Article: Ghataka Chakra

(c) Sanjay Rath 2003

This article like other advanced articles, is the product of painstaking research which we do out of total delight for the subject and hope that the readers benefit from it, and enjoy the brilliant control mechanism of the Universe...or God.

Etymology

Ghätaka is derived from the word ghäta which in the extreme means to kill or slay and can have softer tones of bruise, hurt, maim, injure or destroy. Thus Ghätaka means killer, murderer and connotes destroying, killing or slaughter.

• ghäta-candra means the Moon transiting an inauspicious räsi thereby indicating ghäta.

• ghäta-tithi means inauspicious lunar day (tithi) that can indicate ghäta.

• ghäta-naksatra means inauspicious naksatra which can indicate ghäta.

• ghäta-vära indicates an inauspicious day of the week indicating ghäta.

• ghäta-sthäna is the place of execution like a slaughter house.

Related Links

Atmakaraka & Gita
Atmakaraka I
Badhaka-I
Eclipse: Application
Eclipse: Theory
Ghataka Chakra
Maharaja Yoga
Mula Dasa
Parakrama Yoga
Raja Sambandha Yoga
Sapta Loka
Saptamsa I
Saptamsa II
Shula Chakra
Tithi Pravesh
Viparita Rajyoga I
Viparita Rajyoga II

Ghätaka Cakra

Table 1: Ghätaka Cakra

The general rule about ghätaka cakra is that the transit of the Moon in the ghätaka räsi, tithi, and naksatra is bad and can cause injury while the ghätaka vära and transit lagna in the ghätaka lagna is inauspicious. However, my research in this area is included in this paper for the benefit of the Jyotisa community.

Pancänga

Pancänga literally means five limbs and refers to the five factors defining the quality of time. It is not necessary for the common man to understand the process of calculation of the pancänga but he should be able to decipher it to plan his life and activities. These five limbs defining the quality of time are based on the panca tatva (five elements).

1. Tithi (Vedic date): Water principle (jala tatva); significator – Venus & Moon

2. Näksatra (group of stars): Air principle (väyu tatva); significator - Saturn

3. Yoga: Ether principle (äkäsa tatva); significator - Jupiter

4. Karana (Half tithi):  Earth principle (prithvi tatva); significator - Mercury

5. Vära (days of the week): Fire principle (agni tatva); significator – Mars & Sun

Ghätaka transit illustration

Chart   1: Author

The janma räsi is Aquarius and as per the table-1 above the ghätaka räsi (transit moon) is Sagittarius. The ghätaka lagna can be either Sagittarius or Gemini. The lagna of the natal chart is Pisces and the ghätaka vära can be Friday (see chart below). Transit Moon was Sagittarius, lagna was Gemini (probably-after lunch) and the day was Friday.

Chart  2: Dogbite

Ghätaka Tithi

In its desire to attain maximum light, the Moon in its constant motion around the earth stands in opposition to the Sun on full Moon days, which are celebrated by the devout as the Satya Näräyana Vrata (edifying truth principle). Since this motion takes about 29½ days, it is rounded off to 30 days called tithi with corrections made at intervals of a few years called adhika mäsa (extra month). The tithi prevailing at sunrise is the one taken for defining the day although for muhurta, the specific tithi prevailing at a point of time is considered. These 30 tithi are divided into two groups of 15 tithi each in the bright and dark fortnights called sukla & krisna paksa respectively. The tithi are further grouped into five types as given in the table below. The birth of an individual is defined by the tithi and this rules the fluid principle (jala tatva). Venus (and Moon) signifies the jala tatva and indicates attraction, sustenance etc. Thus, the tithi is vital to understanding relationships, marriage etc.

Table  2: Tithi classification

Rath[2] ghätaka tithi rule#01

People born in the ghätaka tithi to ones natal Moon sign shall prove to be difficult lovers and the relationship will sour after some time due to injuries afflicted, both physical or mental.

If a female is born in Taurus Janma räsi (natal moon), we see from table-1 that the ghätaka tithi is Pürna (find the birth räsi under colum-1 and then go across the row and find the ghätaka tithi under column-3). Thus men born on pancami, dasami, pürnimä or amävasya (refer table-2) shall prove to be bad and shall cause serious setbacks in her life. If marriage occurs between two people born in each other’s ghätaka tithi then they will quarrel and inflict serious physical/mental wounds on each other.

Marriage mismatch

Male: Birth räsi Aquarius, birth tithi – krisna paksa tritiya

Female:  Birth räsi Aquarius; birth tithi – krisna paksa tritiya

Both the male and female are born in the same janma räsi (Aquarius). Under the 36-point scheme used for matching birth charts, the match had 28 points! This is considered very auspicious and based on the advise of all astrologers, the marriage was solemnized.

For Aquarius birth räsi, the ghätaka tithi is ‘Jaya’ (table-1) and the prohibited ghätaka tithi includes tritiya (3) of both dark and bright fortnight. Thus both husband and wife will inflict serious mental and physical injuries on each other and the marriage will see severe suffering for both. The type of injury is indicated by the houses ruled by the lord of Jaya tithi (Mars-refer table 2). Mars rules the second house in their charts and verbal battle was the result.

