Ghat Chakra and the Afflictions to Natal Moon Rasi

There is a concept called Ghat Chakra which is based on the theory of specific components getting afflicted based on the Moon (Janma) Rasi in which one takes birth. The sections that get affected are the elements of Panchang in addition to Ascendant, Moon and Lunar Month. All one needs to know is the Moon Rasi in which one takes birth as that happens to be the fundamental premise based on which Ghat Chakra is determined. 'Ghat' literally translates as danger or bruise or inimical. In essence it can be termed as something of an unpleasant nature or troublesome incident taking place during particular moments of day and time depending purely on the moon rasi in which one attains birth. Listing below 10 of the components that come under the radar of Ghat Chakra:

1) Ghat Tithi
2) Ghat Vara
3) Ghat Nakshatra
4) Ghat Yoga
5) Ghat Karana
6) Ghat Lagna Same Sex
7) Ghat Lagna Opposite Sex
8) Ghat Chandra Male
9) Ghat Chandra Female
10) Ghat Lunar Month

Listed below is a tabular list of all the affected constituents that come within the scanner of Ghat Chakra based on the Janma Rasi arising at birth.

Ghat Tithi:
There are basically 15 Tithis each of the brighter half and darker half of which these Tithis are further categorized into 5 groups comprising of 3 Tithis each listed as below
Nanda Tithi 1,6,11 - Pratipada, Sashti, Ekadashi
Bhadra Tithi 2,7,12 - Dwitiya, Sapthami, Dwadashi
Jaya Tithi 3,8,13 - Tritiya, Ashtami, Triyodashi
Rikhta Tithi 4,9,14 - Chaturthi, Navami, Chaturdashi
Poorna Tithi 5,10,15 - Panchami, Dasami, Pournima/Amma Vasya
The concept of Ghat Chakra on Tithi works in the following means. Let's say one is born in the Janma Rasi of Karka (Cancer). In this case the Ghat Tithi happens to be Bhadra which denotes the 2nd, 7th and 12th Tithi. Hence if any of Dwitiya, Sapthami or Dwadashi Tithi is operating it can indicate that a Karka Rasi born person can end up attaining danger on these times when the Tithi is functioning.

Ghat Vara:
These are basically the days of the week from Sunday to Saturday. Based on Janma Rasi at birth, a particular day is said to cause harm. For instance a Kanya Rasi born native may face some inopportune event taking place on a Saturday. Please however note a day or Vara runs from Sunrise up until next day Sunrise and it doesn't work on the modern definition of a day being defined from 12AM in the night till next day midnight 12AM.

Ghat Nakshatra:
This indicates the Nakshatra constellation of Moon that gets affected based on the Janma Rasi at birth. There are 27 Nakshatras and one particular Nakshatra for each Janma Rasi causes danger of some sort. As an illustration, if one were born in the Janma Rasi of Simha, then Moola Nakshatra becomes Ghat which can trigger some unfortunate incident when Moon is transiting in the Nakshatra of Moola.

Ghat Yoga:
Like Nakshatras, Yogas are also 27 in Number and a particular Yoga is said to causes trouble to each of the Janma Rasis. For example, if someone were born in Mesha Rasi, Vishkumba Yoga happens to be Ghat and when this Yoga is in operation it can cause affliction to a Mesha Rasi born native.

Ghat Karana:
Karanas are derived from Tithi and basically half a Tithi is said to constitute a Karana. There are totally 30 Tithis which means the number of Karanas should be 60 in number. However that is not the case as the Karanas are divided into 2 types viz Movable and Fixed Karana with 7 of the Karanas repeating itself 8 times and 4 of them being fixed in nature. Hence the total of 60 is divided into (7*8) plus (4*1) summing up to 11 in number. For each of the Janma Rasis, a particular Karana comes under the ambit of Ghat and causes issues. For a Dhanus Rasi born native, Taitula Karana is said to be Ghat and can indicate trouble.

Ghat Lagna Same Sex:
For each of the Janma Rasis, a particular Lagna or Ascendant is said to cause issues. This is as per the same sex. For instance let's say a male is born in the Janma Rasi of Meena or Pisces. For this male, another male having rising Lagna of Simha or Leo is said to cause problems and likewise for a female born in Makara Rasi, another female born in Kumbha Lagna can cause issues. It can also be inferred that during the rising Ghat Lagnas during a day which would be approximately 2 hours, a bad event can happen with another individual belonging to the same sex.

Ghat Lagna Opposite Sex:
For each of the Janma Rasis, a particular Lagna or Ascendant is said to cause issues. This is as per the opposite sex. For instance let's say a male is born in the Janma Rasi of Meena or Pisces. For this male, a female having rising Lagna of Kumbha or Aquarius can cause problems and likewise for a female born in Makara Rasi, a male born in Simha Lagna can pull up some issues. It can also be inferred that during the rising Ghat Lagnas during a day which would be approximately 2 hours, a bad event can happen with another individual belonging to the opposite sex.

