Astrology / Vedic Jyotish  
Consciousness in a Horoscope – 2

In Jyotish many indicators of ‘I’ (self) are described; these personal indicators include the ascendants not only in the rashi or radix chart but also in the divisional charts, fifteen of which come from traditional Parashari astrology. Actually, the rashi or lagna kundali (radix) is also considered as one of the divisional charts and so there are in all sixteen viewfinders into human experience according to Parashara. As indicated by jyotishi Sanjay Rath, the swamsha or lagnamsha, the sign that rises in the navamsha chart is particularly significant in indicating all that which fructifies and is attainable in life, easily, the path of least resistance. Additionally, there are indicators such as the moon, sun (in the sudarshan composite chakra which is examined by superimposing three circular charts with the corresponding first houses formed by the ascendant, moon and sun), as well, the lord of the asterism rising at birth and that in which the moon is placed (defining the starting point of the vimshottari dasha progression in life) and the atmakaraka or the planet that is the most advanced in longitude in any sign in a chart. Confusing as this multifactorial mélange must sound, it does make sense because in order to capture all of the essence of the carnate consciousness (facets of personality and the rest of nine yards; the human experience) in a given chart, one would surely need more than one planet or sign to cover all of the different facets of experience and existence.

Jaimini paddhati as the subset of Parashari jyotish has been called, describes in addition to the lagna, two other personal indicators, swamsha and karakamsha. Swamsha is the navamsha of lagna (or navamsha lagna – the sign placed in the 1st house of the navamsha division chart) while karakamsha is the sign in which the atmakaraka is placed in navamsha. As mentioned earlier, the contemporary jyotishi, Sanjay Rath in his translation of the sutras of Jaimini indicates that swamsha indicates that which is readily attainable in life (to the self) while karakamsha indicates that which the soul desires. From a practical consideration, this raises some interesting possibilities, astrologically speaking: the mutual disposition of the swamsha and karakamsha would indicate whether current lifetime would be full of unfulfilled desires and unattainable dreams or would it be one of purpose and fulfilment? The lords of swamsha and karakamsha would also have a say in this matter. Another way to look at this could be that the karakamsha indicates ones goals and tasks in this life for which one chose to be born. Swamsha, then would represent the lessons already learned and that one is comfortable with (having crossed the bridge once or perhaps several times during previous incarnations) and that can in some cases merely represent security blankets or even escapes from the rigours of learning (for this lifetime). Mutual relationships between the swamsha and karakamsha would indicate if the lessons are connected and continue from the past or are new ones entirely. There are at least two contemporary recommendations for karakamsha: the first one recommends using the navamsha sign in the rashi chart as the karakamsha lagna, all planets are in same rashis as the birth chart, only the lagna is the sign occupied in navamsha by the atmakaraka; the other method utilizes the navamsha chart itself, reoriented from the karakamsha lagna. for Mahatma Gandhi’s chart the two arrangements will be as shown in the figure that follows.

Gandhiji’s atmakaraka was moon which is in Karka rashi and Meena navamsha. The karakamsha chart will have Meena as the lagna. Notice that if we use the karakamsha-navamsha chart then the atmakaraka will always be in the first house, whereas, in the other arrangement, namely, the karakamsha-rashi chart, the atmakaraka can be in any of the 12 houses making more variations possible. Swamsha in Gandhiji’s chart is in Scorpio. Karakamsha Meena is in a trikona from swamsha. This is good for one to realize life’s goals and to fulfil the task one came to this world for. The means for this will be dharmic (duty-bound) and adhyatmic (spiritually oriented), both of which make sense if one follows his life story. His sense of duty, extreme sensitivity towards his Muslim ‘children’ for whose well-being he was prepared to lay down his life, literally, as history is witness, shows beautifully through the moon (mother) with Rahu in fifth in karakamsha-rashi. Rahu represents cultures and religions different from ones own, while moon also represents Muslims due to its symbolic and pragmatic importance in that religion and its highest expression that some souls born into Islam have gifted the world with, in terms of poetry of Rumi, Khalil Gibran, Ghalib, Zafar (etc.) and the emotional intensity (bhakti) that is there for human beings to embrace and put into practice for good.

In the same chart, in the ninth house is Saturn the fifth karaka. It represents the path of austerity and hardship that Gandhiji took upon himself and also expected his close ones to follow. The beautiful blend of gentleness, caring and stern discipline, shown through example and not mere words shows clearly. Here comes an illustration of fate creating all the opportunities. Not everyone with Rahu and moon in fifth and Saturn in ninth in karakamsha would exploit the combination and bring it to its glory obviously. It helps to have Scorpio as the swamsha in this chart, which would indicate the natural flow of things. Austerity and a consuming sense of duty that came to Gandhiji so naturally and which he put to effective, earthy use has at times been misjudged as a shrewd political sense. We must not lose sight of the fact that he did not have a personal agenda or stake in all this and easily walked away from it all when the political drama became after satyagraha showered its fruits upon its harvesters. The kemadruma in karakamsha again, fulfils the promise through the harsh life the saint had, in British jails and in the home of his own choosing, with destiny not forcing any of that on him. Or was it all a leela of destiny?

I keep returning to the fact that I feel in my guts that tells me that what we see around us is not some dream, some mayavini leela no matter what the ancient sage tells us|!

THIS is the reality and HERE in our awakened state, we are provided a chance to really execute our freedom of choice, our ability to embrace the divinity which enables us to choose and decide upon our true path. This lifetime, this state of awakening is where we shine at our best, and where we can exercise and express our divine self; this reality is where the heaven and hell is, all of our choosing. Sure, there is maya, there is illusion, but again all of that is created through our filters and shields of denials that we chose to hide behind!

We also have the power to remove every single one of those misperceptions and to emerge and express our-Selves as the best that humanity is capable of: D-I-V-I-N-I-T-Y!

Astrology can guide us there, and in many cases just common sense and purity of intent can be enough. 

– Rohini Ranjan
December 29, 2000

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