LEARN ASTROLOGY - LESSON 10

"Contradictions & Limitations - Classical Principles in Astrology"

"Treating Each Bhava as Lagna"
"Exaltation sign of Rahu"
"Exchange of Steller Lordship"
"Dasa/Dasha Chhidra"
"Gand Mool Nakshatra Dosha/Gandanth Dosha"
The classical principles that those houses become strong whose lords aspect
their own houses and that the planets placed in inimical signs are troubled, are
contradictory to some extent. The reality shows that a functional benefic planet
which aspects its own sign though placed in its inimical sign, is not troubled and
is capable of protecting its house if the dispositor of such a planet does not suffer
from weakness. For making the house strong the owner of the house has to be
strong.
Three very prominent confusions are; (i) placement strength of angular or trinal
position of planets from the house they own; (ii) placement relationship amongst
various planets; and (iii) 6th/8th positions of the lords of the operating subperiods and the main period.
A planet, irrespective of its angular or trinal position from its house, is rendered
weak if placed in malefic houses. For example, the lord of the fourth house
relegated to the eighth or twelfth house will become weak. Planetary relationship
by way of placement i.e. angular/trinal position amongst them will prove to be
beneficial only if it is in the auspicious houses. If the main and sub-period lords
are placed in the 6th/8th houses but are in the good houses like the fourth and
ninth or tenth and fifth, it will always prove to be good. However, 6th/8th positions
of planets one of which falls in the malefic house always proves harmful to the
native. There are certain limitations also. The concept of Varshphala and
Ashtakvarga etc. cannot mitigate weakness of weak and afflicted planets in the
natal chart and hence render the usefulness of these concepts to futility. Any
planet which is weak and afflicted in a natal chart and has become functional
malefic planet, in its operating sub-periods will only cause sufferings to the native
irrespective of the promising combinations in Varshphala, transit, etc. The
construction of system of Vedic Astrology is of pyramid nature, combinations
have to be placed on the basic principles and not to be read and applied in
isolation.
The significators are in a position to help fructification of their significations only if
they are strong and/or are connected with the concerned house, the ascendant,
the lord of the concerned house or the ascendant/ascendant lord of the
corresponding divisional chart.

The Sun, Jupiter and Saturn, when exalted, depend upon its dispositor for
strength. Because of this, in similar circumstances, a planet in its mooltrikona
sign proves more beneficial in large number of cases. The reason for persistence
of confusions and contradictions had been lack of an integrated systems'
approach. Some further confusions/contradictions have been taken up in the
subsequent paragraphs.
Treating each Bhava as Ascendant The prevalent method to identify the results
of any particular house by treating it as ascendant does not give accurate results.
For example, if we have to delineate the results of the fifth house, its lord or any
other planet(s) posited in the sixth house or eighth house from the ascendant
cannot be taken as posited in the second or fourth house from the fifth house.
Such placement of the lord of the fifth house in the sixth or eighth house makes it
weak as per its location in the dusthana houses. Such a planet can never
promote the significations of the fifth house for the native during its sub-period in
the main period of functional malefic planets, weak and afflicted planets and even
in the main period of functional benefic planets. The significations of the fifth
house during the main period of unconnected (having no relationship with the
fifth house) strong functional benefic planets may even suffer due to the
placement of the lord of the fifth house in any of the malefic houses during the
sub-periods of the fifth lord. The sub-period of a planet or the lord of the fifth
house placed in the sixth or the twelfth house from the fifth house would produce
good results because of their occupying angles from ascendant if they are
otherwise strong and are functional benefic planets.
The other dimension is knowing about the relation signified by a particular house
in case the horoscope of relation concerned is not available. In that case also the
applicability is to a limited extent. However, the placement of the lord of the
house ruling the relation and the significator of that relation would guide the
matters pertaining to that relation. For example, for considering the position of
the father we have to consider the position of the ninth and the fourth houses and
the significator, the Sun.
Sign of Exaltation of Rahu:
There are various views about the results of periods of Rahu and its
exaltation sign. Briefly, we would touch both these points. Sub-period of
Rahu gives a lot of impetus and courage to the native if Rahu is occupying
benefic signs, placed in angles or trines, its dispositor is in strength and
Rahu is not involved in conjunction and aspect with a weak planet or
house. The results of Rahu are always very fluctuating in nature i.e. affluent
if beneficially poised and of resorting to low morals and meanness if
malefically poised. Experience shows beyond doubt that Taurus is the sign
where Rahu gives results of its exaltation and Scorpio is its sign of
debilitation which creates problems and obstructions for the native during
its sub-periods. Similarly, Ketu's exaltation sign is Scorpio and debilitation

