Things I ponder...

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namaste


After some years of study I still have many questions... Let me share a few ( more to come).

• We know that the lagna is calculated at the time of birth and one's chart is predicated upon the rāśicakra (zodiac) at that time.
  So, lets say at this birth location there is a mountain to the east where all the graha's rise. Should the chart be cast for which 'horizon' ? That when the lagna sign shows on the 'horizion' at the mountain top , or that of the (flat) horizion at the bottom of the mountain ?

• Mars is quite at home in fire sign (aries) and is exalted in an earth sign (capricorn).
  How can it be that mars which is the lord of a water sign (scorpio) is debilited in a water sign (cancer) ?
  How can it be that red coral that comes from the sea is the stone/gem that promotes mars, yet it
  is a bi-product of the element that debilitates mars ( water sign ) .

• Saturn (śani - the slow moving one) is called sūryaputra , the son of sūrya ( ravi or the sun). The son is inimical to the father and the father is inimical to the son - why so ?

iti śivaṁ

[NayaSurya]

LOL an interesting and timely pondering...as a special day is coming that of a Saturday and also the Amavasya.

I do not think it was an accident because you are infact brilliant and so always teaching at timely times.
-


Lord Shanideva is highly exhalted in my birthchart. Or so i am told.

I am not an expert, in fact a fool.

But, Lord Shani deva is very very dear to me.

I see that the planets, the stories speak of a certain level of friction. Lord Surya is ....well Beloved Lord Surya...so near and very dear to us.


Lord Shani is our Teacher, the holder of our fate in many ways. He is very strictly adhering to laws, and codes to bring about our ripening.

I liken it to a father and grandfather. The Father is so so so having to guide us...he worries a LOT about our progress...and often has to give us lessons...we may not always like.

But...the Grandfather is giving of the sweets...gently hugging us...when the Father has maybe seemed harsh...(But of course it is only our own problem He appears this way...as everything is done as it should to help us grow)...

Yet the Grandfather is sweetly encouraging as his job raising his own Son is finished...and this also causes some friction i am sure.

I remember telling my own Mother to not give my children so many sweets! And when I was trying to scold them over hitting a tree with a pipe from my windchime she was urging me to give them a break! But they will not treat creatures in such a way!...and so my Mother and i did have some friction over her Grandmotherly leniency!

But!

Can you imagine how PROUD Lord Surya must be of His Beloved Family!

My stars! Everyday i sing the Surya Ashtakam to my Beloved Beloved Friend...and tell Him! Look at your Family! What joy must come from knowing that They uphold this whole universe!

With such vast integrity!

Think about it...all of them so wonderfully kind, noble...and True.

So the Father and Son sometimes have friction, this may cause some problems in a chart.

Such as a fool girl with both the Sun and Saturn very high together within her chart.

Yet. i would not have it any other way..that the Honorable Lessons of My Father... come and are laced very often with the Grandfather's Sweets.

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namaste


We know of various daśā systems offered by mahāṛṣi (mahārishi) parāśar in his brihat-parāśara-horā-śāstra . One that is most talk about is the viṁśottarī daśā system. What I have been pondering has been its sequence and duration of each period. I have not met one jyotisha that has questioned this. I can with a bit if intuition comprehend the order of this dasa system i.e. which graha comes in which order and a plausable reason.
Yet I have not found a reasonable explaination of why the sun's daśā is 6 years in length, or mercury's is a 17 year duration. I can comprehend rāhu's duration of 18 years but am perplexed of why ketu's would not be the same. I continue to look.

What I have been fortunate enough to comprehend is the nuance found in the aṣṭottarī daśā system. If you look to the viṁśottarī daśā system all 9 graha-s are utilized for this system; go to the aṣṭottarī daśā system and ketu is missing from the list... why so ? It only took some 15 years to find out and I will leave it to your research.



iti śivaṁ

words

• viṁśottarī daśā system called out by mahāṛṣi (mahārishi) parāśar in his brihat-parāśara-horā-śāstra ( bphs abbreviation), chapter 48. This is one of 32 daśā systems
  • viṃśaṃ śata = 100 (śata) + 20 (viṃśa)
  • vimśottaraśata as it is called out in the bphs , chapter 48.14
  • vimśottaraśata = vimśa + uttara + śata
  • viṃśa = consisting of 20 parts
  • uttara = followed by
  • śata = 100

