Jyotiṣavimarśa: Navamsa - A Blunder Land In Astrology (Prof. B. J. Rao)

This article was written by the legendary Jyotisi Prof. B. J. Rao in the 'Ananthavijaya' Magazine April - June 1990 Vol 1. It is being shared for the benefit of sincere seekers of Jyotisha:

Astrology is an applied astronomy devoted to predicting the future based on planetary disposition in the zodiac at the time of an epoch. Naturally what ever an astrologer does should conform to the astronomical data and the astrological principles. Deviating from this criteria leads to unscientific approach resulting in irrationality and blunders. In respect of Navamsa chart and other Shodashavarga charts that is exactly what is happening. The advent of computer horoscopes has made this blunder much more universal. With one command the computer prints out all the Shodashavarga charts within a minute. The usage of these charts, particularly the Navamsa chart, by even the so called experts and famous astrologers is a bundle of contradictions, erroneous and biggest astrological blunder. No astrologer however big or small is not free from blundering in judging the horoscope visa vis the Navamsa and other Amsa charts This blunder is regularized in many text books which claim to be authoritative and popular. By following such books the beginners in astrology are wandering in an astrological blunder land. These books are acting like blind leading the blind. The examples discussed in this article are those of stalwarts in astrology. They are not to be blamed as they judged the Amsa charts down on the lines of a natal chart which gives a visual illusion. This optical illusion or wrong chart reading gave rise to confusion, wrong notions and misconceptions reading a chart on the same lines as that of rasi chart. In reality the Navamsa chart is devised to locate the Nakshatra Pada in which the planet or the Lagna are posited and their relative positions in the natal chart. The position of planets in Navamsa and other Amsa charts are not concurrent with that of Rasi, they have no aspects, conjunctions, exaltations and debilitation in Shadvarga charts. Unfortunately astrologers in general are reading conjunction, aspect, exaltation and and debilitation in Navamsa and other Amsa charts. In this article only Navamsa charts are discussed and the principle holds good to other Amsa charts as well. A planet posited in Aries Rasi and Libra Navamsa is read as having conjunction with another planet having Libra Navamsa while actually posited in Leo in Rasi. This is the height of an absurdity. It is something like claiming that Rao living in Gandhinagar of Guntur and Krishna living in Gandhinagar of Madras are living together in one place, in close proximity and company as both of them are in Gandhinagar, unmindful of the fact that the towns in which these Gandhinagars are quite different and hundreds of miles apart.

Navamsa is 1/9th division of a Rasi i.e. 30/9 degrees which comes to 3 degrees 20 minutes each. The Navamsas are designated the names of the Rasi commencing from Mesha Navamsa the 1st navamsa of Mesha Rasi. The last Navamsa in the zodiac or Bhachakra will be Meena. It can be better appreciated by studying the Example 1. The Navamsa chart usually drawn gives visual or optical illusion and does not give correct picture. When Venus is posited in Meena navamsa of Vrishabha Rasi and Jupiter in Meena Navamsa of Vrishabha Rasi and the Navamsa chart is drawn like the Rasi chakra, the Navamsa chart gives visual illusion of Jupiter and Venus having conjunction in Meena which is an absurdity, wrong notion, and unscientific view. Like wise ascribing exaltation and debility of planets in a Navamsa is still worse. According to fundamentals of Astrology, the planets are exalted and debilitated as follows -

Graha	Ucca Rasi	Nica Rasi	Degrees
Sun	Aries	Libra	10
Moon	Tauras	Scorpio	3
Mars	Capricorn	Cancer	28
Mercury	Virgo	Pisces	15
Jupiter	Cancer	Capricorn	5
Venus	Pisces	Virgo	27
Saturn	Libra	Aries	20

Of course that they are the highly exalted or highly debilitated degrees and the whole Rasi is considered to be the exalted or debilated Rasi, but it is beyond scientific reasoning to say that the Navamsa gets exaltation or debility where ever it gets a particular Rasi name To consider so is the height of scientific absurdity and ignorance. "Every exalted sign has an exalted navamsa and a debilitated Navamsa and every debilitated sign also a debilitated navamsa and an exalted navamsa. The Moon is an exception. She is exalted in Vrishaba sign where there is Vrishabha navamsa in it, but no neecha navamsa vz. Vrischika navamsa. Similarly the Moon is debilitated in Vrischika navamsa. Similarly the Moon is debilitated in Vrischika sign where there is neeca navamsa, but no exalted navamsa" C.S. Patel see example Chart 1. which reflects the correct siddhanta.

