Judging the span of life through Indian astrology [BPHS]

1. This is the most difficult part in the study of Indian astrology or Indian horoscope to determine
the span of life of a person. Premature or untimely death is the lot of people who commit evil
deeds, covet other’s property, possess unhealthy habbits, are disrespectful to religious and pious
people and are unprincipled.
2. Sudden and unexpected death may be caused to natives who either in this life or due to karmic
influences is against the religious norms or established laws of the society. However carefully
and correctly one may try to assess the longevity of a native’s life, the native alone will be able
to overcome death. Indian astrology is helpful in determining the life span of a native. The
following points may be analyzed by Indian astrologers or western astrologers, if one wishes to
have a correct answer to this question.
There are four stages of life:
1. Balarishta or very short life (or death in early life)
2. Short life (death within thirty years)
3. Middle life (death within about 60 years)
4. Long life (death between 75 to 90 years)
The first is Balarishta, This means death in early life, in childhood. Death in the Dasa that is
remaining at Birth, [Jananakala Dasa Sesham] For example if the Dasa Seshm at birth say – 8
years 8months . Then death within this period is called Balarishta.
3. Death in the second major period from birth will be Alpayu or a short life. This extends upto
32 Years.
For Balarishta, the following salient points are relevant.
4. a. There are four Sandhis or meetings:
Nakshatra Sandhi: Ending of one Nakshatra and beginning of the other Nakshatra GH. 1.5 Or
36 minutes before and after. Some others hold a shorter period also.
5. b. Ascendant or Lagna Sandhi: Ending of one ascendant and the beginning of the other,12
minutes before and after. Some others hold 6 minutes.
6. c. Tithi Sandhi: There are 15 tithis in Shukla Paksha and 15 Tithi in Krishna paksha, in a
month. The end of a Tithi and the beginning or the either way. Some others hold a shorter
period.
7. d. Dina Sandhi: The junctions of day and night or night and day, 12 minutes either way are
serious. Two sandhis may cause ill health, three sandhi cause serious ill health. If all the four
sandhis should operate simultnaously, the chances of death of the native may increase as
explained in the various Indian astrological scriptures.
8. For a birth by day in the dark half or birth by night in the bright half, there will be an easy
escape from Balarishta, even if the Moon occupies 6th,8th house and is aspected both by
malefics and benefics.
The Moon being placed in the 6th, 8th and 12th house from the ascendant, especially with the
aspect of malefic planets, is a strong case of Balarishta.
9. Here also, if the house occupied by the Moon is that of a natural benefic, the Balarishta effect
may vanish. For instance, with the Moon being in Taurus, the 6th house of Indian horoscope for
Sagittarius ascendant may be a case of Balarishta but because Moon happens to be in the house
of Venus, a natural benefic, the evil is comparatively reduced provided there is no aspect of any
malefic planets even though the aspect of a benefic planet is denied. The Moon being in the 6th
house of Indian horoscope ,say, in Aries is again definitely a Balarishta since that house
happens to be that of Mars, a natural malefics,the dosha is great even though there not be a
malefic aspect and though there may be an aspect of a benefic. The ascendant being hemmed in
between malefic planets, say, Saturn and Rahu on either side, and the ascendant itself having the
aspect of malefic planets is a strong point for Balarishta, This Balarishta effects will be
minimized if the Moon receives the benefic aspect of Jupiter or Venus or if Saturn, the
significator for longevity, is exalted or placed in own house, provided the lord of ascendant is
not weak.
10. The Moon’s heavy affliction or its placement between malefics and having malefic aspects is
again a factor for Balarishta.All these factors have to be reckoned with before coming to a
conclusion about the short, medium or long life of the native whose Indian horoscope chart is
being analyzed.
11. a. As is the case with every other house, the 8th house has to be judged for longevity from the
strength of the house itself, the lord of the house, the 3rd house, its lord, the strength of Saturn,
the significator of age, the relative position of Saturn and the lord of the 8th house and the
strength of the ascendant lord. There are three important houses in Indian astrology or Vedic
astrology which are death-inflicting; the strength of these and their lords is indicated here in
their ascending order.
A. the lord of the 7th house of horoscope
B. the planets in the 7th house of horoscope
C. the lord of the first house of horoscope
D. the planets in the ascendant of horoscope
E. The planets in conjunction with the lord of the ascendant of horoscope.
F. the lord of the 2nd house of horoscope
G. the planets in the 2nd house of horoscope
H. The planets in conjunction with the lord of the 2nd house of horoscope.
12. b. After knowing about the kind of horoscope or birth chart with reference to a short,

