In Pursuit of Moksha
Yesterday, I met a Chartered Accountant who spoke to me about his upcoming Ketu Dasha. Interestingly, he also knew the basics of Astrology. Perhaps this was natural, because Mercury and Jupiter, the governing planets play important roles in both astrology and accountancy. For a Chartered Account the Sun will be strongly connected to their 10th house factors because they work closely with the Government because of the tax calculation. For an Astrologer Saturn may the reason why they discuss about Karma all the time.
He had been practising meditation for many years. He told me that, nowadays, he was no longer following many of the spiritual practices recommended when he was first initiated at his favourite ashram.
During my previous visits, I had always noticed a calendar bearing the photograph of his Guru hanging on the wall. This time, it was missing. When I enquired about it, he explained that the painters had removed it while painting the house and that it had not yet been put back.
He appeared troubled by his own spiritual neglect. He felt that he had slowly moved away from the discipline with which he had once begun his journey.
Then he asked me about his forthcoming Ketu Dasha.
“I want to give up everything—my phone, my house and my profession—and simply walk away,” he said. “Do you think this will be possible during my Ketu Dasha?”
His question remained in my mind.
Can we attain Moksha merely by walking away from everything? Is the desire to abandon our family, profession and possessions genuine detachment—or is it another form of escape? Does Ketu remove our worldly attachments, or does it expose the dissatisfaction already hidden within us?
Does one’s Prarabdha Karma permit complete renunciation, or is the desire to give up everything simply the soul’s yearning to return to its original state—untouched and undisturbed by the mind?
This incident prompted me to write this article.
Most discussions about Moksha revolve around Enlightened Masters, Great Sages and Yogis, Monks and Buddha-like personalities. But what does Moksha mean to a common man—someone with a family, a profession, financial responsibilities, desires, disappointments and unfinished duties?
Must we give up everything in order to find freedom, or will our Karma determine when true renunciation becomes possible?
This is an article about that pursuit.
Are you beginning to wonder what reply I gave the Chartered Accountant. To each person, I give specific answers that is easy to understand. So I chose to speak about this from the angle of a Bank, Banking, Loans and Deposits.
Moksha Is Like Closing a Bank Account
Imagine that I have a bank account and decide that I no longer need it. I walk into the bank and confidently announce: “Please close my account.” The banker checks the records and replies: “You cannot close it yet. You have a huge outstanding loan.”
This is similar to a person asking for Moksha while carrying considerable unresolved Karma.
The Bank Will Not Forget Its Loan
The banker may tell me:
“First, repay what you borrowed. Until the entire loan is cleared, we cannot close your account. You may go anywhere you wish, but the debt will follow you. We even have collection agents who will find you.”
Karma operates in much the same way. We may leave our profession, family, house and possessions. We may change our name, wear saffron robes or retreat to the Himalayas. But we cannot walk away from the consequences of our previous actions.
The collection agents of Karma may appear as people, relationships, illnesses, losses, responsibilities or recurring situations; in the horoscope, the planets act as those agents, delivering the results of our past actions. Through prayer, we may appeal to the Bank Manager—God—for more time, easier repayment terms or even a partial waiver. But even if the Bank Manager (GOD) is our closest friend, He cannot simply close an account while the karmic loan remains unpaid.
We may run away from one person, only to encounter the same problem through someone else. The faces change, but the karmic demand remains. First marriage failed, then what about the 2nd one?
The EMI of Prarabdha Karma
When clients ask me, “Will I attain Moksha in this birth?” I sometimes feel that they are asking, “Can I close my karmic account now?”
After examining the horoscope, the answer may be: “You still have many EMIs to pay.”
In a bank, a large loan may require many years of repayment. In the journey of the soul, an enormous karmic liability may require many births. What we experience in the present life forms part of the Prarabdha Karma already released for repayment.
The person may be exhausted by suffering and desperately want freedom from the bank. But the desire to escape from debt does not cancel the debt. In fact, it may be the burden of the unpaid Karma—not genuine enlightenment—that creates the sudden urge to abandon everything.
