Heart

The heart is a muscular, pear shaped organ, the size of a clenched fist. It is protected by the bony rib cage and is rarely damaged by a blow. It is located in the chest a little to the left of the central line of the chest. The heart’s function is central to life. Without continuous supply of blood (oxygen, sugar) the body can not function for a fraction of second. To maintain this supply, the heart has to work nonstop . The heart receives impure deoxygenated blood from the body into the right upper chamber (right atrium) which is separated from the lower chamber (ventricle) by a one-way valve. The impure blood is pumped into right ventricle through the valve and then to lungs for purification. The ventricle has very thick powerful muscular walls. The oxygenated blood, pure blood, from the lungs is pumped to left artium and then to left ventricle and to body through the aorta the main artery. The blood ultimately again returns to the right side of the heart in the impure condition and the cycle goes on nonstop.The contraction phase, forcing the blood from atrium to ventricle and body is called the systole. The retaxation phase, filling with blood, is called diastole.

Astrologically we can divide the heart diseases into

1. Diseases which develop as a result of prolonged disease process-valvular diseases.

2. Those diseases which develop suddenly-heart attack.

The congenial hole in the heart or narrowing or defect of the valves of heart are the result of prolonged disease process and karaka is Saturn known for narrowness and effect of body. It is widely accepted that Sun represents heart. So any affliction to Sun and sign Leo shows the liability of a native to heart disease. The 4th house which represents chest should also be taken into consideration. The 4th sign of zodiac Cancer and its lord Moon, karaka of blood should also be taken into consideration. Mars governs the blood and surgical operation. Any relation of Mars with 4th house or its lord indicates surgical operation of chest. If 6th lord, Virgo, 6th sign of the zodiac has any relation with 4th or 4th lord, one may suffer from heart or chest troubles. The first symptom of heart diseases is high blood pressure. The conjunction of Mars and Moon in watery sign causes high blood pressure. It is also a known fact that heart diseases are caused by tension in mind and sorrows of heart, smoking, high living and little exercise, bad habits of eating. Therefore affliction to 4th, heart and 5th, thinking and abdomen are the main causes of heart diseases. Therefore Vaidyanath has stated that afflictions to 4th and 5th houses and their lords, Sun and Moon are the cause of heart trouble.

Some yogas from classical books.

1. The malefic planets are posited in 4th house and 4th lord conjoins malefic planets or posited in 6th, 8th or 12th house, or hemmed in between malefic planets.

2. The sign lord (dispositor) of 4th lord in navamsha is posited in malefic house or conjoins malefic planet in Cyclic Trimshamsha or Shashthamsha.

3. The 4th lord conjoins 8th lord in 8th house.

4. The 4th lord is debilitated, combust, posited in enemy sign or aspected by a malefic planet in 8th house.

5. The 4th house is occupied by 6th lord, Saturn and Sun and afflicted.

6. Sun, Mars and Jupiter conjoin in 4th house.

7. Sun in Cancer, Pisces or Aquarius and afflicted and posited in 5th.

8. Ketu joins Mars in 4th house.

9. Afflicted Moon or Sun in 4th house.

10. Sun and Saturn conjoin in 6th, 8th or 12th house.

11. Moon posited in Gemini or Leo dentical with 4th or 5th house and afflicted.

12. If malefic planets are posited in 4th or 5th identical with Leo or Aquarius sign and afflicted.

13. Mars posited in 10th.

14. If lagna is Virgo and Sun is posited in 4th or 5th and afflicted, Moon and Mercury posited in 6th, 8th or 12th house.

15. If lagna is Cancer and Moon is posited in 6th and aspected by Jupiter and Saturn posited in

4th house or 5th house.

16. In Capricorn lagna, Moon and Jupiter posited in 4th conjoin with or aspected by Mars and Sun and Mercury are in axis of Rahu/Ketu, one suffers from heart attack and dies.

17. In Aquarius lagna, Moon and Mercury posited in 4th house conjoining with or aspected by Mars, one dies of heart attack.

18. In Pisces lagna, Sun or Moon posited in 4th house, Venus in 5th conjoining with Rahu/Ketu, Mercury in 3rd house cause hole in septum of heart.

19. In Leo lagna, if Saturn is posited in 4th or 5th house with Rahu/Ketu, one dies due to heart attack.

20. Sun posited in 6th or 8th house in fixed sign causes heart trouble.

2. Any three planets afflicted in Leo or Aquarius can give heart disease.

22. Sun in Cancer, Aquarius or Pisces can cause heart diseases.

23. Moon in Gemini or Leo can give heart disease.

24. When lagna is in watery sign and lagna lord in 6th, 8th or 12th can cause heart disease.

25. When the sign Leo or Aquarius and 4th house from lagna are afflicted by natural malefic planets namely Saturn, Mars and Rahu, one gets heart disease.

From above yogas it is clear that Sun, Leo, Aquarius, Moon and Cancer are important for heart diseases. When Saturn is related to 4th, 4th lord, Sun or Moon or Lagna, it causes congenital heart diseases, disfunction of valves or rheumatic heart diseases. When Mars is related to Sun, Moon, Leo, Aquarius or Cancer, 4th and 4th lord, open heart surgery is indicated.