Neel Astro – Indian Vedic Astrology

I’m a person who never believes predictions. At all times I take what’s told to me with a pinch of salt and don’t believe how can someone read your past and tell you what the future is going to be like. My husband on the other hand originates from a family who firmly believes in astrology and has much convinced me that astrology is very important in a person’s life as a guide. We have been and seen so many astrologers and as usual I never take what they say seriously. It all changed when we met Mr.Neelakandan. My whole idea my whole outlook and my whole believe in astrology took a turn. Before the meeting I was not too excited and told my husband its just going to be the same but after I met him and heard what he had to say I was left mesmerized. It felt like as if God …

Lalitha & P NaathanIpoh, Malaysia

E S Neelakantan is a renowned astrologer from south India who learnt astrology under the tutelage of Prof. K. V. Seshadrinatha Sastri, a renowned authority on Jyothisa and Ayurveda. For his thesis on Medical Astrology, he was awarded PhD by Sri Chandrasekarendra University, Kancheepuram.

He is at present a regular contributor to five of the leading journals on Astrology in India viz, Express Star Teller, Modern Astrology, Astrological e Magazine, Outlook Astrology e-journal and JASA.

The History of the Twin Towers – An Astrological Viewpoint

Chart of 9/11 Attacks

Chart of Twin Towers Inauguration

The “Twin Towers” stand for the WTC Towers ,the World Trade Centre, a complex of seven large buildings in Manhattan, New York city, USA which opened on 4^th April 1973 and collapsed on September 11,2001 in what could be called as the worst ever terrorist attack in world history. Passenger aircraft when used as guided missiles can be lethal – not only the buildings get destroyed along with the occupants but also the passengers have virtually no chance of survival, which is what the world realised in the aftermath of the tragedy.In this article, we will understand the story of Twin Towers wearing the lens of an Astrologer and in the process analyze what role Mundane Astrology had in this episode.

It was in 1943, the idea of establishing a World Trade Centre was proposed. Though plans to develop were finalized, it was put on to hold till 1949. In the forties, it was only Mid-Manhattan which witnessed economic growth and this was the reason for the delay in implementation of this project. Minoru Yamasaki (01.12.1912 – 07.02.1986) was chosen as the architect and the design of Twin Towers was unveiled to the public on 18.01.1964. The architecture of Twin Towers closely follows the designs of “Le Corbusier” (06.10.1887-27.08.1965), a Swiss-French architect and designer, who is even now rated as one of the pioneers of Modern Architecture.

The Inauguration of the Twin Towers in the form of a ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on April 4, 1973, at around 9 am. Striking feature of the chart is the presence of Venus as Lagna lord with 4^th lord Sun in 11^th indicating the grandiose designs of the builder and the worldwide sensation the tower has made since inauguration. The 9^th house is studded with a Jupiter-Mars conjunction which in the case of an individual’s chart would give rise to Neecha-Bhanga raja yoga. But, as the saying goes “Every cloud has a Silver lining”,but in this case the “ Silver lining is not without clouds”.

Though Venus is exalted, it is also combusted. Combustion means getting burnt. Could this have meant, the Twin Towers would get burnt down in the aviation fuel spilled by the aircraft, which crashed into the building?

Rahu in the 8^th unaspected could seriously affect longevity in a chart and in this case, a Skyscraper. Further Rahu occupies a fiery sign,meaning destruction of the building would be on account of fire.
Moon, which is the fulcrum in any chart is in the 12^th occupying the asterism of the fiery Ketu.
The Lagna lord in a common sign, with the 8^th lord in a movable sign confers short span of longevity – this is Jaimini’s view.
If the Bhava chart were to be seen, only a solitary malefic, Saturn is in Lagna Kendra. There is no benefic in a Kendra – a sine quo non for a good Muhurtha.

Under these circumstances, a pertinent question, which any astrologer might raise is: “Is the Muhurtha for inauguration of Twin Towers seriously jinxed?”

In Muhurtha, we have a concept called Thithi-Vara-NakshathraYogas. In Ayurveda, they say, independently Honey and Ghee are elixirs of life, but when mixed in equal proportion, they become poison. From this perspective let us look at the yoga for the day

THITHI	DWITIYA
NAKSHATRA	ASWINI
VARA (WEEKDAY)	WEDNESDAY

When Ashwini occurs on a Dwitiya Wednesday, the yoga is termed as “Vinasa Yoga”. This is the yoga for annihilation.

Compare this with our Honey-Ghee analogy. Dwitiya is a very good thithi and so is Wednesday as a weekday.Ashwini is one of the best stars of the Zodiac. What an Irony! These three in tandem, destroyed the foundation of a Muhurtha.

To understand this subject further, we need to know the Independence day of USA along with the planetary positions prevailing on that day. On July 4, 1976, 13 colonies claimed their independence from England, an event which eventually led to the formation of United States. For astrological purposes, the time of independence is taken as 4^th July,1776 at 10.30 a.m. Today the original copy of the declaration is housed in the National Archives in Washington DC and July 4 has been designated a National Holiday to commemorate this event.

According to this chart (USA formation chart), Moon dasa and Jupiter bhukti are in operation. Moon is in a dustana, while Jupiter as 4^th lord (denoting tall buildings or Skyscrapers) in conjunction with 12^th lord Sun and 8^th lord Mars denoting destruction through fire. This combination occurs in Gemini an airy sign which shows the involvement of aeroplanes in this attack.

Superimposing the transit chart on Sep 11,2001 over the USA formation chart, we arrive at the conclusion that the 4^th house from Ascendant Virgo (in the USA formation chart) on the day of the attack is occupied by Mars and Ketu, two fiery planets aspecting Jupiter in Gemini, which is again an airy sign. In fact, the Ascendants in both charts are the same viz., Virgo and Jupiter occupies Gemini in both the charts. In the transit chart, both Mars and Ketu, occupy Moola, an asterism of Ketu which is a fiery star. To understand the destruction of Twin towers, we need to know that it was an event involving Fire (in the building), Earth (Skyscrapers) and Air (represented by Aeroplanes).Rahu is a planet of intrigue, suspense, mystery, conspiracy and killings. The conjunction of Jupiter (4^th lord) with Moon and Rahu is indicative of the fact that the destruction of the buildings was due to a well-laid out conspiracy by an international terrorist network.

When it comes to immovable property the D-4 chart is significant. In the USA formation chart, the dasa lord Jupiter is in 4 with 12^th lord Sun, while the bhukti lord Moon is in a dustana (the 6^th). This indicates the possibility of destruction of an immovable property of renown in this particular period.

In the Twin Tower inauguration chart Aquarius is the rising sign in the D-4 chart with Sun in the 8^th and Ketu in the 11^th. Though Ketu seems to be well-placed, it proved ineffective as sign-dispositor of Ketu (Jupiter) is a Maraka by virtue of both lordship (2^nd) as well as occupation (3^rd) and especially so by virtue of conjunction with two Malefics, Moon and Mars,( with the former owning a dustana as per the D-4 chart). Basically Sun and Ketu are enemies.

According to the Rasi chart for the Twin Tower inauguration Muhurtha, Sun is apparently favourable in 11 but that is nullified by the fact that the 11^th is a dustana counted from 4 (denoting buildings). So in a Grahapravesh (House warming) Muhurtha chart, a planet in 11 ceases to do good. Further the Lagna lord which denotes the subject matter of the Muhurtha gets combusted by the Sun. The bhukti lord Ketu is in the 2^nd, a Maraka house. So the inauguration Muhurtha of the Twin Towers is seriously flawed and full of malefic influences.

Saturn is in opposition to Pluto every 35 years or approximately round about that time. Pluto stands for transformation at the deepest level. Saturn represents the past, traditions, status quo and conservatism. The safety and security parameters are challenged whenever Pluto opposes Saturn. It is a threat to conservatism and a pathway to realism. The terrorist attack on 9/11 was intended to be a challenge to the imperialist world even though it was carried on by a terrorist outfit, that had a long track record of carrying on similar attacks all over the world.

On the ill-fated day, four passenger airlines were hijacked. American Airlines flight 11 crashed into the North Block. United Airlines flight 175 crashed into the South block. Within an hour and half or so, the 110 storeyed building collapsed. The 9/11 attacks claimed the lives of nearly 3000 people, one of the worst ever terrorist attacks in World History.

The transit chart of 9/11 attacks shows an ominous conjunction of Moon with Rahu aspected by Mars who is in conjunction with Ketu. Moon rules the mind and Rahu rules over religious fanaticism. Mars is basically an impulsive planet especially, while in a fiery sign conjunct Ketu. Gemini is the foremost of the airy signs and a dire affliction to Gemini, cannot but prove to be a causative factor for such events.

At this stage in our discussion it would be appropriate to have a cursory glance at the chronological sequence on the day of terror.

CHRONOLOGY OF TERROR

8:45 a.m. (all times are EDT): A hijacked passenger jet, American Airlines Flight 11 crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center, tearing a gaping hole in the building and setting it afire.

9:03 a.m.: A second hijacked airliner, United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston, crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center and explodes. Both buildings are burning.

9:17 a.m.: The Federal Aviation Administration shuts down all New York City area airports.

9:21 a.m.: The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey orders all bridges and tunnels in the New York area closed.

9:40 a.m.: The FAA halts all flight operations at U.S. airports.

9:43 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon, sending up a huge plume of smoke. Evacuation begins immediately.

10:10 a.m.: A portion of the Pentagon collapses.

10:10 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 93, also hijacked, crashes in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh.

10:24 a.m.: The FAA reports that all inbound transatlantic aircraft flying into the United States are being diverted to Canada.

10:28 a.m.: The World Trade Center’s north tower collapses from the top down as if it were being peeled apart, releasing a tremendous cloud of debris and smoke.

10:45 a.m.: All federal office buildings in Washington are evacuated.

10.46 a.m.: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell cuts short his trip to Latin America to return to the United States.

10.48 a.m.: Police confirm the plane crash in Pennsylvania.

11:18 a.m.: American Airlines reports it has lost two aircraft. American Flight 11, a Boeing 767 flying from Boston to Los Angeles, had 81 passengers and 11 crew aboard. Flight 77, a Boeing 757 en route from Washington’s Dulles International Airport to Los Angeles, had 58 passengers and six crew members aboard. Flight 11 slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Flight 77 hit the Pentagon.

11:26 a.m.: United Airlines reports that United Flight 93, en route from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, California, has crashed in Pennsylvania. The airline also says that it is “deeply concerned” about United Flight 175.

11:59 a.m.: United Airlines confirms that Flight 175, from Boston to Los Angeles, has crashed with 56 passengers and nine crew members aboard. It hit the World Trade Center’s south tower.

12:04 p.m.: Los Angeles International Airport, the destination of three of the crashed airplanes, is evacuated.

12:15 p.m.: San Francisco International Airport is evacuated and shut down. The airport was the destination of United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania.

12:15 p.m.: The Immigration and Naturalization Service says U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico are on the highest state of alert, but no decision has been made about closing borders.

12:30 p.m.: The FAA says 50 flights are in U.S. airspace, but none are reporting any problems.

1:27 p.m.: A state of emergency is declared by the city of Washington.

