketu || चु Chu || चे Che || चो Cho || ला La
|-
| 2||
Bharanī (भरणी) || 13°20 – 26°40 Aries || Venus || ली Li || लू Lu || ले Le || पो Lo
|-
| 3 ||
Krittikā (कृत्तिका) || 26°40 Aries – 10°00 Taurus|| Sun || अ A || ई I || उ U || ए E
|-
| 4 ||
Rohini (nakshatra) (रोहिणी)|| 10°00 – 23°20 Taurus || Moon || ओ O || वा Va/Ba || वी Vi/Bi || वु Vu/Bu
|-
| 5 ||
Mrigashīra (मृगशिरा)|| 23°20 Taurus – 6°40 Gemini || Mars || वे Ve/Be || वो Vo/Bo || का Ka || की Ke
|-
| 6 ||
Ardra (nakshatra) (आर्द्रा) || 6°40 – 20°00 Gemini || Rahu || कु Ku || घ Gha || ङ Ng/Na || छ Chha
|-
| 7 ||
Punarvasu (पुनर्वसु)|| 20°00 Gemini – 3°20 Cancer || Jupiter || के Ke || को Ko || हा Ha || ही Hi
|-
| 8 ||
Pushya (पुष्य) || 3°20 – 16°40 Cancer || Saturn || हु Hu || हे He || हो Ho || ड Da
|-
| 9 ||
Āshleshā (आश्लेषा) || 16°40 Cancer – 0°00 Leo || Mercury || डी Di || डू Du || डे De || डो Do
|-
| 10 ||
Maghā (मघा)|| 0°00 – 13°20 Leo || Ketu || मा Ma || मी Mi || मू Mu || मे Me
|-
| 11 || Purva or
Pūrva Phalgunī (पूर्व फल्गुनी) || 13°20 – 26°40 Leo || Venus || नो Mo || टा Ta || टी Ti || टू Tu
|-
| 12 || Uttara or
Uttara Phalgunī (उत्तर फल्गुनी) || 26°40 Leo – 10°00 Virgo || Sun || टे Te || टो To || पा Pa || पी Pi
|-
| 13 || Hasta (हस्त) || 10°00 – 23°20 Virgo || Moon || पू Pu || ष Sha || ण Na || ठ Tha
|-
| 14 || Citrā (चित्रा) || 23°20 Virgo – 6°40 Libra || Mars || पे Pe || पो Po || रा Ra || री Ri
|-
| 15 ||
Svātī (स्वाती) || 6°40 – 20°00 Libra || Rahu || रू Ru || रे Re || रो Ro || ता Ta
|-
| 16 ||
Vishākhā (विशाखा) || 20°00 Libra – 3°20 Scorpio|| Jupiter || ती Ti || तू Tu || ते Te || तो To
|-
| 17 ||
Anuradha (nakshatra) (अनुराधा) || 3°20 – 16°40 Scorpio || Saturn || ना Na || नी Ni || नू Nu || ने Ne
|-
| 18 ||
Jyeshtha (ज्येष्ठा) || 16°40 Scorpio – 0°00 Sagittarius || Mercury || नो No || या Ya || यी Yi || यू Yu
|-
| 19 ||
Mula (मूल) || 0°00 – 13°20 Sagittarius || Ketu || ये Ye || यो Yo || भा Bha || भी Bhi
|-
| 20 ||
Pūrva Ashādhā (पूर्वाषाढ़ा) || 13°20 – 26°40 Sagittarius || Venus || भू Bhu || धा Dha || फा Bha/Pha || ढा Dha
|-
| 21 ||
Uttara Ashadha (उत्तराषाढ़ा) || 26°40 Sagittarius – 10°00 Capricorn || Sun || भे Bhe || भो Bho || जा Ja || जी Ji
|-
| 22 ||
Shravana (श्रवण) || 10°00 – 23°20 Capricorn || Moon || खी Ju/Khi || खू Je/Khu || खे Jo/Khe || खो Gha/Kho
|-
| 23 ||
Shravishtha (धनिष्ठ) or
Dhanishtha || 23°20 Capricorn – 6°40 Aquarius|| Mars || गा Ga || गी Gi || गु Gu || गे Ge
|-
| 24 ||
Shatabhishā (शतभिषा)or
Shatataraka || 6°40 – 20°00 Aquarius || Rahu || गो Go || सा Sa || सी Si || सू Su
|-
| 25 ||
Pūrva Bhādrapadā (पूर्वभाद्रपदा) || 20°00 Aquarius – 3°20 Pisces || Jupiter || से Se || सो So || दा Da || दी Di
|-
| 26 ||
Uttara Bhādrapadā (उत्तरभाद्रपदा) || 3°20 – 16°40 Pisces || Saturn || दू Du || थ Tha || झ Jha || ञ Da/Tra
|-
| 27 ||
