Ashtakavarga and Direction
… An excerpt from my upcoming book!
Aṣṭakavarga can help us in choosing suitable spot and direction for performance of an activity, planning of rooms in a house and construction of well, water reservoir etc. Regarding choosing a spot for performance of an activity such as feeding Brāhmaṇa, commencing a business etc., one can use a place denoted by the Rāśi that has most Rekhās in a Graha’s Śodhita Aṣṭakavarga. The 12 Rāśis denote 12 different kinds of places, such as (1) Meṣa — mountainous regions, places of trekking, hill stations, etc., (2) Vṛṣabha — grasslands, banks, treasury, etc., (3) Mithuna — places of social interactions, dating places, education institutions and universities, libraries etc., (4) Karka — water bound regions, places near rivers, lakes and ponds etc., (5) Siṅha — Forests, forts and difficult to reach places, etc., (6) Kanyā — garden, orchards etc., (7) Tulā — places of transactions, financial transactions, trading, market places etc., (8) Vṛścika — Deep chasm, deep and underground places, secret places, hidden room, underground areas etc., (9) Dhanu — High cliffs, roofs of high rise buildings, temples, and religious shrines etc., (10) Māraka — Swampy place, small islands, land abounded by water etc., (11) Kumbha — Burial and cremation ground, places of deep philosophical discussion, Sanyāsa etc., and (12) Mīna — Oceans, self-help centers, meditation, spiritual places etc. There are several other indications of a Rāśi, understanding of which can help in choosing a place which is best suited for performance of an activity governed by a Graha. Choosing the most suitable direction for performance of an activity is another significant area of Aśodhita Aṣṭakavarga. To do this, we identify the suitable directions based on the tattvas of the Rāśis. The 12 Rāśis are grouped into four based on Tattvas, viz., Agnitattva, Pṛthvītattva, Vāyutattva and Jalatattva. The directions associated with the Rāśis are, (1) the Agni Rāśis (Meṣa, Siṅha and Dhanu) govern the East; (2) the Pṛthvī Rāśis (Vṛṣabha, Kanyā and Makara) govern the South; (3) the Vayu Rāśis (Mithuna, Tula and Kumbha) govern over the West; and (4) the Jala Rāśis (Karka, Vṛścika and Mīna) govern over the North. To identify the ideal direction in which one must perform tasks and activities pertaining to the concerned Graha, one should ideally total up the Rekhās in Rāśis based on their Tattvas and check which direction has the most Rekhās. This direction is most suitable for specific activities of the Graha whose Aṣṭakavarga is under question. The method of totalling the Rekhās based on the Tattvas is clarified by Pt. Harihara in Praśna Mārga 32.55. in the context of Samudāyāṣṭakavarga. However, the idea remains valid even for individual Aṣṭakavargas. According to Pt. Harihara, we must total the Rekhās in Meṣa Rāśi and its Trikoṇas representing the East; Vṛṣabha Rāśi and its Trikoṇas signifying South; Mithuna Rāśi and its Trikoṇas denoting West; and Karka Rāśi and its Trikoṇas signifying North. The direction that has the largest number of Rekhās is the most auspicious (for most activities). While the direction associated with the Tattvas is well-known, there is yet another set of directions given by Śrī Mahadeva Jātaka Tattva 2.33. while explaining about the delivery chamber of a pregnant mother. He says that the position of the women in labour in the delivery room should be known from the rising sign in the Praśna. In this method all 8 directions are covered including the 4 corners. The mapping of the Rāśis and directions are (1) Meṣa-Vṛṣabha: Eastern, (2) Mithuna: South Eastern, (3) Karka-Siṅha: Southern, (4) Kanyā: South Western, (5) Tula-Vṛścika: Western, (6) Dhanu: North western, (7) Makara-Kumbha: Northern, (8) Mīna: North Eastern. Now a question arises, how to use this knowledge? While the Tattva based directions can be used to identify the direction from the house or birth place, where one will be successful, the Rāśi based direction of Mahadeva can be used to identify the direction within the house. According to Vāstu, one’s house is divided into 8 parts mapping to the 8 directions. The placement of the Rooms and artefacts according to a Graha’s Kārakatvas and Aṣṭakavarga makes it harmonious.
