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Writer's pictureASWIN SUBRAMANYAN

Shattrimsa Sama Dasa - Part 1



Parāśara, the father of Veda Vyasa, taught the magnum opus Bṛhat Parāśara Horāśāstra to his student Maitreya before the Mahabharata era which means, we are going back at least 5000 years behind from our times. In his work, Parāśara gave many Dasa systems out of which not many are under use in modern times except Vimsottari Dasa which is very widely used because of its efficiency in the practice of predictive astrology. This doesn’t really mean the other systems taught by Parāśara are not effective, they are all just conditional and require us to understand some rules to apply them in the charts. Apart from Vimsottari, a powerful Nakshatra dasa called Kala Chakra Dasa is used by some of the astrologers in India but not really anywhere else. Yogini Dasa is slowly finding its prominence in modern times. I hope to get to all the Dasa systems (both Rasi and Nakshatra Dasas) taught by Parāśara at some point over the course of the next two or three years because the knowledge that is hidden in these systems are unparalleled.


Shattrimsa Sama Dasa

Shattrimsa Sama Dasa is a conditional Dasa in which a few things are mysterious to me and I have not really come to any sort of a conclusive understanding of it. However, I will elucidate what I observed and understood with a practical example as always.


Shattrimsa Sama Dasa is applicable only when the AC is placed in the Sun’s Hora for day charts and Moon’s Hora for night charts. This is very clear. The AC cannot be in the Moon Hora for day charts and the AC cannot be in the Moon Hora.

  • The 1st half of the odd signs belong to the Sun’s hora.

  • The 2nd half of the odd signs belong to the Moon’s hora.

  • The 1st half of the even signs belong to the Moon’s hora.

  • The 2nd half of the odd signs belong to the Sun’s hora.

The total Dasa period is 36 years (addition of the rulership years of all the planets). Ketu is excluded from the rulerships and there is no reason mentioned in the text and I am unable to make out why it should be so. In fact, Ketu is left out in a few other Dasa systems as well.



The above table shows the planetary associations and the number of years each planet rules over the native’s life.


The anchor is actually Shravana Nakshatra and Parāśara mentions that we need to count the birth Nakshatra of the Moon and divide the result by 8. The number which we arrive at will be the planet that begins the dasa periods in the native’s life.


Astrologer PVR Narasimha Rao in his post about conditional Dasa systems mentions that it is important for us to find out the controlling planet of the Dasa based on the deity. Here is what he wrote in his article:


The seed nakshatra is Sravana and its deity is Vishnu. This dasa is applicable if lagna is in deva hora and Sun (soul) is in the visible half from lagna (self that acts in the world), or if lagna is in pitri hora and lagna (acting self) is in the visible half from Sun (soul). Soul is a focus of acting self in deva hora and acting self is a focus of soul in pitri hora. The condition shows a productive relationship between self that acts in the world and soul, that promotes an understanding of one's existence and meaningful actions. That is augmented if Mercury showing knowledge and understanding is strong. So Mercury is the controlling planet. Mercury shows sustainer Vishnu and no wonder the seed nakshatra is Vishnu's Sravana.


However, in this post, I have only followed by Parasara has mentioned. Parasara doesn't mention anything about the controlling planet of the deity to my knowledge. However, I don't disagree with the view presented by Mr. Rao. I am still trying to contemplate the idea because it is surely interesting.


For example: If a person is born with the natal Moon in Jyestha, we need to count from Shravana to Jyestha, which is 24. If we divide 24 by 8, we get 3. Jupiter is the 3rd ruler according to the above sequence. The native’s life will begin with Jupiter’s Dasa. The computation of the leftover period in the Dasa is the same as it is done in the Vimsottari Dasa.


Nativity of River Phoenix

River Phoenix was born when Libra was rising with the AC in the first half of an odd sign ruled by the Sun. The nativity is also by day. Hence, Shattrimsa Sama Dasa is applicable in this chart.


His natal Moon is placed in Kritika and if we count from Shravana to Kritika, we get 9 and if we divide this by 8, we have 1.125 which corresponds to the Moon dasa. Hence, the dasa period begins from the Moon ruling for 1 year, followed by the Sun for 2 years, Jupiter for 3 years, Mars for 4 years Mercury for 5 years, Saturn for 6 years, Venus for 7 years and Rahu for 8 years. This cycle will repeat after 36 years.


River Phoenix died on 31 October 1993. (drugs and alcohol according to the data in astrodatabank)


During this time, he was living through the final stages of the Venus-Rahu period. Rahu in the 5th house is obsessed with entertainment and other lavishness. Actor Robin Williams had the same placement of Rahu but with the Moon which is also descriptive of addiction. However, in this chart, we see that Venus, the ruler of the rising sign, is debilitated in the 12th house of loss and expenditure. Since Venus is badly placed, the expenses indicate they are for bad causes. Since the 9th ruler Mercury is also involved, the native may have been involved in donation and charity. However, because Venus is the ruler of the rising sign it indicates that the native is losing himself to unnecessary habits and addiction.


Rahu is placed in the 5th house with its ruler Saturn placed in the 7th house of its fall (Aries). The 7th house is the house of maraka and Rahu in the 5th gains that authority as it is ruled by Saturn and is also configured by a wholesign sextile. Moreover, the Nodes are squaring the Moon which is placed in the 8th house with its ruler, Venus in its fall in Virgo. Additionally, ruler of Aries, Mars is fallen in Cancer and exactly squares Saturn.


Venus, the Dasa ruler is placed in the Martian bound of Virgo. Rahu is placed in the Venusian bound of Aquarius. We already know the dignity and placement of Venus. Valens defines the Martian bound in Virgo as masculine, harsh, public, demagogues, night prowlers, counterfeiters, imposters.


I hope to post a few more examples of Shattrimsa Sama Dasa in upcoming weeks and my aim is to create awareness about the effective uses of the conditional dasa systems mentioned by Parāśara and in future, Jamini.


****

Peace!

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