HORARY ASTROLOGY HINDU TRADITIONAL SYSTEM : Prasna Gyana
Bhattotpala is the author of this work. He had commented on Varaha Mihira’s works and this text deals with one of the branches of Astrology called Horary Astrology. Text-books of our sages can give only the fundamental principles. The result entirely depends on the intelligent anticipation by proper application and interpretation by the astrologer without taking into consideration one’s desire. Wishful thoughts and guess will prove to be useless.
Sloka 1: Bhottotpaia bows to all tho seven planets, Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn: Then he prays to Lord Ganapathi. He brings out for the benefit of the readers astrologers this science Prasna Gyana.
Sloka 2: He boldly declares that Horary Astrology will never fail He expects the astrologers to carefully judge the ten conditions of the planets after casting their exact position. The ten conditions of the planets are given in Jataka Parijata and their results are explained in Saravali.
(a) Theeptha : Jubilant, buoyant, effulgent. A planet is in ‘Theeptha’ if it is in its exalted or moolatrikona sign, i.e. it is very strong.
Planet Exalted Moolatrikona
Sun Aries Leo
Moon Taurus Taurus
Mars Capricorn Aries
Mercury Virgo Virgo
Jupiter Cancer Sagittarius
Venus Pisces Libra
Saturn Libra Aquarius
This means that a planet in exaltation or in Moolatrikona sign promises the Goddess of Fortune favors the native, offers courage and blesses with Victor) over enemies (It is not correct in all cases: many suffer during the period of the exalted planet).
(b) Swastha : Pleasant, happy: -A planet is said to be in Swastha if it occupies its own sign, i e. when it is Swakshethra.
Own sign
Sun Leo
Moon Cancer
Mars Aries, Scorpio
Mercury Gemini, Virgo
Jupiter Sagittarius, Pisces
Venus Taurus, Libra
Saturn Capricorn, Aquarius.
Planets in their own sign indicate pleasure, happiness, wealth like gold, gems. etc. and one can have servants at command. (Planets in its own sign equally causes miseries and do harm also ; it is not a guarantee that such a planet should invariably do good It depends on the lord of the constellation and the lord of the sub.)
(c) Pramudhita : Satisfied, contented: A planet is said to be satisfied when it occupies its friend’s quarters. One can find out the friend’s quarters by using the following :
Swa, Swanthya, Dhi, Dharma, Swechcha, Ayu, Sukha, i.e., count from the Moolatrikona sign of the planet whose friendly sign is to be found. The first, second, twelfth, fifth, ninth, exaltation sign eighth and fourth counted from the Moolatrikona signs are the friendly signs. The other signs are said to be enemical, i.e., 3, 6, 10, 11 and 7. One can easily remember that the seventh and the upachaya Sthanas counted from Moolatrikona signs are not friendly ones. The lords of the friendly signs are called the friends of the planet; the lords of the signs 3, 6, 10, 11 and 7 are said to be the enemy of that planet. It may happen that one of the two signs owned by a planet is friendly and the other is enemical.
The authors say that such a planet owning both the friendly and enamical signs should be considered as neutral, e.g. take Sun. Us Moolatrikona sign is Leo. Therefore Mercury owning Gemini and Virgo becomes the lord of the 1 Ith and the second sign counted from Sun’s Moolatrikona sign. 11th is enemical, 2nd is friendly. So Mercury is neutral to Sun ; 3rd sign Libra is owned by Venus which also rules Taurus the 10th sign from Leo, the Moolatrikona of sign o? Sun, Leo. As the 3 and 10 are enemicals Venus is the enemy of Sun. Take the 4th sign corpio. It is owned by Mars who also governs Aries, the 9th sign. Therefore Mars is friendly with Sun. Thus one is to find out the friendship, enmity and neutral condition of the planets.
Such a planet causes contentment; it offers peace; it is also said that one may have damsels, riches like gems and precious metals, enjoy one’s life and come out successful in one’s enter prise and victorious in the disputes. (Just like friends turn out to be rogues causing danger to the person, so also planets in friend’s quarters offer undesirable results to many.)