1:44 p.m.: The Pentagon says five warships and two aircraft carriers will leave the U.S. Naval Station in Norfolk, Virginia, to protect the East Coast from further attack and to reduce the number of ships in port. The two carriers, the USS George Washington and the USS John F. Kennedy, are headed for the New York coast. The other ships headed to sea are frigates and guided missile destroyers capable of shooting down aircraft.

4:10 p.m.: Building 7 of the World Trade Center complex is reported on fire.

5:20 p.m.: The 47-story Building 7 of the World Trade Center complex collapses. The evacuated building is damaged when the twin towers across the street collapse earlier in the day. Other nearby buildings in the area remain ablaze.

There are “Secret” indications in the terrorist chart and the Muhurtha chart to decisively conclude that the Twin Towers would meet with its doom in debris, fire, rubble and in an explosion. The 8^th house is very significant in any Muhurtha chart. In fact, the 8^th house is only next to Lagna in the hierarchy of importance. The inauguration chart has Saturn in Ascendant and Rahu in the 8^th. Both are bereft on benefic influences. The presence of Rahu in the 8^th in a fiery sign can justifiably give rise to an inference that the “dream towers” would be a sad victim of a conspiracy hatched by ruthless fanatics.

In any Muhurtha chart it is essential that the Moon is placed in a position of dignity. In this chart Moon in the 12^th hardly has any power. Further the Thithi is Sukla Dwitiya. The Moon lacks Pakshabala till Shukla Panchami. In olden days any Muhurtha requiring Chandrabala would be fixed only from Shukla Shashti onwards. Even waning Moon is supposed to be strong till Krishna Panchami as it has its digits strong and “Visual perception”is a stronger mode of evidence than “logical inference”. On this ground, “Shukla Dwitiya” is never encouraged as an auspicious Muhurtha, never mind the fact it is in waxing phase.

The inauguration chart has Jupiter in 9 aspecting the Ascendant. But what good can a debilitated Jupiter do? Just like no help can come from a sick man, weakened by disease, a weak Jupiter cannot offer solace. Assume for a moment Jupiter is strong in modes other than debilitation. The fact that Jupiter owns 8 and 11 and is a dire enemy of Lagna lord Venus is enough to take away all its merits.

The Navamsa or the D-9 chart is also a significant indicator of events to come. The striking feature of the D-9 chart is an exchange of signs between Jupiter and Venus, whom as we just saw, own the Ascendant and the 8^th and therefore this yoga is not only unwelcome but positively harmful, given the fact, Jupiter and Venus, happen to be dire enemies.

From the USA formation chart where Moon is in Aquarius, the Transit chart has Saturn in 4, a case of Ardhashtama Shani. Here Saturn in 4 is specifically indicative of Skyscrapers. If you consider the Twin Towers inauguration chart, where Moon is in Aries, Saturn occupies the 2^nd in the 9/11 transit chart. As we are all quite familiar, transit of Saturday over the 12^th, janma and 2^nd goes under the “Sade Sati” or the 7.5-year cycle of Saturn. In an Individual chart, this may lead to disease or even death. In the case of a building, it is bound to destroy the superstructure.

If we take the Twin tower inauguration chart for analysis, Mars aspects the 4^th house from Lagna, while Saturn aspects the 4^th from Moon along with Mars. The Lagna which denotes the subject matter and the 4^th which denotes buildings are not adequately fortified.

The litmus test of a good Muhurtha is that both Lagna and the house signifying the event must both be strongly fortified. This is the guiding principle one can infer by reading, the path breaking work, “Muhurtha”- by Dr. B V Raman. In the tragic tale of twin towers all the guiding canons of a good Muhurtha have been skipped. Still, the Muhurtha is not bereft of merits.

Powerful Mercury in 10^th
Yoga karaka Saturn in Lagna
Exalted Venus in 11
Jupiter with Mars in 9 – one debilitated and the other exalted
Conjunction of Lagna lord with 4^th lord in 11.

All these resulted in the reconstruction of the World Trade centre.The consensus opinion was that the prestigious tower could not get killed in the hands of a few terrorists whose sole objective was to subjugate a nations’s pride.The new Avatar of the World Trade centre could solely be attributed to the inherent strength of the Muhurtha chart of the Twin Towers.

A New WTC

Plans to build a new WTC were launched shortly after the destruction of the original WTC Towers. Instead of rebuilding the Twin Towers, it was decided to create a memorial at the site and build five new towers around the memorial.

In 2006 one of the towers – Seven WTC, a 52 story skyscraper – was completed. The whole complex, including the landmark 1 WTC tower with a symbolic height of 541 meters or 1,776 ft (The US declared its independence from the British in 1776) was completed in 2013. One World Observatory, the observation deck on floors 100 to 102, opened to the public May 29, 2015 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Memorial

A memorial to the victims of the terrorist attack on the WTC was unveiled on September 11, 2011.The memorial, dubbed ‘Reflecting Absence’, has cascading waterfalls with illuminated reflecting pools at the exact site of the former towers. The memorial design by architect Michael Arad and landscape architect Peter Walker was chosen during a competition which attracted more than 5200 submissions.

The World Trade Centre is a tribute to the vision of patriots and visionaries who chose to uphold a nation’s pride in the face of severe onslaughts. In this process the time tested principles of Astrology find strong support and the Twin Towers bear ample testimony to the view that cosmic influences play a significant role in guiding the affairs of men the world over.

March 3, 2013E S Neelakantan

Horoscopes of James Bond Heroes

Ian Fleming’s fictional character, James Bond is today considered as an iconic figure, the world over. As a British secret service agent, Bond as 007 has enthralled worldwide audiences with Skyfall, the latest movie marvel grossing up a revenue in excess of one billion dollars. By creating this character, Ian Fleming had become a legend in his lifetime. Only six actors have donned the Bond role in a span of five decades – Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig. In this article, we will discuss the planetary influences which shaped the lives of these stalwarts and what we can understand from them in an astrological sense.

Sean Connery

Bond_-_Sean_Connery_-_Profile

Sir Thomas Sean Connery was born in Edinburgh, Scotland at 6:05 P.M. on 25th August, 1930. He is best known for portraying the character James Bond, starring in seven Bond movies between 1962 and 1983 including the non – canonical “Never say never again” (a remake of Thunderball). He is the winner of an Academy award, two BAFTA awards and the Golden Globe award (including the Cecil.B.Demille award). He was knighted in July 2000 and polled as “The Greatest living Scot” and “Scotland’s Greatest living National Treasure”.

The real breakthrough for Sean Connery happened in the dasha of Rahu which operated between 1951 and 1969. As a planet owning the 4th star from birth star, Uttaraphalguni, Rahu was bound to give positive results. Rahu occupying Aries was bound to give the effects of its sign dispositor Mars, who by entering into a conjunction with Lagna lord Jupiter forms a Parasari Raja Yoga, par excellence. That this yoga occurs in Gemini is highly fortuitous as Mercury, owner of Gemini is exalted in Virgo, forming a conjunction with a debilitated Venus giving rise to a splendid Neecha bhanga raja yoga. It is also worth noting that both Mars and Jupiter are strong in the navamsa chart, thereby adding to the strength of the yogas.

Generally, Saturn’s placement in Lagna is an unwelcome feature in any chart except for a few signs such as Aquarius, Pisces, Sagittarius and Libra. Here, Saturn as a reterograde planet gives the effects of an exalted planet in Lagna and is also exempt from the evil attributable to a malefic in Lagna.

In this context, I wish to quote from “Saturn: The King maker” by Mridula Trivedi and T.P.Trivedi: “ Saturn placed in the first house under Tula (Libra), Dhanu (Sagittarius), Makar (Capricorn), Kumbha (Aquarius) and Meen (Pisces) makes the individual enjoy like an emperor. Under any other sign, Saturn makes the individual sickly, unhappy and lacking in resources” (Chapter 2, page 37). The view of the authors finds support from learned scholars in astrology.

The Upachaya Houses as we know are 3,6,10 and 11.Considering the 10th bhava as Lagnabhava to evaluate the state of profession of the native we proceed to study the Upchaya Bhavas from this Lagna and in which Signs (Rashis ) their respective Cusps fall.

The Upachaya Bhavas are the 3rd,6th,10th,11th from a Lagna and these are the Bhavas that reflect the growth a native has in his profession . These Bhavas from 10th house are as under (RL denotes Ruling Lord) :

a)3rdBhava fall in Sign Scorpio ( RL- Mars )
b)6thBhava falls in Sign pisces ( RL- Jupiter )
c)10thBhava falls in Sign Gemini ( RL- Mercury)
d)11thBhava falls in Sign Leo (RL- Sun )

Further we notice Saturn ( retrograde ) falls in 3rdBhava from the Lagna under consideration , Rahu falls in 6thBhava Sun and Jupiter fall in the 10thBhava ,while Mercury,Venus and Moon fall in the 11thBhava from this Deemed Lagna . What one infers from the position of the Upachaya Bhavas from deemed Lagna is that all the said Bhavas are occupied by planets which have some connection (sambandha ) with the 10thBhava .The presence of both Sun and Jupiter in 10th from Deemed lagna Bhava indicates the strength of this Bhava in ensuring a glorious career for the chart holder.

While Sean Connery’s success was fully rooted in Rahu dasa, his comeback in 1971 in “Diamonds are forever” was due to the operation of the conjoined periods of Jupiter and Saturn while Jupiter and Rahu together accounted for his second comeback in “Never say never again”. Again Rahu in his sub period in Saturn dasha conferred Knighthood on Sean Connery. Virtues of Rahu, Jupiter and Saturn in this chart have already been discussed earlier and need no reiteration.

George Lazenby

actors_lazenby George Lazenby was born in Queenbeyam, New South wales, Australia on Sep 5, 1939. He is remembered for portraying James Bond in the 1969 film, “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”. George got his break in Rahu dasha, Saturn bhukti. Saturn through debilitated is retrograde and the lord of the sign, Mars is exalted in a Kendra from the Moon. Rahu gives the effect of Saturn since they are in opposition and also by virtue of the dictum “Sani Vad Rahu”. This chart exemplifies the rule from Uttarakalamritam discussed earlier.

Roger Moore

Bond_-_Roger_Moore_-_Profile

Sir Roger George Moore was born in London, UK at 00:45 A.M. on 14th October, 1927.Though Roger Moore made his advent in Bond movies after Sean Connery, he is elder to Sean by about three years and is also the oldest of all the Bond heroes. He is, perhaps, best known for his role as the British Secret service Agent, James Bond, in the movies he acted between 1973 and 1985.

It was only after Sean Connery had declared in 1966 that he would not play Bond any longer that Moore became aware that he might be a contender for the role. Moore played Bond in Live and Let Die (1973); The Man with the Golden Gun (1974); The Spy Who Loved Me (1977); Moonraker (1979); For Your Eyes Only (1981); Octopussy (1983); and A View to a Kill (1985). Moore is the longest-serving James Bond actor, having spent twelve years in the role (from his debut in 1973, to his retirement from the role in 1985), and having made seven official films in a row. Moore is the oldest actor to have played Bond – he was 45 in Live and Let Die (1973), and 58 when he announced his retirement on 3 December 1985.

