| Astrology |
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In Hindu astrology, Rashmi means the very first ray of light.
There is also a reference to a Ketu (Comet) by name 'Rasmi' in Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira with commentary by Bhattotpala (Sloka 40, Chapter XI, page 158). It describes that this Comet Rasmi Ketu makes itself visible by its ashy-coloured crest.
Rashmi (Sanskrit: रश्मि) meaning "The very first ray of light", beam, string, rope, ray of hope, splendour, rein, leash, whip, goad, and food, [1] but this term is generally associated with the solar rays even though all burning objects are luminescent and emit light-rays.)
All planets in the Solar System and the Moon bask in the glory of the brightly burning Sun; they are seen to shine because they are constantly reflecting in all directions the solar rays they receive which are actually energy-beams. These rashmis or light-rays, the electromagnetic radiation, which have a direct impact on the lives of all living beings on earth. One of many names of Sun in Sanskrit is "Rashmi Rathi".[ citation needed ]
The effect of the solar rays reflected by these heavenly bodies on to the earth gets modified according to the kind and nature of the particular rasi or astrological sign covered by them during the course of their transits, i.e. orbital motion round the Sun. Thus, when it is in deep exaltation, the Sun emits rashmis or light-rays of maximum strength–value of 10, the Moon, of 9, Mars of 5, Mercury of 5, Jupiter of 7, Venus of 8 and Saturn of 5 units, and when in deep debilitation their rashmi-strength is 0 unit. [2]
According to the method described by Parasara in his Brihat Parasara Hora Shastra , the rashmi–strength for each of their intervening positions is to be calculated on pro–rata basis, which value would decrease or increase as they move towards or away from their point of deep debilitation. If the planet is in its sign of exaltation the rashmi–value initially arrived at is to be trebled; in its Moolatrikona sign, it is to be doubled, and in own sign to be multiplied by two and divided by two; in its intimate friend's sign to be multiplied by four and divided by three and in a friendly sign it is to be multiplied by six and divided by five, if in an inimical sign the rashmi–value originally arrived at is to be halved, in the sign of a bitter–foe the original rashmi–value should be multiplied by two and divided by five but no correction is to be made when the planet is in a neutral sign. The corrected rashmi–value of each of the seven astrological planets barring the Lunar-nodes is then to be totalled. [3]
Janardan Harji in the section of Mansagari devoted to the effects of Rashmi-bala states that in case the planet is in its exaltation sign, the rashmi-value gained by a planet is to be trebled, if it is in its own sign or dwadasamsa or intimate friends sign the said value is to be doubled, if it is debilitated then the value is to be reduced by 1/16th and if it is debilitated but in retrograde motion the rashmi-value gained is to be doubled.
Parasara tells us that the person, even if born in a well-to-do family, will remain poor and unhappy if collectively the rashmi–value is five or less than five, if the sum total of rashmis contributed by all planets at the time of birth is between six and ten, the person will be poor and a manual labourer without wife and children. A person blessed with eleven rashmis will have meagre wealth and few children; with twelve rashmis possess meagre wealth but will be wicked and an idiot; with thirteen rashmis the person will be a thief; with fourteen rashmis the person will be wealthy, learned and have a family; with fifteen rashmis the person will possess good qualities, be head of family and proficient; with sixteen rashmis most distinguished in the family; with seventeen rashmis an employer of many; with eighteen rashmis one has and maintains a large family; with nineteen rashmis earns a good reputation and becomes well-known; with twenty rashmis, blessed with a large family and many relatives; with twenty-one rashmis, maintains and protects fifty people; with twenty-two rashmis, very charitable and kind; with twenty-three rashmis well-cultured and happy, and if the total rashmis are between twenty-four and thirty the person will be healthy, powerful, well-connected and rich. The person blessed with rashmis aggregating between thirty-one and forty will be a high official or a minister supporting one hundred to a thousand persons, between forty-one and fifty rashmis the person will be a ruler or a king, and with more than fifty rashmis the person will be the all-powerful ruler of men.
