Life’s Journey

August 7, 2013 in Vedic Astrology

Your own drive or destiny?
Are we perpetually being driven by an allotted destiny or  do we get to  drive ourselves during the free will phases? Lets peer into the third house of self-effort, short journey  and many more things this time, to debate some of life’s fundamentals and ponder over the finer points of astrology.

[crp]On the eternal debate of destiny versus free will, the believers in an existence after death tend to admit that the quirks of life often make them review the role assigned by the Almighty. For them the fundamental question, that time and again arises is whether we are mere puppets on strings held by the Almighty or we have a larger role to play?  Shakespeare compared us with actors on  stage who play only a specified role. According  to Srimad Bhagavat Gita the soul puts on a new body when the old body wears out  like we put on new clothes. The allotment of the body with a destiny is decided on the basis on our karmas of  earlier lives. Perhaps even God, like a wise judge, does not have much choice as he cannot be partial in punishment and rewards for the karmas already done.
How we play the game of life, poor, good, or excellent is perhaps in our hands for we are here to create a destiny  for another birth. Freedom in our current life can be compared to a soccer game  where there are our ten partners, eleven opponents, referees and spectators in the stadium. Our karmas of earlier births decide the configuration of near and dear partners and of our opponents. To balance destiny with free will, we give to our  students the example of a cow tied to a log which restricts her  movement  in an allotted periphery. Within this periphery alone can freewill be exercised.

The Third house is of Movement (Gati)
The samskaras (psycho- social tendencies) that make our attitude come from our earlier lives. The attributes and the belief system is acquired from the family. The conditions around birth are assessed from the first house and the immediate family and speech from the second. It is the third house of movement that pushes us into the world outside for doing something of our own. Desires and dreams flourish here,  for the third house is the first among the kaam trikonas. The self-effort kick- starts to open the karma account for another birth. The disposition, whether complacent, emotional, fiery or dreamy, relaxed lethargic is predictable from the planetary influences on the third house. The will to strive and pace of drive towards dreams and  goals is seen from this house. The third house is the bhavat bhavam of the second and the eighth house. Therefore the run for wealth generation alongwith changes governed by the eigth house is the main feature of  the dasha related to the third house. The malefics give the much needed drive to efforts. Our classics see the malefics placed in trishadhaya bhavas as good for self-effort.

The role of kaam houses is to make us dream and through action, turn dream into reality. The kaam houses fill us with desires. These houses pull us away from a sedate complacent and peaceful existence. But an overload of desires and ruthlessness to achieve is often harmful.  Balance is the key. Therefore after every kaam house there is a moksha house to reflect on your soul. After six days of work we have a Sunday to relax and reflect on our atma (soul). Sun represents the atma (soul). The energy that we have been allotted should also be used to exercise the soul. We are often taken over by glitz and glamour and misuse that accompanies power. A tired brain and  exhausted body is the result. One needs to check one’s endurance level periodically. To sustain money power the wise always match it with spiritual power with charity, philanthropy and religious activities. Gyan and vairagya are food for the soul. Do not feast the eyes and the base senses much, balance intelligently. Reflect on the finer elements that help the soul. The Personality revealing dreshkonas, are an extension of the third  house. The third house also governs yoga, meditation, mantra chanting and preaching. The third  from third, the fifth also governs all that the third does. Emotions, sentiments, intelligence and mental disposition can be seen from the fifth.

The Fundamentals of Gita
In life one should always remain conscious of the fact that your body was not there before and will not be there ever after. The current life is a stopover in the journey of your soul. Do not love your body too much. Just take care of it, for your soul will have to struggle much when the time comes to detach it. You body is  rathi, the driver of the rath (chariot)  which is your soul. The wearing out  of the body is  inevitable and you are bound to become arthi (dead body) one day.

The Fundamentals of Life

Do you have a Goal for Yourself?
Think deeply! Our shastras guide us to believe that the focus on liquidation of one’s karmas best serves the purpose of life. Salvation-moksha has been described as a better state of existence than life. What then do you need to do if you opt for moksha as your life goal? Nothing!