Revati (nakshatra) (रेवती) || 16°40 – 30°00 Pisces || Mercury || दे De || दो Do || च Cha || ची Chi
|}
Daśā-s – planetary periods
The word
Daśā (astrology) (
Devanāgarī दशा,
Sanskrit {{IAST|daśā}} planetary period) means state of being and therefore the Daśā governs to a large extent the state of being of a person. The Daśā system shows which planets may be said to have become particularly active during the period of the Daśā. The ruling planet (the Daśānātha or lord of the Daśā) eclipses the mind of the native, compelling him or her to act as per the nature of the planet.
There are several dasha systems, each with its own utility and area of application. There are Daśās of Grahas (planets) as well as Daśās of the Rāśis (signs). The primary system used by astrologers is the Viṁśottarī Daśā system, which has been considered universally applicable in the Kaliyuga to all horoscopes.
The first Mahā-Daśā is determined by the position of the natal Moon in a given Nakṣatra. The lord of the Nakṣatra governs the Daśā. Each Mahā-Dāśā is divided into sub-periods called
bhuktis or
antar-daśās which are proportional divisions of the maha-dasa. Further proportional sub-divisions can be made (but error margin based on accuracy of the birth-time grows exponentially). The next sub-division is called
pratyantar-daśā which can in turn be divided into
sookshma-antardasa which can in turn be divided into
praana-antardaśā which can be sub-divided into
deha-antardaśā Such sub-divisions also exist in all other Daśā systems, some of which have been named above.
Vimshottari dasha lengths are:
|class"wikitable" border"1" cellspacing"0" cellpadding"2"
|-
!Mahā-Daśā
!Length (Lunar Year)
!Bhuktis
|-
|-
|Ketu
|7 Years
|Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury
|-
|Venus
|20 Years
|Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu
|-
|Sun
|6 Years
|Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus
|-
|Moon
|10 Years
|Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun
|-
|Mars
|7 Years
|Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon
|-
|Rahu
|18 Years
|Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars
|-
|Jupiter
|16 Years
|Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu
|-
|Saturn
|19 Years
|Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter
|-
|Mercury
|17 Years
|Mercury, Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn
|}
Grahas – planets
Nine grahas (
Navagraha are used,
from
Grah (
Devanāgarī ग्रह,
Sanskrit {{IAST|graha}}, seizing, laying hold of, holding[Sanskrit-English Dictionary by Monier-Williams, (c) 1899]:
| class"wikitable" cellpadding2 cellspacing2
|- bgcolor#cccccc
! Sanskrit Name !! Telugu Name !! Kannada Name !! Tamil Name !! Malayalam Name !! English Name !! Abbreviation !! Gender !!
