Editor: Deepak Bisaria

3 May 2013, 4:32 PM

Life's Journey
Your own drive or destiny?
Are we perpetually being driven by an allotted destiny or do we get to drive ourselves
during the free will phases? Lets peer into the third house of self-effort, short journey
and many more things this time, to debate some of life's fundamentals and ponder over
the finer points of astrology.
On the eternal debate of destiny versus free will, the believers in an existence after
death tend to admit that the quirks of life often make them review the role assigned by
the Almighty. For them the fundamental question, that time and again arises is whether
we are mere puppets on strings held by the Almighty or we have a larger role to play?
Shakespeare compared us with actors on stage who play only a specified role.
According to Srimad Bhagavat Gita the soul puts on a new body when the old body
wears out like we put on new clothes. The allotment of the body with a destiny is
decided on the basis on our karmas of earlier lives. Perhaps even God, like a wise
judge, does not have much choice as he cannot be partial in punishment and rewards for
the karmas already done.
How we play the game of life, poor, good, or excellent is perhaps in our hands for we are
here to create a destiny for another birth. Freedom in our current life can be compared
to a soccer game where there are our ten partners, eleven opponents, referees and
spectators in the stadium. Our karmas of earlier births decide the configuration of near
and dear partners and of our opponents. To balance destiny with free will, we give to
our students the example of a cow tied to a log which restricts her movement in an
allotted periphery. Within this periphery alone can freewill be exercised.
The Third house is of Movement (Gati)
The samskaras (psycho- social tendencies) that make our attitude come from our earlier
lives. The attributes and the belief system is acquired from the family. The conditions
around birth are assessed from the first house and the immediate family and speech
from the second. It is the third house of movement that pushes us into the world outside
for doing something of our own. Desires and dreams flourish here, for the third house is
the first among the kaam trikonas. The self-effort kick- starts to open the karma account
for another birth. The disposition, whether complacent, emotional, fiery or dreamy,
relaxed lethargic is predictable from the planetary influences on the third house. The will
to strive and pace of drive towards dreams and goals is seen from this house. The third
house is the bhavat bhavam of the second and the eighth house. Therefore the run for
wealth generation alongwith changes governed by the eigth house is the main feature of
the dasha related to the third house. The malefics give the much needed drive to efforts.
Our classics see the malefics placed in trishadhaya bhavas as good for self-effort.
The role of kaam houses is to make us dream and through action, turn dream into
reality. The kaam houses fill us with desires. These houses pull us away from a sedate
complacent and peaceful existence. But an overload of desires and ruthlessness to
achieve is often harmful. Balance is the key. Therefore after every kaam house there is
a moksha house to reflect on your soul. After six days of work we have a Sunday to
relax and reflect on our atma (soul). Sun represents the atma (soul). The energy that we
have been allotted should also be used to exercise the soul. We are often taken over by
glitz and glamour and misuse that accompanies power. A tired brain and exhausted
body is the result. One needs to check one's endurance level periodically. To sustain
money power the wise always match it with spiritual power with charity, philanthropy
and religious activities. Gyan and vairagya are food for the soul. Do not feast the eyes
and the base senses much, balance intelligently. Reflect on the finer elements that help
the soul. The Personality revealing dreshkonas, are an extension of the third house. The
third house also governs yoga, meditation, mantra chanting and preaching. The third
from third, the fifth also governs all that the third does. Emotions, sentiments,

intelligence and mental disposition can be seen from the fifth.