Why should you not even Strive?
Many things become unnecessary when you set moksha as your goal. No scintillating action is called for. No sharp and witty reactions that brand you as worldly wise. No need to prepare for the hurdle race to cruise ahead of others for early success. No need to practice for sharper edges that get you into 20-20 cricket or similar careers where fierce competition holds the key to money, fame and glamour.

Awareness of the Three Detachables:
The purpose of life is best served when we become aware of the three detachables within us:
Physical body – sthool sharir,
Astral body – sookshma sharir and
Soul – karan sharir.
Rarely we work on this ultimate gyan. If we make this knowledge sit at the back of our mind, most of  our problems will not exist and we would be living a more fulfilled life.

The Good and Bad of the Third House

Where does the third house figure in the general scheme of things? For a complete life, do we need to have desires and actions too? The third house governs both. It is a house of talent and ambition.It is the bhavat bhavam of the second and the bhavat bhavam of the eighth. It links us to the all important personality revealing dreshkonas. They are an extension of the third house. It is an upachaya house that allows rapid rise. It is the eighth from the eighth therefore it also gives sudden unexpected happenings, scams, scandals and changes. It also governs sibling support, colleague intrigue, 3G mobiles, sports, music, dance and goals of life. Since the third  house is right opposite the ninth house of dharma, the potential fructification of the promise of the ninth  house (one’s bhagya) can also be seen from here. The spiritual pursuits, the intent and  mental inclinations can be seen from the third house. The third house unfolds the potential in a horoscope for worldly progress as also for converting those extra efforts for spiritual progress. An individual’s capabilities, talent, intent and effort all come from the third house. As per phaldeepika an exchange of any good house lord 1,4,5,7,9 and 10 with the lords of 3,6,8 or 12 is bad.

Planets in the Third House
The influence undergoes a change with lordship, avastha, position of the mahadasha lord from the antardasha lord and the planet’s position in the divisional charts. Planets here gives rise in life and gains like that of the eleventh house but with sudden and unexpected changes associated with the eighth house as the third is the eighth from the eighth. It is a trishadhaya house and a kaam house so moral checks are necessary when the dasha associated with third house is on.

Sun
The Sun is considered favorable in the third house. It makes a native valorous, wealthy, liberal and strong, learned. He overcomes his opponents. He may be bereft of siblings.

Moon
Moon in the third house makes a person virtuous, brave, educated. He will be blessed with siblings.
The native will be fond of travels, short journeys and scriptures.

Mars
Mars makes a person valorous, powerful, unconquerable, virtuous and upright. It may be adverse for younger siblings. It also gives strength of arms, capacity to acquire wealth through hard work.

Mercury
A strong Mercury gives good education, sharp memory, writing skills. Also gives scientific and mathematical ability. The person may be of wavering disposition, deceitful,will have good siblings.

Jupiter
Good for the profession of teachers and lecturers. He overcomes his foes, has a poor digestion. Good for siblings.

Venus
Venus in the third house is unfavorable for marriage. Fond of fine arts, literature and music.

Saturn
The person is, indolent, strong, liberal and full of wisdom. He is also wealthy.

Rahu
Makes the person the youngest in the family. He is valiant, wealthy, proud, long lived, opposed to his siblings. He is blessed with sons, wife and and physical enjoyments.

Ketu
Makes the person virtuous, wealthy, eager for combat. He destroys his enemies. He lacks friends and siblings.

Dasha of the Third Lord

Literally a Mad Rush!
No one seems to be aware of the soul. Everyone seems in a hurry and rush to compete in Kaliyuga. To get the crucial edge, desperate journalists manufacture headlines.  The focus of TRP-driven  TV channels and target-driven newspaper is to sensationalize, to attract eyeballs to advertisements. The photographers chasing Diana, while trying to click a picture that could win them appreciation, caused her death. All this is done to either sustain the organization the individual works in or for the individual to make an extra buck. In any case, a mad rush.
Today, every business dreams to be the first one to reach the pocket of the customer lest he should spend on something else. Marketing models dream to open flood gates for their products for the flow could spin millions. Many such marketing models have worked. The assertive marketers did it with Maggie Noodles. Their deep impact ads and clever follow up on the retail floor changed the eating habits of children. The demand for noodles grew a million times, never mind the impact on health. In this competitive world, one who runs the fastest is the winner. The means do not matter, what matters is how close are you from your targeted achievements. The stampede to acquire worldly possessions and karmas to grease the ego and sensuality leaves a huge debit in the karma account. When you have moksha as your goal, you would shed the desire to become an achiever. The realization will come that there is no need to indulge in desires for finally they don’t matter.

