Q: How can we check if the Mahadasha and Anthardasha period gives a good or bad result to a particular person?

Mahadasha and antradasha should be concluded based on planetary set up in the individual horoscope. I will give general thumb rule here, The Mahadasha or antradasha for Yogakaraka planet will be always favorable, based on the placement and other conjunctions the result would be highly favorable or moderately favorable. The Mahadasha of planet that owns at least one Kendra or Trine house will also be good, again based on the placement and other conjunctions the result would be moderately good or favorable Mahadasha of planets that own dushthana will be also be good provided it has dual lordship. For example, for cancer ascendant Jupiter dasha or bukti will be good even though it owns both 6th house and 9th house. Mahadasha of the planet ruling upachaya house will be equivalent to Yogakaraka planet. For example for Aries ascendant Mercury dasha will be favorable for the native since Mercury rules both 3rd and 6th house Mahadasha and antradasha of Malefic planet will always be bad even though it is Yogakaraka. For example for Aquarius ascendant, though Mars is Yogakarka the Mars bukti in Saturn dasha or Mars bukti in Rahu dasha will not be favorable as both Mars and Saturn are malefic. Last but not least the effect of Yearly transit will augment or lessen the effect of dasha bukti. For example if Yogakaraka dasha bukti is running and at the same time if Jupiter transit to 9th house with good number of bindus then native will see more positive result. Author's profile

Question 1

What happens when two debilitated planets are placed 7th to each other in kendra? Is it Neechabhanga?

Accepted Answer

The case in question is possible for the following scenarios,

When Mercury occupying Pisces and Venus occupying Virgo.
Mars occupying Cancer and Jupiter occupying Capricorn.
Sun occupying Libra and Saturn occupying Aries.

In all these cases the cancellation won’t occur just because of both debilitated planets are 7th from each other.

In my experience, the cancellation of debilitation occurs only when,

The debilitated planet conjoined with an exalted planet or the lord of the house. For example, when Mars gets debilitated it gets cancellation when Jupiter conjoins Mars in Cancer or Moon is conjoined with Mars in Cancer

The cancellation for Mercury is possible when Jupiter gets exalted or occupies own house. The cancellation is possible for both Mercury and Venus when Moon occupies Gemini or Sagittarius or Pisces or Virgo.

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Question 2

If astrology was true, why aren't the astrologers the most successful people?

Accepted Answer

You have presumed that astrology will make someone to be successful without any effort. Thinking astrology as a magical tool to achieve success in life is no more than ignorance. Think about following scenarios,

If modern medicine is flawless then why doctors get disease?

If priest in temple takes care of daily rituals of god then why they can’t magically get anything?

If teachers would know answers to every question, then why don’t they go and clear all the tough exams in the country?

In all the above scenario, people are doing service. Doctors have compassion for patients, teachers have great intention for their students success and astrologer have great wisdom to help people to understand their karma.

Secondly do you think successful is all about acquiring material things?

If having wealth is the ultimate success in life then why suicidal incidents happen for billionaires.

In my personal experience, anyone who practices astrology(with right spirit) will have strong Jupiter which is the planet of wisdom. A good astrologer will always have great wisdom of life, they will be matured enough to differentiate material success and content that comes through compassion and caring.

There are few unethical astrologer who may be making lot of money by cheating common people, which is true in any other profession like doctors who fears his patients, teachers who abuses his students etc.

So In summary, astrology is not magical tool to get success with short cuts and it is never meant to be. Astrology is a wonder tool to understand our past karma, so that we can alter our present act to create beautiful future and the true astrologer would help their client to identify the same.

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Question 3

How can we check if the Mahadasha and Anthardasha period gives a good or bad result to a particular person?

