Marana Karaka from Multiple References, Pilgrimage Indicators in D20, Kula Devata & Marriage Muhurta

Marana Karaka Sthana — Any Reference, Any Varga

The question: When we take Sun in the 12th and similar Marana Karaka Sthana (MKS) placements, do we take them only in the rasi or in the varga chakras too? Another teacher had judged MKS from the house of the matter (the karya bhava) of a divisional chart rather than from its lagna.

The answer:

• MKS applies in the divisional charts too.
• MKS is not seen only from the lagna. It can be seen from anything taken as a reference: the lagna, a house, a karaka, a chara karaka, the karya sthana of a divisional chart such as the Dasamsa.
• Judging it from the karya bhava or from a karaka is a valid point of view. Saying it cannot be taken from the lagna is questionable. PVNR firmly holds that MKS from the lagna counts in every chart, and Sanjay Rath uses it that way too.

"Any place a planet can be in a death-causing thing as far as that thing is concerned. Anything taken as a reference, if Sun is in 12th house, Sun is causing death to that particular thing."

• Sun is the planet of ego; the 12th is the house of giving up. Sun in the 12th from a reference gives a blow to the ego as far as that matter is concerned.

A Planet in MKS from Its Own House

• A planet can be in MKS from its own sign. That is usually bad.
• Example: Sun in Cancer is in the 12th from Leo. Venus in Pisces is in the 6th from Libra. Both are in MKS from their own houses.

Parivartana Removes the MKS Effect

• Example, from the rectification of that other teacher's own chart: if the Dasamsa has Kanya lagna, Venus and Rahu are both in MKS from the lagna and are in parivartana with each other. (Venus's MKS is the 6th, Aquarius; Rahu's is the 9th, Taurus. Venus owns Taurus and Rahu co-owns Aquarius, so the two exchange signs.)
• Sanjay Rath's reading of it: if the parivartana is triggered, the MKS effect is gone.

A Student's Point — Does It Apply Less to Sun and Moon?

• A student suggests MKS from one's own house matters less for Sun and Moon, who own only one house each.
• PVNR: use it if it makes sense to you, but MKS is not about ownership. It is about placement with respect to a reference. How many houses a planet owns is not a big deal. By that logic Rahu also owns one house, and Saturn shares one of his two with Rahu, so half the planets would be exempt.

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Pilgrimage — Charts, Houses, Karakas

Charts: Rasi, Navamsa and Vimsamsa (D20). Vimsamsa because a pilgrimage is a spiritual activity; Navamsa for dharma in general; Rasi always.

Houses: the 9th and 10th in all three charts. Look for links between them.

• 9th = house of dharma and also of long journeys. A long journey made for dharma is the 9th house.
• 10th = the karma sthana. Going on a pilgrimage is doing good karma. The 10th also has argala on the 9th.
• Rahu in the 10th is said to give many pilgrimages, when his dasha or antardasha comes.
• The 12th can also be seen, but the 9th and 10th are the primary houses.

Karakas:

• For all dharmic activities in general: Sun and Jupiter.
• For a pilgrimage: Rahu, Ketu and Jupiter. Rahu and Ketu are the karakas of foreign things.
• Rahu and Ketu do not apply to a visit to the temple next door. They apply when you go into a foreign culture for a religious reason.

"If you are from South India, you go to some place in Punjab or some place in Orissa, you are going to a foreign culture just for religious reason. So it's all new to you. In those cases, Rahu and Ketu are the karakas."

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Family Deity (Kula Devata) — 2nd House in Vimsamsa

The question: Is the family deity seen from the Rasi or from the Vimsamsa? A discussion on the mailing lists had brought in other methods, including starting from the 4th house of the Rasi.

The answer: the 2nd house in Vimsamsa (D20). That is what the tradition says.

• You can take the 2nd house, the 2nd lord, or the Arudha of the 2nd (A2) — but it has to do with the 2nd house in Vimsamsa.
• Many influences fall on that house: the planet occupying it, planets aspecting it, planets having argala on it, planets having argala on its lord. To choose among them you may consult the Rasi.

Fine-tuning from the Rasi ("more creative things"):

• Take the 2nd lord of the Rasi, or the lord of A2 in the Rasi. See where he is in the Vimsamsa and what influences him there.
• Or see which planet is connected to the 2nd house or A2 in the Rasi as well.
• The family is seen in the Rasi, then transposed to the Vimsamsa to find the spiritual connection.

"Bottom line is the basic principle is 2nd house in Vimsamsa. The modifications can come from consideration of the Rasi chart."

• "The deity is only from Vimsamsa."
• PVNR says he is not fully sure whether the traditional rule is perfect as it stands or needs this fine-tuning.

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Marriage Muhurta — Avoid the Terrible

The question: A student is fixing a marriage Muhurta for a couple who want a weekend the following year. He plans to check only Chandrabala, Tarabala and the Panchanga elements for bride and groom. Is anything more needed?

The answer: That is enough. Do not worry too much about other things.

The Most Important Thing

• The Muhurta itself, taken as a standalone chart — not in consultation with the natal charts — must be a reasonable Muhurta. Everything below is secondary to this.

"The most important thing is the Muhurta itself, taken as a standalone thing, not in consultation with the natal chart, just as a standalone independent thing. That should be a reasonable Muhurta. Give lot of importance to that."

The Secondary Checks

1. Chandrabala and Tarabala reasonable for both.
2. Hora lord at the time of the wedding must not be a terrible planet in either chart.
   • Not the 6th lord or 8th lord of either bride or groom.
   • The hora of the 7th, 9th or 12th lord of both would be perfect, but it may not be possible to get it for both.
   • 5th lord for one and 10th lord for the other is fine.
3. Muhurta lagna not in a 6/8 (shadashtaka) or 2/12 (dwirdwadasa) position from either natal lagna, if possible. This is not so important.
4. Muhurta lagna must not be a sign with a very weak score in the Sarvashtakavarga of either person. Example: if Pisces has the least score in a chart, say 16 points, that is extremely low — anything done in Pisces lagna is not auspicious for that person.
5. Vara lord — which houses he owns in the two natal charts can be considered, but that is secondary. If the vara lord is strong in the Muhurta chart itself, that takes care of many weaknesses.

"You don't need to shoot for the best Hora, just not a terrible Hora."

"Such terrible things avoid, and then you do not have to shoot for the best. Just avoid the terrible things, you are all set."

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"Functional Debilitation" — The Rule Is Not Absolute

The question: A student has read that a planet is "functionally debilitated" when it is with the lord of its debilitation sign — Venus with Mercury, for example, since Venus is debilitated in Mercury's Virgo.

The answer: PVNR has not heard of the concept, and as stated it does not make sense to him.

• Mercury and Venus are good friends. In Gemini, also Mercury's sign, Venus is very happy.
• Moon and Mars are good friends; together they form Chandra Mangala Yoga. Mars happens to be debilitated in Moon's sign. To call Mars weak whenever Chandra Mangala Yoga is present makes no sense — "he is quite strong, he is with his buddy."
• Debilitation comes from the nature of the sign, not from its lord. Venus is debilitated in Virgo because Virgo is the 6th house of the natural zodiac. Venus is the 7th-house planet and hates everything of the 6th — war, brahmacharya.

"A planet being debilitated in a particular sign has to do with the nature of that sign. It's not to do with the lord of that sign."

Where it may have some validity: a planet with an enemy in whose sign it is debilitated. A student offers Sun with Venus — Sun falls in Venus's Libra, and the two are enemies. Such a planet is with an enemy who is also able to give him hell, so he may be doubly unhappy. The rule needs many conditions; it is not absolute.

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