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SA Volunteer: Shrikanth Gopalan
(Taken From Astrological Magazine Of Raman Saheb, Oct 1997 Issue)
SRI GHANASHYAM DAS BIRLA
once observed: “I do not undertake to analyse two things – horoscope and the statute. Otherwise I analyse, very thoroughly, the pros and cons of each of my word, thought and action so thoroughly that I seldom commit an uninsurable or costly mistake.” But he hastened to clarify, “What I mean is that one’s capacity to analyse a horoscope, i.e., application of the principles of astrology, does not at all depend upon book knowledge alone. It is something beyond commonsense-conception”.
Euphemism apart, there is a sensible dose of latent truth in this expression because our Rishis and savants have been so perfect in their diction and expression that every one – be it an ordinary villager or an extraordinary genius of a scientist – can understand the niceties and the wisdom of astrological aphorisms in his own unique way. Esteemed readers will remember that Dr. B. V. RAMAN made a thrilling disclosure recently in an AIR symposium that a simple line of a sloka meant ordinarily as a prayer to Lord Krishna, contained an intricate formula to decipher the arithmetical value of Pi.
We now turn to the topic of our discussion, Niceties of Stree Jataka.
In the fourth chapter of Brihat Jataka the first sloka reads as follows:
कुजेन्दु हेतु प्रतिमासमार्त्तवं गते पीडर्क्षमनुष्ण दीधितौ।
अतोन्यथास्थे शुभपुंग्रहेक्षिते नरेण संयोगमुपैति कामिनी॥
The sloka ordinarily means that “every month ladies undergo (periodical) menstruation which manifests on account of (the transit of) the Moon and Mars, i.e., when the Moon (aspected by) Mars passes through Anupachaya houses, i.e., houses other than the 3rd, the 6th, the 10th and the 11th from the radical Moon. When the Moon is in houses other than the above (i.e., upachaya houses) aspected by a (soumya) benefic, masculine planet the (young) lady (has tendency to and) approaches (her mate) with a view to having (permissible) sexual-intercourse. This pins down the incidence of planned parenthood to perhaps one particular day (or two days at the most!) in a month subject of course to other conditions and environment.
Some of the expressions employed by Varaha Mihira in this sloka are not only deep in meaning but are highly significant, educative, philosophical and thought provoking.
Firstly the stanza indicates the age of the ladies who are usually covered by this rule. Secondly it lays down the planetary combinations for monthly periods and the day or days when the lady will be receptive to fecundation. Thirdly it reveals the hygienic and physiological aspects of menstruation. Fourthly it introduces self restraints on the conduct. Fifthly it implies remedial measures for treating girls whose ovarian development is below normalcy and/or whose menstrual flow is erratic; and, sixthly it specifies the philosophical way of life including (voluntary) birth control, and the rationale of married life.
We shall now deal with each of these aspects in detail.
The rule states that the effect of Mars and the Moon (Kujendu Hetu) manifests in menstruation. It does not precisely clarify whether the Moon and Mars should be in conjunction or in mutual aspect or Mars aspecting the Moon or the Moon obtaining numerous shadvargas of Mars. But Saravali clarifies this doubt when it states that Mars “should” aspect the Moon to cause menstruation. Mars rules bile and Moon rules blood. Menstruation is in fact a periodical cleansing process of the uterus in the woman to enable her to receive any time the seed for fecundation. The dirt comes out in the form of rajas (or aarthavam) which, among others, is a chemical composition of impurities of blood and excess of bile. Mars represents fire (agni) while the Moon represents water (jala), It is the combination of these two energies (agni and jala) that creates bile which is the purifying agent. Therefore the aspect of Mars on the Moon while the latter is in an Anupachaya house from the radical Moon, periodically creates menstruation. This principle is also taken into consideration while fixing Muhurtha for nuptials, ie., should the time (Lagna) of nuptials be fixed so that the Moon transits the 2nd, the 4th, the 5th, the 8th, the 9th or the 12th house and the Moon is also aspected by or is conjoined with Mars, the nuptials will have to be postponed mainly due to menstruation of the girl at a given time. Hence selection of Lagna for marriage with the Moon in the 3rd, the 6th, the 7th, the 10th or the 11th.
