Sun and its Significations

Sun and its Significations

When we hear the word Sun we see a bright lit ball of fire up in the sky.  Its so powerful and bright that its impossible to stare at it after a few minutes after Sun rise.  This shows the ferocity of Sun.

Sun is considered as a Graha (the one who has gravitational power) or the one who has Grahanashakti. It is the most powerful object in the Solar System and being at the center of it, is controlling the whole show.  Hence it is referred to the King. Its arc diameter is the largest at 0.5 degrees when viewed from earth.

The factors like, Heat, Light, Brightness, Consciousness, Routine etc., crops up once we start thinking about the Sun. Other most important significations of Sun are Mass appeal (magnetism due to Charisma), Justice, Righteousness, Courage, Ego, Political Career, Government, Conceiving, Father, Soul, Confidence, Medicines, Metals, Jewelry, Recovery from illness, etc.,

Lets start discussing in detail some of these factors.

Heat : One can observe the tropics where the Sun's heat plays an important role.  The whole landscape is parched, dry with very less forest (tropical dry forest), with mountainous and rocky terrain, arid in some places due to their distance from the ocean/sea and so on.

These are the places where horticultural farming shines. People grow Oranges, Grapes, Sweet Lime, Acid Lime, Pineapples, Papayas, Pomegranates, Guavas, Custard Apples and many more fruits.  Crops like Cotton, Sugarcane, Pulses and Millets are grown.  Sun is required for the young immature sour fruit to become a sugary sweet fruit. This transformation happens only if there is the heat of Sun.

Also due to this constant heat there are very less pests.  All those pests which survive in moist environment do not exist in this area.

Light and Brightness : These factors make the population early rises and hard working. Lets compare the tropical morning to that of an norther European morning, where the Sun comes up late with very less heat, light and brightness, the weather is dull and cold.  This would only increase the sluggishness on a person and put him into more sleep, rather than a tropical morning which will wake one up early in the morning and would put him on to his duties.  In the tropics the metabolism is fast. People are of average height, eat and drink more often and work long hours in sweat.

Sun's heat is one of the major factors for fertility in human beings.  Many people from the Sub tropics come over to tropical countries to enjoy the warmth and heat the Sun provides.  This for them is a therapy to increase their metabolism.

Consciousness: Consciousness barely means that one is aware of his surroundings or is in a state of mind and knows where he is.  But, the deeper meaning is that the person also knows the meaning of his being on this earth.  In cases where the Sun is badly placed or is weak, the native will have very little consciousness and will be gross.  His consciousness is limited to enjoy the basic needs of a human being. He gets satisfied when his Ego is satisfied. When Sun is well placed and is strong, then the person will not only be conscious of his surroundings, but will be confident in whatever he is doing. He will be composed and only uses energy where it is required.  He will show determination in his life and will aim for the best.  When the same Sun is moderately placed with a weak ascendant lord, the person will be aware of his surroundings, but will not have confidence to face the world and hence would become an introvert.

A weak Sun with a weak ascendant will make the person fearful of the situation and hence would be acting too cautiously.  The confidence to believe will have failed and hence a lot of counseling is required to motivate this type of a person.

Righteousness and Justice: Sun in the Indian Mythology is usually referred to Sri Rama the king who was known for his Rama Rajya (the kingdom where justice rules).  A kshatriya (warrior) who was just and impartial with his decisions.  He was known to value his word more than his life.  All these factors are associated with a strong well placed Sun who has benefic planets on either side of it (in the 2nd and the 12th from Sun - Ubhayachariyoga).  This is one of the strongest yogas a person can get.

KENDRAS AND TRIKONAS

Quadrants (Kendra’s) 1, 4, 7 and 10 are also known as Dharma (1^st), Artha (2^nd), Kama (3^rd) and Moksha (4^th).

Dharma represents Lagna/Ascendant, i.e., the First House - Righteousness.

Artha (Finance to live in this world). It’s the money, finance, economy and everything which makes the material world moving i.e. the 4^th House.

The 3^rd Quadrant is the 7^th House, i.e. Kama. Kama means attraction towards the materialistic world. It signifies the desire to own things, i.e., materialistic desires or any attraction towards whatever you see, touch, feel, etc.

