Planets, Signs, Year Entry

The sayings of Shaunaka and others told above are about firm-rooted deeds.

Yajnavalkya has told how the divine and human effort work together. 'Just as a chariot cannot move on one wheel, so the divine does not succeed without human effort.'

Mandavya tells in brief the fruit of teaching jyotisha (astrology). 'Such a one bears the form of the science that is the eye of the Veda. Just seeing him destroys all the sin people gathered over six years. That sight becomes a seat of dharma and joy.'

In the Surya Siddhanta too: 'This highest knowledge of the planets and nakshatras (star) is shown as a divine eye. Knowing it, one gains a lasting place in the worlds of the Sun and the rest.'

The ancients have said how much honour each daivajna (astrologer) gets, by the kind of learning he has. One who knows the siddhanta (planet-maths text) removes the sin done in ten days. Just seeing one who knows the tantra (planet-maths work counted from the yuga) removes the fault made in three days. One who knows the karana (short handbook for planet maths) and the star cycles removes the fault of a day and a night. But the nakshatra-suchi (one who talks of stars without learning) brings thick darkness there.

The marks of the nakshatra-suchi (one who talks of stars without learning), in Varaha's Samhita. Someone takes up the work of a daivajna (astrologer) without knowing the science. He spoils the row of guests at a rite and is a wrongdoer. He should be known as a nakshatra-suchaka.

They do not know how a tithi (moon day) arises. Nor do they know how to work out the planets. They live by other people's words. They are surely nakshatra-suchakas (those who talk of stars without learning).

The dharmashastra (law books) bars astrologers from the row of guests at a shraddha (ancestor rite). This should be understood as meant for the nakshatra-suchaka (one who talks of stars without learning).

And Vasishtha has said: Only one who has mastered the three skandha (branches) is to be honoured. He is always honoured at a shraddha (ancestor rite), among the gathering of brahmins. The nakshatra-suchi (one who talks of stars without learning) is surely a form of evil. He is always to be kept away from every good religious act.

One may object: "In this book, its great length is itself a fault." Not so. When a book is cut short, one needs other books. Doubt also arises in judging. When a book is full, there is no doubt and no need. So the length of the book is no fault. This should be known.

And Yadava has said: When [a work] is short, two things arise for the listener: doubt and need. There is no doubt about this. So fullness is better. It removes need and doubt.

Enough of this long side talk. Let us now go back to the main subject.

Next, the nature of the signs. And it is said in the Vamana Tajika: The results of all living beings depend on the signs and planets. So the nature of the signs from Aries on is described first.

Aries, Taurus, then Gemini, Cancer, Leo, then Virgo. Then Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius and Capricorn. Aquarius and Pisces. These are called the twelve signs by the wise.

Aries, then Gemini, Leo, Libra, then Sagittarius and Aquarius: the wise should know these six signs as cruel.

Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn and Pisces: these six should be known as gentle signs.

Aries, Cancer, then Libra and Capricorn are chara rashi (moving signs). Taurus, Leo, then Scorpio and Aquarius are sthira rashi (fixed signs). Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces are ubhaya rashi (dual signs).

Aries, then Taurus, Leo, the second half of Sagittarius, and Capricorn: the wise should know these signs as four-footed.

Cancer and Scorpio, both, are called many-footed. Aquarius and Pisces, both signs, should be known as footless.

Gemini, Libra, Virgo, and the first half of Sagittarius: these signs are called two-footed by the wise Yavana (foreign teachers).

Aries, Leo and Sagittarius should be known as fire signs. Taurus, Virgo, then Capricorn are earth signs.

Gemini, Libra and Aquarius are signs of the nature of air. Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces should be known as water signs.

Capricorn, Aquarius and Virgo: these signs have half a voice. Libra, Scorpio, Cancer and Pisces should be known as without voice. Aries, Taurus, then Gemini, Leo and Sagittarius have a voice.

Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are said to have many children. Aquarius and the signs in the word 'jinmoksha' are said to be middling. Leo, Capricorn, Virgo, Aries, Libra and Sagittarius likewise have few. (Our text is unclear here: the word 'jinmoksha' before Aquarius does not read as sign names; it should name the other middling signs.)

Leo, Sagittarius and Aries are subtle, yellow and hot. Their dhatu (body tissue / state) is pitta (the bile humour). Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn are dry, hot and cold. They are of vata (the wind humour).

Gemini, Aquarius and Libra are hot and have smooth bodies. Their dhatu (body tissue / state) is even. Cancer, Pisces and Scorpio are smooth and cold. Their dhatu is kapha (the phlegm humour).

King, vaishya (trader class), shudra (worker class) and brahmin. And the directions starting from the east. The wise should always know these from Aries, going round three times.

Cancer, Capricorn, Sagittarius, Aries and Taurus: these are prishthodaya (back-first rising signs). The rest should be known as shirshodaya (head-first rising signs). Pisces is said to be ubhayodaya (sign rising both ways).

The shirshodaya (head-first rising signs) are strong by day. The rest are said to be strong at night. A sign's own navamsha (one-ninth part of a sign) is called vargottama (same sign in the chart and its navamsha).

