Ch. 4. Zodiacal Rashis Described
1-2. Importance of Hora. The word Hora is derived from Ahoratr after dropping the first and last syllables. Thus Hora (Lagnas) remains in between Ahoratr (i.e. day and night) and after knowing Hora the good and bad effects of a native be known. Śrī Vishnu, the Invisible is Time personified. His limbs are the 12 Rashis, commencing from Mesh.
3. Names of Rashis. The 12 Rashis of the zodiac in order are Mesh, Vrishabh, Mithun, Kark, Simh, Kanya, Tula, Vrischik, Dhanu, Makar, Kumbh and Meen.
4-4½. Limbs of Kaal Purush. Kaal Purush (or Time personified) has his limbs, as under with reference to the 12 Rashis, respectively: Head, face, arms, heart, stomach, hip, space below navel, privities, thighs, knees, ankles and feet.
5-5½. Classification of Rashis. Movable, Fixed and Dual are the names given to the 12 Rashis in order. These are again known, as malefic and benefic, successively. Similarly are male and female. Mesh, Simh and Dhanu are bilious. Vrishabh, Kanya and Makar are windy. Mithun, Tula and Kumbh are mixed, while the rest are phlegmatic.
6-7. Mesh described. The Mesh is blood-red in complexion. lt has a prominent (big) physique. It is a quadruped Rashi and strong during night. It denotes courage. It resides in the East and is related to kings. It wanders in hills and predominates in Rajo-Gun (the second of the three constituent qualities and the cause of great activity in living beings). It rises with its back (a Prishtodaya Rashi) and is fiery. Its ruler is Mangal.
8. Vrishabh described. Vrishabh’s complexion is white and it is lorded by Śukr. It is long and is a quadruped Rashi. It has strength in night and resides in the South. It represents villages and businessmen. An earthy Rashi, Vrishabh rises with its back.
9-9½. Mithun described. The Rashi Mithun rises with its head and represents a male and a female, holding a mace and lute. It lives in the West and is an airy Rashi. It is a biped Rashi as well and is strong in nights. It lives in villages and is windy in temperament. It has an even body with a green (grass like) hue. Its ruler is Budh.
10-11. Kark described. The Rashi Kark is pale-red. It resorts to forests and represents Brahmins. It is strong in nights. It has many feet (i.e. it is a centipede Rashi) and has a bulky body. It is Sattvic in disposition (seen in gods) and it is a watery Rashi. It rises with its back and is ruled by Candr.
12. Simh described. Simh is ruled by Sūrya and is Sattvic. It is a quadruped Rashi and a royal Rashi. It resorts to forests and rises with its head. It has a large, white body. It resides in the East and is strong during daytime.
13-14. Kanya described. This Rashi is a hill-resorter and is strong in daytime. It rises with its head and has a medium build. It is a biped Rashi and resides in the South. It has grains and fire in its hands. It belongs to the business community and is variegated. It relates to hurricanes (‘Prabharanjani’). It is a Virgin and is Tamasic (a disposition of demons). Its ruler is Budh.
15-16½. Tula described. Tula is a Seershodaya Rashi, rising with its head; Tula is strong in daytime. It is black in complexion and is predominant with Rajo-Gun. It relates to the western direction and resorts to land. It is destructive, or mischievous (‘Dhatin’). It represents Sudras, or the 4th Varna. It has a medium build physique and is a biped Rashi. Its Lord is Śukr. Vrischik described. Vrischik has a slender physique and is a centipede Rashi. It denotes Brahmins and resides in holes. Its direction is North and it is strong in daytime. It is reddish-brown and resorts to water and land. It has a hairy physique and is very sharp (or passionate). Mangal is its ruler.
17-18½. Dhanu described. The Rashi Dhanu rises with its head and is lorded by Guru. It is a Sattvic Rashi and is tawny in hue. It has strength in night and is fiery. A royal Rashi, Dhanu is biped in first half. Its second half is quadruped. It has an even build and adores an arch. It resides in the East, resorts to land and is splendourous.
19-20. Makar described. Makar is lorded by Śani and has predominance of Tamo-Gun (a disposition, seen in demons). It is an earthy Rashi and represents the southern direction. It is strong in nights and rises with back. It has a large body. Its complexion is variegated and it resorts to both forests and lands. Its first half is quadruped and its second half footless, moving in water.
21-21½. Kumbh described. The Rashi Kumbh represents a man holding a pot. Its complexion is deep-brown. It has medium build and is a biped Rashi. It is very strong in daytime. It resorts to deep water and is airy. It rises with its head and is Tamasic. It rules Sudras, the 4th Varna and the West. Its Lord is Śani, Sūrya’s offspring.
22-24. Meen described. Meen resembles a pair of fish, one tailed with the head of the other. This Rashi is strong at night. It is a watery Rashi and is predominant with Sattva-Gun. It denotes resoluteness and is a water-resorter. It is footless and has a medium build. It rules the North and rises with both head and back. It is ruled by Guru. This is how the twelve Rashis, each of 30 degrees extent, are described to evaluate gross and specific effects.
25-30. Nishek Lagn. O excellent of Brahmins, now is a step explained to arrive at the Nishek Lagn, when the natal Lagn is known. Note the angular distance between Śani and Mandi (Gulik). Add this to the difference between the Lagn Bhava (Madhya, or cusp) and the 9th Bhava (cusp). The resultant product in Rashis, degrees etc. will represent the months, days etc., that elapsed between Nishek and birth. At birth, if Lagn Lord is in the invisible half (i.e. from Lagn cusp to descendental cusp), add the degrees etc., Candr moved in the particular Rashi, occupied by her, to the above-mentioned product. Then Lagn at Nishek can be worked out and the good and bad, experienced by the native in the womb, can be guessed. One can also guess with the help of Nishek Lagn effects, like longevity, death etc. of the parents.
