Tattva & Dristi

Tattva

There are five principal elements or states of existence of all material bodies called TATTVA. These are (1) the Solid state called Pṛthvi or Earth, (2) the Liquid state called Jala or Water, the Gaseous state called Vāyu, the Vacuum state called Ākāśa or the Energy state called Agni. Each sign is assigned one of the four principle elements of Agni (loosely called Fire), Vāyu (loosely called Air), Pṛthvi (loosely called Earth), and Jala (loosely called Water). However the fifth, Ākāśa Tattva (loosely called Sky) pervades all the signs and represents Viṣṇu Who pervades everything although not visible to mortal eyes.

Other basics can be studied from standard texts. To use Nārāyaṇa Daśā, the reader should be conversant with certain tools of jyotiṣa like Argalā, Rāśi dṛṣṭi, Āruḍha Pada (both Rāśi & Graha), Chara Kāraka etc, which have been given in considerable detail in the Bṛhat Parāśara Horā Śāstra and other standard texts. Some of these are enumerated as below while the others can be learnt from my books[1].

Dṛṣṭi (Sight)

The planets and signs have a sight or ability to influence/decipher the readings of other bodies (signs/ stars or planets) stationed at certain positions from them. The rules for Graha dṛṣṭi (planetary sight) and Rāśi dṛṣṭi (Sign sight) are as follows: –

  1. Graha dṛṣṭi (planetary sight) is an expression of desire which is relatively more temporary as compared to Rāśi Dṛṣṭi (Sign sight) is an expression of knowledge.
  2. All planets excepting Ketu the headless one, have sight.
  3. All planets aspect the seventh sign from where they are stationed.
  4. The outer planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn have special aspects on signs other than the seventh sign. So also, Rāhu has special aspects. Just like an eagle can see everything from a position above, so also the outer planets are at a relative height above the earth (as reckoned from the Sun) and hence acquire this ability of special aspect.
  5. None of the planets can aspect the 2nd or 12th house from their station, except Rāhu who can see the second house from its station counted zodiacally (or 12th house counted in reverse. They are one and the same.)
  6. None of the planets can aspect the 6th & 11th houses, as these are places of Danda (punishment) and Hara (removal from this planet)[2]. Planets/ bodies cannot desire punishment and removal from this material universe. The only one who creates this desire of removal from the material world is Ketu and hence it is the Mokṣa Kāraka (giver of emancipation).
  7. Thus, removing the 2nd & 12th, the 6th & 11th and 1st & 7th signs which have already been explained above, the outer planets have special aspects on the remaining signs (3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th & 10th)
    1. Mars aspects the chaturaśra (4th & 8th signs).
    2. Jupiter and Rāhu aspect the prārabdha/ pūrva puṇya (good or evil done in the past birth as indicated by the 5th and 9th houses). While Jupiter indicates the puṇya (net good karma from past life), Rāhu indicates the pāpa (net bad karma from past life).
    3. Saturn aspects the upachaya[3] (houses of growth 3rd & 10th) and indicates the resources that would be depleted in fulfilling personal desires or weaknesses (called ṣaḍripu[4]).
  8. Rāśi dṛṣṭi is a permanent feature of the signs and they are like buildings in the skies, facing each other.
    1. The movable signs aspect all fixed signs except the one juxtapose.
    2. The fixed signs aspect all movable signs except the one juxtapose.
    3. The dual signs aspect each other.
  9. Every sign that is aspected by another also aspects it. Thus if Taurus aspects Libra, then Libra also aspects Taurus.
  10. Planets placed in signs also aspect other planets and signs on the basis of Rāśi dṛṣṭi. However, this shows having knowledge of each other and/or involvement in similar activities.

Chart 1: Determine the aspects in the Standard Nativity (Male born on 7th August 1963 at 9:15’ PM IST, Sambalpur, India (21N28’ 84E01’)

The horoscope is given in Chart-1.  The Graha Dṛṣṭi are shown in Figure-3 and Table-3 whereas the Rāśi Dṛṣṭi are shown in Figure-4 & Table-4 respectively.

