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Chandrashtama and its Varying Impacts
By A.R.Ramanathan |
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In the rough and tumble of daily life, we hardly notice that some days pass by with ease and calm while some
are chaotic, and others outright stressful. Irrespective of the major dasa and antardasa that one may be
undergoing, there are still some ups and downs in one's daily life. The perception of any state, be it calmness
or chaos or stress, is that of the mind or as commonly understood - 'the frame of mind' at the given time.
One's 'mind' and 'mood' are invariably controlled and influenced by the 'mano-karaka', the Moon. Yet, the
subtle variations of this influence require to be analyzed and understood. These variations are closely linked
with the Moon, passing through the twelve Zodiacs and in accordance with one's Rasi or Moon sign. The
stress or distress can sometimes be physical as well!
How often have we heard our mother/ grandmother cautioning us "It is your Chandrashtama today. be
careful while playing. you might get hurt" or "do not give your clothes for stitching today"! Most of
the older readers of EST will surely recall. It was traditional wisdom, which encompassed basic astrological
knowledge as an integral part, that tracked the movement of the Moon, and made sure that the ill effects
were minimized and the supporting phases were taken advantage of! Likewise, one would have heard them
caution us on the days, when the Moon transited our birth star: : "You are prone to ill health today,
avoid outside food" or some similar comment!
Classical texts on Vedic Astrology have outlined the effect of Moon's transit or its Gochara, and have described
its effect. Obviously, Moon transiting the 1st house will mean the sign occupied by the Moon, at one's birth; in
other words, one's RASI. Let us, briefly, understand the effects set out in the rules governing Moon's Gochara:
| Moon transits sign occupied by itself(Natal Position) | Good food, comforts, good fortune etc. |
| Moon transits the 2nd house from itself | Loss of wealth or respect, obstacles etc. |
| Moon transits the 3rd house from itself | Win, Domestic happiness, finance etc. |
| Moon transits the 4th house from itself | Fear, Uneasiness, Stress etc. |
| Moon transits the 5th house from itself | Ill health, sorrow, humiliation etc. |
| Moon transits the 6th house from itself | Good health, wealth, redemption etc. |
| Moon transits the 7th house from itself | Vehicles, happiness, good food etc. |
| Moon transits the 8th house from itself | Hindrance/ delay, ill health, misery etc. |
| Moon transits the 9th house from itself | Stress, disease, fatigue, pain of mind etc. |
| Moon transits the 10th house from itself | Success, desire fulfillment etc. |
| Moon transits the 11th house from itself | Happiness, prosperity, new friends etc. |
| Moon transits the 12th house from itself | Loss of wealth or respect, obstacles etc. |
It will be seen that Moon is favourable, when it transits the houses 1, 3, 6, 7, 10 and 11 from itself; in other
words, in six zodiacs out of the twelve or 50% of the time. It also implies that its transit is unfavourable in the
remaining 50%, i.e. when it transits houses 2, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 12 from itself. Out of these six unfavourable
transit positions of the Moon with respect to one's natal Moon Sign/ RASI, special importance is
attached to its propensity to cause negative outcomes, when it transits the 8th house from itself.
Let us try and understand this singular transit position a little more.
What is Chandrashtama?
The classical texts on Vedic astrology define Chandrashtama as the period, when the Moon transits the 8th
house from one's natal Rasi. 'Chandrashtama' itself is a combination of two words - 'Chandra' meaning
Moon and 'Ashta' meaning eight. Moon takes approximately two and a quarter to two and a half days, to
move from one Zodiac sign to the next. Chandrashtama period is generally considered inauspicious for most
initiatives, starting new ventures, taking important decisions, activities related to investment or wealth etc. It
is also seen that the period causes delays, ill health or indisposition and unforeseen obstacles. It can also cause
For a given janma nakshatra, the sequence of nakshatras in the Ashtama Rasi could be either
14,15 &16 or 15,16&17 or 16,17&18 or 17,18&19. Obviously, the nakshatras, which are either
the 15th, 17th or 18th from the janma nakshatra will be favourable, while those which are 14th,
16th or 19th will be unfavourable.
depressive tendencies, fear from the unknown, anxiety, delusion, and lethargy. While all the above will certainly
not manifest in every chandrashtama, any one or more can and in varying degrees.
