Edhiridai Nakshatra - Planets causing Obstruction

There is an interesting and rare concept called 'Edhiridai' Nakshatra within the parlance of Vedic Astrology. 'Edhiridai' can be translated as opposite/coming in the way/obstruction. One may have heard of 'Stambhana' or 'Vara Chakra' where a planet is said to freeze another planet. For eg. Venus is said to freeze Sun based on the weekday order. Similarly there is also a concept of Vedhaka where one planet is said to obstruct another planet and it's all the more strong when placed in a particular house from the planet concerned. For instance Venus is said to cause Vedhaka or obstruction to Sun and more so when it is said to be placed in the 11th from the Sun. 

Planetary obstruction is quite common but Nakshatra obstruction is an unusual method of analysis where each planet when seated in a Nakshatra, if another planet is seated in a particular Nakshatra from the said planet then it is said to cause an impediment. Let's look at the Planets and list of Nakshatra causing hurdles to understand this concept better.

Sun - Nakshatras 5,7,8,10,12,14,15,18,21,22,23,27 - Total Count 12
Moon - Nakshatras 3,5,7,8,12,18,24 - Total Count 7
Mars - Nakshatras 3,7,10,15,21 - Total Count 5
Mercury - Nakshatras 5,11,21,22 - Total Count 4
Jupiter - Nakshatras 6,7,9 - Total Count 3
Venus - Nakshatras 20,22,24 - Total Count 3
Saturn - Nakshatras 5,6,8,10,11,20,26 - Total Count 7
Rahu - Nakshatras 20,22 - Total Count 2
Ketu - Nakshatras 20,22 - Total Count 2

Illustrating to get a grip on the understanding behind this concept. For instance let's say Sun is placed in the Nakshatra of Vishakha. If any other planet is placed in Nakshatras 5,7,8,10,12,14,15,18,21,22,23,27 from Vishakha, then that planet will cause bottleneck to the Sun. For eg. if Jupiter is placed in Revathi, it happens to be the 12th Nakshatra from Vishakha and hence becomes an obstruction to the Sun. Similarly if Saturn is placed in Shravana which is the 7th Nakshatra from Vishakha then it causes trouble to the Sun. To explain the concept for another planet Venus, if any planet placed in Nakshatras 20,22,24 from the Nakshatra in which Venus is placed, then those planets cause a barrier to Venus. It is important to note that the Nakshatra count is based on the Nakshatra in which a particular planet is placed from the listed planet's Nakshatra and not the regular order such as 1 is for Ashwini, 2 for Bharani, 27 for Revathi etc.

Let's now understand how to use this analysis in a horoscope. This works both from the stand point of Natal horoscope and also on transits/dasas. It also applies both from a Karaka Graha stand point as well as from a Bhava Adipathi view. For eg. lets say for a Gemini Lagna, 10th house Lord is Jupiter and if there is a planet in a Nakshatra placed in Edhiridai to Jupiter ie the 6th, 7th, 9th Nakshatra from where Jupiter is placed in a horoscope it can hamper work prospects for the native. This may hold good in transit as well especially when a functional malefic planet transits the 6th, 7th, 9th Nakshatra from Jupiter's placement, it can cause problems in work environment. Similarly in Dasa Analysis, if the Antar Dasa planet happens to be in Edhiridai to the Maha Dasa planet, it can cause some inconvenience. As another example we know the Karaka for mind is Moon. If any planet is placed in Nakshatras 3,5,7,8,12,18,24 from where Moon is placed, it can cause tension to the mind. Please note this is not to be confused with Tara Bala where generally Nakshatras like 8th, 24th etc are said to be favorable on account of being Mitra, Sadhak Tara respectively.

Also to be noted is that important house lords when obstructed, they get impacted more as opposed to house lords lording negative houses. For instance if the 7th Lord planet is placed in a Nakshatra that obstructs the Lagna Lord, then it can be construed that there can be problems in marital relationship as the 7th Lord of spouse opposes the Native (Lagna Lord). However if the Lagna Lord obstructs the 7th Lord then we can say that the Native is not having interest in marriage related matters. However if a planet is lording the 6th house say, it may not be such a bad thing if opposed as majority of 6th house significations already ends up becoming negative. One more thing of interest is that Sun is the most impacted planet having 12 Nakshatras as Edhiridai, incidentally even in Tithi Shoonya concept Sun owned rasi Leo or Simha is the one bearing the brunt on 5 occasions for Tithi Shoonya.

