ULT I M AT EDISPOSITOR
A planet is the dispositor of other planets when they are located in the sign ruled by
the first planet. For instance, if both Pluto and Venus are in the sign Leo, then the
Sun, the ruler of Leo, is the dispositor of Pluto and Venus. In some charts, a chain of
dispositors (e.g., the Sun is the dispositor of Pluto and Venus, while Saturn is the dis-
positor of the Sun, and so on) can be traced all the way to a single planet that is the
final or ultimate dispositor of every other planet in the chart. Such a planet is regard-
ed as having an especially strong influence over the entire horoscope.
UPAYA(REMEDIALMEASURES)
Remedial measures are a cornerstone of Vedic astrology. The very first words of the most
widely recognized classical work on Indian astrology, Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra,are
an invocation to Lord Ganesha, the deity for removal of obstacles. This places upaya at
the focal point of the Vedic astrology tradition. Scattered through the text, and indeed
the texts of most of the classical works of Jyotish, are verses giving methods for relieving
the obstructions and suffering caused by various astrological combinations.
The notion that a natal chart is a blueprint for this life that can be improved
upon through remedial measures necessitates an understanding of the concept of
karma. Jyotisha is not exclusively oriented either to fate or to free will and the resolu-
tion of this often hotly debated dichotomy lies in a proper understanding of the differ-
ent categories of karma and how they integrate into the reality of an indivisible whole.
The Sanskrit word karmameans “action” or “activity” and by implication
refers to the effects that are inherent in any activity or action. Most Westerners have a
narrower notion of karma as accrued past actions rather than seeing it as an ongoing
process.
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