Edited by: Vishal Sharma

Pret Badha

Bhoot pishach nikat nahi aawai

Mahaveer jab naam sunave

Meaning: “Oh Hanuman, Evil Spirits and Ghosts don’t come near when your name is heard, O great Courageous one.”

If there is any kind of fear, crisis or abhichar karma or fear of evil spirits, then most people remember these most powerful words. In Hanuman Chalisa or other ayurvedic texts or astrological scriptures, there is a mention of a ghost or yogas related to them. From this, it is inferred that there is some negative power influence called ghost-vampire which can do some evil.

Do ghosts exist or not? This article does not deal with proving their existence but rather explores the topic from an astrology scriptures perspective.

Ghost (Bhoot in Hindi) means that which was once before – the past. The word Bhoot is also used for the past time, and similarly, the word ghost is also used for that which was physically present in the past. In the ancient texts, there are several yogas which are mentioned towards Ghosts or Ghost obstacles (Pret Badha). The symptoms given to them are similar to what modern scholars attribute to mental and psychiatric diseases. Also, it has been observed, that the afflicted people have been cured by the proper administration of Mantra-Mani or Medication.

In ancient scriptures, there are mentions of ghosts, vampires etc. In ordinary language, a person attaches the meaning of ghost to a dead soul. The literal meaning of ghost is said to be the resident of hell. A body that does not have a physical form and is made of the air element and is very subtle and can come anywhere is called a ghost.

According to Garuda Purana, when a person leaves the body, he is called a dead person. After all the final rites the soul is termed as ghost (Pret). The post-death rites and pindadaan, water offering, etc., which are performed till the eleventh day from cremation, is continued to be received by the deceased in the form of a Pret. All these rituals are done to provide emancipation to the Pret form of the soul. After eleven days of rituals, on the twelfth day, the soul is set free from the evil spirits and attains the pitri yoni. After some time, according to the auspicious deeds done by him in the living state, he gets other births. Apart from this, it is believed that when a person dies prematurely and his last rites are not performed, or at the time of death, he has a special attachment towards some object or person, then he does not get salvation.

According to Prashna Marga Adhyay 15 shloka 42

Abdadikshadilopen pretah yatah pishachatam.

That is, if the annual shradh, proper cremation is not performed, the dead person’s soul reaches the vampire yoni and it disturbs its relatives. His soul wanders and hovers around that object or person to which it has a special attachment.

These unsatisfied souls sometimes seek a medium through which they can fulfil their repressed desires or desires. Ghosts themselves are weak and afflicted and to fulfil their wishes they choose a medium which is even weaker than them. It is often seen that not all people are affected by them, only those people who are mentally weak, or emotionally afflicted.

Those who are mentally weak, get influenced easily by such negative energies, as the person is always depressed and disillusioned. Pret Badha not only influences the mind of the native but affects other aspects of their life. In some cases, the afflicted person is said to have difficulty having children, no children or even multiple miscarriages. In other cases, the child born could be mentally retarded or handicapped. In his classical text, Sage Parashara also mentioned some of the curses and remedies due to Pret Badha, such as loss of mental peace, acquiring diseases, and problems for children. Shradh and Pind Daan should be performed to ward off the negative influence of this Badha.

How to know if a person is suffering from such energies?

This can be easily understood by studying the astrological combinations mentioned in classic astrology books. Such symptoms can be easily understood through a person’s birth chart.

I would like to mention some of the symptoms-

Depression anxiety and criminal thoughts.
Suicidal tendencies or thought of killing someone.
Mental attacks or continuously staring in one direction.
Bad dreams and weird behaviour.
Talking with own self.
Thought of leaving responsibilities and escaping from home.

Such symptoms are seen in a person’s chart having influenced by such energies. The above symptoms are also stated as psychological disorders by modern-day psychiatrists. As per the observations, these symptoms can be cured through proper treatment, counselling, Mantra upchar and Ayurveda.

Some of the important yogas mentioned in the Jyotisha Shastras are,

1] Moon Rahu in Ascendant or in trine to each other.

2] This same combination aspected by malefics.

Moon is our mind, thought process and imagination, so any malefic influence can create such disturbances. Also, Rahu is an illusion and a Vayu Tatva planet so the combination of Moon Rahu creates a negative disillusioned mind always under some sort of fear.

5th house is your intelligence and subconscious brain and 5th to 5th is the 9th house as per Bhavat Bhavam is the house of religion, wisdom and discretion. Hence, the 5th house of purva punya and 9th house of bhagya can be said to be under the influence of sin. The symptoms can be illogical talks or the person always in a depressed state of mind

3] Saturn in 8th house with a weak Moon, a weak moon with Rahu, Saturn or Mars in 8th house, or, a weak moon in malefic house can make a person suffer from preta badha. The person can also face an untimely death.

As per my observation Moon has to be under malefic influence for such a bad impact on life and also resulting in death of the native.

4] Benefic planets in char Lagna and Moon in malefic influence or Saturn in 7th house, Vayu Tatva planet Saturn’s effect on ascendant makes the native face preta badha.

Malefic influence on the Moon and its negative results are also mentioned in Jatak Parijata.

5] If Moon and Mercury are in kendra houses or in malefic navansha then too the mind gets disillusioned and the person can suffer from negative thoughts or seizures .

This person can feel that he is seeing some ghosts like entities. Such a combination is also mentioned in Jatakadeshmarg and the yoga called Pishaach yoga.

6] Saturn Moon relation through aspects or conjunction or Moon in Saturn’s signs or in Saturn’s nakshatra or afflicted by Rahu Ketu can denote preta badha or pishacha yoga.

As per my observations Saturn in Lagna, Rahu in Lagna gives pret dosha and if Ascendant lord gets weak then the native can face such negative effects.

Example chart 1

The above chart the native is of Vayu Tatva Ascendant and Tula rashi and Rahu is in Lagna with Guru. Moon is aspected by Saturn, Moon Mercury are in opposite house aspecting each other. Both the trine houses are under malefic influence.

Native feels that some invisible entity is present around them and tries to speak with him. Also, he feels like people are constantly staring at him. He feels like other people are imitating whatever work he is doing. As soon he enters his home other people also enter with him. He is mentally disturbed and scared because of this feeling, so he usually escapes from the back door and returns back late at night when everyone is asleep. Also, he used to go anywhere without informing his family members. Because of his weird behaviour family members were tense and depressed.