Answers to Lesson-5

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Om Gurave Namah

 

Namaste Guruji & Solai ji,

 

Thanks for giving us a very challenging & thought provoking

assignment, which can not be attempted routinely. I enclose my

responses and hope to have your corrections in the matter.

 

1.In your chart or any chart, explain how a lagna sign's

characteristics and planets connected with that lagna sign influence

the native's personality and health.

 

Ans) Dhanus as the natural 9th house shows a beast emerging into a

man, further evolving into an iconic bow & arrow being aimed at the

sky (nothing less!)- symbolizes a supple consciousness arching

upwards towards Ananta. I also feel that Dhanus shows successive

refining of spirit by the progressive shedding of gross body

concerns. Such a soul, pulsing with power and radiance, like the

Naraayana-asthra poised to fly from the bow of Shiva, is vibrant,

sure, epiphanic ....a part of eternal Brahman himself. Hence, a

typical dhanurlagna native is often caught in the struggle between

the mundane and the divine, between multiplicity and unity, between

the beast and the brahma ..but always, always seeking to grow against

gravitation into a more mobile, minimalistic mode of self. In my

case, this predicament is compounded by the presence of two giants,

Jupiter & Saturn, in lagna forming what I can say is the natural

Dharma-karmadhipati yoga in the 9th house of the natural zodiac

(coincidentally I have DKY in my natal 9th house!). With the

expansive moon also trooping, in my lagna is quite a crowded &

complicated house.

 

Added to this combination is the mutual rasi drishti of neecha-bhanga

Venus and graha drishti of Mars (AK), Rahu (mutual) and the argala of

Ketu on lagna from the 3rd house,

which makes it a total of 7 planets influencing the lagna sign. This

interesting mix of influences, ofcourse, with Jupiter dominating,

make me plump, positive, jolly, affectionate, sensitive, spiritual,

uncompromising, devoted, detached, stormy, restless, relentless and

curious. The conjunction of the natural 4th lord (Moon) with the

natal 4th Lord (Jupiter-natural 9th lord), indicate my natural

leaning towards dharmic & traditional learning. A strong lagna &

lagna lord give me good health.

 

2.Explain the reason for the exaltation and ownership signs of all

the planets,

See lesson # 4 as a reference.

 

&

 

3.Take the dual rasis owned by the non-luminous planets and compare

the characteristics of their two rasis. Find out how the lordship

gets altered for these two rasis because of the difference in

characteristics.

 

A) I must confess here that I found these questions extremely

difficult to answer. I toyed with many ideas but rejected all.…

somehow nothing felt right. I know Mars is the Lord of Aries, Sun

gets exalted in Aries, and Aries indicates the sunrise or beginning.

But why Aries? And, how come that two apparently opposite planets

like Moon and Saturn get exalted in the same Venus's house? Knocking

around ceaselessly, I seemed to have found a satisfactory explanation

for these queries. Of course, the key lies in Gurudeva's VRA (where

else?) and I humbly submit my views here for your corrections and

guidance. Pardon me if I sound occasionally incoherent in the course

of the narrative, it's only because I feel overwhelmed and breathless

by this exciting unfolding of the unknown and frustrated by my

inability to assimilate the same in full measure!

 

Answers:

 

Since Sun & Moon represent the Light or Paramatma that brooks no

plurality, each of them is allocated only one house.

 

Sun & Mars: Sun's exalted in Aries, which symbolizes the

begining. .. Mars with his great energy and focus is the lord of

the sign. It could be because Manipura chakra is ruled by Mars, is

the Source of Energy, and is the seat of "ram" the agni beeja,

covering the navel & digestive system – indicative of beginning of

rajas, Brahma and the creation (ref: Vishnupurana). Vide Lalitha-

sahasranaamam, the Manipura Chakra is described as "Vishnu Grandhi",

further strengthening this argument.

 

Creation and sustenance of creation by procreation gets the next

priority and the energy "heads" towards "Brahma Grandhi" in

Mooladhara chakra "flowing" through Swaadhistaana chakra (scorpio).

No wonder Mars gets exalted in "prithvi tattwa" (earth) of

Mooladhara chakra, i.e., Capricorn, the house of amphibians.

 

Considering that in the natural birthing process, what comes out

first is usually the head, Sun's exaltation in Aswini ( Ketu ),

indicates the thrust of primal life-force fusing the "head" with

the "headless body" thus providing a wholesome new identity, impetus

and purpose to the soul. Now I dimly begin to understand what

Gurudeva meant by that oblique statement that Sun in ketvamsa would

signify new birth or regeneration...and am moved by the sanctity with

which "life" was invested by the sages…it is indeed a yagnya.

 

Sun's at home in Leo, the natural 5th house of intelligence and

intuition, again symbolized by head (Aries). Leo is also the sign of

the dispassionate "Parabrahma" who neither elevates nor denigrates,

where everyone is treated the same way. The house of Satya,

Paandithya, Prema, Samadrishti and Sahasraara chakra…seeking to

regulate none and nothing, but glorious in Itself.

