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Trikonasthanas or trikonas or trines are conventionally the Lagna or the Birth-ascendant, the fifth and the ninth bhava or house counted from the Lagna (or the Chandra-lagna or the Surya-lagna). They form the Dharma-trikona and are also known as the Lakshmisthanas, these bhavas and their lords signify luck and prosperity. The Lagna is both, a kendrasthana and a trikonasthana.
The Lagna (Ascendant) is the exact point marked by the eastern horizon on the zodiac-belt that seemingly encircles the Earth; it is the point where the ecliptic cuts the horizon in the East. Hindu astrology, which is primarily based on constellations or nakshatras and on the equal house division, follows the Sidereal or the fixed zodiac. The entire sign or rasi rising in the east at the given local mean-time of birth or query is the first house or the Lagna. With the Rasi-chakra moving towards the East the count of signs or houses is from the eastern horizon, and their duration differs from latitude to latitude. [1] The longitudes of the houses (bhava-sphutas), oblique ascensions (rasimanas) and other calculations are all computed for Sayana Rasis or signs, from these the Ayanamsa is subtracted and the Nirayana bhavas, etc., are obtained. The Ayanamsa is the distance between the Hindu first point of the Zodiac i.e. Zero degree Aries, and the Vernal Equinox, measured at an epoch. [2]
There are four sets of trikonasthanas (Trines). The first set comprises the 1st house or the lagna, the 5th house (which is also a succedent house or a panapara) and the 9th house (which is also a cadent house or an apoklima), which three are the trinal houses of righteousness and form the Dharma-trikona. The second set comprises the 2nd house (which is a succeedent house), the 6th house (which is a cadent house and an upachayasthana) and the 10th house (which is a quadrant i.e. a kendra, and an upachayasthana), which three are the trinal houses for material possessions and form the Artha-trikona. The third set comprises the 3rd house (which is a cadent house and an upachayasthana), the 7th house (which is a quadrant or a kendra) and the 11th house (which is a succeedent house and an upachayasthana), which are the trinal houses for sensual enjoyments and form the Kama-trikona. The fourth set comprises the 4th house (which is a quadrant or a kendra), the 8th house (which is a succeedent house) and the 12th house (which is a cadent house), which three are the trinal houses for final emancipation and form the Moksha-trikona. [3] These are mathematically determined by dividing the whole circle of 360 degrees into three divisions beginning from the point of the rising lagna, the scheme which is also followed in the arrangement of twenty seven nakshatras into three sets of nine each beginning from the Janma-nakshtra succeeded by Sampat, Vipat, Khshemya, Pratwara, Sadhaka, Naidhana, Maitra and Parama-maitra. [4]
The 1st house, the 5th house and the 9th house forming a triangle relative to the Ascendant and known as the Dharma-trikonas are auspicious bhavas wherein situated planets gain strength, the benefic planets become more benefic and the malefic planets tend to give good results. The lords of these trikonasthanas are auspicious lords. [5]
According to the texts the 5th and the 9th house from the Lagna or the Chandra-lagna alone are the trikonasthanas – dharmatmajo trikono - Jataka Tattva (Sutra I.26). From the 5th house are to be adjudged one’s mind, intelligence and discretion, inclination and talent, education, progeny, good counsel, good conduct, organising ability, emotions and feelings, desired objectives and actions in pursuance thereof, retentive memory, imagination, attitude of mind, pregnancy, law and principles, father, heart, stomach and hunger, insignia of royalty, fall from kingship or high office, shastras, religion, worship of devatas, faith and belief. Jupiter is the karaka (significator) of the 5th house. From the 9th house are to be judged one’s Dharma, righteousness, intuition, sympathy, leadership, fame, the religious preceptor, religious austerities, general prosperity, alms and charities, acts of religious merits, fortune, efforts for acquisition of learning, all kinds of wealth, investments, long journeys, father and grandchildren. The Sun is the karaka of father and the 9th house. These two bhavas complement each other and their significations are to be judged also from the navamsa-chart.
