Horasara of Prithuyasas
son of Varah Mihira
Chapter 1.
Rāśi Vibhaga
There flourishes the divine Sūrya, the lord of the day, who is the sole cause and the soul of the Universe, who illumines all the worlds, and who daily brings Creation, Destruction and Protection.
The time measured from a second (required for winking the eye once) up to a year and the duration of each (zodiacal) Rāśi have been explained along with astronomical calculations and characteristics of the Grahas. In the section of Horoscopy the various Dasha divisions have been dealt with. But those with lesser understanding capacity need more scientific explanation, as they cannot grasp all (from Brihat Jataka).
Notes. This implies, that the present work has simplified explanations based on Brihat Jataka. Further additions are made by the author so an average student can grasp more.
In order, that the effects, which were declared by the old masters, who were able to predict the future accurately, are clarified lucidly, I shall state the gist of the ocean of Horary Science.
The names of the twelve Rāśis are Mesh, Vrishabh, Mithun, Kark, Simh, Kanya, Tula, Vrischik, Dhanu, Makar, Kumbh and Meen in their order.
The Rāśi Kanya is described, as a virgin seated in a boat with fire and corn in her hands. Tula is represented by a man holding scales (balance), while Meen resembles a pair of fish. The Rāśi Makar is a deer-faced crocodile, while Dhanu looks like a man holding a bow and having a hip, like that of a horse. The Rāśis Mesh, Vrishabh, Simh, Kark and Vrischik, respectively, have the forms of a ram, ox, lion, crab and scorpion, true to their (Sanskrit) names. Mithun is imagined to be a combination of a male and a female (a couple) holding a staff and lute, respectively.
Vrischik, Meen, Makar and Kark are watery Rāśis. Tula, Kumbh, Vrishabh and Kanya are water resorter Rāśis. Remaining Rāśis are land resorters. Simh’s abode is mountain’s caves. The habitations for Mesh, Tula, Mithun and Dhanu are in their order plateau, city, village and warfield.
The Rāśis Kark, Vrischik and Meen are reptile Rāśis, especially Vrischik, the scorpion Rāśi. Quadruped Rāśis are the second half of Dhanu, the first half of Makar, the whole portions of Mesh, Vrishabh and Simh. Biped, or human Rāśis are Kumbh, Mithun, Tula, Kanya and the first 15 degrees of Dhanu.
The biped Rāśis are strong, when they house Lagn. Similarly strong are the quadruped Rāśis holding Karm Bhava, the reptile Rāśis having Yuvati and the watery Rāśis, if resided by Bandhu.
Two and a quarter of Nakshatras make one Rasi. Each of the 12 Rāśis is constituted by two and quarter of Nakshatras, or nine quarters with Ashvini in the start in Mesh and Revati at the end in Meen.
One Ghatik each at the junctions of Revati-Ashvini, Aslesha-Magha and Jyeshtha-Mul is called Gandantha. This evil period rules for four years; some say for six years.Notes: According to Kasinatha’s Lagnacandrika the first three Ghatis of Mul, Magha and Ashvini are cal]ed Ganda Nadika. Simi]ar]y the ending five Ghatis of each of Jyeshtha, Aslesha and Revati. Donation of ghee filled bronze vessel, black cow and gold are suggested to overcome the evil of this Gandanadika. (See Slokas 89-92 of Ch. I of Lagnacandrika) Saravali simply says, that the ending portions of Kark, Meen and Vrischik are called Gandantha. Also see Phala Deepika Ch. I, Sloka 4, which calls such portion, as Bhasandhi. For more information, please see Balabhadra’sHoraRatna, Ch.II. The effects of Gandantha may be seen in Ch. V. of the present work.
The first Navamshas of the 12 Rasis from Mesh onwards are, respectively, Mesh, Makar, Tula and Kark, repeating again twice. The rulers of the Navamshas are the same, as the Rāśi lords. The Dwadashamshas begin from the same Rāśi. The lords of Dreshkanas for each Rāśi are in their respective order: the lord of the same Rāśi, the 5th lord there of and the 9th lord there of.
The Trimshamsh degrees allotted to Man̄gal, Śani, Guru, Budh and Śukr are 5, 5, 8, 7 and 5, respectively, in odd Rāśis. The reverse is true in even Rāśis, (i.e. 5, 7, 8, 5 and 5, respectively).
Notes. The division of Trimshamsh will be more useful to assess the disposition of a female, her luck etc. These have been elaborately dealt with in Ch. 25.
The Rāśis Mesh, Vrishabh, Dhanu, Makar and Kark ascend with hinder part and are known to be strong between sunset and sunrise. The Rāśi Meen rises with its face in opposite direction (in both ways) and is strong in twilight and the rest without Mithun rise with their heads and are strong during the day. All the Rāśis are strong, if they recveive a drsihti from their own lords, or from Budh, or from Guru.
Notes: Brihat Jataka says, that Kark is a day Rāśi and Mithun is a night Rāśi. Also see Sloka 14 of Ch. I of Jataka Parijata and Sloka 13, Ch. 7 of Sanketa Nidhi for details of night Rāśis and day Rāśis
The 12 Rāśis follow classified, as male and female one after the other. These are also known, as movable, fixed and dual Rāśis in their respective order, thus repeated four times from Mesh onward.