Clues to his meteoric rise in movies could be traced in his birth chart. The Lagna lord Moon is exalted forming an opposition with the 7th lord, Saturn. A Parasari Raja Yoga is formed by the mutual aspect between Mars (as lord of 10) and Jupiter (as lord of 9). (Vide Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra, chapter 41/28). Retrograde Jupiter as originator of Lakshmi Yoga occupies own house and exalted navamsa. Jupiter is in Lagna in dasamsa. Naturally, it was Jupiter which catapulted Roger Moore to dizzy heights while Moon bhukti was in operation in 1973. There was no looking back. Saturn is also well placed to take over the mantle from Jupiter. Saturn is a Yoga karaka from Chandra Lagna and is in an exalted navamsa. Roger Moore announced his retirement on 3rd December 1985 in Saturn dasha, Venus bhukti. Venus in Leo is in the house of its enemy and is in debilitated navamsa. The aspect of Saturn on Venus and its conjunction with Gulika were not proving to be of help. However, Roger Moore’s chart has several redeeming features and is power – packed to lift him to the galaxy of all – time greats. Truly, Roger Moore is a legend in his lifetime and his chart bears ample testimony to this statement.

Timothy Dalton

PAY-Timothy-Dalton-as-James-Bond-in-The-Living-Daylights-1987 Timothy Dalton was born in Colwynbay, Wales on 21st march, 1946. He is best known for his portrayal of James Bond in “The Living Daylights” (1987) and “Licence to Kill” (1989). Dalton’s chart exemplifies the power of debilitated planet to carry a person to stardom while in conjunction with an exalted planet. In Dalton’s chart, the debilitation of Mercury is cancelled by an exalted Venus. The fact that Mercury is retrograde is enough to make it give results attributable to an exalted planet.

According to Kalidasa “ When a planet is retrograde in his motion, his strength is similar to that when in his exaltation. If a planet is conjoined with a retrograde planet, his strength is 1⁄2 a Rupa. If a planet be retrograde in his motion while in his exaltation house, he gets only his Neechabala, i.e. nothing. If a planet be retrograde while in his debilitation house (of
‘Fall’), his strength is similar to that when in his exaltation. A planet in conjunction with another planet who is in exaltation gets 1⁄2 a Rupa. When he is associated with another who is in his debilitation, he gets nothing, a planet if he be in conjunction with malefics who are his friends, or with benefics who happen to be his enemies, gets only 1⁄2 a Rupa (Vide Uttarakalamritam, Chapter 2, Verse 6).

Pierce Brosnan

James_Bond_(Pierce_Brosnan)_-_Profile Pierce Brendan Brosnan (born in Drogheda, Ireland at 00:05 hours on 16th May, 1953) is an Irish actor, film producer and an environmentalist. He got married to Australian actress Cassandra Harris in 1980 and their marriage lasted till Cassandra’s demise in 1991. Brosnan first met producer Albert R Broccoli in the sets of “For your eyes only” as he had gone to watch the shooting of the movie, in which Cassandra Harris plays the second heroine. Broccoli said, “Pierce Brosnan is my guy to inherit the role of James Bond from Roger Moore.” Brosnan was announced as the fifth actor to play James Bond on 7th June, 1994. This took place in Saturn dasha, Venus bhukti, two strong planets in Brosnan’s birth chart.

Like Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan was born when Sagittarius was rising. The lord of 11 (denoting wish fulfillment) is exalted in Pisces in exact opposition to Saturn placed vargottama in the 10th. It is this mutual aspect between Saturn (as lord of 2) and Venus (as lord of 11) that creates a Dhana Yoga, par excellence. The conjunction of Jupiter (as lagna lord), Mars (as 5th lord) and Sun (as 9th lord) can only work wonders in Brosnan’s life. Deciphering the bhava placement could prove tricky, but I wish to bring to the notice of the discerning student of Astrology, that if we look at the cuspal placement, Venus and Saturn are in opposition in 3/9 houses, Sun and Mercury form a conjunction in 4 while Jupiter forma a conjunction with Mars in the 5th. This may differ from what you infer while preparing Sripati Bhava or equal house bhava. I would prefer to sail with the cuspal house theory as it correlates well with the developments in Brosnan’s life. The Parasari yoga in Sean Connery’s chart is familiar to the one in Brosnan’s chart. It is worth noting that Brosnan’s tryst with James Bond came to an end Saturn dasha was in its fag end. While retrograde Saturn took Brosnan to dizzy heights, combust Mercury had nothing great to offer. Mercury is also an enemy of Lagna Lord Jupiter and is badly placed in the house of its enemy, Mars. Brosnan lost his wife Cassandra Harris due to ovarian cancer when he was running Saturn dasha, Mercury bhukti. As discussed, Mercury is the Achilles’ heel in Brosnan’s chart and the conjunction of Mercury with Ketu in the 6th from Navamsa lagna could only lead to grief and despair.

The outstanding feature of Brosnan’s chart is the occurrence of Malavya yoga involving the 4/10 axis. According to Mantreswara, a person born in Malavya yoga will possess a stout body, be resolute, wealthy, blessed with wife, children and good fortune. He will be prosperous, enjoy hearty meals, blessed with all pleasures, possess vehicles, be famous and learned and be of balanced mind (Phaladeepika, Chapter 6, Verse 3).

Lagna is based on time of birth. When time of birth is unknown it is conventional to take noon time as birth time. Please note that in such cases it would be better to resort to analysis from Chandra lagna or Jaimini method as these are insensitive to birth time. It is not possible to discuss a chart accurately when birth time is unknown, but certain broad astrological inferences can be drawn. This is how I propose to discuss the charts of George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton and Daniel Craig. All these charts assume noon as time of birth as we have no idea of their birth time.

Daniel Craig

james-bond-daniel-craig Daniel Wroughton Craig was born in Chester, England on March 2, 1968. He dons the Bond mantle since 2005. The breakthrough for Daniel Craig came in Sun dasha, Mercury bhukti. Sun is blessed with two yogas from Chandra lagna, as lord of 6 in 12, it generates a partial Viparatha raja yoga and since Sun has planets in 2nd and 12th. Ubayahari yoga is also present. Jupiter’s aspect on Sun makes it a complete benefic while conjunction with Venus brings out the beneficial side of Mercury. Both Mercury and Sun are strongly placed in the Dasamsa chart of Craig in which three planets (Sun, Moon and Mars) occupy their own houses while Venus is in exaltation.

The character of James Bond bears close resemblance to the Greek hero Ulysses about whom we shall see in this poem from Tennyson.

“Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
(Alfred Tennyson, Idylls of the King and a Selection of Poems)
In my view, Lord Tennyson’s portrayal of Ulysses shows the
Greek hero as a tired, disillusioned warrior, whereas, James Bond could
be seen as a modern day Ulysses who looks for spontaneity and freedom
in a world which identifies itself with the British Secret Service agent in
both romance and adventure.”

What better way to sum up this article than through this wonderful poem by Poetic Kelz

POEM ON JAMES BOND ( BY POETIC KELZ)

Dr. No is a special guy that came From Russia with Love, He had a Goldfinger and a Thunderball.
Unlike Drake, Yolo was not his motto,
As he believed You Only Live Twice.
He was On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,
There he realised Diamonds Are Forever.
He had to Live and Let Die,
Not even The Man with Golden Gun could stop him. The Dr was in love with The Spy Who Loved Me, Until he was pushed off the Moonraker.
He wrote a letter to the spy titled For Your eyes Only, After which he met the beautiful Octopussy.
Dr. No had A View to a Kill in The Living Daylights, A Licence to Kill and a GoldenEye.
To him, Tomorrow Never Dies,
And The World Is Not Enough.
Dr No. can always Die Another Day,
As long as he plays ‘Texas hold’em’ at the Casino Royale. The Quantum of Solace gave him the happiness he was after, Until he arrived at Skyfall.

April 15, 2016E S Neelakantan

Ashlesha

The cluster of 27 stars could be divided into three groups of nine each. The first group starts from

Ashwini and ends with Ashlesha. In this article we take up for discussion, Ashlesha which is the last star in the first group and its significations. The star occupies the fag end of the sign Cancer.

In navamsa , this star can get connected to only two planets viz Jupiter and Saturn. Hence scholars on Astrology opine that a person born in this star will have lots of trials and tribulations in their early part of their life while the fag end will produce happiness. Since Ashlesha happens to be the last star in the first group and Makha happens to be the first star in the second group, a person born in the “junction point” between these two stars comes under a dosha technically called as “gandandha”. They could either undergo hardships or even be subjected to death at a very early stage . It is believed that King Ravana , the demon- king of Ceylon , destroyed himself and his entire clan due to his birth in the gandandha time presiding over Revati-Ashwini junction point. It is suggested by the textbooks on Dharma Sastras that in order to neutralize the evil attributable to the gandandha, one should perform “Ashlesha Nakshatra Janana Shanthi”,which is a remedial measure prescribed by textbooks.

“Shanti Ratnakaram” not only makes a mention of this rite but also gives explanations about its procedure .Once this ritual is performed and the evil neutralized , a person born in gandandha lives a long life and becomes wealthy.A Person born in the first quarter of Ashlesha is famous; one born in the 2 nd quarter is wealthy; Person born in the 3 rd quarter of Ashlesha loses his mother while the one born in the last quarter loses his father.

There is a misconception mainly in southern parts of India that a girl born in Ashlesha will prove fatal to her mother -in -law. I have personally come across cases where boys and girls otherwise eligible for marriage get rejected on this count. Longevity, as we all know is determined by the planetary disposition in one’s own chart. An alien chart cannot influence one’s chart. If the converse were to be true, is there any need to do analysis of longevity from planets in one’s chart?

Paramacharya , the sage of Kanchi , once exhorted astrologers to issue a message saying that nobody should attach any taboo to Ashlesha , Moola, Vishaka and Jyeshta. His message should be understood in the context of many eligible brides and grooms facing disappointment in matrimonial matters due to flimsy grounds.

According to Varahamihira, a person born in Ashlesha happens to be a secret sinner , is reckless in food habits ,does harm to public property and indulges in evil deeds.Serpents move in crooked fashion. Likewise a person born in Ashlesha Star is a crook. That person is given to anger and revenge. That person happens to find delight in sufferings of others . Some scholars hold the view that a person born in Ashlesha shares his wealth with others . Ashlesha borns help people in distress. Please note that all these are generic traits which undergo modifications based on Moon’s placement and influence of the other planets.Astrologers should keep these rules at the back of their mind and issue predictions only after due weightage is given to all planetary influences. If a person is born in Ashlesha star and the planetary positions also indicate that the person will only be a crook then unhesitatingly one can conclude that the person is a crook. On the other hand if planetary positions appear favourable and Moon is under the influence of Jupiter then the evil attributable to Ashlesha star stands neutralized. Astrology is a science which makes sense only if we consider all rules and their exceptions in totality.

