Alternative medicine, especially Ayurveda, has been an important pillar of the Indian society dating back to the Vedic era, centuries before the birth of modern allopathy. The systematized form of Ayurveda dates back to the prehistoric period, when rishis conducted conferences (sammelan) in the Himalayan foothills. Charak samhita is the earliest document available on Ayurveda. It is believed that Lord Brahma gifted the prajapatis, Ashwini and Bhaskar with the knowledge of healing. Indra obtained this knowledge from Ashwini and passed it on to sage Atri and Dhanavantri. Charak tradition follows the school of Atri (Atreya) while Sushruta tradition follows that of Dhanavantri. Essentially Charak samhita deals with internal medicine and Sushruta samhita, with surgical treatment. Majority of the Concepts of Ayurveda are found in the Atharva veda (2 BCE) while some are found in the Rig Veda as well. The period of vedic medicine lasted till 800 BCE and the golden age of Indian medicine (800-1000 BCE ) was the period when the Charak and Sushruta samhitas were written.

Ayurveda analyses the origin of all disease states in the body in relation to the five elements that make up the human body, (agni, vayu, jal, prithvi and akash) and the three humours present in the human body (vata, pitta, kafa). A disease state arises when these elements and humours are in imbalance and disharmony. This is the crux of the connection between Ayurveda and Astrology. Like Ayurveda, Astrology too has its roots in the 2nd millennium BCE during the period of the ancient Babylonians. Later it spread to Asia, Europe, Greece and the Middle east. Sage Parashara was the founder of vedic astrology, the system of predictive astrology that is followed most widely till date. The Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (BPHS) is the text written by him and referred to by vedic astrologers, world over.

Planets and the human body:

Vedic astrology is based on the 9 planets which include Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, rahu and ketu. Scientifically speaking the sun is a star, moon, a satellite and rahu/ketu don’t exist. However, astrology considers all these to have significant effect on the human life, each playing its own role; here rahu/ketu are the nodes which are simply points of bisection between the paths of the sun and moon in their northward and southward journey, therefore called, chaya grahas. Even then they have a major impact on our life, especially where illness and death are concerned.

Table 1

Natural malefic planets like Mars, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu are specifically causative of disease in the areas they are related with, during their dasha/antardasha/transit periods.

Houses in the birth chart in relation with organ systems:

Prediction in vedic astrology is given with the help of the birth chart, drawn from the date, time and place of birth of the individual. There are 12 houses in all and each house signifies a particular part of the human body. Effect of the various planets on these houses and their lords determine the possibility of disease or disability in that part of the body. The anticipation of onset will be synchronised with the dasha/antardasha of the lords of those houses signifying disease or the planets occupying them.

Table 2

The 6th, 8th and 12th houses and their lords are of special significance in relation with disease and death. Even natural benefic planets like Venus and Jupiter may prove functional malefics in a chart when they have lordship of these houses. The 11th house, though on its own, does not indicate disease but it is a house of expansion and multiplicity. Therefore, if in a malefic combination with 6th/8th/12th houses/lords, may indicate multiple diseases or fast growth of disease.

Onset of disease:

The time of onset of disease is related to the dashas (time periods)of certain planets which indicate the houses in a birth chart capable of causing disease. This can be predicted in advance by studying the birth chart. This is an advantage in astrology which is lacking in modern medicine. Even when the individual is healthy, studying the chart can help predict the onset of specific disease and its timing. Transit of planets plays an equally important role in the timing of onset of a predicted disease.

Maha dasha/ antar dasha/pratyantar dasha of planets which are rulers of 6/8/12th houses, planets occupying these houses, planets afflicted by natural malefic Saturn, rahu/ketu, planets which are functional malefics in a chart (even though they may be natural benefics) and planets which are marak  (dangerous) for a particular chart (2nd and 7th house lords). In addition, the 3rd and 11th house lords are also capable of causing disease in a combination with other factors.

Onset of disease, even if known, cannot be postponed or stopped, however, prior knowledge helps the individual to be aware of this possibility and recognise early signs so that early treatment can be instituted. In diseases like cancer, heart disease, endocrine disorders, liver disease etc, delay in recognition and treatment often worsens the disease prognosis. Prior knowledge of the possibility of these diseases may be helpful, but on the flip side, they may cause the individual extreme anxiety in anticipation of a fatal condition.