Accepted Answer

Mahadasha and antradasha should be concluded based on planetary set up in the individual horoscope. I will give general thumb rule here,

The Mahadasha or antradasha for Yogakaraka planet will be always favorable, based on the placement and other conjunctions the result would be highly favorable or moderately favorable.
The Mahadasha of planet that owns at least one Kendra or Trine house will also be good, again based on the placement and other conjunctions the result would be moderately good or favorable
Mahadasha of planets that own dushthana will be also be good provided it has dual lordship. For example, for cancer ascendant Jupiter dasha or bukti will be good even though it owns both 6th house and 9th house.
Mahadasha of the planet ruling upachaya house will be equivalent to Yogakaraka planet. For example for Aries ascendant Mercury dasha will be favorable for the native since Mercury rules both 3rd and 6th house
Mahadasha and antradasha of Malefic planet will always be bad even though it is Yogakaraka. For example for Aquarius ascendant, though Mars is Yogakarka the Mars bukti in Saturn dasha or Mars bukti in Rahu dasha will not be favorable as both Mars and Saturn are malefic.
Last but not least the effect of Yearly transit will augment or lessen the effect of dasha bukti. For example if Yogakaraka dasha bukti is running and at the same time if Jupiter transit to 9th house with good number of bindus then native will see more positive result.

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Question 4

How does an astrologer judge whether a chart is strong or weak other than having good yogas?

Accepted Answer

Yes, I personally do that analysis as a first step. Judging the foundation of the horoscope is very important to access the overall strength of the horoscope. All yogas will work to the extent in which the foundation is strong. Let me give some thumb rule here,

Trine(1st house, 5th house, and 9th house) are like the foundation of the horoscope. Unless the foundation is strong, a building can’t survive long. In a similar way, strong Trine lord or benefic aspection of Trine house indicate that native will have an overall good life.
Kendra(1st house, 4th house, 7th house, and 10th house) are like pillars of the horoscope, Kendra occupied by benefic is considered auspicious. So benefic planet occupying or aspecting Kendra is another point to consider to see if the horoscope is strong.
Lagna represents self, a strong Lagna lord itself is a clear indication that native will come up in life without much odds. Dusthana houses(6th house, 8th house, and 12th house) without any planet itself is a good sign. There is a popular saying that “Without illness is the greatest wealth”. So 6th house(represents disease) free from affliction is much better than having Dhana Yoga and afflicted 6th house.
Last but not least dasha bukti, even if some of the planets are afflicted and the corresponding dasha doesn’t come for the native then native will not see much impact of bad dasha. On other hands if one planet(say Venus) is much afflicted and comes in middle life(say for 20 years) then most of the time in precious age will be difficult.

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Question 5

What planetary combinations are required in a chart for a person to get settled in a foreign country?

Accepted Answer

In astrology 3rd house rules short journey, 7th house rules travel, 9th house rules long journey and 12th house(3rd house from 10th house) rules short travel related to job. So any benefic combination of above mentioned lord with 10th house(rules profession) then native will have short or long term travel related to job.

4th house rules mother land, so in case if 4th lord is afflicted then native will not prosper well in the mother land. In such scenario, if 9th house/lord and 12th house/lord gets stronger then native will permanently settle in the foreign country.

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Question 6

What is Panch Mahapurusha yoga in a horoscope?

Accepted Answer

Five planets viz Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, Saturn and Mars when occupies Kendra which should be Own house or exaltation house causes Panchamahapurusha Yoga. Very rarely a person can have all five planets in Kendra. Some people will have two or three mahapursha Yoga based on the planets in Kendra

Hamsa Yoga: When Jupiter occupies Kendra which should be Own house or exalted house, then Hamsa Yoga is caused. Jupiter is considered most divine planet. Person with Hamsa Yoga will be righteous and pure in mind. The strength of Yoga depends on Lagna and Kendra in which Jupiter is placed. 10th kendra is more powerful then 1st Kendra.

Malavya Yoga: When Venus occupies Kendra which should be Own house or exalted house, then Malavya Yoga is caused. Venus is the planet of fine arts, sensual pleasure and Materiel wealth. Person with Malavya yoga will be very well learned in arts, will possess all materialistic comfort, happy with wife and children.

Sasa Yoga: When Saturn occupies Kendra which should be Own house or exalted house, then Sasa Yoga is caused. As per vedic definition Sasa Yoga give the native extreme power like a ruler, to apply to the modern context the native will be head of small or medium organization based on other Yoga factors in the horoscope.

The result will vary according functional malefic or benefic. For example for Taurus Lagna Saturn occupying 10th house will create Sasa yoga. In this case Saturn becomes Yogakaraka and hence result will be extremely benefic. The next important factor is dasha bukti, if the Saturn dasha bukti comes in middle life then Yoga will be enjoyed by the native to full extend. Otherwise some benefic result will be seen during buktis

Since Sasa yoga is caused by Saturn which is natural malefic, this Yoga also indicates questionable character of the native. But in case in Moon is well placed without any affliction then native will be noble and enjoy the benefit of Sasa yoga.

