Budha and Vāk: A Jyotish View on Speech and Expression

Om Gurave Namah

Speech is one of the greatest powers given to a human being. Through speech, an invisible thought is transformed into sound, meaning, instruction, promise, prayer, poetry, blessing, or conflict. A person may possess considerable knowledge, yet remain unable to communicate it. Another may know very little, yet speak so attractively that others readily listen. A third may speak correctly but without warmth, while someone else may touch the heart with only a few simple words.
In Jyotish, all these differences cannot be judged from the second bhāva alone. Speech is a complete process involving the mind, intelligence, memory, intention, language, breath, voice, and the listener. Budha occupies a central place in this process because Parāśara identifies Budha as the giver of speech.

Parāśara also describes Budha’s manner of expression in another śloka:

śliṣṭavāk indicates skilful, connected, polished, or double-meaning speech, while atihāsyaruciḥ shows Budha’s strong inclination towards humour

Let us understand the origin of the speech.

Namāni ākhyatajanī

Nouns are born of action

It is important to understand that action and karma are interlinked. Me is the Karaka of the 10th bhava, Karma bhava.Words do not disappear when they leave the mouth. They enter the minds of others and continue to act. A sentence can strengthen a person for years, while another sentence can create a wound that remains long after the speaker has forgotten it.

For this reason, Budha should not be judged only as the graha of intelligence. His higher function is responsible communication.

When Budha is purified, speech becomes accurate without cruelty, intelligent without arrogance, adaptable without dishonesty, and pleasant without manipulation. The person learns not only how to speak, but also when to speak, to whom, in what manner, and for what purpose.

Sowe can conclude that Karma is created through the speech as speech is an action and was born from naming an action.

Vāg vai prāgavyākṛta ‘vadat te devā indram abruvanni mām no vācam vyakurvīta tām indro madhyato ‘vakramya vyākarot, yadaindram padam tena vācam kalpayanti vāghye vaindri
Indra took the job of defining speech ( components, roots, suffixes)

DEVAS were well-versed schollars in philology and other sciences.Language is Daivi.The first scollar to analise speech was Brahma. He passed tradition to Bṛhaspati. He spoke that to Indra and Indra to Bharadvāja. Bharadvāja passed on this tradition to other rsis and they to the succeding scholars.
Devas started operation chāndas. Coupletes of Chandas were regarded as Dharmas

Sākṣātkṛtdharmāṇaḥ ṛṣayoḥ babhuvu ( Nirukta 1.20)

On account of three form of hot (matter three vedas or coupletes ) of knowledge came into a being.

Agni-Ṛċas or Ṛgveda
Vayu- Yajuṣas or Yajurveda
Sūrya- Sāmaveda

So as speech was the foundation of the Vedas we can say the best speech is sattvic mantra from the Veda.

The power of speech is in the 2nd bhāva from Mercury. Any dignity of the 2nd lord from Mercury will show that the native has powerful Vāk. What is dignity? Exaltation, sva, mūlatrikoṇa placement, and vargottama. The person can influence others with the power of sound, as the sound is coming from the Viśuddhi cakra. The lordship will show the level of speech.

Ma loves to use bad words. It is like a general who rules the soldiers—that kind of speech and sound, very loud but from a very low level. The speech may be harsh.

Śukra will give sweet speech—very mild, soft, and romantic speech—as the Kāraka of love and marriage.

Me will show normal speech.

The two highest energies will be given by Śani and Guru. Guru gives sāttvika, inspiring speech. In this way, we can judge.
Speech shows our culture and our background. If malefic conjoins Me our speech tends to become  Krura. Unlike benefic will give a good speech.

Let us examine the charts of well-known orators.

It is a well-known fact that this person mesmerised the nation with his speech. Because of the power of his speech, many people believed in wrong ideals and supported the most terrible and anti-human acts of World War II.

Me is MKS in the 7th bhāva with Ve, Sūrya, and Maṅgala. So, we can say that his speech could sound harsh, like the speech of a general—we are now talking about the nature of the sound. Sūrya will add to that demanding tone, which will dominate others and pull them down. Now, look at Śukra attentively. Śukra is AK and the lord of the 2nd from Me. That is why his speech was so mesmerising.

Involvement of AK will provide a very influencing  speech, the speech that people can never forget even after native dies.

Always check whom you follow. People may have diabolic nature and power of speechall at once.

Moon is the co-Lord of Ve it’s with Ke. Moon is always public and we can use the word “Social” towards Candra. So now just imagine the influence of eclipsed Moon on the minds of people. It’s in Purva Ashadha nakshatra. What is connected to that nakshatra? PRALAYA.

So you see how speech of a leader can influence the whole nation.

It is a unique general who also had very powerful speech. Patton’s visits to the troops in June and July 1944 also served to lift the spirits and motivate the soldiers and officers of the Third Army, many of whom were inexperienced recruits. A motivational speech the general delivered to his army units was included in a biographical film about him.

What were the features of his speech?

• Sharp and memorable expressions;
• humour and exaggeration;
• emotional intensity. If you look at the 2nd from Me, two Grahas are there: Mo, MKS, and Ve;
• coarse language;
• repetition of key ideas;
• direct appeals to the soldiers’ fear, courage, and pride.

Me is in Vṛścika, so we can expect that the speech will sound a little harsh. The 2nd bhāva has Mo, MKS, and Ve—there will be a lot of emotions inside, providing some social ideals like courage and all.

The lord of this sign is Guru—very elevated speech—and it is with AK Rāhu. This person can manipulate others with the help of his speech, and it will go directly into their hearts. Again, you see this mesmerising speech and the connection to the AK.

Another powerful orator. The presentations of Steve Jobs were always an interesting occasion. He could make people listen to him and convey that the new technologies that the company offers are really useful and of great importance to each person.

So, Me is in Śani’s Rāśi. Śani gives sound from a very high level, so the speech is really powerful. And if you look carefully at the chart, you will see that Śani is exalted (Ve, who is expected to give the result of Śani, is AK).

Now, the 2nd from Śani has Sūrya—very dominating and direct speech. He really filtered what he said. Śani and Maṅgala put Rāśi dṛṣṭi on Sūrya.

Steve Jobs possessed a strong and highly persuasive style of speech. He used simple language, short and memorable expressions, repetition, humour, dramatic contrasts, and emotional intensity. He organised complex subjects into a few clear ideas and frequently employed the rule of three. His strategic pauses, minimalist visual material, live demonstrations, and direct connection with the audience transformed ordinary business presentations into theatrical events. Jobs did not merely describe a product; he created a story in which an existing problem was overcome by a revolutionary solution.

At the ordinary level, Budha enables conversation, business, calculation, humour, writing, and intellectual exchange. At a higher level, Budha teaches the responsible use of intelligence.

The development of Budha begins with gathering information. It matures through discrimination and finally learns that words must serve something greater than cleverness.

Pure Vāk does not merely impress others. It illuminates.

When Budha is guided by Guru, steadied by Candra, refined by Śukra, disciplined by Śani, and aligned with dharma, speech becomes a form of service. The speaker does not use language merely to gain attention, defeat an opponent, or display knowledge. Words become instruments of clarification, healing, teaching, and awakening.

Thus, Budha is not only the graha of speech. He is the intelligence standing at the threshold between the unspoken and the spoken, between thought and form, and between knowledge held within and knowledge shared with the world.

Written by Dana Khanina, inspired by the teachings of Guruji Panit Sanjay Rath and the Gurus of Parampara. 

OM TAT SAT

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti