THE PLANETS AND THEIR MEANINGS

The planets govern different significations in the charts according to their nature. Maharishi Parashara says the following: “The Sun is the soul of all. The Moon is the mind. Mars is one’s strength. Mercury is the speech giver while Jupiter confers knowledge and happiness. Venus governs semen (potency) while Saturn indicates grief.” This list would indicate the basic significations and roles of the different planets in the chart. The Sun represents God, so it will also represent the divine spark or the soul within us. But he may also represent the Ahamkara or false ego, pride and desire to control and dominate. His counterpart, the Moon represents the mind, emotions and feelings. Mars indicates one’s strength, determination and fearlessness. Mercury indicates speech, communication and travel as well. Venus indicates semen and sex life, and also arts, beauty and enjoyment. Jupiter gives wealth, wisdom, happiness and children. Saturn usually gives pain, grief, losses and represents old age also. He is the most malefic planet as compared to Jupiter, who is the most benefic. Rahu indicates the negative karma, and usually manifests as disease, sin, poison, illusion etc. Ketu is his counterpart, and he signifies Moksha or liberation, and also may give spiritual knowledge, although he sometimes cuts attachments very abruptly thereby causing pains also.

Some significations of the planets from Kalidasa’s Uttara Kalamrita as follows:

SUN/SURYA: Soul, power or strength, greatest severity, fortress, good strength, heat, influence, fires, worship of Shiva, courage, trees having thorns, favour of the king or ruler, bitter taste, old age, cattle, wickedness, land, father, taste, awakening of knowledge or enlightenment, looking up towards the sky, very great ambition, one born to a timid person or one whose actions are born out of fear, world of mortals, square or harmonious, bones, valour, grass, stomach, enthusiasm, forest, half a year, eye, wandering in or over hills, quadrupeds, king, travelling, dealings with affairs personal or social, bile, feverish or inflammatory complaints, circular forms, diseases of the eye, body, timber, mental purity, sovereignty over the entire country or over all countries, freedom from disease, rulership over Saurasthra- southern Gujarat, ornaments, disease of the head, pearls, ruler of the sky – control over air space, short or dwarfish stature, rulership over the eastern direction, copper, blood or blood-red gems like ruby, kingdom, blood-red cloth, stones, undisguised or open conduct, shores of a river, red coral, strong at noon, east, face, long-standing anger or long indignation, capturing the foe, sattvik or benevolent and good temper, red sandal paste or saffron, otherness or opposition or hostility, thick or coarse yarn.

MOON/CHANDRA: Intelligence, flowers, perfumes, going to a fortress, disease, brahmana or Dvija, laziness, phlegmatic constitution, epilepsy, hidden or ulcerous troubles in the stomach, nature of the mind, heart, woman, benefic and malefic nature, acidity, sleep, happiness, liquids, silver, stout sugarcane, malarial fever, pilgrimage, wells, tank, mother, impartial outlook, noon, pearls, consumption, whiteness, waist-band, bell-metal, salt, short stature, mind, abilities, ponds, diamond, autumn, muhurtha or 48 minutes duration, facial lustre, white colour, stomach, worship of Gauri, the consort of Shiva, honey, grace of favour, sense of fun or humour, nourishment, wheat, pleasures, splendour, face, swiftness of mind or agility of mind, fondness for curd, one who does tapas or penance, fame, beauty, strong at night, facing west, lover, saline, acquiring a post, love of the west, middle world, nine gems, middle age, self, eating, going to distant places, aliments of the shoulders, umbrella and other royal insignia, god fruits, fine blood circulation or vital energy, fish and other aquatic beings, serpents and the like, clothes, fine blossoming, lustre, clean crystals, refined clothing.