With regard to the afore-stated results, Parasara qualifies that these will hold true according to the conditions and family status of the person at birth, and according to the particular signs distance-wise from the deep debilitation point etc.; occupied by the planets – that the effects of planets moving from their debilitation to exaltation will be full, otherwise it will be less and less. He declares that correct predictions cannot be made without taking into account the collective rashmi-bala of all planets and their effects. [4]
Janardan Harji states that if the sum total of the rashmis thus gained is between one and five, the person will be unhappy, devoid of family, troubled, wicked, poor and bad in speech and conduct; if that sum total is between six and ten rashmis, the person will be not have any relatives and helpful friends, will reside abroad or far away from place of birth, be unfortunate and slovenly; if between eleven and fifteen rashmis, the person will be a chief, respected, happy, head of family and a dharmatma; between sixteen and twenty rashmis, the person will be a much praised dignitary and occupy a high official post; if between twenty-one and twenty-five rashmis, the person will possess a radiant and powerful personality, be courageous, learned, brave, successful and renowned; if between twenty-five and thirty rashmis, the person will gain support from the high and powerful quarters, hold an important and trustworthy position or become a close adviser or a minister; between thirty-one and thirty- seven rashmis, progressively graded, the person will be wealthy holding a very important commanding position or a ruler; and if the total rashmis gained exceed thirty-seven, the person will become a king or ruler more powerful and influential the more rashmis are gained. The low or high status in one's life depends on the lesser or the greater number of rashmis gained at the time of birth; similarly on the basis of the lesser or greater number of rashmis gained at the time of death can be known the Adhamagati or the Madhyamagati or the Uttamagati attained by the deceased. [5]
If at the time of query malefic planets endowed with more rashmi-bala are in the 6th, the 8th and the 12th or aspect these bhavas the ailing person will not survive but if benefic planets are similarly placed the patient will survive.
Ketu is the descending lunar node in Vedic, or Hindu astrology. Personified as a deity, Rahu and Ketu are considered to be the two halves the immortal Asura (demon) Svarbhanu, who was beheaded by the god Vishnu.
The term Varga in Indian astrology (Jyotisha) refers to the division of a zodiacal sign (rāśi) into parts. Each such fractional part of a sign, known as an aṃśa, has a source of influence associated with it, so that these sources of influence come to be associated with collections of regions around the zodiac.
In Hindu astrology, yoga is the relationship between one planet, sign, or house to another by placement, aspect, or conjunction. It is the consideration of the planetary dasha's directional effects, the most important factor which distinguishes Hindu astrology from Western astrology.
Brihat Jataka or Brihat Jatakam or Brihajjatakam, is one of the five principal texts written by Varāhamihira, the other four being Panchasiddhantika, Brihat Samhita, Laghu Jataka and Yogayatra. It is also one of the five major treatises on Hindu predictive astrology, the other four being Saravali of Kalyanavarma, Sarvartha Chintamani of Venkatesh, Jataka Parijata of Vaidyanatha and Phaladeepika of Mantreswara. The study of this classic text makes one grasp the fundamentals of astrology.
Raja yogas are Shubha ('auspicious') yogas in jyotish philosophy and tradition. They are believed to give success and a grand rise in career or business, and a greater degree of financial prosperity particularly during the dasha of the planets that give rise to Raja yogas. However, these results get adversely modified by the presence of other Ashubha ('inauspicious') Arista yogas. In a nutshell, the Yoga or Raja yoga-causing planets during the course of their respective dashas confer their most auspicious results if they happen to own the lagna-bhava or the Suta-bhava or the Bhagyasthana ; the person remains healthy, wealthy, happy and successful enjoying yoga and Raja yoga results in case the lagna, the 3rd, the 6th, the 8th, the 9th and the 12th houses counted from the lagna are also not occupied by any planet, and the kendras (quadrants) are occupied only by benefic planets.
Planetary dispositors play an important role in Astrology. A dispositor is a planet that rules the sign that another planet is located in. For example, if Venus is in Gemini, then Mercury is the dispositor of Venus.
Balarishta in Hindu astrology is one of the Arishtas. These Arishtas are indicated by certain specific planetary situations or combinations or associations present at the time of one's birth or at the time of query or at a particular muhurta or happening as are revealed by the Natal Chart or the Query Chart or the Muhurta Chart. It is a Dosha.
In Hindu astrology, Vakri grahas are those planets of the Solar System other than the Sun and the Moon that appear to move backwards, which apparent motion is due to earth’s orbit. Vakri in Sanskrit means twisted or crooked; it also means indirect, evasive and ambiguous. A Vakri graha is also known as the Saktha graha. Vakragati confers exceptional i.e. Cheshtabala, to Vakra grahas whose strong influence is expressed by the manner they affect the Natal Chart and by their transits. The two Lunar Nodes have perpetual retrograde motion.
