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Imran

Natural & Functional Behavior of Planets

Any planet can give its effect in two ways: A) According to its permanent nature (as natural malefic/benefic). B) According to its temporal nature (as functional malefic/benefic). The natural behavior of planets as benefic (shubh graha ) or malefic (ashubh or pap graha ) are universal and donot change whatever be the ascendant. Vedic astrology classifies them as; Natural Benefic Planets Jupiter Venus Mercury (unassociated with malefic) The Moon (8th tithi of Shukapaksh to 8th tithi Krishnapaksh) Natural Malefic Plaents Saturn Mars Rahu Ketu The Sun (as cruel not pap )

While the temporal or functional nature of planets vary for different ascendants and depend upon the lordship of houses they own with respect to lagna. There are contradictory opinions on the matter of functional nature of planets but the Parashars classification is widely accepted, which is given below. Ascendant Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer Leo Virgo Libra Scorpio Sagittarius Capricorn Aquarius Pisces
Functional Benefic Planets Functional Malefic Planet Functional Neutral

Sun, Mars, Jupiter Saturn*, Mercury, Sun Venus Mars*, Jupiter, Moon Mars*, Jupiter, Sun Venus, Mercury, Saturn*, Mercury, Venus Moon, Jupiter, Sun Mars, Sun Venus*, Mercury, Saturn Venus*, Saturn Moon, Mars

Mercury, Venus, Saturn Moon, Jupiter Mars, Jupiter Venus, Mercury Saturn, Mercury, Venus Mars, Moon --Mercury, Venus, Saturn Venus, Saturn, Mercury Mars, Jupiter, Moon Jupiter, Moon, Mars Saturn, Mercury, Venus

--Mars, Venus Mercury, Saturn, Moon Sun, Saturn --Sun, Saturn Jupiter, Mars, Sun Mars Jupiter, Moon Sun Mercury, Sun Jupiter, Sun

The asterisk * after planet name stands for the status of Yoga Karaka. Lagnesh is assumed to be functional benefic in case of Kendardhipti dosh .

Effect as Permanent Nature (Type A):

1. Being as natural benefic all the planets do well to the houses they occupied or aspect. In good houses (1,2,4,5,7,9,10,11) their "natural significance" (i.e. karakattwas) enhance, while in bad house (3,6,8,12) generally their natural significance harm. Except when they are the lords of bad houses and in it. 2. Being as natural malefic all the planets spoil the effects of houses they occupied or aspect. In good houses (1,2,4,5,7,9,10,11) their "natural significance" enhance, while in houses (8,12) their natural significance spoils. Except when they are the lords of these houses and in it. In house (3,6) their natural significance amplified a lot. In maraka houses (2,7) they generally harm health & longevity.

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Effect as Functional Nature (Type B):

1. Being as functional benefic all the planets in good houses (1,2,4,5,7,9,10,11) do well to the house they owned, and in bad house (3,6,8,12) spoil the house they owned. Except when they are simultaneously own any of these bad houses and in it. 2. Being as functional malefic all the planets in good houses (1,2,4,5,7,9,10,11) attain the strength to increase the evil effect of the house they owned. And in dushtana houses (3,6,8,12) they become feeble and the evil effect of their bad ownership do not realize. Even dushtana lords in dushtana bhavas bring about Vipreet Raj Yogas.

