Viparita Raja yoga

Viparita Raja yoga is a special kind of Raja yoga that arises out of the weakness of the lords of the Dustasthanas i.e. of the evil bhavas or houses. The word, Viparita, in Sanskrit means the "Opposite", unexpected because the Viparita Raja yoga is basically a planetary combination/association of the lords of Dushtsthanas, which lords otherwise by virtue of their being functional malefics, during the course of their own dashas and also periodic unfavourable transits, give much pain, hardship and losses.

Dushtasthanas and their lords

Hindu astrology considers the 3rd, the 6th, the 8th and the 12th bhavas counted from the Lagna (Birth Ascendant) or from the Chandra- lagna (Natal Moon), as Dushtasthanas or evil bhavas, more importantly the latter three bhavas. Parashara has deemed the lord of the 3rd along with the lord of the 11th bhavas to be the Papa or Papi grahas (Source: Laghu Parashari). The lords of the 6th, the 8th and the 12th generally act as functional malefics and give adverse results during the course of their respective dashas and transits even if they happen to be natural benefics or simultaneously own an auspicious bhava. Parashara has termed the situation of the lord of the 6th, the 8th or the 12th, in the 6th, the 8th or the 12th other than their own as giving rise to Arishta yogas and has assigned bad results only. Auspicious yogas such as the Raja yogas and the Dhana yogas can co-exist with Arishta yogas, but then the native availing the benefits of Rajya and also riches, will remain unhappy at personal level.[1] Janardan Harji in the Second Chapter titled Bhavesha-phala nirupana of his treatise on predictive astrology Mansagari states that the lord of the 6th in 8th causes physical ailments according to the characteristic and nature of that planet; in the 12th loss of wealth, earning after immense hardship and dependence on past works and deeds. The lord of the 8th in the 6th gives great variety of problems affecting wealth, health and conduct, and in the 12th makes one insincere, dishonest, a liar, a thief or a cheat. The lord of the 12th in the 6th makes one a miser, causes Balarishta and gives weak eyesight or an eye-disease, in the 8th if a papagraha makes one aimless and unenterprising, if a benefic planet then an accumulator and a hoarder of wealth.[2] All planets are rendered weak when the Moon is devoid of strength. The Moon is easily influenced by other planets and therefore, the ava-yogas (evil yogas) caused by planets involving the Moon are generally found to be more effective which so is because of its proximity to the Earth and rapid orbital motion; a weak and ill-placed Moon can create havoc in one’s life.[3]

Lords of Dushtasthanas as functional benefics

The lords of the dushtasthanas can confer good results under certain conditions. The lord of the 6th situated in a benefic and friendly sign or navamsa either in the 10th or in the 2nd house from the lagna makes one bold and daring, in both eventualities it will be in a trine from its own house. The strong lord of the 12th exalted and aspected by benefics blesses one with many comforts and much wealth.[4] And, there is the dictum according to which rule lords of inauspicious bhavas when placed in inauspicious bhavas cease to act inauspiciously and actually tend to produce favourable results because the lords of inauspicious bhavas invariably destroy the significance of the bhavas they occupy and also by virtue of their occupation of a dushtasthana because having become themselves weak they are less prone to give their bad results. Thus, Mantreswara in his Phaladeepika has assigned favourable results when lords of the 6th, the 8th or the 12th are situated in the 6th, the 8th or the 12th house counted from the Lagna-kendra other than in their own house - the lord of the 6th in the 8th or in the 12th house confers the favourable Harsha yoga, the lord of the 8th in the 6th or in the 12th house confers the favourable Sarala yoga and the lord of the 12th in the 6th or in the 8th house confers the favourable Vimala yoga, then there is rise in status, fame and financial gains during the dasha of the planet so placed.[5]