Auspicious i.e. signs owned by the Moon, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter such as Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Virgo, Libra, Sagittarius and Pisces, should preferably form the trikonasthanas, they should then be occupied or aspected by either their own strong lord or a strong friendly benefic planet. An exalted planet occupying any one of these bhavas indicates exceptional good fortune; the Moon becomes exalted in Taurus, Jupiter in Cancer, Mercury in Virgo, Saturn in Libra and Venus in Pisces sign. Natural malefics situated herein tend to destroy the good signified by these bhavas. Mars situated in the 5th house generally gives a miserable domestic life, misfortunes through children and ill-health, whereas Saturn gives an evil mind, stupidity, illness, poverty, sorrow through children, variable fortune etc. Rahu though equally unfavourable makes one hard-hearted and unconventional, and Ketu, while proving bad in effects, gives one inclination towards spirituality. [6] Mars situated in the 9th house makes one wield power and authority, be generous, become renowned for good qualities, affluent and happy but does not make one a dutiful son; Saturn makes one lead a lonely life and probably no marriage; Rahu makes one impolite and miserly, gives fame and wealth but a nagging and domineering wife, and Ketu makes one eloquent but short-tempered, haughty and bad in conduct. [7] The Sun occupying the 5th house makes one impatient and intelligent but devoid of domestic peace and happiness, poor and short-lived, and when occupying the 9th house it gives enmity with spouse and much unhappiness. [8]
The kendrasthanas or the quadrants and the trikonasthanas or the trines not occupied by taragrahas (the seven visible planets) indicate a turbulent life; the chayagrahas (the invisible Lunar Nodes) alone tenanting the kendrasthanas cause immense pain. The lord of the 9th house is deemed to be a benefic at par with the lord of the lagna, if it happens to occupy a trikasthana i.e. the 6th, the 8th or the 12th house which are inauspicious bhavas, the person will not be fortunate. Only those planets that are in the 9th house in conjunction with Mercury can give rise to Raja yoga and confer a position of power and authority but if they are devoid of any association with Mercury and Jupiter they do not make one fortunate and the person leads an ordinary life. The lords of inauspicious bhavas tend to act as benefic planets when situated in the 9th house or in the 5th, the lords of the 8th and the 12th conjoining in the 9th or in the 5th give good results, in which event the lord of the 12th makes one rich and fortunate. Natural benefics situated in the 12th house protect one’s wealth. [9] Three or more planets, including Mercury and Jupiter, occupying the 9th house make one wealthy, and a strong lord of the 9th occupying a kendra or a trikona aspected by the lord of the lagna makes one very fortunate. [10]
Weak and afflicted planets situated in the trikonasthanas produce bad results; they can make one’s life miserable and even cause Balarishta. If the Moon occupies the last navamsa of the sign and malefic planets are in the 5th and 9th without beneficial aspects the child dies immediately. If Saturn, the Sun, the Moon and Mars occupy the 12th, the 9th, the lagna and the 8th bhavas respectively unaspected by powerful Jupiter the child dies quickly. Whereas Varahamihira reiterates that if the Moon conjoining with a malefic planet or malefic planets occupies the 5th, the 7th, the 9th, the 12th, the 1st or the 8th houses and is not aspected by or combined with powerful Venus, Mercury or Jupiter death comes early; Kalyan Verma refers to the very weak dark-half Moon producing this result. [11] Planets occupying the 9th house in the absence of Mercury and Jupiter cannot be considered strong even if occupying their own sign, exaltation sign or friendly sign. According to Kalyan Verma three or more planets conjoining with Mercury in the 9th house make one trustworthy, rich and a ruler but if the 9th house is occupied by planets other than Mercury and Jupiter they make one suffer from physical ailments, be unattractive in appearance, inhuman and mean, and even suffer incarceration. [12]
Saturn or Mars or the Sun otherwise occupying or aspecting the 9th house do not tend to give good results but they can give rise to Raja yoga or confer much wealth. Jataka Parijata (Sloka VII.4) states that Raja yoga arises if strong benefics are situated in the lagna, the 7th and the 10th, and Mars and Saturn are in the 9th and the 11th. Saravali (Sloka XXXV.95) states that Raja yoga arises in case strong benefics are in the lagna, the 4th and the 7th and the Sun, Mars and Saturn are in the 3rd, 9th and the 11th house. Jataka Parijata (Sloka VII.12) states that the Sun in the 3rd, the Moon in the 9th and Jupiter in the 5th, all vested with strength, make one powerful and very rich. Saravali (Sloka XXXV.168) states that similar would be the result if from Mars, Jupiter, the Moon and the Sun happen to occupy the 5th, the 9th and the 3rd bhavas in any order avoiding debilitation signs and navamsas. Vaidyanatha states that the son born during the antar-dasa of the lord of the 5th house conjoining with Rahu will be short-lived but the son born during the antar-dasa of Rahu will live long. [13]
Dasha The dasha pattern shows which planets according to Jyotish will be ruling at particular times.
