Death
of the Physical Body
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Please note: This page
deals specifically with the phenomenon of the human spirit
leaving its temporary physical body, i.e., death.
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Death is a completely natural
process. However, western society has a strong death taboo.
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If
you are not interested in the subject of death, please do not
proceed in reading this page!
"Two only, among the forty
meditational practices, are always and under all circumstances beneficial: the
development of friendliness, and the recollection of death."
-- Buddhagosa
There are no masks at the end.
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Yama Thangka
http://www.indianmuseumkolkata.org/
As an astrologer
and an incarnate human, I recommend intelligent
preparation for death. Since very few people in our
era possess the spiritual knowledge necessary to
transcend physical death, the answer to death questions
for most of us is not "if" but
"when".
Death is a strange
& wonderful aspect of Life. An essential guarantor of
creative differentiation in the universe, death is the
great housecleaner. Without death, things would get
pretty stale, pretty quickly!
All the major
religious traditions offer time-tested wisdom on the
death process. Practitioners skilled in facilitating this
passage can be found worldwide in church, synagogue,
mosque, mandir, temple, and gompa. Within the world's religious
literature on death, certain texts are particularly
accessible.
Sogyal Rinpoche's
now classic commentary entitled The Tibetan Book of Living and
Dying, exemplifies the clear, intelligent information on the natural
reality of death and dying which is now available to English language
readers. It is possible to be well-prepared for death.
Jyotisha
treats
human death with the respect & admiration due an
awesomely creative life force. This page offers a tiny snippet of what
Vedic astrology tells us about death and rebirth:
"Wise
men say that death is natural state, while life is a change or effect."
- Raghuvansha, 8.87
Timing of Death by Maraka Graha:
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death of self =
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death of mother =
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death of father =
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death of child =
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death of spouse =
If the lord of Rahu or Ketu is a
temporal maraka i.e., plays one of the house-lordship roles above, then
Rahu-Ketu can give the death effect of their lord or their co-occupants (most
frequently their lord).
Deaths during Rahu periods are shocking and
create considerable disruption. However although the outcome may ultimately be
favorable for the native.
A walking man lifts his second leg only
after the first has been placed firmly on the ground.
A caterpillar leaves a blade of grass
only when it has caught hold of another.
Similarly does the embodied soul,
following the course of its destiny, leave the former body only when it has
caught hold of the next.
~~ Bhagavata Purana 10.1.40
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What
is a "Maraka" Graha?
A "maraka" planet signifies the separation of
the spirit from the fleshly body.
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Lords of house-2 and house-7 are the maraka planets. However, not every bhukti of
L-2 or L-7 gives
death!
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Rahu-Ketu can be virulent maraka
graha when they occupy domain-2 or domain-7
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Shani and Kuja are called "natural
marakas" but in practice they are not killers unless they are already
L-2 or L-7. If a malefic is also L-2 or L-7, the malefic requires very
little additional triggering by transits or drishti to do the job.
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Rarely, bhukti of either L-2-from-Chandra
or L-7-from-Chandra can trigger death of the native.
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Periods of
L-2/L-7-from-Chandra do frequently give death of mother. Similarly,
L-2/L-7-from-Surya do frequent give death of father.
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The Kharesha
= lord of the 22nd drekkana
(decanate) has major "badhaka" powers. When the Kharesha interacts with
lord of domain-8 and the radix lagna, periods of L-8 can give sudden
death of the physical body.
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"Marana karakas" (see table below)
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the graha which rules the 64th
navamsha from Chandra can function as a maraka (= graha ruling the 8th
rashi from D-9 Soma)
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lord of Gulika or Mandi can function as a
maraka
KHARA DREKKANA: The 22nd decanate from
the ascendant will denote the nature of one's death. For example, by the
nature of its lord, (i.e. the humor, place etc. )
~~ Saravali, Ch 47, shloka 22
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Marana
karakas ("death inflictors")
A "marana" karaka's power increases
if it is found:
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yuti or receiving drishti from
papa-graha (malefics)
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occupying the rashi
of an enemy or its neechha
rashi
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maraNa:
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the act of dying , death
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passing away , cessation (as of lightning
or rain)
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the 8th mansion
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a kind of poison
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refuge, asylum
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killing, slaying , slaughter , death ,
destruction
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to suffer death
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a magical ceremony having for its object
the destruction of an enemy (also {-karman} and {-kRtya}
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slayer
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name. of a partic. mystical weapon
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calcination
~~ Cologne
Digital Sanskrit Lexicon
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Surya
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in domain-12 |
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Chandra
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in domain-8 |
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Kuja
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in domain-7 |
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Budha
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in domain-7 |
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Guru
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in domain-3 |
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Shukra
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in domain-6 |
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Shani
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in domain-1 (esp. for Simha lagna) |
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Rahu |
in 9th-from-lagna |
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Ketu |
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Natural
Marakas:
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Saturn
= material reality, laws of the natural world
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Ketu
= separation, alienation, dissociation;
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Mars
= quick actions, conflict, violence
Periods of maraka planets
signify death ONLY when the maraka planet is especially death-empowered
during His
bhukti.
