Paper presented in the fourth conference of S.A. Astrologers at Gurgaon held on the 20th & 21st Feb. 2010.
A horoscope represents the birth of a human life which is an aspect of creation. As we all know that the horoscope indicates the planetary positions at the time of birth of an individual with respect to the birth ascendant. The birth ascendant is the point on the Zodiac which was rising on the eastern horizon at the place of birth of the individual at the time of his or her birth. From the horoscope we can read the various aspects of the life of the individual including the personality, physical constitution, tendencies and the course of life. The structure of the horoscope indicates many important aspects of the construction of the individual. One of the ancient methods of the presentation of the horoscope is in the form of the intersection of two concentric equilateral triangles with their vertex in the opposite direction to each other with a circle around these two triangles. This has been shown in the figure below for a better understanding. This structure has been known to Tantra or Tantrik Jyotish and it reflects the basic philosophy of Tantra.
Tantrik structure of horoscope
The six triangular segments formed as a result of the intersection of the two equilateral triangles form the six odd numbered inner houses namely the first, the third, the fifth, the seventh, the ninth and the eleventh houses of the
Let us now understand the structure of the horoscope. In most of the mammalian procreation, more so in the human procreation, there are two basic biological parental inputs for the procreation to take place. One is the male factor and the other is the female factor called the Father element or Pitru ansha and the Mother element or the Matru ansha. In the Nigama Shastras or the Vedic philosophy these have been described as the Purusha Tattva and the Prakriti Tattva whereas in the Agama Shastras these two basic elements have been referred to as the Shiva Tatwa and the Shakti Tatwa. The progeny produced therefore has both these (male & female) elements forming an essential part of its total constitution which should get reflected in the structure of the horoscope as well. Apart from the two elements the progeny also gets inputs from the environment after the birth, for its unique constitution. The environmental inputs represent the time & space known as Desha-Kaal and these should also be reflected in the structure of the horoscope.
Now let us examine the structure of the horoscope in the light of the three sources of inputs i.e. the male element, the female element and the environmental element which go into the construction of the individual human being. The horoscope structure has three concentric figures in its design i.e. the triangle with the vertex upwards, the triangle with the vertex downwards and the circle around the intersecting triangles.
Diagrams of the Male triangle & the Female triangle
Diagram of male triangle | Diagram of female triangle |
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In this design, the triangle with the vertex upwards represents the male element, the triangle with the vertex downwards represents the female element and the circular boundary represents the universal or the environmental element- the Desha-Kaal element or the space-time element. The houses numbering one, five & nine therefore represent the male element and the houses numbering three, seven & eleven represent the female element whereas the houses numbering two, four, six, eight, ten & twelve represent the environmental or the universal element in the horoscope. It is thus very much in the fitness of the horoscope design for the Kaalpurush that the triangle with the vertex upwards houses the three Rasis corresponding to the three male planets i.e. the Mesha Rasi ruled by Mangal, the Simha Rasi ruled by Ravi and the Dhanu Rasi ruled by Guru. The triangle with its vertex downwards houses two Rasis corresponding to the female planets i.e. the Tula Rasi ruled by Sukra & the Kumbh Rasi ruled by Sani whereas the third Rasi in this triangle is an exception as it houses the Mithun Rasi ruled by Budh having both male & female elements. Thus the structure of the horoscope represents the design of an individual with respect to the inputs that form the basis of his or her creation.
Diagram of the inner house |
Diagram of the outer house |
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The first house represents the Body. The Identity, the inclinations, the vitality and the constitution in general. The individual is born with these factors.
The third house indicates the drive within the individual and his ability to apply himself or herself to the environment. This aspect is also a part of the package with which he is born.
The fifth house represents the intellect, the discriminative faculty and the emotional constitution of the individual with which he comes to the world.
The seventh house represents the aspect of Vasana or the desires which are a part of the subconscious with which the individual comes in this birth.
The ninth house represents the Prarabdha or the destiny with which the individual is born.
