Gautam Buddha
Birth details 14th April 623 B.C. at about midday
Gautam Buddha birth chart –Gautam buddha
Lagna lord is immensely fortified. Both the Lagna and the Lagna lord are subject to the aspect of Mars. In Navamsa, Lagna lord Moon is in Aries. These dispositions conferred on the Buddha, great physical beauty and a magnetic personality. Because of the aspects of Venus, Mars and Jupiter on Lagna lord, He was handsome, fair in colour, stately to behold and of majestic mien. Aristocrat by birth He was at home with all—kings, princes, warriors and beggars—a characteristic largely due to birth in the constellation of Visakha. Mercury the planet of humour is in a benefic sign, otherwise unafflicted. The royal planet the Sun is exalted in the 10th. Consequently, His dignity was unshakable and His humour, invariable. The Moon, ruling mind, is no doubt aspected by five planets, of which, the most powerful aspect is cast by Saturn. Mars in his own sign and Saturn debility have rendered each other’s association harmless. Consequently, the Moon’s peculiar position rendered him in infinitely patient and moved Him to anxious and puzzled reflection on the true purpose of life.
scholars have either deliberately ignored or unconsciously overlooked the astronomical and traditional factors bearing on the date of Buddha’s birth. My friend, Mr. Cyrus D. F. Abayakoon of Ceylon, has furnished me with important details as current in Ceylonese tradition. He says that according to palm leaves in possession of certain Ceylonese Priests, the Buddha was born in Kaliyuga 2478, on the Full Moon day of the lunar month of Vaisakha, Tuesday, at about midday. In the sloka cited by him the weekday is clearly given as Kshitisutha divasa, i.e., Tuesday, Kaliyuga 2478, Vaisakha Sukla Purnima corresponds to 26th April 624 B.C. but the weekday happens to be Friday. Moreover the planetary positions obtaining on this day (the Sun 40° 36′; the Moon 211° 48′; Mars 141° 12′; Mercury 62° 24′ ; Jupiter 344° 30′; Venus 72° 48′; Saturn 13° 6′; Rahu 105° 18′) do not fit in with the great personality of the Buddha. But on Venus, away from Mars and within close range of Jupiter, protected the Buddha from sensuous feeling and enjoyment. The 7th lord Saturn is not only neecha but is considerably afflicted by his conjunction with Mars—both occupying the 7th from Chandra Lagna. This explains the affliction of Kalatrabhava and want of happiness, in the conventional sense of the term, on this account. The lord of Lagna Moon—karaka for the mind—in the constellation of Jupiter—the divine planet-occupying the Navamsa of Mars, gave Him an iron will, a strong determination and the urge to undiscouraged action. But for such resoluteness of purpose, He would not have subjected Himself to mortification and servere forms of ascetic penances for a period of six years till He found more successful clues to understanding.
the Full Moon day of Vaisakha of Kali 2479 (623 B.C.) the weekday happens to be Tuesday which confirms the traditional data. Mr. Abaya-koon informs me that according to a Buddha Gaya inscription (asquoted by Mr. M.N. Sastri in his book Lord Buddha, His Life, Teaching andOrder Buddha’s death occurred in B.C 544 and that this is supported by other sources. By all accounts Buddha lived for 80 years. This means that His birth should have occurred in 024 B.C. Here I should like to caution readers that some confusion is bound to occur in reckoning B.C. years fox Kaliyuga dates. There is no B.C. ‘0’ or A.D. ‘0’ in the Roman Calendar and in consequence all B C. datings are generally in error by one year. For example the Kaliyuga actually commenced 3101 years before Christ, but for conventional usage we would write it as 3102 B.C. As most historians and astronomers may not be aware of this, it is possible an error of one year in the B.C. datings are likely. Hence even in regard to Buddha’s date of birth, an error of one year may have crept in the reckoning. Having due regard to historical, astronomical and traditional factors, I am inclined to believe that the Buddha was born on the Full Moon day of the lunar month of Vaisakha, Kali 2479, Tuesday, corresponding to 14th April 623 B.C. The horoscope .of the Buddha for thisBuddha’s nobility, serenity and the deep compassion He felt for all are due as much to the blessings of Amala Yoga, as His ascetic denial of the body’s demands in extreme form are due to the presence of Pasa Yoga. The most formidable combinations in this horoscope refer to the 10th house or Karmasthana, The Sun lord of the 2nd, who also happens to be Atmakaraka, is elevated in the 10th. Mars as lord of the 5th with Saturn as lord of the 7th ; Mars as lord of the 10th in association with Jupiter lord of the 9th ; Venus as lord of the 4th in association with Mars as lord of the 5th ; Venus as lord of the 4th in association with Jupiter lord of the 9th—have given rise to a series of powerful Rajayogas—all converging their influences on the 10th from Lagna and the 7th from the Moon who happens to be Lagna lord.