Kalidasa in his Uttara Kalamrita vide Sloka IV.22 states that the lord of the 8th in 6th or in the 12th, the lord of the 6th in the 8th or in the 12th and the lord of the 12th in the 6th or in the 8th house from the Lagna (Ascendant) give rise to extraordinary Raja Yogas provided these lords are mutually related by conjunction or by mutual aspect or by mutual exchange of signs, and at the same time do not relate with any other planet i.e. house-lord; and in case all three are involved then a very powerful Raja yoga will arise.[6] This is the Viparita Raja yoga that confers learning, longevity, fame and prosperity, illustrious friends, success in all ventures and victory over foes. Enhanced status and financial stability in the dasha of the planet causing this yoga and which result is also witnessed in the dasha of the planet associating with it.[7] Thus, in a nativity the lord of the 3rd in the 8th house in conjunction with lord of the 6th or the 8th but devoid of influence, association or aspect of any natural benefic planet gave yoga results. Viparita Raja yoga arose because of weak position of the lords of these bad houses.[8]

There are serious doubts about the claim that the mutual exchange of signs (parivartana of houses) between dusthana lords produce Viparita Raja Yoga. The VRY concept operates on the principle that the dusthanas get weaker and less malevolent when their lords are placed in other dusthanas. In case there is a parivartana or exchange of house lords, then as per the dictums of Vedic Astrology, both houses get stronger. That is unlikely to produce any good. This is the rationale being followed by both classical sources (Phaldeepika) and brilliant modern Gurus like Barbara Pijan Lama, when they say that the lord of a negative house shouldn't be in its own house for VRY to operate. So 6th lord in 6th wouldn't produce an effective Harsha Yoga, 8th lord in 8th won't give a useful Saral Yoga et al.

The lord of the 8th exalted in the 6th house does not ipso-facto give rise to a Raja yoga even if joined by the lord of the 6th although there are those who insist that if lords of the 6th, the 8th or the 12th join in the 6th, the 8th or in the 12th or at least two of them are in any of these houses or they exchange signs only then Viparita Raja yoga arises.[9] but all insist that this yoga should be pure, that is to say, with this Raja yoga obtaining no other house lord should aspect, conjoin or associate with the lords of the Trikasthanas giving rise to the Viparita Raja yoga.[10] In the case of a Pisces lagna born, who had the lord of the 12th exalted in the 12th and the lord of the 8th was in the 6th, no Viparita Raja yoga resulted because of the lord of the 2nd and the 9th joining the lord of the 8th.[11] Morarji Desai, the former Prime Minister of India, was born with Viparita Raja yoga and he had duly availed the benefits of this yoga; he had Venus occupying the 8th house as the lord of the 12th house from the Lagna.[12]

Lord of 8th exalted in the 6th house can happen only for Tula (Venus in Meen rashi)and Dhanu (Moon in Vrishav rashi) Lagnas. In the case of Venus in Meen, the probability of exaltation is high since Venus remains exalted till the 27th degree in Meen. Whereas for Moon in Vrishav, the probability is far less since Moon is exalted only till the 3rd degree here. An exalted 8th lord is frightening per se. The chances of major tumult in life goes up manifold. A Raj Yoga, albeit Viparit, implies a major boost in the native's fortunes. In this case the trauma accompanying such "fortune" can be nerve wracking. However since the 8th is 3rd from the 6th, colleagues, siblings and neighbours can give crucial support to the native in destroying the negatives of the 6th and emerging victorious. It can be an internet buddy too!

When in 6th, an exalted 8th lord, can cut both ways. On one hand, it will transform disturbances which come out of the 6th house. Like court cases, or allegations against the native will be blown away mysteriously without the native having to do much about it. However diseases and disputes accruing out of the 6th house for Tula Lagna, can get complicated with the strong pleasure addictions of an exalted Venus in 6th. Similarly the disbalanced sentimental / emotional / psychosomatic complications brought in by an exalted Moon in the 6th (for Dhanu Lagna) can throw life out of gear. On the positive side, these diseases will come and fade mysteriously too !