Classics on Third House
According to the astrological classic Brihat Parashara Hora shastra:– Prakaram (valour), servant, brother, updesh (initiary instructions) yatra (travel), mata pita ka maran (death of parents) are matters governed by the third house. Phaldeepika gives the subjects allotted to the third house as asschikya, Uras (breast), the right ear, army, valour, prowess and brother. Satya-Jatakam –brothers, courage, bravery, fear, voice, ear, fruits, father’s death, strength dress, mental stability and firmness. Sarvarth Chintamani – brothers, valour, medicine, friends, throat, chest, education, right ear, eatables and planets Maansaagari – Sahodar (Siblings), nauker (servant), prarkaram, valour, udham self-effort. Brihat Jataka sahodara (brothers) vikram (bravery).

Third House in  Mundane
Travel, Railway, communication, shipping, road transport and Highways, posts, airlines, TV, Press, Telephone Journalists, Reporters, Artists Pravachan, Public opinion, Mind set of people created, Neighboring countries, states, boundaries.
The centuries don’t change your Destiny but the Interpretation changes-
With the changes in Desh Kaal and Paatra the area that a house of a horoscope governs is widening. Each house has in it meanings and interpretations embedded for every situation in changing times, even for the centuries that have yet to arrive. We astrologers have to dig out and keep broad basing house matters with ever growing developments in lifestyles and career profiles. In the present context, numerous cases of success were found when the third lord or the third house related dashas were operative. The third house is seen as one among the trishadhaya houses (3,6,11) whose dashas have not been considered good as the eighth house element of surprises, unexpectedness, scandals and the like are associated with the third house.

Also being seventh  from the ninth  house of father and twelfth from the fourth  house of mother, its dasha has been found impacting the longevity of the parents adversely. Moreover, the fact that it is the bhavat bhavam of eighth house (being eighth from eighth) does no good for the stigma attached to it. When we relate these dashas with conventional view categorizing the third house and third lord inter alia as a small trik, a new meaning emerges. As per classics the third lord going to any house spoils the signification of that house but lagna lord is good in the third house and the third lord going to lagna is good for the lagna and the third house; but it is not good for the third house when the third lord goes to the 6, 8 or 12.

Sports and the Third House
Sportsmen have to have the extra special cutting edge to be winners. Such specials are seen from the third house. The third  house also signifies the shoulder, the strength of which is central to any sport. It has been observed that malefics in the third house provide the competitive edge, though they do not prove friendly to the siblings. Virender Sehwag has the third lord in third  with three other planets placed there. Clearly, a strong third house classifies his horoscope as a third house focused horoscope. Horoscopes of many sportsmen have a similar configuration. A strong third house with malefics makes a third house sports oriented. The larger purpose of such debate, is to dispel fear about the third  house. It has to be established that the third house has a unique quality of insurmountable success through self effort, more so in the field of extra-curricular activities.

Sangeet (music) and the Third House
According to Rishi Satyacharya, the third house governs talent and the fifth  house education. If one has a strong third house and a weak fifth house, one may have the talent but not a good education. In the horoscope of Lata Mangeshkar, the nightingale of India, the third lord, Moon is in third  and the fifth  lord Mercury is in the fifth making the third house of talent doubly strong. Legendary Rukmini Arundale, the queen of Bharat Natyam also has her third  lord in the third aspected by Mercury, Venus and Saturn from the ninth and Jupiter from the eleventh. She played a major role in bringing Bharat Natyam from the fold of Devadasis and in reviving it by making it a honourable profession. Today when people in the south send their daughters to learn Bharat Natyam, they should not forget that their great grandfathers or their fathers pelted stones at Rukmini Arundale (dancer) for reviving this art. In case of K.L. Sehgal (singer) the Moon is again in the third house. It has the aspect of the third  lord Mars which is in its own rashi with Mercury in the eighth house-the house of hidden talent. The third house is also aspected by Jupiter from the seventh house in the horoscope of K.L.Sehgal.