The Fundamentals of Gita
In life one should always remain conscious of the fact that your body was not there
before and will not be there ever after. The current life is a stopover in the journey of
your soul. Do not love your body too much. Just take care of it, for your soul will have to
struggle much when the time comes to detach it. You body is rathi, the driver of the
rath (chariot) which is your soul. The wearing out of the body is inevitable and you are
bound to become arthi (dead body) one day.
The Fundamentals of Life
Do you have a Goal for Yourself?
Think deeply! Our shastras guide us to believe that the focus on liquidation of ones
karmas best serves the purpose of life. Salvation-moksha has been described as a better
state of existence than life. What then do you need to do if you opt for moksha as your
life goal? Nothing!
Why should you not even Strive?
Many things become unnecessary when you set moksha as your goal. No scintillating
action is called for. No sharp and witty reactions that brand you as worldly wise. No need
to prepare for the hurdle race to cruise ahead of others for early success. No need to
practice for sharper edges that get you into 20-20 cricket or similar careers where fierce
competition holds the key to money, fame and glamour.
Awareness of the Three Detachables:
The purpose of life is best served when we become aware of the three detachables
within us:
Physical body - sthool sharir,
Astral body - sookshma sharir and
Soul - karan sharir.
Rarely we work on this ultimate gyan. If we make this knowledge sit at the back of our
mind, most of our problems will not exist and we would be living a more fulfilled life.
The Good and Bad of the Third House
Where does the third house figure in the general scheme of things? For a complete life,
do we need to have desires and actions too? The third house governs both. It is a house
of talent and ambition.It is the bhavat bhavam of the second and the bhavat bhavam of
the eighth. It links us to the all important personality revealing dreshkonas. They are an
extension of the third house. It is an upachaya house that allows rapid rise. It is the
eighth from the eighth therefore it also gives sudden unexpected happenings, scams,
scandals and changes. It also governs sibling support, colleague intrigue, 3G mobiles,
sports, music, dance and goals of life. Since the third house is right opposite the ninth
house of dharma, the potential fructification of the promise of the ninth house (ones
bhagya) can also be seen from here. The spiritual pursuits, the intent and mental
inclinations can be seen from the third house. The third house unfolds the potential in a
horoscope for worldly progress as also for converting those extra efforts for spiritual
progress. An individuals capabilities, talent, intent and effort all come from the third
house. As per phaldeepika an exchange of any good house lord 1,4,5,7,9 and 10 with
the lords of 3,6,8 or 12 is bad.
Planets in the Third House
The influence undergoes a change with lordship, avastha, position of the mahadasha lord
from the antardasha lord and the planet's position in the divisional charts. Planets here
gives rise in life and gains like that of the eleventh house but with sudden and
unexpected changes associated with the eighth house as the third is the eighth from the
eighth. It is a trishadhaya house and a kaam house so moral checks are necessary when

the dasha associated with third house is on.

Sun
The Sun is considered favorable in the third house. It makes a native valorous, wealthy,
liberal and strong, learned. He overcomes his opponents. He may be bereft of siblings.
Moon
Moon in the third house makes a person virtuous, brave, educated. He will be blessed
with siblings.
The native will be fond of travels, short journeys and scriptures.
Mars
Mars makes a person valorous, powerful, unconquerable, virtuous and upright. It may be
adverse for younger siblings. It also gives strength of arms, capacity to acquire wealth
through hard work.
Mercury
A strong Mercury gives good education, sharp memory, writing skills. Also gives scientific
and mathematical ability. The person may be of wavering disposition, deceitful,will have
good siblings.
Jupiter
Good for the profession of teachers and lecturers. He overcomes his foes, has a poor
digestion. Good for siblings.
Venus
Venus in the third house is unfavorable for marriage. Fond of fine arts, literature and
music.
Saturn
The person is, indolent, strong, liberal and full of wisdom. He is also wealthy.
Rahu
Makes the person the youngest in the family. He is valiant, wealthy, proud, long lived,
opposed to his siblings. He is blessed with sons, wife and and physical enjoyments.
Ketu
Makes the person virtuous, wealthy, eager for combat. He destroys his enemies. He
lacks friends and siblings.
Dasha of the Third Lord
Literally a Mad Rush!
No one seems to be aware of the soul. Everyone seems in a hurry and rush to compete
in Kaliyuga. To get the crucial edge, desperate journalists manufacture headlines. The
focus of TRP-driven TV channels and target-driven newspaper is to sensationalize, to
attract eyeballs to advertisements. The photographers chasing Diana, while trying to
click a picture that could win them appreciation, caused her death. All this is done to
either sustain the organization the individual works in or for the individual to make an
extra buck. In any case, a mad rush.
Today, every business dreams to be the first one to reach the pocket of the customer
lest he should spend on something else. Marketing models dream to open flood gates for
their products for the flow could spin millions. Many such marketing models have
worked. The assertive marketers did it with Maggie Noodles. Their deep impact ads and
clever follow up on the retail floor changed the eating habits of children. The demand for
noodles grew a million times, never mind the impact on health. In this competitive
world, one who runs the fastest is the winner. The means do not matter, what matters is
how close are you from your targeted achievements. The stampede to acquire worldly
possessions and karmas to grease the ego and sensuality leaves a huge debit in the
karma account. When you have moksha as your goal, you would shed the desire to
become an achiever. The realization will come that there is no need to indulge in desires

for finally they dont matter.