Table 3: Graha Dṛṣṭi

Planet Sign Aspected Planet Aspected Remarks
Sun Capricorn Saturn 7th house
Moon Leo Mercury 7th house
Mars Sagittarius Ketu 4th House Special
Pisces Jupiter 7th house
Aries 8th house Special
Mercury Aquarius Moon 7th house
Jupiter Cancer Sun, Venus 5th house Special
Virgo Mars 7th house
Scorpio 9th house Special
Venus Capricorn Saturn 7th house
Saturn Pisces Jupiter 3rd house Special
Cancer Sun, Venus 7th house
Libra 10th house
Rāhu Cancer Sun, Venus 2nd house Special
Libra 5th house Special
Sagittarius Ketu 7th house
Aquarius Moon 9th house Special

Table 4: Rāśi Dṛṣṭi

Rāśi(Planets) Aspected Sign(Planets in aspected sign) Remarks
Aries Leo (Merc), Scorpio, Aquarius (Moon) Aries is movable sign and aspects the three fixed signs excepting Taurus, which is adjacent.
Taurus Cancer (Sun, Ven), Libra, Capricorn (Sat) Taurus is a fixed sign and aspects three movable signs except Aries, which is adjacent.
Gemini(Rāhu) Virgo (Mars), Sagittarius (Ketu), Pisces (Jup) Gemini is a dual sign and aspects the other dual signs. Similarly, Rāhu placed in Gemini also aspects the dual signs and the planets in them.
Cancer(Sun, Ven) Scorpio, Aquarius (Moon), Taurus Cancer is movable sign and aspects the three fixed signs excepting Leo, which is adjacent. Similarly, the Sun and Venus also aspect these signs as well as the Moon in Aquarius.
Leo(Merc) Libra, Capricorn (Sat), Aries Leo is a fixed sign and aspects three movable signs except Cancer, which is adjacent. Similarly, Mercury also aspects these signs as well as Saturn in Capricorn.
Virgo(Mars) Sagittarius (Ketu), Pisces (Jup), Gemini (Rah) Virgo is a dual sign and aspects the other dual signs. Similarly, Mars placed in Virgo also aspects the dual signs and the planets in them.
Libra Aquarius (Moon), Taurus, Leo (Merc), Libra is movable sign and aspects the three fixed signs excepting Scorpio, which is adjacent. Similarly, it also aspects the Moon in Aquarius and Mercury in Leo.
Scorpio Capricorn (Sat), Aries, Cancer (Sun, Ven) Scorpio is a fixed sign and aspects three movable signs except Libra, which is adjacent. Similarly, it also aspects Saturn in Capricorn and Sun & Venus in Cancer.
Sagittarius(Ketu) Pisces (Jup), Gemini (Rah), Virgo (Mars) Sagittarius is a dual sign and aspects the other dual signs. Similarly, Ketu placed in Sagittarius also aspects the dual signs and the planets in them.
Capricorn(Sat) Taurus, Leo (Merc), Scorpio Capricorn is movable sign and aspects the three fixed signs excepting Aquarius, which is adjacent. Similarly, it also aspects Mercury in Leo.
Aquarius(Moon) Aries, Cancer (Sun, Ven), Libra Aquarius is a fixed sign and aspects three movable signs except Capricorn, which is adjacent. Similarly, it also aspects Sun & Venus in Cancer.
Pisces(Jup) Gemini (Rah), Virgo (Mars), Sagittarius (Ketu) Pisces is a dual sign and aspects the other dual signs. Similarly, Jupiter placed in Pisces also aspects the dual signs and the planets in them.

The aspect of Pisces (l) and Jupiter (K) on the dual signs except Pisces, the aspect of Capricorn (j) & Saturn (L) on the fixed signs except Aquarius and the aspect of Aquarius (k) & Moon (y) on the movable signs except Capricorn are shown in the figure-4.


[1] Crux of Vedic astrology (1998), Vedic Remedies in Astrology (2000), Maharishi Jaimini’s Upadesa Sutra (1997).

[2] tanou tana daṇḍa hara (Jaimini sūtra); tanou is 6th house and tanou-tana is 6th from 6th house or 11th house.

[3] Although there are four Upachaya houses 3rd, 6th, 10th & 11th, the 6th & 11th have been excluded as explained.

[4] Ṣaḍripu: The six weaknesses which are different from the pañca makara (five “M’s”)

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