The eleventh house indicates the Karmaphala which is bound to come to the individual in this birth due to his past Karmas. The individual takes birth with this Karmaphala package.
As can be seen from the basic indications of the inner houses formed by the intersection of the two triangles, all the aspects indicated are brought by the individual with the birth.
Now we shall examine the six external houses formed between the circle and the edges of the two triangles to know whether these houses represent indications of matters which come from or are related to the external environment of the subject of the horoscope.
The second house indicates the financial strength & status to be enjoyed by the individual in his current life which is an aspect of the environment.
The fourth house represents the Family and assets which are matters of the environment. The fourth house also represents the mind which may appear to be an aspect of the basic structure of the individual but actually the mind has been described as the traffic of thoughts which are results of the reactions to the external environment or reflections of the mental conditioning due to the experiences of the external world, hence the mind also is an aspect of the environment.
The sixth house represents obstacles and opposition etc. which too are aspects of the environment.
The eighth house represents the process of degradation, aging or destruction which happen due to external factors.
The tenth house represents achievement, success and profession etc. which too are aspects of the environment.
The twelfth house represents outgo or expenditure which too are aspects of the environment.
It is established without any doubt that the exterior houses formed between the circle and the edges of the triangles in the horoscope structure are related to the environmental factors and come into the life of the subject of the horoscope after birth as against the aspects of the inner houses which come along with him or her with the birth.
Having established the relevance of the design and the structure of the horoscope we shall now try to understand the logic behind the Mool Trikona Rasis. The word Trikona means a triangle and Mool means the root. Together Mool Trikona means the primary(root) triangle. The two concentric equilateral triangles forming the six odd and inner houses of the horoscope as shown in the figure above are the two primary triangles which form the basis of the concept of the Mool Trikona rasis. In the horoscope of the Kaalpurush the six inner houses are ruled by the six odd rasis namely Mesha, Mithun, Simha, Tula Tula
The obvious question that arises is as to why Mithun rasi has not been considered as a Mool Trikona rasi? This question shall be dealt with afterwards.
First we shall examine the logic, role & importance of the Mool Trikona rasis. As is evident from the foregoing the Mool Trikona rasis are located in the vertices of the two intersecting triangles of the horoscope structure. The exceptions are the Mool Trikona Rasis for the planets Chandrama & Budh i.e. the Karka & Kanya rasis respectively. These exceptions shall be dealt with separately. For the purpose of understanding the logic behind the Mool Trikona classification of rasis we shall limit our discussion to the five Mool Trikona rasis namely Mesha, Simha, Tula
As already mentioned the Mool Trikona rasis derive their nomenclature from the fact that they form a part of the two basic triangles representing the individual in the horoscope. These rasis represent the aspects of the constitution of the individual with which he is born such as appearance, personality, inclinations, destiny, intellect, desires & the Karmapahala etc.. Thus the Mool Trikona rasis provide an insight into the aspects of the individual which are the basic tenets of his or her being which are not likely to change much throughout the lifetime. In other words these rasis reflect the intrinsic programming of the individual being. The horoscope represents an individual and therefore when it is analyzed for the aspects related to the individual, the planetary influences manifest only through the respective Mool Trikona rasis since it is these rasis which represent the individual’s basic design. In other words the planets exert their influence in the horoscope of an individual mainly through the Mool Trikona rasis. This fact forms the basis of the Systems Approach of analyzing horoscopes and is overlooked by other traditional practitioners of Astrology leading to many erroneous derivations as a result.
The question that arises at this juncture is that if the Mool Trikona rasis represent the constitution in the horoscope of the Kaalpurush being located within the two intersecting triangles then do they still have the same value & importance in the individual horoscopes since they are likely to be located in different positions in the individual horoscopes except in the case of the Mesha lagna horoscopes?
