Our body is composed of many organs. It is covered with an elastic membrane called skin. Skin has many functions and it is to be kept clean and healthy. A glowing skin makes us beautiful. A coarse and dull skin diminishes our beauty.
During researches in medical astrology it has been found that a strong and well placed Mercury gives us a shining, healthy and youthful skin which makes us look younger and beautiful. Any change in colour and texture of the skin indicates the malfunctioning of the internal organs of our body. An ill placed or an afflicted Mercury makes our skin susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections due to which itching, eczema, rashes, boils and many other skin problems are caused.
Venus controls lustre of our body. Afflicted Venus and afflicted Mercury with afflicted Moon may lead to hyper acidity and dermatological infections. Mars and Moon indicate blood. Impurities in blood lead to many skin problems. Hence afflicted Mars is also a culprit in skin problems. We can classify skin diseases into two main categories.
(A) Infectious diseases :- These diseases spread from person to person and micro organisms causing these diseases are transmitted through breathing, eating contaminated food or water, contact from person to person, or being bitten by an insect. Main diseases are as follows.
(i) Small pox:- It is not actually a skin problem. But it becomes so due to severe scars left by it on the skin. Gadawali(गदावली) is a popular classic on Medical Astrology. It says that Mars in Lagna aspected by Sun and Saturn leads to small pox. Some more combinations of small pox are given in Jatak Parijaat and Jatak Tatvam. They are given below:-
(a) Sun is in Lagna, second, seventh or eighth house and is aspected by Mars.( Jatak Parijaat -Shloka 71 Ch 11)
(b) Mars in above places and aspected by Sun(Jatak Tatvam-Sixth Vivek Sutra 166)
(c) Gulika and Mars in Lagna, sixth, seventh or twelfth house and aspected by Sun.(Jatak Parijaat -Sh.95 Ch 6)
(ii) Leprosy:-leprosy is a skin disease, but it’s also more than just that, as it primarily affects the skin, peripheral nerves, and eyes. It’s a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, which leads to symptoms like skin lesions, lumps, and numbness in the affected areas. Gadawali(गदावली) has given following combinations for Leprosy.:-
(i) Mercury in Aries, Moon in tenth house and Saturn and Mars together in any house in the chart give leprosy.
(ii) Trikona houses are occupied or aspected by malefics from Taurus, Cancer, Capricorn or Cancer sign
(iii) Mars in lagna, Sun in eighth house and Saturn in fourth house.
(iv) Mercury, Jupiter and Sun in sixth or eighth house; Lagna Lord is a malefic and Lagna is aspected by a maleic.
(v) All benefic planets are in sixth and eighth house and strong malefics are in lagna, Lagna lord is weak and eighth lord is strong.
(vi) All planets except lagna lord are in lagna.
(vii) Moon upto fifth tithi of bright half is in ithasila with Saturn and unaspected by any benefic.
(viii) Moon in navamsa of Aries, Cancer, Capricorn and Pisces and conjunct or aspected by Saturn and Mars
(ix) Saturn in eighth house, combust lagna lord in lagna conjunct Rahu.
Combinations for various types of Leprosy:-
(i) If there are Saturn, Moon, Mars and Venus in watery signs and are aspected by malefics one suffers from oozing leprosy.(गलित कुष्ठ ) (ii) According to Jatak Alankar if Saturn, Mars and Sun are together one suffers from black leprosy due to vitiation of blood.(रक्त कृष्ण कुष्ठ ) (iii) If Mars is in Lagna with sixth lord one suffers from kushtha due to vitiation of Pita(पित कुष्ठ ) (iv) If Saturn is in Lagna with sixth lord one suffers from kushtha due to vitiation of Kapha(कफज़ कुष्ठ ) (v) If Sun is in Lagna with sixth lord one suffers from kushtha due to vitiation of blood(रक्त कुष्ठ) (vi) If fourth house from karakamsha Lagna is occupied by Moon and aspected by Ketu one suffers from Neel Kushtha(नील कुष्ठ ) (vii) If fourth house from karakamsha Lagna is occupied by Moon and aspected by Mars one suffers from oozing leprosy (गलित कुष्ठ).