Guna
|-
|
Sūrya (सूर्य) || రవి || ಸೂರ್ಯ || ஞாயிறு, சூரியன் || ആദിത്യന് ||
Sun || Sy or Su || M ||
Sattva
|-
|
Chandra (चंद्र) || చంద్ర || ಚಂದ್ರ || திங்கள், சந்திரன் || ചന്ദ്രന് ||
Moon || Ch or Mo || F ||
Sattva
|-
|
Mangala (मंगल) || కుజ || ಮಂಗಳ || செவ்வாய் || ചൊവ്വ ||
Mars || Ma || M ||
Tamas (philosophy)
|-
|
Budha (बुध) || బుధ || ಬುಧ || புதன் || ബുധന് ||
Mercury (planet) || Bu or Me || N ||
Rajas
|-
|
Bṛhaspati बृहस्पति) || గురు || ಗುರು || வியாழன், குரு || വ്യാഴം ||
Jupiter || Gu or Ju || M ||
Sattva
|-
|
Shukra (शुक्र) || శుక్ర || ಶುಕ್ರ || வெள்ளி, சுக்கிரன் || ശുക്രന് ||
Venus || Sk or Ve || F ||
Rajas
|-
|
Śani (शनि) || శని || ಶನಿ || சனி || ശനി ||
Saturn || Sa || N ||
Tamas (philosophy)
|-
|
Rāhu (राहु) || రాహు || ರಾಹು || ராகு, கரும்பாம்பு || രാഹു ||
Lunar node || Ra || F ||
Tamas (philosophy)
|-
|
Ketu (mythology) (केतु) || కేతు || ಕೇತು || கேது, செம்பாம்பு || കേതു ||
Lunar node | Ke || M ||
Tamas (philosophy)
|}
The http://planetarytransformation.blogspot.in/2011/03/jyotish-studies-and-lessons.html Nine Planets of Vedic Astrology] or Jyotiṣa are the forces that capture or eclipse the mind and the decision making of the human being-thus the term Graha. When the Grahas are active in their Daśās or periodicities they are particularly empowered to direct the affairs of the person or the inanimate being as the case may be. Even otherwise, Grahas are always busy capturing us in some way or other, for better or for worse.
Some basic significations of the planets are given below.
Ravi or the Sun is the King of the Cosmic Cabinet and governs existence and provides resources to mankind through its traverse of the various signs/ Rāśis. In fact the Rāśis are created and distinguished based on the movement of the Sun. In this form, the Sun is the Āditya.
Cañdra/ Chandra or the Moon is the Queen and indicates the flow of life and the psychological perception of the human being. It is also indicative of significations/ Kārakattwas such as home and the mother.
Maṅgala/ Mangala/ Kuja/ Mars is the Commander-in-chief of the cosmic cabinet and governs valour of the human being.
Budha/ Mercury is the adolescent and the prince governing our rationale, intellect and commerce all at once.
Gurū/ Guru/ Jupiter is the preceptor of the Gods and is the indicator of divinity in any horoscope.
Śukra/ Shukra/ Venus is the preceptor of the demons and indicates luxury, comfort and romance apart from aesthetics in general.
Śani/ Shani/ Saturn is the labour of the Kālapuruṣa and shows our suffering and exertions.
Rāhu is the unknown and the foreigner and is a higher octave of Saturn; it takes the native towards Bhoga Marga or material enjoyments. It is pleasure-seeking and a hedonist.
Ketu is the unknown too but moves towards Mokṣa or final emancipation and is a benefic in spiritual life while a dire malefic in material life.