Ghat Chandra Male:
For each of the Janma Rasis, a specific rasi of the Moon itself causes opposition. This is as per the Male version. As an illustration, it can be said that a native born in the Janma Rasi of Rishabha or Taurus irrespective of whether the person is male or female can face some issues from a male native born in Dhanus Rasi. It can also be inferred that during the rising Ghat Rasi which rises for about 2 and a quarter days, some problem can be faced from male natives during this time zone.

Ghat Chandra Female:
For each of the Janma Rasis, a specific rasi of the Moon itself causes opposition. This is as per the Female version. As an illustration, it can be said that a native born in the Janma Rasi of Mithuna or Gemini irrespective of whether the person is male or female can face some issues from a female native born in Kumbha Rasi. It can also be inferred that during the rising Ghat Rasi which rises for about 2 and a quarter days, some problem can be faced from female natives during this time zone.

Ghat Lunar Month:
Each of the Janma Rasis are associated with a Ghat Lunar month which approximately is in operation for about 30 days during a year. A Lunar month starts from Shukla Pratipada which is the first day of the brighter half and ends during Amma Vasya which is the last day of the darker half. When this Lunar month is effective, it can cause some worries to the native born in a Janma Rasi for which the Lunar month happens to be Ghat. As a case in point, for a Thula Rasi native, Magha Lunar month happens to be Ghat which usually runs for about 30 days between January to February.

Summarized Illustration:
Case 1 : Female Native born in Vrischika Rasi
Let's take the case of a female native born in Vrischika or Scorpio Rasi. The following will happen to be Ghat for this individual:
Ghat Tithi - Nanda Tithi is Ghat which means Pratipada, Sashti, Ekadashi Tithis operating both in Shukla Paksha and Krishna Paksha can be troublesome
Ghat Vara - Friday is Ghat and problems can take place during this day.
Ghat Nakshatra - Revathi Nakshatra is Ghat and hence could cause some issues
Ghat Yoga - Vyatipata Yoga is Ghat inferring some troubles during this Yoga formation
Ghat Karana - Garaja Karana is Ghat indicating some danger during this time
Ghat Lagna Same Sex - Vrischika Lagna happens to be Ghat which means problems can arise from another female born in Vrischika Lagna or during the time zone in which Vrishcika Lagna is rising
Ghat Lagna Opposite Sex - Rishaba Lagna happens to be Ghat which means problems can arise from a male born in Rishaba Lagna or during the time zone in which Rishaba Lagna is rising    
Ghat Chandra Male - Dhanus Rasi is Ghat which means these natives can face problems from males born in Dhanus Rasi or during the time frame in which Dhanus Rasi is in operation
Ghat Chandra Female - Rishabha Rasi is Ghat which means these natives can face problems from females born in Rishabha Rasi or during the time frame in which Rishabha Rasi is in operation
Ghat Lunar Month - Ashwija Maasa is Ghat which can be deduced that these natives could face troubles when Ashwija Lunar month is in operation

Case 2 : Male Native born in Dhanus Rasi
Now we shall take another example of a male native born in Dhanus or Sagittarius Rasi. We shall see the contacts this individual needs to avoid in order to escape from being inflicted from any kind of harm. This can also be used as a measure for marriage match check or alliance of a partnership.
Ghat Tithi - Jaya Tithi is Ghat. So this native should try to avoid contact with those born in Tritiya, Ashtami or Triyodashi Tithi's in both the waxing and waning moon phase.
Ghat Vara - Friday is Ghat. So native should reduce contact with those born on Fridays
Ghat Nakshatra - Bharani is Ghat. Thus native should refrain from any sort of partnership with another person born in Bharani Nakshatra
Ghat Yoga - Vajra is Ghat. Hence native should try not to maintain ties with Vajra Yoga born natives
Ghat Karana - Taitula is Karana. So the native should avoid being close to natives born in Taitula Karana
Ghat Lagna Same Sex - Dhanus is Ghat. It's good to evade contact with any male born in Dhanus Lagna
Ghat Lagna Opposite Sex - Mithuna is Ghat. It's good to evade contact with any female born in Mithuna Lagna
Ghat Chandra Male - Kanya is Ghat. So better to refrain relationships with any male born in Kanya Rasi.
Ghat Chandra Female - Meena is Ghat. So better to refrain relationships with any female born in Meena Rasi.
Ghat Lunar Month - Shravan is Ghat. Hence it is better to put off any important activities during Shravan month which runs approximately between July-August.

Conclusion:
This is about the notion behind the Ghat Chakra. As so many different components cause troubles of various sorts based on the Janma Rasi, it becomes little hard to keep a tab of them all. Studying the Panchanga can help in knowing the different elements that are in play during a period of time and this information can be useful to avoid important matters especially during the Ghat time framework.

