Sutra 9 is clear and needs no further explanation. With reference to Ketu the order must be reversed (Sutra 10). The 9th from Ketu becomes Argala and the 5th from him becomes Pratibandhaka or obstruction. The name of Rahu is not mentioned in the original, but some commentators are of opinion that the mention of Ketu is enough to include Rahu. Sutras are short and certainly require clearer explanations. Those beneficial planets who are in Dara 4, Bhagya 2, and Shula 11 from Ketu do not form Argala. The malefics in the 3rd and 8th from Ketu do not form Papargala or evil obstruction. Argala seems to be a sort of force or energy, caused by certain positions of the planets, and this energy may be beneficial or malicious. Power may be good or bad as it is used. In the case of Rahu and Ketu the Argala results must be calculated in the reverse order. From the 11 th Sutra Jaimini gives the rules which will guide the student in determining the lordship of the various relations and events, which have to be taken into consideration, in the career of an individual.
SU. 11. Atmadhikaha kaladibhirna bhogassaptanamashtamva. “ Of the seven planets from the Sun to Saturn, or the eight planets from the Sun to Rahu, whichever gets the highest number of degrees becomes the Atmakaraka.
NOTES The word Ashtanamva is emphasised because Rahu, instead of being mixed with other planets, seems to have been separated for a certain set purpose. The meaning becomes evident when we refer to Parasara according to whom also, Rahu fills up the gap-when two planets (of the seven) possess the same number of degrees. If two or three planets obtain the same Ka/as or degrees and minutes, they are all merged into one Karaka or Lordship over some event in the human life. The vacancies caused by the merges of two or three planets into one have to be supplied by Rahu in the reverse of order. The other Karaka will be supplied by the Naisargika Karakas or permanent lords.
This is a difficult Sutra and requires some clear explanations. While all the planets have got movements from left to right or direct. Rahu and Ketu move in the reverse order or from right to left. The first is called the Savyam or Pradakshinam (dextral) and the other is called Apasavyam or Apradakshinam (sinistral). Rahu and Ketu have no houses but Jaimini gives lordship of Kumbha to Rahu and Vrischika to Ketu. They have been given lordships over some human events. In any horoscope, the first duty of an honest astrologer is to find out the exact positions of all the planets. This implies a good knowledge in Astronomy and astrologic-mathematics. Then the degrees, minutes and seconds of the positions of the planet are calculated and placed correctly, then the student will be able to find out which planet has got the highest number of Kalas or degrees in a horoscope. Whoever has got the highest number of Kalas, becomes the Atmakaraka.
These Karakatwas or Lordships, therefore, can be acquired according to these Sutras by any planet. Whereas, in Naisargika, Karakas or permanent lordships are fixed forever. In Naisargika, the Karakas or Lordships are thus detailed : In Brihat Jataka, Ravi, Chandra, Sani and Sukra are given different Karakaships: Diva arkasukrow pitru. matru soungnitou. This means that persons born during the day have the Sun and Venus as lords of the father and mother respectively.
Sanaischarendu nisi tadviparyayat. For persons born during the nights, Sani becomes Matrukaraka and Indu or Chandra becomes the lord of father. I have simply drawn the attention of the readers to the various versions given by the different authors. Here we may have Pitrukaraka (1) Ravi in the Naisargika ‘method’, (2) Chandra as Pitrukaraka for those who are born in the night and (3) any planet out of the nine who gets or contains the largest number of degrees in a horoscope.Then the question arises as to how a student has to be guided in determining the prosperity and adversity of a person’s father. Suppose in the Jaimini system Sani becomes Pitrukaraka: Chandra becomes Pitrukaraka by the direction of Brihat Jataka and by the general or Naisargike system, Ravi becomes the Pitrukaraka.
These three planets, viz., Ravi, Chandra and Sani are thoroughly different in characteristics and these variations, expounded by the learned in Astrology, instead of helping a student in the progress of the studies will confound him and launch him into greater doubts and confusion. When different systems, apparently contradictory, are enunciated by eminent Maharishis the wisest thing would be, in my humble opinion and experience, to take all of them into careful consideration, add his own experience, judge all of them with a diligent eye and make a harmonious whole so that all of them may prove successful and satisfactory.Take half a dozen medical experts in remote corners of the world. They experiment and hit upon certain herbs or roots as efficacious for certain diseases. Each one succeeds with a certain class, and thinks they may prove useful. If all of them have succeeded and the results of their experiments satisfactory, then a wise physician carefully
NOTES the characteristics of such of those drugs and roots and he may succeed even better than any one of the original experimenters, by a judicious use of them suitable to times and conditions of life. Maharishis, by their expanded vision, watched and recorded their experiences from different mental visions, and gave principles in. all such sciences, which, though contradictory on the surface, will be found to be agreeable on a deeper analysis.
Different systems have mentioned different periods for death and other important events of human life. Bhattotpala, the great commentator of Varahamihira’s works; hits on a nice system of reconciliation and I refer my readers for clearer explanations on my NOTES to Dasantardasa chapter in Brihat Jataka. A man may live upto 70 or 80 years and may have passed through various critical conditions. He will be killed in the period of the strongest death-inflicting planet and have critical dangers during other evil periods.
Take the longevity question. We have the Udu Dasa or length of life measured by the planets according to the constellations ruling at birth. We have secondly Kalachakra Dasas and the longevity given by them.Third, we have the Graha Datta Pindayuryoga or the term of life given by the planets to the Foetus at the time of conception. Fourth, we have the Amsayurdaya recommended by Satyacharya and followed by Varahamihira. Fifth, we have the longevity determined by the Gochara movements of the planets. Sixth, the longevity as determined by the kendra Ayurdaya. Seventh, we have the Dasantardasa Ayurdaya. Then, eighthly, we have the Ashtakavarga Bindusodhana Ayurdaya. These eight systems certainly give divergent views and different terms. If so, what should the astrological student do when all the eight systems give eight different periods?