Traditionally, astrology is taught using the birth chart of Lord Rama. He is called the ‘Maryada Purushotama’ or the ideal man. So, being a divine incarnation of Lord Vishnu as well as an exemplary man, his chart must have indications of his uniqueness.
Sun Placement Controversy
As per the respected Astrology expert Shri K. N. Rao, Navami Tithi requires that there should be 96 degrees between the Sun and the Moon. So, if Moon is in Punarvasu, that is, within 3 degrees and 20 minutes of Cancer, the Sun has to be in Pisces. It is only if the Sun were in Pisces/Meena could the Tithi be Navami. However, most of the astrologers place the Sun in the 10th house. So, the 5 planets that are exalted (Uccha) or in own (Swa) house are Jupiter exalted in Cancer/Karkata, Moon in own house Cancer/Karkata, Saturn exalted in Libra/Tula, Mars exalted in Capricorn/Makara and Venus exalted in Pisces/Meena.
The Birth Chart With The More Controversial Mercury And Sun Placements
The More Commonly Used Birthchart Of Lord Rama
Some astrologers who interpret the Shloka as five exalted planets instead of five ‘own and exalted’, place the Sun in Aries. The Sun in this position gives a Chakravarthy Yoga that gives health power and greatness.
Mercury And Saturn Placement
Mercury as the third lord in 10th house shows that the younger siblings do well. So, Mercury the 12th lord aspecting the 4th house also indicates the exile of Lord Ram. Saturn in the 4th house indicates separation or going away from the home. This happened in the life of Lord Rama. Also, Saturn in the 4th house is the 7th lord in the 4th house. When Mercury is in the 10th house it aspects the 7th lord which also indicates that Sita also went to the forest with Lord Ram. Saturn in the 4th gave Lord Ram a very steady, focused and enduring nature. It also spoiled his married life and his ascending to the throne by its aspect on the 7th and 10th houses.
The argument for the placement of Mercury in the 11th house shows that the planet that denotes the intelligence of the person is in the house of gain. It is also the house of friends and we see in the life of Lord Rama that he had many friends who helped him through the struggles to get Sita back. However, this Mercury being the lord of the 12th (loss, long-travel away from birthplace) and also the third lord (brothers) caused the loss, as well as an exile and the throne given to the brother of Lord Ram.
Yogas
Moon and an exalted Jupiter in the first house form a beautiful Gaja Kesari Yoga that matches with Lord Rama’s life. It indicates his knowledge, virtuousness and wisdom. Exalted Jupiter receives the aspect of exalted Mars making a person with Dharma and moral strength that is unparalleled. Mars also harms his marital happiness. This same exalted Mars made Lord Ram a warrior par excellence.
The Maha Purusha Yogas that are seen in this chart are Hamsa Yoga, Shasha Yoga and Ruchaka Yoga. Venus in the 9th is a good placement for wealth and fortune. But as Venus is not a good planet for the Cancer Lagna it also soured his marital life. Rahu in the 6th in Sagittarius matches the image we have of Lord Ram as a warrior bearing a bow.
Beginners can learn the many benefits of exalted planets and the wonderful Yogas that are present in the chart. They can also learn how even when well placed, a malefic planet’s aspect will cause havoc in some area.
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Tuesday 10 September 2013
SRI RAMA'S BIRTH DATE AND NASA'S PLANETARIUM SOFTWARE
This post in no manner claims that the birth of Sri Rama occurred on the date that has been calculated by the Planetarium Software of NASA. But this post does uphold the view that Sri Rama could not have been born on any date later than the one calculated by Planetarium Software. Here's why:
According to Valmiki Ramayana, Sri Rama was born on the 9th day or the ninth tithi, also known as Navami, of the waxing moon fortnight, otherwise known as 'Shukla Paksh', in the month of Chaitra, sometime in antiquity.
The other pointers to the planetary positions at the time of Sri Rama's birth in Valmiki Ramayana are that Sri Ram's birth ascendant was Cancer, the day was advancing which indicates that the birth happened between 12 noon and 1 pm, that five of the seven planets were exalted. It also says that Moon was placed with Jupiter. In saying that the presiding deity is Aditi, Rishi Valmiki indicates that Sri Rama was born in the Punarvasu Nakshatra.
This also indicates that Moon had to be located between 0 degrees to 3.20 degrees of Cancer, since it is only between 0-3'20 degrees of Cancer, when Moon is associated with Cancer in the Punarvasu Nakshatra.