This in brief is about the concept of Edhiridai Nakshatra. If a planet is placed in specific Nakshatras from where another planet is placed, it will cause obstruction. For eg. say Mercury is placed in Arudra, the 5th star from it is Magha and if there is another planet placed in this Nakshatra will cause trouble to Mercury. Ideally, no planet should be placed in the respective star positions from the specific planet mentioned. For eg if Jupiter is placed in Ashwini, no planet should fall in the 6th, 7th or 9th star from it which is Arudra, Punarvasu & Ashlesha. This technique can be pretty helpful when scrutinizing different facets in horoscope analysis.

                                          P.S: Picture of Nakshatras taken from internet

Bhava, Bhava Adhipathi and Karaka - The 3 Pillars in deconstructing a Horoscope

Many a time, we find that it becomes quite a dicey proposition when we are trying to establish how a particular feature or event will work out while analyzing a horoscope. Sometimes it's the Bhava or House that is keenly looked at but at other times the Bhava Adhipathi or House Lord plays a key role and in certain cases the karaka or significator also has an essential takeaway in the proceedings. Is there any way to know one is more superior than the other in giving the requisite results? Its easier said but let's look at what each of them stands for and dissect their independent roles in bifurcating a horoscope.

Bhava or House: Promise
This essentially tells the PROMISE of an event taking place or not. In fact this should be the out right first step in looking at an event. For illustration, let's say we want to know about marriage and 7th house matters. We first need to look at this house / sign in question to see what kind of planets are occupied and the kind of aspects the house it receives. By analyzing the influence which the house receives through planets placed there in, aspectual tendencies it receives, foreseeing the strength of the house through measures such as Bhava Bal (house strength), Ashtakavarga (house based point system) etc can enable us to understand in decent measure about the promise that a particular house holds.

Bhava Adipathi or House Lord: Facilitator
This plays the role of the FACILITATOR in making sure an event takes place. If the house doesn't promise an event, the house lord cannot do much but within it's limited capability can ensure that something at least can be facilitated. From the example of marriage and 7th house, if the 7th Bhava is completely derailed, we would have to observe if the 7th Lord at least can save face to some extent. One thing which also needs to be remembered here is that the Bhava Adipathi is a planet not house and in most cases owns portfolio of 2 houses in a horoscope. This would be the case for all planets except Sun & Moon which own only one house. Thus Bhava Adipathi can be owner of not only 7th house but also some other even house in the horoscope such as 8th or 10th etc for instance. Thus studying about the house lord as to where it is placed from the house it governs, the planets it conjuncts and the aspects it receives along with understanding the 6th fold Shadbala strength of the planet can go a long way in measuring whether the planet has the capacity to produce the desired results. One should also always keep in mind whether the planet in question happens to be a natural or functional benefic/malefic planet.

Karaka or Significator: Signifier
This is the planet that acts as the main SIGNIFIER for an event taking place. Most units are defined by a particular planet such as for instance children are said to be signified by Jupiter, marriage through Venus, profession via Saturn etc. But one thing to note is that this is common for all and does not take into account the functional nature prevalent in a horoscope. As an illustration, for Jupiter born Ascendants such as Sagittarius / Pisces, Venus happens to be a functional malefic but yet it continues to be the signifier when it comes to an event such as marriage. Though Karaka is important in delving results at a generic level, the Bhava Adipathi or House Lord assumes a more important role as it's designated specifically to rule a particular house or two in the horoscope. Just to understand, if we are talking of events pertaining to children, the 5th Lord may be a different planet say Saturn in the case of say Libra Lagna. Saturn which normally has no relevance to children in the scheme of things plays a vital role in this case because it is assigned the portfolio of governing the 5th house. The actual Karaka Jupiter, though being the natural signifier of children actually has ownership of 2 evil houses here which are the 3rd and the 6th. But looking at things in a different angle, let's say one wants to see the 4th house and we know this house denotes a number of stuff such as mother, vehicles, properties etc. For all these cases 4th lord will end up being the same planet but the Karaka planet is different such as Venus for vehicles, Mars for properties etc and so this given an extra dimension to dissect effects. Thus these things also need to be seen carefully and results have to be blended accordingly.