MARS/MANGALA: Valour, land, strength, carrying weapons, ruling over people – administrator, loss of virility, thief, battle, opposition, foes, charitable nature, love of deep-red objects, ruler over sacred places – archaeologist or sacred endowments, sound of a trumpet, fondness, quadrupeds, king, obstinate fool, anger, going to a foreign country, steadfastness, supporter, fire, controversy or arguments, bile, heat, wounds, service under the ruler, day, sky, sight, shortness, ailment, fame, tin, sword, spear, minister, firmness of limbs, jewels, worship of Subrahmanya (Karttikeya), youth, pungent taste, hall of the ruler, earthenware, obstacles, eating non-vegetarian food, abusing or bitterly criticising others, conquering foes, bitterness of taste, strong towards the end of the night, gold, summer season, valour, strength of enemy, profundity, courageous behaviour, man, character, Brahma, axe, moving in the forest, forest officer, chief ruler or officer of the village, favour of the king, painful urination, square, goldsmith, wicked one, burnt place, good food, leanness, skill in archery, blood, copper, variegated or peculiar clothes, face turned towards the south, fond of the southern direction, desire, anger, spreading scandals, house, commander of the army, a fire arm that kills a hundred (like a machine-gun), tree, Sama Veda, brothers, hatchet, controlling fierce or wild animals, independence, persistence, land, one who awards punishment, snake, world, speech, fickleness or imbalance of the mind, getting on a vehicle, seeing blood, drying or coagulating of blood.

MERCURY/BUDHA: Education, horses, treasury, mathematics, knowledge, speech, Dwijas, infantry, script, writing, new clothes, construction of palaces, green colour, sculpture, astrology and astronomy, pilgrimages, wise or good conversation or lecturing, temples, commerce, best ornaments, soft speech, Vedanta system of philosophy, maternal grandfather, bad dreams, eunuch, face turned to north, skin, moisture, bell-metal and the like, renunciation, seasons, fine place, medical practitioner, neck, black magic, child, looking cross-wise, heaven, humility, collaterals, fear, dancing, devotion, tendency to laughter, strong at sunrise or morning, beginning of winter, scratching ailments, self-control, navel, flourishing of one’s own dynasty, mixed or compound substances, presides over the Telugu language, worship of Vishnu, shudras, birds, younger coborns or brothers and sisters, witty language, sticks, Atharva Veda, carrying out the karmas or religious rites, towers of temples, dust, garden, sex organs, evenness, beneficial nature, wandering in the villages, balanced nature and outlook, fond of the north-western direction, well-versed in the Puranas or minor epics, grammar, one skilled in researching and testing the precious stones, scholar, maternal uncle, mantras or sacred spells, Yantras or symbolic religious diagrams, very powerful Tantric and the like.

JUPITER/GURU: Brahmanas, teachers, religious, social and other duties, chariot, cows, infantry, deposits, Mimamsa- and Dharma-sastras, treasure, horses, buffaloes, large or stout body, valour, fame, logic, astronomy and astrology, sons, grandsons, complaints of the digestive system, wealth of elephants, Vedanta philosophy, elders like great-grandfather, mansion, Gomedha (hessonite), elder brother, grandfather, Indra, first half of winter, acts arising from great indignation, precious stones, tradesman, physical health, strange or peculiar palace, honour from the king, great Gods, penance, charity, Dharma, doing good to others, impartial outlook, facing towards the north, circular forms, yellow colour, wandering in the villages, north, dear friends, swinging on a plank or on an elephant, great eloquence, brain, cloth of a medium count, happiness in a newly built house, old age or old persons, Mantra, Dwijas, holy water or place of pilgrimage, knee, moving towards heaven, house that offers happiness, intellect, great proficiency, great long poems, towers, delighting or impressing audience, throne, installation of the idol of Brahma, Cat’s eye, the great results of the Agnisthoma sacrifice, sweet juices, Sattvic nature, happiness and unhappiness, long things, gentle or benefic, understanding the minds or thoughts of others, gold, decorations, Tantra or technical subjects and the like, wind (Vaata) complaints, phlegm (Kapha), good yellow topaz, sound knowledge of the sacred texts and scriptures, soft and pleasant stones, worship of Shiva, performing religious and moral acts strictly, and travelling in a carriage covered on the four sides.