In one shot Rishi Valmiki describes all the planetary positions we need to calculate Sri Rama's birth chart. Here is the verse from Valmiki Ramayana:
ततो यज्ञे समाप्ते तु ऋतूनाम् षट् समत्ययुः |
ततः च द्वादशे मासे चैत्रे नावमिके तिथौ || १-१८-८
नक्क्षत्रे अदिति दैवत्ये स्व उच्छ संस्थेषु पंचसु |
ग्रहेषु कर्कटे लग्ने वाक्पता इंदुना सह || १-१८-९
प्रोद्यमाने जगन्नाथम् सर्व लोक नमस्कृतम् |
कौसल्या अजनयत् रामम् सर्व लक्षण संयुतम् || १-१८-१०*
By deduction we also know that Sun was in Aries, Mars in Capricorn, Jupiter in Cancer, Venus in Pisces and Saturn in Libra. Sun and Venus are always within 47 degrees of each-other and that condition is fulfilled if Sun is in Aries and Venus is in Pisces. If Sun and Venus are exalted, Mercury cannot be exalted because Mercury is always within 28 degrees of the Sun. If Sun is in Aries, Mercury cannot be in its exaltation sign Virgo. Aries and Virgo are too far apart.
Since Moon and Jupiter are together in Cancer in the first house or ascendant, it caused one of the best forms of Gaj Kesari Yoga. Jupiter is exalted, and Moon is in its own sign in Cancer. What could be better than that! And five exalted planets made him divine, an emperor whose fame has refused to fade away. But we are looking at Lord Rama's planetary positions here from a point of view of astronomy, and not astrology! Though both are intricately tied up with one another!!
This planetary data was fed into the Planetarium Software, a software which is now declassified, (it was earlier not available to public) and was used by NASA to calculate the exact position of planets for any given date - past, present or future, within a limit (unknown). The closest date from today into the past, for which the planetary data of Lord Rama's birth fits in, is 10th January, 5114 BC. Since then, this combination has never occurred in the skies which implies Sri Ram was born no later than 5114 BC.
On January 10th 5114 BC, Sun is exalted in Aries, exalted Jupiter and Moon are in Gaj Kesari Yoga in Cancer, Saturn is exalted in Libra, Mars is exalted in Capricorn, Venus is exalted in Pisces,
but Mercury is debilitated in Pisces.
Calculations as per the Planetarium Software
So why does Sri Ram's birth in 5114 BC fall in the month of January and not in March-April as it does today. In other words, why does lunar month Chaitra coincide with March-April and not with January as it did in 5114 BC. This is due to the shift in the precession of the equinox.
The Shift of the Precession of the Equinox: The positions of the Equinoxes move westward along the ecliptic compared to the fixed stars on the celestial sphere. This annual motion is about 1 degree every 71.6 years. A complete Precession cycle covers a period of 25,765 (71.6 * 360) years, during which time the equinox regresses over 360°. This journey over 25,765 years covers the 12 zodiacs of the sky so that the sun rises on the vernal equinox in the same zodiac for about 2,150 years.
Today, the Sun rises in the background of Pisces on the vernal equinox. We are almost at the end of this cycle. The Sun will rise in the background of Aquarius from 2150 AD onward. 2150 years back (calculated from 2150 AD) that is from 1 AD to 2150 BC, the Sun rose with Aries in the background of vernal equinox, another 2150 years before that, i.e. 4300-2151 BC, in Taurus and from 6450 - 4300 BC in Gemini! This almost 4 sign-shift in the precession of the equinox accounts for the roughly 4- month shift from January to April in Sri Ram's birthday month of Chaitra.
But one cannot jump to any conclusions with the results of this calculation. To prove exactly when Sri Rama walked the earth in a human avatar all other details mentioned by Valmiki must be analysed.
One such detail is the mention of the four-tusked elephant that Sri Hanuman sees at Ravana's palace at Lanka. The four-tusked elephant lived from 12 million to 1.6 million ago when it became extinct.
Research and studies are going on around the world onthe extinct four-tusked elephant
Given this time frame, measuring the antiquity of the Ramayana in terms of the 'yugas' that the Rishis have mentioned is far more scientific than the few thousand years we are allowed to think by mainline historians. And to pass off facts, only because they are beyond our comprehension, as myths is the biggest disservice.