Illustration:
Just to understand it in an easy abstract fashion, let's presume a Bhava or House to be a Building, Bhava Adipathi or House Lord to be Materials placed within and the Karaka to be an indicative tool. Imagine the building being ravaged having really no scope of refurbishment. In a way this is indicated that a promise is not ready to be fulfilled as the Bhava (house) or source itself is affected. However though the construction is deeply hit, there are still some materials (Bhava Adipathi or House Lord) such as bricks/mortars through which something at least can be worked around to facilitate a solution. Now think of a particular indicative tool (Karaka or Significator) such as a special stone which if available in good condition can be used to work around a specific area of the affected building. This in effect signifies the Karaka.

Conclusion:
Though each of the 3 have a major role to play in delineating an event, the importance should spread first from the Bhava, then the Bhava Adipathi and finally the Karaka. If a promise itself is not suggested, it would be hard for the facilitator or signifier to make it happen. But if the promise is inherently visible, even if the facilitator or signifier is afflicted an event can still take place albeit with some potholes just because the potential is intact. Also between the facilitator and signifier, the former takes a more head on role as he has been designated specifically for a purpose whereas the signifier is more generic and applies for everyone in the same manner. In essence all the 3 are important in their own way and in most cases guarantee of a matter taking place should only be decided after analyzing all three of these areas in complete detail.

                                                             P.S: Picture taken from internet

Foot Tapping Chartbuster - Kadhalikkum Pennin Kaigal

This composition was an absolute rage back in the day. The 90s kids especially eulogized this and it struck such a chord with the trendy youths of heyday. It was also a resounding signal that ARR had well and truly arrived capturing the market with continuous back to back hits. This particular soundtrack Kadhalan was a rip roaring chartbuster covering tracks bespangled across diverse genres.

Kadhalikum Pennin is a number hard to pigeonhole into a particular dimension due to it's varied straddles sprawling imminently out and about. At times it feels like a foot tapping dance number but it also shifts pace to a melodic tonal feel with the irrepressible hums smidgeoned all over. And when you least expect it also goes into a classical mold. The legendary SPB shows his versatility in full vigor both as an actor and also singer bringing in the requisite thrills to this song.

I had a bit of fun trying a shot at this feet sweeper. Tried to capture the opening bass lines in the 3rd string which has a reverberating effect. Also it was lovely attempting the veena bit which seeps out of the blue during the interludes. Don't really know if I've done justice but boy was it a riot even to just attempt this trailblazer of a composition.

Mouna Ragam Trio - Pani Vizhum, Mandram Vandhu & Nilave Vaa

Mouna Ragam is an absolutely special movie and rightfully termed as a cult classic. The soundtrack is bejeweled with studs aplenty with each song showcasing some sort of brilliance or other. Also there is no describable level in which one can pay homage to the re-recording which elevates the scenes to such a meteoric manner.

On the occasion of it hitting 35 years since it's day of release on 15th Aug 1986, I just decided to try a small hand at playing bits of my 3 favorite pieces from this momentous soundtrack namely Pani Vizhum Iravu, Mandram Vandhu and Nila Ve Vaa. These just happen to be little phrases covering mostly the middle and opening portions and just randomly connecting the dots to straddle from one portion to another. It's just my humble attempt to say thank you to the movie, music and memories. Remembering 35 years of the magic that is Mouna Ragam.

India's sterling show at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

The medal haul in the Tokyo Olympics ranks as the best ever in India's sporting history and has certainly brought immense pride and happiness to sports lovers all over the country. 7 medals overall with a dip of Gold at the fag end made it all the more momentous and something very special to remember for a lifetime. With a little more luck on the side, the tally could have even touched the double digit mark. 

