Planets and their Gender

There are 2 perceptions with regards to the gender of the 9 planets in Vedic astrology:

Perception 1
All the 9 planets are Male in nature.
This is seen when we read the mythological stories on the planets.

Perception 2
Some of the planets are Male
While some are Female
And the rest are neither Male or Female

Planetary Genders mentioned in Books of Authority

And in Books by Popular Authors

The table summarises what is said in relation to the planetary gender:

Authors Male Planets Female Planets Others

Phaladeepika Sun Mars Jupiter Moon Venus Rahu Ketu, Mercury and
Chapter 2 page 20 Saturn are eunuchs

Brihat Parashara Hora Sun Mars Jupiter Moon Venus Mercury and Saturn are
Sashtra by Rishi Neuters
Parashara (no mention on Rahu
and Ketu)
Brihat Jataka Sun Mars Jupiter Moon Venus Mercury and Saturn are
eunuchs
(no mention on Rahu
and Ketu)
Robert Svoboda Sun Mars Jupiter Moon Venus Rahu Mercury, Saturn and
Ketu are Neuter

G.S Agarwal Sun Mars Jupiter Rahu Moon Venus Mercury – male eunuch
Saturn – female eunuch
Ketu - hermaphrodite
B V Raman - A Manual Sun Mars Jupiter Moon Venus Mercury and Saturn are
of Hindu Astrology eunuchs
(no mention on Rahu
and Ketu)
P.V.R. Narasimha Rao Sun Mars Jupiter Moon Venus (no mention on Rahu
Vedic Astrology: An Saturn Mercury and Ketu)
Integrated Approach

http://astroveda.wikidot.com/ Sun Mars Jupiter Moon Venus (no mention on Rahu

characteristics-of-planets Saturn Mercury and Ketu)

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 http://astroveda.wikidot.com/characteristics-of-planets
Sex of Planets
Sun, Mars and Jupiter are male.
Moon and Venus are female.
Saturn and Mercury are female.

This information can be used for predicting the sex of children based on one’s chart. For example,
if the house ruling the first child is influenced by Jupiter, Mars and Mercury, we may predict a son.
If it is influenced by Moon and Mercury, we may predict a daughter.

Summary
General acceptance as per table above is:
 The Male planets are Sun, Mars and Jupiter
 The Female planets are Moon and Venus
 Neuter or Eunuch Planets are Mercury and Saturn

Gender of Rahu and Ketu

 Phaladeepika says that Rahu is a female planet while Ketu is a Eunuch.
 G.S Agarwal says that Ketu is hermaphrodite

Understanding Gender
Gender is a combination of the chromosomes and physical private parts.

Male
Is a person having X and Y chromosome pair in the cell nuclei
Having a penis, scrotum and testicles
Developing hair on face and chest at adolescence
Produces sperm cells
Is a boy, a man.

Female
Is a person having two (2) X chromosomes in the cell nuclei
Having a vagina, a uterus and ovaries
Developing at puberty a relatively rounded body and enlarged breasts
Retaining a beardless face
Produces egg cells
Is a girl, a woman.

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Next, we need to understand terms Neuter, Eunuch and Hermaphrodite

Neuter
What is meant by the word Neuter?

Neuter is also referred to as Neutral. Hence Neuter and Neutral mean the same.
When gender is referred to as Neuter, it means that the person is neither masculine or feminine.
But how is this possible when we refer to a human being as a Neuter?
It’s possible when reference is made to the biology of a person.
In biology, neuter is referred to a person having no organs of reproduction.
Emotionally, a neuter person is someone who is not interested in any sexual relationship.
A neuter person is also said to be asexual, meaning, the lack of sexual attraction to anyone, or low or
absence of interest in or desire for sexual activity.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neuter

Definition of neuter
1a : of, relating to, or constituting the gender that ordinarily includes most words or grammatical
forms referring to things classed as neither masculine nor feminine
b : neither active nor passive : intransitive
2: taking no side : neutral
3: lacking or having imperfectly developed or nonfunctional generative organs

Transgender 
Are those who have a gender identity or gender expression that differs from their assigned sex.
This means that a person who is born a male behaves like woman.
And a person who is born a woman but behaves like a man.