Next, Samarasimha gives the colours of the signs. Red, white, green, pink, grey, pale, many-coloured, white, golden, tawny, spotted and brown. These are the colours of the signs from Aries on.

Next, Samarasimha himself says which signs rise unequally and which equally. The six from Capricorn on rise unequally, because their time is short. The six from Cancer on rise equally, because their time is long. And Aries and Libra are equal.

Where the latitude in degrees is small, the rising time does not become short or long. Yet where the latitude in degrees is large, it surely does. For example, take a place where the akshabha (noon shadow at the equinox) is 12 angulas (finger-widths). There the rising palas (24-second unit) of Capricorn and the rest are as follows. Capricorn 283, Aquarius 203, Pisces 158, Aries 158, Taurus 203, Gemini 283. And the rising palas of Cancer and the rest are as follows. Cancer 363, Leo 395, Virgo 398, Libra 398, Scorpio 395, Sagittarius 363. Here the rising palas of Cancer and the rest are much more than those from Capricorn on. This should be known.

Samarasimha himself gives their use: Suppose the Moon is among the long, equal-rising signs and is waxing. Then there is an uneven increase. In the reverse case there is loss.

Varaha gave other names for the signs from Aries on: Kriya, Tavuri, Jituma, Kulira, Leya, Pathona, Juka and Kaurpa. Taukshika, Akokera, Hridroga, and the last sign, Ittham.

He also gives the names kendra (corner house) and the rest. The names kantaka (thorn), kendra and chatushtaya (the four) belong to the lagna (rising sign), the 7th, the 10th and the 4th. The next ones are called panaphara (succeeding house). The ones after those are called apoklima (falling house).

He also gives the mulatrikona (a planet's strong own-sign part) signs of the planets. From the Sun on, the mulatrikona signs are Leo, Taurus, the first, the sixth, Sagittarius, Libra and Aquarius.

Thus the nature of the signs. Next, the use of the sign natures. Here, the use of the signs named two-footed, four-footed, day and night is in the house results. These will be given later.

The use of male and female signs: Male planets are strong in a male sign. Female planets are strong in a female sign. This is to be known in sthana bala (strength by place).

The use of bile, hot, cold and the like. It is to know where an illness sits in the houses. This is in rules such as 'the sign where the maker of illness is'.

The use of sign directions: on a journey, to know the direction.

The use of chara rashi (moving signs) and the like. This is to be known in judging meals. It is in rules such as 'when a moving sign rises, a meal once'.

Now the use of the signs that live in water and the like. In hunting, they speak of hunting in water. This is to be known in the line 'with strong planets called watery'. Fire signs and the like are used in lines like this one. 'In the 8th house, in a fire sign: fear of fire'. Then the use of caste, brahmin and the rest, and of cruel, gentle and the like. It is as Samarasimha said, in lines such as this one. 'Dwelling, age, size and caste should be known by inference from the lagna (rising sign).'

For example, someone asks: 'From whom will I gain this year?' Look at the sign of the house of gains. Gain should be told through a person of the same varna (caste or colour) as that sign. He has its nature, cruel, gentle and so on. He has children like mine, and as many births as that sign. Gain of things of that same colour and so on should be told too. Thus the use of the sign natures.

Next, the nature of the planets. And Yadava has said: The Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury and Jupiter, Venus and Saturn, Rahu and Ketu are the planets. The star circle does not always [give results], because it keeps turning. [The planets] give people results like their dhatu (body tissue / state), as stated.

Vamana too: The seven planets from the Sun on give good and bad results. Rahu is the eighth, to know the special result of the muntha (the point that moves one sign each year).

The nature of the planets is given in the Trailokyaprakasha: Venus and the Moon move in water. Mercury and Jupiter move in villages. Rahu, Mars, Saturn and the Sun are said to move in forests.

Mercury and Jupiter rule the morning. The Sun and Mars rule midday. Venus and the Moon rule the afternoon. Saturn and Rahu rule twilight.

The Sun and Mars are pitta (the bile humour). Venus and the Moon are kapha (the phlegm humour). Mercury and Jupiter have an even dhatu (body tissue / state). Rahu and Saturn are vata (the wind humour).

Mars and the Sun are pungent. Jupiter is sweet. Mercury is astringent. The Moon and Venus are salty and sour. The Sun and Saturn are sharp.

The Moon is stout. Venus is khanda (half-moon shaped). Mars and the Sun are square. Mercury and Jupiter are round. Saturn and Rahu are long.

Khanda means shaped like a half-moon.

Venus and Jupiter are brahmins. Mars and the Sun are kshatriyas (warrior class). Mercury is a shudra (worker class). The Moon is said to be a vaishya (trader class). Rahu and Saturn are mlechchhas (people outside the caste order).

Mars is said to be red in colour. Jupiter has a golden glow. Mercury is like a parrot's feather. The Moon has a fair glow.

Then the Sun glows like the flower of the mandara arka. Venus is very white. Rahu is black, and so is Saturn.

The Sun is a king. The Moon is an ascetic. Mars, the son of the earth, is a goldsmith. Mercury, the one born of Rohini, is a brahmin.