Classics on Third House
According to the astrological classic Brihat Parashara Hora shastra: Prakaram (valour),
servant, brother, updesh (initiary instructions) yatra (travel), mata pita ka maran (death
of parents) are matters governed by the third house. Phaldeepika gives the subjects
allotted to the third house as asschikya, Uras (breast), the right ear, army, valour,
prowess and brother. Satya-Jatakam brothers, courage, bravery, fear, voice, ear,
fruits, fathers death, strength dress, mental stability and firmness. Sarvarth Chintamani
- brothers, valour, medicine, friends, throat, chest, education, right ear, eatables and
planets Maansaagari - Sahodar (Siblings), nauker (servant), prarkaram, valour, udham
self-effort. Brihat Jataka sahodara (brothers) vikram (bravery).
Third House in Mundane
Travel, Railway, communication, shipping, road transport and Highways, posts, airlines,
TV, Press, Telephone Journalists, Reporters, Artists Pravachan, Public opinion, Mind set
of people created, Neighboring countries, states, boundaries.
The centuries dont change your Destiny but the Interpretation changesWith the changes in Desh Kaal and Paatra the area that a house of a horoscope governs
is widening. Each house has in it meanings and interpretations embedded for every
situation in changing times, even for the centuries that have yet to arrive. We
astrologers have to dig out and keep broad basing house matters with ever growing
developments in lifestyles and career profiles. In the present context, numerous cases of
success were found when the third lord or the third house related dashas were
operative. The third house is seen as one among the trishadhaya houses (3,6,11) whose
dashas have not been considered good as the eighth house element of surprises,
unexpectedness, scandals and the like are associated with the third house.
Also being seventh from the ninth house of father and twelfth from the fourth house of
mother, its dasha has been found impacting the longevity of the parents adversely.
Moreover, the fact that it is the bhavat bhavam of eighth house (being eighth from
eighth) does no good for the stigma attached to it. When we relate these dashas with
conventional view categorizing the third house and third lord inter alia as a small trik, a
new meaning emerges. As per classics the third lord going to any house spoils the
signification of that house but lagna lord is good in the third house and the third lord
going to lagna is good for the lagna and the third house; but it is not good for the third
house when the third lord goes to the 6, 8 or 12.
Sports and the Third House
Sportsmen have to have the extra special cutting edge to be winners. Such specials are
seen from the third house. The third house also signifies the shoulder, the strength of
which is central to any sport. It has been observed that malefics in the third house
provide the competitive edge, though they do not prove friendly to the siblings. Virender
Sehwag has the third lord in third with three other planets placed there. Clearly, a
strong third house classifies his horoscope as a third house focused horoscope.
Horoscopes of many sportsmen have a similar configuration. A strong third house with
malefics makes a third house sports oriented. The larger purpose of such debate, is to
dispel fear about the third house. It has to be established that the third house has a
unique quality of insurmountable success through self effort, more so in the field of
extra-curricular activities.
Sangeet (music) and the Third House
According to Rishi Satyacharya, the third house governs talent and the fifth house
education. If one has a strong third house and a weak fifth house, one may have the
talent but not a good education. In the horoscope of Lata Mangeshkar, the nightingale of
India, the third lord, Moon is in third and the fifth lord Mercury is in the fifth making the
third house of talent doubly strong. Legendary Rukmini Arundale, the queen of Bharat