Planets in maximum
Exaltation (astrology) Mūlatrikoṇa (own sign), and debilitation, are:
| class"wikitable" cellpadding2 cellspacing2
|- bgcolor#cccccc
! Graha !! Exaltation !! Mūlatrikoṇa !! Debilitation !! Sign Rulership
|-
|
Sun || 10° Aries || 4°-20° Leo || 10° Libra || Leo
|-
|
Moon || 3° Taurus || 4°-20° Cancer || 3° Scorpio || Cancer
|-
|
Mars || 28° Capricorn || 0°-12° Aries || 28° Cancer || Aries, Scorpio
|-
|
Mercury (planet) || 15° Virgo || 16°-20° Virgo || 15° Pisces || Gemini, Virgo
|-
|
Jupiter || 5° Cancer || 0°-10° Sagittarius || 5° Capricorn || Sagittarius, Pisces
|-
|
Venus || 27° Pisces || 0°-15° Libra || 27° Virgo || Taurus, Libra
|-
|
Saturn || 20° Libra || 0°-20° Aquarius || 20° Aries || Capricorn, Aquarius
|-
|
Rāhu || Taurus, Gemini || Virgo || Scorpio, Sagittarius || Aquarius (co-ruler)
|-
|
Ketu (mythology) || Scorpio, Sagittarius || Pisces || Taurus, Gemini || Scorpio (co-ruler)
|}
The natural planetary relationships are:
| class"wikitable" cellpadding2 cellspacing2
|- bgcolor#cccccc
! Graha !! Friends !! Neutral !! Enemies
|-
|
Sun || Moon, Mars, Jupiter || Mercury || Venus, Saturn
|-
|
Moon || Sun, Mercury || Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn || Mercury, Venus, Saturn
|-
|
Mars || Sun, Moon, Jupiter || Venus,Saturn || Mercury
|-
|
Mercury (planet) || Sun, Venus || Mars, Jupiter, Saturn || Moon
|-
|
Jupiter || Sun, Moon, Mars || Saturn || Mercury, Venus
|-
|
Venus || Mercury, Saturn || Mars, Jupiter || Sun, Moon
|-
|
Saturn || Venus, Mercury || Jupiter || Sun, Moon, Mars
|-
|
Rahu || Saturn, Venus || Mars, Mercury, Jupiter || Sun
|-
|
Ketu (mythology) || Mars || Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn || Moon
|}
[http://planetarytransformation.blogspot.com/2012/02/daily-vedic-astrology-horoscope-jyotisa.html Gocharas – transits]
The natal chart shows the position of the grahas at the moment of birth. Since that moment, the grahas have continued to move around the zodiac, interacting with the natal chart grahas. This period of interaction is called
Gochara (
Sanskrit {{IAST|gochara}} transit).
The study of transits is based not only on the transit of the Moon/ Cañdra, which spans roughly two days, but also the movement of the slightly faster planets such as Mercury/Budha and Venus/ Śukra. The movement of the slower planets Guru, Śani and Rāhu-Ketu is always of considerable import. Astrologers must study the transit of the Daśā lord and must also study transits from various reference points in the horoscope.
Yogas – planetary combinations
Yoga (Hindu astrology) (
Sanskrit {{IAST|yoga}} union) is a combination of planets placed in a specific relationship to each other.
The word means yoking which is a coming together of astrological entities.
It is usually advisable to study the underlying theme behind the Yogas rather than attempting to memorize them. Rāja Yogas are givers of fame, status and authority and are formed typically by the association of lord of Keṅdras/ quadrants when reckoned from the Lagna/ ascendant and lords of the Tṛkoṇa/ trines. The Rājayogas are culminations of the blessings of Viṣṇu and Lakṣmī. Some planets such as Mars for Leo Lagna do not need another Graha so as to create Rājayoga but is capable of suo-moto giving Rājayoga due to its lordship of the 4th Bhāva and the 9th Bhāva from the Lagna, the two being a Keṅdra and Tṛkoṇa Bhāva respectively.
Dhana Yogas are formed due to the association of wealth giving planets such as the Dhaneśa or the 2nd Lord and the Lābheśa or the 11th Lord from the Lagna. Dhana Yogas are also formed due to the auspicious placement of the Dārāpada/ A7 when reckoned from the Ārūḍha Lagna (AL). The combination of the Lagneśa and the Bhāgyeśa also leads to wealth through the Lakṣmī Yoga.
Sanyāsa Yogas are formed due to the placement of four or more Grahas excluding the Sun in a Keṅdra Bhāva from the Lagna.
There are some overarching Yogas in Jyotiṣa such as Amāvasyā Doṣa, Kāla Sarpa Yoga-Kāla Amṛta Yoga and Graha Mālika Yoga which can take precedence over planetary placements in the horoscope.