Moksha is to attain peace by eliminating all the above three by performing actions, i.e. the 10^th House.  Hence 10^th House, it is the way and means of getting Moksha by doing righteous karmas, by earning and making the money flow in the right direction and to have the best kind of relationship with the creation. The less we prioritize 1, 4 and 7, the more we can focus towards performing the 10^th.

The highest prominence is always given to the highest degree of longitude and that is the 10^th House, which is known as the karma sthana (the house which represents Duty bound responsible actions).

Trines or Trikonas represent the Body, Mind and Soul, i.e., 1^st, 5^th and 9^th Houses.

Here Body which means all the parts and organs of the Human Body as a whole is represented by the 1^st house i.e. the Lagna.

The Mind is represented by accumulated memory both organized and unorganized (Organized memory - which is known as knowledge and unorganized memory – random experiences). The knowledge might be acquired through thought, imagination, books, experiences, etc.

This self interactive thought process which has the ability to learn and adapt is known as the mind and is represented by the 5^th House.

Soul - here Soul for the basic understanding means as follows: -

1^st level Consciousness

2^nd Level (advance) Conscience

3^rd Introspection using the consciousness into deeper levels of the mind and try to understand what is within you.

4^th Self Realization which is the final step of the soul, where it is to connect with the Macrocosm and be in sync with it.

What is Consciousness and Conscience?

Conscience depends upon the upbringing and the environment where a person is brought up. For ex. – if someone around you is eating egg or non-veg, as a vegetarian you would feel that he or she is committing a crime by killing an innocent animal. But if we go to places like Siberia, Russia or other cold areas where vegetables cannot be grown (due to the climatic conditions), there it’s a everyday lifestyle and there if we ask them that why do you kill animals like rein deer, musk deer, lion seal, walrus, etc., they will tell you that it is the only way to survive. Hence in this case they are not doing anything against their Conscience. For basic survival they have to kill or else surviving would be a question mark.

The conscience of the person depends upon on the social ethical values which he experiences through the community or the society in which he has been brought up and it varies from place to place, or we can say region to region.

Conscience also means - to differentiate between right and wrong. Let’s understand this by an example - if you lie to someone then where ever in the world you are, you are deemed to be wrong.  i.e., speaking a lie or following honesty is universal whether it is in India or Russia or America or any other place in the world.  So these human values like empathy, anger, sympathy, sorrow, happiness are all links between the mind and the soul.

Hence 5th and the 9th are given very less importance. In the real world where business is norm of life, human beings are running around for most of the hours and rest of the hours the person is sleeping i.e., he is unconscious. When a person is conscious his conscience, his self-realization, his mind set, his ethical values, his social commitment has to be in active mode. If these factors are asleep and only the Lagna that is the body starts functioning he will be a shrewd businessman who is not even bothered about what the other person thinks of or feels. Hence when an astrologer goes through charts he needs to see the placement of planets in these four Kendras and also three Trikonas. The Lagna becomes both the Kendra and the Trikona so it has the body and also it follows righteousness so that a person who has all good planets placed in all these 6 houses, the 1^st , 4^th , 7^th , 10^th , 5^th  and 9^th  is said to be a perfect person, this type of combination is not available on this earth. Since this combination is not available the complexity of astrology comes into play and you need to analyze each house with regard to its strength and positivity.

 We need to check whether the planet which is present in the soul i.e., if the 9^th House is placed well or not, whether the planet which represents business that is mercury is placed in the right place or not. What if mercury is placed in the house of meditation? In this typical case the business aspect is killed and the meditation aspect is also spoiled. That is to say, Mercury being a hyperactive planet will not allow you to do meditation and also not strong enough to do business. Hence Mercury being the planet who is a purely business planet has to be placed in a business Rashi like Libra and in the same way a creative planet like Venus or Moon has to be placed in a creative house that is 5^th house. If they are placed in the house of reality or daily routine, you will not get full benefit out of it.