According to Mr. K.N. Rao, the third  house being the house of sports also, malefics here give sports like cricket and hockey, where strength is required and benefics give sports like Tennis where there the artistic touch and glamour. He often explains the horoscope of Federer to convey his point. Federer has the Moon in the third and the third lord Venus is in the Ascendant.

Third House primarily indicates Siblings
It also shows your capacity to shoulder responsibility and indicates the people who could shoulder part of your responsibility. The will, grit, valour and the stamina of the individual can also be seen from here. The support one can expect from people close-siblings or co-workers can also be seen from the third house. The third shows the younger co-borns and subordinates and the eleventh should therefore show the elder co-born and senior colleagues. The eleventh  from eleventh is the ninth which is the house of the Guru and father whose role in guiding a destiny remains unchallenged. The crucial guidance and moral support comes from the ninth which is the seventh  from the third the house of fructification for the third. Hence the importance of a Guru.

The Third house and Drekkana pointers
Present day astrology especially in Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan under te able guidance of Mr. K.N.Rao has developed a mechanism to rectify the time of birth. Role of the third  house to determine the number of co-borns is extensively applied and this application has been consistently correcting the time of birth. The  dreshkonas have been found to reveal a lot about the character.

Mars in the Third House
Mars placed in the third house has been found to be harming co-borns but has a positive influence so far as self-effort, courage and valour is concerned. The aspect of Mars on third house helps both co-borns and self-effort. Repeated application, helps us to understand the influence of karka on a bhava with aspect or on placement. The placement of karka in a bhava except for Saturn in eighth has been found having a negative influence on its main karkatwa (signification) like Mars for brother, Jupiter for children and Venus for spouse, but its aspect has always been found positive.

Art of Purposeful living is nothing but skilful Management of Energies that drive Destiny
Like all Planets the houses too have their allotted negatives and positives. The association of third and eleventh houses with the tenth have been found giving unprecedented rise to a person on the material plane. Any link between third and eleven also give rise in life. If the sixth house has Rahu or a malefic, they give phenomenal rise to the person in their dashas but also give disease and disputes along with it. The seventh house though a maraka is the house of pada prapti (rise in life). Since 3-7-11 houses are kama trikonas (desires), they inspire and motivate a person to achieve but become obstructive for a person who has set moksha as his goal.

Communication the Life line
According to Maharishi Parashara the third house governs updesh (initiatory instructions). Satya Jatakam too assigns voice to the third house. Being the second  from the second, as per Parashari principle of bhavat bhavam it should govern all the matters of the second  house also which include vani (speech).The third gives an idea of an individual’s communication skills, so important in today’s career. Since it is the interface between organization and the client which decides the success or failure of a business, the role of the third house in the coming times with the introduction of the 4G would prevail and could be revolutionary. In the Indian context the dasha of the fourth  lord Sun in the third house of the Independence horoscope and its likely impact on our country’s bhagya in the dasha of Sun and will give an opportunity to communicate our view point as a nation more effectively than ever before.

Dharma and Adharma
How you present and push matters in today’s world is what matters and this is also what the third  house reveals. The three,seven  and eleven  combine to inspire and motivate to achieve and the sixth rovides the ability to compete. People who bring a turnaround in a languishing giant to make it a fast moving company show a zeal represented by the third  house and a 3-6-11-7 dominated horoscope. Ruthless go-getting attitude, grit and trouble-shooting behavior can bring success in management in today’s world. Not straightforward judgments and actions. These are not the houses of straight forward actions and routine. But, if one has set moksha as his goal thse houses are rendered useless. The house 4-5-9-10 gain prominence then for the activity that credit your karma account and not the 3-6-7-11.

About Deepak Bisaria

Deepak Bisaria is a very experienced and successful astrologer with lot of predictive sense about various aspects of human life. He is the senior faculty member of the Institute of Astrology at Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan. He is the sectional editor of Jo

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