Ruchaka Yoga: When Mars occupies Kendra which should be Own house or exalted house, then Ruchaka Yoga is caused. Mars is the indicator of commanding, strong physique. A person with Ruchaka yoga will be head of army, strong body, well built physique

Bhadra Yoga: When Mercury occupies Kendra which should be Own house or exalted house, then Bhadra Yoga is caused. Mercury is the planet for intelligence. A person with Bhadra Yoga will be well learned and noble.

All these Yoga will produce result according to the strength of Lagna and the planet involved with other malefic and benefic aspection and conjunction.

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Question 7

How can I learn astrology from the Internet? What are the best sources (books) regarding astrology?

Accepted Answer

Any day learning astrology with proper Guru will be more effective, the very reason for this is astrology is such a vast subject with so many resource available today you can easily carried away by irrelevant information. Having said that, you can also learn from online resource but don’t hesitate to validate them with your personal experience.

The books by Dr.B.V. Raman and K.N. Rao are best resource to get started, both of their books are detail and rational. You could also learn from their training institutes. KN Rao founded Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and Dr. B.V. Raman founded “Indian council for astrological studies” to help people learn this divine subject.

Except few YouTube channels I don’t recommend any other, as I observe many of them repeat the concepts that are already detailed in books.

Few important tips here,

Take ample time to read the concepts and never rush through the concepts.
It is normal to apply the concepts to your own chart, but don’t over do it. It is natural to decode our own birth chart first, but if someone over do it then their learning would stop.
Check as many horoscope as possible and validate the concepts you learn.
Never hesitate to break the traditional concept, if with your repeated interpretation found something new share with larger audience.
Never learn this divine subject with intention to make money. If you master this subject and have strong intention to help people then money will become byproduct.
Research, Research and Research. If someone have passion they can find astrological combination for anything.
Last but not least, use the subject to spread positive energy in the world. Help people to identify good and bad time to accelerate or apply brakes in their life. Don’t use this divine subject to fear people.

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Question 8

What are some serious life questions one should really ask an astrologer except generic questions about marriage, job and children?

Accepted Answer

Thanks for asking a very good question. Most people go to astrologers without any concrete question to ask, this is primarily due to the fact that most people visit astrologers while things are not going in the right direction. When things are not going as per wish usually a person will be stumbled on multiple issues, so mostly they would go to find one answer for all their problem.

One of the fastest ways to find the solution to an issue or challenge you are facing is to ask the right questions - Robin S. Sharma

In my view, astrology is a wonderful tool to know when to accelerate in life and to be aware of pitfalls well in advance. So asking the right questions to the astrologer would help you to get the right indication and develop a mitigation plan.

Some of the powerful question that you can ask apart from asking specific questions to your problem. As follows.

What is that one most valuable advice you would give analyzing my horoscope?

What would be the most satisfying and rewarding career according to my horoscope?

What is the most critical financial decision I should make in my life according to the planetary setup?

What kind of lifestyle is most suited to keep my health in good conditions indicated in the horoscope?

Which area of life should I give immediate attention according to planetary setup?

What should I do to keep my emotional well being?

What one belief I should challenge to make my life more rewarding and fulfilling? (of course, this question can be answered by astrologer only after interaction with clients)

These are some of the questions that quickly struck me.

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Question 9

Which house is for wealth in astrology?

Accepted Answer

Earning a good amount of money becomes the mandate in the current world. Although money can’t buy happiness, money is a powerful tool to buy comforts and conveyance in this materialistic world. The wealth can be in any form such as money, immovable assets, and precious metals. Let us look into the astrological indications of each one of this.

The 2nd house - The earning potential

In astrology, the 2nd house rules earning potential of the individual. The strong 2nd house and well placed 2nd lord indicates that the native will have free cash flow throughout life. Afflicted 2nd house or 2nd lord would indicate constant financial instability and debilitated 2nd lord would indicate longing more and more.

