The most important shipping event in North Atlantic history was the creation of the International Mercantile Marine company (IMM) in 1902. Its flagship, the Titanic, was the largest ship in the world when it took its maiden sailing from Southampton, England, on April 10, 1912.
In Garuda Purana, Vishnu reveals to Siva, Yogas & Muhurtas, good or bad lunar and week days as per Vedic Astrology when travel should be avoided or undertaken for better prospects.
Shubh Muhurtas for travel are chosen on the base of transit of Moon in various signs and Nakshatras.
Travel started at wrong time/muhurta results in unfavourable results.
The launching of the Titanic is perhaps the best example of when not to commence travel. For travel the Ayana has a say. Normally the Ayana itself would not be so important, but since this is the first sail of the Titanic, it becomes more significant.
April 10, 1912 - The Titanic sets sail on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York.
April 14-15, 1912 - The luxury liner hits an iceberg in the North Atlantic around midnight and sinks in less than three hours.
Approximately 1,500 people died and nearly 700 survived out of about 2,220 passengers and crew.
Both the Sun and Moon are in Uttarayana, which is favourable for traveling north and east, but unfavourable for traveling south or the direction that the Titanic sailed - west, in which case death is said to be the result.
Month – Chaitra
full Moon of the month falls in Hasta, ruled by the Moon. Hasta is very favorable for traveling, in any
direction.
Tithi - Navmi (Rikta Tithi) also Navmi is tithi shunya in Chiatra and on a Navmi tithi Cancer is Shunya Lagna
Day - Wednesday
Day lord retrograde with 8th Lord (debilitated Saturn)
Paksha -Krishna Paksha
Lord of the Month - Moon in 7th House.
Nakshtra -Uttara Ashada
Yoga - Siddha (Ketu)
Karana - Taitula (Me with Debilitated Sa)
Depositor of lagna lord is Debilitated and conjoined with Retro planet which ruins the travel Muhurta
8th Lord debilitated is aspecting Lagna lord pf the Muhurta Kundali.
Navmi Tithi on Wednesday cuases KraKacha saw Yoga which is inauspicious.
In respect to travel the combination of the month, Tithi and direction should be considered.
5th and 10th Lord Mars gets exalted Navamsha. which is a planet of overcoming difficulties, and very much helped in taking the actions necessary to save as many lives as possible.
The Nakshtra is Uttara Ashada, which is not a very favourable Nakshtra for traveling. Since Nakshtra Lord Sun is Virgottam but as the Moon is afflicted, the Nakshtra cannot create the hope for end easily.
A well-disposed lord of the Nakshtra can never compensate for a terribly afflicted Moon.
The Yoga is favourable, Siddha (auspicious). The lord of the Yoga, Ke is in 3rd house suffers affliction.
In respect to the crucial Panchang elements, the Vara and Tithi are unfavourable, both suffering some unique blemishes specifically for traveling.
The Lagna is Cancer, though favourable for sea voyages but Lagna lord, the Moon, however, is poorly disposed, so the Lagna is rendered troublesome.
Planetary aspects to the Lagnesh and Moon are primarily malefic, with Mars and Saturn causing malefic influence.
Sun and Venus too are afflicted wirh rahu Ketu.
The Navamsa Lagna is Sagittarius, a favourable Navamsa for journeys, but blemished by Saturn’s occupation, and its lord, Jupiter, suffers on account of being debilitated in the Navamsa.
The Navamsa Lagna is not well and unable to compensate for the poor Lagna. Navamsa Lagna lord Jupiter is debilitated, Jupiter is retrograde, very adverse for the first journey to some place. The ideal and purpose of the Titanic had no strength.
The Titanic was meant to be the perfect ship; large, luxurious and unsinkable, at least it was large and luxurious, though the other proved disastrously untrue.
There are no effective benefics in the angles.
Mercury would have helped had he not been retrograde.
The Moon is in its most unfavourable Bhava.
The Navamsa is also afflicted as the angles hold four malefics.
The pertinent Bhava for foreign voyages is the 12th. It holds Mars, who is exalted in the Navamsa and therefore favourable. It suffers, however, through the Rashi aspect of Venus debilitated in the Navamsa. The Rashi aspects of the Sun, Rahu and Ketu, though malefics, are somewhat favourable due to being in Vargottama. The 12th Bhava is not bad, the 12th lord, however, is. It is with debilitated Saturn, Rashi aspected by Jupiter, who is harmful due to being in debilitation Navamsa, and by the malefic Moon.
For purposes of travel the 10th Bhava is the worst place for Saturn, who happens to be the lord of the
direction as well, making its placement there very unfavorable.
The Sun should be avoided in Cancer, Scorpio or Pisces when traveling, especially when making a journey for the first time. Here it is in Pisces. It is also unfavorable to being a journey when the Lagna is in the middle Drikkana of Cancer, which it is. Mercury should not be retrograde or combust at the time of making a journey, here it retrograde. One should not travel in the direction of Yogini, which at the time of the Titanic’s maiden voyage was the West. The Vela is Sattva; Cancer Lagna is adverse in the Sattva Vela.
If one were to follow the convention of calculating the Muhurta for the local place, the Muhurta would have been Abhijit, which is supposed to overcome all blemishes and lead to success even if other factors are unfavourable. But on a wednesday Abhijit Muhurta is blemished due to durmuhurta.
The Hora is that of Saturn, unfavourable, made worse on account of Saturn’s debilitation and Rashi aspect from Jupiter who is debilitated in the Navamsa.
Since several of the Panchang components are weak and since there are several major Doshas, factors that neutralize blemishes are very much in need. There are none.
There was absolutely no protection at the time of the Titanic’s voyage. It is never a good idea to begin any activity when there are not protective influences.
Even though the Panchang was not completely adverse, the Shunya factors, the debilitation of Venus and Jupiter in the Navamsa, and the many adverse travel-specific factors combined with no factors to overcome the adversities was all it took to sink the Titanic.
If the maiden voyage is done in a favourable Muhurta, then further voyages will be successful, even in an adverse Muhurta. If the maiden voyage is done in an unfavourable, but not disastrous Muhurta, then the stage is set to meet with some great adversity during a future voyage, which will happen when the Muhurta is disastrous.
