The Vedic new year begins with the first day of the bright half of the Chaitra month, ie Chaitra Shukla Pratipada. On this day Moon is in Aries and Sun in Pisces. This will happen on the morning of 12^th Apr 2021. But as the Vedic day is from sunrise to sunrise, the Shri Plava naam samvatsara will technically begin on 13^th April 2021. The first day of the Vedic new year is called Yugadi युगादि (mispronounced as Ugadi or Gudi in the local languages). The Vedic year ends on the no-moon, Amavasya of the Phalgun month, on this last day both the Sun and Moon are both in Pisces, so Shri Plava will end on 2^nd April 2022.  

The Shri Sharvari vedic year will be coming to an end, with a sigh of relief. I had written some predictions for Shri Sharvari post here. It was, for most of us, the deep dark night of the soul. (The Sanskrit word Sharvari means the night of the Amavasya, no-Moon night and also is a name for the highly medicinal turmeric.) Do take some time to evaluate what happened to you in Shri Sharvari and think on how you will be using the energy of Shri Plava in the future. 

• Plava प्लव is a Sanskrit word which means floods, marine birds, boat, to float, to return, to leap ahead, a meter of prosody, tendency, inclination, bathing, swimming, enemy, uncouth person, temporary, etc.

The new year predictions are based on the Nav-nayak scheme of things (post here), ie each planet gets a specific post/ ministry/ task for the year. We also draw a chart for the sunrise of the new year day to get an indication on how things will work. The positions of the planets at the exact time of the new year are also considered for the yearly predictions. (Plus there are chakra-s from the Medini jyotish and Atharva-ved which are used to predict. These things are now lost or are not fully available.)

Following the Nav-nayak scheme, for this Samvatsara, 

• Mars is the Raja – King
• Mercury is the Mantri – Minister 
• Mars is also the Senadhipati – Commander
• Mars is the Arghyadhipati – Rains/water, all things which flow or are given out
• Mars is the Meghadhipati – Clouds 
• Jupiter is the Dhanyadhipati – food grains
• Saturn is the Sasyadhipati – Agriculture
• Moon is the Rasadhipati – Essences which nourish or grant auspiciousness
• Venus is the Neerasadhipati – Essences which do not nourish or cause negativity 

Mars the King, holds three additional ministries. Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter Moon and Venus hold one ministry each. Sun the natural ruler of the zodiac does not hold any ministry in Shri Plava.

So obviously the energies of Mars are going to be expressed in abundance this year, he will express his power through four different ministries. There will be an outburst of outgoing energy, heat, passions, aggression, risky and rash behaviour, unpredictability, self-confidence, an urge to defend, offend, invade and conquer in several aspects of life. He is a natural malefic and holds four out of the nine ministries including the all important King and the Commander. He holds the Meghadhipati and Arghyadhipati posts, both connected to the water availability/ rains. On the day of Yugadi, he is conjunct Rahu in transit, which adds to his roughness and boldness. 

Mercury being the Mantri will add a strong dose of practicality and logic to things, sometimes with his typical juvenile behaviour. On the new year day he will be combust and closely with the Sun in his sign of debilitation, Pisces (post here). This means that he is going to behave more like a malefic that the neutral to benefic that he usually is. Things connected to him will be tinged with selfishness and a sense of egoistic entitlement. A Mantri, Prime Minister, the closest advisor to the King, is the one with whom the King confers before taking any actions. So this sort of Mercury advising a super strong King, Mars, think for yourself how this will go.

Moon is the Rasadhipati so ‘needs’ will be more in the limelight. Everyone will need to be nourished, nurtured, ie will be more focussed on their own selves. He will be in Aries which is the regular thing every Samvatsar. But being conjunct a combust Venus on the new year day will create a mix of selfish needs and imbalances in love etc. One may get what one needs but this may not necessarily satisfy.

Venus is the Neerasadhipati, he will control all those things in life which do not appeal, do not nourish and are not wanted. So spiritual practice, equal love, equitable partnerships, fairness in relationships, marriage may not appeal this year. Neerasadhipati controls diseases and all such negative things too. So expect diseases and pain in the things that Venus signifies, the organs connected to Venus, shoulders, back, eyes and whatever else as per your own chart. This may also have an adverse effect on finances on local/ global levels. On the new year day he is transiting Aries and combust (post here) so expect heat related discomfort throughout the year.

Saturn, the Sasyadhipati, controlling agriculture will grant success but after the due efforts. So if you want something be prepared to work for it. Also anything which requires processing, like mineral ores from the earth, will be available in abundance. Real estate and things related to the land can give gains if you deserve them ie have worked for them. He is transiting Capricorn and is strongly placed in his own sign. He is a natural malefic so whatever he is going to grant, do not expect it to give genuine happiness.

