Janma Nakshatra of the Navagrahas and its various other connections

The main purpose of this article is to delineate and figure out the correct Janma or birth Nakshatra of the 9 Navagrahas. However with the way Navagrahas are used in propensity with the over dramatizing reference of them being used as Star Lords predominantly, thought it also made sense to connect the different Nakshatras listed against each of the Navagrahas and how they have a much wider scope than just purely as Nakshatra lords.   

However not to digress from the predominant objective of finding out the birth Nakshatra of the Navagrahas, lets go about in collecting information from different sources.
                         
As one would observe from the above table, it all looks like a mess with different sources claiming Navagrahas being born in various Nakshatras. Vichitra Jothidam or the VJ System is a unique branch of Tamil astrology employing Nakshatras in copious abundance. In fact based on this list only rests the DNA astrology based on Karmic registry which takes into account that so and so Navagraha was born in such and such Nakshatra. The Bengali references give 2 Janma Nakshatras for most of the Navagrahas. The book authored by Harihar Majumder titled "Hindu Science of the Future" records the birth Nakshatra of all the Navagrahas and this information is provided in numerous places. In the Brahmanda Purana and Vayu Purana, the inventory of detail is pretty similar except for the shadow planets Rahu & Ketu. A Brihat Yatra reference of Varaha Mihira also aligns largely with the Puranas with the main difference being for planet Mercury. The Jagannath Tradition indexes the data from the book written by Sanjay Rath titled "Brihat Nakshatra" and there are quite a number of differences witnessed when compared to other sources. Lastly there was a source on the net attributed to Vaishvata Manvantara detailing even the padas of the Nakshatra in which the Navagrahas were born. It states the Sun, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn being born in the 1st pada, Moon & Venus in the 4th pada and Rahu & Ketu in the 3rd pada of the respective Nakshatras mentioned.

In down south, most of the Tamil Astrologers stick staunchly to the Vichitra Jothidam source whenever there is a reference involving birth Nakshatra of a Navagraha. The germination of the DNA system of astrology revolves around this and subsequent rules are brought forward based upon this underlying concept. This was confusing a lot since for many of the Navagrahas, the Nakshatras were way off. Then came the very important realization that the catalog given here is not the Janma Nakshatra but instead the ruling deity of the Nakshatra. For instance we know that Moon (Soma) is the deity of Mrigashira and likewise Jupiter (Brihaspati) is the deity of Pushya. So the entire basis of this methodology is the deity and no direct relation to the birth Nakshatra. Of course, in some cases a Navagraha may be born in a particular Nakshatra and the same Navagraha may also be the deity of that particular Nakshatra. A good example of this is Saturn which was presumably born in Revathi star and also happens to be the deity of Revathi star as provided in the hallowed text of 'Kumaraswamiyam'. 

Another important conundrum to take care is the note provided when studying Tara Bala which deems that one's Janma Nakshatra is said to cause a lot of tension, anxiety and stress. There is a saying that on one's Janma Nakshatra, you seek the refuge of the divine for protection and preferably not dabble with any major activity or put your toe hold into something important as it has the potential to cause disappointments. There is no reason to think that Janma Nakshatra is inauspicious as a whole but that particular time is more beneficial for prayers and seeking God's support. Thus, on similar lines extending this principle to the deities themselves which in this case is the Navagrahas, the Janma Nakshatra of the Navagrahas is not expected to be considered as a favorable one.

There is a Muhurtha table which classifies the combination of Nakshatra/Vara into 4 brackets viz Siddha, Amrita, Marana and Prabalarishta. Extending the Vara to the Navagrahas, we can draw some pointers. Of course this will not be applicable for Rahu & Ketu and only relevant for the 7 days of the week ruled by the 7 planets namely Sunday - Sun, Monday - Moon, Tuesday - Mars, Wednesday - Mercury, Thursday - Jupiter, Friday - Venus and Saturday - Saturn. From the table, it can be inferred that the birth Nakshatra can only be falling in either of a category considered as Marana or Prabalarishta. Any Nakshatra/Navagraha in the combination of Siddha and Amrita will fail the Janma Nakshatra test.

Also, in cases where a Navagraha is linked to 2 Janma Nakshatras it makes sense to prefer the Nakshatra that falls in 2 of the rasis as Navagrahas are constantly orbiting and have a role of expansion when it comes to the parlance of Vedic Astrology.

Thus, to summarize on the tests for meeting the condition of Janma Nakshatra:
- The Navagraha born in a particular Nakshatra may or may not be the deity of that Nakshatra
- Irrespective of the above rule, the Janma Nakshatra of the Navagraha should either be classified under Marana or Prabalarishta Yoga. Applies to all Grahas except for Rahu/Ketu
- For those cases of 2 Nakshatras classified as Janma Nakshatra, consider giving extra preference to the Nakshatra which falls in 2 Rasis (Zodiac Signs)

With the above conditions laid, lets dwell into figuring the Janma Nakshatra for each of the Navagrahas.

Sun: 
The different contenders are Hastha, Vishakha, Anuradha and Bharani. The ruling deity of Hastha is provided as Sun as per Kumaraswamiyam. Also it doesn't equate to a Marana/Prabalarishta Yoga. Bharani can also be eliminated as its given based on the formation of Daghda Yoga and doesn't have any direct relevance to Janma Nakshatra. Between Vishakha & Anuradha, the most commonly accepted one happens to be Vishakha. Also considering the case of Nakshatra falling in 2 rasis, Vishakha meets the condition as opposed to Anuradha. Hence Vishakha can be nominated as birth Nakshatra of Sun. Additionally also Vishakha's vedic deity is said to be Indragni translated as Indra (King of the Gods) + Agni (Fire) as compared to Mitra (Friend) for Anuradha. Considering from a deity angle also Vishakha gains prominence.
Janma Nakshatra: Vishakha

Moon:
The different contenders are Mrigashira, Krithika, Rohini and Chitra. The ruling deity of Mrigashira is provided as Moon (Soma) as per Kumaraswamiyam along with it not equating to a Marana/Prabalarishta Yoga. Chitra can also be eliminated as its given based on the formation of Daghda Yoga and doesn't have any direct relevance to Janma Nakshatra. Between Krithika & Rohini, most of the lists give Krithika and also additionally Krithika forms part of Marana/Prabalarishta Yoga whereas Rohini does not. Even considering the falling in 2 rasis theory, Krithika meets the test whereas Rohini does not. The interesting take with Moon is that it exalts in Krithika Nakshatra, it's most favourite Nakshatra as per scriptures is said to be Rohini and it is the ruling deity of Mrigashira. Thus, in every way Moon is very fortunate when it happens to be in Rishaba (Taurus) rasi which contains all these 3 Nakshatras.
Janma Nakshatra: Krithika

Mars:
The different contenders are only between Poorva Ashada and Uttara Ashada. It is a close tie in the sense that this is a mixed one. However Poorva Ashada and Tuesday is neither a Marana/Prabalarishta Yoga and also it doesn't fall in 2 rasis. Additionally Poorva Ashada is said to be a predominant water related Nakshatra ruled by Apah (Water God) as compared to Uttara Ashada which is said to be more earth related and stable in line with Mars significations apart from also meeting the test of Marana/Prabalarishta Yoga and also being stationed in 2 rasis.
Janma Nakshatra: Uttara Ashada

