What is the meaning of "Shani vat Rahu Kuja vat Ketu"?
Shanivat Rahu & Kujavat Ketu is a famous dictum in Vedic Jyotish where meaning of Sanskrit word Vat existing in Shanivat and Kujavat is like or similar and the meaning of this dictum is considered as Rahu is like Saturn and Ketu is like Kuja or Mars.
In fact this dictum is somewhat misleading as one can think Saturn and Mars are celestial objects and visible to naked eyes in night sky whereas Rahu and Ketu are not planets having any physical existence so the similarity of Rahu with Saturn and that of Ketu with Mars become out of question and thus dictum appears baseless but even though it is not irrelevant dictum
Every statement or dictum used in Vedic astrology is based on common sense, natural laws or texts on Vedic literature
It may be thought that in Charapraya Dasha the lordship of sidereal Aquarius ruled by Saturn has been given to Rahu and that of sidereal Scorpio ruled by Mars to Ketu and that is why Rahu is similar to Saturn and Ketu is similar to Mars but it is not the valid logic as in this supporting logic the other signs like Capricorn ruled by Saturn and Aries ruled by Mars are not being taken into considerations to make this logic fit to give valid base to this dictum. As far as I know no one analyze the Charpraya dasha of Aquarius by taking its ruler as Saturn and that of Scorpio as being ruled by Ketu as the predictive side is concerned
There must be some reasoning behind this statement about Rahu & Ketu. Now I am going to explain it in a very interesting way and the explanation is as follows:
Ketu does not have lordship over any sign of zodiac but it has rulership over Ashwani, Magha & Moola Nakshatras.
All the nakshatras ruled by Ketu come under sidereal Aries, Leo & Sagittarius respectively
Aries, Leo & Sagittarius are fiery signs so all the Nakshatras ruled by Ketu come under fiery signs
The fiery planets are Sun & Mars and Sun being luminary so cannot be compared with shadow planet so the only fiery planet is Mars and Ketu is also known as Anal (Fire) and that is why Ketu is like Mars
Rahu does not have lordship over any sign but it has rulership over Ardra, Swati & Shatbhisa Nakshatras
All the Nakshatras ruled by Rahu come under sidereal Gemini, Libra & Aquarius respectively
Gemini, Libra & Aquarius are airy signs so all the Nakshatras ruled by Rahu come under airy signs
The only airy planet is Saturn and that is why Rahu is like Saturn
The logical reasoning given by me gives valid base to that dictum.
Rahu also becomes extremely beneficial or extremely malefic like Saturn and Ketu also becomes extremely beneficial and extremely malefic like Mars.
