RETROGRADE PLANETS

According To Phaladeepika (Ch.4; Sh.4)

• Retrograde planet, debilitated in Rashi or Navamsha, has full strength.
• A planet which did not give its results during its normal motion, will give them during retrogression.
• Planets become retrograde when placed in the 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th houses from the Sun as they are nearest to the Earth at that time.


According to Jataktatwa (Ch.71)

• A Retrograde planet is equal to strength to an exalted planet. It applies to both, Malefic as well as Benefic planets.


According to Bhavartha Ratnakar, (Ch.13 Sh. 16)

• A Malefic when retrograde gives benefic results.


According to Shambhu Hora Parkash (Sh. 21)

• A retrograde & debilitated planet during its dash makes a person do bad deeds, live in distant places away from his friends & family and troubled by fire. (Some astrologers believe that retrogression gives the result of exaltation but a debilitated retrograde planet becomes doubly malefic. A retrograde exalted planet gives benefic results. However this is not an entirely excepted view)
• In the dasha of a retrograde planet one’s honor and happiness is injured. There is fall from position, enmity with friends and the person has to go to another country (In Vedic times going to another country i.e. away from one’s birth place was considered disgraceful. It was not like today when people are ready to give their right arms to obtain a US visa)
• A planet exalted in Rashi and retrograde is equal to a debilitated one and there fore is weak. (A largely excepted view by modern Astrologers.)
• A planet debilitated in Rashi and retrograde is equal to an exalted one and therefore strong. (A largely excepted view by modern Astrologers.)


According to Sarawali Ch. 5

• A benefic in retrogression becomes strong and can give a kingdom, if it is a malefic; it gives grief and useless wanderings.


According to Uttrakalamitra Ch.2, Sh. 6

• A retrograde planet gets strength equal to exaltation
• A planet associated with a retrograde planet also gains strength.
• A retrograde Mars shows the effects of 4th house from it.
• A retrograde Jupiter shows the effects of 5th house from it.
• A retrograde Venus shows the effects of 7th house from it.
• A retrograde Saturn shows the effects of 9th house from it
• Retrograde Mercury shows the effects of 2nd house from it.


According to Bhava Manjari

• Exalted and retrograde benefic planets become very strong benefics.
• Malefic retrograde become more malefic.
• Retrograde planets get double in strength.
• Retrograde exalted planets get triple in strength.
• Retrograde debilitated planets get only half strength.
• During the periods of retrograde planets, the native resides in foreign places, comforts are unstable and there is loss of reputation.


Results of Retrograde Planets during their dashas.

1. Mars:  Fear from thieves, fire, snakes. Person resides in forests and there is fall from position.
2. Mercury: The person gets a wife (gets married), He listens to the scriptures and engages charities and ritual sacrifices.
3. Jupiter: The native gets financial comforts, spouse and children or gains from them. He also gets victory in war, friendship with the ruler, good food and clothes. He becomes saintly and enjoys interesting talks and discussions.
4. Venus: The native gets respect and gains from rulers, royal power (minister ship or equivalent), conveyances, rank & position, wears good clothes, owns ornaments and his political power increases.
5. Saturn: Disappointments and failure at work, loss of power, sorrow from brothers and lack of money.

(Compiled by my teacher Sh. Narender Vasudeva)

Rishi Parashar has told us about the six fold strength of a planet (the Shadbalas). One of the components of Shadbalas is Motional Strength or Cheshta Bala, which a planet gets when it becomes retrograde. So retrogression does make a planet stronger in shadbala. Here he has not made any division between benefic and malefic planets.