 

Most of the first 20degrees of Leo, which constitute the moolatrikona

of Sun, is lorded by Ketu . Incidentally, Jupiter's moolatrikona

and Mar's moolatrikona also fall in the nakshatra of Ketu …aachaarah

prabhavo dharmo…dharmasya Prabhurachyuthah.

 

Extending the same analogy, I found that the dharma–trikona is

dominated by Ketu + Venus (Tapaswi), artha-trikona is dominated by

Sun & Moon (Rajayoga); Rahu dominates the kama trikona, while

Jupiter, Saturn & Mercury dominate the moksha trikona (Bhakti - gyana

yoga?)

 

Moon & Saturn: Moon is exalted in Taurus…the newborn's first

introduction to the world is the benign face, beautiful eyes &

mellifluous voice of the Mother, that nurture with affection and

soothe with compassion. And, I also see that Moon is the only planet

whose moolatrikona is in someone else's house. Here Venus, in its

purest form, indicates one's emotional attachment to the roots/home.

Contrast this to Libra, where Saturn is exalted, marking a

philosophical attachment to the "other" end or destination. Ofcourse

Saturn, as the urbane planet of detachment and philosophy (aquarius),

finds special delight in the airy, social and contemplative hour of

the sunset ( natural 7th house). Also, it is only logical that

Saturn, the lord of austerity and discipline, revels in the tenacity

of the Tapaswi.

 

In the chakra-explanation, we find that the Anahata and Visuddhi

chakras ruled by Moon and Saturn respectively are the combined seat

of "yam" vaayubeeja and meditating on this purifies the genitals and

the sexual act controlled by swadhisthana chakra, lorded by Venus!

 

Mercury: Mercury lords Mooladhara chakra (prithvi tattwa) and

invoking this chakra cleanses the actions associated, again,

with "prithvi tattwa", hence Mercury is exalted in his own house in

Virgo. Steeped in practicality, Virgo is the sign of self-

preservation, fighting over territory etc., that are necessary to

certain extent for survival of the race.

 

Rahu: We descend to the lower end of Narayana, i.e, Rahu. With

Gemini, duality begins and so does the maaya of Rahu, imitating Sun

in Aries (head) with flattering accuracy! Welcome to the house of

easy articulation, etiquette and elegant expression, all designed to

impress others! Gemini not only celebrates "others" (read Rahu), this

airy sign provides just the right climate for the virus of Rahu to

spread fast and thick.

 

BTW, could Gemini be the AL of the natural zodiac?

 

Jupiter: Cancer is soft, sentimental, easily influenced whichever

way and Jupiter just loves such faith and innocence. By condoning the

adultery Chandra committed with his wife and by overcoming mindless

fury (Mars-debilitation), the Devaguru became Trivikrama, One who had

grown beyond the three worlds, the three gunas, the three states. I

find that this theme is carried through the iconic Sagittarius

(moolatrikona) and the tranquil Pisces.

 

Jupiter rules over "aagya chakra" or "Rudra grandhi" with "ham"

akaasa beeja, meditating on which cleanses actions associated

with "vaayu tattwa" indicated again by Moon+Saturn combination.

Jupiter finding exaltation in Moon, I can understand, but in Saturn?

The puzzle deepened when I saw that Jupiter's deep exaltation is in

the first 5 degrees of Cancer, in the constellations of Punarvasu

(ruler-Jupiter-understandable) and Pushyami (ruler-Saturn-???)…till

it suddenly struck me that ..but ofcourse, Saturn rules Pournami, the

Full Moon day, so Saturn+moon combination suggests the full moon…

Buddha pournami, Guru pournami, Sravana pournami…the list reflects

indeed the full exaltation of Jupiter the Satya Narayana, and

explains why both Moon & Saturn get exalted in Venus, the Tapaswi's

house! Simultaneously it also dawns on me why Saturn in Cancer gives

Raja yoga, why sani chandra yoga in 1st & 10th houses is considered a

powerful raja yoga….amazing!

 

Ketu: Dhanus, the agni kshetra of Guru, or the aagya chakra, marks

the apogee of Ketu and perhaps for this reason is described

as "Tejaswi" by Parasara….Beings of the Dark, Beware! The zone of

Light starts here.

 

Venus: The reward for true tapasya is only moksha and Venus finds

exaltation in peaceful, pure & transparent Pisces. As Love, or Amrita

tattwa, in the real sense of the term, stands for selflessness, and

the 12th house is the natural house of loss, but also of true gain,

it is very apt that Venus gets exalted in Pisces, where Jupiter tends

towards exalted Sun (Aries). A great flight indeed for Venus from

Swaadhistaana to Sahasraara.

 

Incidentally, Venus ruling "Jala tattwa" also gets exalted in jala /

amrita tattwa, (pisces) and controls the "vam", the jala beeja

meditating on which gives charitable thoughts and good speech etc-

obviously higher impulses associated with Jupiter.

 

Regards,

Lakshmi