The One with the Introduction to Astrology

Quiet a few eminent astrologers like The Great Sri KN Rao ji and The legendary Raman saab have written about the greatness of the science called Vedic Astrology. They have all contributed greatly to its popularity around the world. I pay my humble respects to all of them and to all those around the world who have embraced vedic astrology as their own. There is not much that I could possibly write now that has not been written before.

My blog is a humble attempt to take this great tradition forward.

My introduction to astrology happened quiet a few years ago when I was in a little obscure town in coastal AP. I was always fascinated with this subject. But I never knew how this magical science worked. Those were the days of pre-liberalized India. Internet was not known to that generation. DD-1 was the only channel on TVs. So you get the picture.

As the only male child of a rather middle class family, I had huge expectations running on me to be a brilliant student and relieve my family of its financial mess (phew!!). I had my first reading done when I was in my 10th standard. I could never forget that day. The well meaning astrologer had predicted excellent future ahead for me. But shortly after that my dream world came crashing down right in front of me. My 10th class results (though I got above 82%) shattered my confidence and self esteem. I was not even my school topper. My +1 was not good either. I probably even lost my faith in god during that time. In retrospect, it all seems silly to lose faith over such a trivial issue. But my education was my life those days.

Then during +2, when I was running Saturn Mahadasha, we meet another astrologer who, to my dismay, predicted severe consequences during Sat-Sun and Sat-Moon periods. Unfortunately, most of his predictions came true and ironically that's when I got my faith back. I wanted to learn this great art of prediction but did not have the means nor time to do it.Internet was still a rarity not to mention expensive. You could not give up 24X7 engineering entrance exam prep to go join a vedic school. That was unthinkable.

So my real interest in learning astrology came much later.. when I was in my second year of IIM Ahmedabad. The Internet had already taken the world by storm. There were thousands of wannabe rich astrology websites overloading gullible readers with gyan on Parashara and varahamihira. That was my first bursh with the secrets of this science. I get hold of a few sources of astro knowledge and started learning this seriously.

I am a huge fan of Steffi Graf. So naturally that was the first chart I wanted to analyze in this forum. But let me do that later. I luv Lord Rama too much to analyze anything else in my first post.

Wikipedia says: Aadi kavi Valmiki thus describes Lord Rama's Natal Chart

"On completion of the ritual six seasons have passed by and then in the twelfth month, on the ninth day of Chaitra month [March-April], when the presiding deity of ruling star of the day is Aditi, where the ruling star of day is Punarvasu (Nakshatra), the asterism is in the ascendant, and when five of the nine planets viz., Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus are at their highest position, when Jupiter with Moon is ascendant in Cancer, and when day is advancing, then Queen Kausalya gave birth to a son with all the divine attributes like lotus-red eyes, lengthy arms, roseate lips, voice like drumbeat, and who took birth to delight the Ikshwaku dynasty, who is adored by all the worlds, and who is the greatly blessed epitome of Vishnu, namely Rama"



Lord Rama's Chart depicts a classic example of the manifestation of the greatest form of Rajayoga's called the Pancha Mahapurusha Yogas. It has Jupiter, Saturn and Mars Exalted in Kendras creating 3 of the coveted Pancha(five) Mahapurusha Yogas.
1) Jupiter: The benign Guru and 9th lord exalted in lagna creating the highest form of Hamsa Yoga, causing Spiritual enlightenment, excellent intellect and a pious nature.
2) Saturn retrograded and exalted in 4th House causing Sasa Yoga: Making Lord Rama a great leader with huge mass attraction and appeal.
3) Mars Exalted in his 7th House causing Ruchaka Yoga, making lord Rama perhaps the greatest and most fearsome warrior earth has ever known.

Yet this very placement of planets also caused him considerable grief that he endured throughout the duration of his great incarnation.
I will discuss some aspects of these in a different post.

Please keep reading and post your valuable comments for my benefit.