Bhāvas – houses
The Hindu
natal chart is the
Bhāva (
Sanskrit division)
Cakra (
Sanskrit wheel), the complete 360° circle of life, divided into houses, and represents our way of enacting the influences in the wheel. Each house has associated kāraka (
Sanskrit significator) planets that can alter the interpretation of a particular house.
ach Bhāva spans an arc of 30 degrees and therefore there are twelve Bhāvas in any chart of the horoscope. These are a crucial part of any horoscopic study since the Bhāvas, understood as state of being personalize the Rāśis/ Rashis to the native and each Rāśi/ Rashi apart from indicating its true nature reveals its impact on the person based on the Bhāva occupied. The best way to study the various facets of Jyotiṣa is to see their role in chart evaluation of actual persons and how these are construed.
|class"wikitable" border"1" cellspacing"0" cellpadding"2"
|-
!House
!Name
!Kārakas
!Meanings
|-
|-
|1
|Lagna (Tanu)
|Sun
|personality, physique, health/well-being, hair, appearance
|-
|2
|Dhana
|Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Moon
|wealth (movable assets), family relationships, eating habits, speech, eyes, death
|-
|3
|Sahaja
|Mars
|natural state, innate temperament, courage, valor, virility, younger siblings, communication, mating
|-
|4
|Sukha
|Moon
|inner life, emotions, home, property, primary education, mother
|-
|5
|Putra
|Jupiter
|creativity, children, spiritual practices, punya, love, Mantra§, status, inner kingdom
|-
|6
|Ari
|Mars, Saturn
| illness, injury, openly known enemies, litigation, daily work, foreigners, service, nuisances§, debts§
|-
|7
|Yuvati
|Venus, Jupiter
|business and personal relationships, marriage, spouse, war, fighting, sexual organs
|-
|8
|Randhra
|Saturn
|longevity, length of life, death, Adhi and Vyādhi§, transformations§,chronic illness, deep and ancient traditions, astrology, medicine
|-
|9
|Dharma
|Jupiter, Sun
|luck, fortune, spirituality,
dharma guru relationship with father, foreign travel, higher education§
|-
|10
|Karma
|Mercury, Jupiter, Sun, Saturn
|zenith, heaven, career, work-place§, profession, knees, karmas, sky, derived happiness§ (Pada)
|-
|11
|Lābha
|Jupiter
|gains, profits from work, ability to earn money, steady income, social contexts and organizations, hopes both fulfilled and unfulfilled§
|-
|12
|Vyaya
|Saturn
|loss, intuition, imprisonment, foreign travel, immigration §
moksha
|-
|}
Dṛṣṭis – aspects
Astrological aspect (Hindu Astrology) (
Sanskrit {{IAST|Dṛṣṭi}} sight) is an aspect to an entire house. Grahas cast only forward aspects, with the furthest aspect being considered the strongest. For example, Mars aspects the 4th, 7th, and 8th houses from its position, and its 8th house aspect is considered more powerful than its 7th aspect, which is in turn more powerful than its 4th aspect.
The principle of Dristi (aspect) was devised on the basis of the aspect of an army of planets as deity and demon in a war field.
[Sanat Kumar Jain, Astrology a science or myth, Atlantic Publishers, New Delhi. ][Sanat Kumar Jain, "Jyotish Kitna Sahi Kitna Galat (Hindi). ] Thus the Sun, a Deity King with only one full aspect, is more powerful then the Demon King Saturn, which has three full aspects.