As a first step, let us understand how each Rasi fares with respect to its Ashtama Rasi, along with
their respective Rasi lords:
| S.No. | Rasi & Rasi Lord | Ashtama Rasi & Lord | Ashtama Lord's Relationship |
| 01 | Aries (Mars) | Scorpio (Mars) | Same as Rasi Lord |
| 02 | Taurus (Venus) | Sagittarius (Jupiter) | Neutral to Rasi Lord |
| 03 | Gemini (Mercury) | Capricorn (Saturn) | Neutral to Rasi Lord |
| 04 | Cancer (Moon) | Aquarius (Saturn) | Neutral to Rasi Lord |
| 05 | Leo (Sun) | Pisces (Jupiter) | Friend of Rasi Lord |
| 06 | Virgo (Mercury) | Aries (Mars) | Neutral to Rasi Lord |
| 07 | Libra (Venus) | Taurus (Venus) | Same as Rasi Lord |
| 08 | Scorpio (Mars) | Gemini (Mercury) | Enemy of Rasi Lord |
| 09 | Sagittarius (Jupiter) | Cancer (Moon) | Friend of Rasi Lord |
| 10 | Capricorn (Saturn) | Leo (Sun) | Enemy of Rasi Lord |
| 11 | Aquarius (Saturn) | Virgo (Mercury) | Friend of Rasi Lord |
| 12 | Pisces (Jupiter) | Libra (Venus) | Enemy of Rasi Lord |
(Please note that primacy has been given to the Rasi Lord (logically) and relationships have been indicated
with reference to that and by treating the Ashtama lord as the host. However, if for any reason, it is
reversed, some relationships will alter. When research is undertaken, one could use both, to develop a
finer understanding)
From the above, it will be seen that Aries and Libra Rasi natives benefit from the Ashtama Rasi lord being the same as
the Rasi lord, while for the Rasi lords of natives of Leo and Sagittarius, the Ashtama lord is a friend. For natives of
Taurus, Gemini, Cancer and Virgo, their respective Ashtama lords are neutral. The remaining Rasis of Scorpio,
Capricorn and Pisces, the Ashtama lord is inimically disposed. So, will this first layer of influence have an effect on
either reducing or enhancing the effects of chandrashtama?
Nakshatras and Chandrashtama
Before we look more closely at the nakshatras and their role in Chandrashtama, we need to remember that with
reference to an individual's birth nakshatra (janma nakshatra), all other nakshatras are deemed as either favourable
or unfavourable.(Taraphala). The rule, as is known to all, is that a nakshatra is deemed favourable to one's birth
nakshatra, if when counted from the birth nakshatra, the nakshatra is an Even Number or the reminder after deducting
multiples of nine from the total is either zero or an Even Number. For example, nakshatra Rohini, when counted from
say nakshatra Aswini (janma nakshatra) is the 4th, and is therefore favourable. From the same Aswini, nakshatra
Visakha is the 16th, and deducting 9 from it, we get a remainder of 7 and is therefore unfavourable. Therefore, for any
nakshatra, from itself the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 17th, 18th, 20th, 22nd, 24th, 26th and 27th shall become
favourable. In other words, the favorable nakshatras will be 15, while the unfavourable ones will be 12.
The Moon, in transit and in any Zodiac sign, will be moving across three nakshatras (constellations) and how
will that impact the effects or should it be varying the effects of the Chandrashtama for a given individual and
his/ her Moon Sign/ Rasi or his/ her Janma Nakshatra? A summary of the combination of Ashtama Rasi
(8th Rasi) for every Zodiac sign along with the Nakshatras in the Ashtama Rasi and their respective favourable
or unfavourable impact for the three Nakshatras within a Moon Sign/ Rasi is given herewith.