The minimum conditions for
death empowerment of marakas are:
Empowerment to effect death is
most frequently created when:
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Place of Death
Traditionally, the place of Death is generally determined by
the Lord of the Rashi occupied by the Lord of Navamsha (swamsha).
Much depends as always upon the character of lagnesha, swamsha, graha
in lagna, and graha casting drishti upon lagna/lagnesha.
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Surya
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Temple, Ashram, or Forest |
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Chandra
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Gardens, lush farmland, fertile
growings |
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Kuja
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Surgery, Hospital, battlefield,
emergency setting. |
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Budha
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children's play area, casino or
gambling house, sporting club |
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Guru
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public building, law court,
theater |
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Shukra
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finely appointed homes, care & convalescence
homes. |
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Shani
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places with low people, victims,
slaves, & commoners.
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This chart is copied in its entirety, with no changes
from the original, from the generous Jyotisha offerings of :
Sri Sarajit Poddar, Jyotish Guru, Sri Jagannath
Center
http://www.scribd.com/doc/282623/Death-Matters?referral=google
[** BPL note: the swelling disease
called "dropsy" originally "hydropsy" in modern
times is called edema, or Brit. oedema.] |
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Serial
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Combinations
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Cause
of Death
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1
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The
Sun in 10th and Mars in 4th
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Fall
from the top of a mountain
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2
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Saturn
in 4th, the Moon in 7th and Mars in 10th
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Falling
into a well.
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3
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Both
the luminaries in Virgo aspected by malefics
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Own
Kinsmen/ Poisoning.
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4
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Both
the luminaries in Lagna happened to be a dual sign
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Watery
grave.
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5
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Saturn
in Cancer, the Moon in Capricorn
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Dropsy.**
[Dropsy = 'hydropsy' = swelling]
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6
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The
Moon in Martian sign hemmed in between malefics
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Weapons
or Fire.
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7
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The
Moon in Virgo betwixt malefics
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Vitiation
of blood or consumption.
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8
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The
Moon in Saturnine signs in betwixt malefics
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Hanging,
Fire or fall.
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9
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5th
and 9th occupied by malefics without benefic aspect
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Captivity/
Prison.
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10
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Decanate
of 8th house be Sarpa (Serpent) or Pasa (Noose) or Nigada (Fetters)
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Captivity.
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11
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Virgo
happened to be 7th (Pisces Lagna) occupied by the Moon along with
malefic, Venus in Aries (2nd), Sun in the Lagna
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Die
on account of a woman.
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12
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Sun
or Mars in 4th, Saturn in 10th, weak Moon conjoined with malefics in the
1st or 5th or 9th
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Impalement.
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13
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The
Sun in the 4th, Mars conjoined with weak Moon in the 10th aspected by
Saturn
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Beaten
with wooden clubs.
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14
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Four
planets mentioned above in 8th, 10th, 1st and the 4th
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same
result.
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15
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Above
four planets in the 10th, 9th, 1st and 5th
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Suffocation
\ Fire \ Imprisonment \ Beating.
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16
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Mars
in 4th, the Sun in 7th and Saturn in the 10th
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Weapon
\ Fire \ Royal displeasure.
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17
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Saturn
in 2nd, the Moon in 4th, Mars in 10th
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Wounds
or Worms
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18
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Sun
in 10th, Mars in 4th
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Fall
from a Vehicle / Injuries received from stone throwing.
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19
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Mars
in 7th, the sun, Moon and Saturn in the Lagna
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Machine.
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20
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Mars
in Libra, Saturn in Aries, the Moon in Saturnine sign
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Death
in between filth and night soil.
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21
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Weak
Moon in 10th, the Sun in 7th and Mars in 4th
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Same
as above.
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22
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Weak
Moon aspected by strong Mars, Saturn in 8th
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Worms
\ Tumor
\ Instruments \ Fire \ Disease of private parts.
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23
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The
Sun in Lagna, Mars in 8th, Saturn in 5th, the Moon in 9th
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Fall
from a precipice \ Fall of thunderbolt or off a wall.
