9 Basic Elements of Jyotish Shastra with its significance

Jyotish Shastra, also known as Hindu Astrology or Vedic Astrology, is a divine knowledge on knowing the future). With its help, a man can foresee the good and bad events that are going to happen in his life. There are various elements that affect the system of Jyotisha in many ways. All elements of Vedic astrology have their own significance in predicting one’s future.

Basic Elements of Vedic Astrology

Some of the major elements of Vedic astrology are discussed below:

1. Gocharas – The Transits

Gochara is the study of planetary movement from the Natal moon (Moon placement in our Birth chart). Natal Moon is taken as the starting point for the transiting planets. In predicting Gochara results, the moon plays a prominent role. The zodiac sign in which your natal moon is placed is known as Janma Rashi (Birth Sign).

Though the planetary positions in our horoscope are fixed, the planets continue to move. Planets take varying periods to move from one Rashi to another Rashi.

2. Rashis – Signs Of The Zodiac

Personality Traits of Women According to Hindu Astrology

Rashis (The Zodiacs) shows the constellation in which the Sun is located at the time of our birth. The zodiac is a twelve-fold division of the Sun’s apparent path along the ecliptic. Twelve segments of the sky have been given names and certain constellations associated with each. Such as:

  1. Mesha (Aries – Ramp or Sheep)
  2. Vrishabha (Taurus – The Bull)
  3. Mithun (Gemini – A Pair, twins, sexual union or a junction)
  4. Kark (Cancer – Pliability, emotion, and the quality of sympathetic appreciation)
  5. Simha (Leo – Lion)
  6. Kanya (Virgo – Feminine, Female Power )
  7. Tula (Libra – Scales of balance)
  8. Vrishchika (Scorpio – Cavity or hiding place)
  9. Dhanusha (Sagittarius – The transformation of the beast into a human being)
  10. Makara (Capricorn – Involvement of the individual in the process of the universalization of human energy)
  11. Kumbha (Aquarius – The water bearer and the water flowing from a pitcher)
  12. Meena (Pisces – Two Fish)

3. Kundali – The Natal Chart

Kundali is a map representing the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and astrological aspects at the time of an event. Basically, it is defined as a map of the sky and the planets, typically the moment of a person’s birth. Hence, it is also known as the Birth Chart.

There are many methods of charting the twelve houses. Some are circular, some rectangular, some box-like formations, and others in geometrical form, but they all represent the 360° of the celestial horizon.

4. Bhavas – The Houses

On a Kundali, the astrologers draw the physical-astronomical diagram and enter into the realm of spiritual forces in order to predict the effect of the various forces impinging upon the individual, which is known as Bhavas.

The Vedic system of astrology consists of twelve houses, and each house has its own allegation, own meanings, and values. It is also about understanding major happenings in your life. So every house affects many parts of one’s life, and each house is divided into many Nakshatras. This is one of the reasons kundali matching for marriage is advised by good astrologers.

5. Nakshatras – The Lunar Mansions

The Nakshatras are the central axes around which Hindu astrology rotates. There are twenty-eight Nakshatras forming the circle of 360°. These lunar mansions should be carefully studied to predict the future of an individual. The Moon has a special relationship with the Nakshatras which alters the character of a horoscope. The very nature of the Moon is different in different Nakshatras.

The three Gunas — Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas — also affect each Nakshatra differently. The Nakshatras are also categorized according to the four basic motivations of a human being, Artha (meaningful action), Karma (passional action), Dharma (righteous action), and Moksha (liberation, karma-less action).

6. Grahas – The Planets

There are Nava Grahas (nine planets) in the Jyotish Shastra and they include:

  1. Surya (the Sun)
  2. Chandra (the Moon)
  3. Mangal (Mars)
  4. Budha (Mercury)
  5. Guru or Brihaspati (Jupiter)
  6. Shukra (Venus)
  7. Shani (Saturn)
  8. Rahu (North Node)
  9. Ketu (South Node)

These Nava Grahas are the forces that capture the mind of a human being. When the Grahas are active in their Dasha (periodicities), they are particularly empowered to direct the affairs of the person. Also, Grahas are always busy capturing us in some way or the other, for better or for worse.

7. Dasha – The Planetary Period

Jyotish Shastra

“Dasha” means ‘condition’, ‘state’, ‘circumstance’, ‘period of life’, or ‘planetary period’ in Jyotish Shastra. The Dasha pattern shows which planets according to Jyotish will be ruling at particular times. The planetary periods indicate when the good or bad effects are produced according to their placement by sign (Rashi), House (Bhava), Combinations (Yogas) or Aspects (Drishti). Each Dasha is controlled by one of the nine planets so it is also known as Graha Dasha.

8. Drishti – The Aspects

Drishti in Jyotish Shastra refers to energies at great distances; the respective mass of each planet generates and radiates its own specific energy field. At times these planetary aspects take a lead over planetary combination. Planetary aspects play an important role in predicting future events.

Aspects can be cast both by the planets (Graha Drishti) and by the signs (Rashi Dṛishti). Planetary aspects are a function of desire, while sign aspects are a function of awareness.

9. Yoga – Special Planetary Combination

Yoga- ‘union’ is a combination of planets placed in a specific relationship to each other. Yuga or Yoga is one of the unique predictive tools of Vedic Astrology. Yoga is a predefined rule taking Planets, Signs, or Vedic Astrological aspects into account.

Types of Yogas in Vedic Astrology

Raja Yoga is Subha (‘auspicious’) Yoga that gives success, a grand rise in career or business, and a greater degree of financial prosperity, particularly during the Dasha of the planets that give rise to Raja Yoga. However, these results get adversely modified by the presence of other Ashubha (‘inauspicious’) and Aristha Yogas.

Dhana Yoga is an astrological combination of wealth and prosperity. Dhana Yoga – causes planets and the Bhavas associate with earning, acquisition, and accumulation of wealth. Jupiter is one of the natural Dhana-karaka (significator of wealth); a strong Jupiter gives lifelong prosperity and financial stability.

Sanyasa Yoga in Hindu astrology is the peculiar planetary situations or combinations seen in certain horoscopes that indicate Sanyasa i.e., renunciation of worldly material life by persons born with those Yoga.

Conclusion

Jyotish Shastra is the system of making human life more stable and pleasant and is very primitive. Vedic Astrology has been utilized on earth basically for the betterment of the individual.

Hence, the above-mentioned elements play a vital role in knowing about the family’s positive and negative upcoming events. Also, it would help us to take some timely remedial measures such as Graha puja, Homas, Rudra pooja, etc if required.