(Note: The content in this article has been taken from my published write-up “Solemnizing Marriages need not be Prohibited!” at Express Star Teller October 2015 issue)
Hindu astrology has suffered from lots of superstitions in the last few centuries. One of the main reasons for the spread of wrong beliefs in astrology is the overemphasis being given to the results of some astrological combinations given in the classical texts. The astrological classics written during the era of agrarian society had very exaggerated language which, if interpreted wrongly, can lead to many wrong beliefs or customs. One such astrological belief that comes down to us since thousands of years is about forbidden marriages during the ‘Simhastha Brihaspati’ or ‘ Jupiter in Simha’. As per many Hindu astrologers the year when Jupiter transit from Simha (Leo) rashi is consider inauspicious for marriages at places between Ganga and Godavari.
Recently a meeting of 300 astrologers from four states-Gujarat , Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra- was held in Mehsana on February 14 to discuss on the matter of ‘Simhastha Brihaspati’. The astrologers at the meeting agreed that during the transit of Jupiter from Simha (Leo) it will yield ‘Kamurta’ (unfavorable time) in which happy events such as marriage should not be organized. As per the report published in Times of India “Mahendra Pandya, the president of Akhil Gujarat Astrological Society who attended the meeting, said that Jupiter will enter an adverse position in July 2015 and remain there till August 2016. “If somebody has to marry due to unavoidable circumstances such as going abroad, he or she will have to perform an anusthan (propitiating ritual) for Jupiter, Moon and Sun, according to their horoscopes,” Pandya said. “If a wedding takes place in this period without an anusthan, ill-effects like marital discord and family disputes are likely.” Source link: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Stars-conspire-against-marriages-in-the-second-half-of-2015/articleshow/46510424.cms )
The Hindustan Times, India TV News , Gulf News , Mumbai mirror and Loktej also carried a story about this astrological belief of forbidden marriage during ‘Jupiter in Simha’. The article by Paromita Vohra in Mumbai Mirror “The Plot in our Stars” was particularly very harsh on astrologers who are minting money from such beliefs. In her article Paromita Vohara reported thus:
“An announcement with important romantic and financial implications was made at a convention in Mehsana last week. Addressing a gathering of 300 astrologers from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, Mahendra Pandya, president of Akhil Gujarat Astrological Society, announced that Jupiter will remain in an adverse position from July 2015 till August 2016. Those who believe that matching horoscopes mean matching marital joy will avoid shaadi to avoid barbaadi during this time.
Luckily, like governments instating committees to placate people, planets too can be cajoled by anusthan, or propitiating rituals. Hearing this, my hair stood on end, not because of a mystical thrill, but because it was blown straight up by the collective long sighs of wedding planners, horse renters, mandap men, flower sellers, radical couturiers who are actually kept in caviar through the sale of pretty lehengas, wedding bands, matchmaking maamis and others who make up the 40 billion dollar Indian wedding business.”
Source link: http://www.mumbaimirror.com/columns/columnists/paromita-vohra/The-plot-in-our-stars/articleshow/46547503.cms
In the context of these news reports about the orthodoxy of astrologers regarding performing marriages during the transit of Jupiter in Leo let’s see some classical reference from the astrological texts. In the Vashishta Samhita there are four Slokas in chapter number 42 in this regard. The Sloka number 26, 27, 28 and 29 in the chapter 42 of Vashishta Samhita published by Chaukhamba Publication Varanasi state the following:
mrigyandrasansithe jeeve madhyadeshe kargrahe
mrityuyoge mrityupada sayadampattiyo panchvarshat
Interpretation in English: When Jupiter transit through Simha rashi the marriages in Madhya Desha ( central India) are forbidden as it causes Mrityu yoga which gives death to the couples with in the five year of such marriage. { Note: The ‘Madhya Desha’ in modern time is Madhya Pradesh, Chattishgarh, Western U.P. and Eastern part of Maharashtra }.
simhe simhamshake jeeve kalinga gourgujare
mrityuraya yogo dampattiyonidhanprada
Interpretation in English: When the Jupiter transit through the Simha Navamsha in Simha Rashi (i.e. from 13 20’ to 16 20’ in Leo ) then in Kalinga, Gadura, and Gujar Desha it creates Kaal-Mrityu yoga by the effect of which it gives death to the couple who get marry during this period. { Note: The Kalinaga in modern time is Orissa, Gadura is a place between the West Bengal and Bhuvaneshwara. The Gujar desha seems to be modern Gujarat. }
mrigeyandramadhyaamshasya jeeve yogeshnitvayam
gautamiyasyabhage tu dampattiyonidhanprada
Interpretation in English: When the Jupiter transit through the exact mid degress of Simha rashi ( i.e. around 15 degrees) then it creates the ‘Ashni’ yoga. The yoga gives death to all the couples, who got married during this period, living in the North of Godavari River.
yogatraya vargyaneeya choktadesheshu sarvada
uddhaheshanyadesheshu chatparth mangalpradam
Interpretation in English: In the above mention places the marriages should not be performed during the inauspicious ‘yoga’ created by Jupiter. However, the marriage performed at all other places, except those mention above, gives auspicious results to the couples.
