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Narada Purana (Jyotisha Selections) · Chapter 6
कालमानं मुहूर्ताङ्गानि च
This chapter teaches the panchanga and muhurta elements one by one. It begins with the nine ways of counting time and the sixty-year cycle.
Then come the moon days, the weekdays and the hour lords. Next it takes the stars, the yogas and the karanas. It lists the good and bad ones, and the days to skip. It ends with planet transits from the birth sign, gems for the planets and the work each rising sign suits.
The English below is our translation from the Sanskrit.
मंगलानि स्थिराण्यंबुवेश्मकर्मप्रवर्तनम् ।कृषिवाणिज्यपश्वादिदुष्टलग्ने प्रसिद्ध्यति ॥ २९१ ॥
Lucky lasting acts, water work and starting house work succeed in a 'dushta' lagna (rising sign). So do farming, trade and animals. (Our text is unclear here: the print reads 'bad rising sign' where Taurus is expected.)
Simple meaning: Lasting work, water work, house work, farming and trade succeed in this lagna, likely Taurus.
कलाविज्ञानशिल्पानि भूषणाहवसंश्रवम् ।गजोद्वाहाभिषेकाद्यं कर्त्तव्यं मिथुनोदये ॥ २९२ ॥
Arts, skill, crafts, ornaments, hearing of battle, elephants, marriage, coronation and the like should be done when Gemini rises.
Simple meaning: Arts, crafts, marriage and coronation suit Gemini rising.
वापीकूपतडागादि वारिबंधनमोक्षणम् ।पौष्टिकं लिपिलेखादि कर्तव्यं कर्कटोदये ॥ २९३ ॥
Wells, ponds and tanks, binding and releasing water, rites for growth and writing letters should be done when Cancer rises.
Simple meaning: Wells, ponds, growth rites and writing suit Cancer rising.
इक्षुधान्यवणिक्पण्यकृषिसेवादयस्स्थिरे ।साहसाहवभूपाद्यं सिंहलग्ने प्रसिद्ध्यति ॥ २९४ ॥
Sugarcane, grain, trade goods, farming, service and the like [succeed] in this fixed sign. Daring acts, battles and kings' work succeed in a Leo lagna (rising sign).
Simple meaning: Farming, trade, service, daring acts and kings' work succeed in a Leo lagna.
विद्याशिल्पौषधं कृत्यं भूषणं च चरस्थिरम् ।कन्यालग्ने विधेयं च पौष्टिकाखिलमंगलम् ॥ २९५ ॥
Learning, crafts, medicine and ornaments suit Virgo lagna (rising sign). So does moving and fixed work. So do all rites for growth and good luck.
Simple meaning: Learning, crafts, medicine and growth rites suit Virgo lagna.
कृषिवाणिज्ययानं च पशूद्वाहव्रतादिकम् ।तुलायामखिलं कर्म तुलाभाराश्रिते च यत् ॥ २९६ ॥
Farming, trade, travel, animals, marriage, vows and all acts succeed in Libra, and whatever depends on the weighing gift.
Simple meaning: Farming, trade, travel and marriage suit Libra.
स्थिरकर्माखिलं कार्यं राजसेवाभिषेचनम् ।चौर्यकर्मस्थिरारंभाः कर्तव्या वृश्चिकोदये ॥ २९७ ॥
All fixed work, serving a king, coronation, theft and fixed beginnings should be done when Scorpio rises.
Simple meaning: Fixed work, royal service and coronation suit Scorpio rising.
व्रतोद्वाहप्रयाणाश्वगजशिल्पकलादिकम् ।चरस्थिरविमिश्रं च कर्तव्यं कार्मुकोदये ॥ २९८ ॥
Vows, marriage, journeys, horses, elephants, crafts and arts should be done when Sagittarius rises. So should things both moving and fixed.
Simple meaning: Vows, marriage, journeys and crafts suit Sagittarius rising.
चापबंधनमोक्षास्त्रकृषिगोश्वादिकम यत् ।प्रस्थानं पशुदासादि कर्तव्यं मकरोदये ॥ २९९ ॥
Binding and loosing the bow, weapons, farming, cows, horses, setting out, animals and servants should be done when Capricorn rises.
Simple meaning: Weapons, farming, animals and setting out suit Capricorn rising.