In Vedic astrology a constant reference is made to the Navamsa occupied by planets and the Lagna-point. Both, the Rasi-chart and the Navamsa-chart are deemed equally important and therefore, consulted together. Whereas the Rasi-chart provides overall information regarding the location of planets and sensitive-points such as the Lagna, the latter provides vital information regarding their active quality and strength. A planet may be well-placed in the natal-chart Rasi-wise but its full effects may not materialise if its situation in the navamsa-chart is not supportive.
Dhana yogas are astrological combinations or yogas for wealth and prosperity which prove more fruitful if both the lagna and its lord are strong, and there are no Arista yogas present affecting the Dhana yoga - causing planets and the bhavas associated with earning, acquisition, and accumulation of wealth. Jupiter is one of the natural Dhana-karaka, a strong Jupiter gives lifelong prosperity and financial stability.
Avastha (अवस्था) in Sanskrit means status, state or condition. Hindu astrology has evolved methods for ascertaining the avasthas (states) gained by planets at any given time. Parashara in his Bṛhat Parāśara Horāśāstra refers to six kinds of avasthas.
Karmasthana, also known as the Kirtisthana and the Rajyasthana, is the 10th bhava or house counted from the Lagna or the Ascendant or from the Chandra-lagna i.e. the natal position of the Moon. It is the house of action and the house of profession.
The term Upachayasthana is derived from the Sanskrit word उपचय which means increase, it also means the entire process of acquisition, assimilation and augmentation or proximate aggregation or increase or gain of nourishment or in growth or in body weight.
Daridra yogas or Nirdhanta yogas along with Kemadruma yoga and Shakat yoga, are certain exceptional ava-yogas or unfavourable planetary combinations that indicate poverty. The word, Daridra means poor, needy or deprived, and the word, Nirdhanta means poverty, poorness or indigence.
Yoga-karakas are those planets which, according to Hindu astrology, confer fame, honour, dignity, financial prosperity, political success, and reputation. The lords of the kendras and trikonas associating with each other, or the lords of the 9th and 10th interchanging signs or fully aspecting each other, give rise to Raja yoga.
Maraka in Hindu astrology refers to the planet or planets that cause death at the end of a particular life-span; if the assessed life-span is not over they cause accident, ill-health, poverty and misery during the course of their dasha or antra-dasha or in the period of the planet associating/influenced by them. Each lagna has a fixed maraka or marakas. The two luminaries, the Sun and the Moon, and the lord of the 9th house generally do not become marakas. The lords of the 2nd and the 7th house, or the malefic planets occupying anyone of these named houses and associated with their lords are the Primary determinants of death. The Secondary determinants of death are the benefic planets in association with lords of 2nd and 7th house or the lords of the 3rd and 8th house, or the lord of the 3rd or the 8th associating with the lord of the 2nd or the 7th house. The Tertiary determinants of death are Saturn associating with any of the afore stated marakas, the lord of the 6th or the 8th associated with a maraka, and the least powerful planet in the horoscope. The transit influences of the Sun, Mars and Jupiter are taken into account for determining the time of death.
Nābhāsa yoga refers to the different arrangements of all seven of the planets in the celestial realm in Hindu astrology.
Parajāta yogas are special planetary combinations or yogas that indicate birth of children who are not genetically related to their father or non-marital children or born out of illicit connections of their married mothers. Illegitimate children are stigmatized for no fault of theirs; some, like T.E.Lawrence, are made to seek redemption of their mother’s status but most accept their fate like Satyakama Jabala did. In India, illegitimate children of a Hindu father do not inherit from him on intestacy but they do inherit from their mother at par with her legitimate children.
Drekkana is one of the sixteen main vargas described by Parasara to Maitreya who wanted to be explained about the different kinds of houses (Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra. Parasara states that relationship with co-borns is to be judged from the drekkanas occupied by planets. All standard ancient texts on Hindu astrology describe these vargas. The actual disposition of a planet is properly known from its occupation of these sixteen vargas. These sixteen sub-divisional charts which are one of the four dimensions of astrology are a basic ingredient of Hindu astrology, and each sub-divisional chart is firstly required to be studied independently and then collectively as one. M. Ramakrishna Bhat is of the opinion that drekkana is not a Sanskrit word but borrowed from the Greek.
Shashtiamsa - meaning the 60th division, in Hindu astrology refers to the 60th division or varga of a Rasi or Sign equally divided or half-degree each. It is one of the sixteen shodasvargas that are considered important and relevant to important aspects of life. Virupas, a measure of planetary or bhava strength, are also known as Shashtiamsas.
Chapter 73
Chapter 73
Chapter 73