Concept & Significance of Planetary Transits (Gochaara)

                                            

Transit is a broad term that we generally come across on various occasions in our day to day life in some context or the other. Literally transit means a journey or a passage of an objective or a body, be it goods or cash or people and in fact life itself is a journey or a transit of soul. Transit or transition is a regular phenomenon in nature that represents a change passing from one state or stage or place to another.  In the eternal, insurmountable and ever revolving wheel of Time known as Kalachakra, transit is a universal phenomenon applicable even to the celestial bodies like stars and planets.

  

In astrological parlance transit has acquired lot of significance as the predictions are generally based on the transitory position of the planets at a desired time which is known as Gochara.  Gochara is a Sanskrit word a combination of GO + CHARA. Go in Sanskrit is referred with several meanings like sky, a star, sun, moon and Chara means the one that moves, not fixed, floating.  Gochara means the one that is visible or being in sight, the one that is perceptible or recognizable or to see or be aware of something clearly.  Transit of planets from one constellation to the other and from one sign to the other in the zodiac is generally known as Gochara.  Transits reflect the placement of planets in the zodiac at a given point of time.

Zodiac is the basis around which planetary transits takes place when they move from one sign (raasi) to the other.  We have twelve signs in the zodiac comprising of 360 degrees starting from Aries (Mesha raasi) to Pisces (Meena raasi) and 27 constellations (stars) starting form Aswini to Revathi. Each constellation has four quarters (paadaas) and the zodiac in total has 108 (27x4) quarters accommodating 9 quarters (paadaas) in each sign. Though Sun is a star and Moon is a satellite and Rahu-Kethu are shadowy planets, in Hindu astrology they are referred to as planets resulting in Nava-Grahas (nine planets) who constantly move around the zodiac at regular intervals.

Out of the nine planets Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun and Mars are fast moving planets in that order and Jupiter, Rahu-Kethu, and Saturn are slow moving planets in that order. While Moon is the fastest planet taking 2 ¼ days to move from one sign to the other, Saturn is the slowest planet taking 2 ½ years to move from one sign to the other in the zodiac.  Sun the leader of solar system moves at the rate of one degree a day and takes 365 days to complete one complete revolution around the zodiac.

All planets except Rahu and Kethu always move in clockwise direction (Savya) in the zodiac, but Rahu- Kethu will always move in anti-clockwise direction (apasavya). Planets maintain a varying degree of distance between each other during transit, whereas Rahu-Kethu always maintains a distance of 180 degrees from each other.

During the course of transit; planets enter into different states of existence like debilitation, exaltation, combustion, retrogression, acceleration, stagnation etc. For example Libra is the sign of exaltation for Saturn while Aries is its sign of debilitation. Similarly for Mars, while Capricorn is the sign of exaltation, Cancer is the sign of debilitation.  All the planets except Sun and Moon are subject to retrogression or acceleration in their orbits. Planets when they come very nearer to the Sun become combust.

General time frame for Planetary Transit 
(from one sign to the other)

Moon	Mercury	Venus	Sun	Mars	Jupiter	Rahu	Kethu	Saturn
2¼ days	30 days	30 days	One month	1½ months	One year	1½ years	1½ years	2½ years

Each planet has its own rate of velocity or motion depending upon its nearness to or distance from the earth and they do not maintain uniform rate of movement.  Though there is a set time frame for planetary transits and in general planets move accordingly but sometimes we come across certain exceptions wherein the periods vary due to reasons like retrogression or acceleration or stagnation. For example last two occasions we have observed Jupiter moving ahead of his schedule to the next sign due to acceleration known as Athichaara.  

When the distance of any planet from the Sun exceeds a particular limit it becomes retrograde and falls behind schedule.  Similarly when the planet comes nearer to the Sun the velocity of the planet is accelerated and the planet moves ahead of schedule. Sometimes planets also get stagnated and stay beyond schedule in a particular sign that is known as Sthambhana. For example Mars who has just transited into Leo sign is going to stay for almost six months beyond his schedule of 45 days.

 

During the course of their journey across the zodiac, planets will also be transiting over one or the other planets by virtue of which certain events occurs like for example Amaavasya (New Moon day) when Sun and Moon are in conjunction, occurrence of eclipses involving Earth, Sun, Moon, and the shadow planets Rahu and Kethu.

 

Sankramana is another word used for Transit and in Hindu philosophy it has acquired lot of religious and spiritual significance.  Hindu calendar is based on the movement or transit of Sun and Moon in the zodiac which is known as Sauramana and Chaandramana respectively. According to Sauramana when Sun transits into a zodiac sign that month is denoted with the name of that raasi or sign.  For example when Sun transits into Aries (Mesha Raasi) it is known as Mesha Maasam. Among Sun transits known as Surya Sankramana, certain transits are given special significance. For example,

Mesha Sankramana – Beginning of the Solar New Year

Karkataka Sankramana–Beginning of Dakshinaayana

Kanya Sankramana – Pithru Paksham

Dhanus Sankramana – Beginning of Dhanurmasam

Makara Sankramana – Beginning of Uttaraayana

In Hindu electional astrology transit of Sun in Pisces (Meena raasi), Gemini (Mithuna raasi), Virgo (Kanya raasi), and Sagittarius (Dhanus raasi) is referred to as Soonya masam.  In general transit of Sun is not considered as auspicious as there will be certain disturbances in the organization of solar forces and such times are generally not recommended for any good work. On the contrary they are held to be auspicious for meditation, initiation into secret mantras and performance of certain religious rites which are held to purify both the body and soul.

As per Chaandramana when Moon transits into a particular constellation on a Full-Moon day that month is denoted in the name of that star. Thus the names of Lunar months are derived from the constellation in which the full Moon occurs. For example when Moon transits Chitta constellation that month is denoted as Chaithra masam. Even occurrence of seasons known as Ruthus is based on the transit of Sun and Moon in the zodiac.

Similarly, transit of Jupiter (Brihaspathi) that generally occurs once in twelve months has also acquired special significance as it is associated with the celebration of the sacred Pushkara festival. It has become a custom and tradition since time immemorial to celebrate Pushkara festival of a particular river corresponding to the transit of Jupiter in a particular sign in the zodiac. For example when Jupiter enters into Mesha Raasi which is the first sign in the zodiac it is celebration of Ganga Pushkara.

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