In Stree Jataka presence of Rahu in the 4th house, especially with the Moon, indicates non-development of ovary glands. When Rahu is aspected by Mars, the native does not come of age in the normal course. Even if she comes of age, very late, she will have erratic menstruation or may not have periods for months together. Especially this happens when the 4th house is a dry Rasi or the lord of the 4th occupies a dry (inimical) sign and the 4th is not aspected by Jupiter beneficially. Saturn in the 9th, unless he is exalted or is in his own house and is free of Rahu’s conjunction, indicates that the native may not know what labour pain means. It is understood that these malefic effects get reduced when the 4th or the 9th house or Mars is aspected by or conjoined with Jupiter or powerful Venus. For a girl to live in this world either without usual menses or without begetting a child means living in the hell no matter whether she is rich or poor, educated or otherwise or modern or traditional.
In Ayurveda indu is the name for edible camphor and kujaa (seeta) is the herbal name for pippal (known in Tamil as tippli). The best and harmless medicine in the world to (a) induce menstruation or (b) cause abortion within 39 days of conception is to prepare a strong decoction of pippal and edible camphor and take it (with honey) twice, an empty stomach for three days. In fact this is popularly known as Devadasi Oushadhi.
उपकुल्या रजस्सिद्धं शीतं वा पाण्डमेव वा।
सकर्पूरं पिबेदंबुं रजस्साम्याय मात्रया॥
Mars is also known as Angaraka. In Aaswineya Samhita there is a sloka which prescribes medicine for menstrual maladies:
अंगारवल्लरीमूलव ल्कलेन शृतं जलं।
ईषत् कर्पूर संयुक्तं रजस्साम्य करं परं॥
Take the peelings of the root of Angaaravallari and make a decoction of it adding (edible) camphor. Taking this kashaaya (decoction) as prescribed removes maladies of menstruation.
Angaravallari represented by Mars (Angaaraka – Mars) and camphor (known as indu) become useful and handy medicine for inducing menstruation. And it is a matter of common knowledge that the flow of menstrual fluid increases in direct proportion to the nearness of the Moon and Mars at any given time.
Coming of age, in India, is anywhere between 12 and 15 years. Barring exceptional cases a girl becomes reproductive only at the age of 15/16. Ashtaanga Sangraha states:-
Poornah shodasha varshaa stree poorna vimsena samgata.
It further states that at the age of 50/51 a woman attains menopause. In Sanskrit the numerical value of Kaamini is 51 and Mika (reverse of Kaamini) is 15. Hence the word Kaamini in the sloka applies to those only in the reproductive ages though not necessarily in menopause age. The term nara is also very significant here.
Ayurvedic authorities emphasise that immediately after her monthly periods a girl is more sexual minded than after 1o days of her “taking bath”. Hence Acharya Varaha Mihira states that when the Moon is passing over the 3rd, the 6th, the 10th and the 11th Rasis (from the radical Moon of a girl) and is aspected by a benefic masculine planet the girl has a tendency to seek her mate. There is, of course a bit of confusion here.
Jupiter is the only natural benefic planet who is masculine. The other one, Mercury, is not a masculine planet as such and the Sun, though a masculine and soumya, is not a natural benefic. Mercury is capable of being masculine in odd signs provided he is out of the combustion range. The exalted Sun is also considered to be a natural benefic and a soumya. Therefore it is proper to presume that if the Moon so transiting (upachaya houses) is aspected by Jupiter or Mercury from an odd sign or the Sun from Aries, the girl gets a tendency to approach her mate.
Let us see the contemporary views about this.
