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Jataka Alankara · Chapter 1
संज्ञाध्यायः
This chapter sets out the technical terms the book uses. It begins with a prayer and the author's aim.
It then counts the twelve houses from the rising sign. It gives the other names for each house. It groups the houses and lists each planet's friends. It ends with how planets look at houses and who rules each sign.
The English below is our translation from the Sanskrit.
संज्ञाध्यायः
सानंदंप्रणिपत्यसिद्धिसदनंलंबोदरंभारतींसूर्यादिग्रहमंडलंनिजगुरुंभक्त्याहृदब्जेस्थितम् ॥एषामंघ्रिसरोरुहस्मरणतोनानाविधाःसिद्धयःसिद्धिंयांतिलघुप्रयांतिविलयंप्रत्यूहशैलव्रजाः ॥ १ ॥
With joy I bow to Lambodara (Ganesha), the home of success. I bow to Sarasvati, to the circle of planets from the Sun on, and to my own teacher. With love I keep them all in the lotus of my heart. By remembering their lotus feet, many kinds of success come to fruit. Mountains of obstacles quickly melt away.
Simple meaning: I bow to Ganesha, Sarasvati, the planets and my teacher. Remembering them brings success and removes obstacles.
संज्ञाध्यायः
सद्भावाकलितंपदार्थललितंयोगांगलीलार्चितंश्रीमद्भागवतंशुकास्यगलितंयच्छ्रीधरस्वामिना ॥सुव्यक्तंक्रियतेगणेशकविनागाथोक्तितज्जातकंवृत्तस्रग्धरयाजनादिसुफलंज्योतिर्विदांजीवनम् ॥ २ ॥
The Shrimad Bhagavata came from the mouth of Shuka. It is full of good feeling and lovely in meaning. It is graced by the limbs of spiritual practice. Shridhara Svami made it clear. In the same way, the poet Ganesha now makes this jataka (birth chart reading) very clear. It was once told in old gatha verses. He tells it in the sragdhara metre. It gives good results to people. It is the life and living of astrologers.
Simple meaning: As Shridhara made the Bhagavata clear, Ganesha makes this birth chart book clear in verse for astrologers.
संज्ञाध्यायः
यत्पूर्वंपरमंशुकास्यगलितंसज्जातकंफक्किकारूपंगूढतमंतदेवविशदंकुर्वेगणेशोस्म्यहम् ॥दैवज्ञःसुतरांयशःसुखमतिःश्रीहर्षदंस्रग्धरावृत्तैश्चारुनृणांशुभायनपदंश्रीमच्छिवानुज्ञया ॥ ३ ॥
That fine jataka (birth chart reading) came long ago from the mouth of Shuka. It was the best of its kind. But it was in short, hard sayings and very hidden. I, Ganesha the astrologer, now make that same work clear. By the leave of the revered Shiva, I write it in lovely sragdhara verses. It gives much fame, happiness, wisdom, wealth and joy. It is a step on a good path for people.
Simple meaning: Ganesha makes an old, short and hidden birth chart text clear in verse. It brings fame, happiness and wealth.
संज्ञाध्यायः
भूयांसःसंतिभूमौनिजपरमधियाशालिनःकाव्यगुंफेसंख्यावंतस्तथापिप्रचुरपरगुणानंदलीलांभजंते ॥चंचद्गांभीर्यपद्माविबुधविटपिनांजन्मसंप्राप्तिनूनंमर्यादांनस्वकीयांत्यजतिकिलमहान्रत्नधामासरस्वान् ॥ ४ ॥
Many people on earth shine in writing poetry with their own fine minds. They are learned. Still, they take joy in the many good qualities of others. The great sea is the home of jewels, deep and shining. Lakshmi and the wish tree of the gods were born from it. Still, they say, it never leaves its own shore.
Simple meaning: Many poets are wise, yet they enjoy the merits of others. Like the great sea, the great keep their limits.