Nakshatras and it's Planetary Rulers, DNA Karma Planets & Planetary Controllers

The 27 Nakshatras play a key role in the realms of Vedic Astrology. As per the normal nomenclature, the stars are ruled in 3 sets of 9 Nakshatras each and given rulership to a particular planet based on the Vimshottari Dasa sequence. For instance the 1st star Ashwini, 10th star Magha and 19th star Moola are all set to be ruled by Ketu and likewise the 2nd, 11th and 20th star are provided rulership to Venus. This is the lordship which is adopted even in the Panchanga scheme when considering ''Nakshatra' that forms one of the limbs comprising of the 5 elements of Tithi, Vara, Nakshatra, Yoga and Karana.

But what is interesting to note is that apart from the planet rulership, each star is also linked to a particular DNA karma planet associated with it that differs from the usual star rulers theory. Additionally, there is another technique called Angisam which mentions that sets of 3 stars each are controlled by a particular planet and when any planet is placed in the specific Nakshatra which is controlled by the particular planet, the controller helps establish to manifest the results.

Let us take a brief overview of all the Nakshatras, the planets ruling them, the karmas interlinked with them in the form of planets and also the planets that are controlling these Nakshatras. As a food for thought, Satabisha is the only Nakshatra whose planetary ruler, DNA karma planet and planetary controller all happen to be one and the same planet which is Rahu.

Planetary Ruler:
This follows the Vimshottari Dasa sequence accommodating all 9 planets. Though there are other Dasa systems adopting different rulership, it's this scheme which is taken universally when it comes to star rulership or Lordship. It is also extensively used in KP astrology where more importance is in fact given to the planetary ruler of the star in which a particular planet is perched.

Planetary DNA Karma:
Each of the Nakshatras is interwoven with a particular DNA karma pattern that follows a specified planet. Ketu is not taken into account in this scheme as it's Moksha Karaka. This is a more recently evolved branch and is linked largely to mythology and karma patterns. The main feature of deciphering the karma planet happens to be based on 3 essential factors
- The Nakshatra in which the Lagna degree falls
- The Nakshatra in which the Moon degree falls
- The Nakshatra in which the Lagna Lord degree falls
For instance let's say someone's Lagna degree falls in the Nakshatra of Arudra. Here Venus DNA karma is active for this native. The karma pattern works both in good and bad ways. We can ascertain that this native may generally be inclined to Venusian things such as fine arts, music etc but at the same time some Venus significant things could also be hard to come by for the native such as finding difficulty to express love, problems in getting married etc.

Planetary Controller:
Each of the Nakshatras in sets of 3 are under the domain of a particular planet. The reason of this sequence is because sets of 3 continuous stars complete one entire cycle in the Navamsa. This information is also mentioned in the text 'Jathaka Alankara' by the name of Angisam.  'Angu' is like a weapon in Gods hand. The controller or 'Angisathipathy' is the Graha that shoulders the responsibility when a planet sits in a particular Nakshatra. For instance if a planet Saturn is sitting in the Nakshatra of Hastha. Hastha is under the domain of Jupiter as it controls the same. Here we need to interpret that Jupiter will indirectly be influencing Saturn to produce the results as the star Hastha is within the control of Jupiter.

Overall Illustration:
If a native has let's say a planet placed in Poorva Phalguni Nakshatra, then it can be inferred that the Nakshatra is ruled by Venus, the DNA Karma pattern associated with it is Mars and it being controlled by Mercury. 

How this Information can be Used:
This can be checked with for any star or house lord ruler. Let's say for instance one's 7th lord falls in the Nakshatra of Dhanishta. This Nakshatra is ruled by Mars, has DNA connect of Saturn and controlled by Rahu. Hence we can say spouse may have martian qualities (Mars Ruler), marriage might be delayed or can work as a remedy when helping needy or aged people (Saturn DNA ruler) and it will be Rahu who takes the responsibility by being the support system in ensuring that marriage takes place. (Rahu controller)

List of Planetary Rulers, Planetary DNA Karma and Planetary Controller:
Sharing below the list of 27 Nakshatras comprising it's planetary ruler, planetary DNA Karma associated and planetary controller.

Nakshatra Tara Balan - The Moon's Asterisms!

The Nakshatras play a paramount role in the composition of Vedic Astrology. It is important not only in the holistic analysis of a chart while judging results but also plays the part of an independent contributor which could be looked at as an esteemed exclusive system all by itself. For all practical purpose, the very mention of the name Nakshatra should by default correspond only to the placement of Moon and nothing else. Its's the Moons asterisms which is considered supreme and the entire functioning of Navatara Chakra stems from the Moon only.