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24
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Mars
and Saturn afflicted
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Suffocation
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25
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Lagna
be a watery sign or Amsa aspected by the Moon and Venus, 8th and 12th
occupied by malefics
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In
water.
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26
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Birth
during the Visa ghatis, 8th occupied by malefic
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Poison/
Fire/ Weapons.
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27
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The
Moon in the fatal degree of Lagna or 8th or 12th
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Water
or Machinery.
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28
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Snake
poison/ by vultures/ by wild boar according to the name of particular
Navamsha.
The first
Navamsha of Aries, Taurus, Virgo and Sagittarius
called snake poison; the middle of Gemini, Leo, Libra and Aquarius is
called Vulture poison.
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29
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Impalement
on account of
royal displeasure.
[This also happens when Mars
and Saturn are in each other’s sign or Amsa, in the sign or Amsa of
the 8th house (or in the fatal
degree) and at the same time in Kendra from the 8th lord].
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30
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The
Moon in Lagna,
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weak Sun in 8th,
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Jupiter in 12th
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and a malefic in the 4th
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Fall
from the couch / Attack by hunters at night.
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31
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Hunger
in a place far away from kith and kin.
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32
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In
battle / Weapon.
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33
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Indigestion.
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34
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Poisoning.
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35
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Hanging.
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36
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Ghost/
Fire/ Water.
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37
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Epilepsy.
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38
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Bilious
disease.
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39
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Consumption
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40
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Venus
in 8th
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aspected by malefics
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Rheumatism,
Consumption or Diabetes.
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41
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Rahu
in 8th
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aspected by malefics
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Heat
blisters/ Snake bite/ Small pox/ Mental Disease
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42
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8th
lord aspected by Venus,
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the Sun or Saturn conjoined with Rahu
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posited in
a Krura Shastiyamsa
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Head
chopped off.
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43
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The
Moon conjoined with Saturn,
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Rahu and Mandi placed in a dusthana
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and
aspected by Lagna lord
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Violent
death.
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44
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Benefics
occupy 4th, 10th
or 1st
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45
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Captivity/
Hanging.
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46
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The
Sun and Mars in the12th,
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Rahu and the Moon in the 7th,
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Jupiter in any
Kendra
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Far
away from home in a temple garden.
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47
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Hanging
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48
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Prison.
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49
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Crucifixion.
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50
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Surgical
operation, Piles, Fistula.
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51
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The
disease with which the native suffered before dying can be ascertained
from the diseases indicated by the planets occupying the 8th house.
If
there is no planet in the 8th then the 8th lord have the say on it.
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"To keep company with those whom
they do not like and to be separated from those whom they like as also to deal
with the wicked is the agony which people with long life have to suffer."
~~ Mahabharata,
Vana Parva, 193.18
Circumstances of
Death according to the Rashi of the 22nd Drekkana
Contents of this chart copied from
the generous offerings of Sri Sarajit Poddar,
Jyotish Guru, Sri Jagannath Center
http://www.scribd.com/doc/282623/Death-Matters?referral=google
"
In the absence of aforesaid
conditions the nature of death is to be judged from the 22nd Decanate
which falls in the 8th house." |
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First Decanate |
Second Decanate |
Third Decanate |
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Mesha
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Water,
Snake-poison, Bite |
Water,
worms, Snow, Forest.
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Falling
into the tank or well |
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Vrishabha |
Elephant,
Horse, Camel |
Bile,
Fire, Wind, Thieves |
Fall
from a vehicle, seat or horse or through Weapons in Battle |
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Mithuna
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Cough,
Asthma |
Buffalo,
Poison, Typhoid |
wild
animals, Mountain, Snakes or elephants, Forester or forest |
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Karka |
Crocodile, Liquor, Thorns, Sleep |
Blows,
Drinking poison |
Birds,
Diabetes, Tumor, Blood vitiation, Sleepiness. |
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Simha
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Water,
Poison, Disease of the feet |
Dropsy,
Diarrhea, Forest |
Poison,
Instruments, (Operation), Curse, Fall
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Kanya |
Head
or brain disease |
Wild
Elephant, Snake, Forest
, Mountain, Prince’s displeasure |
Chasm,
Food & Drink, Woman, Weapon, Water, Donkey, Elephant |
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Thula |
Young
woman, Animal, Fall |
Stomach
disease |
Snake,
Water
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Vrischika |
Poison,
Weapon, Woman, Food |
Clothes,
Load, Fall, Disease |
Pain
caused by Clods and stones, Fracture of the shank
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Dhanus |
Disease
of Anus, wind complaints |
Poison,
Wind disease. |
In
water or water complaints, Stomach diseases |
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Makara |
Torture
at the hand of King, Tiger, Breaking of Thighs, Aquatic animal, Poison,
Snake, Animals of uncloven hoofs |
Fire,
weapons, Thieves, Fever, Piercing by a non-human agency |
Women |
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Kumbha |
Woman,
Water, Stomach complaints, Savages |
Woman,
Venereal diseases
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Sexual
excess, Quadrupeds, Facial Diseases |
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Meena |
Tumor,
Diarrhea, Diabetes, Young woman, Disease of the Shanks and Water
Elephant, Evil spirit |
Ship-wreck |
Fell
Diseases
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Prediction strategy:
The natural marakas Shani & Kuja have extra natural
malignancy.