Psychiatric conditions, mental disorders, mental retardation, insanity etc can also be foreseen from a birth chart. The solutions may lie in allopathy or alternative medicine depending upon the choice of the patient. Each of the diseases mentioned above is seen from a native’s chart by the presence of various planetary combinations in the chart, dasha and transit. Explanation in detail with the help of examples can be found in books on Medical Astrology and is beyond the scope of this chapter.

Severity of disease:

If the planet concerned with causation of the disease is in particularly bad condition in the native’s chart with respect to its placement, conjunction or aspect by multiple malefic planets (natural or functional), an unfavourable dasha is running for the native and transit of heavy and slow planets like Jupiter, Saturn, Rahu/ketu is also unfavourable, then the native may suffer from severe disease, chronicity, hospitalisation and even death. Transit or dasha (MD/AD/PD) of Mars can indicate surgical procedure on a certain part of the body at that time. Transit of faster moving planets such as Mercury and Venus indicate the condition preceeding the native’s death while transit of the Moon, the fastest of the nine planets may indicate the day of death.

Possible remedial measures:

It is a natural assumption that whenever any problem is predicted, the individual will definitely ask for a solution to either avoid the problem or to deal with it. In astrology, anything which is destined in the natal chart will come to pass and the astrologer is not somebody who can alter the unfavourable position of planets in the native’s chart by any number of rituals or pujas. However, there are certain remedies which can help reduce the severity of the problems or give the native strength and will power to overcome them.

1. Mantras: As it has been explained above, any type of disease in the body occurs due to the effect of certain planets. Therefore, the condition should logically respond to the propitiation of a certain deity, representing that planet, with the help of mantras. On the other side chanting of mantras of the planet or deity responsible for soundness of health for an individual may also help  subdue the disease process. Chanting the mantra of lagna lord (body of the individual) if weak or unfavourably placed, gives strength to the planet and hence to the native. Mantras may be of 2 types:

• Beej mantra for each particular planet
• Mantra of the deity representing that planet

Table 3

2.  Gem stones:

Each planet has a representative gem stone and the logic behind the use of gem stones is that they reflect a particular component colour from white light which represents that planet and thereby strenghthens the planet in the natal chart. Thus, before prescribing gem stones, it is essential to confirm that the particular planet is beneficial for the native. Astrologically, gem stones representing the lagna, 5th and 9th houses are best for the native and should be worn.

Table 4

 3. Remedies related to correction of past karmas:

Astrologically each person has a balance sheet of good and bad deeds done in past lives, according to which the soul gets its present life. Disease , disability and death are sufferings and hence must be on account of the bad deeds. It is considered that if a deed done by a person in his past lives has been harmful for others then his bad karmas afflict certain planets in his future birth charts eg a son who has hurt or insulted his father will have an afflicted sun in his future birth.

The sun being the vital life force if weakened or afflicted will lead to poor health. Similarly, moon represents mother, mars represents younger siblings, mercury represents aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, friends, Jupiter represents, elder siblings, teachers and elders, Saturn represents servants, old and disabled people, animals, Rahu represents paternal grandparents, snakes, death due to poisoning, ketu represents maternal grandparents.

Remedial measures are suggested to neutralise the effects of bad karmas in the form of :

• Worshipping or caring for a specific tree, animal, reptile , bird or fish
• Caring for or financially helping females, children, old, disabled, sick people
• Donation/charity for hospital, schools, place of worship, water body, plantation

Performing a particular ritual at a specific time or at regular intervals (monthly or yearly) eg, Satyanarayan katha, Rudrabhishek, Vishnu Sahastranam path etc

Astrology is a science based as much on logic as on faith. Many people consult astrologers just out of curiosity and do not believe or follow the prediction given and remedy prescribed. This practice not only waste time and energy of the astrologer, but also afflicts Jupiter in the native’s chart. Just as modern medicine cannot create miracles, so is true for astrology also. It can make an effort to get to the root of the problem and try to rectify it but cannot remove it miraculously.