Aspects can be cast both by the planets (Graha Dṛṣṭi) and by the signs (Rāśi Dṛṣṭi). Planetary aspects are a function of desire, while sign aspects are a function of awareness and cognizance.
|class"wikitable" border"1" cellspacing"0" cellpadding"2"
|-
!Graha
!Houses
|-
|Sun
|7th
|-
|Moon
|7th
|-
|Mercury
|7th
|-
|Venus
|7th
|-
|Mars
|4th, 7th, 8th
|-
|Jupiter
|5th, 7th, 9th
|-
|Saturn
|3rd, 7th, 10th
|-
|Rahu
|5th, 7th, 9th
|-
|Ketu
|No planetary aspect (some consider it to aspect the 5th, 7th, and 9th)
|}
There are some higher aspects of Graha Dṛṣṭi (planetary aspects) that are not limited to the Viśeṣa Dṛṣṭi or the special aspects. Rāśi Dṛṣṭi works based on the following formulaic structure: all movable signs aspect fixed signs except the one adjacent, and all dual and mutable signs aspect each other without exception.
Dig bala – directional strength
Graha-s gain strength when they are placed in specific
cardinal direction houses:
|class"wikitable" border"1" cellspacing"0" cellpadding"2"
|-
!House
!Grahas
!Direction
|-
|-
|1st
|Jupiter, Mercury
|East
|-
|4th
|Venus, Moon
|North
|-
|7th
|Saturn
|West
|-
|10th
|Sun, Mars
|South
|}
It will not do to simply know the
Dig bala (
Sanskrit {{IAST|dig bala}} directional strength) Bhāva of the Grahas and the directions associated with them. We must know the reason as to why the Grahas have directional strength in a given house. Let us start with Gurū because it is this Graha which represents divinity in any horoscope. It is further auspicious to study the Digbala Bhāva of this Graha with the chart of Viṣṇu Avatāra Bhagwāna Śrī Rāmacaṅdra as Gurū is exalted in Karkaṭa Lagna in the Rāśi Cakra of Bhagwāna Śrī Rāma. Furthermore it is joined Cañdra forming a divine Gajakeśarī Yoga with the Moon being in Swakṣetra or its own house.
With Śrī Rāmas chart we can appreciate the supreme intelligence that comes with Gurū in the Lagna and since the Graha is the Kāraka for Dhī Śakti or the power of discrimination it gets exalted in the Lagna where the head of the person is. Budha also has Digbala in the Lagna since it is the rationality of the human being and works in the head of the person
Ravi gets exalted in the 10th House because 10th is the Bhāva of decision-making and the King loves that. With the dictat the King comes into His full glory and so does his commander-in-chief Maṅgala/ Mars who again feels great at midday. The Agni in both Grahas is supported here.
The Moon and Venus have Digbala in the 4th House because this is the home where peace, mother and comfort exist. This is Jala Tattwa or the watery element which is receptive and nourishing and indicates the Devī or the Goddess.
Śani has Digbala in the 7th House because it indicates our sins and rebirth and loves to give vent to its desires which have resulted from not having.
Vargas - charts
There are sixteen
Varga (astrology) (}, part, division), or divisional, charts used in Hindu astrology:
[Sutton, Komilla (1999). The Essentials of Vedic Astrology The Wessex Astrologer Ltd, England lt;/ref>
| class"wikitable"
! Varga !! Divisor !! Chart !! Purpose
|-
| Rāśi || 1|| D-1 || Physical environment of the person
|-
| Horā || 2|| D-2 || Overall wealth
|-
| Drekkāṇa|| 3|| D-3 || Siblings (variants of this Varga Chakra extend to areas of vitality studied in the Somanātha Drekkāṇa, and the Karma Phala judged through the Jagannātha Drekkāṇa)
|-
| Caturthāṁśa || 4|| D-4 || Properties
|-
| Saptaṁāṁśa|| 7|| D-7 || Children
|-
| Navamsa (astrology) | 9|| D-9 || Spouse, Inner nature, Devatas, the hand of God, strength of planets.