Even a Positive Balance Keeps the Account Open
Suppose there is another person with no outstanding loan. Instead, there is a large deposit in the account. Can that account be closed immediately?
No. The balance must first be withdrawn.
This represents accumulated Punya Karma. Good Karma may bring wealth, comfort, loving relationships, recognition, authority and enjoyable experiences. These may appear desirable, but they also connect the soul to worldly life. The person must receive or consciously surrender the fruits of those actions before the account can finally reach zero. This is the Story of Prince Siddharth. This being has accumulated so much money in the bank, called Punya - The merits from past life that is always reflected in the horoscope through the 5th house and the 9th house.
Bad Karma binds us through suffering. Good Karma can bind us through pleasure. One may resemble an iron chain and the other a golden chain—but both can keep us connected to the world.
Moksha is not reached merely when our debts disappear. The final balance itself must become zero.
No Loans, No Deposits and No New Transactions
To close a karmic account, there must be no unpaid loans, no unclaimed deposits and, most importantly, no fresh transactions constantly being created. This does not necessarily mean that a person must physically abandon worldly life. It means performing one’s duties without greed, hatred, possessiveness or attachment to the results.
Otherwise, even while repaying old Karma, we continue borrowing again. I know many people who borrow to pay back a loan. We pay one EMI and immediately take another loan.
True renunciation is therefore not merely walking away from one’s house. It is ceasing to create fresh bondage through our thoughts, intentions and actions.
Where Are the Debts Shown in the Horoscope?
A horoscope may help us understand the nature of our karmic liabilities. The 6th, 8th and 12th houses are especially important when examining debts, difficulties, hidden Karma, suffering, loss and release. A concentration of planets in these houses does not automatically prove punishment or deny Moksha, but it may reveal areas in which significant karmic work remains unfinished.
The houses 6, 8 or 12 is not the only clues. Every dosha in the horoscope indicates our loans. Every positive yoga in the horoscope indicates the deposits.
The positions of Rāhu and Ketu also deserve careful examination, particularly when they influence the 2nd, 8th or 12th houses. The 2nd concerns family, accumulated resources and inherited values. The 8th reveals hidden Karma, transformation and obligations that cannot easily be avoided. The 12th represents loss, surrender, separation and ultimate release.
However, no single placement should be interpreted in isolation. The sign, house lord, conjunctions, aspects, divisional charts and running Dasha must all be studied before reaching a conclusion.
Rāhu Borrows; Ketu Wants to Close the Account
Symbolically, Rāhu behaves like the customer who continues borrowing because he wants to experience more. It creates hunger, attachment and unfinished desires. Ketu, at the opposite end of the karmic axis, becomes dissatisfied with the account itself and wants it closed.
But wanting to close an account is not the same as becoming eligible to close it.
Ketu may create detachment because a person has understood the limitations of worldly experience. But it may also create frustration, confusion or an urge to escape. The complete horoscope must reveal whether the person is moving towards genuine renunciation or merely running away from a difficult repayment period.
Understand the Account Before Asking for Closure
A person seriously concerned about Karma may consult a professional Astrologer who is well versed in both Astrology and karmic principles. The purpose should not be to receive a dramatic promise of Moksha.
It should be to understand:
What are my principal karmic obligations? Through whom or what must they be repaid? Which patterns am I repeatedly creating? What must I correct, accept, serve, forgive or surrender?
Afflictions involving Rāhu and Ketu can be particularly relevant because the lunar nodes symbolise bondage and release. Yet they must be interpreted responsibly. Labelling every difficulty a “curse” can create unnecessary fear. The objective is not to frighten the person but to identify the lesson and the appropriate corrective action.
How Many Births Are Left?
Just as death eventually comes to everyone, spiritual traditions teach that the soul must ultimately move towards liberation. The real mystery is not whether the journey will end, but how long we will keep the account active.
How many more desires will we convert into loans? How many karmic deposits will we insist on enjoying? How many new transactions will we create while attempting to settle the old ones?
Moksha is the final closure of the account—not because we have escaped from the bank, but because nothing remains to be collected, enjoyed, repaid or claimed.