Mercury:
The different contenders are between Dhanishta and Shravana. Again it is a close tie but here also it tilts in favour of Dhanishta on account of it being a Marana/Prabalarishta yoga along with also falling in 2 rasis both of the conditions which Shravana does not meet. Also Shravana's deity is Vishnu and Dhanishta's is Ashta Vasu. Though Mercury is a representation of Vishnu, the main deity will be Vishnu or his several forms and only will Mercury be considered. With regard to Ashta Vasus or 8 elements, Mercury is said to be the main signifier of the 64 art forms and you see the synchroneity here as 8*8 is 64 and Mercury can definitely be considered as a main deity of Dhanishta which is what has been provided in Vichitra Jothidam as well. Irrespective of this extra test, Dhanishta still wins over Shravana as Janma Nakshatra.
Janma Nakshatra: Dhanishta

Jupiter:
The different contenders are Pushya, Poorva Phalguni and Uttara Phalguni. The ruling deity of Pushya is clearly identified as Jupiter (Brihaspati) as per all well known texts along with it also not equating to a Marana/Prabalarishta Yoga. So Pushya is ruled out. Between the 2 Phalgunis - Poorva & Uttara, the stakes are divided. But looking at the conditions, it is clearly Uttara Phalguni which gets the tip as its a Marana/Prabalarishta Yoga along with it also falling across 2 zodiac signs both of the conditions which Poorva Phalguni doesn't manage to meet.
Janma Nakshatra: Uttara Phalguni

Venus:
The different contenders are Magha, Pushya and Jyeshta. This one's a toughie because all 3 fall under the classification of Marana Yoga. Since its given as a singular Nakshatra and also since all 3 fall within a rasi, the last condition does not apply. However Pushya deity is said to be ruled by Brihaspati (Jupiter) who is considered to be the Deva Guru. Shukra or Venus being Asura Guru, it somehow doesn'y sync being born the Nakshatra which its opposite number Guru rules and exalts. Jyeshta is ruled by Indra which is again said to be kingly and ruling by nature against the natural signification of Venus. Magha is associated with Pitrus and Shukra has a major connection with ancestors. Also the text 'Kumaraswamiyam' specifically mentions Shukra to be the deity of this Nakshatra. Considering all possibilities, it appears that Magha should be the most likely candidate to be the Janma Nakshatra
Janma Nakshatra: Magha

Saturn:
The contenders are Revathi and Rohini. Almost all sources unanimously agree that Revathi is the default birth Nakshatra of Saturn Navagraha. Also considering the condition, it is even more clear as Revathi falls under the Marana/Prabalarishta category whereas Rohini & Saturday is clearly said to be a favorable combination.
Janma Nakshatra: Revathi

Rahu:
The contenders are Bharani, Rohini and Vishakha. Here also it's pretty clear that it should be Bharani only as Janma Nakshatra. We don't have the normal conditions to test for the shadow planets but Rohini being Moon's favourite Nakshatra with Rahu being prime enemy of Moon doesn't seem to match up. Vishakha is also just one reference that has been bought in but there is not much traction. Also Rahu's vedic deity being Yama and Adidevata being Goddess Durga as stated by Kumaraswamiyam blends well with the possibility of Bharani being its Janma Nakshatra.
Janma Nakshatra: Bharani

Ketu:
The contenders are Ashlesha and Rohini. It's a no brainer here too that Ashlesha should be the Janma Nakshatra. Ashlesha is a Nakshatra whose deity is said to be Nagas with Ketu signifying everything to do with snakes. The worshipping deity being the divine serpent 'Adishesha' is another pointer in Ashlesha notching it up. Also with regard to Rohini, Ketu is said to hold enmity with Moon and it doesn't seem plausible to think of it as an option for Janma Nakshatra. Thus, Ashlesha seals it here.
Janma Nakshatra: Ashlesha

Coming to the linkage between Janma Nakshatra of the Navagrahas and Navagraha deity for the Nakshatras, it is a paradox in the sense that Kumaraswamiyam provides 5 of the Navagrahas as primary deity for the 27 Navagrahas. In these 5, 2 of them tally with also being the Janma Nakshatra whereas 3 of them happen to be separate.
Venus, Saturn: These 2 planets are said to be the deities of Magha and Revathi respectively. The Janma Nakshatra of Venus and Saturn also happen to be Magha and Revathi.
Sun, Moon, Jupiter: These 3 planets are said to be the deities of Hastha, Mrigashira and Pushya respectively. However as identified earlier the Janma Nakshatra of these planets instead happen to be Vishakha, Krithika and Uttara Phalguni
Mars, Mercury, Rahu and Ketu: For these 4 planets, there is no specific primary deity correlated to the Nakshatras. However these planets can be considered as secondary deities for the Nakshatras 
Uttara Ashada - Ruled by Lord Vinayaka - Secondary Deity Mars
Dhanishta - Ruled by Indrani - Secondary Deity Mercury
Bharani - Ruled by Goddess Durga - Secondary Deity Rahu
Ashlesha - Ruled by Serpent Adishesha - Secondary Deity Ketu

Nakshatra Linkage to Navagrahas - Other Factors
Now that we have linked the Janma Nakshatra and also the respective Nakshatras ruled by the 9 Navagrahas, we will look into few other correspondences connecting the two.

Nakshatra Lord:
This is the most common linking of giving 3 Nakshatras for each Navagraha based on the Vimshottari scheme. For any layman getting vetted with astrology or even with respect to most experts, this is the only connection even seen as it tends to play a key role in horoscope analysis. From Ashwini onwards, the Nakshatras are assigned to Ketu->Venus->Sun->Moon->Mars->Rahu->Jupiter->Saturn->Mercury. The order is repeated from Magha onwards and again from Moola and finally ends with Revathi being assigned to Mercury.

Nakshatra Controller:
There is a tamil text called 'Jathaka Alangaram' which gives this method called 'Angusam'. It is translated as a goad like weapon with a sharp metal spike. As per this Angusam terminology, each of the 3 Nakshatras beginning from Ashwini are ruled by the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu respectively. It is said that any planet falling in the ambit of the 3 Nakshatras are controlled by that respective Navagraha. This is a little different from Nakshatra Lord technique.

Nakshatra DNA: (Karmic Registry)
This method has picked up pace in the last few years. It is said that the karmic registry of each of the Nakshatras are ingrained in all the Navagrahas except for Ketu being Moksha Karaka. The secret formula was given as the days of the week associating with the 7 Nakshatras from Ashwini to Punarvasu followed by the 8th Nakshatra of Pushya provided to Rahu. Following on is the next set of 8 Nakshatras followed by the last set of 8. That leaves 24 with the last 3 Nakshatras again said to be having the karma of Sun, Moon and Mars to finish the total set of 27 Nakshatras.

Nakshatra Exaltation:
Each of the Navagrahas except for Rahu/Ketu are provided an exaltation degree which falls in a particular Nakshatra. For Rahu/Ketu, opinion is divided but in common parlance as per some of the Panchangams, it is said that they both exalt in Jyeshta Nakshatra. However when it comes to nodes, this needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Nakshatra Debilitation:
Similar to exaltation, each of the Navagrahas except for Rahu/Ketu are also provided a debilitation degree which falls in a particular Nakshatra. For Rahu/Ketu, opinion is divided but in common parlance as per some of the Panchangams, it is said that they both debilitate in Rohini Nakshatra. However when it comes to nodes, this information can be taken with a grain of salt.

