It is the nature of the planets as
house lords that adds the powerful and subtle complexity that underpins the
science of Vedic Astrology
and in many ways is the main impetus for this book. In Vedic
Astrology each planet operates in a completely different manner depending on the
ascendant due to the shift that occurs from the planet’s ruling sign(s)
relative to the ascendant in question. In order to truly make sense of how each
planet will operate through the 12 ascendants we turn to the rules as laid out
by Sage Parashara.
From Brihat
Parashara Hora Sastra’s chapter
on Yoga
Karakas we get the Sutras for determining the planets as
temporal lords.
“A
Saumya
(benefic)
angle lord doesn’t produce auspicious
effects,
a Krura
(malefic)
likewise no inauspicious effects, and auspicious is a trine lord.”
Brihat
Parashara Hora Sastra: YogaKarakas, 2
“The
Lagna is both an angle and trine and particularly auspicious, the 5th and 9th
are particularly wealth producing.”
Brihat
Parashara Hora Sastra: YogaKarakas, 3
“The
7th and 10th are particularly comfort producing, Trishadaya (3rd, 6th
and 11th) lords in all ways are mentioned as Grahas of evil
effects.”
Brihat
Parashara Hora Sastra: YogaKarakas, 4
“The
12th, 2nd and 8th lords from their association the effects caused, the related
Bhavas in ascending order are increasingly stronger.”
Brihat
Parashara Hora Sastra: YogaKarakas, 5
“The
lord of the ninth’s 12th is likewise the 8th lord and, therefore, doesn’t
cause auspicious effects, likewise if also the 3rd, 7th or 11th lord, but good
effects if also a trine lord.”
Brihat
Parashara Hora Sastra: YogaKarakas, 6
“Of
the mentioned lords joining, the strong resists the weaker; no blemish of 8th
lordship is caused the Sun and Moon.”
Brihat
Parashara Hora Sastra: YogaKarakas, 7
“The
auspiciousness mentioned of an evil angle lord is brought about when it is also
a trine lord, not when it is only an angle lord.”
Brihat
Parashara Hora Sastra: YogaKarakas, 14
“Whenever
an angle or trine lord also lords an evil Bhava, the person does not gain the
Yoga
by
the Sambandha.”
Brihat
Parashara Hora Sastra: YogaKarakas, 15
The
table below and the following guidelines reflect the above Sutras.
|
|
Least
Strong |
Stronger |
Strongest |
|
|
Trines
(+) |
1 |
5 |
9 |
Identity
and Dharma |
|
Angles
(0) |
4 |
7 |
10 |
Action |
|
Cruel
(-) |
3 |
6 |
11 |
Self-will |
|
Neutral
(0) |
12 |
2 |
8 |
Security,
Insecurity, Trust |
In
this chart the Trines have a plus sign, which denotes they lead us to positive
awakening. The cruel houses have a Minus sign, which shows they lead us farther
from this awakening. The angles and neutral houses have a zero, which shows they
do neither. The houses are also ranked, based on the above Sutras, according to
their dominance.
General
Rules:
A
Graha will be the Lord of either 1 or 2 houses. When the Graha is
the lord of 1 house the nature will be obvious and indicated by the
house the planet rules, when the Graha is the lord of 2 houses, the
non-neutral house determines the nature.
If
the Graha rules a Dharmic and cruel house the nature is determined
by the dominant Bhava as shown in the Chart above.
Benefics
ruling angles cease being auspicious - different than become inauspicious.
Malefics
ruling angles cease being inauspiscious - different then becoming auspicious.
As
is the case with most Astrological texts, there are ground rules that establish
the parameters and define the major principles involved, and then there are
exceptions which modify these basic rules and add nuance to them. The same is
true here. First it is important to digest the meaning of these rules, only then
do the exceptions become relevant.
Some
Observations:
The
lords of the Dharma houses are always benefic.
Of
the cruel house lords, two are Kama houses and one is an Artha
house.
All
Moksha houses are neutral.
Two
of the three neutral houses are Dusthanas.
There
is much insight here. The sage is teaching powerful lessons about how to view
our worldly life. It is clear to see that most areas of life have no bearing on
the development of our consciousness. They merely serve to either awaken a
deeper sense of duty to evolve toward truth through introspection,
self-knowledge and surrender (as shown by the trines and houses 1,5 and 9
respectively) or to over exert our self-willed nature through personal effort,
argument and ambition (the cruel houses of 3,6 and 11 respectively).
Dharma
is related to the fire principle, as it is through the alchemy and illumination
of fire that we gain access to the truth. When the Dharmic areas of life are
weak, the flame does not burn brightly enough to illuminate, rather it will
create smoke that obscures.
The
main obscuring factor to gaining truth is desire, since two of the three cruel
houses are Kama houses. Our personal, self-willed desires (3rd house)
and our desires for worldly gain and ambition (11th houses) take us
further from truth and our Dharma. The other cruel house, the 6th
house is an Artha house. It shows where our quest for wealth becomes excessive
and forceful by bringing us into conflict and battle with others.
The
7th house, the sphere of our relationships, is the lone Kama house
not included in the cruel trinity. Obviously our relationships have something to
teach beyond the desire we hope to fulfill through them. The compromise we learn
through relationships justifies the passion and energy we expend in maintaining
them, rendering them as neutral. The sage himself in these Sutras gives praise,
“The 7th and 10th are particularly comfort producing”. We are
not here to suffer through life. Our relationships and careers are two important
areas of life that allow for enjoyment and fulfillment, yet they do not take us
closer to or further away from truth.