The soul becomes free only when the karmic statement finally reads: No loans. No deposits. No balance. Account closed.
My answers to the Chartered Account is over. If you want more information you can read on. Some of you may have understood what I am trying to write in this article. If you know then there is no need to continue reading this article.
First the Mansion, Then Moksha
Let me tell you what happens during many of my consultations. The discussion usually begins with several worldly questions:
- “When will I become a millionaire?”
- “Is this a good time to buy a villa by the beach?”
- “What will happen to my relationship with my girlfriend?”
- “How much money will I make?”
- “Will I become the CEO?”
After expressing all these desires and ambitions, the client finally asks: “Is there a possibility of attaining Moksha? I really do not want another birth.”
This contradiction is deeply human. We want to experience everything the world can offer, but we do not want to return to face the consequences. It is like saying, “I want to get drunk tonight, but I do not want the hangover tomorrow.”
We want wealth, property, position, recognition and relationships, while simultaneously seeking freedom from the karmic attachments they may create. We want to hold the world tightly and still ask whether we can be released from it.
The Swamiji Who Walked Away
During the second week of June 2019, a group of seventeen of us went on a ten-day pilgrimage to Kedarnath, Varanasi and several nearby sacred places. During that journey, I met many saffron-clad Swamijis. Whenever I saw one of them—with long hair, a flowing beard and very few possessions—I felt compelled to speak to him and understand what he was actually doing there.
For many years, I had been reading about Moksha and the lives of the Buddha, Ramana Maharishi and other enlightened masters. A part of me wanted to emulate them. Naturally, I was curious about those who had apparently renounced worldly life.
I remember speaking to one particular Swamiji. “Where are you from?” I asked. “Andhra Pradesh,” he replied.
When I asked why he had left everything behind, he spoke openly about his life. “My life had become very difficult. There was too much unhappiness. My married life was destroyed because my wife was having an affair. My children were disobedient. So, I left home.”
His answer made me wonder: Had he renounced worldly life after attaining spiritual understanding, or had he walked away because he could no longer bear its difficulties?
While we were speaking, a man approached him and handed him a five-hundred-rupee note. The Swamiji accepted the money and gave him a small packet wrapped in newspaper.
After the man had left, I asked the Swamiji what the packet contained. “Ganja,” he replied.
I offered him five hundred rupees and asked for a packet. Let me give you the background of my request. From time to time, I had wondered whether ganja could alter my consciousness or deepen my meditative state. I had already been initiated into Transcendental Meditation during my association with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram, and I occasionally experienced deep states of meditation. Out of curiosity, I wondered whether ganja would intensify such an experience.
The Swamiji refused to give it to me. I offered him more money, but he still refused. “Why will you not give it to me?” I asked. He looked at me and said, “I feel that I should not give this to you.”
For years, I have wondered why he refused. If he was interested only in money, why did he not accept mine? Was there still an inner voice guiding him? Did he perceive something about me that made him feel he should protect me from that experience?
I was left with a question that had no simple answer. Was he a genuine Swamiji who had renounced the world, or an unhappy man who had escaped from the hardships of his hometown and found refuge in the Himalayas? Perhaps he was neither completely one nor the other. Like most human beings, he may have been a complicated mixture of suffering, weakness, conscience and spiritual yearning.
Although curiosity arose in my mind that day, the Swamiji firmly refused to give me the packet, even when I offered him more money. Perhaps the experience was never meant for me. To this day, I have never experimented with ganja or any other drug; whatever deeper states of consciousness I have experienced have come only through meditation.
The Prince Who Had Nothing to Escape From
According to Buddhist tradition, Prince Siddhartha was not driven from the palace by marital failure, poverty, humiliation, or an inability to meet his responsibilities. He was living a highly protected and luxurious life. He was married to Yaśodharā and had a son, Rāhula.
What disturbed him was something deeper: the discovery that no amount of wealth, comfort, family life, or royal power could protect anyone from suffering.