 Planets like Saturn and Jupiter can be placed anywhere because they are slow moving and they have got dual characteristics.  Like Jupiter is both a righteous and a Dhana karaka planet. Hence it can give good prospects in business along with wealth and knowledge.  Saturn makes a person realize the importance of reality, truthfulness, honesty, etc. Frank opinions and fighting for justice can be attributed to Saturn. If Saturn is placed in the 10^th House, the person will perform actions righteously. Responsibility is also one of the most important significations of Saturn and because of this it would not let the native to deviate from his path of righteousness. Hence we can say that the placement of planets is extremely important to understand the characteristics of a person. Also as Astrologers we can understand how to rectify the negative aspects of planets.

Now let us understand the term “Rectification?”

Purushartha is the term used to define the free will of a person to think, plan and perform a particular action. What if a person can liberate himself from the influence of the planets and perform karma? It is like saying that the person has his “Mind over Matter”. Here rectification means to go above these planetary influences and try to correct our path for the well being of both mind and soul. If we succumb to the forces of negativity of these planetary influences then we become the slaves under the planets. Our five senses get caught into the web of miseries and the whole world would seem like a dark never ending saga. We should be able to rule and control the five senses and the working of planets by performing our duties i.e., our karmas correctly. Usually people fall prey to these planetary influences and lose control over mind and actions.  It would be like continuously getting entangled into the situations without knowing the way out.

It’s not that Rectification means to only pray or perform ritual sacrifices to God. There are several scientific means of rectification wherein a person would have to set right his routine, lifestyle, eating habits, behavioral patterns, sleep patterns, etc.

Scientific methods of rectification help much better than traditional methods in the present world. 

Ashtamasthana - 8th house and Longevity

Ashtamasthana - 8th house and Longevity

Eight house is analysed in an horoscope to predict the longevity of a person.  Most of the recent commentaries analyse the 8th house and predict the type of death a person will beget.  This they do by analysis of the planets which are placed there.

Saturn has been regarded as the planet which gives longevity.  The strength of Saturn has to be determined by the rules put forth in calculating Graha Bala (planetary strength) in Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra. 

The role of Roga karakas and Marakas has not been well addressed and our focus is shifted only to the 8th house. It is a well known fact that the 12th from 8th (the 7th) and the 12th from the 3rd (the 2nd) are known to be maraka sthanas (House of killers). The particular position of the 2nd and the 7th lords have to be analysed in a chart. Their strengths and associations with other planets and their influence over the Ascendant lord has to be analysed. 

As per my experience, in most of the cases of death of native, the association of the maraka planets with the roga karaka planets (6th and the 11th lords) has played an important role in determining the time of death of a native, rather than that of the planets placed in the 8th house.  

In many cases the maraka planets when placed in the 8th, have detrimental role to play with regard to sudden demise of a person.

8th house or the Ayush sthana is said to give longevity or will determine the number of years a person has to spend in this Birth. All the three trik sthanas (6-8-12th houses) can be analysed to understand the karma a person has to go through in this lifetime.

In few cases though the person will be left with Karma (i.e to say he has to live to spend it) the maraka planets when come into play will do their job of trying to kill the native. In this situation when there is pending Karma of an individual and with no physical self, the sookshma shaeera (aural body) will be around till a certain period before getting its turn to get into another cycle of birth and death.

Therefore to understand the longevity of a person the Aayrudaya has to be calculated using the principles elucidated in the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra.

Mars and its Importance in Logical Interpretation

Mars and its Importance in Logical Interpretation.

The signification of Mars is of utmost importance in this present world.  At one point or the other everyone will have to go through situations where they have to use their discretionary powers. It is not always a simple “Yes” or “No” to every situation.  The complexity of the situation will challenge the analytical skills of a person. 

We when young required support of our Elders, Friends and Mentors to guide us through our tough situations, but once we started acquiring our individuality our ego grew along with us. We stopped discussing our problems with others and started taking our own decisions.  This may not be only because of our ego, but also because we tend to lose trust upon others advice.

The significations like Courage, Fighting spirit, Aim Orientation, to take fast and logical decisions, Speakingup for justice, etc., make analysis of Mars in the horoscope important.