Planetary aspects are interchange of energies at great distances; the respective mass of each planet generates and radiates its own specific energy-field. At times these planetary aspects take a lead over planetary conjunctions. Planetary aspects play an important role in predicting future events. However, there are three great differences between Western astrology and Hindu astrology in computing these aspects - (1) in the former system the count is made from degree to degree, in the latter system the count is made from sign to sign, (2) in the former system the aspect will be mutually the same i.e. if Mars and Jupiter are in trine it can be expressed as either Mars Trine Jupiter or Jupiter Trine Mars, in the latter system if Jupiter is in Aries and Mars in Leo, Jupiter will have full aspect on Mars but Mars will have 50% aspect on Jupiter and, (3) in the former system certain aspects such as sextile are good whereas square and opposition are evil, the latter system does not have such classification in which system aspects by benefic planets and those owning trines i.e. the 5th and the 9th, are always good, and by malefic planets and those owning cadent houses i.e. the 6th, 8th or 12th, are always evil; moreover, the aspect of any planet on its own sign strengthens that house and causes no harm to its indications.
Raja yogas are Shubha ('auspicious') yogas that 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. Basically, 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. The dispositor is a planet in whose sign another planet is located in the natal chart and which resident planet gains strength when its dispositor is also strong.
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.
Sanyasa yoga in Hindu astrology are the peculiar planetary situations or combinations seen in certain horoscopes that indicate Sanyasa i.e. renunciation of worldly material life by persons born with those yogas. Sanyasa yogas are also known as Pravrajya yogas.
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.
Bandhana yoga in Hindu astrology basically indicates being placed under restraint, arrest, capture, detention, confinement, imprisonment, bondage, incarceration and the like, on account of circumstances beyond one's control or by opponents or by concerned authorities for no reason or on criminal charges for infringement law or by placing restrictions on freedom for political reasons. A weak lord of the Lagna (ascendant) and a weak Saturn jointly or severally cause suffering and hardships in life including being confined or imprisoned. Rahu is the karaka for being sent to jail.
Garbhadhaana, a compound Sanskrit word, means conception, impregnation or insemination. It is the first of the sixteen Vedic Samskaras and is meant to be performed by man and woman at an auspicious time and date for the sake of begetting the desired child. In Hindu astrology this term is used in connection with Nisheka or consummation of marriage. B.Suyanarain Rao in his commentary on Chapter IV of Brihat Jataka explains that the health of women, and thus the health of the community, depends upon the auspicious planetary influences exerted during the act of sexual union; every male or female must come through a female, and therefore, woman occupies the highest rank in the order of creative agencies. The act of sexual union resembles the nature of the 7th house from the sign rising at the time of union or query; if evil planets occupy or aspect the 7th, then the act will be conducted in a quarrelling mood, but when benefics aspect or join the 7th the union takes place under very pleasant circumstances.
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.
Saraswati yoga given rise to by the three natural benefic planets, namely, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter co-operating with each other is an auspicious yoga which is not rare in occurrence but when its participants are not strong merges with other yogas. The person born in Saraswati yoga besides being a very learned intelligent orator also becomes very fortunate, rich and famous.
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.
Preṣya yoga is a planetary combination in Hindu astrology. A person born with preshya yoga is poor, unhappy and uneducated. He hears harsh words from others and works in slavery throughout his life.