Nakshatra Nature:
The nature or quality of Nakshatras are also divided into 7 types viz Sthira, Chara, Ugra, Mishra, Laghu, Mridu and Tikshana. They are characterized based on activities and are more tenable when a particular day is also linked to them. For instance Sthira means Fixed and represents the Nakshatras of Rohini and the 3 Uttaras - Phalguni, Ashada and Bhadrapada. When it also coincides with Sunday (ruler of Sun), it tends to be more justifiable and favorable. As its distinguished into 7 types, there is no Rahu & Ketu in this equation.
Sunday - Sthira/Dhruva Nakshatras - Fixed - For activities that require fixity such as laying foundation. Eg. coronation, sowing seeds etc.
Monday - Chara Nakshatras - Movable - For activities that require movement. Eg. riding vehicles, undertaking any journey etc.
Tuesday - Ugra Nakshatras - Cruel - For activities involving violence, force. Eg. demolishing structures, breaking things, acting with force etc
Wednesday - Misra Nakshatras - Mixed - For activities involving a mixed variety or things involving duality. Eg. Performing worshipping, engaging in ceremonies, fabricating etc
Thursday - Laghu/Shipra Nakshatras - Swift - For activities involving swiftness or quick action. Eg. involving in pleasures, wearing jewellery, fast decision making etc
Friday - Mridu Nakshatras - Tender - For activities involving learning something new, undertaking any subtle activities etc. Eg enrolling for classes, making friends, learning fine arts etc
Saturday - Tikshana Nakshatras - Sharp - For activities involving bitterness, trickery, deceit etc. Eg. invoking spirits, plotting against enemies, committing unrealistic deeds etc

Nakshatra Auspiciousness: (Amrita + Siddha)
The Muhurtha table above states a combination of Vara + Nakshatra yielding to either of Amrita, Siddha, Marana or Prabalarishta classification. Amrita equates to nourishment and Siddha correlates to accomplishment. There are however 7 combinations which are highly auspicious and termed as Amrita Siddha Yoga with both features in equal measure. Extending the principle to the Navagrahas from the Varas as the 7 Navagrahas barring Rahu + Ketu rule the 7 days of the week, listing below the Nakshatra Amrita Siddha Yoga.
Sunday + Hastha (Aditya Hastha)
Monday + Mrigashira (Soma Mrigashira)
Tuesday + Ashwini (Bhouma Ashwini)
Wednesday + Anuradha (Buddha Anuradha)
Thursday + Pushya (Guru Pushya)
Friday + Revathi (Bhrigu Revathi)
Saturday + Rohini (Manda Rohini)

Nakshatra Incarnation:
The sacred holy astrological text Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra states that "From the Sun God the incarnation of Rama, from the Moon that of Krishna, from Mars that of Narasimha, from Mercury that of Buddha, from Jupiter that of Vamana, from Venus that of Parasu Rama, from Saturn that of Koorma (Tortoise), from Rahu that of Varaha (Pig), and from Ketu that of Meena (Fish) occurred. These Avatars are said to have taken birth in a particular constellation and hence there is an indirect association of the Navagrahas with the Nakshatras in which the Vishnu Avatars were born in. For Tortoise, Pig and Fish alone information is not explicitly clear but on researching Tortoise which represents foundation & structure can be linked largely to Chitra, Pig is linked to Jyeshta as there is also a Tamil tradition of Varaha being prayed for Jyeshta Nakshatra and Fish is largely representative of Revathi Nakshatra.

Lets lay down all these characteristics for each of the Navagrahas and decode what are the different Nakshatras they all get associated with. 

Sun
- Nakshatra Birth: Vishakha
- Nakshatra Deity: Hastha
- Nakshatra Lord: Krithika, Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashada
- Nakshatra Controller: Ashwini, Bharani, Krithika
- Nakshatra DNA: Ashwini, Ashlesha, Anuradha, Poorva Bhadrapada
- Nakshatra Exaltation: Ashwini
- Nakshatra Debilitation: Swathi
- Nakshatra Nature: Rohini, Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashada, Uttara Bhadrapada
- Nakshatra Auspiciousness: Hastha
- Nakshatra Incarnation: Punarvasu

Moon
- Nakshatra Birth: Krithika
- Nakshatra Deity: Mrigashira
- Nakshatra Lord: Rohini, Hastha, Shravana
- Nakshatra Controller: Rohini, Mrigashira, Arudra
- Nakshatra DNA: Bharani, Magha, Jyeshta, Uttara Bhadrapada
- Nakshatra Exaltation: Krithika
- Nakshatra Debilitation: Vishakha
- Nakshatra Nature: Punarvasu, Swathi, Shravana, Dhanishta, Satabisha
- Nakshatra Auspiciousness: Mrigashira
- Nakshatra Incarnation: Rohini

Mars
- Nakshatra Birth: Uttara Ashada
- Nakshatra Deity: Uttara Ashada
- Nakshatra Lord: Mrigashira, Chithra, Dhanishta
- Nakshatra Controller: Punarvasu, Pushya, Ashlesha
- Nakshatra DNA: Krithika, Poorva Phalguni, Moola, Revathi
- Nakshatra Exaltation: Dhanishta
- Nakshatra Debilitation: Ashlesha
- Nakshatra Nature: Bharani, Magha, Poorva Phalguni, Poorva Ashada, Poorva Bhadrapada
- Nakshatra Auspiciousness: Ashwini
- Nakshatra Incarnation: Swathi 

Mercury
- Nakshatra Birth: Dhanishta
- Nakshatra Deity: Dhanishta
- Nakshatra Lord: Ashlesha, Jyeshta, Revathi
- Nakshatra Controller: Magha, Poorva Phalguni, Uttara Phalguni
- Nakshatra DNA: Rohini, Uttara Phalguni, Poorva Ashada
- Nakshatra Exaltation: Hastha, 
- Nakshatra Debilitation: Uttara Bhadrapada
- Nakshatra Nature: Krithika, Vishakha
- Nakshatra Auspiciousness: Anuradha
- Nakshatra Incarnation: Vishakha 

Jupiter
- Nakshatra Birth: Uttara Phalguni
- Nakshatra Deity: Pushya
- Nakshatra Lord: Punarvasu, Vishakha, Poorva Bhadrapada
- Nakshatra Controller: Hastha, Chithra, Swathi
- Nakshatra DNA: Mrigashira, Hastha, Uttara Ashada
- Nakshatra Exaltation: Pushya
- Nakshatra Debilitation: Uttara Ashada
- Nakshatra Nature: Ashwini, Pushya, Hastha
- Nakshatra Auspiciousness: Pushya
- Nakshatra Incarnation: Shravana

Venus
- Nakshatra Birth: Magha
- Nakshatra Deity: Magha
- Nakshatra Lord: Bharani, Poorva Phalguni, Poorva Ashada
- Nakshatra Controller: Vishakha, Anuradha, Jyeshta
- Nakshatra DNA: Arudra, Chithra, Shravana
- Nakshatra Exaltation: Revathi
- Nakshatra Debilitation: Chithra
- Nakshatra Nature: Mrigashira, Chithra, Anuradha, Revathi
- Nakshatra Auspiciousness: Revathi
- Nakshatra Incarnation: Uttara Phalguni

Saturn
- Nakshatra Birth: Revathi
- Nakshatra Deity: Revathi
- Nakshatra Lord: Pushya, Anuradha, Uttara Bhadrapada
- Nakshatra Controller: Moola, Poorva Ashada, Uttara Ashada
- Nakshatra DNA: Punarvasu, Swathi, Dhanishta
- Nakshatra Exaltation: Swathi
- Nakshatra Debilitation: Bharani
- Nakshatra Nature: Arudra, Ashlesha, Jyeshta, Moola
- Nakshatra Auspiciousness: Rohini
- Nakshatra Incarnation: Chithra