The Navatara Chakra system is basically a categorization of the 27 Nakshatras into 3 sets of 9 each with all the even number stars (2,4,6,8) said to be propitious, odd number stars (3,5,7) said to induce negativity with 1 and 9 being neutral. The 9th constellation is said to connote a mixture of good & bad whereas the 1st is said to represent the individual self but known to cause tensions. This is however a broad classification of the Nakshatras and can work at most times but when we take all the 27 Nakshatras as a whole without splitting into parts we would find that at times this number scheme does not bode well all the time as there are a number of exceptions brought into the muddle. The Nakshatra based text 'Kumaraswamiyam' is also known to give the results independently of all the 27 Nakshatras based on its position with Janma Nakshatra.

Let's now take a brief synopsis about the deliverance of results for all the 27 Nakshatras beginning from the Janma Nakshatra. Please note #1 is your Janma Nakshatra and should not be read as Ashwini. For instance if a native is born in Chithra star, then it happens to be #1, Swati #2, Vishakha #3 and so on and so forth.

Nakshatra #1 - The Janma Nakshatra of the native is said to infuse plenty of tensions

Nakshatra #2 - The 2nd star is said to be beneficial and especially for money related activities

Nakshatra #3 - The 3rd star can connote some sort of danger and precautionary measures are to be taken

Nakshatra #4 - Though the 4th star in general is said to denote sukha (comforts), this is a time when people will appear to nicely talk to you but end up cheating you. Hence arises the need to be careful
 
Nakshatra #5 - It is generally said not to perform any new work when the 5th Nakshatra is in operation

Nakshatra #6 - This is said to be favorable (Sadhagam). Hence one can do and achieve anything when this Nakshatra is in transit

Nakshatra #7 - Even general good things can end up going in disappointment during this period, hence arises the need to be cautious   

Nakshatra #8 - This is a very friendly Nakshatra. Any activity performed is deemed to be a success.

Nakshatra #9 - This is said to be benefic to an extent. The general notion with the 9th Nakshatra is that it enhances and so good things can end up being more better and bad things can end up getting worse

Nakshatra #10 - This is known as the Karma Nakshatra and there are chances to get cheated

Nakshatra #11 - Though this falls in the No.2 category of Navatara, this ain't a favorable Nakshatra. It is called as Samudaya Pagai Nakshatra which denotes that society or other people will look like they are helping but actually end up deceiving you

Nakshatra #12 - This is unfavorable from the stand point of work. Any new activity or task should be prevented on this day as consequences can be harmful

Nakshatra #13 - This is highly favorable. Any activity performed during this transit time of Moon will prove fruitful

Nakshatra #14 - Fights and arguments are said to take place and hence better to avert any activity

Nakshatra #15 - This is a time when one will get good support from near and dear even without any efforts or just by even simply keeping quiet

Nakshatra #16 - Even if one keeps quiet, some unnecessary issues will tend to crop up. Hence warrants the need to be extra careful

Nakshatra #17 - This is said to induce very favorable things to take place in one's favor. Yes, this does also happen to be Chandrashtama time but the effect is negligible and the negative impact of the moon transit into the 8th house from itself is said to be problematic only for a minimal duration of time

Nakshatra #18 - This is specifically termed as Pana Pagai which translates to money related problems. It is said never to undertake any money allied transactions during the transit of the Moon in the 18th Nakshatra from Janma Nakshatra

Nakshatra #19 - Any activity undertaken will be victorious and hence this is a favorable transit time

Nakshatra #20 - This is supposed to be one of the best intervals in the lunar cycle and said to work favorably in all ways

Nakshatra #21 - This is termed as 'Maaru Patta Nilai' which translates to whatever task we perform can end up going in a reverse manner. Hence the need to be careful to avoid reversal of fortunes.

Nakshatra #22 - This is known as 'Vadha Vainasika'. Counted from this Nakshatra to your Janma Nakshatra it will be 7 and counted from your Janma Nakshatra, this will be 22nd. 7th is inauspicious and 22nd is destruction. Hence this day will not only do any good but will also induce troubles

Nakshatra #23 - It is said that some issue will crop up relating to the activity being performed. Hence the need to prevent from doing any crucial tasks on this day.

Nakshatra #24 - This is a favorable Nakshatra and especially related to land dealings. Hence for construction work, signing any land agreement, this Nakshatra day can be the ace.

Nakshatra #25 - Tends to cause mind tension. It is advised to just go about your work on your own and not indulge in anything extra as it can lead to plenty of mind issues. 

Nakshatra #26 - This is related to the community (Jathi) and it is said that one will get good name from the surrounding environment with regard to whatever work performed.

Nakshatra #27 - This is a beneficial Nakshatra and auspicious things will tend to take place during this transit period.

Hence when we look at a more comprehensive view of the Tara Bal of all 27 Nakshatras as a whole, there can be some transits which casts a different version from the general Navatara Chakra theory. Apart from this there is this concept of Vedha Nakshatra which is said to repel a particular Nakshatra that also needs to be factored.