• aṣṭottarī ( 108 year) daśā system 'with a remainer of' 8

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namaste

The 6th house is considered the house of celibacy - due to being 12th from the 7th ( 7th is relationships). Yet we are instructed that the 12th house is 'pleasures of the bed - some say comforts of the bed' ; it then would seem the 12th from the 12th or the 11th house would be deemed the celibacy house. Yet we know the 11th house is that of gains.
And we know that the 6th house also deals with ṣaḍripu ( 6 enemies i.e. kāma, krodha, etc)... so I have not comprehended this 6th sign dealing with celibacy. We can know the 'rule' but not always comprehend the mechanics behind the rule.

iti śivaṁ

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté


I wrote above,

What I have been fortunate enough to comprehend is the nuance found in the aṣṭottarī daśā system.
If you look to the viṁśottarī daśā system all 9 graha-s are utilized for this system; go to the aṣṭottarī daśā system and ketu is missing from the list...why so ? It only took some 15 years to find out and I will leave it to your research.

Let me add another point of knowledge that took me some years to arrive at a satisfying answer.

If one reads the jyotiśhāstra of ṛṣi jaimini¹ his most noted work is upadeśa-sūtra-s. Within the 3rd chapter (pada) he speaks of rāj-yoga-s¹ that form within one's chart and come to fruition within one's life.

So, within jyotiṣh one can readily look and see where rāj-yoga-s are formed in one's chart. Yet the question is, when do they blossom or come to fruition ?

Jaimini muni informs us within this 3rd pada (chapter) that if these rāj-yoga-s occur in certain houses they then will bloom either early in life, or late in life. The natural question is why so ? Why early or late?

The hint is if the rāj-yoga-s occur in the 1st or 7th houses they occur late in life; if the rāj-yoga-s occur in the 4th and and 2nd houses, they blossom early in life.

Yet if one continues to read the upadeśa-sūtra-s (2nd pada or chapter) , longevity or life span is called out. Here jamini-ji calls out short, mid, and long life span. Hence it seems to make sense then that rāj-yoga-s should also come to blossom within these spans of time indicated. That is based upon the position of a rāj-yoga-s it should come to fruition early in life, mid-life, or late in life. This now helps frame the question at hand ( for me ): What is the rationale used for determining when a rāj-yoga comes to fruition?

So, the question remained open ( for me) for some years. But why pursue it ? The more you know of the mechanics of why something occurs the more you comprehend the subject's core wisdom.

What are some of the clues that I have found and some of the answers that ahve satfied my intellect to stop digging? I will bring this forth in the next post... it involves a frog's jump (maṇḍūka gati).

iti śivaṁ

words

• ṛṣi jaimini who was the student of veda vyāsa ( some call vādarāyaṇa or bādarāyaṇa).
  • rāj = anything the best or chief of its kind ;
  • we note that rāja = king.
  • rāj-yoga-s are also called out from ~special~ lagna-s in chapter 1

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté

The hint is if the rāj-yoga-s occur in the 1st or 7th houses they occur late in life

There are several things that contribute to the answer of when a rāj-yoga bears fruit. The first is offered: the 1st and 7th houses are considered satya-pīṭha. Satya ( or satyam¹) = true + pīṭha = seat, place or office.

It is how we count from these locations i.e. where the rāj-yoga-s occur, from these two houses that begins a sequence and grouping of houses that inform the jyotiṣa of when a rāj-yoga will bear fruit.
The count from these locations is that of maṇḍūka gati ( frog's motion or march - we just call jump). This ~jump~ is how the frog will hop over a sign.
The hop is considered maṇḍuka. Note that maṇḍūka = a frog, and maṇḍuka = the third part of an elephant's hind leg. So, the 'hop' we are discussing is in 3's. If I am counting from the 1st house and the hop occurs, the landing position is the 3rd house. It 'hopped' over the 2nd house.

Yet this first point is still not exhausted... one must ask , why does satya-pīṭha play such a role ? This answer takes one deeper into the significance of jyotiṣh's framework.

If one recalls, within the rāśicakra (zodiac) we find the 4 āyana-s or aims of life¹. Within a birth chart (janma-kuṇḍalī) - we find these in the first 4 houses e.g. 1,2,3 and 4th. Yet these are repeated 3 times in a chart ( 3 x 4 = 12 houses). When we look to the kendra-s ( some like to call them the corners) we find the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th. Each kendra takes a particular quality. The 1st ( a dharma house) is the lagna and is the primary seat of satya-pīṭha. Here we find dhī (intelligence) and ultimately mokṣa; why so ?
Because the natural kāraka of the 1st house is the sun and the sun is the ātma-kāraka. The 7th from the 1st, is the 7th house and it is involved in purity , said another way the removal of impurities.


