LESSON# 5 : ASSIGNMENT [Part 1]

November 19, 2001

Respected Sanjay ji,

Namaste,

My attempt on the first 3 questions for the assignment of Lesson# 5 is given below.

Please favour me with your evaluation, comments and valuable guidance.

With sincere regards.Shailesh

ASSIGNMENT# 5 : RAJ YOGA

Question: What is the meaning of the word Rajayoga? Explain with examples.

Answer:

The word ‘Rajayoga’ consists of two words- ‘Raj’ (or ‘Raj’) and ‘Yoga’. ‘Raja’ literally means a RULER- one who rules (performs/ exercises ‘Raj’). ‘Yoga’ means a combination, and also a situation (occurrence). Thus, a combination, or a situation of planets in a horoscope, which indicates propensity for rulership, is called ‘Raj Yoga’ or ‘Rajayoga’.

In normal parlance, a ‘Raja’ is taken as a person who has political power (Raja Satta) but that is a very restrictive interpretation.

It would be more pragmatic, and perhaps relevant if ‘Raj’ should be understood as ‘Authority’ or ‘Power’ or great ‘influence’ – over affairs of a group of people, a place, an organisation, etc.. and would include all positions of considerable power, overall leadership, such as a big landlord, a Dharma Guru (Pope???), an owner of an industrial empire, etc.

On a micro scale, the Atma Karaka, Lagna/ ascendant, as also the Sun, are referred to as ‘king’ of the horoscope. Thus, a combination that confers extraordinary power on these, could also be interpreted as causing a ‘Raj Yoga’.

The ancients have identified several types of Raj Yogas.

The most common RY are those caused by a combination of Lords of Trines and Angles. This combination could be by mutual exchange of houses (parivartan yoga), mutual aspect or conjunction. Trines are ‘Lakshmi Sthan’ – place of Prosperity – whereas Angles are ‘Vishnu Sthan’ – place of Sustenance. Thus, a combination that provides a sustained prosperity to the will definitely elevate the status of the native. The most powerful RY of this category is the mutual exchange between 9th and 10th lords.

As per Jaimini, if a single planet aspects, and/ or conjoins, Lagna, Hora Lagna and Ghatika Lagna, or seventh house from them, it causes a Raja Yoga. This RY can occur in D-1, D-9 or D-3 charts. An aspect to only two will cause a weaker RY.

RY is also caused if benefics occupy 2, 4, 5, 8 and 9th house, or malefics occupy 3 and 6th house from Arudha Lagna or its lord or from 7th house from that lord.

Another type of RY are caused through a combination of Karakas, espicially between AK on one side and PK or PiK on the other.

There are also RY caused by exaltation or debilitation of more than one planet in a chart, and if they combine mutually or with Nav. Lagna, or receive only benefic aspects, a Maharaja Yoga takes place.

There is another class of Raj yogas – negative, or Vipareeta Raj Yogas. As the name suggests, these RY are caused by the combinations of natural, or functional malefics. For example, lords of 3, 6, 8 or 12th house, posited in the other house, can cause VRY on their own, or in combination with other malefics. Such VRY are normally short-lived and are accompanied/ followed by a downfall – either to the native or to some one closely connected with him.

In all these, and other types of RY, the important factors are:

Strength and affliction of, and aspects on of the yoga forming planets

Placement of the Yoga, signs, houses invloved, etc.

Strength of Sun and moon – the former to initiate the Yoga and the latter to sustain it,

Above all, the yoga forming planets should be connected with AK or the lagna lord, whereby the benefits of the RY get transferred to the native. Otherwise, some one connected with the native enjoys the fruits of the RY.

2. Question: What is the meaning of Pravrajya Yoga? Do illustrate.

Answer:

‘Pravrajya Yoga’ is a special category of ‘Rajayoga’ – a RY which causes ‘detachment’, ‘alienation’ from materialistic aspects of life, from ‘desires’ and leads one towards ‘renunciation’ or ‘sanyas’. Renunciation needs to be differentiated from ‘Tapasya’, ‘poverty’, etc.