According to Brihat Samhita one born in the first quarter of Ashlesha has obstacles to progeny . One born in the second quarter will live on hard work. One born in the third quarter will tend to fall sick while one born in the last quarter will become poor though born in affluence. In matters such as Mantra and Tantra, Ashlesha is beneficial. In overcoming enemies, casting spells, and producing enmity between friends, this star is helpful. Ashlesha borns seldom keep up their word. Behind the scenes, they work to destroy their foes. . They are untrustworthy. Money lent on Ashlesha will not come back . Tonsure in Ashlesha brings physical grief. Wearing new clothes in Ashlesha brings disease. Jupiter in Ashlesha on Thursday forms a good yoga to commence house construction . Ashelesha is a good star to seek escaped prisoners.It is a good star for movement of cattle. A disease which commences on Ashlesha could prove fatal. Surgery- oral, dental or cosmetic are favoured by Ashlesha . This star particularly favours treatment of Ascites. Ashlesha is an unfavourable star for commencing journey especially for those born with their natal Moon in Pisces .Journey in the forenoon is to be avoided in Ashelsha Star. Troop Movements are favoured by Ashlesha Star.

On Ashlesha star a rite called “ Ashlesha bali” is performed in the famous Kukke Subrahmanya temple in Karnataka to neutralize “ Sarpa Dosha”. Sarpa Dosha also known as Naga dosha.It has acquired lot of significance in Hindu Astrology as it is said to be caused due to curse of Serpents. Some of the major reasons that are attributed to be cause for Sarpa dosha are (a) killing of snakes or its off-springs or its eggs, (b) abusing snakes ,(c) digging or dismantling of a snake pit either in recent times or in previous births(d) desecration of a place of worship of serpents.I believe that Sarpa Dosha could also refer to sins ,which in essence, constitute a moral violation, tantamount to killing of a snake. Snake god is the presiding deity of Ashlesha. Doing harm to snakes is considered a major sin according to scriptures. Serpents are fit to be worshipped. Snake pits are protected in our country by installing “naga idols” and worshipping them. In many temples one can find women offering milk and eggs to snake pits. I feel these concepts have an ecological angle too.We know rats can damage crops and can become a source of menace to the world.Snakes feed on rats and therefore play an important role in maintaining ecological balance.Mongoose,which is an enemy of snakes keeps snake population in check.Likewise we have so many features in Nature to maintain the ecological balance.Our Rishis understood these concepts well and in order to protect snakes gave it spiritual significance and helped Man live in communion with Nature.

Affliction due to Sarpa Dosha emanates mainly from Rahu ,the malefic planet who is known as Sarpa

Graha. Astrologically several interpretations are given for Sarpa Dosha; They are as follows:-

Placement of Rahu in Lagna, 2nd, 5th, 7th, or 8th house;
Placement of malefic planets (Rahu, Ketu, Mars, Saturn and Sun) in the quadrants (1, 4, 7 and 10)
Affliction to the 5th house (Putra Bhaava/Poorva Punya Sthaana) when 5 and associated with or aspected by Mars
5 th house being a sign of Mars (Aries/Scorpio) is occupied by Rahu
5 th lord in conjunction with Rahu and Saturn in 5 th house aspected by or associated with Moon.
Weak Jupiter associated with Mars , Rahu in Lagna and 5 th lord in a dustana (6, 8 and 12 th house).
5 th house being a sign of Mars is occupied by Rahu and associated with Mercury.
Relationship of Rahu/Kethu with 5 th house (Puthra bhaava).
Rahu in Badhaka Sthana.
Jupiter in 6,8, or 12 in relationship with a Badhaka lord.
Rahu in Kendra or dustana associated with a Badhaka lord or Badhaka house.
Rahu with Gulika or in 5,7,9 from Gulika.
Mars and Saturn in quadrant from Rahu.
Rahu or Ketu in Badhaka sign or in 4,7,6,8 or 12.

Note: Sarpa Yoga should not be confused with Kaala Sarpa Dosha(Yoga which is formed by the placement of all the planets including lagna within the axis of Rahu and Kethu). If Rahu is in Aries and Ketu is in Libra all planets should be in Taurus to Virgo.Rahu moves in counter clockwise direction.After Aries Rahu will move to Pisces.Rahu is the head and Ketu is the tail.In a figurative sense Kala Sarpa Dosha is formed when all planets are placed in the belly of the snake.

Effects of Sarpa dosha are lack of progeny or loss of progeny, delay and obstacles to progeny , obstacles to marriage, lack of prosperity or progress in life, chronic ill-health, skin diseases, accidents, total dissatisfaction and disillusionment in personal life.

Time tested remedy for Sarpa Dosha (Naaga Dosha) is performance of Sarpa Shanti viz., Sarpa Samskaara with Aslesha Bali and Naaga Devatha Pratishta at Kukke Subramanya temple in South Kanara District of Karnataka state.

Nagadevatha Pratishta can also be performed at any of the sacred Naga/Subramanya Kshethras .They are as follows:-

Ghaati Subramanya Kshethra (near Doddaballapura in Karnataka State) where Lord Subramanya is in the form of a snake (where He received blessings from Lord Naarasimha).
Kudupu (near Mangalore) :- Sri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy temple is a very ancient temple believed to be in existence since Krita Yuga days.
Sarpa Shanti at Trayambakeshwar (Naasik) temple;
Rahu-Kethu pooja along with Rudraabhishekam to Lord Shiva at Sri Kaalahasthi temple,near Tirupati In Andhra Pradesh.
Rudraabhishekam/Sarpadosha nivaarana pooja at Kapila Theertham temple on the way to Tirumala Hills;
Mahanyaasa Poorvaka Ekaadasavaara Rudraabhishekam with Sarpa Sooktham.
Those who cannot afford to perform Sarpa Shanti as said above due to economic reasons can resort to a cost effective remedy. Worship Nagadevatha by performing abhishekam with milk on Naga Devatha idol installed under the shade of an Aswatta Vruksha (Banyan/Peepal Tree) at any temple for a period of one Mandala (41 days) without break and perform seven rounds pradakshina (circumambulations) around the Naga idol and the Banyan tree reciting Sri Subramanya/Naaga Devatha slokas. This should be performed in the morning as early as possible. A portion of the milk should also be poured at the roots of the tree. Commencement of this austerity should be made preferably on a Tuesday or a Sunday. On completion, visit any Lord Subramanya temple; perform Ksheeraabhishekam( Milk offering) and donate one pair of silver Naga Prathima ( snake idol in silver)to a deserving person (preferably a Vedic Pundit) along with 11⁄4 kg of blackgram and horse Gram along with fees(dakshina). While performing this austerity one should take only Satwic food and observe celibacy.

There are two distinct rituals performed in reverence to the snake. They are, Ashlesha Bali and Nagamandala. Nagamandala depicts the divine union of male and female snakes. It is generally performed by two priests. The first priest, called as patri inhales the areca flower (Supari Phool) and becomes the male snake. The second priest, called as Nagakannika or the female snake dances and sings around an elaborate serpent design drawn with natural colours on the sacred ground. The ritual is supplemented by playing an hour glass shaped instrument called as Dakke. The drawings in five different colours on the sacred ground are white (white mud), red (mix of lime powder and turmeric powder), green (green leaves powder), yellow (turmeric powder) and black (roasted and powdered paddy husk). Ashlesha Bali is similar nature to the funeral rites performed in Hindu tradition. Lord Subramanya is known as the protector from Kaalasarpa dosha ,Sarpa Dosha and Kuja dosha. Aslesha Bali puja is performed on Aslesha nakshatra in each month. It is believed that this puja , if performed on stars ,other than Ashlesha, yields no benefits. Shravana masa, Karthika masa, and Margashira masa are the most auspicious months to perform Aslesha bali puja.

April 9, 2016E S Neelakantan

Future of India and Nations

The forthcoming year, Durmukhi throws up lots of interesting possibilities with the thoughts of a sinister Mars-Saturn conjunction looming large over the world. Two sinister conjunctions viz., Mars-Saturn and Jupiter-rahu vitiate the cosmic landscape adding to the woes of a troubled world which is looking for succor, economically, socially and politically. What does the hindu year Durmukhi, hold for the world? This we will try to unravel in the course of this article.

There are three methods by which prospects for the forthcoming year can be forecast. They are as follows:

1. Forecasts based on Lunar year

2. Forecasts based on Solar Year and

3. inclusive methodology

The significations of Venus will flourish during the course of this year.People who are married will be happy; they will enjoy conjugal happiness and consequently divorce rates will dwindle.Perfumes, scents, dresses and other items which are preferred by women will be overused and consequently sale of these products will flourish. As Venus rules over rites and rituals, more people will perform rituals at home and they will be benefitted.The movie industry is favored and there will be international recognition for movies made in india.As Venus is a watery planet, there will be copious rains. To reiterate again, Durmukhi year trends indicate that the second half will be wetter compared to the first half.

The Tamil astrological classic Varshadi Nool gives a few broad hints about Durmukhi Year. Agricultural activities will be prosperous and a good harvest can be expected. Considering this factor, this is an ideal year for investment in agriculture and agricultural related activities.The second half of the Durmukhi year viz., November 16 to March17 will yield copious rains.Products which are white in colour could become scarce. To give a couple of examples, Salt and Cotton, which are white in colour, could become scarce.

The “Navanayagar” theory is one which gives clues on how the year could be for the masses. The king of the year is Venus. As the lunar year commences on April 7, 2016 at 16.54 iST which is a Thursday, the Pratipada or the first lunar day commences on a Friday at sunrise. Friday is ruled by Venus making it the king of the year.

The minister for Durmukhi year is Mercury. As Mercury rules over trade and commerce, there will be increase in purchase and sale of agricultural commodities. Academicians will gain name and fame besides governmental favor.The commander-in-chief of Durmukhi year is Mars. There will be constant threat of war and the border security forces will be forced to remain on a non- stop vigil. A mood of belligerence prevails as in the course of the Durmukhi year.Mars tends to overstay in Scorpio till 18 Sep 2016. So the military as well as paramilitary forces will be compelled to remain in a fire-fighting mode. The government needs to ensure safety of those places where atomic reactors are located.

Mars is the lord of clouds (Megadipathi) as well as lord of trade and commerce. Consequently, there could be dust storms and cyclones. As weather is harsh, there will be destruction all-round on account of natural calamities. Besides this there will be aparadoxical situation wherein some places will get copious rains, while other regions suffer from drought.Lord of metals is Saturn. Prices of iron and steel will shoot up. Sesame is ruled by Saturn and consequently there will be inflation in the prices of gingelly oil. In general, oil prices will firm up.

Now we will take a close look at india’s independence chart. The present dasa is that of Moon who is the lord of third house place in own house in Cancer. it is in close conjunction with Mercury and forms a square with 11 th lord Jupiter.

Growth in media, transport, telecommunication and iT enabled services will be supported by Dasa lord Moon. india will move into a new era of bullet trains and lots of existing trains will get converted into high-speed trains. The quality of services available inside the trains will show considerable improvement. high speed internet will become the order of the day and fiber-optic networks will be laid all over the country. All government initiatives will be brought to the notice of the public through emails and TV channels.