The association of Grahas and their places are — Sūrya: puja or prayer room, meditation chamber, Candra: family room, place of social activities and interactions, water dominant areas such as bath room, swimming pool etc., Maṅgala: place of fire, oven, tandoor, such as kitchen, dining room etc., Budha: drawing room, study area or study room, place where books and papers are kept, home office area, playroom, library, and also garden, Bṛhaspati: Treasury, locker, place where money and valuable items are kept, room for spiritual activities, meditation room, library for spiritual books, Śukra: room for relaxation, rejuvenation, healing, pleasure and recreation, bedroom, entertainment room, place where clothes are kept, closet, dressing room, living room, Śani: cleaning and washing area, garbage dump, toilet, place where articles are stored — storeroom, and Lagna: entrance main door or orientation of the house.
One way to use Aṣṭakavarga is to use the directions of the Rāśis that has most Rekhās in the Śodhita Aṣṭakavarga of the Grahas. For instance, to construct the Puja room, one can identify the Rāśi having most Rekhās in Sūrya’s Śodhita Aṣṭakavarga. If say that Rāśi is Meṣa or Vṛṣabha, the room can be in the Eastern part of the house. The direction of the house should always be determined standing in the centre of the house, as that is the point where the vibrations of the entire house coincide.
According to the Jyotiṣa and Vāstu Śāstra, the 8 directions in a house are related to 8 Grahas and 8 Dikpālas, and therefore good for certain activities.
(1) Eastern direction is governed by Sūrya and Indra Devatā. (2) North Eastern direction is governed by Bṛhaspati and Īśāna Devatā. This is known as Aiśānya Koṇa. (3) Northern direction is governed by Budha and Kubera Devatā. (4) North Western direction is governed by Candra and Vāyu Devatā. This is known as Vāyavya Koṇa. (5) Western direction is governed by Śani and Varuṇa Devatā. (6) South Western direction is governed by Rāhu and Nirṛti Devatā. This is known as the Nairṛtya Koṇa. (7) Southern direction is governed by Maṅgala and Yama Devatā. (8) South Eastern direction is governed by Śukra and Agni Devatā. This is known as Āgneya Koṇa. The eastern direction is the direction of the Pitṛs or ancestors. This should have positive vibrations in the house as then it grants male Issues. The north eastern direction or Aiśānya Koṇa is a highly benevolent direction and is the source of health, wealth, prosperity and related to birth of male issues. The northern direction is the place of the mothers, or feminine vibrations. This when kept pure blesses one with a girl child, who is the form of Devi Lakṣmī or the Mātā. North western direction or the Vāyavya Koṇa is the source of change in the course of business, and governs one’s relationship with others, friendly or inimical. Western direction is the source of name, honour, fame, reputation and status. South western direction is the source of one’s good or bad character, personality traits, behaviour and affects one’s longevity. Southern direction is deadly and is often affects one’s wealth, agricultural produce, and happiness. Recovery from diseases should also be seen from the southern direction as it the direction of Yama Devatā, the god of death. South eastern direction is the Āgneya Koṇa and is the source of Agni in our life, i.e., cooking, food digestion, energy and vitality.
According to Vāstu Śāstra, the position of the room should be aligned to the vibrations of the 8 directions. Based on this principle, the location of the eight kinds of rooms in the directions are — (1) Eastern direction/ Sūrya/ Indra Devatā — main entrance, living room, bathroom (no toilet), open space, (2) North Eastern direction/ Bṛhaspati/ Īśāna Devatā — Puja place, prayer room, living room, meditation room, bedroom, children’s bedroom. Underground water tank, porch/ veranda etc. Storage places, toilets and heavy structures should be avoided, fire element in this direction can cause fire hazards. (3) Northern direction/ Budha/ Kubera Devatā — main entrance, living or drawing room, place of interaction among the family members, study room, treasury, safe for ornaments and currency, library, play area, (4) North western direction/ Candra/ Vāyu Devatā — guest room, bathroom, bedroom for unmarried girls, pet’s corner, grain or food storage area, parking space, (5) Western direction/ Śani/ Varuṇa Devatā — dining room, overhead water tank, store room, garbage bin or dumping place, toilet, store room, cooling chamber, fridge, (6) South western direction/ Rāhu/ Nirṛti Devatā — master bedroom, place to keep unwanted or worn out things, storage of heavy and bulky items, best place to keep Tulsi plant to overcome negativity, (7) Southern direction/ Maṅgala/ Yama Devatā — kitchen, fireplace, oven tandoor, bedroom (?) (8) South eastern direction/ Śukra/ Agni — kitchen, fire place, burning place, oven, electric distributing or controlling point etc.