Vedha Nakshatras:
Vedha means enemy and can show some alteration to the above result and is a concept especially used in marriage matching. Even if all things are favorable, if the Moon Nakshatra of the boy and girl happen to be Vedha, it's advised not to match. It's pretty powerful because it tends to overrule even when other events are favorable.This is a factor to assess failure, hardship and incompatibility in marriage. For this purpose there are certain stars which are repellent to the other. They are supposed to be enemies and it's advised to avoid stars that are forming vedhai (enemity) to each other. For eg. Ashwini star should not be matched with Jyeshta and likewise Arudra should never be matched with Shravana. The Mars stars of Mriga, Chithra and Dhanishta end up being Vedha to each other.

Sometimes Vedha also tends to be in 6/8 but that's not always the case. Hence not only marriage even otherwise the energy of the vedha star should not be invoked. For instance from the list above the 15th Nakshatra from Janma Nakshatra is said to confer good results. But taking eg. for a Poorva Bhadra born native, the 15th Nakshatra happens to be Uthara Phalguni which should ideally constitute beneficial results but since these two happen to be Vedha to each other, the benefits may not come to pass since it supersedes the general well being granted on account of being the Vedha Nakshatra. Sharing below the list of Vedha Nakshatras to each other: 

There is also a specific vedhai (issue) in a designated area which also needs to be factored. These are called Samuga Vedhai, Vama Vedhai and Dekshina Vedhai

Samuga Vedhai (11th constellation):
Samuga Vedhai translates to Community issues. So when the 11th star is in operational transit to one's Janma Nakshatra, issues cropping up with regard to meetings, society at large can take place. Hence if any common meeting/agreement is to take place with a larger community, it is better to avoid the 11th Nakshatra.

Dekshina Vedhai (18th constellation):
Dekshina Vedhai translates to give and take issues. Hence when the 18th star is transiting, there can be some issue pertaining to changing of hands ie giving something away to get something else. This can be used both in a good or bad way and needs to be factored accordingly.

Vama Vedhai (4th constellation):
Vama Vedhai translates to hostility issues. If there is any important occasion scheduled to take place when the 4th star is in transit, it is better to avoid if possible as there can be some unnecessary fights/disappointments or an unsavory incident taking place.

Nakshatra Tara Bal Summary:
Let's summarize the 27 Nakshatras as per the usual Navatara Scheme and see which of the Nakshatras are good from the 9 sets of 3 Nakshatras each and also bearing in mind the concept of Vedha

Nakshatra Set 1 (1,10,19) : It can be seen that the 19th Nakshatra in general is said to be beneficial whereas 1st and 10th does not infuse much positives

Nakshatra Set 2 (2,11,20) : Here the 2nd and 20th are said to be favorable but 11th isn't said to be of much benefit

Nakshatra Set 3 (3,12,21) : All the stars in this set viz 3,12,21 are supposed to be unfavorable

Nakshatra Set 4 (4,13,22) : In this set only 13th is said to be very favorable. The 4th Nakshatra isn't of that much benefit and the 22nd is perhaps one of the worst Nakshatras on account of being Vainasika

Nakshatra Set 5 (5,14,23) : All the stars in this set viz 5,14,23 are supposed to be unfavorable

Nakshatra Set 6 (6,15,24) : Here all the 3 Nakshatras viz 6, 15, 24 are said to be favorable

Nakshatra Set 7 (7,16,25) : All the stars in this set viz 7,16,25 are supposed to be unfavorable

Nakshatra Set 8 (8,17,26) : Here all the 3 Nakshatras viz 8, 17, 26 are said to be favorable though we must keep in mind that the 17th star could be Chandrashtama as it falls in the 8th rasi from natal Moon

Nakshatra Set 9 (9,18,27) : It can be seen that the 27th Nakshatra is said to be really beneficial with 9th being mixed to an extent but largely beneficial whereas 18th associates with much negativity

Hence overall, the following Taras from the Janma Nakshatra are said to be relatively auspicious as compared to the rest. These are the 2nd, 6th, 8th, 9th, 13th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 20th, 24th, 26th and 27th Taras from the Janma Nakshatra which account for 12 out of the 27 Nakshatras. Also seeing the entire 27 Nakshatra Tara Bal scheme can be more useful in order to time important periods.

Navatara Chakra Usage in Vedic Astrology!