(d) Santha: Calm, tranquil; If a planet is in the Varga of a benefice, it is said to be संथा; by Benefics, one is to mean benefics by nature, i.e. Jupiter, Venus, Waxing Moon, and non afflicted Mercury. Such a planet in Santha condition shows that the person will be helpful. He or she will do meritorious deeds. They will be educated and learned. They can become advisers and ministers. Hence they can enjoy life with enough financial position and have peace.
(e) Saktha: Capable, competent, efficient. A planet is in शक्ता condition, if it is not Moodha and eclipsed but is with bright rays. Such a planet will bring one name, fame, reputation, honour etc. He will be liked by all. He or she has enough friends of the opposite sex ; so he or she puts on good clothes, uses flower and fragrant scents (not a guarantee).
(f) Prapeditha: Troubled tormented, A planet is said to be in Prapeeditha, if it is defeated by another planet in the fight among themselves. Such a planet causes separation from close relatives and friends; he or she may wander from one place to the other (frequent transfers, keeping the* family in any one place); suffer in the hands of the enemies or from ill-health.Thus he or she will be miserable, even a king will suffer (not always).
(g) “Dheena” Unhappy, timid worried, miserable. A planet is said to be in दीन conditions if either m Rasi Kundali or in Navamsa Kundali, it occupies its enemy’s quarters ; such a planet threatens loss of one’s position, prestige and honour. The person is defeated. He is ruined. He goes to foreign places : cannat keep himself clean (not m all cases).
(h) Khala, cruel, wicked, A planet is in खल condition when it occupies either in Rasi kundali or Navamsa kundali, the sign belonging to any of the natural malefic, Sun, waning Moon, Mars, afflicted Mercury or Saturn. Such a planet always contributes for one’s miserable life.
(i) Vikala, unsteady, infirm, such a condition arises when a planet is eclipsed. (Saturn and Venus do not lose strength even when eclipsed. Uthrakalamirtha, kanda IV sloka 15), loss of wealth, separation from partner, mentally worried, enemy’s strength much (greater and enemy becoming more powerful, agony, etc., are threatened.
(j) Bheedhi, fear, threatening, frightened. A planet attains the condition of ” Bheedhi ” in its Neecha, debilitated i.e., depression sign. Such a planet makes one diffident. There is no self-confidence. He is afraid by anything and everything. Loss of all kinds are portended.
Neecha Banga Raja Yoga : Venus, friend of Mercury, neecha in Mercury’s sign. Venus, enemy of Jupiter is exalted in Jupiter sign : Moon, enemy of Venus exalted in Venus sign.
Sloka 3 : The astrologer should start his work only after bowing to the planets. He must worship, when truth will dawn in his mind. Then commence to judge the query. The querist has to bit facing east or north or north-east. Hq should avoid taking such a seat, facing west, south-west,
north-west, south, and south-east directions.
Varahamihira in Brihat Samhita has advised the astrologer to take seat in an even ground under a tree with flowers or fruits; he has to avoid such trees where owls and such bad omen birds take rest; the name of the tree itself should be encouraging offering mental solace. Or one should prefer Deva, Rishi Twiya, Siddhaor Sadhu Nilayam with Sath pushyam, i.e., the temple, the Ashram of Maharishis, the residences of Brahmins, the places of Siddha Purushas or good Sadhus where there are planets with beautiful and sweet smelling flowers etc. Why ? The sight itself should be pleasing to the eyes. Lawn is preferred.
Sloka 4: The consultant also should pray with fruits, flowers, gems and gold ; then only, come out with his problems and put queries to the astrologer. Avoid taking seat under a tree which is cut or which is thorny. Avoid graveyards, neglected temples, dirty places, and dry barren ground. Reject such places where persons remain naked, or saloon, slaughter house gambling den, hospitals, prison or honey store room.
