The work “Bhrigu Sutram” deals with the effects of various planets in the twelve houses of the horoscope. Before taking up the main work, it will be useful for the readers to have some idea of the Zodiac, the twelve parts of the Zodiac viz., the signs and the qualities characteristics and significations of the planets as well as the significations of the twelve houses. In this chapter we propose to give information about the Zodiac, signs and the planets. The significations of the twelve houses will be given in the next chapter.
The Zodiac
The Zodiac is a circle of space surrounding the Earth. It may be imagined as a belt in the heavens about 15 degrees wide in which the planets travel. It is the Sun’s apparent path that is called the ecliptic. The zodiacal circle is divided into twelve parts, each part containing thirty degrees of space called the signs of the Zodiac. Thus a sign is one twelfth division of the zodiacal circle and is denned as containing 30 degrees of celestial longitude : 12 signs each measuring 30 degrees constitute the circle of the Zodiac or 360 degrees. In this circle the planets travel each in its own orbit, one outlying beyond the other. The twelve signs of fhe Zodiac are Aries (Mesha), Taurus (Vrishabh), Gemini (Mithuna), Cancer (Kataka), Leo (Simha), Virgo (Kanya), Libra (Thula), Scorpio (Vrischika), Sagittarius (Dhanu), Capricorn (Makara), Aquarius (Kumbha), and Pisces (Meena). It is these twelve signs through which the planets travel or transit from west to east, going through one sign after another in their order from Aries to Pisces. Each sign possesses a specific influence. The planets also as they travel around the Zodiac exert an influence according to their separate nature and position in the Zodiac.
Although according to modem Astrology there are twelve planets viz., Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, Kethu, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, Hindu Astrology recognises only the first nine. Each sign of the Zodiac is owned by a planet who is termed as its ‘ruler’. Sun and Moon rule one sign each viz., Leo and Cancer respectively. Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn rule two signs each. There is controversy about Rahu and Kethu ruling some signs but the fact is that they being shadow planets do not own any signs but cast their influence according to signs in which they are placed, or lords of those signs, or according to planets influencing them by aspect or association. Mars rules Aries and Scorpio, Mercury Gemini and Virgo, Jupiter Sagittarius and Pisces, Venus Taurus and Libra and Saturn Capricorn and Aquarius.
PLANETS [THEIR ASTROLOGICAL NATURE AND INFLUENCE]
1 Sun-The Father and Life Giver
Sun is the king of the solar kingdom. He is also called the ‘Father of Stars’. Sun is about 93 million miles away from the Earth. He is the largest amongst the planets. His diameter is about 110 times that of Earth and Sun is nearly 27,19,000 miles in circumference.
Being the centre of all life force and energy and the giver of Prana, Sun is worshipped as Sun God. He is said to represent the creator, the Brahma, with his four faces to have a survey of all the four directions causing four seasons and the four elements namely Fire, Earth, Air and Water. Westerners call the Sun, Apollo. The Sun takes exactly one year to go round the ecliptic. It has only the direct motion. It is never goes retrograde. According to Hindu Astrology Sun is the soul of Kalpurusha (The Moon is his mind, Mercury his speech, Mars his strength, Jupiter his knowledge and happiness, Venus his desire or lust, Saturn his misery).
For all living beings Sun represents the positive and primal front whereas the Moon represents the negative influence. Sun is constructive and creative, Moon is preserving and formative. Sun is the father, Moon is the mother. The Sun and Moon are considered sovereigns. Jupiter and Venus are ministers. Mercury is the young prince. Mars is the commander-in-chief and Saturn is the servant. Sun is the king and the Moon is the queen. Sun and Moon are also considered luminaries.
People with Sun as the ruling planet will have honey coloured eyes. The face will be large and round. The stature will be average. The hair and the colour of the body will have a light shade.
Sun rules the direction East and “Grishma” Rithu (Summer season). In the birth chart Sun represents the father of the native. In the woman’s chart Sun indicates her husband (There is another school of thought that Jupiter represents the husband in a female’s chart). In service Sun shows the administrative head or Government. The Sun offers us the power of resistance and vitality. He governs the breath of life. He rules our consciousness and denotes the individuality. He gives the force and self will and makes one determined and decisive. The Sun in nature is hot, dry, masculine and life giving. He possesses the power of absorption of the nature and influence of any planet within an orb of 8 ½ degrees of his conjunction. Sun represents health, the vital principle, general prosperity and high office, positions of rank and title, government affairs and officials, new undertakings, publicity, popularity, superior or proud and haughty persons. Sun governs the sides, upper portion of the back, heart, right eye of the male and left eye of the female. His day is Sunday, metal gold and colour orange. If he is not hampered by unfavourable disposition or malefic aspects or association and is dignified by position in the horoscope, Sun bestows a nature which is ambitious, proud, magnanimous, frank, generous, humane, firm and honourable. Men ruled by the Sun aspire to positions of rulership and by their earnest nature inspire others with a respect for their abilities, so they usually attain positions of trust, responsibility and honour where they are perfectly at home and capable of practical execution to a very satisfactory degree.
If the Sun at birth is unfavourably placed and is otherwise undignified, the native is inclined to be too forceful, lordly, domineering, positively arrogant and extravagant, inclining also to sickness of a feverish inflammatory native, eye affliction and heart disorders as well as loss of position, credit or esteem due to impulsiveness of these natives.
The Sun’s gems are diamond and ruby. Sun owns Leo. He is exalted in Aries and debilitated in Libra. 10 degrees of Aries is highest exaltation point and 10 degrees of Libra is his lowest debilitation point. Initial 20 degrees portion of Leo is his Mūlatrikona and the remaining 10 degrees is Swakshetra. The Sun’s friends are Moon, Mars and Jupiter. Venus and Saturn are his enemies. Mercury is neutral to him.