Combinations for White Leprosy(श्वेत कुष्ठ ):-
(i) If lagna lord and Mercury are together, Moon is with Mars and they are conjunct Rahu or Ketu.
(ii) If Moon is in Aries or Taurus and is conjunct Saturn and Mars.
(III) If Saturn and Mars are in second and twelfth house, Sun is in seventh house and Moon is in Lagna.
(iv) If Sun and Moon or Venus and Moon are in watery signs ( Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces) and are with malefics.
(v) If Sun is in seventh, Saturn is in twelfth, Mars is in second and Moon is in Lagna.
(vi) If eighth lord is in Lagna and is conjunct or aspected by malefics.
(vii) If Moon is in fourth house of karkamsa lagna and is aspected by Venus.
(iii)Tinea or Ringworm:- Itis a contagious fungal infection that can spread through direct contact with an infected person or animal, and indirectly through contact with contaminated objects like clothing, towels, and bedding, or surfaces in communal areas such as locker rooms and showers.
Following combinations are given for in shola 151-152 of sixth viveka of Jatak tattvam .(i) Moon in a watery sign in 2nd house aspected by Saturn. (ii) Sun in Lagna also gives tinea or ringworm. This description of ringworms given in Jatak tattvam is very scatchy. More combinations of ringworms are given below.
(i) If Seventh house contains Mercury, Sun and Moon and other planets are in fourth house it gives ringworms in 16th year.
(ii) Moon in a watery sign in 2nd house and Sun in the fourth house gives tinea or ringworm.
(B) Minor or inflammatory skin problems: These diseases are minor skin problems which are caused due to inflammation of the skin or any other blood impurities. Some of them are described below:-
(i) Scabies (or खाज ,खुजली ):- following combinations in the chart may give scabies in appropriate Mahadasha/ Antardasha (a) Moon in ninth house with a malefic planet.(b) If karkamsha lagna is Gemini or Capricorn there are chances of scabies.(c) If Mars and strong Saturn are in the third house there may be scabies.(d) Moon in a watery sign aspected by Saturn situated in a watery sign.
(ii) Pimples, Boils and Blisters etc. (a) Sun in lagna,seventh or eighth house aspected by Mars may give boils in the body.(c) If Gulik and Mars are in Lagna, sixth, seventh or twelfth house and Sun aspects them (d) If only Mars is in first, second, seventh or eighth house and is aspected by Sun ,one may develop boils. (e) If there are Ketu and Mars in the seventh house there may be pimples.
(iii) Wounds and blisters etc:-(a) Sixth lord with Moon in first or eighth house may give blisters in mouth(b) Sixth lord with Mars in Lagna or eighth house may give blisters or wounds in throat.(c) Sixth lord with Mercury in Lagna or eighth house may give wounds on chest or even on heart.(d) Sixth lord with Jupiter in Lagna or eighth house may give wounds near navel area.(e) Sixth lord with Venus in Lagna or eighth house may give wounds near cavity/trachoma in eyes.(f) Sixth lord with Saturn in first or eighth house may give blisters/wounds on foot. (g) Sixth lord with Rahu or Ketu in first or eighth house gives blisters/wounds on lips.
Examples of skin problems will be discussed in part -2 of this article. In addition to astrology classics help of following books is thankfully acknowledged in writing about some diseases. (i) Advance Medical Astrology–Dr S S Chatterjee(ii) Principles and Practice of Medical Astrology—Dr Jagannath Rao(iii) ज्योतिष शास्त्र में रोगविचार –डॉ शुकदेव चतुर्वेदी। Gratitude to them.
Remedial Measures for Skin Problems:- Following remedials should be performed if one suffers from skin problems:-
- 1. Recitation of Budh Strotam(बुध स्त्रोत्र) Daily.
- 2.Donation of sweet and white coloured things to young girls on each Friday.
- 3.Recitation of Ram Raksha Strotam Daily to please Mars.
- 4. Poor and needy people should be always helped. Recitation of Neel Shani Strotam on each Saturday
- 5. Birds should be served water and grains and multicoloured blanket should be distributed to the beggar/beggars once a year.
- 6. Those suffering from skin problems should visit a pilgrimage place of his choice once a year.