Coming a little back to the period of the Pre-Olympics, things were looking quite somber and withdrawn. First up the really bad news of India's only decorated 2 time Olympic champion Sushil Kumar being put up behind bars setting a bad precedent. On top of that was the fact that many qualifying events didn't even take place due to Covid and hence some of India's medal hopefuls such as Saina Nehwal (bronze medalist at London 2012), Sakshi Malik (bronze medalist in Rio 2016), Dipa Karmakar (the gymnast who came agonizingly close to winning a medal at Rio 2016) didn't even end up participating in these games. This surely set the country back a whole lot considering lack of match practice, expected hopefuls not even qualifying and the plague of the prior Olympics notwithstanding hanging in the balance. 

From there on in to ending up winning 7 medals being a feat never achieved before is totally absolutely stupendous. Hearty congratulations to all the winners Neeraj Chopra (Javelin Gold), Ravi Kumar Dahiya (Wrestling Silver), Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifting Silver), Pusarla Sindhu (Badminton Bronze), Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing Bronze), Bajrang Punia (Wrestling Bronze) and the Indian men's hockey team (Hockey Bronze). Also a huge round of applause to few other giant killers who came oh so close to grabbing glory notably Kamalpreet Kaur (Discus), the Indian women's hockey team and Aditi Ashok (Golf). It's hard to use the word commiserations here as they were literally within a whisker and just an incy wincy bit of luck either way could have swayed them to a medal. 

The immense positives apart, there were a bit of resentments also. Tennis, a sport which India is usually expected to give a fight at least from the doubles/mixed doubles front fizzled out without a trace. Also on shooting and archery where India actually fielded quite a few world rankers didn't really set the ball rolling. 

The excitement and frenzy created by the games were at an awe inspiring level. Perhaps for the first time ever, cricket actually took a back seat paving way for other sports to take over. There was so much interest for sports like Javelin, Discus and even Golf where people hardly know the rules yet wanted to follow and understand simply because of the amazing performances displayed by our stellar sportspersons. Also when you read about the humble backgrounds which most of these Olympians come from it will really make you wonder about the amount of hard work put in and sacrifices undertaken. 

This should also aid as a favorable fillip to parents wanting to enroll their children into the sporting arena. Indian parents usually go delirious when their kids achieve and there is really no field greater than sport to realize one's dream and achieve recognition at a national level. No joy can match the feat of winning laurels for the country and nothing like sport unites the entire nation.

Things are suddenly looking rosy pink after this magnificent Tokyo performance but we shouldn't forget that London 2012 games also was a big boost with India garnering 6 medals and when things were expected to get much better, we sank back big time in Rio. Hence hopefully the lessons are learnt this time and there should never be a state of going back retrograde come the next games in Paris which is now only 3 years away in 2024.

The greatest takeaway personally from these Tokyo Games is that though India is still a long way away from being a sporting powerhouse, our Olympic contingent made the world sit up and take notice through their exemplary performances. Hopefully this is a cue going forward and we should strive to win at least a double digit figure of medals going forward.

Malarendru Mugam Ondru - Yodel along with Rock 'n' Roll

This is your quintessential Rock 'n' Roll in groovy style brought to you by the inimitable musical duo of Vishwanathan - Ramamurthy. It's also perhaps the first of it's kind in this genre in Tamil cinema and the movie Kadhalikka Neramillai happens to be the first ever to be shot in Eastman colour. 

Just the way the flow of the song is structured and the manner in which it waltz away is simply spell binding. The yodeling and La La phrases are of pure gold standard. You cannot but not shake a leg listening to this lurking lavender. 

I always have been wanting to try this especially due to it's eye catching arpeggios and spinning swings which keep gyrating in an up and down cycle with effortless ease. Just happy to attempt a glimpse of the magic this song is gleamed upon in all it's glory. 

The entire soundtrack is loaded with studs aplenty and each track is worth lavishing encomiums. Malarendra Mugam Ondru was rendered by LR Eswari & MS Raju and penned by the incomparable Kaviarasar Kannadasan. An evergreen composition and truly one for the ages.