Rahu
- Nakshatra Birth: Bharani
- Nakshatra Deity: Bharani
- Nakshatra Lord: Arudra, Swathi, Satabisha
- Nakshatra Controller: Shravana, Dhanishta, Satabisha
- Nakshatra DNA: Pushya, Vishakha, Satabisha
- Nakshatra Exaltation: Jyeshta
- Nakshatra Debilitation: Rohini
- Nakshatra Nature: -
- Nakshatra Incarnation: Jyeshta

Ketu
- Nakshatra Birth: Ashlesha
- Nakshatra Deity: Ashlesha
- Nakshatra Lord: Ashwini, Magha, Moola
- Nakshatra Controller: Poorva Bhadrapada, Uttara Bhadrapada, Revathi
- Nakshatra DNA: -
- Nakshatra Exaltation: Jyeshta
- Nakshatra Debilitation: Rohini
- Nakshatra Nature: -
- Nakshatra Incarnation: Revathi

As an illustration on how to read this information, lets take the case of Jupiter. Brihaspati was born in the Nakshatra of Uttara Phalguni and it is the deity of Pushya Nakshatra. It rules the Nakshatras of Punarvasu / Vishakha / Poorva Bhadrapada and controls the Nakshatras of  Hastha / Chithra / Swathi. Its DNA Karmic registry is linked to the Nakshatras of Mrigashira, Hastha and Uttara Ashada. It exalts in the Nakshatra of Pushya and debilitates in the Nakshatra of Uttara Ashada. Its quality is aligned with the Nakshatras of Ashwini, Pushya and Hastha. Its extremely auspicious in Pushya known as Guru Pushya on account of it forming an Amrita Siddha Yoga. Its incarnation is linked to the Nakshatra of Shravana as Vamana, an Avatar of Vishnu occurred from Jupiter and was born in this particular Nakshatra.

Thus on observation, it is clearly witnessed that there is an extensively dense association between the Navagrahas and Nakshatras. However, unfortunately in today's day and age, almost every single source only links Navagrahas to the 3 Nakshatra's provided as per the Vimshottari Dasa scheme. Adding to this negligence, there are references equating the Nakshatra to the natural signification of the planet which is blasphemous to say the least. It pains to see videos blatantly mentioning stuff like for instance as an example Bharani/Poorva Phalguni/Poorva Ashada Nakshatra being ruled by Venus and relating every characteristic of Venus with these Nakshatras. Have observed further mockery which makes you squeal such as stating deplorable facts such as planet in 6th Lord Nakshatra giving so and so negative results. As an illustration, if someone were born in say Aquarius Lagna, 6th Lord is Cancer (ruled by Moon). They extend this principle to the Nakshatras and make bizarre statements like planet placed in Rohini, Hastha, Shravana Nakshatra would give problems related to health. There is an over dependence on Nakshatra Lords and equating it in same lines as the Rasi Lord or the planet by itself is the equivalent of jumping into a deep well. In Dasa bhukthi also, one sees random predictions thrown in such as when for eg. let's say Mercury Dasha is running for someone and it's placed in Krithika Nakshatra, then statements are made such as Sun (Nakshatra Lord) being the one controlling and being the main runner of the Dasa.

The biggest irony is that no astrological text of yore has ever mentioned Lords of Nakshatra's exclusively. Probably in the 20th century through methodology of Meena 2 Nadi and KP Astrology, Nakshatra Lords it gained prominence but the sacrilege right now is it's also being mixed unfairly and diabolically thus ruining the sacred principles of Vedic Astrology. A planet being strong in own house cannot be equated to it being equally strong in own Nakshatra. Have been in disbelief when random fluff gets thrown such as Jupiter in Sagittarius is equally powerful as Jupiter in Poorva Bhadrapada (Own Nakshatra or Suya Saaram as they call it in Tamil).

There was a popular astrologer who once claimed that Nakshatras have no relevance in seeing horoscopes for which there was a lot of backlash. The problem is the one who criticized it had absolutely no idea about the inherent characteristics of Nakshatras whereas those opposing it were coming up with the same crap bull planet in own Nakshatra concept, being in the leg of the 6th/8th Lord Nakshatra, dismissing that a planet placed in Rahu or Ketu Nakshatras being a karmic disorder and all sorts of weird theories. Sad are the ways in which Astrology is practiced these days and the less said the better

Reiterating again that I am not against classifying Nakshatras as 3 each given for all the Navagrahas but mixing and matching it by incorporating it into regular Vedic Astrology parlance doesn't bode well. The fact is that there is so much information about Nakshatras from the Puranas describing in detail about its nature but downsizing as just being all about it's house Lord is doing grave injustice to Nakshatras as a whole. This is just scraping the surface level and in effect the comprehension and connection prevalent between the Navagrahas and Nakshatras is as much or even more han sailing the deep waters.

Oh Priya Priya from Geethanjali/Idhayathai Thirudathe - The Golden Gem

'Geethanjali' was Mani Ratnams first and only full fledged film directed in Telugu. It was subsequently dubbed in Tamil as 'Idhayathai Thirudathe'. The movie received much publicity and catapulted Nagarjuna into a pronounced romantic hero back in the day.

The soundtrack of this album is nothing short of stellar with every number individually being sterling to say the very least. The breathtakingly cinematic cinematography also had a major role to play in elevating the screen presence of the songs from the movie. The lush green presence of Ooty by portraying it's hills and landscapes in all it's splendour enhanced both the visual panorama and aural experience a notch further above.

'Oh Priya Priya' can be considered to be an eternal timeless classic. The layered orchestration enables a dream like setting emitting golden hues and it just gets all the more rosy with the crystal clear rendition from the duo of SPB and Chitra who ooze all their soul into this lustrous composition. The overall musicality puts this number in the higher echelons of songs to have ever been composed.

It was pretty testing to even attempt playing this song. This melody has such beautiful curves sprouted throughout it's timeline and also introduces alternative notes from time to time giving it such a finesse elevation. This song transcends time and by all means is a golden gem in every way. It was truly a joy dream even trying to play this memorable composition.

Povoma Oorkolam - Keeravani Kaleidoscope

This musical piece can be said to be a perfect and pristine composition based on pure play Keeravani raga but there is a hoodwink intersected within which is pretty hard to dissect. The Charanam switches briefly to the upper Gandharam bringing a finesse touch of Karaharapriya before handing the baton back for Keeravani to take centerstage.

It all happens beautifully as from Melakarta #21 (Keeravani), it changes tone by a minor note to bring an alternative colour in the form of Melakarta #22 (Karaharpriya) and then drifts back to the original with veritable verve and valour. They both anyway form under the same structural scheme of Veda Chakra but the interplay and alterations brought into the mix is pretty precious to say the least.

The soundtrack of this movie Chinna Thambi is mentioned on record to have been composed in a mere 35 minutes. There are anecdotal evidences backing this claim and it's just unfathomable even comprehending how Maestro's reticular system could have worked like this to compose for an entire album at a zip lining pace and in addition also come up with such a sterling souvenir.

This particular number specifically deserves all the encomiums especially on the soul angle as it caresses the core of the heart and leaves such a lasting impression. The pairing of SPB and Swarnalatha do full justice by soaking the soul to the fullest extent through their melting rendition. I was so smitten having randomly listened to the mid portion of this pearler that I wanted to take a hoick at trying the same on the veena. Just the joy of trying and nothing beyond since this wonder is true love.

Sorgame Endralum - The charm and warmth of Homeland

This song is a satirical take on how whatever and wherever life takes you, it's never the same as being in one's native place. I concur with the views completely as despite all the issues plaguing the country, there's an unmissable charm prevalent at homeland which is simply irreplaceable and also impossible to replicate.

