Gam Ganapataye Namah
Jyotisha Combination for Ganesha Chaturthi
31 Aug 2022
By Sanjay Prabhakaran for Jyotish Digest Magazine.
Wish you all a happy Ganesha Chaturthi, birth day of Lord Ganesha. On this divine occasion, I wish to share some thoughts on jyotish reasoning for festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi. Similar logic can be applied to all vedic festivals. Jyotish vedanga’s is primary objective is to remove negative karma by doing good karma. Yagnya or sacrifice is good karma, As per vedangya jyotish Shloka-3 Jyotish purpose is यज्ञकालार्थ सिद्धयेyajñakālārtha siddhaye, Yagnya means good karma and jyotish is to determine time for good karma. Like Thorn is used to remove a thorn, Karma is removed with Karma.
Jyotish has many measures of time of which, Tithi pravesha is one such means to celebrate birth. Tithi pravesha is said to occur when the Birth month (Lunar) and Birth tithi happens together. For example, Shree Rama’s birth took place on the Afternoon of Chaitra month’s Shukla Navami. Krishna’s Birthday, Janma Ashtami is celebrated on Midnight of ShraavanaKrishna Ashtami,
Three luminaries : The Month indicates the Sun’s position, Tithi can be used to find Moon’s position and Time of the day can be used to find the lagna. Rishi Parashara teaches about Sudarshana chakra by reckoning the horoscope from Sun, moon and Lagna. Together Sun, Moon and Lagna gives the Sudarshana Chakra , Can be said as three luminaries with Sun light, moon light and Fire(Intellect) light. For example, Shree Rama has Sun in Aries, Moon in Pusha and Lagna in Cancer Punarvasu Nakshatra and for Shree Krishna Sun is in Leo, Lagna and Moon both in Rohini Nakshatra. Below table can be used to convert from Lunar month to Sun’s position in Solar month.
Table 1: Month and Sun Reckoner
Amanta Lunar Month | Solar month sun position |
Chaitra | Aries/Mesha |
Vaishaakha | Taurus/Vrishabha |
Jyeshta | Gemini/Mithuna |
Ashaada | Cancer/Karka |
Shraavana | Leo/Simha |
Bhaadra | Virgo/Kanya |
Aashwini | Libra/Tula |
Kaarthika | Scorpio/Vrishchika |
Maargashirsha | Saggittarius/Dhanur |
Pausha | Capricorn/Makara |
Maagha | Aquarius/Kumbha |
Phalguni | Pisces/Meena |
Sun Postion Variance: For Amanta Lunar month, the month starts with the Sun and Moon together in a sign earlier than what is listed in the table, Example Chaitra month begins with Sun and moon in pisces but will always end when Sun is in Aries.
Rashi Degrees and Tithi : Another Jyotish property of solar month to know is that, Sun’s degree is like tithi. Just like there are 30 days in Lunar month (Full moon to Full moon or New Moon to Moon), There are thirty degrees in Rashi, Each degree is “Like a tithi”, for example Sun in late 30th degree is like Amavasya and Sun in 1st degrees is like Shukla Prathamai (Waxing 1st day), in 15th degree right in the middle of the rashi is like full moon. So in case of Lord Ram’s chart, even if in his actual chart sun maybe wherever in Mesha rashi, it’s properties will be like Sun is in 9th degree of aries since Rama’s birth day is on Shukla Navami. Whereas for Krishna’s Sun “behaves” like it’s in 15+8 i.e 23rd degrees of Leo/Simha. The 15th to 30th degree indicates krishna paksha.
Now, Ganesh Chaturthi is on Bhaadra Shukra Chaturthi on Afternooni.e given day’s miday (12:00 Hrs) to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi. Using this we analyse Lord Ganesha’s Sun, Moon and Lagna
Ganesh has Sun in Leo/Magha Nakshatra, Chaturthi Moon in Kanya/Hasta Nakshatra and Lagna is in Vrishchika/Jyeshta Nakshatra. You will notice that Sun and Moon’s Nakshatra and tithi may not coincide every year, Then tithi has to be given preference and Sun’s Month has to be given preference. Lets ponder on each of Sun, Moon and Lagna for Ganesha.
Kanya/Hasta Nakshatra Moon, Hasta means hand and Also mean Elephant. Out of all animals Elephant is prominent for trunk which is called as a hansta in sanskrit. He is five handed 4 normal hands and 5th is trunk!. Hasta nakshatra is ruled by divine energy of Savitri devi and Savitur/Sun, Hence his worship with Shloka “Surya koti sama prabham...”
वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटि समप्रभ।
निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा॥
vakratuṇḍa mahākāya sūryakoṭi samaprabha |
nirvighnaṁ kuru me deva sarvakāryeṣu sarvadā ||
Ganesh has the10 million sun’s splendour. Kanya Rashi is ruled by Pritvi tatwa and Mercury it’s lord is also rulesdpritvi tatwa. Ganesha on this day is made of River Clay. In fact he can be made out of any clay or dough of Wheat, Turmeric etc . Parvati had created him thus and so we mimic her. On a side note, whenever we begin to cook some sweets we create a ganesha using the dough . This way offerings to ganesh is made for our dishes to come tasty. An image is given below for
Figure 1: Image of Ganesha made of Turmeric (Source: Twitter @mayamadhava)
Simha/Magha Nakshatra Sun for Ganesha, The natural atmakaaraka is Sun and it indicates the reasons for Souls’ manifestation. Sun can even be assumed to be in 4th degree of analysing results. Magha, is ruled by our forefather/mother. It’s indicates that karma to Parents is very dominant.
Ganesha’s first lesson is to take care of your parents. Even most animals has tendency to take care of it’s children but, only the evolved humans can payback parental karma by taking care of them. One can refer to story when Narada bought a sweet mango to the divine family of Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha and Karthikeya. The two children fought for the single mango, so to resolve a competetion was suggested that any one who goes around the world three times will get the mango. Karthikeya being the warrior of gods jumped immediately on his peacock to fly around the world thrice. When Karthikeya came back he saw Ganesha still there by his parents and with the mango ! Karthikeya asked how Ganesha could win the race so fast?!, Parvathi said he just went around Shiva and Parvathi thrice and claimed that fruit!. Since he was told as a child that parents are the world!.
Even in his birth the importance of parents is highlighted. Parvati is said to have created a boy, who will protect her and take care of her out of Turmeric and bathing powder, when Shiva was not around. Later, when Shiva came back, the boy did not recognise his father, (remember only the mother can lead to child’s father) and had a fight with him. But, who can win lord Shiva, whose anger can destroy the whole creation, Shiva cuts of the boys head, when Parvati noticed this, she was angry with Shiva. To Pacify Shiva and Parvathi all the gods lead by Lord Vishnu and Brahma arrived. They then gave a Elephant Head to the body and called him Ganesha and leader of all gods and demons alike.
The Asuras’ are also happy as Ganesh has the energy of Rahu and Ketu, As Rahu was also cut in half. You have to note that Magha Nakshatra in Navatara ruler is Ketu. As by Ganesha’s rebirth he resolved the difference between Parvathi and Shiva he removes all pitru dosha. Parvathi signifies all manifest world and Shiva the unmanifest Atma, which only parvathi can show. Ganesha’s earlier form as boy indicates our attachment to material world.
Ganesha is begining of spirituality. In smartha tradition five vedic dieties Brahma/Hiranyagarbha/Surya is creator/utpatti karaka , Shiva is destroy/kshaya karaka,vishnu saviour/sthiti karaka, Shakti Nigraha/controller karaka and Ganesh is anugraha kaaraka. Without Ganesha’s blessing one cannot get spirituality. He also remove’s Pitru dosha in the Ashlesha-Magha Gandanta Dosha.
Jyeshta/Vrischika Lagna: Ganesh is called as Jyeshta Raajam. Leader of all. Eldest. He is the eldest son.
गणानां त्वा गणपतिं हवामहे कविं कविनामुपश्रवस्तमम्।
ज्येष्ठराजं ब्रह्मणां ब्रह्मणस्पत आ नः शृण्वन्नूतिभिः सीद सादनम्॥
gaṇānāṁ tvā gaṇapatiṁ havāmahe kaviṁ kavināmupaśravastamam |
jyeṣṭharājaṁ brahmaṇāṁ brahmaṇaspata ā naḥ śṛṇvannūtibhiḥ sīda sādanam || Ganesh Suktam Rig Veda & Yajur Veda
Since he is born in Jyestha Gandanta, his birth was difficult. He also removes Jyeshtha-Moola gandanta dosha. Vrischika/Scorpio is ruled by Ketu and Mars. Parashara says when 12th from Atmakaarak in navamsa has Mars or Ketu he will be Ganesha or Skanda bhakta. Being Scorpio lagna is lord for all tantric vidya. Occult knowledge is not possible without Lord Ganesha. Scorpio has tendency to debilitate moon, hence his mother cried for this birth.
Reader’s can thus further decipher about the two Karana’s, Vanija Karana (Commerce) ruled by lakshmi and Vishti Karma ruled by Yama. Vishti karna indicates karma to be free from bondage or use bondages in positive manner. Positively Vishti karana is used to domesticate cattles, horses etc.
Similar other interpretations from Puranic stories and powers of ganesha can be deciphered with jyotish.
Prasing him thus lets say Jaya Ganesha Jaya Ganesh , Jaya Ganesha Deva!