| S.No. | Natal Rasi | Ashtama Rasi | Unfavourable
Division |
| 01 | Aries
Aswini (4)
Bharani (4)
Krittika (1) |
Vishaka(1)
16th
15th
14th | Scorpio
Anuradha(4)
17th
16th
15th |
Jyeshta(4)
18th
17th
16th |
1 out of 9
4 out of 9
5 out of 9 |
| 02 | Taurus
Krittika (3)
Rohini (4)
Mrigasira (2) |
Moola(4)
17th
16th
15th | Sagittarius
Poorvashada(4)
18th
17th
16th |
Uttarashada(1)
19th
18th
17th |
1 out of 9
4 out of 9
4 out of 9 |
| 03 | Gemini
Mrigasira (2)
Arudra (4)
Punarvasu (3) |
Uttarashada(3)
17th
16th
15th | Capricorn
Sravana(4)
18th
17th
16th |
Dhanishta(2)
19th
18th
17th |
2 out of 9
3 out of 9
4 out of 9 |
| 04 | Cancer
Punarvasu (1)
Pushya (4)
Aslesha (4) |
Dhanishta(2)
17th
16th
15th | Aquarius
Satabisha(4)
18th
17th
16th |
P.Bhadra(3)
19th
18th
17th |
3 out of 9
2 out of 9
4 out of 9 |
| 05 | Leo
Makha (4)
Pubba (4)
U.Phalguni (1) |
P.Bhadra(1)
16th
15th
14th | Pisces
U.Bhadra(4)
17th
16th
15th |
Revathi(4)
18th
17th
16th |
1 out of 9
4 out of 9
5 out of 9 |
| 06 | Virgo
U.Phalguni (3)
Hastha (4)
Chitra (2) |
Aswini(4)
17th
16th
15th | Aries
Bharani(4)
18th
17th
16th |
Krittika(1)
19th
18th
17th |
1 out of 9
4 out of 9
4 out of 9 |
| 07 | Libra
Chitra (2)
Swathi (4)
Vishaka (3) |
Krittika(3)
17th
16th
15th | Taurus
Rohini(4)
18th
17th
16th |
Mrigasira(2)
19th
18th
17th |
2 out of 9
3 out of 9
4 out of 9 |
| 08 | Scorpio
Vishaka (1)
Anuradha (4)
Jyeshta (4) |
Mrigasira(2)
17th
16th
15th | Gemini
Arudra(4)
18th
17th
16th |
Punarvasu(3)
19th
18th
17th |
3 out of 9
2 out of 9
4 out of 9 |
| 09 | Sagittarius
Moola (4)
Poorvashada (4)
Uttarashada (1) |
Punarvasu (1)
16th
15th
14th | Cancer
Pushya(4)
17th
16th
15th |
Aslesha(4)
18th
17th
16th |
1 out of 9
4 out of 9
5 out of 9 |
| 10 | Capricorn
Uttarashada (3)
Sravana (4)
Dhanishta (2) |
Makha(4)
17th
16th
15th | Leo
P.Phal.(4)
18th
17th
16th |
Uttara(1)
19th
18th
17th |
1 out of 9
4 out of 9
4 out of 9 |
| 11 | Aquarius
Dhanishta (2)
Satabisha (4)
P.Bhadra (3) |
Uttara(3)
17th
16th
15th | Virgo
Hasta(4)
18th
17th
16th |
Chitra(2)
19th
18th
17th |
2 out of 9
3 out of 9
4 out of 9 |
| 12 | Pisces
P,Bhadra (1)
U.Bhadra (4)
Revathi (4) |
Chitra(2)
17th
16th
15th | Libra
Swati(4)
18th
17th
16th |
Vishaka(3)
19th
18th
17th |
3 out of 9
2 out of 9
4 out of 9 |
Nakshatras and Chandrashtama (Refer Table)
From the three charts giving the Nakshatras over
the 12 Zodiac Signs and how they relate to the
nakshatras in respective Ashtama Rasis, it will be
seen that for a given janma nakshatra, the sequence
of nakshatras in the Ashtama Rasi could be either
14,15 &16 or 15,16&17 or 16,17&18 or 17,18&19.
Obviously, the nakshatras, which are either the 15th,
17th or 18th from the janma nakshatra will be
favourable, while those which are 14th, 16th or 19th
will be unfavourable (applying the rule given
above). There are many who believe that when
Moon transiting over the 4th Pada of the 16th
Nakshatra is the crucial time of its ill effects.
For example, let us take the Zodiac Aries. It has
Aswini (all four Padas); Bharani (all four Padas);
and Krittika (first Padha). The nakshatras in its
Ashtama Rasi, Scorpio are Visakha (Fourth Pada);
Anuradha (all four Padas); and Jyeshta (all four
Padhas). It will be seen that for Aswini, the
nakshatras in the Ashtama Rasi are the 16th, 17th and
18th from itself with only the 16th being unfavourable,
which is just 1/9th of Moon's sojourn in Chndrashtama!
For nakshtra Bharani, they are the 15th, 16th and 17th
rendering only the 16th as unfavourable, which is 4/
9th of the Chandrashtama period. For Krittika (1st
Padha) they are the 14th, 15th and 16th rendering the
14th and 16th nakshatras as unfavourable, which
account for 5/9th of the Chandrashtama period.
The charts give these details for all nakshatras and
all their Padas (quarters), wherever applicable.