The answer to this question is given thus. The relationship of the Mool Trikona rasis with the house indications of the horoscope of the Kaalpurush gives the Mool Trikona rasis their distinct characteristics which they carry to any horoscope and color the concerned aspect with their specific placement in that horoscope. For example the Simha rasi rules the fifth house in the horoscope of the Kaalpurush which indicates the intellect. The Simha rasi is located in a Dhanu lagna horoscope in the ninth house due to which the intellect in a Dhanu lagna horoscope becomes spiritually and philosophically oriented making Dhanu lagna natives more principled and morally inclined. Similarly if the Simha rasi occupies the third house in a Mithun lagna horoscope as a result, the intellect in the case of Mithun lagna subjects becomes more activity & communication oriented due to which the Mithun lagna natives become perfectionists and good communicators.
A similar exercise can be carried out for all the other Mool Trikona rasis to understand this point.
At this juncture it needs to be clarified that the condition of a inner house, its lord in case the house is ruled by a Mool Trikona rasi and the planet occupying the house as also the location of the connected Mool Trikona rasi are to be taken into account for a complete analysis of the aspects of the inner house being studied. The impact of the placement of a Mool Trikona rasi in a certain house shall therefore give a general indication of the concerned aspect related to that Mool Trikona rasi in relation to its placement in a horoscope.
Yet another question that arises at this juncture is that whether the triangles denoting the male & female aspects in a given horoscope are to be considered with respect to the houses i.e. the first, fifth and the ninth houses forming the male triangle & the third, seventh & the eleventh houses forming the female triangle OR the male & female triangles are to be considered from the placement of the Mool Trikona rasis in the horoscope i.e Mesha, Simha & Dhanu rasis forming the Male triangle and the Mithun, Tula and Kumbh rasis forming the female triangle?
This is an important question and the answer to it is thus. The aspects related to the inner houses are the same as those in the horoscope of the Kaalpurush which shall get influenced by the presence of a Mool Trikona rasi in that house as well as by the placement and aspect of planets influencing the house in question, hence to that extent the first, fifth & the ninth houses do behave like the Male triangular houses of the horoscope of Kaalpurush as well as the third, seventh & the eleventh houses represent the female triangle of the horoscope of Kaalpurush. On the other hand the Mool Trikona rasis carry the characteristics of the houses they represent in the horoscope of Kaalpurush to the individual horoscope and color the indications as described in the answer to the earlier question. Thus to that extent they too behave like the male & female triangles as in the horoscope of the Kaalpurush. In other words the aspects of the inner houses of the horoscope of the Kaalpurush are carried to the individual horoscopes both by the corresponding houses as well as by the related Mool Trikona rasis. This understanding shall be very useful in a better analysis & understanding of the horoscopes. Applying this understanding to the examples taken earlier we shall have to study the fifth house related aspects in a Dhanu lagna horoscope from the fifth house which has Mesha rasi as well as from the location of the Simha rasi in the ninth house. The intellect in this case shall be colored by egocentricity due to the effect of the Mesha rasi in the fifth house and it shall be spiritually & philosophically oriented due to the presence of the Simha rasi in the ninth house. Similarly for a Mithun lagna horoscope the presence of the Tula rasi in the fifth house shall make the intellect colored by desires (vasanas) and it shall be activity & communication oriented due to the presence of the Simha rasi in the third house.
Having understood the logic and the role of the Mool Trikona rasis we shall now examine the exceptions to the logic discussed so far. The first exception is regarding the third house of the basic design of the horoscope forming the part of the Female triangle. The third house in the horoscope of the Kaalpurush is ruled by the Mithun rasi which is ruled by Budh-the planet having both male & female characteristics. Being a part of the female triangle this is an exception. This exception is resolved as follows:-
The third house represents enterprise or the drive within the individual to relate to the world outside through communication & activities. The third house is in fact the window to the world and indicates the give & take relationship with the world. Giving has been identified with the male characteristic and taking is a female aspect which are both indicated by Budh. It is for this reason that the third house of the horoscope of Kaalpurush even though belonging to the female triangle is having the rasi of the planet Budh having both male & female elements. This fact is reflected in the depiction of the Mithun rasi in the form of a couple-a male & a female which indicates interdependence of the individual with the environment. The question then arises that why the dual nature has become a part of the Female triangle ? The reason is that the third house represents the aspect of Intuition. Intuition is naturally present in the female species by birth whereas in the male species it is present in the latent form and needs to be uncovered by effort such as meditation etc.. Thus Intuition is an attribute of Prakriti and Prakriti is represented by the Female triangle in the horoscope and this is why the third house ruled by the Mithun rasi forms a part of the Female triangle in the structure of the horoscope.