Sun not being a part of this year’s nav-nayak rulerships means that the ruler of the zodiac himself, is absent from the scene. This factor will bring its own share of confusion, misdirection in critical and subtle ways during this year. The true royal is missing from this year’s government. But on the Yugadi, he will be combusting Mantri Mercury and Neerasadhipati Venus so will be exerting an invisible influence over these two. And not a very benign one at that.

Of the nine ministries, natural malefics Saturn and Mars are controlling five. Combust Mercury is also more of a malefic. The natural benefics, Jupiter, Moon and Venus (combust) get three ministries. So life will be not so secure, satisfying or comfortable in this year. There will be issues, you will have to address them. You will win eventually as Mars does grant energy but it will not be a pleasant experience.

Now some general readings for the Shri Plava naam samvatsara.

Weather will be hot, unseasonal heat. There will be fire related accidents, in towns as well as forests etc. Rains will be untimely, sometimes less/more, irregular, but overall there will not be a deficit. Winters will be colder than average.

For nations with genuinely elected governments, general administration should improve. Army and police will also be active and work better. Armed forces and government service will be a popular choice for young people as a profession. This is a good year for those working in the government setup, there will be opportunities to perform. Honest and capable officers will be appreciated and recognised. 

Governments will be able to take effective preventive actions against disruptive forces. And there will be plenty of disruptions. From petty local crimes to international boundary disputes, criminal activity will flare up. The police will have their hands full. Crime rates are set to increase but the government will able to take action in time. May see arrests of powerful criminals in this year, but cyber-criminals may remain elusive. On the borders, skirmishes and even full out war is possible in some places. The Army will be competent if the cause is right.

Internally, motivated traitors will try to whip up passion against democratically elected governments. This will cause several disruptions in public life. The governments will put in strict laws and take stringent actions against traitors which will cause a spurt in motivated journalism, leading to stricter laws on this too. 

Misuse of media will be rampant. Self-proclaimed social media activists, environmental activists, in fact all sorts of activists, will be very active on social media and will try to interfere in the cultural and traditional rights of the general people. This will cause a lot of righteous unrest in the general public. 

Social media use increases overall, people will be online all the time. General laziness will increase. Making and completing plans will be difficult as people feel less motivated to work systematically.

Means of communication will improve, maybe 5G will be available globally. There will be new breakthroughs in electronics and software. This is a good time to invest money in some genuine technology related companies etc.

Corruption will increase but some of these corrupt people will eventually get caught in controversies. Some politicians and senior bureaucrats will be be humiliated in such cases. Several politicians might change their parties this year. Forgery and adulteration will be on the rise. People will be motivated to seek shortcuts for success thus frauds and cheats will increase. All will generally think of themselves and there may be a general overall selfishness.

Tempers will be generally high and people overall will behave rashly. So expect cases of road rage, accidents on the roads, in the shipping sector, industrial accidents etc this year. Malfunctioning electronics, ie short circuits can lead to fire related accidents. There may be natural calamities around the total solar and lunar eclipses in May-June.

There will be increase in cheating, online frauds, banking sector issues may occur. Share markets and stocks will be unpredictable, but lucky investors can make good profits off them. Global economy will still be doldrums, with more debts and losses than real permanent gains.

Women will be in the forefront in all fields including crime. Increasing number of women will occupy powerful positions in society, and issues related to women will be highlighted more. 

Lower income groups should see some benefit as the governments take notice of their issues and takes some genuine measures for them. Also other neglected sectors which were ignored as they demanded more work will be given attention. 

Exclusive restaurants, pubs, clubs should be able to do good business. People will want to show off even though the finances will be limited. Also stores which sell expensive art, branded and luxury items will profit. Creativity, sports, art, crafts will be appreciated.

Schools and traditional education will suffer for some more time. This is partly due to the laziness and lenient attitude of people overall. People will want their children to learn fancy things rather than learning the basic fundamentals.

There will be intelligence and logic available in plenty. Energy and the ability to create options and take risks will also be high. Try to use this power for auspicious and genuine causes. Use this strength in a sensible manner.

Issues created by COVID 19 will be handled in a better way, life will slowly go back to routine. Things will start improving as Jupiter enters Poorvabhadrapada nakshatra and when Jupiter enters his own Pisces in April 2022. 

 Pharmaceutical companies will try to make profits by selling medicines at highly inflated costs. Adulteration in medicinal drugs is possible. However these acts will make the government more serious about the health sector and there will be some reforms/funds for this now. 

Illnesses related to fatty and sugary diets will increase. Undiagnosable diseases will increase but there will also be an increase in patients with routine conditions like diabetes in this year. People will suffer from psychological issues in increasing numbers. Drug abuse, alcohol consumption and addictions will increase. Adulteration of food items and milk is possible. 