संज्ञाध्यायः
देहंद्रव्यपराक्रमौसुखसुतौशत्रुःकलत्रंमृतिर्भाग्यंराज्यपदंक्रमेणगदितालाभव्ययौलग्नतः ॥भावाद्वादशतत्रसौख्यशरणंदेहंमतंदेहिनांतस्मादेवशुभाशुभाख्यफलजःकार्योबुधैर्निर्णयः ॥ ५ ॥
Count the houses in order from the rising sign. The twelve houses are: body, wealth, courage, happiness, children, enemies, wife, death, fortune, kingship, gain and loss. Of these, the body is held to be the shelter of happiness for living beings. So the wise should judge good and bad results from it.
Simple meaning: The twelve houses are body, wealth, courage, happiness, children, enemies, wife, death, fortune, kingship, gain and loss.
संज्ञाध्यायः
लग्नंमूर्तिस्तथांगंतनुरुदयवपुःकल्पमाद्यंततःस्वंकोशार्थाख्यंकुटुंबंधनमथसहजंभ्रातृदुश्चिक्यसंज्ञम् ॥अंबापातालतुर्यंहिबुकगृहसुहृद्वाहनंयानसंज्ञंबंध्वाख्यंचांबुनीरंजलमथतनयंबुद्धिविद्यात्मजाख्यम् ॥ ६ ॥
The 1st house is called lagna (rising sign), murti, anga, tanu, udaya, vapu, kalpa and adya. The 2nd house is called sva, kosha, artha, kutumba and dhana. The 3rd house is called sahaja, bhratri and dushchikya. The 4th house is called amba, patala, turya, hibuka, griha, suhrit, vahana, yana, bandhu, ambu, nira and jala. The 5th house is called tanaya, buddhi, vidya and atmaja.
Simple meaning: Each house has many names. The 1st is tanu, the 2nd dhana, the 4th bandhu, the 5th buddhi.
संज्ञाध्यायः
वाक्स्थानंपंचमंस्यात्तनुजमथरिपुद्वेषवैरिक्षताख्यंषष्ठंजामित्रमस्तंस्मरमदनमदद्यूनकामाभिधानम् ॥रंध्रायुश्छिद्रयाम्यंनिधनलयपदंचाष्टमंमृत्युरन्यद्गुर्वाख्यंधर्मसंज्ञंनवममिहशुभंस्यात्तपोमार्गसंज्ञम् ॥ ७ ॥
The 5th house is also called vaksthana (place of speech) and tanuja. The 6th house is called ripu, dvesha, vairi and kshata. The 7th house is called jamitra, asta, smara, madana, mada, dyuna and kama. The 8th house is called randhra (8th house), ayus (lifespan), chidra (weak point), yamya, nidhana, laya and mrityu. The next one, the 9th, is called guru and dharma. It is also called shubha (good) and tapomarga (path of penance).
Simple meaning: More names: the 5th is the place of speech, the 6th ripu, the 7th kama, the 8th mrityu.
संज्ञाध्यायः
ताताज्ञामानकर्मास्पदगगननभोव्योममेषूरणाख्यंमध्यंव्यापारमूचुर्दशममथभवंचागमंप्राप्तिमायम् ॥इत्थंप्रांत्यांतिमाख्यंमुनयइहततोद्वादशंरिःफमाहुर्ग्राह्यंबुद्धाप्रवीणैर्यदधिकममुतःसंज्ञयातस्यतच्च ॥ ८ ॥
The 10th house is called tata, ajna, mana, karma, aspada, gagana, nabha, vyoma, meshurana, madhya and vyapara. The 11th house is called bhava (house), agama, prapti and aya. The sages call the 12th house pranti, antima and riphha. The skilled should use their minds for any other names. A word with the same meaning as a house name also names that house.
Simple meaning: The 10th, 11th and 12th houses each have several names. Words of the same meaning are names too.