Tradition says that when he travelled beyond the protected environment of the palace, he encountered the Four Sights:
- An old man
- A sick person
- A dead body
- A wandering ascetic
The first three revealed the inevitability of ageing, sickness, and death. The fourth suggested that there might be a path beyond suffering. This awakened an existential sadness in him—but it was not merely personal unhappiness. It was a profound concern about the condition of all human beings.
The early Buddhist discourse known as the Ariyapariyesana Sutta presents his motivation more philosophically. Siddhartha realised that while he himself was subject to birth, ageing, illness, sorrow, and death, he was pursuing things that were equally impermanent. He therefore began what he called the Noble Search—the search for that which is beyond ageing and death.
So, was he going through sadness? Yes—but not in the ordinary sense of a man trying to escape an unhappy life. His sadness arose from seeing the unavoidable suffering hidden beneath even the most comfortable life.
The Swamiji left because his worldly life had become painful. Prince Siddhartha left despite having every worldly comfort. One may have been moving away from suffering; the other was searching for the root of suffering itself.
The Buddha and His son Rahula
In the year 1980, in the library of Loyola College where I did my bachelor's in science, I happened to read many books on Buddha. Those days I did not know Astrology. Even then I was wondering about the word Rahula. What does it mean? After I came to learn astrology, I know it is connected to Rahu the snake in our horoscopes.
Rāhula is traditionally interpreted as “fetter,” “bond,” “obstacle,” or “impediment.”
According to the Pāli tradition, when Prince Siddhartha was informed of his son’s birth, he is said to have remarked: Rāhulo jāto, bandhanaṃ jātaṃ. “A Rāhula has been born; a bond has arisen.”
The child represented a powerful emotional bond that could hold Siddhartha back from renunciation. Therefore, the name is commonly understood as referring to a fetter on his path towards liberation.
Let me give you some background. Just before Prince Siddhartha renounced the world, his wife Yasodhara gave birth to a son. According to legend, when the birth was announced to the Prince, he said, “A fetter (Rahula) has been born, a bondage has been born,” and this is how the boy got his name.
It is more likely that he was named after a lunar eclipse (rahu) that might have occurred around the time of his birth. Either way, the birth of this child only served to make Prince Siddhartha’s desire to escape from what had become for him a golden cage, even more difficult. On the evening he had finally decided to leave, the Buddha peered into the royal bedchamber to take one last look at his sleeping wife and child, but the mother’s arm obscured the child’s face.
Rāhula: The Bond Created by the Shadow Planets
As an Astrologer, I would interpret the name Rāhula through the symbolism of Rāhu and Ketu in the horoscope. These two shadow planets represent the karmic axis along which the soul travels through repeated births.
Rāhu represents desire, fascination, ambition and attachment. It keeps us reaching for experiences that we have not yet completed. Every unfulfilled desire creates another reason to return. In this sense, Rāhu creates the bonds that keep the soul connected to worldly existence.
The serpent appears as a powerful symbol even in the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It awakens desire, temptation and the longing to experience what has been forbidden. From an astrological perspective, this symbolism closely resembles the nature of Rāhu.
Ketu, being the opposite point of the same karmic axis, represents separation, detachment and release. Rāhu binds us to experience; Ketu gradually breaks those bonds. This is why Ketu is associated with renunciation, Sannyasa and spiritual liberation. It is traditionally known as the Moksha Karaka—the significator of liberation.
Therefore, Rāhula need not be understood merely as Siddhartha’s son becoming an obstacle. The name may symbolically represent the karmic bond itself. The child was not the bondage; Siddhartha’s attachment to the child was the bond.
Rāhu creates the desire to enter worldly experience. Ketu creates the desire to be released from it. One binds the soul to the cycle of birth; the other points towards freedom.
Yet Rāhu and Ketu cannot be completely separated. They are two ends of the same serpent and two stages of the same journey. Only after worldly experiences have been understood can genuine detachment arise. Rāhu creates the hunger for experience; Ketu reveals its emptiness.
The Mysterious Number 4
As an Astrologer, I cannot overlook the repeated appearance of the number 4 in the life and teachings of the Buddha. In numerology, 4 is associated with Rāhu—the shadow planet of desire, dissatisfaction, illusion, unconventional thinking and the restless search for something beyond ordinary life.
