Yoga

[Guest guest]

Q: What is ‘Yoga’ in Hindu Vedic Astrology? What are important Yogas and how to read them in a chart? ….Lakshmi……Sonepet.

“Yoga” - a Sanskrit word to mean ‘Union’ - would refer to any number of Planetary combinations which yield specific results.

This could include conjunctions in a sign of Planets, aspects or spiritual relations etc There are hundreds of ‘Yogas’. There are many commonly used by Astrologers for chart analysis. I will just quote a few below:

The important axiom in practice is that, while interpreting Yoga, they only yield maximum results, when Lagna (Ascendant), the Moon and Yoga performing planets are not connected in any manner with malefic Planets. These defined Yogas have profound effect during Desa and Anther Desa periods of related Planets.

The following Yogas are important for an astrologer to be familiar with:

1. Panchamaha Purusha Yogas: (‘Phaladeepika’ - Mantreswara) These Yogas occur when Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter or Saturn occupy their exaltation or signs of ruler ship, while these combinations will have positive results, if malefic planets are not with these planets in the same sign and also not influencing in any manner the Lagna or the Moon.

1.a. Ruchika Yoga: Mars is the most important ‘player’ in this yoga, when in Aries or Scorpio (Both signs owned by Mars) or Capricorn (where Mars will be exalted) or in Kendra positions of 1, 4, 7, 10 houses from Lagna or the Moon.

1.b. Bhadra Yoga: Mercury positioned in Virgo (where Mercury is exalted, as well as owner of the sign) or Gemini (ruler of the sign) is in Kendras ( as in 1.a. above described) from Lagna and the Moon.

1.c. Hamsa Yoga: Jupiter occupying Sagittarius (as ruler of these houses) or Cancer (its exalted position) as well as in Kendras as in 1.a. above, from Lagna and the Moon.

1d. Malavya Yoga: Venus as lord of Taurus or Libra, or as exalted in Pisces, while in Kendra as in 1.a. above from the Lagna and the moon.

1.e. Sasa Yoga: Saturn rules Capricorn and Aquarius and in exaltation in Libra. If Saturn occupies one of these houses and that house is in Kendra as in 1.a. above this yoga is said to occur.

2. Yoga related to the Moon: As you all know, we list Jupiter, Venus, The Moon, as benefic (though Mercury is ‘neutral’ and waning Moon as mild malefic) for arriving results under Yoga combinations, as also Sun, Saturn, Mars, Rahu an Ketu as malefic.

2.a. Kesari Yoga: This occurs when the Moon and Jupiter are angular from one another, that is ether they are positioned in the same house, or 4, 7, 10 houses apart.

2.b. Sunapa Yoga: If a Planet other than the Sun and the nodes, occupies the 2nd house from the Moon, this yoga is said to occur.

2.c. Anupa Yoga: When a Planet other than the Sun and the nodes occupies the 12th house from the Moon, this yoga is said to occur.

(According to K.S.Charak, author of Elements of Vedic astrology, Sunapa Yoga is concerned with second house qualities of accumulation and possession, whereas Anupa Yoga is concerned with the qualities of twelfth house of spending and employment.

2.d. Durudhara Yoga: This occurs when Planets occupy both 2nd and 12th houses from the Moon. The Yoga so defined could be benefic or malefic with qualities of the planets occupy these houses.

There are many yogas like ‘Kemadruma Yoga’, ‘Subhavesi Yoga’, ‘Subhavasi Yoga’,

‘Subhobhayachari Yoga’, ‘Subhakartari Yoga’, ‘Papakarthari Yoga’, ‘Parivarthana Yoga’, ‘Maha Yogas’, ‘Kahala Yogas’, ‘Raja Yogas’, ‘Dhana Yogas’, ‘Chandra Mangala Yoga’, ‘Arishta Yogas’, ‘Vipareetha Raja Yoga’, and ‘Kalasarpa Yoga’ etc.

This will be a long list. There are many books on this and one of the most exhaustive book is by Late B.V. Raman, a great astrologer of our time.

Pathi

A.V.Pathi, Chapel Hill,North Carolina, 27514, USA