Diego Maradona

BY DR. E.S. NEELAKANTAN

In his well-known book "Eminent Victorians" ,1918, Writer Lytton Strachey wrote "The Name of Florence Nightingale lives in the memory of the world by virtue of the lurid and heroic adventure of the Crimea. Had she died - as she nearly did - upon her return to England her reputation would hardly have been different; her legend would have come down to us almost as we know it today - that gentle vision of female virtue which first took shape before the adoring eyes of the sick soldiers at Scutari. She was a legend in her life timeand she knew it".

This perhaps is the origin of the phrase, "A Legend in One's Own Lifetime" and no one epitomises it more than the Argentine Soccer Super Star Diego Maradona.

STUDY OF ASCENDANT AND YOGAS

The Ascendant gains strength mainly due to the fact that two excellent benefics viz., Mercury and Venus occupy the rising sign and the lagna itself is hemmed between benefics. This is the primary reason for Maradona's rise to worldwide fame. One gets a corpulent physique when the lagna is in a watery sign with benefics in lagna. According to Sarwartha Chintamani (2/87) ,whenlagna falls in a watery sign and is occupied by benefics or if the lagna lord is a watery planet, one is stout. Further textbooks on astrology say that when Mercury conjoins Venus, in a chart, one is eloquent, virtuous, well - versed in scriptural learning, wealthy, well versed, is the owner of lands and is even mirthful. The above verse needs a pragmatic rather than a textbook interpretation. Since Maradona's primary activity was soccer, it could be restated to mean that he was well - versed in the nuances of the sport. His style of play, constituted the dictionary of Soccer, for many young aspirants and he was also a coach, who imparted his skills to budding aspirants as well as top rate professionals in soccer.

The second yoga, which we need to assess is the Guru -Shani yoga in the second house. The conjunction of Jupiter with Saturn makes one strong, a leader of a group, famous and wealthy. It also makes one suspicious of spouse.

It is significant to note that Mercury and Venus are both Dustanalords whose sign dispositor Mars occupies another dustana - the 8^thaspected by Saturn. This yoga is a daridrayoga which can contribute to one or all of the following viz, poverty, misery and ill health. In Maradona's case all the three factors existed at different points in time.

BIRTH AND PARENTAGE

Maradona was born on 30^th October 1960 in a poor family in Buenos Aires: their family had moved from Corrientes province. He was the first son to his parents after four daughters: he had two younger brothers Hugo and Raul, both of them, became professional football players. His mother Dalma, was of Italian descent. Even when he was 12 years old, he used to amuse spectators with his wizardry over the ball during half time intermissions of first division games. While in his growing up stage, he used to idolise Rivellino and George Best.

A Parasariyoga is given rise to when there is a mutual relationshipbetween the lord of a trine with a quadrant lord. In Maradona's chart, we can identify two Raja Yogas, one from the Ascendant and the other from the Moon. The conjunction of the 4^th lord Saturn with the 5^th lord Jupiter is a Raja Yoga par excellence.It has taken place in the Jupiterean sign Sagittarius with Jupiter in own house and aspected by the Lagna lord Mars which adds merit to the yoga. From the Moon, the mutual interchange of houses between the 5^th lord Mercury and the 10^th lord Mars is another Raja yoga which had a huge beneficial influence on Maradona's professional career as the tenth rules over one's career.Mardona's chart is twice blessed as there are two benefics in the 10^th from Moon, whereas even a single benefic in the tenth is enough to generate a positive yoga termed as Amala yoga. According to PhalaDeepika( 6/12) a person born in Amala yoga is revered by the ruler, blessed with physical pleasures and is blessed with lasting fame. In Maradona's case, all the positive features of Amala yoga have occurred, of which the most significant would be his captaining the Argentine National team to its World Cup victory in 1986.

On 20^th October 1976 Maradona made his professional debut for Argentinos Juniors just ten days prior to his 16^th birthday that was in  Saturndasha, Mercury bhukti.Asdiscussed both Saturn and Mercury are originators of Parasari Raja Yogas and were bound to do good. Both the trinal lords - Moonas 9^th lord and Jupiter as 5^thlord aspect Rahu,thereby elevating him in to the status of a Yogakaraka. So all the three planets operating over Dasa,Bhukti and Antara turn out of the favourable and after that memorable game, Maradona said "that day I felt I had held the sky in my hands".

Maradona spent five years of Argentinos juniors scoring 115 goals in 167 appearences.The placement of Dasha lord in the Dasamsa (D/10) chart is very critical to professional success. In Maradona's case, Saturn as lord of 6 is placed in the 11^th in the D-10 chart  is highly favourable ,In the D-9 chart (navamsa chart) Saturn in Libra is exalted.