व्रतोद्वाहाभिषेकांबुस्थापनं सन्निवेशनम् ।भूषणं जलपात्राश्वकर्म मीनोदये शुभम् ॥ ३०१ ॥
Vows, marriage, coronation and setting up water are good when Pisces rises. So are founding a settlement, ornaments, and work with water pots and horses.
Simple meaning: Vows, marriage, coronation and building suit Pisces rising.
मेषादिषु विलग्नेषु शुद्धेष्वेवं प्रसिद्ध्यति ।क्रूरग्रहेक्षितेषूग्रसंयुतेषूग्रमेव हि ॥ ३०२ ॥
When the lagna (rising sign) from Aries on is clean, the acts succeed as said. When cruel planets look at it, or fierce ones join it, only fierce acts succeed.
Simple meaning: A clean rising sign works as listed. With cruel planets on it, only fierce acts succeed.
गोयुग्मकर्ककन्यांत्यतुलाचापधराः शुभाः ।शुभर्क्षत्वाशुभासत्य इतरा पापराशयः ॥ ३०३ ॥
Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Virgo, Pisces, Libra and Sagittarius are good signs. The others are bad signs. (Our text is unclear here: a short phrase between the two lists.)
Simple meaning: Seven signs are good and the others are bad.
ग्रहयोगावलोकाभ्यां राशिर्धत्ते ग्रहोद्भवम् ।फलं ताभ्यां विहीनोऽसौ स्वभावमुपसर्पति ॥ ३०४ ॥
A sign gives the result born of a planet through the planet's joining or looking. Without those two, it moves to its own nature.
Simple meaning: A sign gives a planet's result through joining or looking. Without them it acts by its own nature.
आदौ संपूर्णफलदं मध्ये मध्यफलप्रदम् ।अंते तुच्छफले लग्ने सर्वस्मिन्नेवमेव हि ॥ ३०५ ॥
In every lagna (rising sign), the start gives full results. The middle gives middle results. The end gives small results.
Simple meaning: A rising sign gives full results at its start and small ones at its end.
सर्वत्र प्रथमं लग्नं कर्तुश्चंद्रबलं ततः ।कल्प्यामदिंदौ बलिनि सप्तमे बलिनो ग्रहाः ॥ ३०६ ॥
In every work, first look at the lagna (rising sign). Then look at the doer's Moon strength. Weigh this. When the Moon is strong, the planets in the 7th are strong. (Our text is unclear here: why the 7th is named.)
Simple meaning: First check the rising sign, then the doer's Moon. A strong Moon makes the planets strong.
चंद्रस्य वलिमाधारमाधेय चान्यखेटकम् ।आधारभूतेनाधेयं धीयते परिधिष्ठिनम् ॥ ३०७ ॥
The Moon's strength is the support. The other planets are what it holds. What is held rests on the support and stays in place.
Simple meaning: The Moon's strength holds up the other planets.
चेदिंदुः शुभदः सर्वे ग्रहाः शुभफलप्रदाः ।अशुभश्चेदशुभदा वर्जयित्वा धनाधिपम् ॥ ३०८ ॥
If the Moon gives good, all planets give good results. If it gives bad, they give bad, except the lord of wealth.
Simple meaning: If the Moon is good, all planets give good. If bad, they give bad.
लग्नस्याभ्युदिता येंशास्तेष्वंशेषु स्थितो ग्रहः ।लग्नोद्भवं फलं धत्ते धनातीतो द्वितीयकम् ॥ ३०९ ॥
Some degrees of the lagna (rising sign) have risen. A planet in those degrees gives the result of the lagna. One gone past them, into the wealth [house], gives the 2nd house's result. (Our text is unclear here: the word 'dhanatita'.)
Simple meaning: A planet in the risen part of the rising sign acts as a 1st house planet.
दोषाल्पत्वं गुणाधिक्यं बहु संततमिष्यते ।दोषाद्दुष्टो हि कालस्तमपि मार्ष्टुं पितामहः ॥ ३११ ॥
Few faults and many good points are always what is wanted. A time is spoiled by faults. Even Pitamaha [Brahma] ... to wipe that clean. (Our text is unclear here: the verb for Brahma is missing.)
Simple meaning: Look for few faults and many good points. No time is free of faults.
It teaches the parts of the calendar that every muhurta uses: moon days, weekdays, stars, yogas and karanas.
Verse 6.53 says the days of the Moon, Mercury, Jupiter and Venus suit every kind of work.
Verse 6.112 says the six karanas from Bava to Vanija are good.