The rules of Vāstu stated above are general rules, and each individual case, depending on one’s Kuṇḍalī they must be adjusted. There is personal Vāstu which can be ascertained based on one’s Kuṇḍalī. Aṣṭakavarga is a great tool to adapt the principles of Vāstu Śāstra to an individual.
According to Śloka 13.2–3. of Aṣṭakavarga by Śrī CS Patel, he states the location of several rooms in a house can be determined from the Bhinnāṣṭakavargas of the Grahas. They are- place of worship from Sūrya, place of waterbodies and bathroom (not toilet) from Candra, kitchen from Maṅgala, study room or library from Budha, treasury or ornaments locker from Bṛhaspati, place of relaxation such as bedroom is Śukra, garbage disposal, toilet and fuel storage is Śani.
One must study books dedicated on the subject of Vāstu to derive comprehensive understanding of this subject. A small chapter such as this cannot do justice to an extensive discipline like Vāstu. However, I believe, the few key ideas shared here should raise interest in the minds of the earnest seekers. Jyotiṣa is an integrated field of knowledge that covers several areas, including Vāstu. One who wants to learn Jyotiṣa must develop a holistic viewpoint towards all such disciplines, such as Vāstu, Ayurveda, Sāmudrika Śāstra, Palmistry, Anga Lakṣaṇa etc.
Coming back to the topic of determining directions based on Aṣṭakavarga, some scholars including Dr Raman believe that the totalling of the Rāśis based on the Tattvas should be done only after reduction, i.e., in the Śodhita Aṣṭakavarga. If this is true, then why the method of identifying favourable direction is followed in Sarvāṣṭakavarga, which is a total of individual Aśodhita Aṣṭakavarga? I believe that the totalling of the Rekhās should be done in the Aśodhita Aṣṭakavarga. The Śodhita Aṣṭakavarga has a specific usage, which firstly determining the Śodhyapiṇḍa, and secondly to identifying the total Śodhita Rekhās, that is used for identifying Critical Nakṣatras and Rāśis. One must be careful not to use Śodhita Aṣṭakavarga in places where the auspiciousness of the Rāśis are to be determined. For instance, for determining the Auspiciousness of a Graha in a Rāśi, the Graha must be checked in the Graha’s own Aśodhita Aṣṭakavarga. Likewise, in Gocara, the Aśodhita Aṣṭakavarga must be used, which is for determining the auspiciousness of a Transit. Likewise, to determine the Auspiciousness of a direction, the Rekhās should be checked and totalled with regards to the Tattvas in Aśodhita Aṣṭakavarga. The Śodhita Aṣṭakavarga can be used at a later point, to identify the single Rāśi that has the most Rekhās, to identify one of the 8 different directions. There is a clear distinction between the 4-direction method which is based on the Tattvas, and the 8-direction method which is based on the Rāśi (Jātaka Tattva method) and their mapping to the directions. Another place the Śodhita Aṣṭakavarga is advised is identification of the Rāśi with Zero Rekhā. In a Aśodhita Aṣṭakavarga, a Rāśi will Zero Rekhā is less likely, but it is likely in Śodhita Aṣṭakavarga. A Graha passing through the Rāśi having Zero Rekhā in Śodhita Aṣṭakavarga is calamitous. One must judge a Graha Gocara from the viewpoint of 3 Aṣṭakavargas, the Samudāyāṣṭakavarga, the Aśodhita Aṣṭakavarga and Śodhita Aṣṭakavarga. Incidentally, Śrī CS Patel in his book on Aṣṭakavarga, while explaining Śloka 4.5. of Sūrya’s Aṣṭakavarga, pertaining to directions, also concurs that the Rekhās should be from the Aśodhita Aṣṭakavarga of Sūrya. He however, also states that according to Praśna Mārga, the direction should be taken from the Rāśi containing maximum Rekhās as per the 8-direction rule, which I find doubtful. I firmly believe that Pt. Harihara of Praśna Mārga advised using the Tattva based 4 directions method, which he explains in the context of Sarvāṣṭakavarga.
Om Tat Sat
