Upa-grahas or ‘Satellites’ of the grahas in Vedic astrology.

 

Science recognizes physical existence of the satellites of the planets. Vedic astrology also speaks about satellites or Upagrahas for the nine planets – not the nine planets of the solar system recognized by science but the Nava grahas of the Vedic system.

The Upagrahas are not physical entities. They are points in the zodiac, computed mathematically.  They are plotted in the horoscope.

What for they are used?

1.      For accuracy in predictions. Where a prediction has failed, the role of Upagrahas is noted and found to have influenced the prediction made from the grahas.

2.      Upagrahas are powerful and responsible for certain adverse results.

3.      Importance given in olden days. Mantreswara, the author of Phala Deepika quotes Purvacaryas in his exposition of Upagrahas.

Major texts that have written about Upagrahas.

1.      Brihad Parasara Hora Sastra

2.      Phala Deepika

3.      Uttara KAlAmrutam

4.      JAtaka PArijatam

Where are they used?

1.      Travels

2.      Money matters

3.      About progeny

4.      In horary astrology such as Yuddha prasna

The list of Upagrahas along with their parent grahas

Sun - kAla

Moon - parivesha / paridhi

Mars - dhooma

Mercury - ardha- praharana

Jupiter - yamaghanta

Venus - Indra dhanush / IndrachApa / kodanda

Saturn - gulika / mAndi

Rahu - vyatipAta

Ketu - Ketu / Upaketu/ dhumaketu+

Of these there are two schools of thought on whether gulika and mAndi are the same or different. Kalidasa (different from Kalidasa, the composer of Shakuntalam) in his text Uttara KAlAmrutam quotes the sage Mandavya as having said the two are different. In their computation,  gulika is immediately after mAndi.

Sage Satyacarya associates Gulika with progeny. According to him

1.      If the putra sthana (5H) is associated with or aspected by Saturn and Gulika, adoption of a son is possible.

2.      If the putra sthana is in between Saturn and Gulika, then also adopted son.

The Upagrahas are grouped into two, DhumAdi grahas and GulikAdi grahas.

1.      DhumAdi Grahas

Among the nine upagrahas, five are grouped as 'DhumAdi grahas'. They are

Dhuma (of Mars)

VyatipAta (of Rahu)

Parivesha (of Moon)

 Indra- dhanush (of Venus)

 Upaketu  (dhumaketu) (of Ketu)

These are grouped together because the computation of each of these is dependent on one another.

How?

Dhuma is calculated first by adding 4 signs-13 degrees-20 minutes to the true position of the sun on any day.

VyatipAta is 12 signs from Dhuma.

Parivesha is VyatipAta + 6signs

Indrachapa is Parivesha + 12signs

Upaketu is Indrachapa + 16°40'

If location of one of these is known, the rest can be plotted.

2.      GulikAdi grahas

The remaining four Upagrahas are under this group. They are

yamaghanta (of Jupiter)

ardha-praharana (of Mercury)

kAla (of Sun)

gulika (of Saturn)

 

These four can be seen in the traditional Pancangas, given with a time.

How are they calculated?

The day time is divided into 8 equal parts and the 7 parts are taken into consideration. The 8^th part is left out.

The Upagraha of a day starts in the first part of the day ruled by its main graha. It would be in the 2^nd part of the day in the previous day, in 3^rd part on the day before and so on. In this way the time of ruling of an Upagraha is counted backwards.

For example, Yamaghanta will rule the first 1/8^th of the day on Thursday, the day of Jupiter.

1/8^th = 1 and a half hours. Assuming sunrise at 6 AM, Yamaghanta will be ruling from 6 to 7-30 AM on Thursday.

Now we have to start counting backwards.

On Wednesday, Yamaghanta will rule the 2^nd part of the 8 part division, i.e. from 7-30 to 9 AM. In this way one has to find out for other days.

In the same way the ruling time of the other Gulikadi grahas are calculated-

 kAla from the 1^st part of Sunday,

ardha-praharana from the 1^st part of Wednesday and

Gulika from the 1^st part of Saturday.                   

These times are fit for doing or not doing certain activities.

What are they?

Yamaghanta – good for doing curative works or propitiation for Jupiter and Jupiter related afflictions in the horoscope.

Ardha-praharana – depends on Mercury related issues in the horoscopes. The propitiations for them are to be done in this time.

kAla – Poisonous as snake. To be avoided for auspicious works. Since sun is the graha signifying government, employer, senior etc. any works or favours to be requested to them should not be done in this time.

Gulika – Destructive as Yama. Avoided for auspicious works. Any work done in this time would have to be done repeatedly. Therefore taking out funeral is not done in this time on the belief that one would get to do the same many times, meaning there would be more deaths at home.

Rahu kala is not part of the Upagrahas, but used for identification of certain time. The division of time doesn’t take the 1^st of the 8 part division but starts from the last part of the day.

The counting is done from Sunday starting from the 8^th part (4-30 to 6 PM) and follows a different pattern.

The basic rationale is obstruction of the work related the day-lord during Rahu kala of the day. Eg. Venus is for marriage, jewels, happy union etc. Avoid Rahu kala for these on Fridays.

In the horoscope, prediction part depends on the location of the Upagrahas in the bhavas and the planets in conjunction with them. Upagrahas have no aspects (pArvai / Dhrishti)

In practice the affliction is found pronounced in diseases and matrimonial discords when the Upagrahas, particularly MAndi and Gulika are associated with the planets relevant to these issues. If one starts applying the results given for the Upagrahas in each house of the horoscope, then no one can be said to be leading a reasonably happy life. So, no need to make a big fuss about them in predictions beyond the two issues mentioned above.