Myths like Manglik (Mangal Dosh) have been associated to Mars when it is placed in the 2^nd/12^th/4^th/7^th/8^th houses from Lagna (Ascendant) or Moon.   This particular dosha gained prominence in the recent years. When we go through the classics like Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra – by Parashara, Brihat Jataka – by Varahamihira, Phaladeepika – by Mantreshwara, Uttarakalamrita – by Kalidasa and Saravali – by Kalyana Varma, there is no reference to this dosha caused by Mars.  But, due to the hype created by our astrological society in the recent years, let us ponder into this fact.

When Mars is in the 2^nd (Vaksthana, Annasthana, Kutumbasthana, Dhanasthana) it effectively influences the house and its significations.  Being the Vaksthana (house of speech) Mars influences the same and makes the person aggressive in speech or makes him put forth his/her opinion frankly. This is now-a-days a major requirement for a Lawyer who is required to assert his point across. 

For a native to be a good communicator, factors like language, vocabulary, fluency and wittiness is required.  The right word at the right time is also an important factor.  For these above faculties the placement of Moon and Mercury is to be analyzed.  Mars comes into play only after this.  Mars gives the native the strength to analyze a situation with comparative factors.  In an argument the zeal to argue comes second whereas the information and facts supporting an argument comes first.

Hence if Mars is placed in a good bhava (house) like the 3^rd, 6^th or the 11^th the native will get the strength to put across a point convincingly.  Particularly the 3^rd house which is the house of communication and activity if has Mars in it or has the aspect of Mars on it will gain strength.

A weak Mars will not give the native the required confidence to speak in public.  An over confident Mars (this is when Mars is conjunct Jupiter and has influence of Rahu) if placed in a chart, will make the native put his nose into unwanted matters and spoil the situation from bad to worse.

Considering its placement in the 4^th (the house of Sukh – enjoyment, vehicles, house, mother, etc.,) and is strongly placed, Mars will give good benefits from vehicles and also will make the native lucky with regard to acquiring own house / landed property.

In the same position if it is malefically influenced then it will make him a rash driver. In case Mars is weak then the native will not have confidence in vehicles and will face difficulty in acquiring own house. 

In medical cases when a person is ill and let’s say he is in ICU and the relatives are concerned about his recovery. The query posed would be as to when the native would recover and come back to normal health.  In this scenario the position of transiting Mars plays an important role.  Favourable positions (from both lagna and moon) will help the native recover fast and bad position will delay recovery.

Mars gets activated in a chart when the native will be going through its Maha Dasha (Major period), Antar Dasha (Sub period) and Pratyantar Dasha (Sub sub period).  Also the rasi in which Mars transits from Moon is considered important.

Kalasarpa Yoga or Kalasarpa dosha

Kalasarpa Yoga or Kalasarpa dosha

The name Kalasarpa in the astrological study means the clockwise arc between the rahu and ketu, inclusive of rahu and ketu degree points.

Most of it is a myth since the term Kalasarpa Dosha or Kalasarpa Yoga has not been discussed in Classics.   Although, many ancient scholars have discussed about this subject in-depth.

 There are many variations of Kalasarpa, I have deliberated a few below :-

1.     If all planets are situated between Rahu and Ketu including the Ascendant

2.     If all planets are situated between Rahu and Ketu excluding the Ascendant

3.     If all the planets are situated between Rahu and Ketu but one or two planets are conjunct with Rahu or Ketu

4.     If all the planets are posited between Ketu and Rahu and as above condition.

Horoscope with any of the above said conditions is said to have KSY. 

After a lot of study and analyse, the natives with Kalasarpa Yoga do not have to fear dire consequences, since the negative effects of this yoga have been hyped. 

KSY gives good effects depending on the position of planets.  It can confer High Status, Financial Prosperity and Luxuries. 

Dr. B.V Raman, in his book of "Three Hundred Important Combinations" has requested the general public to change their perspective towards this yoga and relax their mindsets and not to fall prey to faulty astrologers who inculcate fear into their clients and force them pay large sums of money towards performing poojas and homas.

To conclude, let us put it this way, "there is no such yoga, and still if there is one, it is not that negative".