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Jaya Jagannath

LESSON # 3: THE PARADIGM OF JYOTISH

W ritte n a n d E d ite d b y J . S a ra t C h a n d e r
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Copyright SJVC

BHOOMANDALA
Our Solar system comprises the Sun, a star, as the centre with the following planets
revolving round it in an ellipsoidal paths. Thus the paths are elliptical if projected on a flat
plane housing the earth and the Sun, but do have a vertical component of motion called
declination or Ayana. The planets as per the present level of scientific knowledge are
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune & Pluto.
However, in the concept of Bhumandala1 (Geo-centric instead of Helio-centric diagram)
as explained by Maharishi Veda Vyas in Srimad Bhagavatam, only Grahas 2 within the
Bhumandala i.e., till Saturn are taken into reckoning for the purpose of Jyotish. Treating
the Earth as center (Geocentric) and the rest of the planets going round it (while they also
are going round the Sun) they form a path round the Earth that resembles an elongated
spring whose ends have been joined to form a circle. These spring like circular paths are
called Dweepas3. Mount Meru is treated as the center while the Loka Loka mountains
on the outer border of the Dweepa formed by Saturn marks the outer boundary.
Maharishi Parasara has thus clearly delineated the outer boundary by limiting the use of
Grahas till Saturn for the purpose of Jyotish.
Following are the 7 Dweepas in their order of closeness to Bhumandala:
Chandra Dweepa formed by Moon
Budha Dweepa formed by Mercury
Sukra Dweepa formed by Venus
Surya Dweepa formed by Sun
Mangala Dweepa formed by Mars
Guru Dweepa formed by Guru
Shani Dweepa formed by Shani

Bhumandala is the plane that is perfectly perpendicular to the line from the centre of Earth to Pole Star which is known
as Dhruv Tara. It was Maharishi Vishwamitra who found Dhruv Tara. The plane of the Bhumandala is drawn by fixing
the Pole Star and relating the axis of Earth to it. There are three mandalas they are (i) Bhumandala (ii)
Bhuvamandala and (iii) Swargamandala known as Bhur Bhuva Swa in the Gayatri Mantra.
2
Graha is an object or a point in space which influences human life.
3
The path of the graha while rotating round the earth (geocentric) is like an elongated spring that has an inner and
outer radius. The space between this inner and the outer radius is defined as Dweepa. There are 7 Dweepas formed
by the 7 grahas (from Moon to Saturn) referred to by Sri Adi Sankara. The last Dweepa is formed by Saturn and the
colour of this Dweepa in Kaliyuga is golden.

Hare Rama Krishna

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Figure 1 Bhumandala (Courtesy ISKCON www.iskcon.org )

It is the above order of the 7 Dweepas which forms the order of Hora. The nodes Rahu
and Ketu are the imaginary4 nodes which are created by the interaction of the Sun (Atma)
and the Moon (Mind or Mana) with the Earth (body or Lagna). Rahu is the ascending
node while Ketu is the descending node. This completes the nine graha scheme
propounded by Maharishi Parasara.

BHA CHAKRA/BHAVISHYA CHAKRA/RASI CHAKRA

[ THE ZODIAC ]
As known, Vedic astrology is centred round the Sun and Moon, the luminaries, with five
of the nine planets in our solar system and the two nodes taken into reckoning. The
Zodiac5 comprises 3600 and is divided into two halves of 180 degrees each. One half
being the Sun's half (Dakshinayana, meaning Dakshin (South) + ayana (direction) Southerly direction) beginning at 0 degrees Leo to 0 degrees Aquarius - known as the
Surya Hora. The other half being the Moon's half (Uttarayana, meaning Uttara (North) +
ayana (direction) - Northerly direction), beginning 1 degree Aquarius to 30 degrees
Cancer - known as the Chandra Hora.
The two halves (180 degrees each) are further divided into six divisions of 30 degrees
each and the five planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) are given rulership
of 30 degrees each on each half with the Sun and the Moon. Thus, there are six
divisions of the 180 degrees on each side. The Sun rules the Dakshinayana and also Leo
while the Moon rules the Uttarayana and also Cancer. These two signs for the starting
point for the determination of ownership of the other signs. The five planets from Mercury

Rahu and Ketu are treated as Aparaksha grahas or abstract planets.

The 360 degrees of the zodiac is based on the system of mathematical system of 60s prevalent then:
360 degrees
=
60 Ghatikas
1 Ghati
=
60 Pal
1 Pal
=
60 Vipal
which is something similar to our present system
of 60 secs. = 1 minute and 60 minutes = 1 hour.]