संज्ञाध्यायः
आद्यंतुर्यंकलत्रंदशममिहबुधैःकेंद्रमुक्तंत्रिकोणंपुत्रंधर्माख्यमुक्तंपणफरमुदितंमृत्युलाभात्मजार्थम् ॥धर्मंचापोक्लिमाख्यंव्ययरिपुसहजंकंटकाख्यंहिकेंद्रंचैतच्चातुष्टयंस्यात्रिकमिहगदितंवैरिरिःफांतकाख्यम् ॥ ९ ॥
The wise call the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses kendra (corner house). The 5th and 9th houses are called trikona (luck house). The 8th, 11th, 5th and 2nd houses are called panaphara (succeeding house). The 9th, 12th, 6th and 3rd houses are called apoklima (falling house). The kendra is also called kantaka and chatushtaya. The 6th, 12th and 8th houses are called trika (the three bad houses).
Simple meaning: Houses 1, 4, 7, 10 are corner houses. The 5th and 9th are luck houses. 6, 8, 12 are bad.
संज्ञाध्यायः
चंद्रेज्यक्षितिजारवींदुतनयौगुर्विंदुसूर्याःक्रमाच्छुक्रार्कौरविचंद्रभूमितनयाज्ञार्कीसितज्ञौमताः ॥अर्कादेःसुहृदःसमाअथबुधःसर्वेहिशुक्रार्कजौभौमाचार्ययमायमःकुजगुरूपूज्यःपरेवैरिणः ॥ १० ॥
The Sun's friends are the Moon, Jupiter and Mars. The Moon's friends are the Sun and Mercury. Mars's friends are Jupiter, the Moon and the Sun. Mercury's friends are Venus and the Sun. Jupiter's friends are the Sun, the Moon and Mars. Venus's friends are Mercury and Saturn. Saturn's friends are Venus and Mercury. For the Sun, Mercury is neutral. For the Moon, all the others are neutral. For Mars, Venus and Saturn are neutral. For Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are neutral. For Jupiter, Saturn is neutral. For Venus, Mars and Jupiter are neutral. For Saturn, Jupiter is neutral. The others are enemies.
Simple meaning: Each planet has friends, neutral planets and enemies. The verse lists them for all seven planets.
संज्ञाध्यायः
तृतीयदशमेग्रहोनवमपंचमेष्टांबुनिक्रमाच्चरणवृद्धितःस्मरगृहंततःपश्यति ॥कुजःसितबुधौशशीरविबुधौसितक्ष्मासुतौगुरुर्यमशनीगुरुर्भवनपाइमेमेषतः ॥ ११ ॥
A planet looks at the 3rd and 10th houses from it. Then it looks at the 9th and 5th, then the 8th and 4th. At each step, the strength grows by a quarter. Then it looks at the 7th house in full. From Aries on, the lords of the signs are: Mars, Venus, Mercury, the Moon, the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Saturn and Jupiter.
Simple meaning: Planets look fully at the 7th house and partly at others. Sign lords from Aries: Mars, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Sun.
संज्ञाध्यायः
हृद्यैःपद्यैर्गुंफितेसूरितोषेऽलंकाराख्येजातकेमंजुलेऽस्मिन् ॥संज्ञाध्यायःश्रीगणेशेनवर्यैर्वृत्तैर्दिग्भिःसंयुतोयंप्रणीतः ॥ १२ ॥
This lovely jataka (birth chart reading) book is called Alankara. It is woven of pleasing verses for the joy of the learned. In it, Shri Ganesha wrote this chapter on technical terms in 10 fine verses.
Simple meaning: Here ends the chapter on technical terms, written by Ganesha in ten fine verses.
Verse 1.9 calls the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses the corner houses. It calls the 5th and 9th the luck houses.
Verse 1.5 says to count the twelve houses in order from the rising sign, starting with the body. The wise judge good and bad results from it.
Verse 1.10 says the Sun's friends are the Moon, Jupiter and Mars. It then gives the friends of each other planet.