Judging the span of life through Indian astrology

This is the most difficult part in the study of Indian astrology or Indian horoscope to determine the span of life of a person. Premature or untimely death is the lot of people who commit evil deeds, covet other’s property, possess unhealthy habbits, are disrespectful to religious and pious people and are unprincipled.
Sudden and unexpected death may be caused to natives who either in this life or due to karmic influences is against the religious norms or established laws of the society. However carefully and correctly one may try to assess the longevity of a native’s life, the native alone will be able to overcome death. Indian astrology is helpful in determining the life span of a native. The following points may be analyzed by Indian astrologers or western astrologers, if one wishes to have a correct answer to this question.
There are four stages of life:
1. Balarishta or very short life (or death in early life)
2. Short life (death within thirty years)
3. Middle life (death within about 60 years)
4. Long life (death between 75 to 90 years)
The first is Balarishta, This means death in early life, in childhood. Death in the second major period from birth will be Alpayu or a short life.
For Balarishta, the following salient points are relevant. There are four Sandhis or meetings:
Nakshatra Sandhi: Ending of one Nakshatra and beginning of the other Nakshatra GH. 1.5 Or 36 minutes before and after. Some others hold a shorter period also.
Ascendant Sandhi: Ending of one ascendant and the beginning of the other,12 minutes before and after. Some others hold 6 minutes.
Tithi Sandhi: There are 15 tithis in Shukla Paksha and 15 Tithi in Krishna paksha, in a month. The end of a Tithi and the beginning or the either way. Some others hold a shorter period.
Dina Sandhi: The junctions of day and night or night and day, 12 minutes either way are serious. Two sandhis may cause ill health, three sandhi cause serious ill health. If all the four sandhis should operate simultnaously, the chances of death of the native may increase as explained in the various Indian astrological scriptures.
For a birth by day in the dark half or birth by night in the bright half, there will be an easy escape from Balarishta, even if the Moon occupies 6th,8th house and is aspected both by malefics and benefics.
The Moon being placed in the 6th, 8th and 12th house from the ascendant, especially with the aspect of malefic planets, is a strong case of Balarishta.Here also, if the house occupied by the Moon is that of a natural benefic, the Balarishta effect may vanish. For instance, with the Moon being in Taurus, the 6th house of Indian horoscope for Sagittarius ascendant may be a case of Balarishta but because Moon happens to be in the house of Venus, a natural benefic, the evil is comparatively reduced provided there is no aspect of any malefic planets even though the aspect of a benefic planet is denied. The Moon being in the 6th house of Indian horoscope ,say, in Aries is again definitely a Balarishta since that house happens to be that of Mars, a natural malefics,the dosha is great even though there not be a malefic aspect and though there may be an aspect of a benefic. The ascendant being hemmed in between malefic planets, say, Saturn and Rahu on either side, and the ascendant itself having the aspect of malefic planets is a strong point for Balarishta, This Balarishta effects will be minimized if the Moon receives the benefic aspect of Jupiter or Venus or if Saturn, the significator for longevity, is exalted or placed in own house, provided the lord of ascendant is not weak.
The Moon’s heavy affliction or its placement between malefics and having malefic aspects is again a factor for Balarishta.All these factors have to be reckoned with before coming to a conclusion about the short, medium or long life of the native whose Indian horoscope chart is being analyzed.
As is the case with every other house, the 8th house has to be judged for longevity from the strength of the house itself, the lord of the house, the 3rd house, its lord, the strength of Saturn, the significator of age, the relative position of Saturn and the lord of the 8th house and the strength of the ascendant lord. There are three important houses in Indian astrology or Vedic astrology which are death-inflicting; the strength of these and their lords is indicated here in their ascending order.
the lord of the 7th house of horoscope
the planets in the 7th house of horoscope
the lord of the first house of horoscope
the planets in the ascendant of horoscope
The planets in conjunction with the lord of the ascendant of horoscope.
the lord of the 2nd house of horoscope
the planets in the 2nd house of horoscope
The planets in conjunction with the lord of the 2nd house of horoscope.
After knowing about the kind of horoscope or birth chart with reference to a short, middle or long life, astrologers can examine the Maraka planet. If in a short lived horoscope, about the age of thirty, the native is passing through the major period of a killer planet, it may kill in one of the malefic or strong Maraka Bhukti or period.