VENUS/SUKRA: White umbrella, which is a royal insignia, good cowry, good clothes, marriage, income, bipeds, woman, Dwijas, gentle or benefic, white colour, wife or husband, happiness from sex life, short stature, acid taste, flowers, commands, fame, youth, pride, conveyance, silver, fond of the south-east, salty taste, cross-wise vision, cough, fortnight, Rajasik nature, firmness, pearls, Yajur Veda, Vaisyas, beauty, buying and selling articles that contribute to beauty, pleasant talk arising from mutual love, watery place, elephants, horses, peculiar or strange poetry, dancing, middle age, music, enjoyment, happiness from wife or husband, precious stones, love of humour, swimming, servants, fortune, strange lustre, tenderness, kingdom, fragrant garland, taking pleasure in violin and flute, pleasant movement or walking, eight kinds of prosperity, well-proportioned limbs, frugal in taking food, season of spring, ornaments, possessing many women, facing east, eyes, speaking truth, skilled in the fine arts, semen, sporting in water with love, profundity, excess or eminence, pleasant musical instruments, decoration for dramatic shows, indulgence in amorous sports, declining physical form, one who attaches great importance to sex, receiving good respect or honour, fondness for having white clothes, expert in Bharata’s Natya Sastra (science of drama), having the seal of authority or of the government, ruler, fond of worshipping Gauri and Lakshmi, emaciated from the pleasures of sex, playing the role of mother for those born during daytime, skilled in composing poems, minor epics and the like, blue-black hair, benefic, genitals, urine or urinary tract, moving in the world of the snakes, strong in the afternoon, and an awareness of the genital organs and the secrets connected with them.

SATURN/SHANI: Ill-health and other sufferings, obstruction, horses, elephants, skin, income, standards, distress, disease, enmity, sorrow, death, happiness from a woman, maid-servant, asses, outcastes, persons with strange or mutilated limbs, roaring in the woods, disgust, charity, lords, longevity, eunuch, one born outside the four castes, birds, Tretagni, one of the sacred domestic fires, servant’s duties, doing something other than the traditional or accepted duties, one losing his ego, telling lies, lasting long, wind, old age, tendon, strong at the end of the day, the second half of winter, indignation, exertion, born of a low woman, born in adultery, a widow’s bastard, dirty cloth, dirty house, mind turned to dirty things, friendship with the wicked, black colour, sins, cruelty, ashes, grains in black colour, precious stones, iron, generosity, a year, Shudras, vital or supporters of the lover, significator of father for one born at night, learning what belongs to another caste, lameness, fierce or severe, blanket, facing west, remedies for restoring life, looking downwards, living by agriculture or farming, one who knows where the arms are kept, manager of an ordnance factory, cousin, an external position, fond of the north-east, world of the snakes, falling, wandering in the battlefields, bones, lead, wrong or wicked valour, Turks, torn clothes or things, oil, wood, Brahmanas having Tamasic quality, wandering in poisonous places, roaming in hilly areas, long standing fear, hunter, strange or ugly hair, whole kingdom, fear, goats and the like, buffaloes and the like, indulgence in sex, displaying amorous intentions in dressing, worship of Yama, dogs, thefts and hard-heartedness.

ASCENDING NOTE/RAHU: Umbrella, cowry, acquiring a kingdom, faulty logic, harsh speech, one belonging to a caste outside the four main castes, a sinful woman, a conveyance covered on all four sides, an irreligious person or a Shudra, gambling, strong at sunset, having sex with a wicked woman, going to a different country, unclean, bones, hidden abdominal ulcer, falsehood, looking downwards, perplexity, emerald, facing south, depending on Mlecchas, low castes and the like, malignant tumour, great forest, wandering in difficult places, suffering from mountains, staying outside, south-western direction, complaints of wind and phlegm, serpents, southern breeze, severe, long, reptiles, interpretation of dreams, travels, one Muhurtha (48 minutes), old age, conveyance, world of the snakes, maternal grandfather, air, acute duodenal pain, catarrh, breathing, great valour, worship of Vana-Durga, wickedness, association with animals, writing Urdu or Persian, and harsh speech.

DESCENDING NOTE/KETU: Worship of the lord of Chandi, Ganesha and others, medical practitioner, dogs, cocks, vultures, final salvation, all sorts of prosperity, consumption, painful fevers, bath in the Ganga, great penance, wind complaints, friendship with hunters, acquiring prosperity, stones, wounds, Mantra Shastra, instability of mind, knowledge of Brahman, diseases of the stomach and eye, stupidity, thorn, knowledge of animals, zoology, observing silence religiously, Vedanta, all kind of luxury, fortune, suffering from foes, sparing in eating, renunciation, father’s father, hunger, great pain from peptic or duodenal ulcer, small pox, or boils and such other diseases, horned animals, a servant of Shiva, getting the order of imprisonment revoked, and conversation or association with Shudras.

Some of the above listed Naisargika Karakatwas (natural significations) of the planets may seem to be contradictory to those given by other sources, but this often happens in the classic Jyotish texts. By learning to use these significations in practice and developing our intuition we learn to interpret them properly.