Ghätaka Räsi & Lagna

Ghätaka lagna

Ghätaka lagna indicates bodily injury or someone who will hurt another physically. People of these lagna are best avoided else protection and care should be taken while dealing with them. If the räsi and other factors of ghätaka are present then the effects will be very adverse, especially ghätaka räsi as the Moon is the significator of Ärudha lagna and loss of reputation can occur. If only ghätaka lagna is present in the relationship, then physical exploitation or some such thing shall occur.

Chart   3: Female teacher

The chart belongs to a poor girl whose family did not have enough food to feed them. She is born in Scorpio räsi indicating that the ghätaka lagna (refer table –1) are Scorpio lagna (female) and Taurus lagna (male i.e. opposite sex). She came into contact with a teacher while assisting him to set up a school. The teacher who was 27 years elder than her (she was 26 years old when this happened) suggested that she should come to Delhi and assist with the main institution. At Delhi, the teacher was charmed by her youth and decided to break his bachelorhood and get married in a quiet manner (Gandharva Viväha type). Thereafter she was sexually exploited for a about a year and when the Guru left for the USA, he packed her off to her home with some money to find someone and settle down.

The lagna of the Guru (male) was Taurus, which is the ghätaka lagna (male) for the female Moon in Scorpio. None of the other factors where in ghätaka from each other and the relationship ended as quietly as it had begun. Point is how many such silent women live in this world and as astrologers, we should be able to see through the relationships and warn them of the consequences.

Ghätaka räsi

The most important factor in the ghätaka cakra is the ghätaka räsi. The moon indicates sustenance in a chart and is an indicator of the longevity, which is the period of sustenance of the body. We all make decisions everyday based on what we perceive as the best option in various situations with the desire to furthering our objectives. Sometimes these decisions can hurt others directly or indirectly and they can become bitter enemies. Often these are the very people who help you the most and it is better to deal with them with a little more sensitivity. Let us examine a few cases.

Political assassination

Chart  4: Rajiv Gandhi, PM of India

The birth räsi is Leo and the ghätaka listed for this in table-1 are – (1) Moon in Capricorn, (2) Lagna can be either Capricorn or Cancer. As the Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi may have taken some decisions and some of these would have hurt people indicated by Capricorn räsi. One such person who was accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination was a godman knowledgeable in the black rites causing death.

Chart   5: Black magician

His chart is given alongside and the janma räsi is Capricorn and lagna is Cancer. It is evident that Rajiv Gandhi could have taken some decisions that were damaging to the financial (sustenance) prospects of the godman. It is rumored that he used the black rites against Rajiv Gandhi and was a co-accused in the latter’s assassination. The end of justice is not our focus of study but the fact that the ghätaka cakra is very relevant to political horoscopes and that suitable remedial measures should be taken by those who make decisions affecting the finances of others.

The Clinton affair

Chart 6: President Bill Clinton

Perhaps nothing in recent history can match the terrible experience that President Bill Clinton has had with a love affair. The Janma räsi is Aries and the ghätaka list includes –

• Ghätaka Räsi         : Aries

• Ghätaka naksatra  :  Magha

• Ghätaka Lagna      :           Lagna-1: Aries (likely male), Lagna-2: Libra (likely female)

• Ghätaka vära         :           Sunday (sign Leo)

Chart   7: Ms. Monica Lewinsky

Let us list the ghätaka factors for the chart of Ms. Monica Lewinski

• Ghätaka Räsi :Aries

• Ghätaka naksatra  :Magha

• Ghätaka Lagna :Lagna-1: Aries (likely male), Lagna-2: Libra (likely female)

• Ghätaka vära: Sunday (sign Leo)

One look at the list of ghätaka factors will ring the warning bell as the coming together of these two indicates ghätaka at work and one of them is going to suffer very much in the hands of the other as they are born in each others ghätaka räsi. Of them, Monica is born in the ghätaka lagna for Bill Clinton whereas Bill Clinton is not born in the ghätaka lagna of Monica Lewinski. The net result of this affair is going to result in Monica hurting, injuring or damaging Bill Clinton. Again we are not discussing what is morally right or wrong – we are only attempting to study the stars and determine who shall end up hurting whom.

The net result of this love affair was the attempted impeachment of the President and this was the most humiliating period of his life where he admitted having lied or suppressing the truth and other failings. The ghätaka worked perfectly in this case.

Epilogue

The story of the ghätaka does not end here, as there is a lot of work to be done to determine the exact impact of the ghätaka naksatra, lagna etc. Suffice is to say that the initial observations of the working of the ghätaka indicate a two-way karma chain where the cause of ghätaka (hurt, injury, crime etc) is as much responsible as the one against whom the evil is directed. Perception of the evildoer is based on observed social phenomena whereas the ghätaka indicators are that it is mutual. The teachings of the Vedic seers that experiences of this life are a reaction to the karma of a previous incarnation seem to be the cause-effect equation.