The likelihood of physical death occurring
during their bhukti periods is characteristically stronger than the likelihood
of non-maraka L-2/L-7 causing physical death.
The Jyotishi will of course confirm
the prediction by checking navamsha, gochara nodes, and other supporting
factors.
However if either Shani or Kuja = L-2 or L-7, it is easier to predict death during their periods.
Metaphorical
or symbolic forms of death (acutely felt):
When Shani and Kuja are neither L-2 nor L-7 or if the
supporting evidence from nodes etc. which would suggest physical death is
simply lacking, it is reasonable to expect that as natural marakas they will
create a symbolic type of death, such as:
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separation from loved ones through conflict
(Mangala)
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forced isolation or rejection (Ketu)
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death of an
important
professional project, death of pride, death of illusion, other forms of ego-death
through reduction of personal importance wtihin the big system (Shani)
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divorce (from the L-2 function only)
Sometimes these metaphorical deaths are so
psycho-emotionally painful that the person wishes they were dead, and they
may be suicidal. But actual physical death has stricter rules than
these admittedly painful "poetic deaths" (including death of
spouse/divorce under period of L-8). Death's strict rules almost
always require the action of L-2/L-7 confirmed by a temporal-malefic
navamsha lord.
Rahu-Ketu can
signal tragic, premature or accidental
deaths - but only when they occupy the house of L-7 or L-2.
If
Rahu-Ketu are crossing a key axis, especially axis of Chandra, and they are also
conjunct L-2 or L-7 (i.e. "giving the effect of L-2 or L-7) then physical
death during a Rahu-Ketu bhukti becomes as likely as it would be during a period
of L-7 or L-2 .
Except when Rahu-Ketu are the current bhukti lord AND
they occupy a rashi of L-2 or L-7, the movement of gochara Rahu-Ketu
provide essential supporting evidence for catastrophic change in
a person's life.
Nodal movements to key points can trigger big scary
psychological changes that don't actually kill you (but seem like they might).
The lord of house-8
is not a maraka,
per se.
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L-8 defines the circumstances of death, not the timing.
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Timing involves domain-8 only when
Kharesha in lagna
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Nevertheless a maraka gains empowerment by occupying the
navamsha
of the radix L-8.
"Should
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Mars and Saturn exchange their Rashis or
Navamshas,
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be in fateful degrees (of those Rashis occupied by them),
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and are placed in Kendras (from
Lagna),
the native's death will be through sovereign wrath or by being impaled by a spear or some such killing
weapons. "
~~ BPHS, Ch.
246, Shloka 1
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"The female born will murder her husband if
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the rising Trimsamsha
or the Trimsamsha occupied by the Moon
be that of Saturn,
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while the Ascendant or the sign occupied by the Moon
at the time of birth is Karkata."
~~ Bhrigu Sutram Ch. 4 Shloka
48-56
"The nature of samsaric evolution
is not such that death is followed
by nothingness, nor that humans are always reborn as humans and insects as
insects.
On the contrary, we all carry within us the karmic potencies of all
realms of cyclic existence.
Many beings transmigrate from higher to lower
realms, others from lower to higher.
The selection of a place of rebirth is
not directly in our own hands but is conditioned by our karma and
delusions.
They who possess spiritual understanding can control their destiny at
the time of death, but for ordinary beings the process is very much an
automatic chain reaction of karmic seeds and habitual psychic response
patterns....
Our repeated experience of frustration, dissatisfaction and misery does
not have external conditions as its root cause. The problem is mainly our lack
of spiritual development.
As a result of this handicap, the mind is controlled principally by
afflicted emotions and illusions. Attachment, aversion and ignorance rather than
a free spirit, love & wisdom are the guiding forces. Recognizing this simple
truth is the beginning of the spiritual path."
~~ H. H. Dalai Lama, The Path to Enlightenment, ed. &
trans. by Glenn H. Mullin
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"The death is the gift, not the curse. The curse would be eternal life
here on Earth."