|-
| Daśāṁśa|| 10|| D-10 || Career and intricate details of the working environment
|-
| Dvādaśāṁśa|| 12|| D-12 || Parents, Grandparents
|-
| Ṣodhaśāṁśa|| 16|| D-16 || Vehicles
|-
| Viṁśāṁśa|| 20|| D-20 || Upasana-s, Sādhana-s, spirituality
|-
| Caturviṁśāṁśa|| 24|| D-24 || Education, both formal and informal, Parā and Aparā Vidyā
|-
| Saptaviṁśāṁśa|| 27|| D-27 || Innate strengths of personality
|-
| Triṁśāṁśa|| 30|| D-30 || Evils in life
|-
| Khavedāṁśa|| 40|| D-40 || Quality of life, Karma from the mothers side
|-
| Akṣavedāṁśa|| 45|| D-45 || Karma from the fathers side. (From here on out,the birth time must be absolutely precise or the divisional chart is incorrect!!)
|-
| Ṣasṭyāṁśa|| 60|| D-60 || Used to differentiate between twins, past life karma, sum total of past Karma to be experienced, etc.
|}
]Chart styles
There are three chart styles used in Jyotiṣa, which are depicted below:
| align"centre"
| valign"top"| File Birth Chart (northern format).png
| valign"top" | File Birth Chart (southern).png
| valign"top" | File Birth Chart (eastern format).png
|}
Legend:Ashu
Ra - Rahu, Sa - Saturn, Ve - Venus, Su -Sun, Ma - Mars, Me - Mercury, As - Lagna, Mo - Moon, Ke - Kethu, Ju - Jupiter.
Horoscopy
[http://planetarytransformation.blogspot.in/2006/12/brief-look-at-twelve-lagnas.html Lagna – the ascendant]
Lagna (Sanskrit {{IAST|lagna}} ascendant.) is the first moment of contact between the soul and its new life on earth in Hindu astrology. It is the horizon, and the rising sign in the horizon is considered the Lagna sign. Houses are calculated based on Lagna. For example the 30degrees span from 15degrees before the longitude of Ascendant to after the ascendant is calculated to be the first house.["Sri Ramana Maharshis Moksha", by Sri Sankara Bhagavadpada, Yogi Impressions, India, 2008, p.49 http://hinduworldastrology.net/index.php?modulebook&actionsamples#]
Kārakas - significators
1. Atmakaraka (Sanskrit from {{IAST|atma}} soul, and {{IAST|kāraka}} significator) is the significator of the souls desire in Hindu astrology. It is the planet having the highest longitudinal degree.Gaṇḍānta – karmic knot
Gandanta (Sanskrit {{IAST|gaṇḍānta}} from {{IAST|gaṇḍ}} knot, and {{IAST|anta}} end) is a spiritual or karmic knot in Hindu astrology. Gaṇḍānta describes the junction points in the natal chart where the solar and lunar zodiacs meet, and is directly associated with times of soul growth.Ayanāṁśa – zodiac conversion
Ayanamsa (Sanskrit {{IAST|ayanāṁśa}} from {{IAST|ayana}} movement, and {{IAST|aṁśa}} component) is the longitudinal difference between the tropical Astrology (Sāyana) and sidereal astrology (Nirayana) zodiacs. Since tropical systems do not take into account the precession of the vernal equinoxes, this is the correction used in sidereal astrology.Maudhya – combustion
Maudhya ([[Sanskrit]]: {{IAST|moudhya}} , combustion) is a planet that is in Conjunction (astronomy and astrology) with the Sun. The degrees the planets are considered combust are:Sāḍe Sātī – critical transit
Sāḍe Sātī, the transit of Saturn over the natal Moon (Saturn return , is the most important transit in a birth chart and takes approximately 7.5 years to complete. The transit begins when Saturn enters the house before the Moon, and ends when Saturn departs the house after the Moon. The most intense phase is when Saturn is 2–3° on either side of the Moon. The beginning of the transit will give an indication of the issues to be addressed. Sāḍe Sātī results in a complete personal transformation, usually with a change in career or life direction.[
David Pingree, review of G. Prakash, Science and the Imagination of Modern India ],
Journal of the American Oriental Society (2002), p. 154 f.
