Scriptures speak of ashta pashas - 8 nooses - that bind a soul to an individual identity.

Liberation
requires breaking free from these nooses. These 8 nooses are also symbolically represented in the
8th chapter of "Durga Saptashati" (Chandipath) by 8 classes of demons killed by Divine Mother.
I will briefly discuss these pashas today and also their link to astrology.
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Out of 9 planets, Ketu is moksha karaka, i.e. significator of liberation. Others show 8 nooses that
bind us.
(1) Ghrina (heat/aversion): Having hard feelings about someone/something and feeling dislike and
aversion, not realizing that all is Self. Planet: Sun.
(2) Lajja (shame): Wanting to hide one's inadequencies, not realizing that all grand/little things are
merely temporary appearances of the same Self. Planet: Saturn.
(3) Bhaya (fear): Fear of losing temporary possessions that one falsely believes to be permanent and
one's own, and gets attached to, like wealth, position, wife, parents, children (and even one's own
life!). Planet: Mars.
(4) Shanka (doubt): Not having full confidence in Shruti vakya that all is Self, one is free and needs
nothing to make one happy. Planet: Rahu.
(5) Jugupsa (disgust): Preferring some people/things/experiences and being disgusted by some, not
realizing that all is Self. Planet: Moon.
(6) Kula (sense of flock/community): Having a sense of community, commitment or patriotism
towards people/things having something common (e.g. same profession, company, caste, political
ideology, religious tradition, town, region, country etc). Planet: Venus.
(7) Jati (kinship by birth): Having attachment to people/things that one associates with by birth (e.g.
family, lineage, relatives etc). Planet: Mercury.
(8) Sheela (character/conduct/propriety): Holding some behavior/conduct as desirable, instead of
seeing all as Self and apparent differences as "role play" in a transient drama. Planet: Jupiter.
***
Maharshi Parasara taught that the 12th house from the amsa of chara atmakaraka (AK) shows how
one is bound and can become free. There are many perspectives depending on how deep we go,
but, the most basic one is to see the sign occupied by AK in D-9 (navamsa - chart of dharma), mark

the same sign in rasi chart and see the influences on it (i.e. occupants, planets with graha drishti and
owner).
Of course, this is the tip of the iceberg. The 16 charts show pancha koshas within us and D-60
shows the subtlest kosha (Anandamaya). The 12th from AK in D-60 is the key to knowing what soul
"needs" for getting bliss. Of course, you really need nothing to be in bliss and any notion of "I need
this for bliss" is bondage!
But, for the purpose of this writeup, we will stick to the basic one mentioned above. We can see a
few examples.
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(1) Swami Vivekananda
Birthdata: 1863 January 12, 6:32:20 am (LMT, 5:54 East of GMT), Kolkata, India (88 E 30, 22 N 40)
AK is Moon, as he is the most advanced in the sign he occupies. In D-9, he is in Ge. In rasi, 12th
from Ge (i.e. Ta) is occupied by Ketu. There are no strong aspects except Rahu's. Venus is the lord.
Ketu shows a high level of freedom. Rahu shows some doubt. Swamiji was skeptical and even
doubted even his own enlightened guru till the latter left this world. Venus shows attachment to a
group. After all, Swamiji established a mutt.
(2) Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
Birthdata: 1836 February 18, 6:44 (LMT, 5:51 East of GMT), 87 E 44' 00", 22 N 53' 00"
AK is Rahu. In D-9, he is in Aq. Counting in reverse (Rahu!), the 12th is Pi. In rasi chart, Pi has
exalted Venus. There is a close aspect of Ketu. Jupiter is the lord.
Pi with Ketu's aspect shows a high level of freedom. Venus shows attachment to a group. He trained
a few sishyas and said he and his sishyas will come back once more for another mission. Jupiter
shows character/propriety. He had many rules in the beginning and did not even eat the prasad at
the temple, as it was constructed by a lower caste lady. He cooked and brought his own food. Even
when taught Adwaita, he had to first seek the permission of his Mother to enter Nirvikalpa samadhi.
(3) George W Bush
Birthdata: 1946 July 6, 7:25:30 am (EDT, 4:00 West of GMT), New Haven, CT, USA (72w56, 41n18)
Venus is AK. He is in Pi in D-9. In rasi chart, Aq is occupied by none, aspected by Mars and owned
by Saturn and Rahu.

Mars shows fear, Saturn shows shame and Rahu shows doubt. Saturn is the strongest of these
planets and shame dominates. Bush's feeling of being less accomplished than his father and
brothers was a driving factor in his political success and perhaps even in attacking Iraq.
Unlike the first 2 example, where the bondages were overcome to a large extent, Bush succumbed to
his bondages.
***
As mentioned earlier, this is the tip of the iceberg. But the 12th from chara atmakaraka is the key to
what binds an individual soul.
Even if one does not know astrology, it does not preclude one from understanding these 8 nooses,
identifying the main noose(s) that one need to break free from and work on it.