~~Das Goravani
Maraka
Houses
Should Dhana Bhava be occupied by Rahu, Budha,
Shukra, Surya and Shani, the child's birth has been after its father's death, while even the mother will face early death.
~~ BPHS, Ch.9,
shloka 25
Two types of deaths have been considered the
most coveted in this world:
The yogic way of giving up the body by
control of breath and meditating on the Supreme Reality,
and the second of the brave warrior fighting
fearlessly at the forefront of battle.
~~ Bhagavata Purana 10.33
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Timing
of Physical Death:
"The Usual
Suspects" for timing of death are the "Maraka"
or "Death-inflicting" planets, L-2 and L-7.
Uncommonly, timing of death may occur in the period of
one of the "natural marakas": Kuja, Shani, or Rahu. These
three natural marakas do have the power, with no other planetary assistance,
to effect the physical death.
However, it is rare that a natural maraka works
alone. Death is much more likely in a period of Kuja, Shani, or Rahu if
these natural marakas also play the role of L-2 or L-7 in radix. In the
case of Rahu, where He gives the effect of radix L-2 or L-7.
Vimshottari
dasha-bhukti periods of L-2 and L-7, and occasionally periods of Kuja,
Shani, or Rahu, signify the physical event of death.
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In order to signify death, bhukti of Maraka planet must
coordinate with other key required Jyotisha events such as a
significant transit of Rahu-Ketu.
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Maraka bhukti must also respect the overall
longevity parameters based on lifetime conditions of
house-8 and house-3 (see below).
Death is also more common when the bhukti of the maraka
graha is ALSO the final bhukti of the mahadasha.
For example for Mesha lagna where Shukra being L-2 /L-7
is a powerful makara, the Surya/Shukra period where Shukra is the final bhukti
of the entire 6-year Surya mahadasha, has more maraka potency.
For a Mesha lagna nativity, if Shukra is yuti the
amplifying maraka Rahu, and the Surya/Shukra bhukti occurs while simultaneously
gochara Rahu-Ketu cross a key axis (radix Moon, radix lagna, radix nodal axis)
then the likelihood of death is much increased.
Shani being the Great Separator, He must play some role in
the death. If not as L-2 or L-7, then He must transit the temporal L-2 or
L-7, or transit a key point such as lagna.
Normally there are four or five dramatic Jyotisha factors
at work at the time of death. Except for birth, death is the most
traumatic experience of the lifetime - so, reasonably, death indicators should
be highly marked, and vividly suggestive.
Certainly, *not* every occurrence of the bhukti of a
maraka planet will trigger death, because several necessary factors must occur
simultaneously to satisfy all the rules.
Maraka timelords:
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Lord of Radix 2nd
house [from radix lagna or Chandra lagna] completes
sensual saturation, the body can't absorb any more
experiences
-
Lord of Radix 7th
house [from radix lagna or Chandra lagna] creates
perfect balance in the body, there is no need for further
motion
-
Lord of 2nd navamsha
signals death of [first] spouse.
Non-physical types of death:
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During His bhukti, Lord of 12th
house [from radix or Chandra lagna or from Shani] dissolves the ego, the spirit
wants to separate - can cause of terrible loss and the person does feel
like dying, desires to die perhaps, but L-12 will give only the grief
& loneliness, not the physical release from earthly vale.
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During His bhukti, Lord of 8th
House [from radix lagna or Chandra lagna or from Shani] turns the wheel of birth
& death, sometimes very fast. L-8 causes transformation,
not physical death.
-
Ideally this
transformation in the form of divorce, legacies, tantric and magical
changes, psychotherapy, emergency surgery, or catastrophic health event
will invoke conscious healing, but it may just as often be the agent of
unconscious karma.
-
Randhra
bhava, its lord and its occupants describe the conditions of
death (not the timing) (see below) and thus 8th house describes one's longevity.
Bhukti of L-8 can cause
shocking "death of balance" such as divorce or radical surgery, but
L-8 does not cause actual physical death.
Circumstances of Physical
Death
Domain-8 = "The Departure Lounge"
There are three primary indicators for
environmental conditions or circumstances of death. (Not timing, just environment)
Domain-8:
Look first to randhra
sthana, house-8, for details of departure conditions.
Auspicious planets occupying
house-8 or good drishti to house-8 usually signify a gracious or honorable ending.
Shani in domain-8
Shani
in randhrasthana nearly always indicates a long life, and
consciousness until the last moment..
"...keeps you alert till the last breath: gets
premonitions, esp. if 4th or 5th house is occupied by malefics. A benefic in these houses will keep you unconscious in your last moments."