In the SAV chart the 10^th house has an exceedingly high figure of 32 bindus and the house of success,the 11^th does even better with 36bindus. The house of expenditure viz., the 12^th has got fewer bindus - 28 to be precise. The 10^th house denotes career. In the case of successful people, the 11^th house has more number of binduswhen compared to 10^thwhereas in the case of people who have failed to make a mark, the bindus in the 12^thtend  to exceed the bindus in 10 or 11. In Maradona's case the 11^th house is extraordinarily strong vis-à-vis either the 10^th or the 12^th, meaning he was born to succeed.

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE

Maradona married his long-termfiancee Claudia Villafane on 7^thNovember 1989 in Buenos Aires when Jupiter bhukti in Saturn dasha was in operation At the time of his marriage transit Saturn was in Sagittarius conjunct Venus in the 11th from Janmarasi, while Jupiter in transit was in the  5^thaspecting the Saturn - Venus duo. Overall it was a very good period for Maradona in terms of prospects for family life and the planets in charge of dasa and bhukti as well as the major planets in transit were fully favourable The Lagna lord Mars in Maradona's  natal chart shares a 6/8 axis with 7^th lord Venus and consequently marriage was not bound to be a bed of roses. Maradona and Villafane divorced in 2004. After the divorce Claudia embarked on a career as a theatre producer while Dalma sought an acting career. Daughter Dalma, since this event asserted that divorce was the best solution for all as her parents were on friendly terms even after the divorce.

LEFT WING LEANINGS

Saturn is a strong planet in Maradona's chart and sinceit rules over the labour movement, Maradona was a supporter ofleft wingideology. During the 2014 Israel- Gaza Conflict, he condemned Israel's military srikes. Maradona was also a close friend of Cuban leader, Fidel Castro. Maradona voiced support for  Bolivia's president Evo Morales and was also a supporter of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. He protestedGeorge.W.Bush's presencein Argentina and in 2004, participated in a protest against US - led war in Iraq.

GOAL OF THE CENTURY

He also linked his controversial "Hand of God" goal against England in the 1986 world cup, to the Falkland Islands war between Argentina and the United kingdom .

1986 was the greatest year in Maradona's life. He captained Argentina to its victory in the World Cup and his own performance in the tournament made him one of the greatest soccer players of all time. The goals he scored against England and Belgium are still remembered by soccer lovers. At that time Maradona was in Saturn Dasha, Rahu bhuktiand Jupiter Anthra. The merits of Saturn and Rahu were discussed earlier. Jupiter, being both a natural as well as a functionalbenefic for Scorpio Ascendant, this was bound to prove to be a golden era in his life. The second goal scored against England in the 1986 World cup has been voted as the "Goal of the Century" in an online poll conducted by FIFA.

To a tumultuous welcome of 75000 fans Maradona arrived as a Napoli player on 5^thJuly 1984. "They were convinced that the saviour has arrived" commented sports writer David Goldblast. Prior to Maradona's arrival, Italian soccer was dominated by teams from the north such as A.C.Milan,Juventus,Roma and Inter Milan. At the time of Maradona's arrival economic  disparitiesexisted between the north and the southern parts of Italy leading to a variety of issues. Napoli won their first ever Italian Championship in 1986- 87." The celebrations were tumultuous. A new empire is born" wrote Goldblast.

Saturn Dasha and Moon bhukti was in in Maradona's chart at the beginning of July 1984. Both Moon as well as Saturn are exalted in navamsa.

From the viewpoint of financial prospects we find that both Saturn and Moon are highly fauvorable.

(1) Saturn occupies the dhanasthanain conjuction with dhana lord Jupiter; Further it aspects the luck lord Moon, who  owns the 9^th, being the house of Luck.

(2) Moon as lord of 9 is an unblemished benefic for Scorpio lagna: it gains strength through the aspect of its sign depositor Saturn. From the Moon-sign, the Moon sign lord Saturn forms a conjunction with Jupiter (lord of 2 and 11) who is a powerful wealth giving lord from Ascendant as well as the Moon. For joining Napoli, Maradona was paid a whooping sum of 6.9 million pounds, a world record. At that time transit Jupiter was moving over natal Jupiterof Maradona inSagittarius , being the 2nd from Ascendant and the 11^th from natal Moon.

In Napoli, murals of Maradona were painted over the city's ancient buildings and new born children were named after Maradona. The frontline consisting of Maradona, Bruno Giordano and Careca was dubbed the Ma - Gi - Ca (Magical) frontline. Napoli won their second league title in 1989-90

FIRST WORLD CUP APPEARANCE AND THE FIASCO

Maradona played his very first world cup in 1982 in Spain. Argentina, the defending champion played Belgium in the opening match and lost. Though Argentina won against Salvador and Hungary, they eventually lost to Brazil and the eventual winner Italy. Maradona failed to live up to the expectations of the Soccer fans of Argentina,

I  would like to present here the astrological factors for the fiasco. From 10^th Feb 1982, Maradona had entered Sunbhukti in Saturn Dasha. Sun apart from being a dire enemy of Saturn is not only debilitated but also seen occupying an inimical navamsa. In June 1982 in transit both Mars and Saturn were in conjuction in the 8^th to Maradona's natal Moon. Not only Maradona was fouled repeatedly but he also lost his temper in the losing moments of the match against Brazil, when Argentina was down 0-3 and was sent off five minutes before  closing time for a foul against Batista.