Prince Siddhartha’s spiritual awakening began with the Four Sights: old age, sickness, death and a wandering ascetic. After becoming the Buddha, the foundation of his teaching became the Four Noble Truths. Was this repetition of four merely a coincidence, or does it carry a deeper symbolic meaning?
Hindu philosophy also rests upon several important groups of 4. There are 4 Vedas —Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva.
Human life is guided by the 4 Purusharthas—Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. Significantly, Moksha is the fourth and final goal.
Life is also divided into the 4 Ashramas—Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sannyasa—with the fourth stage representing complete renunciation.
The connection becomes even more fascinating when we remember that Siddhartha’s son was named Rāhula, a name traditionally connected with bondage, obstruction and Rāhu. Rāhu creates the hunger for worldly experience, but that same dissatisfaction can eventually compel a person to search beyond the material world through Ketu.
Perhaps this is the mystery of number 4. It first confronts us with the incompleteness of worldly life and then directs us towards the fourth and final pursuit—Moksha through Ketu.
The Significance of Number 4 and the 4th
- The 4 Sights of Prince Siddhartha: Old age, sickness, death and a wandering ascetic.
- The 4 Noble Truths: Suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering and the path leading to its cessation.
- The 4 Vedas: Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda.
- The 4 Purusharthas: Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha
- The 4th Purushartha: Moksha is the 4th and ultimate goal, following Dharma, Artha and Kama.
- The 4 Ashramas: Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sannyasa.
- The 4th Ashrama: Sannyasa is the final stage, associated with renunciation and liberation.
- Rāhu and the Number 4: In Indian numerology, the number 4 is associated with Rāhu—the planet of desire, dissatisfaction, illusion and unconventional experience. Rahu rules bondage, addictions and clinging.
- Rāhula and Bondage: The name of Siddhartha’s son is traditionally interpreted as a bond, fetter or obstruction and is also symbolically connected with Rāhu.
- The 4 Directions: North, South, East and West —representing the entire worldly field through which human life moves. The West is where the Sun sets symbolising renunciation.
- The 4 Stages Seen in the Buddha’s Journey: Encountering suffering, questioning life, renouncing worldly comfort and attaining enlightenment.
Ketu and the Number 7
In Vimshottari Dasha, Ketu rules for 7 years. Therefore, number 7 is traditionally associated with Ketu in Indian numerology. Most people who are spiritually inclined anxiously wait for their Ketu Dasha. For those who are not spiritually inclined then Ketu is the time when the maximum problems are to be expected.
Ketu signifies detachment, separation, introspection, spiritual knowledge, Sannyasa and Moksha. Interestingly, number 7 also repeatedly appears in spiritual and philosophical traditions:
Ketu Mahadasha lasts 7 years.
7 Chakras represent stages in the awakening of consciousness.
7 Rishis—the Saptarishis represent supreme spiritual wisdom.
7 Lokas represent the higher planes of existence. Actually the state of the mind.
7 Sapta Nadi.
7 days of the week represent a complete cycle of time. The world runs on this.
7 visible planets formed the foundation of ancient planetary systems. Rahu and Ketu excluded
7 horses of Surya symbolise the movement of light and consciousness.
7 births are commonly mentioned in Indian tradition when speaking about karmic relationships.
7th house represents marriage and partnership—the worldly bonds from which Ketu can create detachment.
7th sign, Libra, concerns relationship because Libra is ruled by Venus the Karaka graha for marriage.
The Serpent: A Symbol of Desire, Karma and Bondage
In Astrology, we repeatedly encounter Sarpa Śāpa—the curse of the serpent. The serpent also appears in the story of Adam and Eve and in the death of King Parikshit. Can these stories be intelligently related to Rāhu and the karmic bondage shown in a horoscope?
I believe they can—but symbolically, not by claiming that every serpent appearing in every tradition has exactly the same meaning.