Natyam also has her third lord in the third aspected by Mercury, Venus and Saturn from
the ninth and Jupiter from the eleventh. She played a major role in bringing Bharat
Natyam from the fold of Devadasis and in reviving it by making it a honourable
profession. Today when people in the south send their daughters to learn Bharat
Natyam, they should not forget that their great grandfathers or their fathers pelted
stones at Rukmini Arundale (dancer) for reviving this art. In case of K.L. Sehgal (singer)
the Moon is again in the third house. It has the aspect of the third lord Mars which is in
its own rashi with Mercury in the eighth house-the house of hidden talent. The third
house is also aspected by Jupiter from the seventh house in the horoscope of K.L.Sehgal.
According to Mr. K.N. Rao, the third house being the house of sports also, malefics here
give sports like cricket and hockey, where strength is required and benefics give sports
like Tennis where there the artistic touch and glamour. He often explains the horoscope
of Federer to convey his point. Federer has the Moon in the third and the third lord
Venus is in the Ascendant.
Third House primarily indicates Siblings
It also shows your capacity to shoulder responsibility and indicates the people who could
shoulder part of your responsibility. The will, grit, valour and the stamina of the
individual can also be seen from here. The support one can expect from people closesiblings or co-workers can also be seen from the third house. The third shows the
younger co-borns and subordinates and the eleventh should therefore show the elder coborn and senior colleagues. The eleventh from eleventh is the ninth which is the house
of the Guru and father whose role in guiding a destiny remains unchallenged. The crucial
guidance and moral support comes from the ninth which is the seventh from the third
the house of fructification for the third. Hence the importance of a Guru.
The Third house and Drekkana pointers
Present day astrology especially in Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan under te able guidance of Mr.
K.N.Rao has developed a mechanism to rectify the time of birth. Role of the third house
to determine the number of co-borns is extensively applied and this application has been
consistently correcting the time of birth. The dreshkonas have been found to reveal a lot
about the character.
Mars in the Third House
Mars placed in the third house has been found to be harming co-borns but has a positive
influence so far as self-effort, courage and valour is concerned. The aspect of Mars on
third house helps both co-borns and self-effort. Repeated application, helps us to
understand the influence of karka on a bhava with aspect or on placement. The
placement of karka in a bhava except for Saturn in eighth has been found having a
negative influence on its main karkatwa (signification) like Mars for brother, Jupiter for
children and Venus for spouse, but its aspect has always been found positive.
Art of Purposeful living is nothing but skilful Management of Energies that drive
Destiny
Like all Planets the houses too have their allotted negatives and positives. The
association of third and eleventh houses with the tenth have been found giving
unprecedented rise to a person on the material plane. Any link between third and eleven
also give rise in life. If the sixth house has Rahu or a malefic, they give phenomenal rise
to the person in their dashas but also give disease and disputes along with it. The
seventh house though a maraka is the house of pada prapti (rise in life). Since 3-7-11
houses are kama trikonas (desires), they inspire and motivate a person to achieve but
become obstructive for a person who has set moksha as his goal.
Communication the Life line
According to Maharishi Parashara the third house governs updesh (initiatory
instructions). Satya Jatakam too assigns voice to the third house. Being the second

from the second, as per Parashari principle of bhavat bhavam it should govern all the
matters of the second house also which include vani (speech).The third gives an idea of
an individuals communication skills, so important in todays career. Since it is the
interface between organization and the client which decides the success or failure of a
business, the role of the third house in the coming times with the introduction of the 4G
would prevail and could be revolutionary. In the Indian context the dasha of the fourth
lord Sun in the third house of the Independence horoscope and its likely impact on our
countrys bhagya in the dasha of Sun and will give an opportunity to communicate our
view point as a nation more effectively than ever before.
Dharma and Adharma
How you present and push matters in todays world is what matters and this is also what
the third house reveals. The three,seven and eleven combine to inspire and motivate
to achieve and the sixth rovides the ability to compete. People who bring a turnaround in
a languishing giant to make it a fast moving company show a zeal represented by the
third house and a 3-6-11-7 dominated horoscope. Ruthless go-getting attitude, grit and
trouble-shooting behavior can bring success in management in todays world. Not
straightforward judgments and actions. These are not the houses of straight forward
actions and routine. But, if one has set moksha as his goal thse houses are rendered
useless. The house 4-5-9-10 gain prominence then for the activity that credit your
karma account and not the 3-6-7-11.
News Zone.
On January 14, 2013, Rahu entered Libra and Ketu Aries. Saturn will be in Libra for a
along time with Rahu. Combining this transit with Chaitra Shukla Pratipada the year
2013-14 is likely to be a chaotic. The assembly of planets in Libra an airy sign and Aries
a fiery one indicate fire balls from the sky. North Korea warned on that foreigners in
South Korea should look for shelter or consider evacuating because the Korean Peninsula
was on the brink of nuclear war. North Korea has Mars with four planets in the seventh
house of war in their Chaitra Shukla Pratipada chart for the current year.
A meteorite streaked across the sky and exploded over central Russia recently, raining
fireballs over a vast area and causing a shock wave that smashed windows, damaged
buildings and injured 1,200 people. The fireball, travelling at a speed of 30 km (19
miles) per second according to Russian space agency Roscosmos, had blazed across the
horizon, leaving a long white trail that could be seen as far as 200 km (125 miles)
away. NASA chief Charles Bolden last month advised on how to handle a large asteroid
headed toward New York City: Pray.
That's about all the United States - or anyone for that matter - could do at this point
about unknown asteroids and meteors that may be on a collision course with Earth,
Bolden told lawmakers at a U.S. House of Representatives Science Committee hearing. A
NASA spacecraft scanning for the most powerful explosions in the universe has captured
a photo of Comet ISON, an icy wanderer that could potentially dazzle stargazers when it
swings close to the Sun later this year.
NASA's Swift satellite, which is typically used to track intense gamma-ray bursts from
distant stars, photographed Comet ISONon January 30. By tracking the comet over the
last two months, Swift has allowed astronomers to learn new details about how large the
comet is and how fast it is spewing out gas and dust.
"Comet ISON has the potential to be among the brightest comets of the last 50 years,
which gives us a rare opportunity to observe its changes in great detail and over an
extended period," said Lead Investigator Dennis Bodewits, an astronomer with University
of Maryland at College Park (UMCP) who helped obtain the new image.
Some astronomers have predicted that ISON could be the "Comet of the Century" when