A person who lives in a different gender to the one they were given when they were born. 
For example, someone who was called a ‘boy’ when they were born may feel very strongly that they are
really a girl.  They would be called a trans woman. 
If someone was labelled a ‘girl’ at birth, and they later realise that they are male, they would be called a
trans man.

Transsexual
Transgender people are sometimes called transsexual if they desire medical assistance to transition from
one sex to another. 
With medical intervention, a male undergoes surgery and changes sex and becomes a woman. Likewise, a
female undergoes surgery and becomes a man.

Eunuch
The term Eunuch refers to a Man who has been castrated
Castration means the removal of the testicles
And in some cases, includes the removal of the penis also, referred to as "emasculation"

Eunuch also refers to a man whose testicles have never developed.

If the castration is done before the boy reaches puberty

It results in the loss of the male sex hormones
And in the failure to develop the secondary sexual characteristics
That is growth of beard, deeper voice from enlarged larynx,
growth of the adult sized penis and the characteristic of the male body shape.

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After the removal of the testicles a eunuch becomes incapable of having children
And experience loss of lust and lose of interest in sex
This is why eunuchs are used in the harems to protect the women

Natural eunuchs include those who are born with a physical defect,
but they also comprise those who are born with no real desire for marriage or sex.
Forced eunuchs are those who have been castrated for whatever reason.

In some ancient texts, "eunuch" may also refer to a man who is not castrated but who
is impotent, celibate, or otherwise not inclined to marry and procreate.

In India eunuchs are referred to as ‘Hijras’

Views differ on the exact process of castration
and one would believe that there are several procedures
by which the hijras dispense with unwanted male appendages.
A common practice, however, begins with the individual being sequestered in isolation
for some days during which he is fed on a diet of opium and milk to keep him
in a permanent state of intoxication.
On a day declared auspicious by the Guru,
the boy is laid down on a hard surface
and a cord is tied tightly around his testicles to stop the flow of blood.
Several eunuchs hold him down
as a sharp knife severs the penis and testicles in one swift movement.
The wound is bled for a period of hours,
to signify the draining of manhood and the onset of womanhood.
A metal or wooden plug is inserted into the wound to stop full closure
and leave an aperture for the passage of urine.
Hot oil is poured over the area and herbs are placed on it to hasten the healing process

Female Eunuch
From the above, we understand that a man after castration becomes a eunuch
During castration, the testicles are removed
In which case, it is not logical that there could be female eunuchs
What external organs need to be removed to make her into a eunuch?
The concept and the need for a eunuch was to guard the women in the harems
The man was needed because of his physical strength
But his manhood had to be removed
Hence, the removal of his testicles
Therefore, Saturn being referred to as a female eunuch is difficult to accept and apply

Impotent
There is a need to understand what is meant by being ‘impotent’
because a eunuch can also mean to be ‘impotent’ as mentioned above.

A man is said to be impotent if:

 He is unable to attain or sustain a penile erection.
 Incapable of sexual intercourse, often because of an inability to achieve or sustain an erection.
 Consistent inability to sustain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse or the inability to
achieve ejaculation, or both

Several neurologic conditions can increase the risk for impotence. Nerve conditions affect the brain’s
ability to communicate with the reproductive system. This can prevent a person from achieving an
erection.

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Nerves are represented by the planet Mercury and it is no surprise that Mercury has been referred to as
a eunuch planet because nerves have a direct connection to impotence, that is the inability to sustain an
erection of the penis.

In short, if a man in unable to achieve erection of the penis

he can be said to be a eunuch
and also, said to be impotent

Sterile
A man is said to be sterile if is he incapable of producing offspring.
Sterile and infertility mean the same
Infertility is the condition of a person being unable to bear children, especially through natural means

Celibate
Is a person who voluntarily and by choice:
 Abstains from sexual relations
 Remains unmarried, especially for religious reasons

Hermaphrodite
Babies that are born with both male and female sexual organs, or characteristics of both organs, are
called hermaphrodites or intersex.

