Gajakeshari Yoga and Its Results

Gaja Kesari Yoga


Gaja Kesari Yoga is caused by Moon and Jupiter coming together in a chart by being in Kendras (1st, 4th, 7th, or 10th) from each other.

Why is it called Gaja Kesari yoga?

I do not have a good answer to this question. Jupiter can be compared to a Gaja - big, slow moving, intelligent and looks over all other animals. However, Moon cannot be called as Kesari - it is represented by color white. It is a saumya graha - cannot really be compared to a lion or a tiger.
However, this yoga does give the person qualities of a both animals - magnanimous and intelligent as an elephant and majestic as a lion. Such people would earn a lot of name and fame in life. A quality of generosity would also be associated with them.
Some of the coolest politicians of the world have this yoga in their charts… Mahatma Gandhi, Kennedy. Both the candidates in US presidential election in 2003 have this yoga.

When would this yoga work?

Mathematically, this yoga can appear in charts of a lot of people. However, like all other planetary combinations, this yoga also depends on the strength, position and house lordship of the two planets involved - Moon and Jupiter. It also depends on positions of other planets in the chart which may be stronger than these planets. The yoga would also be best shown in life if both these planets are in their exaltation sign and are at an angle not just from each other but from Lagna as well. Neechabhanga Chandra and Guru would be considered good. The two planets would need to be benefic in the charts and suitably disposed to the lord of Lagna as well. They themselves should be free from any negative aspect, particularly Rahu and Saturn should not be associated with Moon.

When would this yoga not work?

This yoga would not work if Jupiter is in regression - as benefic planets become considerably weaker when they are retrograde. Moon and Jupiter should not be in neech awastha or in combust state. If that is the case, the effects of this yoga are nullified and the person would lead a fairly ordinary life.
There is no exception to this rule that applies to all planetary combinations. The Lagna and Lagna lord would need to be strong for any yoga to work. Lagna and lagna lord are foundation stones of a horoscope. If the foundation is not strong enough, a building cannot be built on top of it.

When would the results show up?

The results would show up in dasha/bhukti periods of Jupiter and Moon and during mahadasha periods of other planets as well if the main dasha lord is favourable to both these planets, otherwise, this yoga would not show up. In short, there is nothing special about this yoga. The above statements are true about other yogas as well.

Points to ponder

Would this yoga work for people with Libra lagna? Prima Facie, Jupiter is not a good planet for a Libra lagna chart. It presides over affairs or 3rd and 6th house. It is not a natural friend of Venus, which is the lagna lord. There seems to be a problem with this logic, and I keep coming back to the chart of Gandhiji, he has a Libra lagna and his success is attributed in a large part to this yoga.
How would this work for people with Gemini and Virgo Lagna? For these lagnas, Jupiter is lord of Houses 7th and 10th and Houses 4th and 7th respectively. This would give Kendradhipati dosha to Jupiter.