These two houses are represented by brahma the creator and śiva. The 1st is for the ~creation~ of our bodies, but too for the symbol of enlightenment within this frame due to the ātma-kāraka; and the 7th, the purification progress and the ~destruction~ of impediments to this enlightenment, owned by śiva. These are considered the two seats of satya-pīṭha.
From a jyotish point of view it is the human condition that moves between these to poles or seats. Some would say life and death, others say life and rebirth, and still others say birth and re-birth. So, it is our primary path (āyana) to become seated (pīṭha) in the 1st house. All the other jumping around (maṇḍūka gati) happens in life between these two seats. Our natural intent , the natural law , is to move one to this seat of dharma, that of mokṣa, some prefer to call ātma-vidya or knowledge of the Self (ātman).

Now we are set for some 'jumping' and we will address maṇḍuka gati in the next post.

iti śivaṁ

words

• satyam = true , real , actual , genuine , sincere , honest ,
  truthful , faithful , pure , virtuous , good. successful , effectual , valid ; satyaṃ - is rooted in 'kṛ' 'to make true , ratify , fulfill'
• maṇḍūka - a frog;
  • maṇḍuka - the third part of an elephant's hind leg
  • gati - motion in general; procession , march , passage , procedure , progress , movement
• aims of life = pūruṣārthara - four aims of existence or human pursuit : kāma ,artha , dharma , mokṣa

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté

Now we are set for some 'jumping' and we will address maṇḍuka gati

We should talk of who ~owns~ this maṇḍuka gati and this will take us even deeper into the knowledge. But, to get to the jumping part of the post, let me mention it is owned by rāhu. It is this graha that throws one back into the material side of existence and is the root cause of this movement. We identify rāhu with dehātmavāda¹ or materialism. If one does their research on rāhu this should become apparent.

As mentioned in the last post it is our pursuit (whether mindful of it or not) to arrive at ātma-vidya or knowledge of the Self (ātman) represented by the lagna position in one's chart. So , we wish the movement to be towards the 1st house and when not possible it will occur from the 7th house from where the jump was to take place. You will see there are different considerations for moving forward, backwards, even side-to-side within this maṇḍuka gati approach. I am still discovering some of the rules and will offer what I know.

So, we are taught to start with childhood with 'mother' , the creator of this material body; it is she who gives birth, so we must start there.
Therefore we begin with the 4th house ( of mother and home).

We jump 3 houses and arrive at the 2nd house ( 4,3,2) - we hopped over the 3rd. We also went counter-clockwise because that is the natural motion of rāhu.
So we have the 4th, 2nd house as part of the first group so far.
Now a very interesting 'rule' is offered... we are not permitted to jump over the lagna position ( house 1) so we proceed to the 7th house from the 2nd, and this is the 8th house. We now have the 4th, 2nd and 8th house in our sequence.
The next jump can go forwards or backwards ( counter clockwise or clockwise). We go to the 10th house as it is further from the lagna then the 6th. Why is this the ~rule~ in play ? I am still working comprehending it.
We now have our first sequence group 4th, 2nd, 8th and 10th houses as the first group (2,4,8, and 10th) .
These are the positions where rāj-yoga-s will bear fruit ( if they are formed there) early in life.
One thing we will do is talk of longevity - how many years are we talking ? I will offer a few ideas after we finish the remaining two sequences - we now go to sequence 2.

We're in the 10th house and jump in the direction of the lagna and the only position is the 12th house. We cannot jump over the lagna and land on the 2nd house as it is already taken , so we must go to the 7th house from the 12th and arrive at the 6th house.
In the 6th house we cannot jump to the 4th or 8th house as they are taken ( in sequence 1). If we go to the 7th house from the 6th
( the 12th ) it is already taken in this sequence 2. We are informed now that the frog must crawl (riṅkhaṇa¹) to the side (aṅka), to a new position.
From the 6th we crawl to the 5th or the 7th house. The 5th house is chosen. One last move for this sequence. From the 5th we must go to the 7th house from the 5th which is the 11th house. We went to the 11th house because the 4th and 6th houses do not permit the jump to occur over them.
The 2nd group is now defined: 12, 6, 5 and 11th houses. This indicates the positions where rāj-yoga-s will bear fruit ( if they are formed there) in mid-life.