A child who is in an intersexual state is classified in one of three categories:

1. true hermaphrodite – an infant born with both ovaries and testicles and has both male and female sex
organs.
2) female pseudo-hermaphrodite – a genetic female with male external sex organs.
3) male pseudo hermaphrodite – a genetic male with external sex organs that fail to develop properly,
resulting in female or male/female physical characteristics.

Application of the Gender Attribute when reading a Chart:

In relation to the physical body
Here the application of the gender attribute is directly related to the physical body of a person
As to whether the person is a male or a female.

And this attribute would be applied when predicting

the gender of the children
a person would have in this life
after have ascertained the total number of children the person is ordained with.

In relation to the emotional nature of a person

Here the application is to explain the emotional side of the person
As to whether the person is masculine or feminine in his or her mind
Or in his or her emotions
Anger, active, being rough, being robust, hasty, loudness, being outspoken are masculine qualities
Love, softness, caring, passive, being silent are feminine qualities

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Application of Mercury in the Gender Interpretation

Mercury has been described as follows:

 Mercury is convertible; masculine when with masculine planets and feminine when with
feminine planets.
 When un-aspected its gender is determined by its sign,
 or whether rising before (masculine) or after (feminine) the Sun. Here when we see the
placements of the planets in the birth chart, the longitudinal degree of mercury would be
lesser than the longitudinal degree of Sun, then the gender is to interpreted to be masculine;
and when the longitudinal degree is higher, then the gender is to interpreted to be feminine
 Mercury is a eunuch. Eunuch planet is neutral and may get influenced by the gender of the
associated planets or signs.

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Gender Analysis as per Sthana Bala

1.3 The third is called Ojayyugma Bala (OjhayugmaRasians Bal by Parasara)

In ascertaining this Bala, the components are:
 The odd and even signs in D-1 Rasi Main Chart and D-9 Navamsa Varga Chart.
 The gender of the planets, that is, male and female planets.

Rule
Then comes the rule regarding the placement of the planets in the Signs
in the D-1 Chart and D-9 Varga Chart.

The rule says:

For Male Planets

 If the Male planets, are placed in the Male signs, get Maximum value points
 If the Male planets, are placed in the Female signs, get Zero value points

For Female Planets

 If the Female planets, are placed in the Female signs, get Maximum value points
 If the Female planets, are placed in the Male signs, get Zero value points

Note:
There are no provisions for Neuter, Eunuch or Hermaphrodite Planets
Therefore all the Neuter, Eunuch or Hermaphrodite genders have to be changed to either Male or
Female for purposes of this Bala.

The Rule above is tabulated as follows:

Planets Signs Value

Gender Gender Points

Male Male Maximum

Male Female Zero
Female Female Maximum
Female Male Zero

Before we deeper let us first refresh our memory as to:

1. Which are the Male and Female Planets
2. And which are the Male and Female Signs

1.0 Male and Female Planets

There are 9 planets in Vedic Astrology

The Gender of some planets is very clear as follows:
 Sun, Mars, Jupiter are Male Planets
 Moon and Venus are Female Planets
 There is no confusion on the above 5 planets

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The confusion area is for Mercury and Saturn:
And Rahu and Ketu:

Mercury:
 4 out of 7 Authors have said that Mercury is a Eunuch
o The starting point for a Eunuch is a male and after castration the male is
transformed into a eunuch
o After that the eunuch has female characteristics

 2 out of 7 Authors have said that Mercury is a Neuter or Neutral

o But Neuter or Neutral planet has no provision for the Ojayyugma Bala
o So this planet has to be converted from Neutral to Male or Female

 Only 1 Author has said that Mercury is a Female Planet

Conclusion:
I am of the opinion, that since an Eunuch
Loses the male characteristics
And eventually has female characteristics
Mercury is to treated as a Female Planet

Saturn:
 4 out of 7 Authors have said that Saturn is a Eunuch
o The starting point for a Eunuch is a male and after castration the male is
transformed into a eunuch
o After that the eunuch has female characteristics

 2 out of 7 Authors have said that Saturn is a Neuter or Neutral

o But Neuter or Neutral planet has no provision for the Ojayyugma Bala
o So this planet has to be converted from Neutral to Male or Female

