• Koeln Digital Sanskrit Lexicon

• seeing , viewing , beholding (also with the mental eye)

• sight , the faculty of seeing

• The mind's eye , wisdom , intelligence

• regard , consideration

• view , notion

• Theory , doctrine , system

• eye , look , glance

• turn the eye to / look at / the pupil of the eye / aspect of the stars

"Drishti" [dRSTi]

The three main forms of Parashari Drishti:

~~ B.V. Raman, A Catechism of Astrology. p. 48

Benefic Drishti of Shani

- esp. Vrishabha and Thula Lagna

Q. 59 Saturn is a malefic planet, he becomes a benefic by owning kendras. If so, are his aspects also benefic?

Saturn is always an evil planet but may be malefic or benefic by ownership.

We classify planets into four kinds :

1. subha and subha phalada = good and favourable ;

2. subha and papa phalada = good and unfavourable ;

3. papa and subha phalada = evil and favourable

4. papa and papa phalada = evil and unfavourable.

Whenever you find "aspected by benefics" we have to take "good or subha planets".

In the expression "benefic aspects" it means only aspects by natural benefics such as Jupiter and Venus.

Q:

A beginner to Jyotisha study asks:

I've been curious about the following planetary combination in my radix chart.

• I have a conjunction involving three astrological entities: the Sun, Mercury, and Ketu. Not only do they occupy the same sign in my chart, but the Sun and Ketu are separated by no more than 8-9 degrees, with Mercury sandwiched in between the two. Also, Mercury was in retrograde when I was born, moving toward Ketu.

• Sitting right across from this combination, of course, is Rahu. Now, I know that Rahu and Ketu are naturally in opposition to one another, but it certainly looks as if Rahu also bears the opposition relationship to the Sun and Mercury in my chart. And, this where the confusion sets in.

• In Western astrology, traditional and modern, the opposition relationship has always been regarded as a relationship in which the powers of the opposed bodies are weakened. But, I was under the impression that in Jyotisha, opposition is more a relationship of strengthening.

• If this interpretation is correct, what effects are being exerted on the Sun and Mercury in my chart? I ask, because it looks as if in some way Ketu is weakening or frustrating those two bodies, yet Rahu may be supporting them.

Any suggestions or interpretations you might be willing to make, however brief or general, will be highly welcome.

A:

Namaste,

Good questions! As you know, I normally cannot answer this sort of inquiry since it is a veiled request for a personal reading! However I think in this case the answer may be beneficial to others. Transitioning from western to Jyotisha is a fun challenge that many students are undertaking in the world just now.

The mutual oppositions you are describing are handled as "drishti" in Jyotisha.

Surya, Budha, and Rahu all cast "drishti" (a ray of "focus". Some folks know the term 'drishti' from hatha yoga, because certain asana have a set focus point, a drishti.)

Parashari rules from Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra:

• Surya casts drishti or "sees" the 7th house from itself.

• Budha also casts drishti upon the 7th from itself.

• Rahu casts drishti upon the 5th, 7th, and 9th from itself.

• Ketu casts no drishti.

Some drishti is good and some is bad. Some is strengthening and some is weakening. Some is balancing and other is aggravating. It's all a matter of 'personality' of the Graha(who really are seen as deities with vivid personalities) and house ownership.

• Generally speaking, if a graha casts drishti upon His own house(all graha are masculine because they are yang, creative entities) , that is a strengthening of the house.

• However "strengthening" is not necessarily a benefit for the tenants, since the tenants might not be compatible with the landlord.

It is as if the landlord can "see" the house that he owns.

Because the owner is watching it, the house is more protected and strong.

Having the owner actually live in the house makes a very strong house.

(Although again it can be unpleasant for the co-tenants if they don't get along with the landlord.)

If two graha are in mutual opposition they can both "see" each other.

But if they are natural enemies then "seeing" each other just aggravates their animosity.

• Surya and Rahu are enemies.

• The Sun's two main enemies are Saturn and Rahu.

Budha is neutral to all the other graha, so the drishti of Budha won't aggravate any old animosities.

If Budha is sending drishti from a rashi (sign) that is friendly to Budha, the drishti cast upon the 7th from Budha makes the receiving house more chatty, or analytical, or media-savvy, or however Budha is operating in his rashi.

Budha is rarely a trouble-maker; He is quite a "suggestible" fellow who mentalizes the perceptions but He rarely works alone. He takes direction from His lord and co-tenants.

• You're right about Ketu being a materially weakening influence. The problem with Ketu is His passive detachment. He is a very spiritual influence who is completely careless and dysfunctional on the material plane.

• When Ketu shares a house with other graha, He brings an aura of spacey, intuitive, out-of-body psychic perception which is great for psychic healing, astrology, and meditation - and very little else.

• Ketu benefits shamans, medical intuitives and folks who are consciously communicating with spirits. When Ketu is with Surya, the reasonable ego-personality is weakened; when Ketu is with Budha, the mental process becomes spiritualized and materially disconnected. The person may struggle to articulate or integrate their thoughts, and the social personality is rather gentle and passive.

• Rahu gives intense, risky desires, while Ketu is dissociative and apathetic. When graha get into the rashi axis of Rahu-Ketu, they get caught in the maelstrom of past-life desire and spiritual awakening that Rahu-Ketu, the "psychic nodes", are creating. The myth of Rahu-Ketu explains how they got that way.

• Ketu used to have a Naga body, which He shared with Rahu (Rahu was the head and Ketu was the tail), but Rahu's desires got them into an illicit situation, and Vishnu (the Sun) sliced them in half with His discus, for their misdeed.