The indian space programme will receive a major boost. india is on the verge of becoming a world leader in space technology. Further in this period, foundation will be laid for manufacture of passenger aircraft. Empowerment of women through reservation will be implemented as dasa lord Moon occupies a feminine sign Cancer in the company of another feminine planet, Venus.

in this connection, mention needs to be made about the swearing in ceremony chart of Sri Narendra Modi. Modiji became the Prime Minister of india on 26 th May 2014 at 18.10 pm. The odd features of this chart are as follows:-

Usually Bharani nakshatra is never preferred for auspicious occasions. Here the oath of office was taken in Bharani nakshatra.A malefic in 8 forebodes evil. In any Muhurtha, a malefic in 8 is to be avoided.To some extent, thesedoshas are alleviated by the aspect of Jupiter on the ascendant and presence of the yogakaraka Saturn in the ascendant. Mercury in the 9 th is also a strong point of the chart. The presence of Mercury and Jupiter in the 3 rd from Moon aspecting the 3 rd from lagna has already given a very strong impetus to india’s foreign policy. The sub- period of Sunin the mahadasha of Venus will operate from 6 th April 2016 to 1 st April 2017 in the swearing-in chart. As Sun is in the 8 th , there is a dire necessity to exercise caution in all security-related matters. having said that the possibility of a national mourning cannot be ruled out in this period as Sun occupies the 8 th in the coronation chart and its sub-period operates during the Durmukhi year.The negative influences in coronation chart imply that the Modi government will have to overcome several challenges within the country and from outside to give the benefit of good governance to the nation. As the lord of 2 nd occupies the 12 th , a daridra yoga is given rise to. The 11 th lord in the 8 th is also a curse. Consequently, the Union Budgets will introduce more and more taxes creating frustration and disappointment in the minds of the public. According to Chanakya, the king ought not to collect more than one- fourth of income by way of taxes. in the case of the present government, the taxes levied will be disproportionately high and the public especially the salaried class will be put to considerable hardship.The lunar year chart also shows the conjunction of Sun (12 th lord) with Moon (11 th lord) and Venus (2 nd lord). This means that the prosperity of the nation will be seriously challenged by an oppressive taxation regime. Simplification of direct taxes and introduction of a friendly tax payer regime will remain more of rhetoric and in practice, the canons of taxation will be shylock-like in the solar year chart, the 5 th lord Saturn joins the 2 nd lord Mars and at the navamsa level, these planets happen to occupy their own houses. in the lunar year chart the 5 th lord Saturn joins the 3 rd lord Mars and occupies the 3 rd . A combined reading of these two charts shows that the sensex, which is indicative of the mood of the stock market, will have a bullish undertone throughout Durmukhi year. By the time Durmukhi year comes to an end, the sensex will be in the range of 28,000-30,000. The nifty will also show healthy growth. Stocks of banking companies would get affected as Jupiter is in conjunction with rahu in the 12 th house. The banks would be forced to declare their real NPA levels in their balance sheet. however, once Jupiter enters Virgo, banking sector will gain added momentum and prices of bank shares will show an upward growth. As the 3 rd lord occupies the 3 rd , shares of telecommunication, aviation and software companies will show strong growth. Venus as lord of 2 nd and9 th is exalted in the 7 th . Stocks of television channels and entertainment companies would show a significant upward trend. There will be continued buoyancy in the stock market and this would be the right moment to enter stocks and make healthy profits.

Coming to the commodities market, let us analyze how the gold prices would behave in the Durmukhi year. in the lunar year chart there is mutual interchange between Sun (12 th lord) and Jupiter (7 th lord). Both Sun and Jupiter are strong significators of gold. 7 th rules international trends while 12 th denotes losses. Due to international trends, there would be considerable fluctuation in gold prices. Further the conjunction of rahu with Jupiter will also result in turbulence in gold prices rendering it fairly unstable. As a result, traders are advised to stay away from margin trading in Gold futures, until the period of uncertainty gets over.

The interpretation of mundane events from the lunar year chart complements the same when it is read with reference to the solar chart. in some parts of india such as Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, precedence is given to the Moon whereas in states likeTamilnadu and Kerala, it is the Sun which is primary to reading of panchangas. A third method is what is known as “inclusive methodology”. This method can be better understood by reading the book, A Nation’s Prophecyby Dr. ravi rao, wherein he explains in detail how this system works. I will now explain the principles underlying the Inclusive Method in brief. For every country there is an ascendant, which is deduced either from its independence chart or the republic chart. if the transits on a particular day are read having that ascendant as the basis, we can forecast what is going to happento a nation using that chart for that particular year. For india, Taurus is the ascendant in the independenceDaychart, while Pisces rises on republic day. if you draw a chart, map out all the planets and take th e ascendant as Pisces or Taurus for instance, you can infer what is going to happen to india, during the year. Likewise, for all nations you can forecast the significant events.

When Saturn transits the stars Anuradha and Jyeshta it could trigger a war in the West. Skirmishes in Jammu and Kashmir appear possible. An internecine war would be fought in West Asia between iSiS and its opponents. This war could intensify to such an extent, that it can inflict casualties comparable to a world war. Saturn is an airy planet whereas Mars is a fiery one. This conjunction goes by the name Agni-Maruta yoga. This yoga occurs in the martian sign Scorpio which is also a watery sign. This conjunction could trigger tidal waves and earthquakes, especially in the Far East in countries like indonesia and Philippines. The first house denotes the ruler in a mundane chart. A ruler can be a Prime Minister, President, King, Queen, Dictator, Viceroy, Governor-General or any person who rules over a country. in the chart for the year, the lagna lord Mercury occupies a dustana, the 8 th . This denotes setbacks for the ruler. Under these circumstances, it is necessary to take all precautions to ensure that people at the helm of affairs are well protected.

The second house denotes finance, economic situation, fiscal policy and commerce. As the 2 nd lord Venus is exalted, the economy will be in fine fettle. As there is no malefic influence on the 2 nd , by and large one can expect a corruption-free regime in india. The strength of the 2 nd house also implies that india’s natural resources like iron, Coal, oil and Uranium will be properly utilized and such resources will augment the government treasury. The mood of the nation, including sentiments and attitude of the people can be gauged from the 3 rd house. The 3 rd lord Mars in conjunction with 5 th lord Saturn occupies the 3 rd house. Communication and media are denoted by the 3 rd house. There will be healthy debates in the media over the performance and actions of the government. Malefics in the 3 rd vitiate relations with neighbors. here Saturn in the 3 rd could create skirmishes on the border. indo-Pak relations will continue to be bitter and all efforts to bring about cordiality would meet with setbacks. The 4 th house denotes buildings, mines etc., and in the lunar chart, Jupiter as 4 th lord is afflicted in the 12 th in the company of rahu. Disasters in the form of earthquakes, cyclones and fire accidents are possible.The affliction to the 4 th house combined with the Mars-Saturn conjunction could seriously affect peace in the country. Both natural and man-made calamities appear possible. Destruction on a large scale is foreseen owing to these planetary positions.

Sports and games are ruled by the 5 th house. Saturn as 5 th lord aspecting the 5 th gives international recognition to our sportsmen. This will be an exceptionally good year for sports in India. indian cricketers will show exemplary skill and courage and laurels are in store for them.

The 6 th house in the lunar chart is occupied by Ketu. infectious diseases could be triggered by the presence of Ketu in the 6 th . Further the aspect of an afflicted retrograde Jupiter from the 12 th could give rise to diseases such as swine flu, dengue, typhoid and other diseases which can start abruptly and also prove to be life threatening at times.

A benefic in the 7 th augurs well for international relations, trade and strategic affairs. Venus exalted in the 7 th gives a boost to bilateral trade and foreign affairs. india’s foreign policy will get wide acclaim not only within the country but also abroad. The positive side of the 8 th house is scientific research. As the 8 th lord is well placed in 3 and the 8 th is occupied by an unafflicted Mercury, Indian scientists will get recognition in international fora. Possibility of an indian scientist getting a prestigious award is there. india will become a forerunner in Science and Technology in the years to come. Sedition, espionage and other activities against the country are indicated by the 12 th house. rahu in the 12 th is indicative of infiltration by insurgents and terrorists into the country. Since Jupiter which indicates morals and fair play joins rahu, these attempts will be detected early and foiled.

Pakistan and Afghanistan

For Pakistan, Leo rises in the 30 th degree making it a highly inauspicious year for the country. The Government at the helm of affairs is precariously placed with the lord of 10 in 8. Further the placement of malefics in the quadrants exposes the country to both man-made and natural calamities.

The 27 th degree of Leo rises in Kabul, Afghanistan. here again violence and unrest of an ethnic nature threaten the solidarity of the country. The course of Durmukhi could take this nation into a state of lawlessness.Afghanistan’s rising sign is usually taken as Aries and this conjunction takes place in the 8 th house. A major earthquake will hit Afghanistan. it will be the country which could greatly get affected by the Mars-Saturn conjunction. A change of government appears likely.

United States of America

The 10 th degree of Aries rises in Washington DC. As the lord of 10 th moves into the 8 th forming a conjunction with the 8 th lord, there is a compelling need to reinforce security for the people at the helm of the affairs. Jupiter is a planet of purity, wisdom, spirituality and knowledge whereas rahu denotes impurity, naivety, materiality and illusions; by its very nature rahu is opposed to Jupiter. No wonder, this conjunction is termed as Guru Chandala yoga. By occurring in the 4 th house of india’s independence chart it has enough venom to promote communal tensions, sectarian conflicts, religious strife and divisions among citizens.

Middle East

The entire Middle East especially Syria, I raq, iran, Lebanon, Libya and Palestine turn into cauldrons of conflict. The square aspect of Saturn on Rahu which occurs on Sep 27, 2016 could aggravate tensions in the Middle East.

There is an interesting 3 planet conjunction in the 7 th in india’s lunar chart. These three planets are Sun (as 12 th lord), Moon as 11 th lord and Venus as 2 nd lord. This conjunction would facilitate heavy investments into rail and roads, thereby promoting greater connectivity to remote places. Foreign investments would also come into india in a big way. Measures would be taken to bring money stashed in tax havens and Swiss Banks into india. Some kind of an amnesty scheme would be introduced which will enable black money holders to bring their funds into the mainstream through payment of taxes.

Overall, this Durmukhi year could prove to be a crucial year in taking India on the road to becoming a Super Power.

April 8, 2016E S Neelakantan

Story of Nala Damayanti

Click for Part I
Click for Part II
Click for Part III

Part I

Our Purana-s and Itihasa-s deal with astrology offering valuable clues to planetary vibrations and their influences on humans. One key clue exists in the story of Nala and Damayanti, which occurs in the Mahabharata and is the core subject of the famous composition Naishada Charitra by Sriharsha. This composition, along with Kalidasa’s Kumarasambava and Raguvamsa, Bharavi’s Kiratarjuniya, and Magha’s Sishupalavadha constitute the five Mahakavya-s of India. In astrological parlance, the story of Nala and Damayanti gains high relevance because the hero of the poetry, King Nala who lives in opulence gets into the grip of Saturn; after going through immense suffering he regains glory after liberation from the hold of Saturn. On many scores, this story has eternal relevance and the moral of this story needs to be understood by people, who wish to overcome adversities caused by planets in inauspicious positions.

Talking of propitiation of planets to thwart adverse consequences of planetary transits, why Saturn stands alone and why Saturn assumes greater importance than other planets? Barring Jupiter and Venus, the rest are either total or part malefic, delivering evil effects. Venus can also turn into a functional malefic, when influenced by Kendradipatya dosha. Let us seek a convincing answer for the question raised earlier: why Saturn is the most dreaded among the different planets?

Three explanations come to my mind.