The Navatara Chakra forms an important predictive part within the ambit of Vedic Astrology. The word 'Navatara' can be split as 'Nava' meaning Nine and 'Tara' denoting star. In a nutshell, it can be said to be the bifurcation of the 27 Nakshatras into 3 equal parts of 9 stars each. The categorization of the 3 parts are grouped as under:
Janma - First 9 stars beginning from Janma Nakshatra (1 to 9)
Anujanma - Next 9 stars beginning from the 10th Tara from Janma Nakshatra (10 to 18)
Trijanma - Final 9 stars beginning from the 19th Tara from Janma Nakshatra (19 to 27)

The foundation of the whole Navatara Chakra scheme is originated on the basis of the Nakshatra in which Moon is placed in one's birth chart. That particular Nakshatra is termed as the 'Janma Nakshatra'. For instance if one's Moon falls in the Nakshatra of Punarvasu, that happens to be the birth Nakshatra and the 9 stars from Punarvasu upto Swati falls under Janma Group, next 9 stars from Vishakha until Satabisha forms part of Anujanma Group and final 9 stars from Poorva Bhadrapada to Arudra gets classified under Trijanma Group. These groups also come under the tripod of body, mind and soul with the Janma group said to indicate Body Level, Anujanma Group the Mind Level and Trijanma Group Soul Level. Alternatively the Janma group is said to indicate the present, the Anujanma Group the future and the Trijanma Group the past.

The 9 stars in each group have a relevance of it's own having it's own meaning and also ruled by a particular planet viz each of the Navagrahas. Listing below list of the 9 Tara's and it's planet rulership.

1) Janma Tara : Ruled by Sun, Animal - Peacock

2) Sampat Tara : Ruled by Mercury, Animal - Horse

3) Vipat Tara : Ruled by Rahu, Animal - Goat

4) Kshema Tara : Ruled by Jupiter, Animal - Elephant

5) Pratyek Tara : Ruled by Ketu, Animal - Crow

6) Sadhak Tara : Ruled by Moon, Animal - Fox

7) Vadha Tara : Ruled by Saturn, Animal - Lion

8) Mitra Tara : Ruled by Venus, Animal - Eagle

9) Parama Mitra Tara : Ruled by Mars, Animal - Swan

In general, certain Taras are said to be favorable and some unfavorable whereas a couple are of middling variety. The 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th Taras are said to be auspicious whereas the 3rd, 5th and 7th Taras are considered inauspicious. The 1st and 9th Taras are said to be neutral. The order of sequence is the same whether followed from Janma, Anujanma or Trijanma Group. Let's look at the meaning of each of these 9 kind of Taras and what they all indicate.

Janma Tara:
This in essence is the birth Nakshatra and establishes one's individuality. The Nakshatra in which Moon is placed in the horoscope happens to be the most important of all Nakshatras. Each of the Nakshatras has an energy manifested within it and the individual is said to strongly connote the significations of these resources based on the moon star one has attained birth. The Janma Tara however is not always favorable and said to denote fickleness of the mind and cause tensions. The mind always tends to be unsteady during days of Janma Nakshatras and it can be related to the prevailing environment when a child is about to take birth which is associated with a lot of difficulty and stress. The default ruler of Janma Tara happens to be Sun.

Sampat Tara:
This denotes all things related with wealth. It is a very favorable Tara and is said to be auspicious for all money related events. It can be loosely related to the 2nd and 11th house of a horoscope which speaks largely about income and profits. The ruler of Sampat Tara is Mercury.

Vipat Tara:
As the name suggests, this translates to all sorts of dangers. It can be with regard to getting hurt, embroiled into issues and all such kind. Vipat Tara is ruled by Rahu.

Kshema Tara:
The word 'Kshemam' as such endorses about being in good health and a comfortable state of mind. Hence this is about the well being of the individual concerned by possessing the requisite vitality and being in good spirits. Kshema Tara is ruled by Jupiter.

Pratyek Tara : (Also called Pratyahari Tara)
This is a negative Tara and denotes all sorts of obstacles. It is said to cause plenty of confusions onto the mind in addition to being a stumbling block with regard to completion of tasks and activities. The ruler of this Tara is Ketu.

Sadhak Tara : (Also called Sadhana Tara)
This talks about all achievements and benefits which one is entitled to. This Tara is also said to be the one in which God's blessings are said to arise. Hence worshiping and offering prayers with respect to the deities and articles denoted by the 6th Tara from Janma Nakshatra is essential to have the Almighty's support. This Tara is ruled by Moon.

Vadha Tara : (Also called Naidhana Tara)
This is an inauspicious Tara and is of a killing nature. It is strewn with negativity and denotes all sorts of denials, ill-luck and misfortune. The ruler of this Tara is Saturn.

Mitra Tara :
This is supposed to be one of the most auspicious Tara in the Navatara sequence, All prosperous things in life in general are associated with this Tara. This Tara is said to showcase the way and provide good clarity to the mind. The 2nd, 4th and 6th Tara confers specific success in related areas but the 8th Tara is said to be a combination of all the favorable instruments and hence following the energies related to the 8th Nakshatra from one's Janma Nakshatra can be extremely fruitful. Mitra Tara is ruled by Venus.