Hare Rama Krishna

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Raths Lectures www.sjvc.net

to Saturn own two signs each on the basis of their proximity to the Sun. Thus, Gemini and
Virgo being closest to Leo and Cancer are owned by Mercury, the planet closest to the
Sun. Taurus and Gemini next to these are owned by Venus the planet following Mercury
in its proximity to the Sun. Thereafter Mars owns Aries and Scorpio, Jupiter owns
Sagittarius and Pisces ans Saturn the furtherest, owns Aquarius and Capricorn.
Thus, the six divisions on each side of the two halves gives us the 12 sign Zodiac or Rasi
signs beginning from:
0 deg. Leo to 30 deg. Leo
Simha
0 deg. Virgo to 30 deg. Virgo
Kanya
0 deg. Libra to 30 deg. Libra
Thula
0 deg. Scorpio to 30 deg. Scorpio
Vrishchik
0 deg. Sagitarius to 30 deg. Sagitarius Dhanur
0 deg. Capricorn to 30 deg. Capricorn Makar
0 deg. Aquarius to 30 deg. Aquarius
Kumbh
0 deg. Pisces to 30 deg. Pisces
Meena
0 deg. Aries to 30 deg. Aries
Mesha
0 deg. Taurus to 30 deg. Taurus
Vrishabha
0 deg. Gemini to 30 deg. Gemini
Mithuna
0 deg. Cancer to 30 deg. Cancer
Kark
The above is explained in the following diagram:
Figure 2 Aho-ratra & Uttara & Dakshina Ayana forming the two fold division of the Zodiac.

TATWA: THE
ELEMENTARY STATES OF
EXISTANCE
Tatwa means the physical state
of existence of matter and
energy. The universe consists
five tatwa. They are:
1. Solid state
:
Prithivi tatwa
2. Liquid state
:
Jala tatwa
3. Gaseous state
:
Vayu tatwa
4. Vacuum state
:
Akaasha tatwa
5. Energy
:
Agni tatwa (in the
form of light & heat)

Hare Rama Krishna

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Figure 3A: GURU CHAKRA Or SQUARE Southern system

Figure 3B: BRIGHU CHAKRA Or DIAMOND (SHUKRA) Northern system

Hare Rama Krishna

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Figure 3C: SURYA CHAKRA Eastern System

The beginning of the Rasi Chakra/Bha Chakra is 0 deg. Aries. This is fixed on the basis
of the principle of Chitra Paksha* wherein, a common point after Rohini Yogatara (in
Meen (Pisces) rasi), which is opposite Chitra Yogatara (in Kanya (Virgo) rasi) emanates
at 0 deg. Mesh (Aries) rasi which is taken as the beginning of the Bha Chakra.
[Note:

Refer to Saravali for the method of fixation of zero degree

Aries as the beginning of the zodiac/Bha Chakra]

This system of 12 signs, also known as the Dwadasaditya6 system, is the first leg and the
most accurate and powerful system of Hora Shastra.
Illustration: Let us draw the chart of a person born on the 7th august 1963 at 9:15 PM
IST at Sambalpur India (21N28, 84E01).
The planets in the sky at the time of birth are given in Figure 4. These are mapped into a
Surya chakra as is seen in Figure 5. The chart as drawn in the Brighu Chakra and Guru
Chakra are given in Figure 6 & 7 respectively.

Dwadasaditya: Dwadas = 12 + Aditya = Sun, meaning the 12 signs of the Sun.

Hare Rama Krishna

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Raths Lectures www.sjvc.net

Figure 4: Sky Map of 7 th August 1963 at 9:15 PM IST at Sambalpur India (21N28, 84E01).

Figure 5: Surya Chakra (East Indian drawn on the basis of Sky map)

Hare Rama Krishna

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Figure 6: Brighu Chakra (North Indian Chart)

Figure 7: Guru Chakra (South Indian Chart)

DRUSYA & ADRUSYA RASI: From the Figure 4 of the sky map you will also observe
that the portion of the zodiac from the Descendant (exact cusp of 7th house) to the

Hare Rama Krishna

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Ascendant (Exact cusp of Lagna) is the visible portion (Drisya). The portion from the
Cusp of the Lagna to the Cusp of the seventh house is the invisible portion (Adrisya).
This leads to one of the concepts of Bhava (House) which is based on Lagna cusp plus
30 Deg. However, the general rule is that the signs from Lagna to the sixth house are in
the invisible hemisphere (Adrisya Rasi) whereas the signs from the Seventh house to the
twelfth house are visible (Drisya Rasi).

ASSIGNMENT
1. Why do the five planets have lordship of two houses whereas the luminaries have
ownership of one house only?
2. Determine the ayana of the planets in the horoscope of a native born on 7th August
1963 at 9:15 PM IST at 21N28, 84E01 (Sambalpur India)
3. Determine the Ayana of the Moon in your horoscope and also the days after your birth
when the Moon changed the ayana.
4. Attempt to explain the Mantra given inside the Bha Chakra.
5. Derive the order of the weekdays from the order of the seven Dwipa. Is there any
correlation between the speed of the planets and the seven Horas?
6. What are the Drisya and Adrisya signs? What do they imply?

O m Tat Sat

Hare Rama Krishna