 Only 1 Author has said that Saturn is a Female Planet

Conclusion:
I am of the opinion, that since an Eunuch
Loses the male characteristics
And eventually has female characteristics
Saturn is to treated as a Female Planet

The other confusion area is for Rahu and Ketu

Rahu:
 5 out of 7 Authors have excluded Rahu completely
 While 2 out of 7 Authors have given gender to Rahu
o 1 Author says Rahu is a Male Planet
o While the 2nd author says that Rahu is a Female Planet
 Confusion – which gender should we choose – Rahu as Male or Female
 While Parasara has been silent regarding the Gender of Rahu

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Conclusion:
I am of the opinion, that Rahu is be taken as a Female planet
Reasons:
 1 Author has said that Rahu is a Female Planet
 Bhrigu Sutra has mentioned that Rahu behaves like the planet Saturn. And our above
analysis says that Saturn should be a Female Planet. Therefore, Rahu should be a Female
Planet.

Ketu:
 4 out of 7 Authors have excluded Ketu completely
 While 3 out of 7 Authors have given gender to Ketu
o 1 Author says Ketu is a Eunuch
 The starting point for a Eunuch is a male and after castration the male is
transformed into a eunuch
 After that the eunuch has female characteristics
 So, Ketu can be taken to mean as a Female
o While the 2nd author says that Ketu is a Neuter or Neutral
 But Neuter or Neutral planet has no provision for the Ojayyugma Bala
 So this planet has to be converted from Neutral to Male or Female

o While the 3rd author says that Ketu is a hermaphrodite

 Hermaphrodite is born with both male and female sexual organs
 While Parasara has been silent regarding the Gender of Rahu
 Bhrigu Sutra has mentioned that Ketu behaves like the planet Mars.
o And Mars is a Male Planet
o So Ketu should be a Male Planet

Conclusion:
I am of the opinion, that Ketu should be a Male Planet.
Rahu and Ketu are opposite to each other.
Since Rahu is a Female Planet
And Ketu, being opposite to Rahu,
Should, therefore, be a Male Planet

Summary:
Planets Male Female
Sun Male
Moon Female
Mars Male
Mercury Female
Jupiter Male
Venus Female
Saturn Female
Rahu Female
Ketu Male

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Planetary Genders mentioned in Books of Authority
And in Books by Popular Authors
The table summarises what is said in relation to the planetary gender:
Authors Male Planets Female Planets Others
Phaladeepika Sun Mars Jupiter Moon Venus Rahu Ketu, Mercury and
Chapter 2 page 20 Saturn are eunuchs

Brihat Parashara Hora Sun Mars Jupiter Moon Venus Mercury and Saturn are
Sashtra by Rishi Neuters
Parashara (no mention on Rahu
and Ketu)
Brihat Jataka Sun Mars Jupiter Moon Venus Mercury and Saturn are
eunuchs
(no mention on Rahu
and Ketu)
Robert Svoboda Sun Mars Jupiter Moon Venus Rahu Mercury, Saturn and
Ketu are Neuter
G.S Agarwal Sun Mars Jupiter Rahu Moon Venus Mercury – male eunuch
Saturn – female eunuch
Ketu - hermaphrodite
B V Raman - A Manual Sun Mars Jupiter Moon Venus Mercury and Saturn are
of Hindu Astrology eunuchs
(no mention on Rahu
and Ketu)
P.V.R. Narasimha Rao Sun Mars Jupiter Moon Venus (no mention on Rahu
Vedic Astrology: An Saturn Mercury and Ketu)
Integrated Approach

1.0 Male and Female Signs

The odd and even signs in D-1 Rasi Main Chart and D-9 Navamsa Varga Chart.

The Zodiac has 12 Signs

Numbered from 1 to 12
All the Odd Signs are Male Signs
While all the Even Signs are Female Signs

The above is shown as follows:

pisces aries tuarus gemini
12 1 2 3
even odd even odd
female male female male

aquarius cancer
11 4
odd even
male female

capricorn leo
10 5
even male
female

sagittarius scorpio libra virgo

9 8 7 6
odd even odd even
male female male female

Ending of Plants and Gender

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