(Das)
Domain-3:
Look to 8th-from-8th sahaja
bhava for additional details about environment - including the psycho-mental
state - at time of spirit's departure from the physical shell (death).
Consciousness will prevail at the time of death if Guru or Shukra are placed in Sahaja
Bhava.
-- BPHS Ch. 33
Wounds, weapons, fire, and thirst will cause death through Mangala in Sahaja Bhava
-- BPHS
Ch 44, Shloka 25
Chandra in Sahaja Bhava will cause death due to tuberculosis
...
Guru in Sahaja Bhava or giving a drishti to Sahaja Bhava will cause death by swelling or
tumors" ...
If Sahaja Bhava is occupied by a benefic, death will be in an auspicious place
(like a shrine);
if Sahaja Bhava is occupied by a malefic death will be in sinful
places
Mixed occupation of Sahaja Bhava will yield mixed results with regard to the place of death.
-- BPHS
Ch. 33
Shani and Ketu:
Look to the karakas for separation, Shani
and Ketu,
for more information about circumstances of death.
Shani's aspect to house-8 or house-3
signifies some degree of separateness at time of death. This might be very
desirable if the person wishes to depart in a calm, meditative state. However it
also suggests that family may not be present at the separation.
Shani's overall contribution to the
circumstances of death depends on His house lordship. If Shani is L-8 or
L-3, His separative & cooling properties may increase the factor of
isolation.
If Shani resides in house-8 or house-3, the
native generally enjoys a long life. Shani prevents and
delays. In house-8 or house-3, Shani prevents the circumstances of
death. Sometimes Shani in house-8 indicates that the karma of wanting to die
but prevented. E.g., native becomes very elderly or profoundly ill but
survives unduly.
8th-from-Shani:
... both the 8th and 12th from
Shani stand for consideration ... of death.
-- BPHS
Ch.7, shloka 39-43
Ketu in domain-8:
Ketu in randhra bhava signifies numbness
or ego-dissociation at time of death. The native may die in a coma, or under
sedation, or in a state of shock. He may be unaccompanied at the time of
death.
Domain-8 being the realm of secrecy, and
also associated with sexual practices, in some tantric settings the native may
induce death through sexual practice: either by intentionally preventing the
flow of life force through the physical body, or by creating conditions of
death through sexually transmitted disease. Other scenarios are possible.
The ideal implication is to die in a state
of meditation, when the awareness has left the body and is focused on
spaciousness or another disembodied, liberating view of reality. Similarly,
Ketu in domian-8 indicates death in the body-dissociated state of deep sleep,
or under conditions of memory loss through aging.
As always, Ketu's planetary lord has a
definitive influence. The type of dissociation, and whether death is
accidental or expected, may be assessed through examination of the role of
Ketu's planetary lord.
Conditions of the next life
are knowable by rotating the
D-1 (radix) to see next-life lagna.
Use D1-dhana
bhava and/or 2nd-from-Moon as the next-life lagna.
-
Your next-life physical
appearance & stigma if any, will be defined by your current-life
house-2
-
your next-life
children will start with current-life house-6
-
your next-life father will
be what is now house-10
-
etc.
-
you can do
the same rotation to the navamsha to see next-life lagna for the first
spouse: that is generally D-9's 2nd house
Death of Parents and Children:
Chandra, Surya, & Guru
Chandra is karaka for mother. Generally death of
mother is timed by bhukti of L-2 from Chandra, or L-7 from
Chandra.
Death of mother can also occur in bhukti of
Karakas for early death of the mother
=
Configurations (yogas)
-
lord of domain-4 = Shani +Rahu or Kuja + Rahu, in
hostile rashi.
-
Parivartana yoga of maraka L-2-or-L-7 with the L-4 is
also an indicator of early loss of mother and destruction of integrity in
the childhood home.
Surya is karaka for father. Generally death of
father is timed by bhukti of L-2 from Surya, or L-7 from Surya.
Death of father can also occur in bhukti of
Karaka for early death of the father = Kuja in
domain-9, in an unfavorable rashi.
Early & troubled will be one's father's death, if Mangala is in
Karma Bhava identical with his enemy's Rashi.
~~ BPHS
Ch.9, shloka 38
Guru is karaka for children. Death of
children may occur during bhukti of L-2 from Guru, or L-7 from
Guru.
Death of child can also occur in bhukti of
Karaka for miscarriages or stillbirth (depending
on malignancy of Kuja) = Kuja in domain-5.