EXAMPLES: Apparently the above principles seems ambiguous to apply as generally a planet holds lordship of both good and bad houses except yoga karaka. Consider the Jupiter in chart given for Aquarius ascendant. Here it is natural benefic and functional malefic. Follow the principle above, being as natural benefic a planet enhances the house where it is posited th and on which it aspects. Thus Jupiter in 6 th give positive matters of 6 house, i.e. the native may be without enemies, debt and disease; believer of ahinsa ; mothers coborn nd may be helpful. It also aspects 10th and 2 house and thus the profession may be respectful and the early education and securities level are good. (Remember it is an isolated reading only with respect to Jupiter as natural benefic). Similarly as per rule, the Karakattwas may be destroyed because Jupiter (as natural benefic) is posited in 6th -evil house. Religious practice, belief on God, children, prosperity and happiness may come into adverse situation. Now treating the Jupiter as functional malefic. In dushtana 6th house Jupiter become weak, and thus the matters of houses it owns (here 11th and 2nd ) may not materialize fully. That is it will not harm kill in its dasha, but simultaneously other factors of these house (hopes, associates, and earnings) also come into shadow. That is a simple step-by-step procedure to proceed. Consider the Saturn in next chart for a male native with Taurus ascendant. Though Saturn is naturally a first rate malefic but for Taurus natives being as lord of kendar and trikona it is functional benefic even a Yoga Karak . th Treat first Saturn as natural malefic. In 7 it th obviously yield evil matters of 7 house. That is cold relationship with spouse, break in business partnership, diseases in private body th th parts and exile. It also aspect 9 , 1st and 4 house and thus the matters of these houses seems Saturnine. Differences with parents, health problems, and lack of home comfort. (Here again I reiterate that these are the results of Saturn solely, other planetary placement, associations, aspect and argala may either cancel or endorse these results). Now consider Saturn as functional benefic. In 7th it enhances

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the significance of houses it owns that is 9th and 10th . Father may be long live and has pomp and power, native attains political and social status, and enjoy professional success. Besides it simultaneously other planetary placement, aspects and argala modify the results, various types of strength criteria reveal pace of mentioned effect. Rashi and varga position says mode of results according to their characteristics. Here we did not take Yoga etc. Note the powerful th interchange between lord of 10th and 7 . He was actually a steel mills owner and chief minister but now leaving a banished life in a foreign country. In this chart Sagittarius is the ascendant, take for instant Moon. Generally lord of 8th house is ranked as functional malefic but this rule does not apply on luminaries. Hence the Moon is not a functional malefic for Sagittarius natives but tends to neutral. Treat first the Moon as natural benefic (as here it is between 8th tithi of Shuklapaksh to 8th tithi of Krishnapaksh). It is in the first house, and thus it amplifies the matters of 1st house. Beautiful and emotional appearance, good health, and God fearing nature. Being as natural benefic in good house, its natural significance also strengthen. That is good mother, intelligent mentality, changeable nature, sharp imagination, and sound sleep. Now its functional status also manifests. The matters of 8th house become strong, and give result in the form of longevity, partners wealth, sudden windfall, hardworking and unexpected setback. Here in this case Leo is the ascendant for which the Mars, Sun and Jupiter are functional benefic planets. Choose Mars and treating first it as natural malefic. In 2nd house being as natural malefic it destroy the matters of 2nd house, i.e. harsh speech, difficulties in early education, quarrel in family, loss of savings, and throat or neck problem. It also aspects 5th , 8th , and 9th houses, lead to transform Martian influence on these house. Male issues, broken love affairs, accident, and excess sensuality. While taking the Mars as functional benefic and Yoga Karaka for Leo. It improves the matters of houses it owns, i.e. 4th and 9th. Thus he may command landed property, vehicles, and public support. Mother may be long lived and ancestral home may prove beneficial for him etc. All these results may manifest during Mars dasha and bhukti.

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Moon Sign as Reference Point:

Generally the planetary placement are seen from the Janma Langa (ascendant) but in my humble opinion taking Chandra lagna (Moon sign) as reference point may prove very helpful in analyzing the chart, specially when Udu (vimshottari) dasha is used or when time of birth is uncertain. The Moon chart attains special significance and must analyze along with Rashi when:
* Greater numbers of planets are powerfully disposed in quadrant from the Moon sign than lagna. * Greater numbers of planets cast more powerful planetary aspect to the natal Moon than lagna. * The lords of the Sun sign and Moon sign are same or permanent friends of each other. * The lord of Moon sign or asterism is stronger than Langa lord.

Conversely these very rules can also be applied to decide initiation point for Vimshottari dasha between the Moon and ascendant.