Also for authoritatively showcasing the stamp, the composer prances along by taking a rustic folk theme as the base indicating the foundation of one's native location with dollops of western classical music brought into the mix briefly transporting one to a different land.

This composition is predominantly composed in the pentatonic scale of Hamsanadham touching upon the notes Sa Ri2 Ma2 Pa Ni3. Incidentally it's a collaboration of brothers in arms Ilaiyaraaja and Gangai Amaran with the former composing the music and the latter penning the lyrics by expressing the nostalgia and specialty of one's neighbourhood.

Attempted a little take on this extremely rural themed song touched up with urban elements of this vintage melody paying homage to the charm and warmth of one's local roots.

Scientific Methodology of Astrology - Hollow, Shallow and Deeply Flawed

This article is more in the lines of massive misuse of astrology rather than just a scathing assessment of the model in question which is faulty and flawed beyond question. The prediction of so called Scientific Astrologer "Greenstone Lobo" of England winning the World Cup went horribly wrong leading to numerous criticisms online. He took an authoritarian stance and quipped with assertive confidence that the cup was finally coming home to the land of the old blighty after 60 years but alas it was not to be. My thought process was that even if England did in fact have claimed the FIFA World Cup 2026, it was definitely not because of his prediction which is completely illogical and baseless.

I admit he has got some predictions right in the past but that's not because of his competence with astrology and in fact more on the outcome and capabilities of the teams in question. I would not have casted any aspersions if this methodology was not branded under the moniker of "Astrology" but that's where the whole fiasco lies. This is not an ultracrepidarian take without understanding the pattern, logic and algorithm used but based on observation this testing methodology does not hold any water.

Mr Greenstone Lobo is an eloquent speaker and he uses terms which seem beyond comprehension for the common man. He comes across as a supremely confident individual but also very stubborn and unyielding with his view points and refuses to accept that his methodology is not fool proof by any distance. He himself has deviated a lot based upon his approach many a times and shifts the goal post as per his whims and fancies.

For the uninitiated and those interested in how does his predictions, let me elaborate and elucidate on his style of arriving at an outcome. His first state of contention is that 9 planets cannot do the trick and in fact brings upon a 16 planet theory mechanism. Secondly, he also dismisses the sign based traditional system and assigns one zodiac sign for 12 different planets. Thirdly he puts forward a power hierarchy stating the order of strength of planets and weirdly states that Pluto is the most powerful planet in the universe. He also brings forth 3 asteroid bodies which he names as Planet X, Y and Z and equates them to Varuna, Yama and Prajapati and worse mentions that Maharishi Parashara advocated this delineation.

Listed below is the Power Hierarchy of Planets as per the 16 planetary Scientific Method of Astrology:
1) Pluto - Own sign Scorpio, Exaltation Sign Leo, Key Exaltation Points termed as Eagle - 2°, Grey Lizard - 10°, Scorpion - 24°
2) Planet X (2007 RH283)  - Own sign Taurus, Exaltation Sign Aquarius, Exaltation Point 27°
3) Neptune - Own sign Pisces, Exaltation Sign Cancer, Exaltation Point 26°
4) Uranus - Own sign Aquarius, Exaltation Sign Scorpio, Exaltation Point 10°
5) Planet Z (2008 FC76) - Own sign Leo, Exaltation Sign Libra, Exaltation Point 9°
6) Planet Y (1999 JV127) - Own sign Virgo, Exaltation Sign Gemini, Exaltation Point No degree in particular
7) Chiron - Own sign Cancer, Exaltation Sign Aries/Sagittarius, Exaltation Point No degree in particular
8) Full Moon/New Moon
9) Saturn - Own sign Capricorn
10) Jupiter - Own sign Sagittarius
11) Sun - No own sign
12) Mars - Own sign Aries
13) Venus - Own sign Libra
14) Mercury - Own sign Gemini
15) Moon - No own sign
16) Rahu/Ketu (Nodes) - No own sign

If you see in the above list, only from 9th place does a Navagraha as per Vedic Astrology even come into question. He considers Full Moon/New Moon but that's also purely based on the position of Sun & Moon being in same sign or opposite signs, so even Tithis close to Full/New Moon may also be classified under this category on account of lack of birth time. Also the 12 zodiac signs of Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces are ruled by the planets Mars, Planet X, Mercury, Chiron, Planet Z, Planet Y, Venus, Pluto, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune respectively.

He says the outer planets viz Pluto, Uranus and Neptune are much stronger than planets such as Jupiter, Saturn, Venus etc. He feels Rahu/Ketu have minimal impact on one's life compared to the other planets, hence given least priority dumping them at the bottom of the pile. On top of this he claims that 3 form of asteroids coined with the names Planet X (2007 RH283), Planet Y (1999 JV127) and Planet Z (2008 FC76) have a major impact in one's life. Based on this power hierarchy of strongest to weakest bodies, if someone has let's say Uranus & Neptune exalted in their charts as opposed to Jupiter & Venus exalted, the one with Uranus & Neptune will always achieve more prominence and be far more successful in life as they are more influential than Jupiter and Venus.

To quote an example of this power hierarchy, he says Shah Rukh Khan as a film actor will always be more successful than a Hrithik Roshan because Shah Rukh has his Pluto exalted in Leo (stronger planet) compared to Hrithik who only has a very strong Planet Z because Pluto is the strongest in the zodiac and gets exalted once in 300 years. Also he quotes one of India's most famous actors Amitabh Bachchan's success is attributed to having an extremely strong exalted Planet X in his Ascendant which over rules all negative placements in 8th house.

Over time he also came up with some bizarre ideologies mentioning that planets Jupiter and Saturn have multiple exaltation and debilitation points. Listed below is his diabolic research on the 2 greatest Dharma Karma planets of Jupiter & Saturn.
1) Claims that Jupiter and Saturn have multiple exaltation and debilitation points.
2) Jupiter and Saturn gets exalted in the 3rd, 5th, 8th and 10th sign from Sagittarius and Capricorn respectively.
3) Hence Jupiter gets exalted in Aquarius, Aries, Cancer (usual exaltation sign) and Virgo whereas Saturn gets exalted in Pisces, Taurus, Leo and Libra (usual exaltation sign)
4) Similarly Jupiter and Saturn get debilitated in the 9th, 11th, 2nd and 4th sign from Sagittarius and Capricorn respectively.
5) Thus Jupiter gets debilitated in Leo, Libra, Capricorn (usual debilitated sign) and Pisces whereas Saturn gets debilitated in Virgo, Scorpio, Aquarius and Aries (usual deb sign)
6) He throws up many celebrity charts such as Martin Luther King, Rafael Nadal, Boris Becker, Tiger Woods, Meena Kumari, Swami Vivekanand, Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein, MS Dhoni, Elvis Presley, Ambani etc. to corroborate this new found research theory to explain how it works well in these charts.

The biggest shock of this brain barraging analysis is to hear that Jupiter gets debilitated in it's own sign of Pisces. He claims Jupiter's presence in Pisces is very bad and quotes example of Tiger Woods who is a Virgo Ascendant having Jupiter in 7th house of Pisces which destroyed his marital relationship and where many affairs came out in open. Mentions also of Johnny Depp who had truck load of law suits as his Jupiter is debilitated in Pisces in 9th house. Also says Jupiter in Leo gets debilitated and quotes an example of German tennis player Boris Becker who is Scorpio Ascendant. Says that his 2nd lord of money gets debilitated in 10th house of career which made him go bankrupt. Likewise on similar lines, also quotes illustrations about Saturn getting debilitated in own sign of Aquarius.