Yet another exception is the non Mool Trikona classification of the Mithun rasi even though it is a part of the inner houses formed by the intersection of the two basic triangles in the horoscope of the Kaalpurush. This exception is resolved as follows:-
The Mool Trikona rasis form a part of the programming of the individual representing the aspects of identity, intellect, vasanas, destiny and Karmaphalas to be enjoyed in this birth and these aspects are cast in steel with very little scope for any basic changes whereas being human beings we do have some degree of freedom to apply & act in the world outside as per our design represented by the horoscope. In this context I would like to refer to the sloka from Vivek Choodamani where the value of a human birth has been highlighted. The sloka says:-
Jantoonaam nar janma durlabhmatah---
In other words Shankaracharya the author says that of all forms of life, it is extremely rare & difficult to be born as a human being. He stresses this fact because it is the human being alone who has the freedom to evolve & develop into a better person thereby eliminating the Karma bondage and attaining liberation or emancipation-Nirvana. The human yoni (species) is the only form which is having this freedom and the capacity to adapt itself to the changes in the environment. All other forms of living beings are called Bhoga Yonis which are bound by the instinct and have little or no freedom to evolve as it were. All the other forms of life go through their life mechanically to suffer their Karmaphalas. It is for this special quality available to human beings that the human race has evolved from the primitive man to the cultured modern human being as against the animal world which has remained as it were. In fact many of the animal species have become extinct because they could not adapt themselves to the dynamics of the environment.
If the third house of the horoscope of Kaalpurush was also programmed then this freedom to act and evolve would have been taken away and even our actions in the outer world would have been programmed responses as happens in the case of the other species, in which case the instinct would have replaced the intellect & intuition. This is the reason why Mithun rasi is not a Mool Trikona rasi.
It follows from the above that there are only five Mool Trikona rasis namely Mesha for Mangal, Simha for Ravi, Tula for Sukra, Dhanu for Guru and Kumbh for Sani which meet the logic discussed here-in-so-far.
The obvious question that arises therefore is-What about the Mool Trikona rasis for Chandrama & Budh? We have defined a Mool Trikona rasi as the rasi occupying one of the inner or odd houses in the horoscope of the Kaalpurush with the exception of the Mithun rasi. The number of divisions which result due to the intersection of the two equilateral triangles in the horoscope design can only be six. With the elimination of the third such division as an exception, the number of the divisions holding Mool Trikona rasis for various planets is limited to five. There are seven planets and therefore the two planets which go un-represented within the two basic triangles are the planets Chandrama & Budh. These two planets too have Mool Trikona rasis, as we know, in the Karka & the Kanya rasis respectively. Truly speaking, Karka & Kanya rasis do not qualify as per the basic defining principle of Mool Trikona rasis, to be called Mool Trikona rasis but since like the Mool Trikona rasis for other planets these two rasis behave like Mool Trikona rasis as their lords Chandrama & Budh pass on their influences to the native of a horoscope through these rasis only, these two rasis have been clubbed with the other Mool Trikona rasis. In other words, even though these two rasis, technically speaking are not Mool Trikona rasis, they have been included in the list of Mool Trikona rasis as they behave like Mool Trikona rasis for their respective lords. It should be noted here that it is not due to the compulsion of finding a place or position for the Mool Trikona rasis for Chandrama & Budh that the Karka & Kanya have been assigned the roles of the Mool Trikona rasis but it is so, because the two planets Chandrama & Budh represent elements and aspects which do not form a part of the inner programming of the individual with which he or she is born. In fact both these planets represent external inputs provided by the environment which is the reason why their representative Mool Trikona rasis have not been included within the inner structure of the horoscope formed by the intersection of the two root triangles instead they are placed in the exterior houses or within the houses formed between the circle & the edges of the triangles in the horoscope of the Kaalpurush.