It is believed that Vashishtha Samhita was written by Sage Vashishtha who was the guru of lord Rama in Treta-Yuga. The Sage Vashishtha is also among the eighteen Rishis, who are said to have developed the astrological techniques over a period of time. However, some scholars believe that Vashishtha Samhita was written by some ‘Vriddha Vashishtha’ who was different from Sage Vashishtha. In any case it must be more than 2500 year old classical text as the great Varahamihira in his Brihat Samhita has also given some references from Vashishtha Samhita. So at the time of Varahamihira ( 505 to 587 CE) the Vashishtha Samhita must be available.
So it seems that this belief of Hindu’s regarding forbidding marriages during the transit of Jupiter from Leo at places between Ganga and Godavari seems to be more than 2500 year old. Another important text ‘Narada Samhita’ has also mention about this topic but in a bit different way.
{ Narada Samhita Published by Shri Venkateshwara Press Mumbai , Chapter number 29, Sloka number 8 }.
naastangate site jeeve na tayovriddhabalavastha
na guru simharashisithath simahanshtegatevapi vaa
English Interpretation: When the Jupiter and Venus are combusted and/or they are in Bal or Vriddha Avastha the marriages should not be performed. Similarly the marriages are forbidden during the transit of Jupiter from Simha or even from the Navamsha of Simha.
As per the above Sloka from Narada Samhita the marriages are forbidden when Jupiter transit not only from Leo sign but also from the Leo Navamsha. The sage Narada has also said about not performing marriages during the combustion of Venus and Jupiter, which has been discussed in many other Muhurata text.
The Muhurta Chintamani, written by Ram Daivagya in 1522 AD, is the most popular text on the subject of Muhurtha. It also mention about forbidden marriages during the transit of Jupiter from Simha rashi. In the Sloka number 49 and 50 of Muhurata Chintamani it has been clearly stated that marriages should not be performed in the places from Ganga to Godavari when the Jupiter transit from Simha rashi particularly from Simha Navamsha (i.e. from 13 20’ to 16 40’). The transit of Jupiter from the first five Navamsha of Simha should not be taken for marriage Muhurta as per this text. However, this text also give an exception to the rule and says that when Sun transit from Mesha (Aries ) rashi at the time of Simhastha Brihaspati then marriages can be performed during that period. The Muhurata Apart from Muhurta Chintamani there are many classical texts on the subject which endorse the same view.
Recently I wrote an article on this subject for the web site of Hindi News Paper Amar Ujala which was published on the 18th of July. I sent that article to my teacher Shri K.N.Rao who after going through it asked me to meet him and collect his book “Successful Marriages with Jupiter in Simha” which was published in year 2003. I went to meet Shri K.N. Rao next day who explained me thoroughly about the statistical conducted by his student on the 168 horoscopes of couples married during Simhastha Brihaspati. Shri K.N. Rao told me that earlier he was not aware about this dogma of Simhastha Brihaspati being a year of no marriage for many astrologers and panchanga makers till the late Shri S.K. Kelkar of Pune told him about it in year 1989. Late Shri S.K.Kelkar had done a research on the subject taking the horoscopes of 48 couples who were married during the Simhastha Brihaspati and he had found nothing wrong in their marriage. His findings were published in the August 1979 issue of ‘The Astrological Magazine’.
Shri K.N. Rao then gives me a reference from the book “Hindu Samskaras” by Rajbali Pande, published by Motilal Banarsidas. As per this research on Hindu Samskars in ancient India the astrological consideration was not used to play an important part in fixing the wedding ceremonies. It was only after the Smritis, the Puranas and other mediaeval astrological works the custom of fixing proper time for marriage ceremony was started.
My teacher Shri K.N. Rao also told me that a Muhurata can’t supersede the promise of a birth chart. So if promise of a happy married life is present in the birth horoscope then only a single factor like performing marriage during the Simhastha Brihaspati alone can’t ruin it. In support of his statement he showed me the statistic from his book, which was written by 7 women astrologers under his guidance, ‘Successful Marriages with Jupiter in Simha’. As per this research out of 168 cases of marriage performed during Simhastha Brihaspati in the 146 cases the marriages were successful. In the 22 cases where the marriages resulted into a separation or divorce it was found that the birth chart had promise for unhappy married life there. So as per the research produce by Shri K.N. Rao’s students they don’t found any logic for marriages being prohibited during the transit of Jupiter from Simha.