Thankfully this crazy level of finding was stopped and he hardly ever spoke of this mega out of the world theory in subsequent videos but in his recent video of why Spain lifted the World Cup, he mentions of Saturn being exalted in Pisces while explaining the Spanish captain chart. Another excuse was that Nasa may have erred in pointing out the entry point of planets. He feels that if Rodrigo Hernandez was born somewhere around August of 1996, his planets suddenly illuminate in all kinds of lustrous light and would have paved the way into winning the title easily for the Spanish El Matador.

In the last few years however, his estimate is largely centered around 3 factors. He doesn't even seem to give much importance to his own planetary finding of Pluto, Uranus, Neptune, Planet X, Y, Z being strongly placed but instead harbours on these 3 points specifically and uses planets only as a standby. When taking the outer planets, it's a given that they stay very long in a sign so they don't change signs normally across years. This ultra bombastic theory works on the following grounds:

1) Year of Birth of Captain/Star Player

2) Algorithmic Pattern of Birth Years of Previous Winners based on Natural Progression

3) Karmic Quota Theory

Just based on hardly few samples belonging to the sports of Cricket, Football, Sports he comes up with the Year of Birth being a key metric. His algorithmic pattern states that some years are more favourable than others like for instance he says 1981, 1986, 1987 are blockbuster years and in the 1990s, it is 1990 then 1993 and 1998. The funny thing is that as per his own identification, he never considered 1993 as a powerful year but since Pat Cummins won the 2023 ODI World Cup against all odds, he was gunning for 93 being a prime stellar year. That was his big fat sound reasoning of Harry Kane likely to capture the FIFA World Cup as he was also a 1993 born. 81 is a super year based on 3 individuals viz Roger Federer of Tennis, Iker Casillas, Spains Football captain who won major trophies and of course MS Dhoni who captained India to cricketing stardom. 86 is due to Nadal mainly and 87 owns its success to Novak Djokovic, Lionel Messi and Rohit Sharma. Based on this he also confidently asserts and states that India's cricketing superstar Virat Kohli couldn't have been born in the year 1988 and should be a 86 or 87 born instead.

Another ludicrous tearing the hair concept is the one of Karma Theory. He states a outlandish line regularly stating that some players have exhausted their karmic quota by winning already and cannot win again. I really wonder who are we to decide on someone's karma. The prime reason of Messi not winning the World Cup is on account of exhausting his karma due to already winning the World Cup and a host of other titles. There are also other baseless crazy theories of equating a Cricket World Cup victory with 5 IPL Titles and stating that a FIFA World Cup is greater than a EURO Cup and arriving at Karma conclusions accordingly.

Wonder what connection this has to do with the beautiful science of Astrology. Astrology is a wonderful tool and it's also extremely difficult to dissect results. There are always chances of an astrologer going wrong despite taking all necessary precautions but equating this mad method of progression combined with karmic quota and year of birth and branding it under astrology is quite simply blasphemous. The worst thing is that people in the comments section abuse astrology as if it's absolutely good for nothing and useless when predictions go haywire but the irony is that this scientific methodology used by this so called famed astrologer is anything remotely connected to astrology in the truest sense of the word. Really sad to see the state of affairs of astrology and even more so is the fact that those who know zilch about it are the ones calling the shots and selling like hot cakes in the market. What really pains is the fact that this particular methodology is in no way adhering to the principles or guidelines of Vedic Astrology but is getting camouflaged under the guise of Astrology unfortunately bringing disrepute to it's credibility. Its just not an aberration but actually absurdity and eventually in the end something as sacred like astrology ends up taking the brunt.

Spain's Clutch Mentality in Finals and Sporting Dominance in the 21st Century

Spain capped off a brilliant campaign by emerging victorious at the FIFA World Cup 2026. It was their second triumph and both their wins came at extra time when they scored the solitary most needed goal to attain glory. Their dogged resistance came to the fore once again as they maintained a clean sheet to keep the Argentinians at bay akin to what they did to all other teams during this World Cup. They've just managed to concede a singular goal during the whole tournament and this clearly establishes their forte in defense. The Spanish deadlock was pretty brutal for every single team to dislodge with virtually all of them getting knocked down in the process.

Spain also with this win go 38 matches unbeaten on the trot which is a pretty phenomenal record. They didn't come in as pre tournament favourites and in fact were on equal footing with Portugal who they took out in the round of 16. Almost everyone expected France to displace them especially with the form underplayed by the French going into the semi final but the rock solid Spanish defense couldn't be breached even by the attacking French. In the final they went toe to toe against the defending champions and completely cut their game out left right and center not granting even the slightest shot on goal throughout the entirety of 120 minutes inclusive of extra time.

What is really impressive about Spain is how they have suddenly become a world beating powerhouse in sports during the 21st century. Till the turn of Y2K, they didn't have a single World Cup victory let alone even coming close to the summit clash. It was a similar story with the European football championship as well where they were never major title contenders and was just a team participating.

Not only have they put this title drought to rest, another sterling feature about them is their clutch mentality and knowing how to upscale their game to the finest and fullest especially come the big finals. For a team who've hardly even reached any major tournament final pre 2000, their mental finesse and fortitude requires some serious studying because their final feats are simply impeccable.

They are the only team to win 2 World Cups since the turn of the century and also the only side to claim 3 Euros in the last 25 years. No European nation have even won twice. The other strong European nations have had some setback or other in finals but Spain possess an ultra clean slate record which is true monster mentality. They are 5-0 in finals having won the 2010 WC and 2026 WC against Netherlands & Argentina respectively. In the Euros they've accounted for Germany, Italy and England in the 3 title finals won in 2008, 2012 and 2024.

With this World Cup victory, the men also join the women's team who were crowned champions in the last held FIFA Women's World Cup that took place in the Trans Tasman countries of Australia and New Zealand in the year 2023 when the Spanish women went one past England in the final to claim their maiden World Cup. The Spanish men's team have also managed to conquer a unique treble as they are now the current holders of Euro (Euro 2024 in Germany), Olympic Gold (Gold Medalist in Paris 2024) and the World Cup (FIFA World Cup 2026 in USA, Canada & Mexico).

Veering away slightly from the national team and their successes in Euro and World Cups in finals, their 2 premier clubs are no slouches too when it comes to the big finales. Both of them have an unenviable jaw dropping milestone of winning every single final in this century which they have contested in the UEFA Champions League which is the most lucrative and well renowned club contest where all the major clubs participate from Europe to win this foremost competition. As alluded to earlier, from 2000 onwards Real Madrid has won all 8 finals that it has played and Barcelona all the 4 finals that it has participated.

Spaniards really know to step up when it comes to finals of sporting events and it's been evident especially since Y2K. In the sport of tennis, their all time great Rafael Nadal has accounted for 22 Grand Slams out of which 14 has come in a singular slam viz the Roland Garros. What is even more staggering is that he has won every single of the 14 finals and not even one of them went the distance towards a 5th set. The rising up and coming sensation Carlos Alcaraz who inaugurated the kickoff of the FIFA World Cup 2026 has already won 7 of the 8 slam finals he has played in at the tender age of 23.