Religious activities will increase, some people will also be drawn to genuine spirituality. Sanatan Dharma will see an upsurge as people try to find the spirituality within. But some religions will promote very high levels of extremism. Racism and hatred will find acceptance in some extremist groups. Expect more terrorist attacks from such fringe groups in this year.

Animal husbandry related sectors will show gains, milk production etc will be good. Agriculture will do well in most regions, only thing is that farmers should pay attention to their irrigation requirements. Pests will be a concern and pesticides will be used in increasing quantities. Fertiliser use will increase but awareness on organic farming will also be significant. Some people will try to shift to organic food and prefer home-cooked food. Awareness regarding holistic remedies like Ayurved, a more balanced life style will increase. Some people will benefit from this change. 

Industries which are expected to do well are metals, gold, silver, technology, pharmaceuticals and media/ communications. However investing in any sector in Shri Plava will start giving some real gains only after Jupiter enters Poorvabhadrapada nakshtra ie from Jan 2022. Share markets will be risky so get into short term investments here only if you know what you are doing.

Major transits in Shri Plava.

This year we have Jupiter retrograde and forward in Aquarius and Capricorn. I have written in depth on his effects on the twelve signs (post here). Then he will continue in Aquarius for the remaining period of the Shri Plava. 

Rahu and Ketu will be in Taurus and Scorpio (post here). 

Saturn will be in Capricorn throughout (post here). This Saturn will be problematic for the elected governments and the general public in some way or the other. Religious and Dharmic leaders will suffer in some way. A sort of a collective karma unleashed during this time affecting all of us. These larger events may be political, social or financial in nature. This Saturn generally gives tragic events in the higher sections of the society, people in power are removed from power in some way or the other. This naturally will filter into the lives of the general population causing hardship in different ways. And this is a pattern which happens every 30yrs or so (check the past global events for such patterns). Shri Plava also will have Saturn in Shravan Nakshatra till Feb 2022. This is the main reason why the general global situation will not be good. I have written a post on Saturn in Shravan (post here). Students of astrology should try to analyse the past world events during Saturn’s this typical transit and compare with what will happen in the world in the 13 months from Jan 2021 to Feb 2022. (In the past century,Saturn in was in Shravan from Feb 1903 to March 1904. From Jan 1933 to Jan 1934. From Feb 1962 to Feb 1963. From Mar 1991 to Mar 1992 and again from Jul 1992 to Jan 1993.) This is a broad interpretation and you will have to analyse the individual charts of the nations to know more about them individually.

However Shri Plava, especially the last 2-3 months from Jan 2022 onwards does offer some promise.

The overall results for individuals will depend on the power of the personal horoscope. If you have a strong birth horoscope, ie a strong ascendant sign/ lord and a birth Moon then you are better equipped to deal with whatever comes up in life. If you are undergoing Dasha periods of benefic planets, they will help you in overcoming the possible negatives. And if you have helpful planetary transits over your birth chart positions, then the graha can create opportunities for you even in adverse conditions. (I have written several posts on these topics do use the index page or the search bar to locate them)

On the new year day, Yugadi there are several traditional which are followed. Different states follow their typical customs but there are these themes common to them all. Hindus/ followers of Sanatan Dharma will wake before sunrise and get ready. Then give arghya to the rising Sun. Tie garlands (toran) made of Mango leaves, Neem leaves, ripened wheat stalks and marigold flowers outside the main door of the house, draw a Rangoli on the ground and put turmeric, vermillion etc, as a puja of the home. This ensures that only positive energy enters your home. Then doing puja, arti etc of the household deities. Doing namaskar to the elders, the elders blessing the younger family members etc. There is a typical naivedya, ie food offered to the deities, this is a mixture of tastes, ie a mixture of neem flowers/new neem leaves, coriander seeds, jaggery, tamarind and salt are coarsely crushed together. After offering it to the deity everyone eats a spoonful of this mix as the Prasadam. Then all go to a local temple, do puja, give Daan and intend for a happy new year.

Daan and Mantra are the only two remedies for reducing the malefic effects of the planets in your life and enhancing their positive effects. So try to do something on the day of the Yugadi, if you feel inclined to do so, it will help in improving the auspiciousness of Shri Plava for you.

In families of Jyotishi-s, there is an additional puja. We will offer vermillion, turmeric, unbroken rice, flowers and do arti of the Panchangam. And the eldest in the family will read aloud the the new year predictions, Nav-Samvatsara-phal, from it, in Sanskrit and the rest of the family will listen. Then we will specifically go to a Nav-graha temple to pray to them and seek blessings for an auspicious new year, Shubha Nav-samvatsara.

युगादि शुभाशयाः