1. Saturn is slow when passing through a zodiacal sign and consequently it influences the native for a longer duration, but only at a specified period of time. All planets in transit bear evil influences in all houses, except 3, 6, and 11. (Mantreswara indicates that in addition Rahu, Ketu, and Sun offer beneficial results in 10th house apart from 3,6 and 11) We tolerate injections, because that pain lasts only for a short period of time. Should the pain were to remain for long, we would, of course, be concerned. So the length of time of Saturn’s transit is the first major concern.

2. The next element of concern pertains to that Saturn is a Dukka Karaka (grief giver). All suffering is attributed to Saturn. Sun is Atmakaraka, Mars is Bhrat-r-Karaka, but Saturn is a Dukka Karaka. So, when a planet exclusively owns ‘grief’ as its principal action portfolio that is scary.

3. Sun denotes soul (atman); moon denotes mind (manas). So for none, these planets can be a malefic. The author of Laghu Parasari in Chapter 1, verse 11 indicates that neither Sun nor Moon can induce Ashtamadhipatya dosha attributed to ownership of 8th house. When a planet occurs juxtaposed to either Sun or Moon, that planet must qualify as first-rate malefic and that becomes true of Saturn. The 6th house is house of the enemy. Saturn by virtue of being Lord of Capricorn (6th house from Leo, owned by Sun) becomes an enemy of Sun; Moon by owning Cancer, 6th from Aquarius (owned by Saturn), becomes an enemy of Saturn.

Keeping the above in view, let us look at the story of Nala.

The story of Nala and Damayanti was narrated by Sage Brihadasva to Yudistra and his brothers (excluding Arjuna who then had embarked on the journey seeking pasupata from Mahadeva). Yudistira’s poser to the Sage was whether anyone in human history had ever lived a more wretched life than himself. The sage answers Yudistra’s question with the story of Nala and Damayanti. King Nala’s plight was worse than that of Yudistra, according to Brihadasva, because Nala lost Damayanti, children, and counsellors during exile; whereas Yudistira’s wife, brothers, and counsellors remained with him during exile. Brihadasva’s narrative on Nala and Damayanti is a reminder to us about the impermanence of objects of human desire. Knowing that good fortune is an oscillating phenomenon, Brihadasva advises Yudistra to remain calm, when things do not auger well. The message conveyed here is that when time is adverse, we are separated from our loved ones; we are reunited when time turns favourable, but we have no control over this time cycle.

King Nala was the son of Virasena. He was well versed in the veda-s, heroic and was a person of modest passions. He was a great soul, beloved of men and women, was strong and handsome. Two special abilities of King Nala are worth recounting. He was well versed in training and maintaining horses (Aswa Sastra: equestrian science). He was also a master cook. In cooking, two terms are used frequently: Nalapakam and Bimapakam. Nalapakam refers to cooking small quantities of food, but extremely delicious and satvik. Bhimapakam refers to cooking of large quantities of tamasic food. Nalapakam originates from Nala.

The Story begins with a brief description of Nala, the most handsome of men, and Damayanti, the beautiful princess of Vidarba Kingdom. She is the only daughter of King Bhima and had three brothers, who were lofty souls and possessed great fame. Two geese serve as the messengers between Nala and Damayanti sparking love between them through descriptions of their respective charms. By hearing about one another, they fall in love. Seeing how pale Damayanti had become tormented by love, her girlfriends inform her father, Bhima, who realizes that his daughter’s marriage needs to be organized; so he announces a Swayamvara, seeking the eligible man to marry his daughter.

To understand Swayamvara, we need to understand that eight forms of marriage existed in ancient India.

1. Rakshasa vivaha: Marriage by forcible abduction of a girl; forbidden generally, but permitted for kings.

2. Parisache vivaha: Marriage through deceitful abduction of a girl in sleep; forbidden in general, kings excepted.

3. Asura vivaha: Marriage through purchasing a girl by a man. Some smriti-s discourage this practice, since it tantamounts to selling of a child.

4. Arsa vivaha: Marriage involves a gift of a bull and a cow; an accepted form.

5. Daiva vivaha: The girl has no choice in selecting the man; choice remains with the girl’s father or guardian.

6. Prajapatya vivaha: Girl’s father gives away the girl to a man, who seeks her hand, so that both of them are eligible to perform their duties together.

7. Gandharva vivaha: The marriage between a willing girl and her lover, (e.g., Dushyanta and Sakuntala. Sage Kanva, Sakuntala’s father, endorsed this marriage since Dushyanta was supposed to have relied on his conscience.

8. Brahma vivaha: Marriage involving giving the bride to a boy by circling the sacred fire three times.

Swayamvara is a part of the above listed marriage forms according to Grihyasutras, Manusmriti (or Yajnavalkya smriti). Swayamvara is not an exhibition of grooms. The suitor has to satisfy certain conditions or be a fit person to become the eligible groom.

Swayamvara-s are of three types.

1. Virya Shulka Swayamvara: The groom wins over the bride by demonstrating a feat of prowess. Exceptionally difficult conditions were to be satisfied, which involved strength, bravery, and skill.
(a) Rama married Sita by setting the arrow in pinaka, which was a condition set by Janaka.
(b) Arjuna married Draupadi by hitting the metal fish fixed to spinning wheel with an arrow by seeing the fish’s reflection in water.

2. Soundarya Shulka Swayamvara: The girl is free to choose one of the assembled handsome men. Damayanti’s swayamvara belongs to this category

3. The bride is free to choose her husband. Savitri’s marriage to Satyavan..(This is the third category)

King Jaichand of Kanauj held a Swayamvara for his daughter Samyogita (Samyukta), who liked Prithvraj Chauhan (1149―1192 CE). To insult Prithviraj, Jaichand installed a statue of Prithviraj as the keeper of the fort. During the Swayamvara, Samyogita garlanded the statue of Prithviraj, who was hiding in the vicinity. He took Samyogita on his horse, sped away, and married her. This is an example Swayamvara from recent past. Please note that in this episode an intended Swayamvara got converted into a Gandharva form of marriage.

We can close this analysis on Swayamvara with the following points.

1) Swayamvara form of marriage ended approximately during the time Slave dynasty came to power in India in 1206 C.E.
2) It created unnecessary conflicts between kings and was mainly responsible for the defeat of Prithviraj Chauhan at the hands of Mohammad Ghori, in the second battle of Tarain in 1192 C.E.
3) Subtle differences between Gandharva vivaha and Swayamvara.
In Swayamvara
• the man must have been invited
• he should hail from a family of comparable social and economic status
• he should accomplish a task, in case it is fixed as a pre-condition for winning the bride’s hand.

In Gandharva Vivaha ,romance between the boy and the girl or their mutual liking leads to marriage.Unlike Swayamvara ,the parent’s wish is not given weightage.The status of the groom is immaterial in this category of marriage.It is quite possible that in some instances the bride and groom may have a mutual affinity and the marriage may be solemnized through a Swayamvara.In Modern times this is comparable to a boy and a girl who have mutual affinity but get their parents’ approval and enter into wedlock.

The Swayamvara of Damayanti was fixed on an auspicious lunar day in an auspicious season. This shows that King Bhima had considered astrological factors for fixing the time of Swayamvara.

When Nala leaves for the Damayanti’s Swayamvara in Vidarba Desa, he meets Indra, Kubera, Varuna and Yama. These celestial beings request Nala to be their messenger to Damayanti and Nala concurs. Indra, the King of the celestials says: “I am Indra. I have come to attend Damayanti’s Swayamvara with the other three celestials. Please praise us by name before Damayanti and she will marry one of us.” Nala retorts: “You know very well, I am going for the same purpose. Is it fair on your part to ask me to do this job?” Nevertheless, the gods decided to enforce Nala’s promise and he had no option but to praise the celestials before Damayanti.

Nala being an ordinary mortal liable to birth and death, whereas Indra and others being immortals, it was unfair in the eyes of Damayanti. Further the celestials’ anger brings misery to humans. But Nala being a good soul, he requests Damayanti to choose one of the gods instead of him. Damayanti hits upon an idea and says: “During Swayamvara, I will choose you instead of the gods. So the gods cannot blame you.” The gods understand Damayanti’s mind and they come to Swayamvara as Nala–alikes. Showing an exceptional intelligence, Damayanti chooses Nala from the look-alikes.

How did Damayanti distinguish Nala from the Devas? Damayanti knew that the Celestials have certain features, which the humans do not have.

• Celestials do not wink; winking is a human attribute.
• Feet of the celestials do not touch the ground.
• Garlands worn by celestials do not fade.
• Perspiration occurs only in humans; Celestials do not perspire.

Applying these, Damayanti chose Nala and garlanded him. Nala got the blessings of gods Indra, Agni, Kubera, Yama, and Varuna. Nala married Damayanti.

On the way the gods meet Kali Purusha and enquired where he was going. Kali Purusha said, “I heard that a Swayamvara for Damayanti is scheduled. I am on my way there, hoping that she will choose me.” The gods laughed and said, “All is over. Damayanti married a mortal human by name Nala, rejecting everyone else.” Kali Purusha was infuriated. He decided immediately the following course of action. Nala and Damayanti should lose their kingdom. They should suffer from the pangs of separation.

We can boldly consider that Kali Purusha, who makes his advent in this story is none else than the planet Saturn. I am basing my view on the fact that according to legends pertaining to the holy town Tirunallar (Tamil Nadu) Nala is supposed to have visited the Temple of Saturn here, to overcome his misery. Hence it is probable that Kali Purusha refers to Saturn.

Part II

In my previous article we saw how the marriage between Nala and Damayanti took place,which earned the wrath of Saturn, who was desirous of winning Damayanti’s hand in the swayamvara. In this article we shall see what happened to the newly wedded couple as a consequence of Saturn showing his wrath on them.

Before we go to the story, let us explore some of the astrological features of Saturn. Let us see how Saturn functions in the twelve zodiacal signs.

Aries: A person born with Saturn in Aries is wrathful, does evil deeds and is devoid of any virtue.
Taurus: The person suffers due to his wickedness and foolishness. Servility is the key characteristic of this person.
Gemini: The person spends his time travelling; lives away from native place and is secretive,deceitful, angry, mean and lustful.
Cancer: The behaviour of this person is full of contradictions;childhood is full of struggles; lacks maternal love; suffers from ill-health.
Leo: The person is committed to study, research and writing; enjoys conjugal happiness; begets wealth and honour from spouse’s family.
Virgo: The person bears a lean body; reticent, affluent but discontented; ambitious and arrogant.
Libra:This person is poised favourably for material prosperity; has a strong inclination for worldly and sensual pleasures; acquires name and fame.
Scorpio: The person likes to misappropriate wealth of others; performs mean acts; life is full of hurdles; cruel, wrathful, avaricious and arrogant.
Sagittarius: The person is soft spoken, reticent, given to scholarly pursuits and well versed in various disciplines.
Capricorn: The person is fond of good places and ornaments; begets wealth, extremely industrious and has sound knowledge of arts.
Aquarius: The person is crooked, lethargic, deceitful and unethical. Although Aquarius is a house owned by Saturn, its presence in Aquarius is not desirable; companions will also be mischievous.
Pisces: The person is wealthy and becomes eminent in his family and among his relatives; ethical, crafty and is a connoisseur of gems.