Astrology remains an important facet of Hindu folk belief in contemporary India. Many Hindus believe that heavenly bodies, including the planets, have an influence throughout the life of a human being, and these planetary influences are the "fruit of
Karma in Hinduism " The
Navagraha planetary deities, are considered subordinate to
Ishvara i.e., the Supreme Being, in the administration of justice. Thus, these planets can influence earthly life.
[Karma, an anthropological inquiry, pg. 134, at http://books.google.com/books?id49GVZGD8d4oC&pgPA132&dqshani+karma&lr&cd2#vonepage&qshani%20karma&ffalse Google Books]]
Status of astrology
In the early 2000s, under the
Bharatiya Janata Party led government in India, astrology became a topic of political contention between the religious right and academic establishment, comparable to the "
Creation science debate in
US education
The University Grants Commission and the Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Government decided to introduce "Jyotir Vigyan" (i.e.
{{IAST|jyotir vijñāna}} or "Vedic astrology" as a discipline of study in Indian universities, backed up by a decision by the
Andhra Pradesh High Court despite widespread protests from the scientific community in India and Indian scientists working abroad.
[T. Jayaraman, A judicial blow, FrontlineVolume 18 – Issue 12, June 09 – 22, 2001 http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fline/fl1812/18120970.htm hinduonnet.com]] In September of the same year, the
Supreme Court of India issued a notice to the Ministry of Human Resource Development in reaction to a petition, stating that the introduction of astrology to university curricula is "a giant leap backwards, undermining whatever scientific credibility the country has achieved so far".
[Supreme Court questions Jyotir Vigyan, Times of India 3 September 2001 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1843762777.cms timesofindia.indiatimes.com]]
In 2004, the Supreme Court dismissed a further petition, judging that the teaching of astrology does not qualify as promotion of religion.
[http://judis.nic.in/supremecourt/qrydisp.asp?tfnm26188 Supreme Court: Teaching of astrology no promotion of religion]; http://www.hindu.com/2004/05/06/stories/2004050602931400.htm Introduction of Vedic astrology courses in universities upheld]] In February 2011, the Bombay High Court reaffirmed astrologys standing in India when it dismissed a case which had challenged it status as a science.
[Astrology is a science: Bombay HC, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Astrology-is-a-science-Bombay-HC/articleshow/7418795.cms The Times of India], 3 February 2011]
See also
*
Archaeoastronomy and Vedic chronology
*
Hindu calendar
*
Hindu chronology
*
Hindu cosmology
*
History of astrology
*
Indian astronomy
*
Jyotiṣa resources
*
Nadi astrology
*
Panchanga
References
Bibliography
*Kim Plofker, "South Asian mathematics; The role of astronomy and astrology",
Encyclopædia Britannica (online edition, 2008)
*
David Pingree and Robert Gilbert, "Astrology; Astrology In India; Astrology in modern times",
Encyclopædia Britannica (online edition, 2008)
*http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Hindu_Chronology "Hindu Chronology"]
Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1911)
*
David Pingree "Astronomy and Astrology in India and Iran",
Isis – Journal of The [[History of Science Society]](1963), 229–246.
*David Pingree,
{{IAST|Jyotiḥśāstra}}in J. Gonda (ed.)
A History of Indian Literature Vol VI, Fasc 4, Otto Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden (1981).
*Ebenezer Burgess, "On the Origin of the Lunar Division of the Zodiac represented in the Nakshatra System of the Hindus",
Journal of the American Oriental Society(1866).
*
William D. Whitney "On the Views of Biot and Weber Respecting the Relations of the Hindu and Chinese Systems of Asterisms"",
Journal of the American Oriental Society(1866).
*Satish Chandra, "Religion and State in India and Search for Rationality",
Social Scientist(2002).
*Sanat Kumar Jain, "Astrology a science or myth" highlighting how every principle like signlord, aspect, friendship-enmity, exalted-debilitated, Mool trikon, dasha, Rahu-Ketu, etc. were framed on the basis of the ancient concept that Sun is nearer than the Moon from the Earth, etc.
External links
*
Category Vedangas
Category Hindu astrology
Category Hindu astronomy
Category New Age