Longevity : a Vedic Approach

UNIQUENESS OF THIS BOOK: The book is a study of about 225 natives who had lived and died in different countries at different time, at different age and of different causes, applying known tools of astrology. The book is an attempt to help clear some mist and enable to have a better judgement of longevity. Detailed Analysis of 60 horoscopes @ five per Lagna-two each of long & medium life and one of short life with another 150 charts @ 12/ 13 charts per Lagna and their anaysis. The correct judgement of longevity is highly complex, but is equally important and sought after. "Knowing longeity is difficult even for Gods", said sage Parashar. Any prediction made without considering it may make the prediction a laughing stock of both the astrologer and astrology. The correct judgement of longevity has always been a mystery. From time immemorial to unravel the mystery of longevity has attracted the attention of one and all. Decades, centuries, ages have passed, still there remains unaccountable mystery to unfold, but man's endless pursuits have never relented. It is highly complex to judge the longevity, but it is equally important and sought after. Any prediction made without considering it, may make the prediction a laughing stock of both astrology and the astrologer. The greatest responsibility or test of an astrologer is the proper judgement of longevity. The time span between birth and death of a native is normally called as his longevity. The time span between birth and death of a native is called his longevity. Longevity and death are not the same but are closely related. However it is not yet clear what death is. Let us first understand what death is. There is vast literature on the subject. Doctors say when heart stops functioning, one is dead and when brain stops functioning, it is called brain-death. Our scriptures have given at various places different definitions of death, viz. "When honour and status is lost, one is dead" or "When hope and faith is lost, one is dead" or "A person is living dead when he is socially or mentally humiliated" or "A coward dies many times in his life." Most of the astrologers say that death and death like problems (Mrityu Tulya Kastha) are almost same. In Mahabharata, at three different occasions, Lord Krishna had advised Pandavas to inflict such punishments to the culprits, which was not physical end of their life, but was considered equivalent to death. The victim/ beneficiary in each of these cases were Jayadrath, brother-in-law of Duryodhan, Yudhister, the eldest among Pandavas and Ashwasthama, son of Guru Dronacharya. In our astrological treatises, 8th house has been assigned to longevity. Nature and place of death are also ascribed to it by many astrologers. But it is a mute question whether it denotes death as well? It is worth pondering how complete and competent figure of "8" which cuts down even a zero(0)to two halves can denote death. In early Greek Astrology, we had Octotopos-eight houses only in a horoscope. In course of times, (Dodakatopos) 12 houses were introduced, but the original allotment of 8th house to death remained unchanged. Why should 12th house be not termed as death? The arguments against the 8th house are too many to ignore as mentioned in succeeding Para. An attempt is made in this book to address all such issues.