Raja yoga (Hindu astrology)

Raja yogas are Shubha ('auspicious') yogas that give success and a grand rise in career or business, and a greater degree of financial prosperity particularly during the dasha of the planets that give rise to Raja yogas. However, these results get adversely modified by the presence of other Ashubha ('inauspicious') Arista yogas. Basically, the Yoga or Raja yoga-causing planets during the course of their respective dashas confer their most auspicious results if they happen to own the lagna-bhava (the Ascendant) or the Suta-bhava (the 5th house) or the Bhagyasthana (the 9th house); the person remains healthy, wealthy, happy and successful enjoying yoga and Raja yoga results in case the lagna, the 3rd, the 6th, the 8th, the 9th and the 12th houses counted from the lagna are also not occupied by any planet, and the kendras (quadrants) are occupied only by benefic planets.

The term "Raja yoga" is not defined in the texts dealing with Hindu Predictive astrology. All such planetary situations and combinations that indicate good fortune, wealth, comforts, exercise of ruling power and political influence gained, either by way of inheritance or acquired through self-effort, are termed as Raja yogas. There are many varieties of Raja yogas but their formation generally involves the 9th, the 10th, the 2nd, the 11th house and the lagna ('Ascendant'), their respective house-lords and their exaltation signs and exaltation lords, which house-lords combining and giving rise to Raja yogas invariably tend to enhance the affairs of the house they occupy, aspect and rule. In doing so they combine the influence of two types of houses - a) those governing personal initiatives and b) those that show good fortune. Therefore, Raja yogas are generally found in the horoscopes of leaders and famous people and reveal their birth to be out of the ordinary.

The results of the yoga or Raja yoga formed owing to a lord of a kendra ('quadrant') (the lord of the 1st, the 4th, the 7th or the 10th counted from the Lagna ('Birth Ascendant') or Natal Moon) and a lord of a trikona ('trine') (the lord of the 1st, 5th or the 9th house) establishing mutual relationship become more pronounced if the lord of another trikona joins them or if their dispositor, preferably the lord of the Ascendant, finds its exaltation in a kendra or a trikona. For any yoga or Raja yoga to produce more effective results the yoga-causing planets possessing requisite six kinds of strength (Shadbala), must form an immediate relationship with the Lagna ('Ascendant'), which is possible by any one of them occupying or aspecting the lagna or by directly associating with the lord of the lagna but without any one of them being afflicted by either natural or functional malefics, or by a lord of a trikasthana (the lord of the 6th, the 8th or the 12th house). Varaha Mihira states that the results of powerless planets are enjoyed in dreams and thoughts only. Moreover, if any planet occupying a particular sign as part of a yoga formation happens to be aspected by the lord of that sign and both occupy auspicious houses then alone a Raja yoga is formed. If the lord of the 9th or the lord of the 10th respectively own the 8th and the 11th, their association will not give rise to an effective yoga or Raja yoga or if they do not conjoin either in the 9th or 10th house. According to Parasara, the most powerful Raja yoga arises when the strong lord of the lagna is in the 5th house and the strong lord of the 5th house occupies the lagna-kendra or if the Atmakaraka ('the planet most advanced in the sign') and the Putrakaraka (chara karaka) are jointly or severally in the lagna or in the 5th house or occupy their exaltation or own sign or navamsa in aspect to a benefic planet and adds that one will be a king if benefic planets occupy the kendras from the Karakamsa ('the navamsa occupied by the Atmakaraka') or if the Arudha lagna and the Darapada are in mutual kendras or trikonas or in the 3rd and the 11th from each other or if the lord of the 10th house placed in its own or exaltation sign aspects the lagna or if the lagna is aspected by the debilitated lord of the 6th, the 8th or the 12th house. If the dispositor of Gulika (Māndi) is in a kendra or a trikona vested with requisite strength in own or exaltation or friendly sign then one possesses a pleasing personality, is popular and famous and enjoys the benefits of Raja yoga, he becomes a powerful ruler.

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