We know that Saturn in Aries is debilitated. When Saturn is about to transit Aries, do we infer that everyone who is born while Saturn is in Aries would be devoid of virtues? No, not necessarily.

Please note that in Aries, Saturn lacks Sthanabala(residential strength). However if Saturn in Aries attains Libra in navamsa, then Saturn will give the effects of an exalted planet. Same is also true while Saturn is in retrograde. If Saturn in Aries gets aspected by Jupiter, much of Saturn’s evil qualities are arrested and Saturn yields auspicious results. Same is true when Mars conjoins Saturn in Aries and gives rise to Neechabhanga raja yoga.

Saturn in Lagna is generally considered an unwelcome feature of any horoscope. However Saturn in Libra, Sagittarius and Pisces is considered a blessing and the person would prosper similar to a king.

The game of dice

We shall return to the tale of King Nala. One morning, King Nala recited his morning prayer with a blemish; he had not washed the heel after attending to the call of nature. This was the opportunity Kali Purusha was waiting for twelve years. Using this opportunity, he immediately occupied Nala’s body.

Kali Purusha meets Pushkara and exhorts him to play a game of dice with Nala and assuring him of victory. Elated by this offer of Kali Purusha, Pushkara challenges Nala to a game of dice. Under the influence of Kali, Nala begins to play the game.One by one, gold, silver, robes are lost in stake. Finally he loses even his Kingdom.Pushkara, knowing that Nala had lost everything asks whether the play could go on, with Damayanti as a stake. It is at this stage, Nala stops the game and gets out with Damayanti.

Pushkara, the new King issues an ordinance that any citizen who bestows attention of Nala would be executed. Consequently Nala is forced to spend three nights on the outskirts of the city living only on water with none offering any help. Unable to look after Damayanti, Nala requests her to go to her father’s kingdom. Once she goes to her father’s palace, she would be assured of a decent living. Damayanti requests Nala to accompany him so that both of them could stay in her father’s palace. But King Nala has his own reservations on this thought.

Damayanti’s father was the king of Vidarba; so was Nala – the king of Viraata. If Nala were to go to his father-in-law’s palace in glory, he would bring joy to her parents. But Nala, having been reduced to the status of a beggar, who would be happy to see him in this plight? Nala says to Damayanti, that if both of them went to see King Bhima at this point of time, they would only bring misery to her parents. After the discussion had ended, the idea of going to King Bhima’s palace was dropped.

Desertion of Damayanti

Plunged into distress, Damayanti went into deep sleep. Nala thinks of a perverse idea. Why not desert Damayanti? Nala’s reasoning went as follows:if Damayanti continued to stay with him, she will only remain in distress. If he deserted her, a possibility of her joining her relatives exists and thus regaining happiness. So, under the influence of Kali Purusha, Nala decides that desertion of Damayanti was the best option, under prevailing circumstances.

When Damayanti woke up, she finds her husband missing and she starts searching for him. Soon, she was seized by a huge snake which was waiting for its prey. She shouts for help; hearing the cry, a hunterarrives on the scene, kills the snake and rescues Damayanti. But Damayanti’s joy was short lived. The hunter was overcome with lust. Damayanti stating that she had love for Nala alone and nobody could substitute him, cursed the hunter and the moment she pronounced her curse, the hunter fell down dead.

In the forest Damayanti comes across a group of ascetics. She explains her plight to them. The ascetics replied “The future will bring happiness to you. Soon you will be united with King Nala. You will be freed of all sins. You will be decked with all kinds of gems and rule over the same city. Your enemies will be chased out. You will be crowned with every blessing”. After uttering this benediction, the ascetics vanished from sight, leaving Damayanti in a state of amazement, wondering whether all that she just saw and heard was only a dream.

Damayanti joins a caravan, which was bound for the city of Suvahu, ruler of the Chedis. At night the caravan halted in a forest. Suddenly a group of wild elephants attacked the caravan, killing all those who were sleeping. As Damayanti woke up, she saw a raging fire, which was adding to the misery of the merchants caused by the elephant attack. Damayanti thought that all her woes were due to the sin, she committed in preferring Nala as her husband, ignoring the celestials who had come for the swayamvara.

Requested by the queen of Chedi Kingdom, Damayanti agrees to stay in their palace subject to three conditions that she would not eat any left overs, not wash anyone’s feet, and not speak to men.

Enter the serpent king

King Nala, in the meantime, had entered a thick forest. In the midst of the forest-fire Nala hears a voice repeatedly crying aloud. The voice belonged to the Serpent-king Karkotaka,whosaid, “O King, I am a snake, Karkotaka by name. I deceived the great sage Narada and got cursed. There is no snake in this world equal to me. Please take me in your hands”. Once Nala followed the command, Karkotaka became the size of a thumb. Karkotaka told Nala to take a few steps. As Nala took the tenth step, he was bitten by Karkotaka. Nala’s appearance started changing immediately and he was amazed.

Before we continue this narrative,we shall take a brief look at the Ayurvedic view of snake bites.Not everyone dies of a snake bite.Please note that all snakes are not poisonous. Basically all snakes fall under two categories: poisonous, non-poisonous.

Cobra, Krait and Viper are examples of poisonous snakes. Pythons are non-poisonous.Some varieties of water snakes and some of the coral snakes are non-poisonous. Snakes bite humans in defence. It is also said that persons who commit sins are liable to be bitten by snakes. The bite of Cobra is dangerous as it activates the Vata element (air element)and therefore the poison spreads quickly. Next in the order of danger is the bite of Russell’s Viper and such similar types of snakes which activates the Pitta element (fire element). Kapha element (water element) is activated by the bite of Krait and such similar types of snakes.

Coral snakes are most notable for their red, yellow-white, and black banding. In some regions, the order of the bands distinguishes the non-venomous from the venomous coral snakes, inspiring some folk rhymes like the one quoted below: Red on yellow, kill a fellow;Red on black, friend of Jack. This rhyme may be true for Coral Snakes in North America.Coral snakes use a pair of small fangs fixed in the front of their top jaw to discharge their venom. They feed on smaller snakes,lizards, frogs, birds and rodents. Coral snakes have a tendency to hold on to a victim when biting, unlike Vipers, which have retractable fangs and tend to prefer to strike and let go immediately.The broad, triangular head is sometimes used(in North America) to ‘identify’ a venomous snake but there is no single external characteristic that will distinguish venomous from non-venomous species of Snakes.In general,approximately 80% of snakes are non-poisonous, while the remaining 20% are poisonous.

A person will die if bitten on the 5th, 8th or 9th lunar day, New Moon or Full Moon day, when the constellation is Bharani, Kritika, Makha, Ashlesha, Visakha or Moola. Usually no treatment is given to a person bitten on such days as the treatment will prove futile.

The Mongoose is a predator which feeds on snakes. Mongooses mostly feed on earthworms, lizards, snakes, chicken and rodents. However,the Indian Gray Mongoose is well known for their ability to fight and kill snakes particularly the cobras. They are adept at such tasks due to their agility, thick coat, and evolved acetylcholine (neural) receptors, which render them resistant to snake venom. Cobra venom when introduced into the blood stream of another animal, blocks the transmission of nerve impulses and signals. Mongoose resist cobra venom, because they have a special capacity that resists the effect of the venom from blocking the receptor sites of the neural transmitters.Since we are on the topic of snake bites I thought I should explain why the Mongoose is able to overcome the threat of snakes.

Karkotaka blessed Nala saying “You will not feel any pain on amount of any poison. I changed your form so that you go about unnoticed. Now, you may go to Ayodhya, where you introduce yourself as Vahuka to King Rituparna, who will teach you the nuances of dice game. You will regain your Kingdom”. Further Karkotaka gave Nala a pair of clothes, on wearing them he could regain his original appearance.

Vahuka (who is none other than Nala in disguise) meets King Rituparna and tells him that he is adept in two areas – cooking and equestrian science. Vahuka got the job of superintendent of the stables. He was also given a decent salary.

An emissary from King Bhima comes to the Chedi Kingdom. The appearance of Damayanti was comparable to that of a full Moon at the time of an eclipse caused by Rahu. The emissary noticed a mole in Damayanti’s face, which is an indication of prosperity. The emissary was able to know that she was none other than Damayanti, daughter of King Bhima. Once the truth was revealed, it was understood that the Chedi queen was the sister of Damayanti’s mother. Damayanti was sent back to her parental house in Vidharba with royal escort. Having reached Vidharba Damayanti tells her story to her parents. The King sends his emissaries in search of Nala. The emissaries report that a person resembling King Nala is now employed in the service of King Rituparna in Ayodhya.

Exchange of knowledge

How to bring Nala to Vidarba? A plan is hit upon by Damayanti. She calls a messenger and requests him to tell King Rituparna that Damayanti will hold another swayamvara. Accordingly the message is conveyed to King Rituparna. Rituparna’s charioteer is Vahuka, who is Nala in disguise.

Rituparna says “I intend going to Damayanti’s swayamvara in the course of a single day”. Nala decided to select certain horses, which were lean, of high breed, docile, free from faults, born in Sindhu Kingdom and which could run fast. Rituparna felt that the horses were weak and may not stand the journey. Nala said “Sir, if you suggest some other horses, we can take them. But from my experience, I can tell you, that these horses are the best ones”.Nala’s view prevailed. As they were travelling, the upper garment of the King fell. So, the King suggested that the horses be stopped so that the garment could be picked up. But Nala replied “Sorry, it cannot be recovered we have travelled one yojana (5 miles) from that spot”. Such was the speed of the chariot.

As they were travelling, they saw a Vibhitaki tree which bore lots of fruits. King Rituparna said “The two branches have fifty million leaves and the number of fruits on the tree is 2095. Nala decided to verify the King’s claim. He counted the leaves and fruits and found them to be correct. Rituparna imparted the knowledge of the science of dice and Nala in turn taught equestrian science to King Rituparna.

At this point of time, Kali Purusha left Nala’s body, vomiting the virulent poison of Karkotaka. Kali Purusha, while leaving blessed King Nala saying, “If anyone recites your history, they need have no apprehensions from me” (In other words, persons who recite or listen to Nala’s story will not be affected by Sani Dosha or evil caused by Kali Purusha). Kali Purusha, then entered the Vibhitaki tree. From that day, Vibhitaki became an accursed tree, falling into disrepute.

In traditional Indian medicine, Beleric is known as ‘Bibhitaki’ (Terminalia belerica).In its fruit form it is used in the popular Indian herbal Rasayana treatment Triphala. In Sanskrit it is called vibhīdaka ( विभीदक.).

According to Dymock, Warden, Hooper’sPharmacographia Indica (1890), “This tree, in Sanskrit Vibhita and Vibhitaka (fearless), is avoided by the Hindus of Northern India, who will not sit in its shade, as it is supposed to be inhabited by demons. The pulp of the fruit (Beleric myrobalan) is considered by Hindu physicians to be astringent and laxative, and is prescribed with salt and long pepper in affections of the throat and chest. As a constituent of triphala (three fruits), i.e., emblic, beleric and chebulic myrobalans, it is employed in a great number of diseases, and the kernel is sometimes used as an external application to inflamed parts.”

Perhaps it is this episode which constitutes the basis for the belief that sitting under a Vibhidaki tree is inauspicious and therefore to be avoided.