Depending upon what nakshatra one is born in, the
unfavourable segment in Chandrashtama could be 1/
9th or 2/9th or 3/9th or 4/9th or at the worst 5/9th of
Moon's stay in the Ashtama Rasi. Nakshtras having
5/9th of the segment as unfavourable will invariably
have the first 1/9th and the last 4/9th as the difficult
parts. For the lucky nakshatras having only 1/9th of
the segment as unfavourable, it could either be the
first 1/9th or the last 1/9th.
For nakshatra Aswini which, has only 1/9th
unfavourable segment, the Rasi Lord is the Ashtama
Lord as well! So, all else being equal, is Aswini the
most favoured nakshatra from the
Chandrashtama angle? Moola nakshatra could well
be the 2nd favoured with a matching 1/9th
unfavourable segment, but the Ashtama Lord being
a friend!
General exceptions to the ill effects of Chandrashtama
While the above given details prod us to understand
Chandrashtama in greater depth and undertake more
studies to refine our knowledge, existing texts and
studies have given certain exceptions that may mitigate
the ill effects of the period attributed to Moon's transit
in the Ashtama Rasi (8th sign from its natal position).
They could be given as follows:
- If Chandrashtama were to occur in the Krishna
Paksha (waning phase of the Moon), then effects are
expected to be milder
- As seen from above, when Moon transits over either
the 15th, 17th or 18th nakshatras while in chandrashtama,
the effects may be less intense.
- Chandrashtama may have a milder effect on those,
who have a debilitated or weak Moon in their natal chart.
- Likewise, Chandrashtama appears to affect those
born in the latter half of Krishna Paksha (towards
New Moon) in a lesser way. (One needs to bear in
mind that births especially in the latter half of the
Krishna Paksha tend to have a weak Moon,
considered not so auspicious for other aspects of
assessment!)
It may also be noted that the effects of
Chandrashtama appear to get enhanced, if it were to
occur on Mondays or whenever Moon transits over
its own Hora or when it transits its own nakshatras
Rohini, Hastha and Sravana. So, nakshatras Visakha
(first three Padhas); Poorvabhadrapad (first three
Padhas); and Punarvasu (first three Padhas) need to
contend with this!
What to avoid during Chandrashtama
The following activities could be avoided during
chandrashtama days:
- All auspicious events and undertakings
- Commencement of new activities or classes or
learnings
- All investment decisions regarding wealth,
properties etc.
- Purchase of new vehicles, new equipment, new
appliances etc.
- Personal grooming activities like facials or makeup,
haircuts, manicure etc.
- Purchase or stitching of new dresses
Some remedies for Chandrashtama
Due to unavoidable reasons, if some activities require
to be carried out during chandrashtama, the following
simple remedies could be performed to reduce the
malefic influences:
- Pray to one's Family deity or to Lord Krishna
(Kaliyuga Varadha)
- Take the blessings of one's mother or if mother is
no more, pray to her image (Moon is Matru Karaka),
before commencing with any activity
- Meditate on Goddess Lalithambika or chant Lalitha
Sahasranama, prior to commencement of any
important, but unavoidable activity
- Meditate for at least five minutes, while inhaling
and exhaling through the Left nostril only. Thereafter,
one may leave by taking the first step with one's Left
foot
- Pray to Lord Ganesha as Balachandra in any nearby
temple, before starting the day's activities
Some Suggestions
- From the foregoing, it will be seen that the
apparently simple and easy to understand principle
of "Chandrashtama" can have many variations
based on one's natal Rasi, one's janma nakshatra and
even the pada(s) within the nakshatra; not to mention
the strength or weakness of the Moon in the natal chart. It is necessary to undertake further studies to
comprehend these variations and finer nuances.
- As with any study, one should take advantage of
the data sciences and capabilities now possible with
the deployment of AI driven tools and algorithms.
- Any such effort will keep refining itself since more
the data more will be the refinement and more will
be the strength of findings.
- With the technology easily available, it will, perhaps,
be useful to develop a simple 'Chandrashtama App',
which can be like a Ready Reckoner, and the general
public can benefit from it. It will easily inform the
people about dates/ periods to avoid while finalizing
one's schedules and calendars.
- In due course, one might be able to integrate it
with one's natal chart for a more customized use and
advantage.
Bibliography:
- Jataka Parijata by V. Subramanya Sastri and Vaidyanatha Dikshita
- Hindu Predictive Astrology by Prof.B.V.Raman
- Gochar Phaladeepika by Dr. U.S. Pulippani
- Accurate Transit Predictions by Tirupur S Gopalakrishnan
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