Baadarayana Hora states:
पुरुषोपचय गृह्स्थो गुरूणा यदि दृश्यते।
हिममयूखः स्त्रीनरयोस्संयोगं तदा वदेदन्यपा नैवं॥
Saravali gives a deviation:
उपचयसंस्थश्शार भृद्ष्टो गुरुणा सुहृत्भिरय वासौ ।
पुंसां करोति योगं विशेषतश्शुक्र संदृष्टः॥
These two are the formulae mainly for begetting progeny in contrast with the tendency of the girl (Kaamini) to seek pleasure. But the real essence of the Hora sloka is that if the couple enter into consummation when the planetary position is identical in both cases the man and the woman, the Moon transiting the upachaya houses from the respective radical Moon and receiving beneficial aspect of a Soumya-Purusha-graha, the woman conceives invariably provided of the course that such union is immediately after her monthly period and if she is in the reproductive age.
We will now examine why the Acharya uses the word “anushna deedthiti” to indicate the Moon. Is there any special astrological significance for this? Yes, certainly. It literally means moderately cold-emitting (planet)”.
Mercury has a peculiar tendency. If he conjoins a planet other than the Sun, he enhances the peculiar quality of that planet. Mars by nature is a hot planet. When Mercury conjoins him, Mars becomes more and more hot. Therefore by this specification Varaha Mihira has clarified that Mars alone-bereft of Mercury’s influence should aspect the Moon in Anupachaya house to cause menstruation. This view is fortified by other authors too.
Skanda Hora explains the planetary interaction like this:
स्वतः क्रूरेक्षणो भौमस्सचेदिन्दु भुवायुतः।
सुरतां तेन तद दृष्टि सौम्यस्योष्णयति त्विषः॥१॥
भौमेन वेक्षिते चन्द्रे पीडर्क्षमधितस्थुषि।
तत्फले ग्रहिजानीयादव केश्यन्यथा भवेत्॥२॥
The second sloka clearly prohibits aspects other than that of Mars. This type of restricted aspect is more or less supported by this sloka culled out from Brihat Praajapatya:
इन्दौ भौमेन निर्ल्लीढे पीडर्क्षमधितस्थुषि।
रजसः स्त्रवणं स्त्रीणां सफलं निर्दिशोत् बुधः॥
Let me now close this article after dealing with one more useful aspect.
I have cited certain astrological aspects because of which a girl either does not come of age in time or the menstruation does not manifest in her regularly or periodically. I do not wish to go in this article into the praarabdha karma which results in such conditions. But in this particular case, I have said, the native’s predicament is caused by the Moon in the 4th house, Pisces with Rahu and aspected by Mars (from Leo) who is conjoined with Saturn. Jupiter and Venus are in the 2nd house. The Sun and Mercury are in Scorpio. Rahu in the 4th house gives woman a masculine appearance as the 4th Bhava represents breasts. Saturn in the 9th house, for causing barrenness, adds to the lack of growth of ovaries and glands. The planets involved in this unfortunate case are the Moon, Rahu, Mars and Saturn. According to Varaha Mihira, “Kujendu hetu” is the main cause for causing menstruation (or connected maladies). Both are badly afflicted. Which is why therefore the planet that should be propitiated in such circumstances.
This is dealt wit in astrological texts as follows.
ताभ्यं संभूय यत्पित्तं क्रियते तेन तावुभौ।
प्रग्रह्य देवतामेकां प्रीणयेश्च जपादिना॥
This, of course; is in addition to oushadhi or medicines. Because it is a fundamental principle that:
जन्मांतर कृतं पापं व्याधिरूपेण जायते।
तश्चान्तिरौर्षधैर्दानैर्जपहोमार्चनादिभिः॥
All that the writer wants to stress is that a serious student of astrology will have to delve deep into the ocean of this science. The credit, unquestionably, goes to our esteemed Editor Dr. B V RAMAN who, liberally, allows equal opportunities to all readers to discuss various niceties of astrology in the columns of the great THE ASTROLOGICAL MAGAZINE.
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