The Spanish clutch mentality is seriously mind boggling. They have not only mastered the art of winning big tournaments and especially when it comes to finals they simply seem unmatchable and win with ease. It's quite unfathomable how unfazed they are towards the big matches and soak in the pressure with absolute restraint and calmness. The Spanish Armageddon has certainly set the sporting world on fire after being relatively quiet and just sailing along across the 20th century without any major world title to boast of. But things have changed dramatically with their dominant sporting culture and steely attitude to seize up the huge moments and come out victorious is truly admirable and certainly a characteristic which many nations can take a cue from. They go about their work quietly and know exactly when to step up the way forward as they truly exemplified with a master class illustration in this recently bygone FIFA World Cup 2026. Vamos Espana!.

England and the Art of Choking in Sporting World Cups

England bottled up a monumental opportunity to get through to the finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after 60 years. They had everything aligned for them and even in this must win match up, they had control for most of the game leading 1-0 and needed to play out hardly about 10 minutes or so to register a historic date in the final which would have been their first since 1966 where they emerged triumphant in the finals against West Germany in front of a packed home stadium of Wembley with the entire country going bananas.

But alas, it was not to be. When they had to step up and seize the initiative they handed it back to Argentina who grabbed it with both hands scoring a goal and leveling proceedings towards end of full time and enabling one more just into extra time to kill the game beyond England's reach. England were woeful, pathetic and diabolic to say the least. It was an epic melt down of sorts at the most crucial juncture of a semi final and what looked like giving their fans a date to remember ended up flaming in the ashes in absolute disarray.

The English were caught short napping with their tactics and thought they could get away with just few minutes remaining to tick in the clock. They totally lost possession and were just hoping or rather praying that Argentina wouldn't equalize especially with time at their advantage. However the steely resolve of 'La Albiceleste' derailed the 'Three Lions' by running through their brittle defense to grab the much needed 2 goals. 

This was a chance for England to avenge revenge from the ill fated clash exactly 40 years ago when the infamous Hand of God goal along with one of the greatest goals ever scored enabled Argentina to knock out the English on way to a famous world cup win. In 1986 it was the Hand of God goal of Diego Maradona causing heartbreak and this time in 2026 it was the Left Feet of God ala Lionel Messi aiding with 2 assists sealing an improbable victory.

England disappointing at the biggest stage however has been a perennial occurrence. Perhaps this could be their greatest ever slipped opportunity but over the last 3 decades they have always found themselves coming up hollow in crucial encounters by choking, panicking and eventually botching it up causing chagrin of the highest order for their sports loving spectators. Its not just in football but even in other sports they have missed plenty of chances to claim the biggest crown.

Its a shame that a sporting nation like England still has to fall back on the 1966 triumph that occurred 60 years back and the wait is only going to get longer with their recent exit. In 1998, they pushed Argentina to the brim but fell away in the penalty shoot out. During 2002, in the quarter final they took the lead against eventual champion Brazil only to grant it back and allow them to score another to seal victory. 2006 was another penalty potboiler as they bowed out to Portugal. 8 years back in 2018, they were knocked out in the semis to unfancied Croatia yet again after taking the lead and in 2022, a penalty miss by their talisman Harry Kane made sure they go out to France. 2026 they had all bases covered and looked to finally overcome their 60 year cursed hoodoo when a chaotic shambles of a performance in the last quarter of the game enabled to emerge a come back from behind victory for the Argentinians. 

I read a few comparisons of England equaling their choking nature in football akin to South Africa's tendencies in cricket where they have stumbled many a time in crucial world cup encounters. But the going in cricket also doesn't give for pretty reading. England finally won their first ODI World Cup only in their 4th shot at the final and even that triumph in 2019 was mired in controversy as a tied game was granted to them due to a dubious boundary related decision making fracas. They lost the 1979 ODI WC final at home to the West Indies and in 1987 squandered away a golden buffet literally handing the cup to the Aussies thanks to a needless reverse sweep by Captain Mike Gatting. The following World Cup they again came undone against Pakistan in the final, a team they had bowled out for just 74 in the group stage encounter. Coming to the other premier ODI competition next in line to the World Cup viz the Champions Trophy, they again dwindled at the crucial stage not being able to claim a single title. In 2 of these Championships held in England during the 2004 and 2013 edition they reached the finals and on both occasions they suppressed by not being able to take the initiative despite having the opposition on the mat in the finale vs West Indies in 2004. In the 2013 final, they literally had the match in the bag but a late order squeeze by Indian bowlers aided by nervousness from the English batsman ensured that they manage to lose by a wafer thin margin. Again it was 2 major missed opportunities to win a global cricketing tournament that too at home and that too after getting to the final and that too dominating most part of the match only to eventually lose out. In the T20 World Cup format, they are better off having claimed 2 titles but even there they missed a massive chance to add 2 more. In the 2016 final in India, Ben Stokes was smoked for 4 consecutive sixes in the final over to establish West Indies win a match which looked pretty impossible. 10 years later in 2026, they had the match in the balance and were well in control against host India in the semifinals at Wankhede, Mumbai but again failed to capitalize and advance to the final.

Rugby stakes also doesn't bode well for a pretty picture when it comes to knock out clashes. Yes, they held their nerve to beat the hosts Aussies in spectacular fashion in a memorable final night at Sydney in the 2003 World Cup but against the same Wallabies at home in the 1991 final at Twickenham they were undone. Also they were at the receiving end in the finals twice at the hands of the Springboks both in 2007 and 2019. In the last World Cup of 2023, at the semifinal stage they were leading South Africa but got robbed falling one point short from advancing to the final.

There definitely seems to be something psychologically wrong with England when it comes to big World Cup tournaments. Many a time they have assembled a team which had all the ammunition to compete against the very best in the world but somehow they repeatedly fall short lacking the killer instinct to punch their way about especially when it comes to dire situations and also architect a choke of the highest proportion at the business end frequently. Since the main topic was on football, it is quite shocking the number of times they have lost out on penalty shoot outs. You can be rest assured that once it gets there to that stage, England have a mental imbalance and know in the mind that they have already lost it. In Euro 2020 at a home final in Wembley they plundered in the shoot out to Italy and another blunder took place in the following Euro 2024 to Spain making them lose back to back Euro finals similar to losing 2 back to back cricket ODI World Cups in 1987 & 1992. England have never reached a final of the FIFA World Cup since 1966 but in recent times both in 2018 and 2026 as alluded earlier they screwed up royally in the semifinals after taking the lead and being minutes away from playing at the biggest stage of their lives.

England's choking howlers needs to be analysed intricately. They have been everlasting under achievers for eternity now. I cannot fathom how many World Cup triumphs they would have had even if they had converted half of all those missed possibilities. It almost feels like for the opposition, England is a soft target especially when it comes to knock out fixtures because this kind of blasphemous blow out is simply unacceptable to comprehend. They come up with immense hype and extraordinary expectations every time only flattering to deceive time and again by hitting the stumbling block perpetually. They really epitomize the characteristic of "All Fart No Shit". They definitely need to address and do something about this going forward so as to prevent this mourning from persisting repeatedly. It must be so heart breaking for the fans every time to see their beloved English side failing to seize the initiative and actually end up victorious. This FIFA World Cup 2026 story is another chapter in England's checkered sporting history of coming so close only to falter. What looked like coming home finally after 60 years got snatched away in the last minute eluding them once again making the wait longer and hope continuing to linger.

The End of Bazball - Bumpy, Tawdry and Haywire

With the surprisingly bizarre decision of Ben Stokes to retire in the middle of a test match with the series being on the line, it can well be officially stated that this reign of Bazball has finally come to an end with this home series against New Zealand. Coincidentally Bazball began it's tenure at this very ground of Trent Bridge against the very same opposition of New Zealand and also ending in the same stadium against the same team. As aptly summarised by Michael Atherton in the comm box "Bazball dies where it began".