Why because one can have favorable results if the consultant faces east. If he faces south or north, journey is indicated. South-west and north-east show that there is long delay in achieving one’s aim. North-west and south-east threaten failure, disappointment or temporary pleasure.
Regarding west, in Prasna Bairava it is taken as auspicious whereas Varahamihira advises to avoid west.
Both the astrologer and the consultant must prefer the morning hours to the afternoon the Santhyakala, twilight period and the nights.
Neelakanta suggests that the astrologer should check whether the consultant has approached him with the sincere idea of placing his problems and then requesting the astrologer to solve them or he has come to test him or put some questions casually. This can be judged by finding out whether the lagna that is rising in the cast is occupied by Moon, squared or opposed by Saturn, or opposed by Mercury or aspected by Mars and Mercury in eclipsed, If the ascendant, at the moment of query, has such afflictions, the consultant is not sincere. Benefices in the Lagna Bhava denotes that he is true and he has the real urge. Malefic in the lagna indicates that he is not plain and open, if lord of the 7th cusp receives aspects from its enemy or Jupiter or Mercury he is crooked and not straightforward. But if the 7th house as well as lagna receive aspects from either Moon or Mercury or Jupiter or by all of them he is honest when he puts the query. Benefices aspecting the enemy of lord of 7 when he aspects the latter, then also, he is honest. Only when the consultant is serious and sincere then only truth will come out; prediction will prove to be correct.
After satisfying himself, the astrologer has to note down, the various questions, 1,2,3, and so on, if the person wants to consult more than one question. While judging the first question, take lagna as the first Bhava, for the second question find where Moon is deposited. Consider that sign as Lagna ; for the third question, note the sign tenanted by Sun and take that sign as Lagna, For the fourth, the lagna should be the sign occupied by Jupiter; the fifth question is to be answered by taking either of the signs occupied by the stronger of the two planets Mercury or Venus and so on.
Sloka 5, 6 and 7: In these three slokas the author says that the astrologer must observe the omen (I add Nimitham then also) at the time of query and decide whether he can give favorable answer or not. It is advisable to read Brihat Samhita where Varahamihira has elaborately dealt with ‘omens’.
Next, he explains how one is to judge the various houses bhavas whether they are auspicious and strong to offer desirable results fulfilling one’s desire or otherwise.
Sloka 8 : If the benefics, Mercury. Jupiter or Venus or the lord of the house is situated in the particular house to be judged, or if they aspect the house, the matters signified by the house will offer beneficial results.
Sloka 9: A Bhava OR house -becomes favorable if benefices occupy the 2nd, 4th, 7th, 10th and 12th houses.
Sloka 10: If the lagna falls in a quadruped or a biped sign and if an evil planet aspects the Lagna. then the matters signified by Lagna Bhava fall through. One can expect only favorable results.
Sloka 11 : One can predict beneficial results if evils do not occupy I, 4, 7, 8, 10 and 12 houses and in 1, 4, 7, 10 houses either lord of Lagna or its friend were to be deposited.
Sloka 12: Benefices Mercury, Jupiter and Venus in the kona signs 5 or 9 and the evils Sun, Mars and Saturn in 3 or 6 or 11 contribute for the beneficial results. They are advantageous.
Sloka 13: There will be either disease if evil planets are in lagna; disagreement, unhappiness and disharmony among relatives are to be predicted, if the malefic are found in the 4th house.
Sloka 14: There will be hindrance and difficulty for one to make a journey, if the 7th house is afflicted by the occupation of a malefic in the 7th house; one cannot have success in his enterprises if evils are in the 10th house*; but if they are conjoined with or aspected by any of the benefices, then the malefic do their job by throwing obstacles and threatening failure but the benefices ultimately fulfill the querist’s desire.
Sloka 15: If the fixed sign Taurus, Leo, Scorpio or Aquarius be the ascendant, one cannot be defeated ; there will be no loss ; disease will continue and cannot be cured; journey will not be made ; but one can have the rank or position which she expect.
