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a submission to GJ list,

Thu, 23 Aug 2001 20:28:35 -0700

"Kuttikkat Chandrabose" <kuttikkatbose

kuttikkatbose

 

Can we justify aspects in varga charts? Until now I have not bothered

myself to find out whether there are contradictions in the written

literature of Vedic Astrology. The reason for this nonchalant attitude

was the assumption that the very planets that signify good tidings will

also signify bad indications, depending upon how the planets are linked

to the various matters, portfoliosof human life. So, contradictions

become subjective to the native, depending on what the native considers

good or bad. As an example, my father left our birthplace in India when

I was 18 months old. He went to Singapore(it was pre-world war II times)

where he had made his fortune before he married my mother, and I was

born as the first offspring. He was financially hard up when I was born.

He (my father) knew that he could land his old job in Singapore, where

he was well paid. World war II broke out, Singapore was a favored

Japanese strategic target, all whereabouts of my father along with

several of his friends were all lost without a trace. I have no

recollection of my father's face or any memories of him. Those of you

who have access to Goravani Jyothish may cast my chart for 11/04/1936,

TOB 1:40: AM, Trichur, India. In my rasi chart, five out of the nine

Vedic astrology planets aspect my 9th House, somewhat of a rare

aspectual concentration on a single House. Four out of the five are

malefic planets. The dictum that a glance from Jupiter will eliminate a

thousand evils did not work for me, at least about my father, because

the 5th aspect of the benefic Jupiter falls on the 9th House too.

Looking back on my own life, my 9th House succumbed to the evil forces

it was subjected to, with respect to the experience I had about my

father. But overall, for myself, the 9th House considered as a House of

luck or fortune, I was rather blessed in the status I attained life

compared to my rather low birth surroundings. Thus, the science of

astrology in fact allows for what are seemingly apparent contradictions,

but these a! re contradictions resulting from differences in subjective

interpretations, rather than those inherent in astrological dictums. I

give my life experience here because it convinces me how aspects to an

empty rasi (unoccupied by any planet) in a birth chart can have

meaningful impacts on those matters in the native's life, signified by

that rasi. However, when I come to aspects in amsa charts (also called

varga charts), I am a little lost about its significance in the

astrological literature. In general, most writings in Vedic Astrology

literature allow for the existence of aspects in amsa charts. If one

accepts that aspects (both in Western as well in Eastern Astrology there

seems to exist this acceptance) result from some particular geometrical

angular relationships between planets, then it is difficult to see how

in Parasara designed amsa charts one can meaningfully assign aspects.

When a planet is transplanted from its rasi position in a birth chart to

another Zodiac House in an amsa chart, this planet looses its

longitudinal identity which characterized it in the birth chart. Varga

charts were introduced by Sage Parasara to fine tune the astrological

judgement of certain matters in the native's life. The Sage declares

their function in his book, albeit briefly but in no uncertain terms, in

his introduction to vargavivekadhiaya. Parasara's justification for the

creation of the varga charts is based on his reasoning that planets

which have the common lordship over a rasi, for example Mars over Mesha

and Vrischika, are not necessarily the supreme rulers of the various

amsas (fractions) within the thirty degree span of the same rasis.