For the uninitiated, Bazball is a term coined for the English cricket team led by Coach Brendon McCullum and Captain Ben Stokes. If one goes further, it can also said to include Robert Key, the head of the management of the England Cricket Board (ECB) who was also a former player. Bazball points to an ultra aggresive style of play much against the traditional norm of test cricket with the key word being entertainment guaranteed. This movement started around the mid of 2022 and has come to an end exactly in the middle of 2026 with the captain Stokes calling it quits from the game.

Bazball stemmed as a result of poor England performance prior to this period where they had managed to win just one test match of their last 17 played with very many embarrassing defeats along the way. A change of guard and approach was sought and seemed like the need of the hour which brought about the introduction of this maverick style of play which is generally not associated or suited with English cricket.

Bazball began well initially but has been on a constant downward sloping curve since the last couple of years. It is camouflaged and sugarcoated to show as if England have been world beaters in entertaining but in essence if you look at the record it's been pretty deplorable to say the least. Also it's only gotten worse over time with no change of plan or strategy to address the leak of losses.

Listed below is a list of series performed under the Bazball regime from the time it took over in 2022. Most of the matches were captained by Ben Stokes. The odd match or two were led by Ollie Pole/Joe Root on account of Stokes absence.

1) - Vs NZ Home: Won 3-0 (3 tests)

2) - Vs Ind Home: Won 1-0 (1 test)

3) - Vs SA Home: Won 2-1 (3 tests)

4) - Vs Pak Away: Won 3-0 (3 tests)

5) - Vs NZ Away: Drawn 1-1 (2 tests)

6) - Vs Ire Home: Won 1-0 (1 test)

7) - Vs Aus Home: Drawn 2-2 (5 tests)

8) - Vs Ind Away: Lost 4-1 (5 tests)

9) - Vs WI Home: Won 3-0 (3 tests)

10) - Vs SL Home: Won 2-1 (3 tests)

11) - Vs Pak Away: Lost 2-1 (3 tests)

12) - Vs NZ Away: Won 2-1 (3 tests)

13) - Vs Zim Home: Won 1-0 (1 test)

14) - Vs Ind Home: Drawn 2-2 (5 tests)

15) - Vs Aus Away: Lost 4-1 (5 tests)

16) - Vs NZ Home: Lost 2-1 (3 tests)

If one observes in this tenure between 2022-26, England have played a whopping 49 tests claiming 28 victories, losing 19 and drawing just 2. The record doesn't look all too bad on paper but when you peek close a lot further you would observe that their record against the top teams was shockingly poor and nothing to write home about. 

Against both India and Australia, they lost the away series 4-1 and at home only managed to eke out a 2-2 draw. They played a then weakened South Africa side only once that too at home and managed to win 2-1. Against New Zealand, they ended up losing their home record which was preserved till this last series by going down 2-1. Even against Pakistan, initially they won 3-0 away and in the subsequent series over there they actually lost 2-1. So it's clearly a downward sloping curve for England. One more glooming record is that they started out this campaign at 10-1 winning their first ten out of 11 matches played under Bazball. From there it's definitely been downhill. They were on the verge of winning their first 11 out of 12 but after that one run defeat to New Zealand in early 2023, it's been quite a steep fall. From a 10-1 start at the inception of Bazball, they end 2-7 concluding with a demolition at the hands of archrivals Australia in the Ashes and a home series defeat to the Black Caps.

Also seeing things from the perspective of World Test Championship, they have been nowhere close to making it to the Top 2 finalists across the 3 cycles of this incumbency. They have cracked down with time and only gotten from bad to worse to even diabolic at most times. The resurgence in 2022 which felt like a golden light unfolding got dimmed way too soon and they got caught up or in fact even slammed against the better teams especially Australia and India. India were in fact fielding a makeshift squad in 2025 and still managed to draw the series 2-2 and later when the Poms toured down under they absolutely got mauled black and blue.

All this hullabaloo of entertaining test cricket and bringing back audiences to fall in love with the game holds true only if you win test matches. It's pitifully pointless if you're going to keep bashing at every delivery and tumbling your way towards monumental defeats. There was so much of talk & hype towards the away Ashes series but England were caught napping as they played deplorable cricket losing wickets in piles thanks largely to brain dead batting and wrest the Ashes back in a mere 11 days to the Aussies.

It is very clear that this brand of Bazball cricket is faltering. It did start reasonably fairly well no doubt but has completely headed down south over the period of time. There have been no plans whatsoever to address difficult situations especially on tacky wickets and mindless slam bang slogging has gotten them nowhere. With the retirement of Ben Stokes, their talismanic cricketer it's only going to get worse for England. It's time to rebuild and reshape the future by applying some common sense. It's certainly going to take some time for sure but if they keep continuing this senseless approach of playing test cricket like how they are currently, they will be hovering in the lower rung. 

It's time England stop this entitlement about themselves as it's pretty evident the results aren't coming. The timing of the retirement of Ben Stokes was circus of the highest order and on top of it the showboating of all the events playing out right in the middle of a match and series being on the line displayed pandemonium at it's peak. There are news coming about that their coach will also be losing the job. There is no doubt that a revamp is required for English cricket and some strong changes needs to be implemented in the system before things go completely bonkers which appears to be the case at this point in time. The survival of test cricket requires a competitive England and major decisions have to be taken before it all completely goes out of hand.

Top of the World - The Carpenters

Whenever I listen to this number, by default my spirits tend to get lifted up largely due to it's extremely inspiring lyrics and the way it's been rendered by Karen Carpenter that oozes sweetness and a feeling of warmth on account of her cherubic silky smooth crystal voice.

Like Michael Jackson, Karen Carpenter was such a talent to reckon with possessing such angelic voice chords which is simply not possible to not fall in love with. Her voice bowled over and captivated music lovers. Unfortunately on the flip side, her life was tragic and she fell prey to health complications resulting from anorexia leading to a very early death at the height of her powers.

Despite the short stint that life provided her with, she did full justice to her talent bowling over and bewitching music lovers via her enchanting vocal prowess. She and her brother Richard Carpenter formed the band 'The Carpenters' with the sibling duo raking it big time by producing wonderous musical tunes during their time together.

The Top of the World will always remain a perennial favourite and I just wanted to share a few lines on the instrument of this riveting beauty sung by the magical Karen Carpenter with it being set to tune and penned by her brother Richard Carpenter. If ever a composition could be christened as a motivational melody, 'Top of the World' by the Carpenters will right royally be up there with the very best.

Remembering Michael Jackson - Beat It!

Michael Jackson was one of a kind. He was probably the truest trendsetter setting the world by storm through his trail blazing dance moves and electrifying music. He was an enigma pretty hard to dissect but whatever the outcome of his art was gobbled up by fans all over the globe. He had the knack of keeping his audience on tenterhooks and that carried through across his lifetime.

I still remember the day when the news of his passing away broke out on that ill fateful day on 25th June 2009. I had left home early for an audit to a company called Honeywell in Anna Nagar when I chanced upon the newspaper at the reception to read about the heart breaking news of the icons demise.

Everyone growing up in the 80s and 90s would have definitely not missed MJ in some way or other as he had such an unmistakable impact. World music was still pretty much in its nascent stages in the Indian market but the uniqueness in his sounds reverberated across the universe capturing hearts aplenty.

A small dedication of a good ol peppy MJ song from yesteryear 'Beat It'. Remembering the iconic legend on his remembrance day. MJ was an uncharted maverick and a pioneer of his times. There'll probably never ever be someone as mind zapping as a Michael Jackson going forward in history ever again.