For sequence 3 and the last part of life we are presently in the 11th house. Where can we go? We cannot crawl to the 12th house , it is taken. And we cannot go to the 2nd house , it is taken in sequence 1. The 7th from the 11th ( the 5th is also taken) so the frog has no other choice but to crawl from the 12th to the 1st house.
We are now in the 1st house and the 'hopping' choices are limited. So , the hop must go to the 7th house. In the 7th house a ~natural ~ hop albeit forward, can now occur and we arrive at the 9th house. There is only one house left and it is 7 houses from the 9th or the 3rd house. It is significant that the last house ( the 3rd house) is 8th houses from the 8th house. We will leave this for now as we have plenty of moving parts to consider and sort out. The 3rd group is now 1,3,7 and 9th houses.

We have the following for when a rāj-yoga will bear fruit.

• Early in the life cycle when a rāj-yoga occurs in the 4th, 2nd, 8th and 10th houses
• Mid-life when a rāj-yoga occurs in the 12, 6, 5 and 11th houses
• Later in life when a rāj-yoga occurs in the 1,3,7 and 9th houses

So, now the question - how long is one's life duration that it can be divided up into 3rd's ? This we will take a look at in the next post.

iti śivaṁ

words

• dehātmavāda = 'assertion that the soul is body' , materialism
• riṅkhaṇa - crawling of children ;
• aṅka - the side or flank ; proximity

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté

One thing we will do is talk of longevity - how many years are we talking ? How long is one's life duration that it can be divided up into 3rd's ?

There are a few schools of thought regarding longevity (āyus¹). If we look to the viṁśottarī daśā system¹ called out by mahāṛṣi (mahārishi) parāśar in his brihat-parāśara-horā-śāstra, it suggests the maximum life span of 120 years in kali yuga. Why 120 ? We will discuss.

Another is the śūla daśā system. The term śūla means death, also pain, grief and sorrow ( which accompanies death one would assume). In this system the longevity is called out at 108 years. Why 108 years ? It is 9 months of pregnancy, used as a base and as the period of time of a sub-daśā. So there is 108 months ( or 9 years) for each sign as a sub-daśā period. Take 12 signs x 9 years - 108 total years of longevity. This 108 divided by 3 gives 36 years per each 1/3rd of the life span is quite orderly.

Also too, the aṣṭottarī daśā ( 108 year) daśā system fits nicely as it applies to my chart. There are specific rules for this use and not all natives fit the rules for this daśā system. But according to mahāṛṣi parāśar the viṁśottarī daśā system is applicable to all in kali yuga. The 120 years divided by 3 = 40 years per early, mid and later-in-life duration.
Yet one will make the observation there are few that get to this age. There are some that suggest this daśā system should be viewed in 1/4th sections. Why?
Because the 120 years matches the 4 pūruṣārthara - four aims of existence or human pursuit : kāma ,artha , dharma , mokṣa. And these 4 match the 4 houses 1,2,3,4 and can be aligned to the kendra-s ( or corners). Recall that the 4 pūruṣārthara-s repeat 3 times 1 to 4, 5 to 8 and 9 to 12th houses.

There too is another - the naisargika¹ (natural) daśā system. It goes to 120 years also. This system aligns to the 7 graha-s and excludes the nodes of rāhu and ketu. It is a very ~clean~ system which I like, but that is neither here-or-there. It aligns the graha-s to the actions found in particular stages of life and I myself find a nice fit per my life experiences.



from here: http://www.futurepointindia.com/articles/research-articles/forgotten-system-of-natural-dasha.aspx

These daśā systems suggest the life time potential but are modified by certain rules. There are many techniques offered in jyotiṣh¹. It is beyond the scope of this post to talk of them all nor is it the focus of the overall string. I also must add it is beyond my abilities to talk of them all in an competent manner. So, we rely on what ṛṣi jaimini offers us in his upadeśa-sūtra-s, pada 2, 1st caturthāṃśa¹ ( or 2nd chapter , 1st. quarter).
If one reads this chapter it informs us on 2 methods of coming to an opinion on the length of life. Yet no matter what one reads the lagna and the 8th house will be involved ( in part) in the calculation, not to mention saturn (śani)

What is interesting (to me) about jamini-ji's approach is he considers where the 1st and 8th houses reside - in movable, dual, and fixed
signs. These sign conditions indicate logn, middle and short life respectively.