In the Garden of Eden, the serpent awakens temptation. Adam and Eve desire what has been forbidden, act upon that desire and consequently lose their original state of innocence. Desire leads to action; action produces consequences; and consciousness becomes bound to a different condition of existence. Reference : Genesis 3
King Parikshit placed a dead snake around the neck of a meditating sage in a moment of anger and disrespect. That single action returned to him as Karma: the sage’s son cursed him to die from the bite of Takshaka within 7 days. Here, the serpent did not create the Karma; it became the instrument through which his own action returned to him.
The same symbolism appears in Astrology. Rāhu is the serpent’s head—the part that desires, consumes and reaches endlessly for experience. Because it has no body or stomach, it can swallow but can never feel satisfied. Desire produces action, action produces Karma, and unresolved Karma creates the necessity for further experience.
This is how Rāhu can be understood as a symbol of bondage and repeated birth.
Ketu is the remaining body of the serpent. Being headless, it has no mouth with which to demand more. It represents separation, disillusionment and release from the desires that Rāhu creates. Therefore, Rāhu binds, while Ketu points towards liberation.
The Monkey That Would Not Let Go
There is an old story about how hunters catch a monkey. They make a small opening in a hollow tree and place a walnut inside. The opening is just large enough for the monkey’s empty hand to enter.
Attracted by the walnut, the monkey reaches inside and grabs it. But once its hand closes around the walnut, the fist becomes too large to pass through the opening. The monkey pulls, struggles and cries, but it cannot free itself.
The solution is astonishingly simple: release the walnut.
Yet the monkey refuses. Even when it sees the hunter approaching, it continues to hold on. The hunter does not really trap the monkey—the monkey’s attachment to the walnut traps it.
Strangely, once the hunter catches the monkey, it releases the walnut, its fist opens and its hand comes out easily. But by then, it is too late.
This is also the story of human bondage. We hold tightly to wealth, property, relationships, position, recognition, anger and unfulfilled desires. At the same time, we pray for freedom. We blame Karma, the planets and the world for imprisoning us, without noticing what remains firmly held inside our own fist.
Horoscope and Misconceptions about Moksha
Ketu in the 12th house - Automatic Moksha
Many people who have studied Astrology—or followed it for many years—believe that Ketu in the 12th house automatically grants Moksha, meaning freedom from rebirth. It is one of the most frequently repeated statements in popular Astrology. But is it really true?
This places an Astrologer in a difficult position. During an in-person consultation at my office, a client may ask, “Sir, did you notice that Ketu is in my 12th house? Does that not mean I will attain Moksha? Many Astrologers before you have already promised me liberation.”
How should an Astrologer respond? I should neither discourage the person’s spiritual aspiration nor confirm something that cannot be truthfully guaranteed from a single planetary placement.
Therefore, I usually explain:
“The Maharishis have not given you a certificate confirming Moksha. They have given you an invitation to become more spiritual, lead a righteous life and perform noble deeds.”
We all know that Ketu in the 12th house alone cannot guarantee Moksha. Let me tell the logic. There are 12 houses and Ketu got to be in one of the 12 houses. So 1/12th of the world's population should be granted "Automatic Moksha".
The misunderstanding happened because most people have not understood from where should you count the houses. From Ascendant or something else?
There is a Sign in your Horoscope which is called Karakamsha. This is a factor linked to your Atmakaraka Graha.
How can we talk about Salvation without mentioning Atma Karaka - AK planet in your horoscope. This is the planet that has the highest degree in your horoscope. This planet has to be placed in a sign in the D-9 (Navamsa) Chart. Note that zodiac sign. That sign in your D-1 chart becomes the Karakamsha.
Most softwares will let you know which planet is your AK Planet. This information is available on our website : www.astrologyekdk.com
Let us examine what the Bhrigu Sūtram says. In its description of Rāhu or Ketu in the 12th house, the commonly available translation gives a surprisingly different result:
“The native will have few children, suffer from eye troubles and go to an unfavourable state after death.”