"If a planet is in its own or in a friendly sign or is exalted in a navamsa chart, it is dignified, produces favourable results, and mitigates its evil influences shown in the birth chart by its debility in sign or location the converse is also true for, if a planet favourably placed by sign and position in the original chart be in the sign of its debility in the navamsa chart. The good results indicated by the chart are greatly effected." Dr. V.G. Rele.

For example "Thus venus, though in virgo rasi, if in the 3rd (Pisces) navamsa or exaltation navamsa my not do mischief or havoc of neecha," R. Lakshman, Astrological Mag Vol. 70, No. 12, is the correct principle and rule.

If fundamentals are the criteria, then there is only one exaltation or debilitation point for each planet and not as many as 9 in the Zodiac. Still the Astrologers claim exaltation or debilitation in the navamsa, though the planet is not having the exaltation or debilitation in the sign (Natal Chart). It is most unscientific. Take the example II, Dr. B.V. Raman claimed "Lord of Ascendant. Saturn is in the 4th in conjunction with the Moon exalted and aspected by Jupiter, hence good. In navamsa, he is debilitated; but gets Neechabhanga or cancellation of debility. Hence he is fairly strong "In the example chart 11 Saturn was in Vrishabha which is not his 'exalted or debilitated point or rasi. Hence the explanation in the book is erraneous. 

Sri K.N. Rao in Grahavani monthly V102 No. 1 April 1984. Vide III example. The navamsa is extraordinary with three benefics exalted and the fourth Jupiter being in his own house the second and ninth lord of navamsa (meaning Mars who is 67 navamsas from lagna point and hence the analysis is wrong) in the seventh with seventh lord aspected by tenth lord (meaning that Jupiter who is supposed to be the lord of 10th is aspecting Mercury lord of 7th) but spoiled by the association and aspect of the third and eighth lord (meaning Venus is the lord of 3rd and 8th houses) reveal the professional...... This combination in the seventh house is aspected by eleventh and twelveth lord from fifth house (meaning Saturn lord of 11th and 12 houses is aspecting the 7th house from the 5th house). Again the second house received combined aspect of 9th and 11th lords who are also 2nd and 12th lords (meaning Mars lord of 9th and lord of 11th aspecting the 2nd)". Venus, Moon, and Mercury are not exalted in the main natal chart. The explanation of K.N. Rao is a juglary of words, proof of utter confusion coupled with ignorance of basic principles of Astrology.

Then taking the case of Dr. Raman's horoscope on pages 152 to 154 B.V. Raman the man and his mission, by B D. Pithaval wrote. "Note that his 7K Saturn is exalted and in the 5th house in the Navamsa being in the 12th in the Navamsa... A.M. Some years back which was due to his 10K .......... note also his 5K Mercury in its own sign Virgo and in Aquarius Navamsa and its conjunction with 2K Moon in the 9th house of publication in Navamsa." These statements are Astrological blunders. There are no conjunctions and aspects in Navamsa.

Example Chart V page Nos. 242, 243, B.V. Raman man and his mission by B.S. Prakash "Venus is exalted in navamsa In reality Venus is in Taurus in the Natal chart which is not the exaltation Rasi for Venus. Hence there is no point in ascribing. exaltation to Venus in Navamsa.

Page 96 of My Experiments With Astrology of B.V, Raman "In the Navamsa again Saturn is in the sixth house" This statement is unastrological. There is no question of ascribing houses, at the most it can be said as 'n'th Navamsa.

B.V Raman, March 1962 issue of Astrological Magazine. The aspect of Saturn on Rahu (in the Navamsa) and also affliction arising from Jupiter's ownership of the 3rd and 6th, had their evils to produce. This is not correct analysis. How can there be aspects in Navamsa? The relevant integrated chart proves it. Aspects are related to angles formed from signs. 7th house aspect is 180 degrees and so on. Rahu is 6th from Saturn in Natal chart and 51st navamsa from Saturn. Then how Rahu be aspected (3rd, 10th or 7th aspects)? How can the author justify this unscientific approach? 

The Astrological interpretations based on the Navamsa charts are invariably wrong in almost all cases. The learners in Astrology, from the books of so called famous Astrologers who become by virtue of years of astro-journalism, or high qualifications and due to continuous exposure to the public, are accepted by readers of what ever they say or write as the VOICE OF VEDAS. These Daivagnas, instead of catering scientific Astrology have been throwing out crumps of fraudulent unscientific information, by calling real Vedic scholars as quack astrologers, just because they are not English oriented.