Sloka 16: If any of the movable signs Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn be the ascendant, one will be defeated, things will be lost, disease will disappear, journey will be made but one cannot have the rank or position or improvement in status.
If any of the common signs were to rise (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces) divide the sign into two halves; the first half and the second half. One is to consider the first half as though it is a fixed sign and offer such predictions as is given for a fixed sign: the second half is to be considered as a movable sign and predictions given for a movable sign is to be applied for the second half of the dual or common or Ubaya sign.
Sloka 17 : One can have his desires fulfilled if any of the benefices is deposited in Lagna or if the Lagna falls in the Varga of benefics.
Sloka 18 : Success in one’s enterprise and the return of those who had been away are to be expected if benefices are situated in 1, 4, 5, 7, 9 or 10th houses and malefic are in 3 or 6 or 11.
Sloka 19: People who had gone away will return if Jupiter or Venus is deposited in the second or the third house. But if these benefices are tenanted in the fourth house, immediate return of the member is to be expected.
Sloka 20: The person who had gone out will return home shortly and the person is alive if Mercury and Venus are in 2 and 12 to Lagna or Moon.
Sloka 21: Enemy will come with his forces if the Lagna, Navamsa Lagna are in movable signs and Moon is in a fixed sign. If Moon is in a moveable sign and the Lagna and Navamsa Lagna are fixed signs, the enemy will not come (will there be litigation or opposition or competition can be found, similarly).
Sloka 22: If Mercury, Jupiter or Venus is in 6, Moon, in a common sign, and the lagna in a fixed one, the enemy faces difficulties and feels sorry even though he may have sufficient strength (Even eye witness will fail in the litigation).
Sloka 23: The enemy might have proceeded a little: Yet he will retrace, if evil planets arc in the 5th and the 6th houses (withdrawal of the notice against the native- no further proceedings). The enemy would have come to the boundary, yet he will go back, if evil planets are found in tho 4th Bhava (suit in the court of law will be withdrawn).
Sloka 24: The enemy will be defeated if the watery signs Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces as well as Aquarius happen to be the 4th house and receive favorable aspects from benefics (win the case). If the 4th house is either Aries or Taurus and evil planets are deposited there, the enemy will come forward. He will be marching on (case will proceed).
Sloka 25: Houses 9, 10, 11, 12, 1 and 2 indicate the offence : 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 houses denote the defence. Benefics in between 9th and second house promise victory whereas if the benefics are between 3rd and 8th house, they threaten defeat (win or lose the case).
Sloka 26: Compromise or agreement or treaty is to be predicted if the benefics are in Virgo or Libra or first half of Sagittarius or Aquarius. There cannot be any treaty if malefics occupy these signs. It is said that these signs must be either lagna or the 12th or the 11th house.
Sloka 27: Even a strong person cannot keep good health if the lagna receives aspect from evil planets, Moon is in 3 or 6 or 10 or 11 and the beneficial planets occupy 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10th houses.
Sloka 28: The consultant will have the recovery from the disease if Jupiter aspects the lagna occupied by strong Moon or if Venus or Jupiter is deposited in 1 or 4 or 7 or 10.
Sloka 29: A person can have a partner for marriage if Moon aspected by Jupiter occupies 3, 6, 7, 10 and 11th bhava ; But if malefics aspect such a Moon, time is not come to have a partner for marriage.
Sloka 30 : The person can get marriage if Moon in 3, 5, 6, 7, or 11 receives aspect from Jupiter, Sun or Mercury.
Sloka 31: If the bcnefics arc in 1, 4, 5, 7, 9 or 10 even then one will get married. The rank, character, physical features, etc., will be good if the 7th house is ruled by a benefic. If the 7th house is governed by a malefic, the partner will be less in rank does not look bright <*nd the complexion is not fair.
Sloka 32: Benefices in. 5 or 11 promise birth of children. Male child is to be predicted if the luminaries Sun and Moon, Jupiter and the lagna are in positive signs.