The translation commonly renders the final part more severely as “will go to hell after death.” Bhrigu Sūtram—Rāhu or Ketu in the 12th house. Actually hell and heaven is a state of rebirth, if heaven, then one will take birth in a happy family where life is a celebration, if hell, one may be born in very difficult situation where life is a nightmare. Have you not noticed this in this world? If you have not, please look around and tell me in the comments sections some example of hell and heaven in this world.
Phaladeepika, as quoted in the same commentary, says that Ketu in the 12th may cause a person to perform sinful actions secretly and spend money for undesirable purposes. It also mentions trouble relating to the eyes.
This is almost the opposite of the popular claim that Ketu in the 12th guarantees Moksha.
Why do classical texts appear to contradict one another?
The answer is that Ketu in the ordinary 12th house from the birth Ascendant is not the same as Ketu in the 12th from Karakāṁśa Lagna. This crucial distinction is often overlooked.
Parāśara does not say that Ketu in the 12th from the birth Ascendant grants liberation without qualification.
He specifically refers to Ketu in the 12th from Karakāṁśa, joined or aspected by a benefic:
कारकांशाद् व्यये केतौ शुभखेटयुतेक्षिते।
तदा तु जायते मुक्तिः सायुज्यपदमाप्नुयात्॥
If Ketu is in the 12th from Karakāṁśa and is joined or aspected by a benefic, the person may attain liberation and union with the Divine.
In the Moksha Śloka
The verse says: कारकांशाद् व्यये केतौ… Kārakāṁśād vyaye ketau…
Therefore, it specifically means Ketu in the 12th from the Navāṁśa sign occupied by the Ātmakāraka. It does not mean: Ketu in the 12th from the birth Ascendant, or Ketu in the 12th from the Navāṁśan Ascendant.
For example, if the Navāṁśa Ascendant is Virgo but the Ātmakāraka occupies Pisces in Navāṁśa:
Virgo is the Lagnāṁśa.
Pisces is the Kārakāṁśa.
Aquarius is the 12th from Kārakāṁśa.
It is Ketu in Aquarius—not merely Ketu in the ordinary 12th house—that becomes relevant to this particular Moksha rule.
Ketu and the Soul’s Final Liberation
The strongest and most direct classical statement comes from the Jaimini Upadeśa Sūtras:
केतौ कैवल्यम्।
Ketau kaivalyam.
“With Ketu there is Kaivalya—final liberation.”
—Jaimini Upadeśa Sūtras, 1.2.69
The above shloka is the source of the confusion that Ketu in the 12th house gives Moksha. The problem is in the preceding rule the Karakāṁśa Lagna is mentioned in the discussion.
Therefore Ketu in the 12th from Karakāṁśa can indicate Kaivalya—freedom of the soul from further bondage and transmigration.
A Great Desire for Moksha
There may be several astrological combinations that create an intense desire for Moksha and support spiritual evolution. Therefore, we should not conclude that liberation is impossible merely because Ketu is not placed in the 12th house from Karakāṁśa Lagna.
Ketu in the 12th from Karakāṁśa is an important classical combination, but it cannot be the only doorway to liberation. I intend to update this article later with additional combinations collected from classical texts and the horoscopes of spiritually evolved people.
The Ātmakāraka Holds the Major Clue
The Ātmakāraka is one of the most important clues to the soul’s purpose and spiritual development. Its sign, house, dignity, conjunctions, aspects and position in the Navāṁśa must all be carefully examined.
An exalted, Vargottama or otherwise strongly placed Ātmakāraka may indicate that the soul possesses greater strength to understand and complete its principal karmic lessons. However, no single placement should be treated as an automatic guarantee of Moksha.
The Atmakaraka in Vargottama is a major clue. The Chartered Accountant fortunately has his Atmakaraka Mars in Vargottama in Sagittarius (Dhanus). So I know he is on the path already. I could see it in his eyes when he asked about Moksha. He never asked me any question about his wealth, family or house, car etc.
The Soul’s Karmic Deposits
The 5th and 9th houses represent Pūrva Puṇya, Dharma, blessings, higher knowledge, mantra, Guru and the spiritual merit carried from previous births. In our bank-account analogy, these houses reveal the soul’s valuable deposits.