date has been calculated by four independent sources, viz., Mr. F. C. Dutt, Mr. Cyril Fagan, Mr. L. Narayana Rao and myself and the positions of planets arrived at, according to these four different sources, more or less tally with perhaps a slight difference of a degree or two.
Mr. Fernando of Panadura has suggested that in the Kskayar Nadi, the date of Buddha’s birth has been given as “Sunday, 15th day of the first half of lunar month Vaisakha, Kaliyuga 2478, at Gh. 11—4”, the Sun to Saturn, in the order of the weekdays occupying respectively, Taurus, Libra, Capricorn, Aries, Virgo, Pisces and Aquarius. It will be seen that the weekday happens to be Friday and not Sunday. Moreover the planetary positions are all incorrectly given. Hence we can safely reject this horoscope. For the information of those who may differ from my view and assume that the Buddha was born in 557 B.C. or 543 B C. or 1887 B.C. I give the planetary positions for the Full Moon of the lunar month Vaisakha for each of these years.
10-3-1887 B.C .Tuesday at Noon.—The Sun 4° 54′; the Moon 178° 6′; Mars 358° 24′; Mercury 340° 30′; Jupiter 158° 12′; Venus 23° 24′; Saturn 46° 48′; and Rahu 75° 38′.Gnanakaraka Jupiter and the philosophical planet Saturn— both together again constituting another Rajayoga—gave Him unexcelled philosophical power. He had annihilated sensuous passions and led a life of immaculate purity, results undoubtedly due to the sublime effects of Jupiter over Venus. Rahu’s presence in the 12th—Mokshasthana—in the constellation of the Moon—made the Buddha a philosophic genius while His intellectual eminence is due to the Upachaya disposition of Mercury.
Important Events. – In his 16th year, Gautama was married to Yasodhara. This took place as soon as Sani Dasa commenced. Mark the fact that Saturn owns the 7th from Lagna and the 5th from Chandra Lagna with the lord of the 7th Mars and Kalatrakaraka Venus. Till the end of the sub-period of Mars in Saturn Dasa—by virtue of their position in the 7th, Gautama grew amid scenes of luxury with their constant stimulations to self-centered indulgence but always protected by His father from learning about the frustrations and sorrows of life. But as soon as Rahu Bhukti commenced-and I must emphasize here the presence of Rahu in the 12th or Mokshasthana—in His 2’9th year, Buddha, on the day of the birth of His son Rahula, made the great renunciation. He left His young wife and child end wandered into the forest, For six years thereafter, i.e., during the sub-period of Jupiter in Saturn Dasa and the sub-period of Mercury in his own Mercury Dasa, He went through all
4-4-557 B.C., Friday at Noon.—The Sun 21°’; the Moon 197° 5′; Mars 40° 36′; Mercury 30° 36′; Jupiter 206° 12′; Venus 35°; Saturn 115° 6′ ; and Rahu 243° 17′.