Parama Mitra Tara : (Also called Adi Mitra Tara)
This is said to be an average Tara. Though the meaning is translated as very friendly, it tends to take colors and can be good or bad according to situation. Too much of anything is not said to be beneficial and that is the reason for this Tara attaining a mild negative presence however if used in the right manner can also end up being very beneficial. It is more in line towards community living and social surroundings. Also one thing to note is that since we are dealing with sets of 9, when a particular Tara is favorable from one end, it happens to be unfavorable from the other end. For instance Sadhak Tara is favorable to Janma Nakshatra but the vice versa doesn't hold true as the Janma Tara will end up being 5th from the Sadhaka Tara. This does not happen for Parama Mitra Tara as from it's placement, the Janma Tara always happens to be the 2nd Tara and hence favorable. Parama Mitra Tara is ruled by Mars.

Important Information to Keep in Mind:
Apart from these Nava Taras, there are also certain other Taras from the Janma Nakshatras which have their own meanings and indications. Sometimes they tend to over rule the status of Navatara scheme and supersede them. A good example of the same is this concept of 'Vedha' Nakshatra not to be confused with 'Vadha' which is said to repel a particular Nakshatra and vice versa. In such a scenario, the Navatara sequence will get pushed to the back end. For eg. Magha and Revathi form Vedha with each other. For Revathi, Magha happens to be the 11th Nakshatra indicating Sampat Tara (1+1=2) but since they repel each other, the concept of it being Sampat Tara and conferring wealth will not work as they are enemies by nature. Also, the 17th Nakshatra from Janma Nakshatra indicates 'Chandrashtama' which is when Moon goes into the 8th rasi from itself and said to denote a troubled mind. Now the 17th star happens to be Mitra Tara and in such a case being Chandrashtama and being in 8th rasi, it may not be all that auspicious. Also for instance the 22nd Nakshatra from Janma Nakshatra denotes 'Vainasika' and indicates destruction. The 22nd when added up 2+2 becomes 4 which correlates to Kshema Tara but with regard to 22nd Tara, it is anything but related to good health and only has negative attributes. Hence it's important to factor these special Taras also into play before analyzing the results of the Navataras. In general, the following Taras from the Janma Nakshatra are said to be relatively auspicious as compared to the rest. These are the 2nd, 6th, 8th, 9th, 13th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 20th, 24th, 26th and 27th Taras beginning from the Janma Nakshatra.

Analysis of Navatara in Horoscope:
These Navataras can be used effectively in both Dasas and Transits. We shall look at some examples to understand the concept better.

Dasa Illustration:
Illustration 1:
Let's say a native is born with Rohini Nakshatra being the star of the Moon and currently Jupiter Dasa is running for the native which is placed in it's exaltation Nakshatra of Pushya. It may be believed that Jupiter will confer highly auspicious results as it's sitting in peak exaltation but it should not be forgotten that Pushya happens to the 5th Tara from Janma Nakshatra Rohini and will hence be Pratyek Tara which is said to indicate obstacles in work and causing confusions to the mind. It will compound further if the ruler of the star Pushya which is Saturn is placed in a negative house from Lagna and also in a bad axis like 6/8 from the ruler of Pratyek Tara which is Ketu. However there may be cases when the Bukthi Lords are in favorable Taras from the Janma Nakshatra and hence these specific periods can help ease the relief.

Illustration 2:
Let's say a native is born in Rishaba Lagna in the Janma Nakshatra of Vishaka and is presently running the Dasa of Mercury which is let's say placed in Shravana Nakshatra. Now Shravana happens to be Vadha Tara for Vishaka as it's 7th from it. We need to next see how the lord of Shravana Nakshatra that is Moon is placed with respect to the Lagna. Let's say this Moon is placed in the 6th house in sign of Libra which also happens to be in the 7th sign from Kalapurusha Lagna Mesha. We know 6th house denotes fights and issues whereas 7th house denotes partner or spouse. Thus it can be inferred by blending the two that there could be lots of fights and issues with respective partner. Also Vadha Tara ruler is Saturn and the Vada Tara in this case happens to be Moon (ruler of Shravana Nakshatra). If these two are also negatively placed from each other, say for instance Moon is in 6,8,12 from Saturn, the problems will only accentuate further. Hence best remedy is to appease the Tara in question which is Shravana and donate items related to it in order to reduce the maleficence.

Illustration 3:
Let's say a native is born in Janma Nakshatra of Poorva Bhadrapada and a Dasa of a planet is running now which is sitting in Uttara Phalguni Nakshatra. For Poorva Bhadrapada, Uttara Phalguni happens to be the 15th Nakshatra denoting Sadhak Tara (1+5=6). But there is a catch here as these two Nakshatras are vedha and hence repel each other. So in this case the Nava Tara auspiciousness of the 6th Tara Sadhak won't work and hence the way forward is to avoid all the energies pertaining to Uttara Phalguni Nakshatra and donating 'Puliyogara' rice which is a prasad symbolising Uttara Phalguni Nakshatra.