DRUG ABUSE AND HEALTH ISSUES.

It was in 1983, Maradona allegedly got addicted to drugs such as Cocaine. At that time Maradona was in Saturn Dasha, Moon bhukti.TheMoon-conjunct-Ketu gives rise to mood swings. Further Moon  ina Saturnine sign gives rise to a tendency towards depression. In Maradona's case the problem got aggravated due to the aspect of Saturn on the Moon. The Moon does not get any beneficial influence either in Rasi or in Navamsa.

MERCURY DASHA AND THE BEGINNING OF DOWNFALL

However his consumption of drugs did not affect his career till the end of eighties . Mercury Dasha commenced on 3^rdjan 1991. If we look at Mercury in Maradona'schart we find that it has several negative features

1. a) The lord of 8^th is a confirmed malefic in terms of functionality.
2. b) Mercury conjunctsVenus who rules over the evil 12^th house apart from being a functional malefic for Scorpio ascendant.
3. c) Mercury as lord of 8^th in Lagna is undesirable ;so its interchange with lagna lord Mars, who occupies the 8^theffectively creates a point of intersection between the Lagna and a dustana.
4. d) Mercury is retrograde and in the view of certain scholars, it is not good for health.
5. e) Both in the D-9 as well as in the D - 10 charts, Mercury is in the 12^th from Ascendent.
6. f) Usually the dasha of a planet, which owns the 3^rdstar from the asterism, occupied by the natal Moon, yields bad results.

No wonder, Maradona's time changed for the worse from 1991 onwards. In 1991 Maradona was in the beginning stages of Sade - Sathi (second round) and transit Jupiter was in the 6^th afflicted by Ketu.Maradona was handed over a 15 month ban from football for doping. He was also called for a trial in Naples for alleged links with a criminal gang . The 15-month ban lasted from April 1991 to June 1992. Around the same period he was arrested in Buenos Aires for possessing half - a - kilo of cocaine and was given a 14 - month suspended sentence.

At the time of FIFAworld cup in 1994, Maradona was in Mercury dasha, Venusbhukti. Transit Saturn was over his Janmarasi, marking a highly unfavourable phase in his life Transit Venus in the 6^th was equally bad .Maradona's goal againstGreecewould prove to be his last for Argentina.

Argentina was placed in Group D ,the other countries being Greece, Nigeria and Bulgaria. Greece got eliminated in the first round itself. Eventually Brazil won the World Cup. Having played in three earlier Worldcups in 1982, 1986 and 1990, the 1994 World Cup was the ending of Maradona's professional career on a sad note. Maradonawas expelled from the World cup after a drug test detected the presence of ephedrine in his blood.

STUDY OF MARADONA'S LONGEVITY AND DEATH

Maradona passed away in Venus dasha, Mars bhuktiand Jupiter Anthra. By owning the 7^th, Venus is a Maraka, while Jupiter in the 2^nd is also a Maraka. A weak lagna lord can also terminate life asin this case with Mars in the 8^th. It is said that the third round of Sade  Sathi in a person's life is fatal through this is more of a thumb rule than an accepted law. In Maradona's case the transit of two major planets Saturn and Jupiter over his 12^th from natal moon did prove fatal.

Maradona's longevity is middling on account of the following factors.

1. a) Mars as lagna house in the 8^th
2. b) Debilitation of lagna karaka, Sun.

c)Presence of both maleficsand benefics in the ­quadrants

1. d) Presence of ­­­­­­malefics in 8 and 12

The dasha of Venus, ruling over the 5^thasterism fromNatal moon was bound to prove inauspicious. One more reason, why sade -sathe delivered bad results for Maradona is that in the BAV chart of Saturn, he has either 1 or  twobindus in the houses from Sagittarius to Pisces : this puts him in a higher risk of fatality when thedasha as well asbhukti is out of favour in terms of health and longevity. Maradona breathed his laston 25^th Nov 2020.

TRIBUTE

Regarding Diego Maradona, his teammate Jorge Valdanohad this to say;"Maradona offered to Argentines, a way out of their collective frustration and that is why they saw him as a divine figure. Maradona was more than just a footballer" As we conclude this article, we begin to understand the role of planets in shaping the destiny of Maradona, with its incredible highs and the terrible lows and in making him what he was: A legend in his lifetime.

The End ­­­­­­­­­