Marriage and Compatibility  

We do understand that relationships are very vital to all of us. But at the same time it’s a very difficult and subtle area. Specially while discussing marital relations, we usually feel that there is something that always remains beyond our control. There is something which governs us to be driven towards someone, or to disapprove, or resist some one else and the reasons for all this are not apparent to us. Such feelings are universal and only Vedic astrology has logical answers that unfold this mystery. If we glance through Vedic literature, marriage was regarded as one out of 16 Samskaras of utter socio-religious importance. The very consideration of marriage as a religious Samskara means that the great seers of ancient india did not deem marriage as a mere compromise for setting up a new family. Rather, they acknowledged it with distinctly spiritual attributes. For instance, MANU SMRITI discusses three main purposes of marriage: 1. Performing religious rights and rituals. 2. Begetting virtuous progenies. 3. Gratification of carnal urges. The 2nd and 3rd purposes are understandable. But how come the assistance of counterpart is a must in performing some kind of religious ceremony? This point has to be explored further. If we take up, for instance, the Hindu system of religious rituals, it is always mandatory for the wife to accompany the husband in any kind of religious ceremony/activity. History stands testimony to it, that lord RAMA had to install a gold statuette of Devi SITA, while performing ASHWAMEDHA YAJNA. Thus the sage Manu meant to explain that in any kind of socio-religious performance, done for uplifting oneself in this world, or in the next world, one is not deemed to be complete without association and presence of his/her counterpart. Does this attitude of essentiality of the counterpart to assist in the important ceremony, speaks of the fact that we humans are not complete in the physical frame of man, or woman? If we explore the Hindu religion, the ardhanaarishwara form of lord SHIVA is HIS only anthropomorphic representation. We find a reference in Puranas, that lord BRAHMA is asking lord SHIVA to divide himself into male and female for the purpose of creation. VAMANA PURANA confirms that lord SHIVA is identifiable as KAALA PURUSHA. BRIHADA ARANYAKA UPANISHADA says that the original man, or original PURUSHA was bisexual. He got himself divided into male and female and then multiplied himself. In this way, we, the humans are fragments of KAALA PURUSHA and that KAALA PURUSHA is identified to be LORD SHIVA and SHIVA has both malevolent and benevolent aspects, or masculine and feminine aspects within himself. If I speak horoscopically, every human being has both male and female energies in himself, as Lagna stands for purusha shakti, or the vital force, or action orientation of the soul and 7th house stands for the feminine energy, or the dissipation of vital force or, manifestation of the soul. Apart from the mythological explanation about humans, we shall co-relate this thing with Jung’s (the famous psychoanalyst) analysis of ANIMA and ANIMUS in man and woman’s unconscious mind. anima is the female element in man and ANIMUS is the male element in a woman. The anima and animus are responsible for creating the image of the counterpart and this image is formed on the basis of inherent capacity to perceive about the opposite gender and the innate and latent craving of the individual. Astrologically, it is planetary disposition of planets in individual charts which decides about the inner bent of mind, or cravings, or capacity to perceive. Due to this capacity to form an image of our partner, we search for the most befitting one. Now, there can be several possibilities and all this is dependent on the horoscopic pattern of individuals. Some people search for a partner and get considerable fulfilment. Others make a search and get disappointments and end up with more and more cravings and the search continues. Some people, after failure, drop the idea of making further search in sheer disgust. So it is an individualistic phenomenon. Somehow, this is again a fact that two people having similar destiny meet on the path of life for exchanging good, or bad, according to the Karmic linkage, lingering from previous births. This Karmic linkage is depicted through the pivotal points of horoscopes, that is LAGNA AND MOON SIGNS and their lords and also 7th house and lord, when we consider 7th house as house of marriage for this birth. In my research work I have handled over two hundred cases of couples and applied hundreds of astro parameters on them. -Most effective linkage between marital partners has been found to be of connection of the 7th house/ lord, or interestingly the exaltation /debilitation points of the 7th lord with the pivotal points of the partner. -Only connectivity between moon signs in Rashi chart, or Navamsha will indicate the long term association under the same roof. - Mutual exchange, or connection of one’s ascdt. with moon sign of the partner. -Rahu Lagna has been calculated and connected with Rashi, or Lagna of the partner. Interestingly this Rahu Lagna link has been found either in low compatibility cases, or in very highly compatible couples and not in average compatibility. -Trinal linkage of Lagnas and moon signs, 7TH house and their lords denote partnerships on a happier note than others. -As Rahu stands for Karmic distribution and Ketu for Karmic imports, linkage of one’s Rahu with the partner’s benefic planets indicates positive developments in the association. But link of Ketu of one with partner’s planets gives the relationship, periods of gloominess, or separation, even there being strong affectional ties between them. Notable point in this factor is that the one having the nodes will be at the receiving end, be it for positive, or negative. - Placement of all planets and specifically mutual placement of 7th lords and ascdt. lords has to be favourable (on 1/7 axis, or trinal) for a peaceful alliance. -If Mars of wife (as indicator of male counterpart) and Venus of husband (as Karaka for female counterpart) is well connected in mutual horoscopes of couples either signwise, or house placementwise, it promotes mutual attraction between the partners. - Saturn and Ketu’s role has been found most disturbing in relationships, when these influence the 7th cusp, 7th lord, or natural Karakas Mars and Venus in any manner, either in individual horoscope, or in mutual horoscopic placement. - Placement of planets on 6-8 or 2-12 axis is found to decline the quality of relationship, where as the trinal or 1-7 axis of planets housewise enhances the quality of partnership. One most important thing to be borne in mind is that no two individuals can be completely compatible. We have to analyse the positive and negative aspects and calculate the percentage of compatibility for going ahead in this birth. As the general meaning of compatibility is regarded to be the fine tuning between two individuals, so that they can pass their lives together with ease and mutual goodwill, this fine tuning between two persons does not mean at all that they are complete and will have salvation too. We shall have to unfold the astrological and also spiritual points behind marriage and compatibility, so that it can pave the way for satiation of urges and feeling of fulfilment at individual level and only a satisfied person can think of attaining spiritual enhancement. If we are following the concept of siva and shakti, it explains how shakti gives motion to the static shiva Tatwa, thus helping the soul in experience, evolvement and exaltation. When KALIDAS in RAGHUVAMSA says that SIVA and SHAKTI are inseparable, if Shiva is fire and Shakti is heat of that fire, he meant that nothing will be found by exploring the outer people and the sole point is in understanding ourselves and our driving force, or shakti. The point is not in relating with outer partners and extracting a temporary feel of joy. Rather the need is to understand that outer partner is only a mode to communicate with the inner latent image of the unconscious, so that the inner voids are filled and sense of completeness achieved. The knowledge of shakthi can lead to salvation. Jiva when influenced by maya thinks that he is the doer, or enjoyer and identifies himself in physical terms. But through grace of shakti and through sadhana, or self culture, soul can free itself from all fetters, attain spiritual insight and merge with the supreme to be SATCHITAANANDA, where sat is truth, chit is Chetana, or consciousness and ananda is the ultimate bliss.