Part III

In our previous article, we paused our discussion with the exit of Shani Bhagavan from Nala’s life. Before we commence the narrative let us look at a few facts about Saturn’s behaviour in transit.

Transits of Saturn

In Tamilnadu, Saturn’s 7.5 year transit is classified into three rounds.

First round Mangu Sani.

This occurs when 7 1/2 Saturn occurs for the first time. It spoils health and education.

Second round Pongu Sani.
This is considered a fertile or auspicious period, contrary to prevailing views of text books. Auspicious functions like marriage would materialise. One view which probably could be inferred is that the second round is less harmful than the first. Please note that in most cases, first phase of Saturn happens in childhood whereas second round happens in adulthood – so the person is able to overcome hassles better.

Third Round Kungu Sani.
This may, in several instances, prove to be the final Sade-Sathi in a person’s life. Mental worries, agony,mourning arise. In many instances, the person many even die.Out of the 7 1/2 years, Janma Sani is deemed to be the worst. It can also be life threatening. T

When Saturn transits the 8th house, sorrows, fear of accidents, attack through weapons and other dangers are possible. Problems from government arise. The person gets humiliated. Wasteful expenditure will occur. The person will be trapped in litigation . Transfer to alien places is likely. The native is forced to take up menial jobs.

The saying Buddi Karmanu Sarini (One’s mind functions in accordance with past karma) is applicable to Saturn’s transit over inauspicious houses. When the past Karma of a person is bad, the intellect of that person gets corrupted, forcing that person to perform evil deeds. Such deeds lead to losses, dishonour and other undesirable consequences. All such events are foreshadowed by transit of Saturn over inauspicious houses.

With these introductory remarks, let us proceed to discuss the remaining part of the story of Nala and Damayanti.

When King Rituparna with his entourage reached the Vidharba kingdom they were given a cordial reception by King Bhima. Damayanti, sensing that Nala had appeared in disguise as Vahuka deputes a female messenger to pick up a conversation with Vahuka. Vahuka, while talking to the messenger says, “A chaste woman should continue to live in virtue, even when deserted by her husband, especially when the latter undergoes difficulty”.Further he says, “Seeing her husband’s plight, she should not get angry, especially when he is deprived of kingdom, bereft of prosperity, oppressed by hunger and overwhelmed by calamity”. As these remarks of Vahuka were conveyed to Damayanti, she is convinced that Vahuka is King Nala in disguise. Hearing these remarks, she is oppressed with grief.

Damayanti confronts Vahuka with a barrage of questions: “Who, except King Nala could desert his wife in the forest?What is the offence I committed to deserve this?Why should King Nala desert me, especially when I had married him in a Swayamvara in preference to the celestials?Why did King Nala break the vow to protect me which he took at the time of marriage?” King Nala gives a one-line answer to all these queries, “All these wrong actions are not attributable to me – they are due to Kali Purusha”.

King Nala further says, “I have now come here only for your sake. There is no other purpose for my visit. Kali Purusha was with me when all these evil things happened. Fortunately, Kali Purusha has already left me. But I want to ask you a question, “Can any woman, forsaking her loving and devoted husband, choose another man as her husband?”

Damayanti says that remarriage is not in her mind at all. In fact, all this drama was enacted only to bring Nala from Ayodhya to Vidharba. A great king like Rituparna cannot be enticed to come to Vidharba without a proper reason. This whole episode of a ‘Second Swayamvara’ is only a concocted drama to ensure that Nala and Damayanti have a happy reunion.
At this juncture, King Nala remembers the benediction of the serpent King Karkotaka. He puts on the clothes given to him and the moment he wears it, he regains his old form — that of King Nala.With their hearts filled with joy, both Nala and Damayanti decide to spend sometime in the palace of King Bhima.King Rituparna now understood that his charioteer is actually a King. He apologises to Nala in case he had done anything wrong, while in service. Nala replies, “I was happier in your kingdom Ayodhya, than in my own kingdom”. Then King Rituparna left for Ayodhya.

After staying in Vidharba for a month, King Nala re-enters his kingdom with a retinue of sixteen elephants, fifty horses and an infantry comprising six hundred soldiers. Nala challenges Pushkara to a game of dice.Nala gives an alternative suggestion too: In case Pushkara is unwilling to play dice, he could choose to face him in a battle.

This time, Nala decides to offer as stake, not only all his valuables and belongings but also his wife Damayanti. Pushkara is more than happy as winning Damayanti would mean that she would have to wait for him like a celestial Apsara in heaven and that it is his great good fortune to get someone who has the beauty of Damayanti as his companion.Pushkara, this time is worsted in the game of dice and the kingdom is regained by King Nala.

King Nala forgives Pushkara for all that had happened. “All the suffering I underwent is due to Kali Purusha. You are not the real cause. So I forgive you”, says Nala to Pushkara. Nala gives a portion of the kingdom and obedient servants to Pushkara to enable him to lead a happy life.The whole city rejoiced after Nala had taken over as king once again.

Please note that this narrative is in the form of a story told by Sage Bridaswa to the Pandava brothers. Concluding the story the Sage says “Nala suffered the woes all alone but finally regained his prosperity. But I see you,the Pandavas in the forest, along with Lord Krishna. You are also meeting scholars who are well versed in the Vedas. So, there is only little cause for sorrow. The influence of Kali (or Shani Bagwan) is destroyed when one hears the story of Nala besides that of Damayanti, Rituparna and the serpent King Karkotaka”

The Mahabharata itself is a long story and the Nala—Damayanti episode could be said to be a ‘sub– story’. Although we pause at this particular point, the Mahabharata continues, but we now turn our attention to the moral of this story. We shall try to assimilate some of the important suggestions our sages have given us through this story.

Implications of the story and final comments

1. Sriharsha’s Naishada Çaritha ends after the swayamvara. But what we have discussed so far is the entire story of Nala and Damayanti.

2. For Nala’s reversal of fortune, the reason cited is the entry of Kali Purusha owing to the failure to wash his feet after attending the call of nature. Similarly Damayanti had to pay a heavy price for failing to honour the Gods who came to the swayamvara .Wrong karma and divine wrath are harmful. This is why both Nala and Damayanti had to suffer.

3. There is this saying Vivahascha vivadascha samayoreva shobathe” (in debate and in marriage, only two equals can give rise to glory.) It is a glorious sight to see two equally erudite scholars debate; so also marriage between two persons equally good is a delight and will be appreciated by one and all. Here King Nala is a king of wide reputation. Damayanti, Princess of Vidharba is most beautiful among humans and even Gods. Hence the marriage of Nala and Damayanti is extolled in legends like Mahabharata.

4. According to Srimad Bhagavatam, (I–17–38), Kali Purusha is supposed to be present in five places: gambling houses, bars or pubs, places where harlotry is carried on, abattoirs or places of murder and gold stock rooms. It thus turns out that untruth, infatuation, lust, passion and enmity are the abstract qualities over which Kali Purusha has his sway.

According to Bhagwad Gita:“Among punishments I am the rod of chastisement, of those who seek victory, I am morality, of secret things, I am silence, of the wise, I am wisdom (Chap 10, 38). This means the Lord has the authority to chastise wrong doers. So people who have the five above mentioned qualities become liable for punishment. King Nala played the game of dice with Pushkara. This is how he fell a victim to kali Purusha.

5. When Pushkara defeated King Nala, he issued an ordinance that anyone who shows hospitality to Nala would be executed. When Nala defeats Pushkara, he regains his kingdom but Pushkara is asked to demit office without loss of regal splendour. In fact, a portion of the Kingdom is gifted to Pushkara in spite of his defeat. This shows Nala’s benevolence and Pushkara’s mean mindedness. Our Rishis could create myths which foreshadow events in the real world.

In 1976, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto promoted Zia–ul–Haq to the post of Chief of Army Staff. Zia overthrew Bhutto in a bloodless coup d’état on July 5, 1977. Zia eliminated hundreds of political rivals, minorities, journalists and generals opposed to him. On April 4, 1979 Bhutto was hanged to death by Zia’s martial law regime on an alleged murder conspiracy.One can easily draw a parallel between the characters of Pushkara and General Zia-ul-Haq.Zia dealt with Bhutto in ways similar to Pushkara when Nala was ousted.

6. There is an ancient Indian tradition by which a great person cannot be invited as a guest in the absence of a proper occasion. To ensure Nala’s visit to Vidharba, King Rtuparna had to be invited. The “Second Swayamvara” is merely used as a pretext to invite King Rituparna to Vidharba, thereby facilitating Nala’s re-union with Damayanti.

7. In works such as Garuda purana, there are scientific interpretations given to human features. For instance facial hair in women is bad, while absence of facial hair in a man indicates that person may be a crook. In Naishada Charita, we find that the messenger identifies Damayanti through a mole on her face. Here it is explained that the mole explains Damayanti’s prosperity and royal status.

8. The message of Taittiriya Upanishad isSwadhayaya pravachanabhyam na paramathithavyam (Seek and also also impart knowledge – never fail to do both) Here the exchange of knowledge between Nala and Rtuparna is an illustration of this dictum. Knowledge of dice is gained by Nala and Rituparna learnt equestrian science. Knowledge thrives only when imparted and this is a good illustration of the above mentioned dictum.

9. When the time becomes auspicious, one comes across the right people. When time was favorable to Nala, he could defeat Pushkara and regain his Kingdom. But all this was truly achieved on account of his gaining knowledge of dice from Rituparna. So Nala meeting King Rtuparna could be termed an ‘act of God’. Also this underlines the truth of the dictum‘Nothing in this Universe happens by coincidence’.

10. Snakes bite man due to sins of the past. But in this story Karkotaka does a dual job. His biting Nala is due to the effect of Kali Purusha. But purvapunya (merits of earlier births) of King Nala ensured that after biting Nala, Karkotaka also blesses him and also offers guidance for reuniting with Damayanti. So it can be said that when man’s karma is favorable, even a snake will turn out to be an ally.Inscrutable are the ways of destiny.When the caravan was invaded by wild elephants many people who were looking forward to life were killed,while Damayanti who was on the vexed with life,survived.

11. The final benediction offered by Vedavyasa to the reader is this:

“Karkotakasya nagasya damayantya nalasya cha”
“Rtuparnasya rajarse kirttanam Kali nasanam”

Think of the serpent King Karkotaka, of Damayanti and Nala and the Rajarishi
(royal sage) Rituparna and be fee from the shackles of Kali.

This is the final benedictory statement of the story. The message conveyed is that the outcome of human efforts is uncertain; one should not be either overjoyed with success or lose hope in adversity. The assurance given by Maharishi Vyasa is this: “ He who recites the story of Nala repeatedly or will listen to its repetition will never be touched by adversity”. The benefits that accrue to him would be:All his efforts would be crowned with success.He would be blessed with success, fame, progeny (sons and grandsons), pre-eminence among men, health and joy.Such a person would be immune to Shani dosha (or Kali dosha) and therefore will never face adversity.

As words of sages are considered axiomatic and have an intrinsic propensity to come true, I am sure, the avid reader who happens to read the story of Nala and Damayanti in this the three-part presentation in the pages of MODERN ASTROLOGY would be in a position to overcome adversity in their personal lives and also be in a position to guide others to take protection when thwarted by planets in adverse positions.

March 29, 2016E S Neelakantan