Raja yoga (Hindu astrology)

[1] In a nutshell, 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.

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.

[3] 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.

Therefore, Raja yogas are generally found in the horoscopes of leaders and famous people[5] and reveal their birth to be out of the ordinary.

[9] 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.

If the lord of the Lagna vested with requisite strength is situated either in a kendra or in the 9th house in its Vargottama navamsa and the lord of the 9th is also either exalted or situated in its own sign attaining vargottama, then a powerful, wealthy and learned ruler is born; this yoga is also known as the Lakshmi Yoga.

[12] Other few examples that can be cited under this category are a) the Adhi yoga that arises if benefic planets are situated in the 6th, in the 7th and in the 8th house from the Moon, b) the Mahabhagya yoga which is caused if a male born during day-time has the Sun, the Moon and the Lagna, all three in odd signs or if a night-born female has these three in even signs,[13] C) as Phaladeepika states – when a benefic sign is on the 10th house and the 10th house is occupied by a benefic planet and is aspected by a benefic or benefics and the lord of 10th not being combust occupies a benefic bhava in its own sign or exaltation sign the very favourable Khyati yoga arises making one adept, wealthy and achieve wide and lasting fame, who like a king will protect his subordinates and d) as Jataka Parijata states – if from the bhava occupied by the lord of the lagna the lord of the 4th, the planet occupying the 4th house, the lord of the 9th and the planet occupying the 9th house are all in Shubhvargas, strong and associated with the lagna the person will certainly become a long-lived, mighty and wealthy ruler.

[14] Parashara states that if there be a malefic in the 10th house in Sayana-avastha or Bhojana-avastha the person will face many miseries on account of his own deeds but if the Moon is in the 10th in Kautaka-avastha or Prakasana-avastha there will undoubtedly be a Raja yoga.

Mars and Saturn are natural malefic but both situated in the kendras can confer advancement in life though tending to prove evil towards the end.

Saturn in Cancer (when it becomes a temporary friend of Jupiter) and Mars in Capricorn produce prominent persons but not vice versa.

Saturn in Libra in a kendra from the Lagna or the Chandra-lagna causing Sasa yoga, a Panch Mahapurusha yoga, gives wealth, status, fame and also ruling power but does not give a happy life because of its square aspect on Cancer and being in the 8th from Pisces the exaltation sign for its dispositor.

Venus and Mars combining in the 2nd house with Jupiter situated in Pisces, Mercury and Saturn in Libra and the Moon occupying its debilitation sign give rise to Raja yoga, in which event the person will be generous, wealthy, proud and famous ruling a vast territory (Mansagari IV Raja yoga 33).

If the Moon combines with the Sun in the first half of Sagittarius sign, Saturn vested with strength is in the lagna and Mars is exalted a mighty much venerated ruler is born (Mansagari IV Raja yoga 65–66).

The conjunction of Jupiter with either Mars or the Moon giving rise to auspicious yogas also pave the ground for Raja yoga-formation, however, Ramanuja states that in these two events the person will be fortunate and prosperous in the dashas of Mars and the Moon but Jupiter's dasha will be ordinary.

A person gains a kingdom or power to rule if at the time of birth Jupiter, Venus and the Moon happen to combine in Pisces sign.

[26] A person becomes a leader, gains great political power and mass following if Mercury situated in a kendra or a trikona happens to be aspected by the lord of the 9th house, and the person born with Saturn situated in an Aquarius has four planets occupying their exaltation sign becomes a powerful ruler.

[27] A very powerful Raja yoga is caused if the Moon, Saturn and Jupiter are in the 10th, 11th and 1st respectively, Mercury and Mars in the 2nd and Venus joins the Sun situated in the 4th house in which event the Full Moon in the 10th will be aspected by Mars and be in mutual aspectual relationship with Venus and the Sun.

The conjunction of Mars and the Moon or their situation in mutual kendras or trikonas but devoid of benefic influences can make one rich, immoral, untrustworthy, criminal-minded successful businessman or a politician.

Mercury aspected by the lord of the 9th house and occupying a kendra or a trikona from the lagna makes one a highly influential politician.

In the case of Tipu Sultan born in Sagittarius lagna it was the Sun, Mercury, Saturn and Rahu conjunction in the 12th house.

[47] The Sun and Jupiter are the karakas ('significators') of the 10th house, any kind of sambandha ('mutual association') established by these two makes one adept and shine in his/her chosen field of creative/scientific/religious/philosophical activity, become a high-ranking official or advisor and famous.