1-4-543 B.C., Friday at Noon—The Sun 18° 36′; the Moon 204° 51′ ; Mars 179° 48′; Mercury 38° 8′; Jupiter 279° 6′; Venus 335° 24′; Saturn 286° 18′; and Rahu 339° 30′.the experiences of Hatha Yoga and not satisfied with the outcome. He decided on meditation. In his 35th year, in Mercury Dasa, Mercury Bhukti, sitting under the Bodhi tree, on the Full Moon day of Vaisakha, He is said to have attained enlightenment. Mercury as lord of the 12th—Mokshsathana—is in the constellation of Lagnadhipathi. In the Navamsa he occupies the 5th with exalted Jupiter, lord of Navamsa Lagna. Under the same directional influences He preached His first sermon of the “sweetly reasonable middleway” which lies “between two extremes of sensuality and mortifications”.
It was in Venus Dasa that his triumphant spiritual conquest of the land took place, Venus is fully empowered to confer this great Rajayoga, by virtue of his association with Jupiter. During Venus Dasa, the Master moved from place to place organising and spreading His doctrines and organising the expansion of the order. As soon as Mars Bhukti in the Sun’s Dasa commenced, the Buddha was taken ill. He recovered from His illness. At the age of 80, He passed away with the words : “Decay is inherent in all compound things. Work out your own salvation with diligence.” Buddha’s death took place at the end of Mars Bhukti in the Sun’s Dasa. It will be seen that the Sun is a distinct maraka not only as lord of the 2nd but also as associating the lord of the 7th. The sub-lord Mars owns the 2nd and 7th from Chandra Lagna and occupies the 7th therefrom with the major lord. The Buddha knew about His end which was peaceful. This is explained by the fact that the 22nd drekkana has reference to a benefic sign.
Remarks.—Five planets in the 10th—both by Rasi and Bhava—bring out the dynamic personality of the Buddha. The grouping together of these five planets within an arc of twenty-three degrees, has resulted in a number of Rajayogas as wellas Parivraja Yoga, giving us a clear insight into the real achievements of the Master. Buddha never preached anything hostile to Hinduism. He was a Hindu of Hindus. Buddhism is not a new religion but it is just an offshoot of Hinduism, or rather a part of Hinduism just as Saivism or Vaishnavism is.
What the Buddha has said has been mostly delivered from the luminous and inspiring thoughts contained in the Upani-shads. Consistent with the peculiar structure of His horoscope, the Buddha’s concern was to free human life from the net of overwrought metaphysics as much as from superfluous ritualism.
Gnanakaraka Jupiter, Mokshakaraka Saturn, and Atma-karaka the Sun in Karmasthana (10th) must suggest to any tyro in astrology that Buddha could never have denied either God or soul. Buddha accepted “as essentially sound, the concepts of Dharma, Karma and Moksha, although after Buddha, His disciples, indulged freely in subjecting to harsh criticism, some of the basic doctrines of Hinduism”. Hindus acclaim the Buddha as an Avatar of Vishnu and if at all philosophers like Sankara have only criticised some of the Buddhistic doctrines as interpreted by subsequent Buddhist scholars, the Buddha had always remained as sacred and sublime as any other Avatar of Vishnu. The goal of the Hindu was union with Brahman, which was transformed rather than rejected by Buddha, into Nirvana.
The fact that Buddha accepted the basic features of Hinduism like Karma, Samsara, Moksha (or Nirvana) clearly indicates the degree to which His thinking was embedded in the heritage of Upanishads. The five-planet grouping taken as a whole constitutes Gola Yoga, a combination which is said to cause great upheavals, when present in national horoscopes. In an individual horoscope, such a yoga renders one capable ofstupendous achievement. The Buddha made available to all men the wisdom of the Maharshis, in a different garb by laying stress on practical ethical life. The Sun in this horoscope is strong par excellence, not only as natural Atmakaraka, but also by longitudinal position and his exalted situation must give the clue to the depth of Attnashakti possessed by the Buddha.
Summing up, the horoscope of the Buddha is ideally disposed bringing into relief His qualities, mental and moral, and His attainments, intellectual and spiritual. He was a pioneering lover of men and a radiant personality, arousing in His followers affectionate devotion. By His immense sacrifice and by His great renunciation He has left an indelible impression upon India and upon the teachings of India’s great Maharshis.