The 11th house - The house of gains

The 11th house refers to gains and profits one would make in business or other sources. The strong 11th house and well placed 11th lord indicates that the native will have gains. Depending upon the planet influencing the 11th house, the source of gains can be determined. For example, the strong Mercury influencing 11th house would indicate gains from commodities.

The 4th house - Immovable assets

The 4th house indicates immovable assets. The strong 4th house and well placed 4th lord indicates that the native will buy the number of immovable properties. Venus is the karaka for immovable properties. The influence of Mars with well placed Venus indicates owning landed properties and the influence of the Moon with well placed Venus indicates prosperity through beautiful homes.

Wealth through precious metals and ornaments

The Jupiter rules gold and Venus rules the beautiful ornaments made of precious metals. The well placed Jupiter and Venus indicates that gains from precious metals and ornaments. The Venus is also the ruler of material comforts, so well placed Venus in the horoscope would indicate enjoying comforts throughout life.

Rahu - For materialistic gains from foreign countries

Due to globalization individuals earning potential can grow quickly by working in the first world countries. Rahu refers to foreigners and foreign countries. Well placed Rahu in the 3rd or 10th or 11th house would indicate earning from foreign lands during Rahu Mahadasha/bukti

Wealth through inheritance

The 9th house rules father and if 4th lord has a benefic connection with 9th lord then native will carry his father’s property; If 4th lord is well placed in 2nd house(11th house from 4th house) then native will inherit property from the maternal grandfather.

Wealth through speculation and windfall gains

The 5th house rules speculation and well placed 5th house or 5th lord will give native success in speculations. The 4th house rules general conveyance and 8th house rules sudden rise or fall, so well placed 4th lord gives native enjoy conveyance(be it monetary or other). Strong 8th lord or 8th house will give sudden gains through a lottery or from similar means.

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Question 10

Which planet is responsible in astrology for highest intelligence?

Accepted Answer

The answer really depends on our understanding regarding the highest intelligence.

First, let us define what is intelligence and later will talk about my perspective on the highest intelligence. Intelligence is traditionally defined as the ability to understand and apply them in a situation. It should be noted that the word intelligence was derived from the Latin word intelligere meaning understanding. In other words, we can define intelligence as the ability to recollect stored information to apply them in a new situation.

Let us understand with an example. If a child slipped in a wet floor one time then it will store that information in the brain through a neurological connection. So next time when a similar situation happens it would recall the stored data and avoid an accident. When we say someone an intelligent, it means that the person is able to take appropriate decisions based on the stored information in the brain.

Astrologically the planet Mercury rules the nervous system and communication. Storing the information occurs in two steps, first through communication and later through neurological connections. When I say communication don’t literally take it as speaking. Our body constantly communicates with the external world through Hearing, smelling, speaking, tasting and feeling. So the Mercury is the key planet in accepting the communication and storing the information.

Now let us dig deeper, If I am able to relate one information to another completely new scenario then it is called creativity which is one step ahead of intelligence. For example, if a person is working in the medical industry able to find and adopt a new method from an engineer then we can call this as creativity. In other words,

The creativity is the ability to transcend conventional concept, patterns, relationship or the liking to create meaningful novel ideas, form, methods, interpretation.

Astrologically the Venus is the planet that rules creativity. So strong Mercury and Venus would give the ability to develop novel ideas. Since the Moon is the karaka for the mind, strong Moon is also essential for clarity of thoughts. Both intelligence and creativity will be based on our experience in this world. One can’t apply intelligence unless has experienced a similar situation in the past(including past birth).

Now comes the higher form of intelligence(in my perspective). If a person is able to understand something without any physical interaction then he/she is not bound by any physical limitations. They will be able to download information directly from the universe without the aid of any physical medium(ie: without five sense). This is how our ancient seers were able to accurately visualize(without limitation of physical eyes) all planets and distant object without any modern equipments. This higher form of intelligence is called wisdom. Astrologically the Jupiter rules wisdom.

So in summary, below is the list of the higher form of intelligence(in the order).

Mercury - a basic level of intelligence (intelligence of world)Venus - One step higher form of intelligence (one which makes was kind and compassionate)Jupiter - Higher wisdom. Infinite intelligence without any physical limitation. (One which grants ultimate level of wisdom)

The Moon will play a prominent role in all these stages of intelligence.

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