Let us now examine the role of Chandrama & Budh in the structure of the individual native of a horoscope. Chandrama represents the mind whereas Budh represents education & communication.
The mind is a reflection of the environment within the individual, in the form of experiences (through memory) and thoughts. The mind has the capacity of perception which it does by the help of the senses. The perception of the world outside leads to experiences which remain registered in the memory and which help in Cognizance and reflection in the form of Contemplation & Imagination. The perception of the outside world also generates thoughts as a Reaction. The entire working of the mind is thus related to the external environment. The mind of an individual therefore develops in relation to the environment and it is not a programming with which the individual is born. This is the reason why the Mool Trikona rasi of Chandrama-the planet representing the mind-has not found a place in the inner houses of the structure of the horoscope representing the basic or the inner programming of an individual.
As mentioned earlier Budh represents education leading to the capacity of reasoning. The programming of the intellect through the process of conditioning in the form of transfer or learning of other’s cumulative experiences as well as from one’s own experiences in the outside world is Education. This conditioning or education helps in developing Reasoning & Discrimination in the individual by the help of which he can take decisions and make choices (probable preferences as against random choices). This development of the programming of the Intellect is dependent on the external environment to a large extent.
Another aspect of Budh is the process of communication. Communication is a process which forms a bridge between the inner self and the world outside thus making Budh to play a role both within the individual and in the outside world. Since the two aspects of Budh namely education & communication together have a larger external role like in the case of Chandrama, the Mool Trikona rasi of Budh too does not form a part of the core inner structure of the horoscope of the Kaalpurush.
Thus both Chandrama & Budh have to have their Mool Trikona rasis in the exterior houses of the horoscope structure of the Kaalpurush. Having said this it has to be seen as to which of the rasis are eligible to be the Mool Trikona rasis for Chandrama & Budh.
A simple method for the identification of the Mool Trikona rasis for Chandrama and Budh could be to allocate the Mool Trikona status to the rasis for these two planets which form a part of the exterior houses in the horoscope of the Kaalpurush. In which case Karka becomes the Mool Trikona rasi for Chandrama and Kanya rasi becomes the Mool Trikona rasi for Budh since Karka is ruled by Chandrama and Kanya is ruled by Budh. Even though logically the Karka rasi seems to be the most appropriate Rasi to become the Mool Trikona rasi for Chandrama as has been pointed out here, there is a traditional school of thought which places the Mool Trikona rasi of Chandrama in the Vrishabha rasi. This view is not valid since Vrishabha rasi is not owned by Chandrama and as is true for Mool Trikona rasis, the Mool Trikona rasi is one of the rasis owned by the concerned planet if the concerned planet owns two rasis and it is the only rasi owned by the planets Ravi & Chandrama who own only one rasi each which are the Simha & the Karka rasis respectively. Thus the view upheld by the Systems Approach for Interpreting Horoscopes with respect to the Mool Trikona rasi of Chandrama is logical & appropriate.
There is a general misunderstanding in the circles of Astrology that the two-dimensional graphical representation of the horoscope is a matter of convenience and that is why there are so many variations to the graphical structure of the horoscope such as the diamond or the north Indian style, the block-wise structure or the south Indian style and so on but that is not correct. The two dimensional horoscope structure actually represents the very philosophy of the creation & construction of the individual human life. Similarly the classification of some rasis as the Mool Trikona rasis is being used without knowing the principles behind such classification which has led to so many confusions & wrong interpretations in the practice of Astrology. I wish to record my gratitude to the Systems Approach as well as to Prof. V .K. Choudhry who has brought out the role & importance of the Mool Trikona rasis, which prompted me to delve deep and find the principles behind the Mool Trikona classification of rasis by our great Rishis who laid the foundations of what is today known as Hindu or the Indian Astrology.