Once all is calculated and taken into consideration the span of life can be bracketed from 32 years to 120 years. Yet one will say I know of many that died younger then 32 years of age. Of this there is no doubt and jaimini muni informs us that the reduction in longevity is caused by saturn (śani) being conjoined or aspected by mailfics. But can there be in increase in life span? Yes, says jaimini-ji. When jupiter (guru) is unafflicted in the lagna or in the 7th house. Are there other increases and reductions ? Yes, this is pointed out in the 2nd chapter and one can read it as they see fit.

Now once one comes to an opinion on the longevity ( and its reductions) then one can get an indication of when a rāj-yoga will bear fruit. Let's say we agree with the śūla daśā system and the life span of 108 years, with no reductions or increases. We then would see following:

• Early in the life cyle = 0 to 36 years when a rāj-yoga occurs in the 4th, 2nd, 8th and 10th houses
• Mid-life = 37 to 72 years when a rāj-yoga occurs in the 12, 6, 5 and 11th houses
• Later in life = 72 to 108 years when a rāj-yoga occurs in the 1,3,7 and 9th houses

Is there more we can discuss ? I think there is... I mentioned as humans we cycle between these two poles called satya-pīṭha. We can understand that the 1st house (lagna) is a very important location, but why the 7th ? We will take a look in the next post.

iti śivaṁ
words

• naisargika (natural) balā - strength based upon its luminosity ; who is brightest ? Sun
• viṁśottarī daśā system - is one 32 daśā systems called out by mahāṛṣi (mahārishi) parāśar
  • viṃśaṃ śata = 100 (śata) + 20 (viṃśa)
• āyus - life , vital power , vigour , health , duration of life , long life ; associated with the 8th house
• caturthāṃśa - a 4th part ; some people may call out chapter 2, 1st. quarter as 2nd adhyāya , 1st pāda.
  
  • This pāda = a quarter , a fourth part and it just so happens that the upadeśa-sūtra-s has 4 chapters, so pāda as a chapter name may also work well and that was my choice.
• Longevity is reviewed by mahāṛṣi parāśar in his brihat-parāśara-horā-śāstra in the chapter reviewing the effects of the 8th house.

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté

We can understand that the 1st house (lagna) is a very important location, but why the 7th ?

If you recall from post 6, I mention this:

The 1st ( a dharma house) is the lagna and is the primary seat of satya-pīṭha. Here we find dhī (intelligence) and ultimately mokṣa; Why so ? Because the natural kāraka of the 1st house is the sun and the sun is the ātma-kāraka.The 7th from the 1st, is the 7th house and it is involved in purity , said another way the removal of impurities.

I suggested that the 1st house is life and the 7th house is death. But how can this 7th house be death ?

By the principle of bhavat bhavām ( please see this HDF post for a reasonable overview: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2803 )

• bhavat is being , present.
  bhavām or bhāva is turning into; state of being or obtaining , acquisition with; frequently connected with.

As mentioned the 8th house indicates longevity amongst other things. If one counts 12 houses from it we arrive at the 7th house. The 12th house is that of endings. Based upon the principle of bhavat bhavām the 12th from another house brings and end to that house. So, the 8th house is that of longevity and the 12th therefrom is the 7th house which brings an end to that longevity. Hence one can see the 7th house as endings or even some use the term māraka¹. So , this principle of bhavat bhavām by definition says ' presently turning into'.
The 7th 'turns into' the likeness of the 12th.

Take the 8th house again and by the principle of bhavat havām count 8 houses from it. We arrive at the 3rd house. If it is 8th from the 8th, this too must be another longevity house. It is a upacaya¹ (some write upacayaṃ) house - that of growth.
Now the 12th from the 3rd, we arive at the 2nd house. It is where some 'end' comes to the 3rd house. Now why do I mention this... for me, it is the only explanation I see on why jamini-ji says in the 2nd adhyāya , 1st pāda, 31st sutra that death will surely occur in the daśā of the 2nd house.

Much more can be said, but we will be drifting a bit off-course.

iti śivaṁ

• 
  māraka - killing a killer ; death of all creatures at the dissolution of the universe
• upacaya - increase , growth , prosperity ;
  • upacayaṃ is rooted in kṛ , to promote or advance the prosperity of , help , assist
  • The upacayaṃ houses are the 3rd, 6th, 10th and 11th houses

[mimi]

can anyone tell me what is ksp youg