Dashami: The Tenth Day of Victory

by | Oct 15, 2021 | Blog

The Tenth House of the Astrological Chart is considered to be the chart’s marker of success and achievement. It shows the overcoming of challenges and a ‘victory’ over hurdles that appear on the path. When an astrologer looks for indications about career and professional success, their first glance usually goes to the tenth house, where the stars of triumph and mastery reside. The tenth house is the most powerful house of Karma, as it shows what nature of action is likely to bear fruit at different times in a person’s life.
 

When we relate this concept of the ‘tenth’ to the days of the Lunar Calendar, the tenth day or Dashami, as it is known in Sanskrit, becomes an important day, then, for completion of an activity or the mastery of a skill.

Occuring during the solar calendar months of September or October, the tenth day of “Vijaya Dashami” marks the culmination of the Navaratri festival that honours the Divine Mother in her various forms over nine days as per the lunar calendar. It is celebrated as “Vijaya Dashami”, which means the day of victory.

 
There are stories from the ancient texts that mark this day as that of Sri Rama’s victory over Ravana, and the day when Goddess Durga subdued the demon Mahishaasura.
 
Both stories point to the theme of victory over forces that are often interpreted as tendencies within the self that represent our greatest roadblocks on the journey. The reach for mastery draws from an immense Shakti – embodied by the warrior forms of Sri Rama and Goddess Durga – to make that extra effort towards completion of a task at hand. It points to the summoning of great belief in oneself, the casting away of doubt, and the ability to bring thought, word and action in to greater harmony. All of these qualities are indicators of the Astrological Tenth House.
 
During the battle of the Ramayana, there was a point when Sri Rama was exhausted and weary from the enemy’s onslaught. The revered Sage Agastya then initiated Sri Rama in to the secrets of the ‘Aditya Hrudayam‘ – a sacred Sanskrit composition that invokes the energy of the Sun as a symbol of the Light within the Self.
 

‘Aditya‘ is the Sun deity, and ‘Hrudayam‘ means ‘heart’. The title of the recitation is interpreted as the ‘Heart of the Sun‘, and invokes the illumination and intelligence of the Sun within the seeker’s heart.

It is said that all manner of want vanishes when the seeker carries the light of the Sun within.

 
On this sacred day of Vijaya Dashami, I’d like to share with you these verses that honour the ‘Heart of the Sun’. 
 
Here is the link to the chant: https://youtu.be/iNtNfq7VmjU
 
You can also click the image below to play the video: 

Aditya Hrudayam
By Sai Ganesh Nagpal

Click here to listen to the soundtrack:
https://youtu.be/iNtNfq7VmjU

With love and peace,

Sai Ganesh Nagpal

For astrological consultations, please click here: Astro-Counselling with Sai

<— Back to the Menu page