Planetary Year Rulership
The years presided over by each of the planets have distinct characteristics and effects on earthly events. According to Vedic astrology, when a planet rules over a year, month, or day, it brings forth specific conditions affecting agriculture, governance, prosperity, and the welfare of people.
Varahamihira describes these effects in detail, noting that the nature of the ruling planet - whether benefic or malefic - significantly influences the quality of life during that period.
Effects of Each Planet's Rulership
Sun
InauspiciousEffects during Sun's year, month, or day:
- Earth covered with very little crop
- Forests infested with voracious tusked animals
- Very little water flows in rivers
- Medicines do not show their usual potency
- Sun burns scorchingly even in winter
- Clouds, though big as mountains, do not pour sufficient rain
- Moon and stars lose their brilliance
- Groups of hermits and cattle languish
- Monarchs with irresistible forces go about destroying lands by war
Moon
AuspiciousEffects during Moon's year, month, or day:
- Sky covered with clouds resembling moving mountains
- Clouds fill the whole earth with pure water
- Water-sheets decked with lotuses and lilies
- Trees blossoming and bees humming in parks
- Cows yield abundant milk
- Charming ladies delight their lovers with amorous sports
- Kings rule over earth rich in wheat, paddy, barley, rice and sugarcane
- Towns and mines marked with sacrificial altars
- Great and small sacrifices resound throughout the land
Mars
InauspiciousEffects during Mars's year, month, or day:
- Violent fires roused by wind spread threatening to consume villages, forests and towns
- Crowds of men ruined by inroads of robbers
- People bereft of properties and cattle cry out throughout the land
- Clouds bulky in appearance but will not let loose much water
- Crops that grow in low-lying lands wither out
- Fruits forcibly taken away by robbers
- Kings do not attend whole-heartedly to governing duties
- Bilious diseases prevail
- Trouble from snakes
- Mankind afflicted by various calamities
Mercury
AuspiciousEffects during Mercury's year, month, or day:
- Men proficient in jugglery, enchantments and magic thrive
- Mines, townspeople, musicians, painters, accountants and military men prosper
- Kings desire to exchange beautiful things, cultivating friendship
- Rearing of cattle, trade and husbandry thrive through honesty
- Vedic studies in state of perfection
- Justice administered scrupulously by kings
- Some apply mind to Yoga Vidya, others to science of logic
- Jesters, envoys, poets, children, eunuchs, perfumers happy
- Those living near bridges, water and mountains happy
- Earth abounds in herbs
Jupiter
AuspiciousEffects during Jupiter's year, month, or day:
- Deep sounds of Vedic hymns in sacrifices go up to heaven
- Chanting delights hearts of Gods partaking of offerings
- Earth full of excellent crops
- Teeming with elephants, horses and foot soldiers
- Stored with wealth and large herds of cows
- Prosperous owing to protection of rulers
- People seem to vie with denizens of heaven
- Sky covered with numerous towering clouds that regale earth with water
- Earth blessed with plenty of corn and great prosperity
Venus
AuspiciousEffects during Venus's year, month, or day:
- Earth abounds in rice and sugarcane
- Surface filled with water poured by clouds resembling mountains
- Studded with tanks whose water is decked with beautiful lotuses
- Earth shines like damsel with limbs dazzling through fresh ornaments
- Kings smash mighty hosts of enemies
- Quarters resound with loud cries of victory
- Kings rule over earth rich in towns, mines and good people
- All bands of wicked persons annihilated
- In vernal season, young men drink wine with beloveds
- People sing melodiously to accompaniment of flute and lute
- Men dine with guests, friends and relatives
- Cries of victory of God of Love heard everywhere
Saturn
InauspiciousEffects during Saturn's year, month, or day:
- Country torn by many battles of unruly bands of robbers
- Deprived of cattle and properties
- Families cry piteously owing to murder of near and dear ones
- Oppressed by fell diseases and hunger
- Sky bereft of clouds being chased by wind
- Trees with branches broken down cover the earth
- Sky not illuminated by rays of Sun and Moon due to dense dust
- Tanks and lakes dry up
- Rivers become very shallow
- In some parts crops perish for want of water
- In others crops get on being watered by artificial means
- Rain-god yields but little rain
Modifying Factors
The effects of a planetary year are modified by the planet's condition and strength:
| Planetary Condition | Effect on Results |
|---|---|
| Planet is small, with faint rays | Will not give any good result |
| Planet posited in depression house | Will not give any good result |
| Planet overcome by another | Will not give any good result |
| Planet is big, with brilliance | Will confer great prosperity |
| Planet posited in good house | Will confer great prosperity |
| Planet victorious in war | Will confer great prosperity |
Combined Effects of Year and Month Lords
Both year lord and month lord are malefic
Evil effects will be aggravated in the particular month
Both year lord and month lord are benefic
Good effects will be heightened
One is good and the other is bad
The result will be trifling
Important Principles
- The same principles apply whether the planet rules over a year, month, or day.
- A planet's strength and dignity (exaltation, own sign, etc.) significantly affect the manifestation of results.
- When both the year lord and month lord are of the same nature (both benefic or both malefic), their effects are intensified.
- Mixed combinations (one benefic, one malefic) produce moderate or trifling results.
- The position of the planet in the sky (size, brilliance, house placement) modifies the predicted effects.