Sloka 33: But if they are in negative signs, expect female child. If some are in masculine signs and some in feminine signs, find out the strongest of them note the sign occupied by it and then declare the results. A male child will be the result if the houses 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11 is occupied by Saturn.
Sloka 34: Male child is to be expected if strong Jupiter and Venus are in masculine signs; Jupiter, Moon and Mars in even signs denote the delivery of a female child.
Sloka : (35, 36 37). Taste. Note which planet is tenanted in a Kendhra counted from the Lagna (Horary) and is strong, also those which occupy the Lagna of query or aspect the Lagna Those planets indicate which taste; the person would relish and enjoy. It is indicated by that strong planet. If these planets are situated in the sign belonging to natural benefice, one takes good dish. If they are in the signs owned by malefic, one will prefer dry fruits, dry substances and flat ones.
Sun denotes pungent taste:
Moon, saltish ;
Mars, bitter and hot.
Mercury, many tastes mingled together ;
Jupiter Sweet (according to me flat also).
Venus—Sour
Saturn cold ; old ; preserved etc. astringent.
If the planet is in direct motion, one takes the food, if it is retrograde, even though there is food, he does not take.
Sloka: (38,39,40,41 42). Dreams. Note the Lagna at query and the planet posited in the Lagna. If Sun is in Lagna, one would have dreamt the King (Government), fire, red dress etc. Moon indicates Gems (white) pearls, dancing girl dress and white flowers. Mars shows red ones, corals, bleeding, uncooked meat, gold, etc., Mercury denotes air, flight; Jupiter reunion with” hit kith and kin; Venus, travel in the sea or crossing the river; Saturn, to walk up the hill. Many planets in the Lagna indicate that one would have dreamt all those indicated by those planets. If those planets happen to be weak by occupying Neecha sign or enemy’s camp, then the dream indicates some adverse or undesirable results. If Lagna is occupied by Sun and aspected by Moon or both Sun and Moon in 7, aspecting lagna, show that the querist has actually dreamt. Note the number of navamsas already passed. From this calculate the time whenone dreamt.
Sloka: (43, 44, 45 46). Rain. Predict good rain if Venus or Moon occupies the lagna which is either in Cancer Kataka or Pisces Meena or Capricorn-Makara. Plenty of rain is to be portrayed if Venus or Moon occupies the angular, signs. Kendhra Sthana and natural benefics aspect them. If evil planets aspect, there will be rain but it will be unsatisfactory. If Venus and Saturn are in 7 to Moon or Sun or if they occupy the second, third, fourth or the 8th house counted from lagna, and if the query is put during the period of monsoon prediu that there will be rain. If Moon is in the Lagna in watery sign or if benefics occupy watery signs, or if they are in 2, 4, 7 or 10 expect rain.
Sloka: (47) Theft. The thief will be of short stature if the Lagna at query is Aquarius, Pisces, Aries or Taurus. Gemini, Cancer, Sagittarius and Capricorn indicate one of middle stature, average height. The other four signs denote tall fellows.
Sloka: (48) What is hidden in the hand ? If Sun and Mars are situated in 1 or 4 or 7 or 10, one will have some metal in his hand. Some part of a plant or a tree or its root may be in the hand if Saturn and Mercury are posited in the Lagna of query dr 4 or 7 or 10. If Moon or Jupiter or Venus occupy any of the Kendhra signs, one will have any living one.
Sloka : (49) Colour. Sun denotes red, Moon white, Mars red, Mercury green, Jupiter yellow, Saturn dark.
Sloka: (50,51) Shape. Sun indicates rectangle, square, parallelogram, rhombus etc. Moon hollow Mars round Mercury high, tall Jupiter round, circular, Venus beautiful and good height. Saturn hollow and also tall (emaciated wiry). This shape can be used to find out the shape of the substance lost by theft
Sloka : (52 53). If Lagna falls in Leo or Aries or Scorpio owned by Sun and Mars and if these two planets either occupy or aspect the Lagna, then the query is about some mineral. When Gemini, Virgo, Capricorn and Aquarius happen to be the lagna and it is occupied by or aspected by the owners Mercury and Saturn, the query is about some root or wood, if Taurus, Libra, Cancer, Leo, Sagittarius or Pisces rises as lagna, and if the lagna is occupied by or aspected by Venus, Moon and Jupiter the query is about a living person.
