Understanding the Trikons in Vedic Astrology: Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha

The 12 houses of the horoscope are divided into the Dharma (duty) trikon houses 1, 5, and 9; the Artha (materialism) Trikon houses: 2, 6, and 10; the Kama (desire) Trikon houses: 3, 7, and 11, and the Moksha (spirituality) Trikon: 4, 8, and 12.

The Essence of Moksha: Liberation and Enlightenment in Astrology

In Sanskrit, the word 'Moksh' is everything that a spiritual seeker aspires for: it is the Ultimate Knowledge which frees us from the reincarnation cycle of birth-death-rebirth. It is the liberation of the eclipsed Sun and represents the complete balancing of karmic debts. Moksh means that the soul has experienced everything that is possible to be experienced including realizing its own true nature. It is the final understanding of the complete Universe.

In the birth chart, the houses 4, 8, and 12 are called the Moksh trikon, the triangle of release. The birth chart represents the path of a soul for one lifetime, thus the release in this limited sense of one lifetime, refers to simply the death of the physical body and the movement of the soul out of it. These three houses are used to predict the situation when the soul separates from the physical body. (whereas the timing of death is calculated using the lords of the 2nd and 7th houses). The main house of the body’s death is the 8th.

The 8th House: Transformation and the Moment of Death

The 8th house represents the moment of death for the body. This includes the reason, the place, method, and the environment in which the body dies. This transformation is naturally ruled by Mars and as a result, is fast, terrible, yet subtle and complete where no trace of the previous soul identity remains. It is powerful, secretive, and personal. Death, and its opposite birth, is so common but is unseen and unknown, and can only be experienced by the soul who is going through it. The 8th is also assets and wealth of the spirit that comes with death.

The 8th is the house of openings and the routes through which the soul travels to the astral plane (or naddi channel). The naadis are of different energy capacities. And the soul chooses that route which resonates with its energy. If it moves out through a higher energy route it will be reborn in a situation which will afford it better options for spiritual growth. For a normal mortal, the soul can exit through any one of the energy channels (or naadis). This choice of routes is offered to the soul at the moment of its departure. For the enlightened soul, who deserves Moksha, it leaves only through the brahma-randhra.

It is extremely important to remain aware at the moment of exit so that you can make full use of the energy of release – the energy generated by yourself. The next birth occurs as per the mental/emotional/spiritual state of the person at the moment of death. Denying or resisting this is equivalent to resisting yourself. Your soul is in the center of the energy spiral and your new life is being formed around you. Thus participating in this energy game without fear and with full confidence and awareness is essential.

The 12th House: Loss, Transition, and Astral Realities

This is the house of loss of the un-manifested. This house rules over the loss/reduction of everything that is visible and the increase of all that is invisible. It will reduce the vitality of the physical body, the conscious self, the waking state, the tangibles. It will enhance and expand the astral, the sub-conscious, sleep and dream state, and the unknown, the intangible.

This 12th is also the 5th as counted from the 8th house. The 5th house from anywhere is the expression of the intelligence and creativity of the matters of that house. So, the 12th house represents the intelligence and creativity of the psyche at the point of death. And the 12th is the house of loss. Thus the 12th represents the transition of the physical manifestation to the astral. The identity of the Matryalok, based on the physical appearance, social status, ego, self is all lost here. And the astral/spiritual identity of the Pitrulok is created.

We do this transition from physical to astral every night when we sleep, but here we return to the body when we wake up. But during death, the chakra and naadi system /electrical energy-vortices and channels of the body are permanently blasted open. The energy of the blast will power the permanent transition to the astral.

We are conditioned to think of death as a dark shock, a trauma, where an unwilling soul is forced out of the body. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. When the body dies the soul moves out of the body very systematically, in a natural process. The soul has completed the set of tasks it had laid out for itself as represented in the birth horoscope. If the 12th house, the sign/planets posted and aspecting are strong, the soul successfully and intelligently transitions and re-orients to the new realities of the astral. It utilises the energies operating at the moment of death completely, to choose the time to be spent in Pitrulok/astral world and the seeds of the identity and conditions of rebirth.

When a soul is ready to leave the body, his sub-consciousness plays before his conscious mind, a series of images from his stored karma. The soul intelligently chooses which image he wants to resolve in his next life. Thus, the imprint of the new next life is registered. This is the creative aspect of the 12th house in relation to death. The soul chooses from the several possibilities of the astral energies. A stable emotional and mental environment at this critical moment allows a better choice. Thus, spiritual aspirants, Yogis and Sadhus often leave their bodies when in meditation. During meditation, the mind is stable, and thus a new rebirth is the best possible option. If the meditation is absolute, the soul attains Moksha.

The 4th House: The Foundation of Rebirth and Ancestral Guidance

And now the third side of the Moksh trikon, the 4th house, the foundation. Let’s now count from the 8th house of death: the 4th is the 9th house from the 8th house of death. The 9th house counted from any house is one of paternal figures, ancestors, philosophies, rites, rituals, expression of ideologies and ceremonies associated with religion. So, the 4th house represents the guidance, ideology and rites associated with the act of body death.

The 4th house is one of the four foundation houses of the horoscope (the other three being the 1st, 7th and 10th house). This house is responsible for the wisdom that is available to the departing soul at this critical moment of death. Benefic planets, aspects and signs placed here allow the soul to receive protection, guidance and wisdom from the ancestors and guides who reside in the astral planes. This care-taking or sheltering support from the guides is very crucial as it will help you exercise your choice of regeneration better. This 4th house also determines the emotional stability and comfort level at the moment of body death. If the soul is relaxed it will be better able to adjust to its new existence and also bid adieu to its previous physical manifestation.

The funeral rites, cremations, and the mantras are very important as they create energies which propel the departing soul faster. Rituals have been designed by the ancient seers in such a way that every physical object used in the ritual resonates with its spiritual counterpart. There is no superstition. eg, the light of the lamp resonates with the light of ultimate enlightenment, the incense resonates with the prana energy etc.

The 4th is the house of bindings, thus your new identity of rebirth is bound to your soul here. The material, spiritual, social, emotional context of the new rebirth which you chose in the 12th house, at the moment of the 8th house is fixed in the 4th house.

The moment of release of the soul from its manifested physical body is the second most significant moment of the current life, the first being the moment of birth. So, during this process, the conscious will of the soul has to dominate over the vagaries of the mind. Thus, to really determine the success of this transition: the 4th, 8th and 12th houses counted from the birth moon also have to be analysed. Counting from the moon will give the emotional context if each house. How you feel about the matters of that house.

There is no point of knowing the exact moment of death, which predictive astrology will calculate, if you must. Rather, analyse your chart and be prepared to consciously use what will be offered to you. You always have a choice.

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