it makes its closest approach to the Sun in late November. But a recent analysis found
that the comet is not brightening as expected, and may have a ways to go to meet such
expectations. Comet ISON was first discovered in September 2012 by Russian
astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok using the International Scientific
Optical Network (ISON) located near Kislovodsk. The comet's official designation is
Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON).
Business and Economy
US up India Down; Dow is climbing and BSE sensex is falling. This was the prediction
made in our Newletter of December 2012.
Business and Economy
Fitch has again warned of downgrade. Both Fitch and Standard & Poor's earlier this year
cut their ratings outlooks to negative. Astrologically also the Chaitra Shukla Pratipada
horoscopes for 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 do not promise a stable economy.
US - a stormy revival
The super storm sandy brought with it winds of change favoring US and Obama. This
was expected in the dasha of Mars with relatively strong chaitra shukla pratipada chart
of the US.
The same was repeated in our January-February 2013 NewsletterConsidering the chaitra shukla pratipada horoscope, 2013 will be a difficult year for the
Indian subcontinent with Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Kashmir region as the
flashpoint. There are many shocks in store. India shall revive after 2014 and should be a
developed nation by 2020.
Should World Predictions be made from Mesha Sankranti Horoscope?
Mesha Sankranti, also known as Maha Vishuva Sankranti is considered the first day of
the solar year. This happens when Sun reaches 00:00 degreee in Aries. It took place on
14th April, 2013 at 1:33:06 IST.
On only two occasions around the year - 21st March (Tropical Mesha Sankranti) and 21st
September (Tropical Tula Sankranti), the Sun fully rests on the equator. On these two
dates, the length of days and nights are equal. But in case of a sidereal zodiac, as used
in Indian solar calendars, it has no connection with the equinoxes. Hence, the length of
the Indian solar calendars is longer than the actual tropical solar year. Due to the
ayanamsha difference it will be worth researching the results from both the tropical and
the sidereal Surya Vidhi Charts. Bihu the Assamese New Year begins on Mesha
Sankranti. Puthandu the Tamil New Year also begins on Mesha Sankranti and Pana
Sankranti In Orissa. . Whether we take the sidereal or the tropical the Surya Vidhi
Charts are is scary. The jolts have started to come the first being the earthquake on the
Pakistan-Iran border when Sun-Mars had a degree conjunction. It has been researched
and elaborated that Saturn-Ketu conjunction is the most dangereous among planetary
conjunctions in Mundane astrology. With Saturn-Ketu conjunction in Aries started the
second world war around 1st September 1939. Mr. K.N.Rao's article on Saturn -Ketu
conjunction was published in the inaugural issue of Journal of Astrology in 1997. I picked
up this article and wrote in detail about this conjunction in my Newsletter of October,
2012 under the heading 'The many firsts of Ketu'.