Birth Time Rectification - Are you sure your birth time is correct?
Birth Time Rectification - Are you sure your birth time is correct?
Birth Time Rectification is the most important step in horoscope analysis. Even slight error of a few seconds can result in wrong interpretation of your horoscope
Birth Time Rectification is the first step of horoscope analysis. Are you sure about the correctness of your birth time? I often sit with seekers in Astro-Jagriti Sessions. Most of the seekers swear by the correctness of their birth time. Yet, when I try to confirm through past events, I find birth time error ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes.
Importance of Birth Time Rectification
The most important thing in horoscope analysis is BIRTH TIME RECTIFICATION. For constructing horoscope, the basic requirements is of date, time and place of birth. Our chart is as good as the time of birth that we know. Birth time error can creep in even due to the error in the clock or the watch. Thus, even if someone tries to note the birth time exactly when the baby is born, there could be error in the clock. The only way to find correct birth time is through the process of Birth Time Rectification.
What is BIRTH TIME RECTIFICATION?
In simple words, this means adjusting time of birth based on past events in life. We try to bring the birth time closer to the time when we were actually born.
In Nirayan astrology (the one which Indians follow) there is a concept of Lagnam or Lagna or 'Ascendant'. Lagna is the point rising on the eastern horizon along with Sun every day. In other words, it is the point at which ecliptic rises from the eastern horizon. It is exactly with the Sun at the time of sunrise at a given place. Lagna traverse each rasi for approximately two hours. That means it traverses across the zodiac once in 24 hrs. Thus in each rasi it remains for about two hours.
For eg., on a Krishna Chaturthi, sunrise is at 5:40 am at some place in India. The lagna is there at this point and let’s say it is along with Sun in Taurus at 4 degrees. Let’s say at 7:40 am lagna would cross over to Gemini. Suppose a person is born at 7:39 am when lagna was in Taurus but about to cross over to Gemini. Let’s say there is a few seconds error in the watch and the time was noted as 7:40 am instead of 7:39 am. The astrologer thus fixes his lagna in Gemini while the Lagna is yet to cross over from Taurus and is still on the cusp. Thus, a completely wrong horoscope is constructed. The seeker is blissfully unaware of the folly.
The Divisional Charts and their bearing on Birth Time Rectification:
I gave the above example only from the rasi chart. Now there are divisional charts such as navamsa (for family, dharma etc) or dasamsa (career etc). Then there is saptamsa (children etc) and dwadasamsa (parents etc). In these divisional charts, the lagna would change much faster as compared to that of rasi chart. For e.g. we get dasamsa after dividing rasi into ten parts and plotting on another chart as per certain rules. Here the lagna changes sign in about twelve minutes rather than two hours it takes in a rasi chart. So even if the time is accurate to the level of rasi chart, it is possible that lagna could be on a border in dasamsa.
Let us take another example of Navamsa (D-9). Here we divide a rasi into nine parts and plot them as per some standard astrological rules to a new chart. Navamsa chart is a very important chart to judge the inner abilities. It throws light on fortunes and family environment of a person. Each rasi span is now about 3 degree 20 minutes of that of the rasi chart. That means in Navamsa every 14 minutes (approx) the lagna changes sign. Further, D-60 (Shasthamsa) is the chart to get insights into past lives. We construct D-60 after dividing rasi into sixty parts. The lagna in D-60 changes sign in about two minutes.
This is precisely why the Nirayana System is able to explain the twin problem. We can analyse why twins who are born a minute or two apart, are so similar yet so different in nature.
We see that the twins will be similar as their rasi charts are likely to have enormous similarities. Yet they will be completely different in various other areas of life. This is because their lagna might not be in the same rasi in several of the higher division charts.
Practical approach to rectify birth time:
Birth Time Rectification is a time consuming process. One should not aim for precision. A practical approach is to focus on the question asked by the seeker. Based on the question, rectification only till the relevant divisional chart will suffice. For eg. if the question relates to career, we can take up two charts - Navamsa (D-9) and Dasamsa (D-10). We may ask the seeker about previous past events in both areas. For instance, for Navamsa, we can ask the date of marriage (in case seeker is married). For Dasamsa, we may ask approximate month/year of getting a job or losing a job and such career events. Let's say the events do not match as per dashas. We then have to shift the time such that the lagna changes sign in Navamsa and Dasamsa and try to fit the events. When the events match we figure out more past events. If the seeker confirms those events, we accordingly fix the birth time.
After fixing lagna in a particular rasi, we can attempt telling past events about the seeker. These events could relate to siblings (Drekkana D-3) or children (Saptamsa D-7). Or even parents (Dwadasamsa D-12), education (Siddhamsa D-24) and so on. If the past events corroborates, then we can be confident about the birth time. Only after this confirmation, should we start to read the horoscope.
Is Analysis possible with a wrong time? What if I don’t know the birth time or by mistake remember a wrong birth time?
Horoscope analysis is very much possible if one does not remember birth time. Analysis is also possible if an incorrect date or birth time is given. Horoscope analysis sessions involves unconscious energy exchange between the Reader and the Seeker. This aids in intuitive interpretation of the horoscope. The importance of intuition in horoscope analysis is a well accepted fact. But then, the Reader should have a well-developed intuition. Or else the readings may not be accurate. A well-developed intuition depends on various factors. The most important of such factors is the positive attitude and Sadachar of the Reader. Apart from this, intelligence and judiciousness also counts.
Nashtajatakam is a specail branch in Astrology that deals with unknown birth time. It prescribes several techniques of analysis. Maharshi Parasara in Chapter-86 of the Brihat Parasara Hora Shastra explains Nashtajatakam. We intuitively use a lot of these techniques of Nashtajatakam even when birth time is exact.
Thus, analysis is possible with a wrong time or with no birth time. In case of wrong time, the accuracy will have a high dependency on the intuitive power of the Reader. And in case of unknown birth time, there are well-defined Nashtajatakam techniques.
My experience says that remedies may not be effective when birth time is not exact. Thus, it is always preferable to devise remedies after birth time rectification.
Is this article appearing technical? Ignore the noise please
For someone who has not read Astrology, this article might appear technical. My sincere apologies for that. I am not skilled enough to explain this important topic in non-technical plain words.
Don't worry about the technicalities. Please ignore the noise and focus on the intent of this article. I want to drive home the importance of Birth Time Rectification.
And as we always do, it is auspicious to end the article by listening to a powerful vedic chant. Rectification of Birth Time is an exercise involving wisdom and understanding. The energies from Brihaspati or Jupiter affects the wisdom in us. It will thus be appropriate to listen to the Brihaspati Stotra-Mantra by sparing a minute-