The natural karaka of ‘detatchment’ or ‘renunciation’ is Saturn. Hence, it plays an important part in any combination for PRY.

Ketu is the natural mokshakaraka. Hence, for a successful PRY, Ketu’s involvement is also important.

Spouse is the greatest ‘attachment’ for a normal human being – hence position/ status of indicators of spouse and married life, such as A7, UL, Venus, etc. also play an important part. Absence of indicators for marriage, extremely malefic aspects on UL or extreme debilitation of Venus can cause PRY.

Above all, renunciation is a matter of mind. Hence, moon, the natural karaka of mind, or the 4th house, must have appropriate influence to create, and sustain, the right mental framework for renunciation.

Presence of four or more strong planets together in one rasi, and preferably in a kona, also creates a PRY.

Similarly, lack of competitiveness (6H) and drive (3H), indicated by presence of strong benefic influence, and lack of malefic influence on theses two houses will cause PRY.

As in the case of all other yogas, the strength and position, etc of the yoga forming planets is important for initiation, sustenance and success of the PRY.

3. Question: Would you consider your own horoscope one of Rajyoga or Pravrajya Yoga, or is there too much confusion??

Answer:

My own horoscope, copied below, shows several RY and yogada, but no PRY, except for the following:

11H, being second from UL (10H), has strong malefic influence, with Gulika & Mandi posited there.

A weak Shrikantha Yoga, with LL & Sun conjunct in 4H and Moon in 7H, with only Sun in an adverse rashi.

Moon in the rasi of Mars, and aspected(7th) by SA, but in D-1 & not D-9.

In D-1, SA is in 1H, aspecting UL, with AL in SA’s house, whereas in D-9 SA is in AL & UL and aspects(7) A7 – it would indicate tendencies inclined towards, but not strong enough, for renunciation.

Thus, there is predominance of RY and some mild indications of PRY.

February 8, 1954Time: 23:45:00Time Zone: 5:30:00 (East of GMT)Longitude: 74 E 34' 00"Latitude: 31 N 19' 00"Place: Jullundur, Punjab

+--------------+ +--------------+| |Moo |JupR |Ket HL | | | |Moo GL |Ket || | | |GL | | | | | || | | | | | | | | || | | | | | | | | || | | | | | | | | ||-----------+-----------------------+-----------| |-----------+-----------------------+-----------||Mer | | | |Sat AL UL| |JupR || | | | | | | || | | | | | | || | | | | | | || | | | | | | ||-----------| Rasi |-----------| |-----------| Navamsa |-----------||Sun Ven | |Mnd Glk UL| |Mer | |Sun Mar ||AL | | | | | | || | | | | | | || | | | | | | || | | | | | | ||-----------+-----------------------+-----------| |-----------+-----------------------+-----------||Rah |Mar |Asc Sat | | |Asc Rah | | |Ven Glk || | | | | |HL Mnd | | | || | | | | | | | | || | | | | | | | | || | | | | | | | | |+--------------+ +--------------+

November 20, 2001

Namaste respected Sanjay ji,

I would like to modify my submission for the Q#3 (Would you consider your own horoscope one of Rajyoga or Pravrajya Yoga, or is there too much confusion?? ) with following additional observation.

In D-1, the 6H from AL is GE, occupied by mal KE. GE happens to be deb. house for KE, thereby creating a situation for Vipareet Pravrajya Yoga.

KE is conj. GL & HL and therefore a Yogada (not Maha Yogada)

This V-PRY occurs in the 9th house from Lagna, significator of Father & Dharma.

9th lord, ME, is also PiK, fortifying the link with father.

Since this PRY is Vipareet, it would indicate downfall/ loss of a close person - the indications here are towards father.

My father passed away on Apr 24, 1978, VE/KE/ME Vim Dasa (lunar). Pi/Pi ND(3rd from AL????)

The death of my father DID cause a strange change in my general outlook, making me curb my impatience, andger and making me much more fatalist - I had been linking this with the circumstances of my fathers death & the time I spent with him in his last few days.