One typical contemporary instance of a Viparit Raj Yoga operating is in Mamata Banerjee's (Chief Minister of West Bengal, India) chart. She has Dhanu Lagna and Vrishav Rashi (Moon in Taurus). She has other conventional Raj Yogas too. However her charmed life can only be explained by the Saral Yoga she enjoys with her 8th lord, Chandra, exalted in her 6th house. She played with taboo and danger repeatedly in her career. She came up from a disadvantaged background. She faced powerful political and Institutional foes. She broke away from India's GOP, the Indian National Congress and took away its original support base in West Bengal. This feat was achieved by only Indira Gandhi in 1969. All other break-away factions from the Congress, have faded into obscurity in India.

She teamed up with Maoist insurgents, who were on a killing spree in Bengal while she was in the opposition but suffered neither legal nor political consequences. On the contrary, she won the 2009 Parliament and 2011 State Assembly elections from West Bengal. Later she betrayed the Maoists and had their leader killed..but again no consequences ! Her party got embroiled in the Sharada mega chit fund scam but still won the 2014 Parliament elections from Bengal. Then came the Narada sting operations exposing the entire top echelon of her party in bribery scandals just prior to the 2016 State Assembly elections. But she again won, this time with more seats than last time! Her 8th Lord in the 6th ensures that despite a large number of her foot soldiers coming from amongst the lumpen proletariat, she still gets taken seriously in polite society and by Bengal's "intellectuals". It is to be noted that the 6th house signifies crime and criminals, dodgy characters and shady dealers. The presence of the 8th Lord in this house transforms the natural outcome of consorting with such elements. It gives a "spin" to this phenomenon and channelises it into politically correct sounding propositions like "subaltern empowerment" and such like!

One had heard of the "Teflon Presidency"..of Reagan, since no criticism or wrong doing ever stuck to him. Here we are seeing a Fevicol Chief Ministership, where nothing seems to be able to unseat Mamata Banerjee ! This is the gift of a strong Saral Yoga. Situations normally considered adverse for others or indulging in taboo behaviours, do not seem to bring the usual consequences to the person. S/he can literally play with fire, one can get away with things which would knock down normal mortals. In fact, each time the person gets involved in one such fracas, s/he bounces back with redoubled vigour and force. But then again, in order to sustain the benefits accruing from a VRY, one has to have other positive yogas and indications in the chart.

See also

References

  1. Ronnie Gale Dreyer. Vedic Astrology:A Guide to Fundamentals of Jyotish. Weiser Books. p. 182.
  2. Janardan Harji. Mansagari. Varanasi: Savitri Thakur Prakashan.
  3. Ravinder Kumar Soni. Planets And Their Yoga Formations. New Delhi: Pigeon Books India. p. 43. Retrieved 07.12.2012. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  4. Ravinder Kumar Soni. Planets And Their Yoga Formations. New Delhi: Pigeon Books India. p. 55. Retrieved 07.12.2012. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  5. Dr.K.S.Charak. Elements of Vedic Astrology. Institute of Vedic Astrology. p. 307.
  6. P.S.Shastri. "Uttarakalamrita". p. 91.
  7. Dr.K.S.Charak. Yogas in Astrology. Institute of Vedic Astrology. p. 174.
  8. L.R.Chawdhri. Secrets of Astrology. Sterling Publishers (P) Ltd. p. 120.
  9. Prof.Y.Krishna Murthy. Astrology and Your Future. Sura Books. p. 70.
  10. Astrological Magazine. 76. Bangalore: Raman Publications. p. 641,654.
  11. Ravinder Kumar Soni. Planets And Their Yoga Formations. New Delhi: Pigeon Books India. p. 394. Retrieved 07.12.2012. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  12. Bepin Behari. Astrological Biographies. New Delhi: Motilal banarsidass Publishers. p. 156.
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