Transit Illustration:
With regards to transits especially, the lords of the respective Navataras play a crucial role. For instance let's say when Rahu is transiting a Nakshatra which is Vipat to Janma Tara or a Ketu is transiting a Nakshatra which is Pratyek to Janma Tara or a Saturn is transiting a Nakshatra which is Vadha to Janma Tara, lots of troubles can be said to be encountered by the native. Let's say for eg. birth Nakshatra is Hastha and say Rahu is over Swati (3rd Tara) it can cause dangers to native. It doesn't matter even if Swati Nakshatra as such is ruled by Rahu. Likewise let's say if Ketu is transiting over Anuradha or Uttara Bhadra or Pushya which is the 5th Tara from Hastha can cause phenomenal mind confusions. On similar vein Saturn over the 7th stars from Janma Nakshatra be it Janma, Anujanma or Trijanma viz Moola, Ashwini or Magha can cause great strife to the native.

Basic Rules and Clues for interpretation of Navatara:
- Check the Nakshatra where planet placed is operating it's Dasa or Transit.
- See which of the 9 Tara's the particular Nakshatra falls into when counted from Janma Nakshatra.
- If it happens to be 2,4,6,8 positive results can be expected, if in 3,5,7 negative results and if in 1,9 results will be neutral.
- Next check the lordship of the particular Nakshatra which sign it is placed with respect to both Lagna and also the default ruler of the Tara.
- If it is in houses 6,8,12, results can be inauspicious and may need additional measures. If in Kendra or Kona it can said to be auspicious and if in other houses can said to be average.

Explanation: Let's say a person is born in Gemini Ascendant with Moon being placed in the star of Swati. Let's say Mars which is placed in Anuradha in the horoscope is running it's Dasa currently. When counted from Swati, Anuradha happens to be the 3rd star and hence under Vipat Tara. Next we need to check the lord of the star of Anuradha which is Saturn and how it is placed with respect to Lagna and also Rahu which is ruler of Vipat Tara. If Saturn is let's say placed in 10th house of Pisces in Kendra, then from Lagna it doesn't become all that negative but however let's say Rahu is placed in Libra, then this Saturn gets associated in 6/8 axis with the rulership lord of Vipat Tara Rahu and hence problems can be accentuated. The major point of check is however to see which of the Tara's the particular Nakshatra falls into as that's how results get directed. Additional checking of the house position of the lord of the star with respect to the Ascendant and the owner of the particular Tara helps in providing additional respite.

Un Paarvaiyil - The Stinger and the Stunner!

There are very few compositions that bedazzle, befuddle and bamboozle you in a way that you just cannot but not fall to the trance of it's aural aura. Un Paarvaiyil Oraayiram rightfully falls in such an esteemed category. Every time I listen to it, I'm left speechless at the sheer outrageous audacity in fusing indigenous tamil folk with a pristine hindustani classical ragam like Behag and creating an output that is nothing short of an evergreen masterpiece.

The blend of instruments in conjunction with the flow of melody exacerbates the chiaroscuro and the whole song is structured in a fashion that exhibits musical camaraderie in gregarious proportions.

Attempting a shot at this song mandated to be as nimble fingered as possible with the precision for error being really high with just about 4 inches (approx 10 cm) of area to play with. Not withstanding the field, the quality of the number is akin to a sprawling stadium punctuated with slew of swaras perpetrated all over pitch forked with flowing drives moving up and down. I just tried my level best to beat the googly and come unscathed. Not sure how much I succeeded but it was an experience that left me stung and also stunned :).

Fantasy, fertile & folk - Siru Kootula in a Harmonium App

There is an irresistible charm associated with this native composition predominantly bordering on the scale of Kalyani. It is funky in it's own audacious style but never once meanders away from the unadulterated content that screams folk all the way. 

The Lydian mode is established in a wink with the opening hymn backed up with the harmonium and as the song takes off it's nothing but a joy ride sliding and gliding it's way to glory. The cross over from the charanam where the baton gets handed over magically for the pallavi which is cushioned and all ready to do it's duty is a resolute feature of this gem showcasing the composer's forte on how beautifully the dots get connected across passages. Lending an ear to this stunner is guarantee to leave you with a saccharine soothing smile :). Decades have passed since this composition was christened but it still retains its freshness like a dewdrop of nectar.

I happened to randomly glance my eyes on to this Harmonium app which seemed to sound quite nice and I kind of enjoyed the tone which seemed to flow caressingly up and down without hindering the progress of the melody. Hence I thought let me give a fleeting attempt at it and only just hope that it at least bears a semblance of a scintilla to this winding whimsical wonder.