middle or long life, astrologers can examine the Maraka planet. If in a short
lived. horoscope, about the age of thirty, the native is passing through the major period of a
killer planet, it may kill in one of the malefic or strong Maraka Bhukti or period.

1. If Moon in transit joins the house of the most powerfulmalefic in the above yogas or joins his
own place, or thelagna, when he’s strong and has strong malefic aspects, he causes death to the
child within one year

Chapter 7Ayurdaya (Longevity)Stanza 1: BPHS

Stanza 2:

Where a planet is debilitated he cuts away half of the termof life and in the middle rasis he give
terms of life as perrule of three. The lagna is supposed to give that number ofyears, which is
represented by its amsa, while others say thenumber will be similar to the rasi. A planet in an
unfriendlysign cuts one-third of his term unless he is retrograde. Thecombust planets except
Venus and Saturn, cut off half theirterm of life.

Stanza 3:

Evil planets in the 12th, 11th, 10th, 9th, 8th , and 7Th way 1, ½,1/3, ¼, 1/6 and 1/8th

of the term of life allotted to themrespectively. If benefics occupy the same houses, they takeaway
only one half of that which the malefics do.Satyacharya says that, if there are many planets in
anyone ofthe houses, only the most powerful among them will eat theproportion of life granted
by it.

Stanza 4:

If an evil planet occupies the birth the number of amsas,etc., passed by the lagna must be
multiplied by the total ofthe planetary terms of years, etc., and then divided by 108,and deducted
from the total term of life the figure thusobtained. If a benefic aspects the above conjunction, half
ofthis must be deducted.

Stanza 6:

If the last navamsa of Meena becomes lagna. If Mercury is inthe 25Th minute in Vrishabha and
if all the rest are in theirdeep exaltations, the person gets the utmost limit of life,viz., 120 years
and 5 days.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Short Span of Life is taken age upto 33 years. Medium Span of Life could be from 34th to
66th years and Long Span of Life is termed beyond 66th year but within 100th year of age.

In Jaimini System the method for determining Span of Life is quite different and easy than
that of Parashari System. In this, Span of Life is determined by considering on 6 factors
which have been grouped in three. These are (1) Ascendant Lord and Eighth Lord, (2)
Ascendant and Moon and (3) Ascendant and Hora Lagna. Thereafter Sign of all 6 factors are
seen in terms of Moveable, Fixed or Dural Sign and checked as shown below:

Short Span of Life is indicated if out of the above Groups of factors:-

a) One is in Moveable and the other is in the Dual Sign.

Medium Span of Life is indicated if out of the above Groups of factors:-

a) One is in Moveable and the other is in the Dual Sign.

b) Both are in Dual Signs.

Long Span of Life is indicated if out of the above Groups of factors:-

a) One is in Fixed and the Other is in Dual Signs

b) Both are in Moveable Signs.

If the two or all the three Groups of factors indicate the same life span, it should be considered
as final. If all three indicate three different life spans, preference should be given to the life
span indicated by the Lagna and Hora Lagna. If the Three sets indicate three different life
spans and the Moon is placed in Lagna or the 7th House, the life span as indicated by the
Lagna and Moon should be taken into consideration.