Article by Iranganti Rangacharya

Muhurta Principles

ATAL BEHARI VAJPAYEE WAS all smiles when he was sworn in as the Prime Minister of India on 19-3-1998 in New Delhi at 9-33 a.m. But after the coalition Government had hardly crossed a few weeks when the threats of Balarishta began to materialise. Will his coalition Government survive the full term of office? If otherwise, how long will it continue? These are the queries lingering in the minds of one and all.The basis we have is the Muhurtha chart for the oath-taking time. Though Jaimini astrology is applicable to natal horoscopy, we can as well venture on its application to Muhurtha also.

Let me first apply my own evaluation method based on the accepted norms of Muhurtha.

Point 1

The Lagna is Taurus 5⁰18′. This is rated second in the preferential order. It gets Aquarius Navamsa. So this comes under Kunavamsa, one of the 21 great evils. We find no antidote for this evil in the chart.

Swearing-in Chart: 9-3-1998 at 9.33 a.m (IST)

Point 2

The Sun, Mars, Saturn and Mercury are place in the 11th, a benefic position. Jupiter occupies the 10th, while Venus occupies the 9th. Both are well-place. Kendras and Trikonas are good for benefic planet. The moon is debilitated in 7th while Rahu occupies the 4th. Both are ill-placed.

(I) Evaluation in Vimpsopakas

The Sun = 17 1/2 , Saturn = 7 1/2 ; Mercury = 10; Jupiter = 15; and Venus = 10

Total = 67 1/2

The Moon = – 25 and Rahu = – 7 1/2

Total = 32 1/2

Rahu is in the 4th Kendra which is evil for Pattabhishakam or Swearing-in ceremonies.

Therefore, 67 1/2 — 32 1/2 =35 %. This is mediocre.

Therefore for the term of 5 years, we get 35 X 5 = 7

100 4

= 1 year 9 months

(II) Pancheshtika Evaluation

Pancheshtika means five bricks

A building is deemed fully strong if its basement is built on five bricks widthwise. Similarly a Muhurtha is 100% strong if five planets are strongly well-placed in the Muhurtha chart. They are as follows:-

Kaladhipa = 20
Lagna lord = 20
Jupiter = 20
Moon = 20
Sun = 20

100

So, if a Muhurtha gains 100 points, it is said to have attained the Pancheshtika strength. If the Kaladhipa, Lagna lord, Jupiter and the Moon are well-placed, the Muhurtha gets four-fold strength of 80 points. If the Kaladhipa, Lagna lord and Jupiter are well-placed, Muhurtha gets the three-fold (Trayeshtika) strength.

Kaladhipa is the planet that rules the time in question

Mercury rules the morning.
The moon rules the first part of the night.
Venus rules the mid – night.
The Sun rules the mid – day.
Saturn rules the evening.
Mars rules day-break.
Jupiter rules always.

A planet should be strongly placed in ruling time. For example, if the Muhurtha is in the morning then Mercury who rules the morning should be well-placed in the Muhurtha chart.

Since the Muhurtha here is fixed in the morning, the ruling planet is Mercury who is debilitated. So in the three-fold (Trayeshtika) strength, Mercury gets zero. Venus occupies the lord of Lagna gets 20 since Venus occupies the 9th in a friendly Navamsa and Jupiter gets 20 since Jupiter occupies the 10th in Vargottama. So the Muhurtha gains only 40 points in the Tryeshtika strength. We may say if the total longevity is considered to be 100 years, the chart gets 40 years. For the term of 5 years, it would be:

40 X 5 = 2 years

100

(IІI) Jaimini Evaluation

I would first ascertain the turn of life in the Muhurtha chart initially by the three important factors as follows:

(1) The Lagna Lord Venus is in Capricorn, a cardinal sign. The 8th lord Jupiter is in Aquarius, a fixed again. Hence middle life is indicated.

(2) The Lagna is Taurus, a fixed sign and the Moon also is in fixed sign Scorpio. Hence short life is indicated.

(3) The Lagna is Taurus, a fixed sign and the Hora Lagna is Gemini, a dual sign. Hence long life is indicated. Since the three factors indicate different terms of life, the term of life indicated by the Lagna and Hora Lagna, could be accepted. Nevertheless, we can also take Garga’s view according to Jaimini school of thought.

1) The 5th house from Lagna is Sagittarius, which is a dual sign. The 8th lord from Lagna is Jupiter who is in Aquarius which is a fixed sign. Hence, long life is indicated.

2) The moon is in Scorpio which is a fixed sign. The 8th lord from the Moon is Mercury who is placed in Pisces, a dual sign. this also indicates long life.

Thus we can find the long term of life indicated by 3 factors out of 5. This term of life is reduced to middle life by the reduction factors (Kakshyahrasa) as follows :

a) The debilitated Moon is in the 7th from the Lagna .
b) Malefic Saturn has become the Atmakaraka, associated with the malefic in one sign.
c) Saturn is associated with the lord of Hora Lagna.

Middle Life = 33 9short life) + 6 (Venus) + 6 (Jupiter) + 7 (A.K. Saturn) – 3 (Sun) – # (Mercury) -2 (Ketu) 52-14 = 38 years of middle life.

For the full life of 100 years, the chart scores 38 years of middle life. For the full term of 5 years

38 X 5 = 19

100 10

This comes to 1 year 11 months.

Thus we find from the three methods the tenures of coalition Government. It would be just as well, to tally this with the timing of Yogabhanga period, if there is any, based on any Chara Dasa (according to Sutrardha Prakashika) is the one that we can make use of in this chart. This Dasa commences from the Lagna (Taurus), a fixed sign. So, the Dasa are Taurus, Sagittarius, Cancer and so on. taurus Dasa gets 9 years counting in reverse from Venus, the lord of the Dasa-sign to the Dasa-sign. Since the tenure of the Government is 5 years, we need not touch the other Dasa from Sagittarius onwards. The sub-periods in Taurus Dasa are Taurus, Sagittarius, Cancer, Aquarius etc. as per the Padakrama order :

19-03-1998

9 Taurus-Taurus

19-12-1998

9 Cancer-Sagittarius

19-09-1999

9 Taurus-Cancer

19-06-2000

It appears as though the period of Vrishabha-Kataka (Taurus-Cancer) of 9 months from 19-09-1999 to 19-6-2000 is critical for the following reasons:

Rahu is place in the 2nd from the Cancer.
The debilitated moon occupies the 5th from Cancer
The 9th house from Cancer is occupied by four malefics.

The vidasas of Cancer are as follows:

19-09-1999

23 Cancer-Cancer

12-10-1999

23 Cancer-Gemini

05-11-1999

23 Cancer- Taurus

28-11-1999

23 Cancer-Aries

21-12-1999

9 1 Cancer- Sagittarius

30-1-2000

So, the period from 28-11-1999 to 21-12-1999 at the latest by January 2000 is critical. These are astrological findings absolutely unbalanced. But who can foresee except the creator?++