sign is Taurus. The readers may see and find for themselves the
truthfulness of the results attributed to Rahu in this paragraph.
Exchange of Stellar Lordship:
The term is quoted if a planet has exchanged nakshatra with another
planet. Studies show that the exchange or placement of a planet in
nakshatra of another planet does not make any difference. This will be
quite evident if the results are derived with the Integrated System's
Approach. For example, if being a functional benefic planet, Jupiter has
exchanged nakshatra with Ketu and is in the signs Aries or Leo, it will be in
friendly signs whereas in Sagittarius it will be in its own mooltrikona sign,
and such a Jupiter, when strong, will not give malefic results of Ketu and
the results of Ketu will depend on the house, sign and its sign dispositor. In
other words if Jupiter is strong in any of the three signs, and is in the
nakshatra of Ketu and Jupiter is a functional benefic planet and if at the
same time its dispositor is with strength, mere placement of Jupiter in the
nakshatra of Ketu does not produce bad results. The only effect of
placement of the Moon in the nakshatra of any planet is that the clock
starts ticking in with the main period of the nakshatra lord.
Dasa Chhidra:
The ending part of main period of any planet is known as dasa chhidra and
it is traditionally believed that during dasa chhidra the native does not
enjoy good results. This is also baseless. The reasons can be brought out
very clearly. If the lord of the last sub-period in the main period of any
planet is beneficially poised and is strong, it will bestow beneficial results
even in dasa chhidra. There is one more misnomer that Saturn gives its
results in its last part as it is a planet with slow pace. Both these so called
concepts are even in contradiction amongst themselves. Jupiter's subperiod comes at the end of Saturn's main period. Jupiter is a natural
benefic planet and if it is a functional benefic and strong, it will always
produce good results during dasa chhidra. If it is functionally malefic and
at the same time being placed in a malefic house or even in a benefic
house, during its sub-period it will produce malefic results in the main
period of Saturn. Both these concepts of dasa chhidra and Saturn's good
results in its ending periods are totally baseless and appear to be the
product of such people who do not follow a systematic analytical approach
and fail to derive the correct reasons for malefic results in dasa chhidra or
attributing slow results to Saturn in the end of its main period.
To sum up, the science of Vedic Astrology is an integrated system and
application of any principle in isolation would only lead to erroneous
judgments. Therefore, the use of Systems' Approach helps. In contrast to
weak combinations, the factors which are not weak and are strong and

beneficially aspected, help in manifestation of favorable results of the

corresponding significations.
One very pertinent aspect is whether a person will suffer with regard to the
significations of a house whose lord and significator are weak without
being blessed with the signification or whether he/she will first acquire it
and then lose it. For example, if a person is destined to suffer on account
of progeny matters whether he will not be blessed with progeny at all, or he
will not be blessed with a son, or his children will not keep good health, or
his children will die before him, etc. If a planet is otherwise weak, placed in
a dusthana and at the same time the planet, the significator and the house
concerned suffer affliction through functional malefic planets and these
factors are devoid of the influence of a functional benefic planet the native
is not blessed with the significations of the house where its mooltrikona
sign falls. If a planet is weak but its location is in an angle or in a trine or in
its own sign (weak in this case on account of combustion, for example),
and the planet as well as the concerned house are under the influence of
functional benefic planets, the native stands the chances of getting it in the
favorable periods and subsequently facing deterioration in the periods of
weak/afflicting planets/significators.
The mooltrikona sign lords of the natural zodiac act as secondary
significators for houses where their mooltrikona signs fall. For example,
Mars is lord of the first house in the natural zodiac. In addition to the Sun
as the significator for the first house, Mars also acts as the secondary
significator for the first house. The Moon, the Sun, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus
and Saturn become secondary significators for fourth, fifth, sixth, ninth,
seventh and eleventh houses, respectively. When all the five factors, i.e.
the lord of the house, the significator, the secondary significator, the house
itself and the lord of the ascendant of the concerned divisional chart are
weak and afflicted, it generally becomes the case of a total denial.