"A girl born in Jyeshta Nakshatra destroys (is the cause of death of) the elder brother of her husband, and a girl born in fourth quarter of
Vishakha Nakshatra destroys (is the cause of death of) her husband's younger brother. Therefore, a cow should be given in charity at the time of the marriage of such girls to wipe out the above mentioned evil effects."
~~ BPHS
Ch. 94, shloka 10
"A boy or girl born in the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th quarter of
Ashlesha Nakshatra destroys his/her mother-in-law and a boy or a girl born in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd quarter of
Mula Nakshatra becomes the destroyer (cause of death of his/her father-in-law.
Therefore, suitable measures, as may be possible within one's means, should be taken at the time of the marriage of such boys and girls. There will be no evil effect if the husband has no elder brothers."
~~ BPHS
Ch. 94, shloka 11-13
Notes on
Sickness & Death
Active Maraka
planets don't always snap the cord between body
and spirit. Sometimes they weaken the will, making a
person very sick.
Sickness shows that the spirit is ambivalent
about staying in this particular body. Prolonged
sickness or slow recovery from an injury, is often
spiritually required to bring the system "down for
maintenance." After the spiritual forces
regroup and the physical body rebalances, the current
incarnation may proceed unimpeded.
Near-death sickness has spiritual, mental,
emotional, & physical meaning. A combination of
prayer, clean mental health, emotional healing & good
medicine, will often cure even quite severe illness under
the influence of maraka planets.
There is usually
no need to fear when maraka planets dominate --
but on the other hand there is healing work to be done!
Q: Thanks for your
Jyotisha advice on handling the loss of my life partner. However, despite your advice that things can be expected to go fairly well in my
remaining earthly future, I continue to experience a terrible sense of
anxiety & grief for my irreplaceable loss. Do you have any suggestions for my
regaining my inner peace?
A:
TongLen practice works beautifully to alleviate fear/anxiety about
almost anything! I'm sure you know the practice from your Vajrayana
background.
-
Breathe in from
the astral plane, the psycho-emotional food will assuage your hunger.
-
For example,
breathe in love, breathe in health, breathe in trust, whatever medicine
is needed.
-
When invoking
the help of the higher intelligence, make a special compassionate effort
to include in your prayer all other beings who currently share your
experience of that particular absence/lack/scarcity/pain.
-
For example,
"may all the ignorant beings who crave wisdom gain access to teachings"
or "may all the mothers caring for their dying children be consoled in
their grief" or "may all the world's lonely people be loved
& cherished". Ask for whatever help is needed.
-
Breathe out the
suffering of all beings.
The rishis say, one's karma ripens so that one may eat.
TongLen often helps one to step forward into the
future, allowing one to eat one's karma and enjoy the meal!!
By
releasing attachment to one's own particular suffering and replacing that
narrow concern with a larger awareness that countless masses of other
beings undoubtedly suffer similar karma in this very moment, Tonglen helps
the compassionate heart to heal itself by simultaneously healing others.
And because TongLen allows one to replace a narrow, relatively ignorant
self-concern with a wider, relatively wise awareness of the suffering of
others, it burns off karma very quickly. (Karma gets permanently
burned off when we transform ignorance into wisdom.)
So, any anxiety, at any time, is fair game for TongLen.
Bon appetite!
Also, we often feel bitterly disappointed
and even spiritually vandalized when a partner, parent, or child has
died. It may be very helpful to walk through an empowering forgiveness
exercise, to forgive the partner for dying.
You
Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay (orig. 1984) is the forgiveness
classic. I recommend the practical, spiritual tools she presents in the
book. Hay's affirmations & insights work very effectively in those moments
of terrible anxiety & grief when we get "stuck" in the loss.

Remember
to Practice Dying so
that you are alert and peaceful when the time comes!
When Mozart
passed away, he was buried in a churchyard. A couple days later, the town drunk
was walking through the cemetery and heard some strange noise coming from the
area where Mozart was buried. Terrified, the drunk ran and got the priest to
come and listen to it.
The priest
bent close to the grave and heard some faint, unrecognizable music coming from
the grave. Frightened, the priest ran and got the town magistrate.
When the
magistrate arrived, he bent his ear to the grave, listened for a moment, and
said, "Ah, yes, that's Mozart's Ninth Symphony, being played backwards." He
listened a while longer, and said, "There's the Eighth Symphony, and it's
backwards, too. Most puzzling." So the magistrate kept listening; "There's the
Seventh...the Sixth...the Fifth..."
Suddenly the
realization of what was happening dawned on the magistrate; he stood up and
announced to the crowd that had gathered in the cemetery, "My fellow citizens,
there's nothing to worry about.
It's just
Mozart, decomposing.
It is foolish to be
afraid of death.