Notes: The Rāśis Mesh, Mithun, Simh, Tula, Dhanu and Kumbh are male. The rest are female. Mesh, Kark, Tula and Makar are movable Rāśis. Vrishabh, Simh, Vrischik and Kumbh are fixed Rāśis. The rest are dual Rāśis.
Notes: The 5th and the 9th form a Rāśi are called its Konas. The Kshatriya Rāśis are: Mesh, Simh and Dhanu. Brahmin Rāśis are: Kark, Vrischik and Meen. Vaisya Rāśis are: Mithun, Tula and Kumbh. Sudra Rāśis are: Vrishabh, Kanya and Makar. These divisions can be used profitably in Prashn, also.
Face, neck, arms, heart, stomach, (waist/hips), groins, private parts, thighs, knees, shanks and feet are, respectively, assigned to the twelve Rāśis commencing from Mesh.
For a native, the twelve limbs mentioned above are to be counted from Lagna onwards.
The following 12 colours are assigned to the 12 Rāśis in their order: red, white, green, pink, brown, grey, variegated, black, golden, yellow, variegated and thick brown.
Meen and Mesh are of short ascension. Crooked are Vrishabh and Kumbh. Long ascension Rāśis are Makar, Mithun, Kark and Dhanu. The rest are of medium length.
Notes: These can be used particularly to assess the form of a person. If he has Makar on the second house, his face will be long. Suppose Meen, or Mesh ascends, the person will be short statured.
Scholars have given various names to Mesh etc. Among them, "Ali" indicates Vrischik, while "Vanagiri" Simh.
The twelve Bhavas from Lagn are, respectively, called as: Tanu, Dhan (Artha), Sahaj, Bandhu, Putr, Ari, Yuvati (Kalatra), Randhr (Nidhana), Dharm, Karm (Kriya), Labh (Aya) and Vyaya (Vigama).
Notes: The meanings of the 12 synonyms given above are: body, wealth, co-born, relatives, children, enemies, wife, death, righteousness, or good work (one of the four ends of human existence), action, income and loss. Vigama apart from meaning loss, also means death, or departure. The 12th being the terminal house of the horoscope is related to one’s departure from the world.
Kendr, Panaphara and Apoklima divide the 12 houses in three groups. Kendras are Tanu, Bandhu, Yuvati and Karm Bhava. Dhan, Putr, Randhr and Labh Bhava are called Panapharas. The Apoklimas are Sahaj, Ari, Dharm and Vyaya Bhavas.
Notes: Panapharas are the next Bhavas to Kendras, while Apoklimas are the next ones to Panapharas.
Kantaka and Chatushtaya are the other names given to Kendras (angles), while Charama means Apoklima. Madhya Kendr is Panaphara.
Bandhu and Randhr Bhava are known, as Chaturasra. Ari and Labh Bhava are otherwise called Shatkona. Sahaj, Ari, Karm and Labh Bhava are known, as Upachayas.
Alternative names given to Yuvati Bhava are: Jamitra, Asta Bhavana, Dyuna, Kama and Chitha. Sahaj Bhava is called Duschikya, Sahaj and Vikrama.
Aspada (place), Ajna (command), Karma (livelihood), Meshurana and Kha-Madhya (zenith point of the firmament) are all identical with Karm Bhava. Bandhu Bhava is called Hibuka, Sukh (happiness), Vesma (residence), Pathala (underworld), Vari (water) and Bandhu (relatives).
Trikon, or Kon notes Putr and Dharm Bhava, while Tritrikon (Kon of the Kon) indicates Dharm Bhava only. The other names given to Dharm Bhava are: Bhagya, Guru and Subh.
Notes. According to some Jyotishis, Lagn is also to be considered, as a Kon, apart from being a Kendr. However, Phala Deepika Ch I, Sloka 17 and 18 list 1, 4, 7 and 10, as Kendras and specifically mention, that the 5th and the 9th are Konas. Same view is found in Brihat Jataka (Ch. I), Saravali (Ch. I, Sloka 27, Lagnachandika (Ch. I, Sloka 6), Jataka Tatwa (Ch. I, Rule 27 and Jataka Parijata (Ch. I). Thus from these references, only the 5th and the 9th are called Konas and Tanu Bhava is not.
Vyaya Bhava is called, as Rippha, Lopa (void) and Vyaya (loss), while Dhan Bhava is termed, as Vitta (wealth), Kutumba (family), Vak (speech) and Magala (auspiciousness).
Randhr Nidhana (death), Vinasa (destruction) and Dukh (grief) are the other identifications of Randhr Bhava. All the names Riksha, Bhava, Kshetra, Rāśi mean one and the same thing.
Notes. Bhav also means Rāśi (Brihat Jataka, Ch. I, Sloka 6).
Udaya (rising), Prag Lagn (the point rising in the east), Lekha and Hora are the other names given to Lagna. The various names, as enumerated for the Rāśis are given by the ancient preceptors.
Hora means also half of a Rāśi. Lalata Rekh. (the 1ine on the forehead, or Brahma Lipi) also indicates Hora. Some Jyotishis depend on the Hora for the knowledge of future.
Notes: The word Kal indicates the present, past and future, as known by Trikala.
Thus ends the 1st Ch. entitled Rāśi Vibhaga in Horāsāra of Prithuyasas, son of Varah Mihira.