Thus, while Mars rules the whole of Mesha in general, Mars has some

added rulership-right on the first Navamsha of Mesha (0-3œ20') compared

to the rest of 8 navamshas of Mesha. The remaining 8 navamshas may be

considered to be leased, (figuratively speaking) by Mars from other

planets, giving him the general rulership all over Mesha, whil! e on the

first Navamsha Mars owns absolute ownership. Such considerations form

the basis of the origin of an amsa chart, requiring the placement of a

planet within 0-3œ20' of Mesha in a birth chart in Mesha itself in

Navamsha, while a planet that is occupying a longitude >3œ20' <6œ40' in

Mesha is placed in Vrisha. The different arrangement of planets in the

amsa chart from that of the birth chart is to be used to get a better

glimpse of the indications of the natives life, but only when judging

those matters laid down by the originator of the amsa chart. Thus,

Navamsha for marriage or partnerships, Dasamsa for career etc; In time

various post-Parasara writings have accumulated paving a way for two

distinct line of thoughts. 1) When the amsa chart is to be interpreted

there is no need to pay attention to those aspects in birth chart,

obviously they may indeed be non existent in the amsa chart, 2) Planets

in Amsa charts develop drishtis under the same Parasara rules as in

birth chart. Example, all oppositeions in a varga chart have the same

meaning as in rasi chart, the special aspects of Jupiter, Mars, and

Saturn are applicable to the amsa charts the same way it is applied to

rasi chart. I find two problems with the above concept. 1) A whole

chapter in Parasara Hora has been devoted to drikbala of planets. Those

of you click through GJ need not be told that drikbala is an important

attribute of planetary shadbala strength. A whole chapter in Hora is

devoted for evaluation of drikbala, and the starting point of the math

for this function is the longitude of planets. Is it not clear that the

drikbala is aspectual strength? If there is no longitudinal identity,

and consequently no angular relationship can be attributed between

planets in an amsa chart, does it not make aspect and aspectual

strength a foregone conclusion in amsa charts? Can you have meaningful

aspect if the aspectual strength is zero? One has to remember that when

a planet is in Thula and another one is in Mesha in Navamsha chart, they

are there in those respective rasis because those planets occupied (in

the birth chart) segments ruled by Venus and Mars, the lords of Thula

and Mesha respectively. S! uch a relationship originates in the amsa

lordship between segments of a given rasi, it has got nothing to do

with any angular relationship between planets. Therefore, there is no

justification to consider that these planets are in opposition in the

same sense as they will be in rasi, if similarly placed. 2) Nowhere do

I see aspect in varga charts explicitly mentioned in Parasara Hora. In

the chapter where the Sage mentions vimshopaka strength of planets (amsa

charts do play a role here) he makes no mention of aspects, while

exaltation and swakhetram are given appropriate considerations. Am I to

suppose that the Muni who carefully laid down precise mathematical rules

to apportion aspectual strengths in shadbala made an inadvertent

omission in vimshopaka? There is, however, a chapter in Hora that

mentions a general aspect, one that is not tied up in a longitudinal

link on the zodiac. In this chapter(chapter 9) there is a mention of

aspects of signs. The opposit signs and the planets contained within

opposing signs are considered to be aspecting each other, in addition to

a certain other combinations that gives fractional aspects. Thus, when

the term sputadrishti is used, it becomes necessary to distingush it

from another kind of drishti, one that is not associated with sputam.

May be one can claim that the later kind of aspect is the one existing

in amsa charts. By and large in astrological applications these general

aspects are ignored. When aspects are mentioned in modern astrological

writings, almost invariably, the author implies aspects that modifies

planetary attributes by divinations or karakatwas of aspecting and

aspected planets. These aspects are the ones betw! een planets in

oppositions, or the special aspects of outer planets and Mars. Such

aspects can be meaningfully implicated only with their longitudinal

identity, a parameter not existing in amsa charts. Thus, when Parasara

uses the word yutekshite as he does in the many verses in the chapter on

Karakamsha in Hora,a distinction has to made by the readers between such

drishti and those discussed in the birth chart. The later ones are the

only aspects that results in drikbala. The one in amsa charts are

supposed to be the ones, or those like the ones, mentioned in chapter 9.

The aspects that quantitatively modifies the properties and

significations by imparting characteristics of the aspecting and

aspected planets are always the ones that arise out of a defined

geometrical configuration. Such aspects cannot be existing in amsa

charts unless the design framework of amsa charts are modified from that

laid down by Sage Parasara. Therefore, the total of 16 vargas giving

rise to 144 aspects (not counting special aspects of outer planets) does

seem to be an unnecessary complication that is not warranted by the

definition of aspects resulting in drikbala. I do not mean to implicate

that because there is not a longitudinal identity there is no

interaction in a varga chart between planets. My reasoning on aspects is

exclusive of the relative ease or difficulty of interaction

betweenplanets when they are in 1:9 and a 1:8 position with respect to

one another. Such positional identities do not need an angular arc,

defined by degree min second to define their position. In the absence of

written word from the Sage who originated the amsa chart, one has only

common sense to guide him through. My common sense does see a necessity

for longitude to justify aspect in meaningful fashion, for aspect that

cannot be quantitatively ascertained has to be considered as an inferior

parameter to sputadrishti which can be quantitatively assessed. œ ---

Kuttikkat Chandrabose--- kuttikkatbose--- EarthLink: It's

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