Therefore, the relationship of the Ātmakāraka with the 5th house, 9th house and their lords becomes highly significant. A person needs sufficient spiritual merit to recognise the path, meet the right Guru and develop the discipline necessary to continue the journey.
Yet even a large positive balance cannot remain forever if the account is to be closed. Puṇya may help the soul reach the door of liberation, but ultimately both good and bad Karma must be transcended.
The 5th and 9th houses provide the spiritual wealth required for the journey; the 12th house reveals the capacity to surrender everything at its destination.
The 12th House—Surrender and Release
Various classical texts associate the 12th house with expenditure, loss, isolation, surrender and Moksha. Spiritually understood, it represents the gradual dissolution of everything the individual calls “mine.”
The 12th house does not merely show what is taken away from us. It also shows what we are prepared to release voluntarily. That is the difference between painful loss and conscious surrender.
Moksha Is a Process
Strictly speaking, Moksha is the culmination; the journey towards it is a process. Spiritual evolution may continue through many experiences and perhaps many births before the final karmic account can be closed.
When highly evolved spiritual masters consciously leave their physical bodies, we generally avoid saying that they simply “died.” We use the expression Mahāsamādhi, recognising that their departure is understood as a conscious completion rather than an ordinary death.
Ātmakāraka in the Charts of Spiritual Masters
In the horoscope I use for the great spiritual leader Anandamayi Ma, the Ātmakāraka is exalted and Vargottama in Pisces. This is a powerful indication of spiritual maturity, compassion and the soul’s movement towards transcendence.
In the horoscope of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the Ātmakāraka is Vargottama and placed in the 12th house. I was fortunate to work at Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram and see him from very close quarters on Vijayadashami in 1994. I also have access to what I regard as his exact birth time, which makes the horoscope especially valuable for research.
For Swami Vivekananda, the Ātmakāraka is Vargottama in Sagittarius—a sign associated with Dharma, higher knowledge, philosophy and the transmission of spiritual wisdom.
These examples do not mean that Vargottama Ātmakāraka alone grants Moksha. They suggest that the dignity and strength of the Ātmakāraka deserve serious attention when studying spiritual evolution.
Learning the Jaimini System
I developed these ideas by studying several books on the Jaimini Sūtras. Jaimini Astrology is profound, but it is not an easy system to learn.
For those who wish to study it, I recommend The Essentials of Jaimini: A Practical Guide by Shri Marc Boney, which I purchased through Amazon. Marc Boney is a respected student of Shri K. N. Rao. His book explains many difficult Jaimini principles in a simple and practical manner, making it particularly useful for serious students of Astrology.
If readers want to add more shlokas please use the comments section to type your views. However the rules should only be from ancient books of Astrology and the classical books or from a book that quotes an ancient book like how Marc Boney has done.
Please look up the full list of books that Shri Marc Boney has authored.
Are You Practising the Game?
Attaining Moksha may be compared to becoming a world champion. World champions are extremely rare—but they are not the only excellent players in the game.
There is the runner-up, the semifinalist, the national champion, the state champion and the district champion. They may not yet hold the highest title, but every one of them has developed far beyond the beginner. They continue to practise, learn and improve. As the years pass, new champions emerge.
Spiritual evolution also has many levels. Not everyone will attain final liberation in the present birth, but that does not make their spiritual efforts meaningless. Every desire controlled, every karmic debt repaid, every noble action performed and every attachment released represents genuine progress.
A horoscope may contain many Yogas indicating different stages of spiritual growth. If you do not possess the rare combination traditionally associated with Moksha, do not become discouraged. You may still possess the combinations of a sincere seeker, a disciplined practitioner or a spiritually evolved person.
The most important question is not, “Will I become the world champion in this birth?” It is:
“Am I practising the game, and am I becoming a better player every day?”
Continue playing. Continue learning. Continue evolving. Today’s district champion may become tomorrow’s national champion—and the seeker of this birth may be preparing to attain liberation in another.
By E K Dhilip Kumar
Email : ekdhilipkumar @gmail.com
Website :https://www.astrologyekdk.com
The Book by Shri Marc Boney
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