Sloka: (54 to 59). If the query ascendant or navamsa Lagna happens to be Taurus, Leo, Scorpio or Aquarius or if the Lagna is Vargottama, the theft would have been committed by one of the relatives. If the ascendant is a chara rasi movable sign, the theft is committed by a stranger. If the Lagna falls in the first dreshkana, the property that is considered to be lost by theft will be at the gate of the house. If the Lagna is in the middle drekkana, that which is said to be lost is inside the house if it is the third drekkana, the stolen property will be in the back yard. The property will be recovered back.
(1) if the Lagna is occupied by full Moon,
(2) if the Lagna is occupied by a benefice,
(3) if the Lagna falls in Gemini, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio or Aquarius (Sirshodaya signs)
and benefices aspect the Lagna or
(4) if benefices occupy 2, 4, 7, 3, 6, 10 or 11th house.
Note the planets in the Kendhra. The direction is determined from the planet occupying the Kendhra sign. If there is no planet in any kendhra, find out from the ascendant itself.
Sloka : (60 to 69). Note the time of query. Calculate the ascendant rising for that moment in that locality. Erect a stick in the open ground and let it stand for 12 inches. Measure the length of the shadow in inches. Same unit is to be taken. Convert the number of degrees and minutes in the sign in which the lagna has fallen. Ignore the number of signs passed. Multiply these minutes with the number of inches of the shadow. Divide by 7. Take the remainder alone. (There is nothing as Zero. If the product is completely divisible by 7, take the remainder as 7.)
Then Gunakara for Sun is 5; Moon 21; Mars 14; Mercury 9 ; Jupiter 8; Venus 3; and Saturn 11. If one is the remainder take Moon and so on.
Now, take the product, multiply by the Gunakara of the planet obtained (by the remainder), again divide by 7 (this product). If the balance indicates the natural benefics the querist will be successful in his enterprise. If the remainder denotes a malefic, only adverse results are to be predicted.
Then to note the timing of event, follow the rule given below. Take the product obtained by multiplying the number of minutes of the lagna the length of the Shadow and Gunakara. Then take the sum total of the Gunakaras which is 71. Divide that product by 71. Take the remainder. Take the Gunakara of the planet obtained previously ; in the cyclic order go on deducting. The remainder indicates the planet. If the remainder so obtained denote Sun, in so many days, the matter will materialise favorably ; so also predict for Mars.
If the remainder indicates Moon, so many Pakshas fortnights have to pass for fruitful results; so also for Venus.Mercury shows that the matter is successful in double the number of months. If it is Jupiter in so many months, if it is Saturn, so many years. This is applicable for pregnancy, income, journey outward and return, success, failure, etc.
In the night hours, there can be no shadow. So carefully note the first syllable of the word spoken by the querist. If it is
अ the lord is Sun if it is
य अथवा स lord in Moon.
क is signified by Mars
त is ruled by Mercury
थ by Jupiter
च by Venus
प by Saturn.
Each syllable has 4 classes. The lagna will be owned by the planet which governs the first syllable. If the syllable belongs to planets other than Sun and Moon, the second and 4th of the class of the syllable indicates the feminine sign owned .by the planet. But if the syllable belongs to the other class, the lagna will be in the masculine sign of the planet. In the case of Sun and Moon all the four classes indicate their only sign. Thus taking the lagna, one had to proceed. If one puts many queries, take the first syllable for each query, when that query is put.
Stoka: 70. The author wants to oblige his pupils. He has looked into all the works on this subject and has produced in Arya metre seventy verses and called it is ” Prasna Gyana”.
