Seemantham

This Samskara is performed to protect the pregnant woman from evil forces and keep the lady in happy mood (like by an act where the husband has to comb the hair of his wife) as it will have a favourable impact on the child in the womb.

Seemantha Samskara is performed in the 6^th or 8^th month of pregnancy, when the lord of the concerned month is strong in transit.

The Nakshatras, tithes, days and lagans as prescribed in the case of Pumsavanam hold good in the case of Seemantam also.

There is a controversy about the three pre-natal samskaras. Some people say that these are the “ Kshetra Samskaras” ( samskaras for reproductive system of female) and should be performed at the time of first pregnancy only. Some other people say that the three pre-natal samskaras are “ Garbha Samskaras” (samskaras of the child in the womb), and should be performed at the time of each pregnancy.

Making Potent (Pumsavanam)

Pumsavanam is the samskara performed with the objective of getting male progeny and preventing abortions. Generally it ia performed in the 2^nd or 3^rd month of the pregnancy.

a)      Lord of the month of pregnancy: The lord of the month of pregnancy should be strong in transit.

1^st month          Venus

2^nd month         Mars

3^rd month          Jupiter

4^th month          Sun

5^th month          Moon

6^th month          Saturn

7^th month          Mercury

8^th month          Lord of the conception lagna

9^th month          Moon

10^th month        Sun

             During the time of pregnancy the concerned month lord should be strong in transit.

b)      Naksatras: Mrigasira, Pushyami, Moola, Sravana, Punarvasu, Hasta and all fixed nakshatras (Uttara triam and Rohini) are good.

c)      Tithis: 1,2,3,5,7,10,11 and 13 tithis of both pakshas are good.

d)      Days: Male days, i.e., Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday are good.

e)      Lagna: Lagnas and Navamsa lagans of male signs (odd signs) with benefics in kendras and trikonas and malefics in 3,6,11 houses are auspicious.

Tara bala and Chandra bala for the pregnant woman is required. 

Conception (Gharbathaanam)

This samskara ensures the conception. This samskara is said to do away with all the impurities related to conception and reproductive system of female so as to ensure the birth of a lucky and healthy child.

Conception should be done between fourth and sixteenth night from the day of menstruation. Conception on even nights is said to give male child and on odd nights gives female child.

Nakshatras: All fixed nakshatras, Mrigasira, Anuradha,Hasta, Swati,Shravanam, Dhanishta and Satabhisha are the best nakshatras for conception.

Tithis: 1,2,3,5,7,10,12 and 13 tithis are good. Rikta tithes, Amavasya, Poornima and Bhadra tithis are to be avoided.

Days: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are good. Monday is medium.

Lagna: The lagna should have benefics in kendras and Trikonas. Malefices should be in 3,6,11 houses. Lagna should be aspected by male planets and Moon should be in odd navamsa.

Proper Chandra and Tara suddhi is to be ensured for both male and female.

Successful Horoscope

If in any horoscope, 10^th house is having good number of bindus, 11^th house is having bindus more than in 10^th house, and 12th house is having bindus less than in 11^th house and lagna is having bindus more than in 12^th house then we can say that the horoscope is a successful one.

The reason behind this is as follows.

Effort is in 10^th house. The result of effort, i.e. gain, is in 11^th house. One has to spend less than what he gained. He should have the capacity to withstand the expenditure.  Then the person becomes successful

Importance of Ashtavarga

There are different ways in Astrology and each has its own importance. To decide a particular planet as benefic or malefic we use Shodasa Vargas (16 vargas) and shadbala (6 types of strengths). After deciding that a particular planet is either benefic or malefic, we have to see on which houses this planet has its influence.

A particular planet can have its influence on the house where he is posited, where he is aspecting and on the house he owns.

In the case of Sun and Moon, they will have influence on one house that they own, one house where they are posited and one house where they have aspect. (Total 3 houses)

In the case of Venus and Mercury, they will have influence on two houses that they own, one house where they are posited and one house where they have aspect. (Total 4 houses)

In the case of outer planets, i.e., Saturn, Jupiter and Mars, they will have influence on two houses that they own, one house where they are posited and three houses where they have aspect. (Total 6 houses).

That means a planet can have influence on maximum six houses in a particular horoscope.

There will not be any difficulty to an astrologer to predict results regarding these houses (at the most 6 houses) because the influence of the planet on these houses can easily be studied. But there are two ways of telling astrological predictions.

Immediately after seeing the horoscope the astrologer will have some ideas regarding the events of the native. There will not be any difficulty to tell those predictions to the native. But answering to the queries raised by the native is very important. If that quarry is pertaining to those houses on which a particular planet has direct influence as mentioned above, we can think about it basing on the influence of the planet. If the query is pertaining to those houses on which a particular planet has no direct influence (i.e., houses other than mentioned above) then what is the relation between that particular planet and particular house related to the query? How does this planet show its influence on the result of this particular query? This is a very delicate issue.

We can decide the benefic influence or malefic influence of a planet on the houses related to the query. But the query is related to the houses other than the houses directly influenced by the planet one has to depend upon Ashtakavarga only.

That is why, Pruthuyasassu, in his book HORASARA says

“ASHTAKAVARGAM VINAA DASAA PHALAM NA VAKTAVYAM ”

Seer Bhaguni says

“SUKSHMAA ASHTAKAVARGA SUDDHIHI, STHULAA SUDDHISTHU GOCHARE ”

A decision in broad way can be had from transit and a decision in finer way can only be had from Ashtakavarga.

In some other circumstances it is said that

“ VAIDHAVYA KANYAA KSHAYA HETUYOGE

KURVASHTA VARGASYA VADETTU SUDDHIM ”

Even though there are bad combinations like VAIDHAVYA (WIDOWHOOD) and KANYA KSHAYA (loss of girls) in the horoscope, these yogas will not give bad results if Jupiter’s Ashtakavarga is strong. Hence it is clear that Ashtakavarga is an important way of study of horoscope.