So now Ketu doesn't have a whole body, and He doesn't care about bodies. Has no interest in physical bodies, health, food, money, sex, power, or anything on the material plane. Rahu is still hot to trot for material stuff, and Rahu still goes around getting into trouble. But Ketu can't be bothered.

As you may have gathered, Jyotisha is really all about the personalities of the graha! It's fun to learn about them, and to see how they shape the human experience.

I don't find this practice in the least superstitious. Rather, it seems to me like a grand narrative of history, human and divine. And like all narratives, it involves the complex interplay of supportive, opposing, disturbing, and enlightening forces.

Best wishes for your success in the study of Jyotisha,

~~ Barbara Pijan Lama, Jyotisha

Question: Guru drishti to Meena Surya-11

Q: I am a one-year beginner in Jyotisha and I am feeling a bit befuddled regarding how to do the first sort of significances. I know how to evaluate a chart in western astrology, but Jyotisha seems to be more complicated.

My goal is to achieve an understanding of the karmic role of all the departments of life, and to make predictions for myself and my family.

Can you give me a bit of direction? I really am trying here, but just getting stuck with the multiple weightings.

For a Vrishabha Lagna, Guru is a functional malefic but also a natural benefic. In fact, Brihaspati has four roles at least.

1. Natural Benefic

2. Functional Malefic

3. Karaka (children)

4. House significator

My question is:

1. when Guru (in this case) casts a graha drishti aspect, say to Surya, which of Guru roles are activated?

2. Is Surya getting the full spectrum of significations?

3. More specifically, is the #2 influence only relevant when it applies to Surya's functional responsibilities?

4. Generally speaking, in this combination, if Surya is in Meena and Guru in Vrischika, does Guru simultaneously cast an auspicious aspect to the Lord of the bhava for mother, cast an inauspicious aspect denoting potential destruction to mom?

5. while at the same time making Surya a child-producing graha and expanding Surya capacity to bring wealth? (Surya in 11th).

6. If so, do we at this point go about seeking confluence for the various indications elsewhere in the chart in vargas?

7. Or does a certain role minimize or cancel out altogether, certain other roles for a particular graha for a specific lagna?

8. I haven't even mentioned Guru's effect as the 11th house Lord. Supposedly it is maleficent. How?

9. It's bhava placement and drishti should be gainful and/or suggest areas while aspirations can be realized. Right?

10. Essentially, I just want to know what should immediately come to mind when I see a combination of Graha. Which roles should take precedence or does it just depend?

A: first of all... did you notice that your "question" is actually ten questions?

I receive many emails asking for "just a moment of your time" and asking "just one simple question". When you yourself enter Jyotisha practice you will encounter the same thing. Doctors, lawyers, and teachers get this sort of "simple" enquiry constantly; the querent is usually not trying to be deceptive but rather ignorance has minimized and oversimplified their understanding of the nature of the question.

Beware for your own practice boundaries too: Jyotisha IS indeed complex!

OK, now that the awareness of what you have requested is a bit higher, I do think the enquiry could benefit others -- so let's see what could be offered in the way of an answer to the ten "simple" questions : )

• My first pass view would be that Guru drishti to Meena Surya-11will expand the ego and extend the aura. This can be a good situation for a teacher (those for whom Guru rules the 10th navamsha) who might need to fill up a classroom or an auditorium with their charismatic presence. It might be less easy in a marriage where such a plus-sized ego makes little room for the needs of the partner.

  For example, for the Mithuna lagna navamsha, Guru is lord of 7th and 10th navamsha, defining both the spousal character and the professional leadership duties.

• If incoming Guru drishti expands a good quality Surya in the radix, the spouse will have a high confidence ego and the native will deliver a resounding performance in center-stage (Surya) settings. Generally, the drishti from Guru to Surya is a positive thing because these two graha are very good friends.

  Guru wants wisdom and Surya wants to Light the Way toward merger with the divine. They work well together unless they get tooooo close and Brihaspati gets burned (combust, asta, moudhya) by Ravi.

Q: Barbara, you said that Rahu casts drishti upon 5-7-9 from its home bhava in my nativity but doesn't Rahu also cast His eye upon the 12th from that place where He was born?

What about the 12th drishti of Rahu?

Some of the astrologers in my home area, especially our family astrologer in the village, assert that Rahu very negatively affects the 12th bhava from the birth house.

As you know I'm starting into the swabhukti of Rahu just this year and trying to plan for the future - please tell me what to expect from the 12th house from Rahu - my Chandra and Mangala are there!

Thanks!

Namaste ,

I personally use the rule = Rahu drishti = only to the bhava that occupy 5-7-9 from the radical place -- (the same drishti pattern as Guru).

My understanding is that Rahu does not cast actual drishti into the bhava 12th-from His house of residence, but that naturally being always in retrograde Rahu is 'looking' directly ahead to where He will be going next.

In that sense of looking, all graha cast a looking-at-their-next-step glance at the 2nd from their natal place except for Rahu=Ketu which naturally glance at the 12th from their natal place.

IMO that glance at the immediately forward bhava not the same as Parashari drishti.

Commentators use the 'dri' words for glance-look-search-scan to talk about that next-step looking but it is just a way of expressing, sometimes found in the skt commentaries, that Rahu is going counterclockwise and the Jyotishi should always confirm that foundational viewpoint before proceeding into any predictions.

Best wishes for you to enjoy the excitement, ambition, and adventure of Rahu!

Sincerely, Barbara Pijan Lama Jyotisha

whatever is excellent and admirable -

fill all your thoughts with these things."

~~ Epistle to the Philippians 4:8