Yogas

Planetary Combinations

A yoga in Jyotish is a specific planetary combination that produces particular results. The word means “union” or “joining” - when planets connect in certain ways, they create effects greater than the sum of their parts. The classical texts describe hundreds of yogas, from the most auspicious to the most challenging.

What Creates a Yoga

Yogas form through various types of planetary connection:

Conjunction: Planets occupying the same sign or close degrees

Aspect: Planets casting their gaze on each other

Exchange (Parivartana): Two planets occupying each other’s signs

Position: Planets in specific houses or house combinations

Relationship to the Moon or Ascendant: Special configurations relative to key chart points

Categories of Yogas

Raja Yogas (Kingly Combinations)

Raja yogas produce power, success, and elevation in life. They form when lords of kendras (angles: 1, 4, 7, 10) combine with lords of trikonas (trines: 1, 5, 9).

Example: If the lord of the ninth house (fortune) combines with the lord of the tenth house (career), the person may achieve significant success and recognition.

The strongest raja yoga occurs when a planet rules both a kendra and a trikona - possible only for certain ascendants:

• For Leo ascendant: Mars (rules 4th and 9th)
• For Taurus ascendant: Saturn (rules 9th and 10th)
• For Aquarius ascendant: Venus (rules 4th and 9th)

Dhana Yogas (Wealth Combinations)

Dhana yogas produce material prosperity. They typically involve the second house (accumulated wealth), eleventh house (gains), and the fifth and ninth houses (good fortune).

Example: The lords of the second and eleventh houses in mutual aspect or conjunction create a powerful dhana yoga.

Arishta Yogas (Misfortune Combinations)

These yogas indicate difficulties, health problems, or obstacles. They often involve the dusthanas (6th, 8th, 12th) or afflictions to benefic planets.

Example: Moon conjunct Saturn creates Visha Yoga (“poison combination”), indicating mental heaviness or depression.

Pancha Mahapurusha Yogas (Five Great Person Combinations)

When Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, or Saturn occupy their own sign or exaltation sign AND are in a kendra (1st, 4th, 7th, or 10th house), they form one of the five “great person” yogas:

Ruchaka Yoga (Mars): Courage, leadership, warrior qualities, physical strength

Bhadra Yoga (Mercury): Intelligence, eloquence, commercial success, learning

Hamsa Yoga (Jupiter): Wisdom, spirituality, respect, righteousness

Malavya Yoga (Venus): Beauty, artistic gifts, comfort, luxury, romance

Sasa Yoga (Saturn): Authority, discipline, servants, gains through labor

Lunar Yogas

Several important yogas relate to the Moon’s condition:

Gaja Kesari Yoga: Jupiter in a kendra from the Moon. This gives wisdom, fame, and the capacity to influence others. The person is like a lion among people.

Sunaphā/Anaphā/Durudhara Yogas: Planets (other than Sun) in the second, twelfth, or both houses from the Moon create these yogas, affecting the mind’s support and resources.

Kemadruma Yoga: When there are no planets in the second or twelfth from the Moon, the mind lacks support. This can indicate poverty, loneliness, or mental difficulty - though many factors can cancel it.

Budha-Aditya Yoga

When Mercury and the Sun are conjunct, they form Budha-Aditya Yoga. Since Mercury is often close to the Sun, this is common - but its strength depends on Mercury not being combust (too close to the Sun) and both planets being well-placed.

This yoga gives intelligence, communication skills, and often success in fields requiring mental acuity.

Important Yogas to Know

Gaja Kesari Yoga

Formation: Jupiter in kendra (1, 4, 7, 10) from the Moon Results: Fame, leadership, wisdom, lasting success Strength factors: Jupiter not debilitated, Moon strong

Chandra-Mangala Yoga

Formation: Moon and Mars conjunct or in mutual aspect Results: Wealth through ambition and courage, business success Note: Can also bring emotional intensity or aggression

Neechabhanga Raja Yoga

Formation: Various conditions that cancel debilitation Results: Initial struggle followed by remarkable success Philosophy: Overcoming weakness leads to greater strength

Viparita Raja Yoga

Formation: Lords of 6th, 8th, or 12th in each other’s houses or conjunct Results: Success through the destruction of enemies or obstacles Note: Gains may come through difficulties or others’ losses

Adhi Yoga

Formation: Benefics (Jupiter, Venus, Mercury) in 6th, 7th, and 8th from Moon Results: Prosperity, political power, leadership Strength: Varies with the number and strength of benefics involved

Yoga Strength and Cancellation

Not all yogas manifest fully. Their strength depends on:

Planetary strength: Weak, debilitated, or combust planets produce weaker results

House quality: A yoga involving dusthana lords may be compromised

Aspects: Malefic aspects can damage an otherwise good yoga

Dasha timing: Yogas often manifest most strongly during the dashas of the planets involved

Cancellation factors: Many yogas have specific conditions that weaken or cancel them

Reading Yogas

When examining a chart for yogas:

1. Identify the major yogas present - Check for Mahapurusha yogas, raja yogas, dhana yogas

2. Assess their strength - Are the planets involved strong? Are there cancelling factors?

3. Note the houses involved - This shows which areas of life the yoga affects

4. Consider timing - When will the dasha periods of these planets occur?

5. Look at the whole chart - One yoga does not make a chart; consider the total picture

The Danger of Yoga Hunting

A caution: charts contain many yogas, and the classical texts list hundreds. It is possible to find yogas in almost any chart - both auspicious and inauspicious.

The skilled astrologer does not simply hunt for yogas but weighs them in context. A strong raja yoga may be undermined by other factors. A difficult yoga may be largely cancelled. The chart must be read as a whole.

Yogas and Karma

Yogas represent the crystallized patterns of karma - the specific configurations through which past actions produce present results. A raja yoga indicates accumulated merit that brings power and success. An arishta yoga indicates challenges that require attention and growth.

Understanding yogas helps identify the major themes and potentials of a life - the areas of strength to cultivate and the challenges to navigate wisely.