JUST THINK!! No more repaired tires on the body vehicle,
no more patchwork living.
-- Paramahamsha
Yogananda
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"...if we remain clinging to this life even for one
day, we are misusing our time.
In this way, we can waste months and years on
end. Because we don't know when our lives will finish, we should remain
mindful and well prepared. Then, even if we die tonight, we will do so without
regret.
If we die tonight, the purpose of being well prepared is borne out; if
we don't die tonight, there is no harm in being well prepared, because it will
still benefit us.
But when we leave the world of humans, we do so
without a protector or supporter and the total responsibility falls on us.
We
only have our own intelligence to rely on at that time, so we must expend our
own effort in order to protect ourselves.
As the Buddha said, "I have
shown you the path to liberation; know that liberation depends on you."
We must put strenuous effort into gaining freedom from the lower migrations,
liberation from samsara, freedom from conventional existence and solitary
salvation.
The body is compared to a guest house; it is a place
to stay for just a short time and not permanently.
At present, the guest of
consciousness is staying in the guest house of the body, like renting a place
to stay.
When the day comes for consciousness to leave, the guest house of the
body must be left behind. Not being attached to friends, the body, wealth and
possessions is the practice of the Bodhisattvas."
-- H. H. Dalai Lama, The Heart of
Compassion: A Practical Approach to a Meaningful Life
|
"Cyclic
existence means bondage, and liberation means freedom from this bondage.
...The causes of cyclic existence are contaminated actions and afflictions.
If the roots of the afflictions are eliminated and if new actions are not
'accumulated', since there are no affiliations to activate the predispositions
of contaminated actions persisting from the past, the causes of cyclic existence
have been eliminated. Then there is freedom from bondage.
Some
say that as long as one still has mental physical aggregates wrought by former
contaminated actions and afflictions, one has a
nirvana with remainder. When these no longer remain, there is a nirvana
without remainder. 'Without remainder' means that there is no
remainder of mental and physical aggregates wrought by contaminated actions and
afflictions, but the continuum of
consciousness and the continuum of uncontaminated mental and physical aggregates
still exist."
~~ H.H. Dalai Lama. (2002). The Buddhism of Tibet. Jeffrey Hopkins
(Trans.& Ed.). www.snowlionpub.com
|
Death
is a part of all our lives.
Whether we like it or not, it is bound to
happen. Instead of avoiding thinking about it, it is better to understand
its meaning.
We all have the same body, the same human flesh, and
therefore we will all die.
There is a big difference, of course, between
natural death and accidental death, but basically death will come sooner or
later.
If from the beginning your attitude is 'Yes, death is part of our
lives', then it may be easier to face.
~~ H.H. Dalai Lama. (2000). The Dalai Lama's Book of Wisdom
. www.snowlionpub.com
|
"I tore myself away from the safe
comfort of certainties through my love for truth; and truth
rewarded me. "
~~ Simone
de Beauvoir, A Very Easy Death
"It is not the end of the physical body that should worry us. Rather, our
concern must be to live while we're alive – to release our inner selves from
the spiritual death that comes with living behind a façade designed to
conform to external definitions of who and what we are. "
~~ Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
"If you are able to think about the meaning of cyclic existence in
general and human life in particular, then it is possible to discipline the mind
through religious practice which is the process of becoming peaceful and
anxiety-free.
Otherwise, if too much emphasis is put on the sufferings of the hells and
the imminence of death, there is a chance of falling into paralyzing
fear.
There is a story in Tibet about an abbot of a monastery who went to give a
discourse. A fellow asked the abbot's servant where the abbot had gone, and the
servant said, "He has gone to frighten old men and women."
If you fulfill the value of a human lifetime through engaging in religious
practice, then there is no point in worrying about death."
~~ Tsong-ka-pa & H.H. Dalai Lama. (1987). Tantra
in Tibet. Jeffrey Hopkins
(Trans. & Ed.) www.snowlionpub.com
|
The ashes of the average
cremated person weigh nine pounds.
A
minister, a priest, and a rabbi die in a car crash.
They go to heaven for
orientation.
They are all asked, "When you are in your casket, with friends,
family, and congregants mourning over you, what would you like to hear them
say?"
The
minister says, "I would like to hear them say that I was a wonderful
husband, a fine spiritual leader, and a great family man."
The priest
says, "I would like to hear that I was a wonderful teacher and a
servant of God who made a huge difference in people's lives."
The
rabbi replies, "I would like to hear them say, 'Look, he's
moving!!'"
He has made
everything beautiful in its time.
He has also set eternity
in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done
from beginning to
end.
--
Ecclesiastes 3:11
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