Basic features of Jaimini Astrology

The knowledge that we have on Jaimini Astrology today is based on an ancient text known as Jaimini Sutras, which is divided into four chapters or Adhyayas, where this unique system of Hindu astrology has been explained in about 1000 sutras. In many cases the meaning of these sutras are very confusing and difficult to understand. The sutras in themselves are very short and concise in composition and a kind of coded language has been used. Naturally, this has lead to some errors and misunderstandings in the different translations and commentaries.

However, a deep and serious study leaves the impression that there is a huge and superior intelligence behind these sutras. But since Jaimini-astrology is so much different from the usual Parasari-concept some further explanation is needed.

The Jaimini Aspects

Normally we would say that all planets aspects the 7th house and further Mars aspects the 4th and 8th, Jupiter aspects the 5th and 9th and Saturn aspects the 3rd and 10th house from their location. But in Jaimini Astrology there is a completely different concept, since the aspects are connected to the Cardinal, Fixed and Common signs:

a) Cardinal signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn.

b) Fixed signs: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius.

c) Common signs: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces.

The rules are very simple:

1) A planet in a Cardinal sign aspects all the Fixed signs, except the sign located next to it.

2) A planet in a Fixed sign aspects all the Cardinal signs, except the sign located previous to it,

3) A planet in a Common sign aspects the other three Common signs.

If a planet is placed in say Aries, a Cardinal sign, then it will aspect Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius, but NOT Taurus, since Taurus is next to it.

On the other hand, if we take a planet placed in Leo, which is a Fixed sign, then it will aspect Libra, Capricorn and Aries, but NOT Cancer, which is the previous sign.

When a planet is placed in say Gemini, which a Common sign, then it will aspect Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces, since they are the other three Common signs.

The Karakas

Normally, we consider karakatwa or significations to be always the same in case of each planet. We use the Sun for father, the Moon for mother, Mars for brothers, Jupiter for children, Venus for wife etc. etc. This kind of Karakas is known as Sthira-Karakas, meaning fixed significators.

This is also the case in Jaimini Astrology, and the karakas are also to some extent the same. But Jaimini additionally suggest the use of the following seven Chara-Karakas, meaning the seven changeable significators:

1) Atmakaraka (Own self, considered the strongest planet)

2) Amatyakaraka (Career)

3) Bhratrukaraka (Brothers and sisters)

4) Matrukaraka (Mother)

5) Putrakaraka (Children)

6) Gnatikaraka (Cousins and relations)

7) Darakaraka (Husband, wife)

These seven Karakas are simply identified from the precise degree, minutes and seconds obtained by the different planets. This way a planet at 29 degrees in any sign is considered to be stronger than a planet, which is only at 25 degrees in any sign.

Except for Rahu and Ketu, the planet having most degrees in the sign occupied by him is considered to be the strongest planet in the horoscope and therefore it become the Atmakaraka.

Following the same principle, the second strongest planet becomes Amatyakaraka, then comes Bhratrukaraka followed by Matrukaraka, Putrakaraka, Gnatikara and finally the Darakaraka, which is the planet having least degrees, minutes and seconds in the sign occupied by him.

The special Lagnas

In Jaimini astrology a number of different Ascendants or Lagnas are involved obviously for a lot of different purposes. There are Arudha-Lagna, Upapada-Lagna, Chandra-Lagna, Bhava-Lagna, Hora-Lagna, Ghatika-Lagna, Nisheka-Lagna, Karakamsha-Lagna and Varada-Lagna just to mention some of them. I have found some of these Lagnas to be highly useful.

Upapada

The Upapada-Lagna is found by counting as many signs from the 12th-lord as the 12th-lord is removed from the 12th house. This way, if the 12th house falls in Libra and Venus is in Capricorn, the 4th house from the 12th, then Upapada will be in Aries, which is the 4th from Capricorn.

Upapada works like a kind of relationship-axis. It can be used in cooperation with the normal Ascendant to get a second opinion about elder and younger coborns from the 3rd and 11th house and about children from the 5th and 9th houses. In the same way the 2nd and 7th houses from Upapada can be used profitably in connection to marriage and family.

The 5th and 9th house can be used as a second opinion on children by employing Jaimini's special system of children-planets from both Ascendant and Upapada:

1) Bahuputra grahas: Sun, Jupiter and Rahu (children producing planets)

2) Ekaputra grahas: Moon (Giver of only one son - meaning mostly daughters)

3) Anapatya grahas: Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars (Not children producing)

However, I only think Upapada should be used in connection to relations like marriage, sibling and children. To find out about profession, educations, land and house etc., I would use the Karakamsha.

Karakamsha

The Karakamsha-Lagna is simply identified from the Navamsa occupied by the Atmakaraka. But the Karakamsha is used in the birth-chart (Rasi Chakra) rather than the Navamsa-Chart.

This was clearly explained for the very first time in Mr. K. N. Rao's book Karakamsha and Jaimini's Mandooka Dasha, and this information opened a whole new dimension to me, since a number of important predictions can be given based on Karakamsha.

Jaimini himself is very specific about this and has explained about the meaning of the planets in the 12 houses from Karakamsha in a very elaborate manner covering almost a complete chapter in his Jaimini Sutras.

In some cases where the birth time was doubtful and I could not find out the correct Ascendant, I have depended completely on the Karakamsha-Lagna and got some very nice delinations from that.

The Jaimini Dashas

In Jaimini-astrology the Dasa-systems are based on Rasis or signs and not on Nakshatras and planets like in Vimsottari Dasa etc. There are many different Dasas in Jaimini like Chara-Dasa, Sthira-Dasa, Trikona-Dasa, Shoola-Dasa, Varnada-Dasa, Navamsa-Dasa, Brahma-Dasa, Yogardha-Dasa, Drig-Dasa and Mandooka-dasa just to mention a few of them.

However, with many of these Dasas there seem to be certain conditions like planetary patterns that have to be fulfilled, meaning that many of the Dasa-systems should not be used unless their particular conditions are present in the horoscope under consideration.

Only four of these Dasa-systems seem to be for universal use for all horoscopes:

1) Chara-Dasa

2) Sthira-Dasa

3) Niryana-Shoola-Dasa

4) Navamsa-Dasa.

These unique sign-based Dasa-systems are the backbone of the timing of the events in Jaimini Astrology, and if used together with the transits it is possible to make fairly accurate predictions from them simply by following the predictive rules given in Jaimini Sutras combined with good judgement and practical experience.