ME is also a Maha Yogada, being lord of GL & HL and aspecting (rasi) the Lagna. This would indicate a very fruitful PRY.

I trust my reading is correct.

With sincere regards.Shailesh

-

Shailesh

varahamihira

Tuesday, November 20, 2001 2:18 AM

[Hare Rama Krishna] LESSON# 5 : ASSIGNMENT [Part 1]

Respected Sanjay ji,

Namaste,

My attempt on the first 3 questions for the assignment of Lesson# 5 is given below.

Please favour me with your evaluation, comments and valuable guidance.

With sincere regards.Shailesh

ASSIGNMENT# 5 : RAJ YOGA

Question: What is the meaning of the word Rajayoga? Explain with examples.

Answer:

The word ‘Rajayoga’ consists of two words- ‘Raj’ (or ‘Raj’) and ‘Yoga’. ‘Raja’ literally means a RULER- one who rules (performs/ exercises ‘Raj’). ‘Yoga’ means a combination, and also a situation (occurrence). Thus, a combination, or a situation of planets in a horoscope, which indicates propensity for rulership, is called ‘Raj Yoga’ or ‘Rajayoga’.

In normal parlance, a ‘Raja’ is taken as a person who has political power (Raja Satta) but that is a very restrictive interpretation.

It would be more pragmatic, and perhaps relevant if ‘Raj’ should be understood as ‘Authority’ or ‘Power’ or great ‘influence’ – over affairs of a group of people, a place, an organisation, etc.. and would include all positions of considerable power, overall leadership, such as a big landlord, a Dharma Guru (Pope???), an owner of an industrial empire, etc.

On a micro scale, the Atma Karaka, Lagna/ ascendant, as also the Sun, are referred to as ‘king’ of the horoscope. Thus, a combination that confers extraordinary power on these, could also be interpreted as causing a ‘Raj Yoga’.

The ancients have identified several types of Raj Yogas.

The most common RY are those caused by a combination of Lords of Trines and Angles. This combination could be by mutual exchange of houses (parivartan yoga), mutual aspect or conjunction. Trines are ‘Lakshmi Sthan’ – place of Prosperity – whereas Angles are ‘Vishnu Sthan’ – place of Sustenance. Thus, a combination that provides a sustained prosperity to the will definitely elevate the status of the native. The most powerful RY of this category is the mutual exchange between 9th and 10th lords.

As per Jaimini, if a single planet aspects, and/ or conjoins, Lagna, Hora Lagna and Ghatika Lagna, or seventh house from them, it causes a Raja Yoga. This RY can occur in D-1, D-9 or D-3 charts. An aspect to only two will cause a weaker RY.

RY is also caused if benefics occupy 2, 4, 5, 8 and 9th house, or malefics occupy 3 and 6th house from Arudha Lagna or its lord or from 7th house from that lord.

Another type of RY are caused through a combination of Karakas, espicially between AK on one side and PK or PiK on the other.

There are also RY caused by exaltation or debilitation of more than one planet in a chart, and if they combine mutually or with Nav. Lagna, or receive only benefic aspects, a Maharaja Yoga takes place.

There is another class of Raj yogas – negative, or Vipareeta Raj Yogas. As the name suggests, these RY are caused by the combinations of natural, or functional malefics. For example, lords of 3, 6, 8 or 12th house, posited in the other house, can cause VRY on their own, or in combination with other malefics. Such VRY are normally short-lived and are accompanied/ followed by a downfall – either to the native or to some one closely connected with him.

In all these, and other types of RY, the important factors are:

Strength and affliction of, and aspects on of the yoga forming planets Placement of the Yoga, signs, houses invloved, etc. Strength of Sun and moon – the former to initiate the Yoga and the latter to sustain it, Above all, the yoga forming planets should be connected with AK or the lagna lord, whereby the benefits of the RY get transferred to the native. Otherwise, some one connected with the native enjoys the fruits of the RY.