The
Moksha houses (two of which are Dusthanas) are all neutral. The Moksha houses
are generally where we can feel the most pained and vulnerable, through the
emotions, (4th house) life’s breaks and changes (8th
house) and letting go of our attachment to our personality and efforts. (12th
house) Despite the drama we have with these areas of life, in and of themselves
they have little impact, except for bringing us to a point of reckoning. At this
point we will choose the Dharmic or cruel path.
Having
established the rules above, Parashara then refines the general guidelines and
gives the specific exceptions to those rules for each ascendant.
There
is a consistent worsening of effect for Jupiter and Venus, especially Venus. The
Rishi proclaims her to be an evil Graha for 7 out of 12 Rasis. With the
exception of the Saturn and Mercury ruled Lagnas, she is evil (even for Libra,
the sign of her Mulatrikona, she is neutral). When considering her exaltation
point falls in cruel houses from the houses she rules, (in the 6th
house form Libra and the 11th house from Taurus) the nature of Venus
is revealed to be a Graha that requires our self willed, individual effort to
transform. This effort will likely bring disruptions to the areas of life she
rules. Also a worsening is often
seen when a planet is the Lord of the ruling planet’s debilitation Rasi.
(Jupiter for Mercury ruled ascendants, Mars for Saturn ruled ascendants).
Benefics ruling angles (except the Moon for Libra and Mercury for Sagittarius)
are also worsened.
Below
are the Sutras, with the exceptions noted and potential explanations offered for
each of the exceptions. It would be presumptuous for me or any one else to lay
claim to exclusive and absolute understanding of these important exceptions;
however the explanations offered are consistent with the principles explored and
reinforced in this book and therefore relevant.
“Though
the 8th lord, Mars causes auspiciousness in association with an
auspicious. Saturn, Mercury and Venus are evil, auspicious are Jupiter and the
Sun, not auspicious is the simple union of Saturn and Jupiter. Jupiter’s
dependence also insures evil action, Venus is especially a killer with the
qualities of a Maraka. Saturn and evil Grahas are also killers. Thus the effects
are known as caused by Aries Lagna, Dvijottama.”
Brihat
Parashara Hora Shastra, YogaKarakas, 19-22
Exceptions::
Venus is evil not neutral, Jupiter’s dependence insures evil action, Saturn
and evil Grahas are also killers.
Venus
loses grace as a neutral planet exalted and debilitated along the difficult 6th
and 12th house axis, becoming evil. With her exaltation point in the
12th house, at best she brings expenses, ups and downs,
disillusionment and apathy with each desire she is able to fulfill. These
problems cause a reevaluation of the energy spent on fulfilling their desires,
which serves to awaken Aries natives to greater devotion and less selfishness.
At worst she removes the obstacles to her charms allowing a sleepy fulfillment
since Venus is asleep in the 6th house. Either way, this is most
difficult energy for the Aries native.
“Jupiter’s
dependence ensures evil action” is clearly shown by his debilitation point
falling in the “Karma Bhava,” the 10th house of action.
This is reinforced by the insistence of inauspiciousness of a Saturn / Jupiter
association and naming Saturn a “killer.”
“Jupiter,
Venus and the Moon are evil, auspicious are Saturn and the Sun, RajaYoga
producing is Saturn, Mercury offers less auspiciousness. Jupiter, etc. and also
Mars destroy having Maraka qualities. Thus the modified results caused by Taurus
Lagna according to sages.”
Brihat
Parashara Hora Shastra, YogaKarakas, 23-24
Exceptions::
Sun as auspicious - Mercury as less auspicious..
All
three gentle planets are considered evil for the Taurus native, even the Moon
who is exalted here. These three gentle planets rule the cruel houses. Mercury,
as the 2nd and 5th lord would clearly seem to be a good
planet, yet the sage says he “offers less auspiciousness.” The two planets
at the extremities of experience, the Sun and Saturn are presented as
auspicious. Saturn is obvious as a Yoga
Karaka
planet. The Sun is surprising, but makes sense when you look at the problem of
the Taurus native. The same reason Mercury gets demoted, the Sun gets promoted.
Mercury is a Graha whose skilled nature facilitates the Taurean pleasure cycle
and thus loses grace, whereas the Sun is the Graha of forbearance and allows for
a purification of desires and gives the strength to sacrifice. The Sun does this
naturally as his Dasa and Antardasa periods (Vimshottari scheme) always follow
Venus cycles. For Taurus, the Sun as the 4th lord, whose exaltation
point is in the 12th house, he awakens the native to their need to
let go of a “security at all costs” attitude. He does this by creating ups
and downs and expenses through excessive accumulation. This forces the native to
transform and learn to be alone, as they can be too much of a herd animal. A
weak Sun may actually bring a smooth domestic life, yet he will deny the breaks
and changes that would have forced the purification as shown by his exaltation
in the 12th house. Saturn is exalted in the 6th house.
Venus rules this 6th house along with the Lagna, revealing the native
to be his or her own worst enemy.
“Mars,
Jupiter and the Sun are evil, Venus is the only auspicious one, Jupiter’s Yoga
with Saturn is like that caused for Aries. The Moon is the principle killer who
produces effects according to association. Thus the modified results caused by
Gemini Lagna according to the learned.”
Brihat
Parashara Hora Shastra, YogaKarakas, 25-26