Chapter 8: Ashtaka-Vargas

Determine first which of the following three is powerful — the Rising Sign, the Sun and the Moon. His period comes first. Then follow the periods of the planets occupying the Kendra houses, from such power- ful rising sign or the Sun or the Moon. Then come the periods of the planets occupying the Panaphara houses from the same; and lastly come the periods of planets occupying the Apoklima« houses. If there be no planets in the Kendra or Panaphara or Apoklima houses, then the periods of the other planets come in the order stated. NOTES. : 111 more ways than one in comparison with the other two according to Yavaneswara (vide Stanzas 19 to 21 of Ch. II. and Stanza 19 of Ch. I). (3) Tlie order in which come the periods of the several planets occupying the Kendra or the Panaphara or the Apolclima houses is given in the next stanza. In other words, the 8 Dasa periods divide into three distinct groups. Those of the planets occupying the 4 Movable signs form one group ; those of the planets occupy- ing the 4 Fixed signs form another group and those of the planets occupying the 4 Common signs form a third group. Now, if the L,agna, the Sun or the Moon whichever is more powerful than the other two, occupy a Movable sign, the Movable group comes first, the Fixed group comes next and the Common group comes last. If it occupy a fixed sign, the Fixed group comes first, the Common group comes next and the Movable group comes last. And if it occupy a Common sign, the Common group comes first, the Movable group comes next and the Fixed CH. VIII.] Brihat Jdtakd. 81 group comes last. The group that comes first is always headed by the powerful Lagna, the Sun or the Moon.

The lengths of the several planetary periods known as Dasas are the same as those of the planets as found in the last Chapter. Again, of the several planets occupying the Kendra or Panapbara or Apoklima houses, the Dasa period of the most powerful planet comes first then comes that of the planet next in power and so on ; but if the planets be of equal power (a], the Dasa period of the planet whose period is the longest comes first ; and if the planets be of equal power and period, then, the period of the planet which rises first (&) comes first.

The period of the Antardasa (sub-division of planetary period) of the planet (b} occupying the same house as the lord of the Dasa period, is one-half of the Antardasa period of such lord. The Autardasa periods of the planets occupying the 5th and the 9th houses from the lord of the Dasa period, are, each, one-third ; those of 11 the planets occupying the 7th house from the lord are, each, one seventh ; and those of the planets, occupying the 4th and. the 8th houses from the lord, are, each, one-fourth of the Antardasa period of the lord. The Antardasa periods of the Lagna-dasa shall be determined in the same way.

The fractions should all be made to have a common denominator with different numerators. The Dasa period should be divided by the sum of the numera- tors and the quotient when multiplied by the several numerators will give the periods of the several Antardasas. CH. Vlii.] Brihat Jdtakd. 83

The Dasa period of the most powerful planet occupying at the time of birth the exaltation degree of its exaltation sign, (c} is known as Sampurna. The dasa period of a weak planet occupying the depression degree of its depression sign is known as Rikta. The dasa period of a planet occupying an inimical Navamsa and also the depression degree of its depression sign is known as Anishta.

The dasa period of a planet which quitting the exaltation degree moves towards the depression sign is known as Avarohini (b}\ while so moving, if the planet occupy a friendly or an exaltation Navarnsa, his dasa period is known as Madhyama. Again, the dasa period of a planet which quitting the depression degree moves towards its exaltation sign is known as A rohini ; while so moving, if the the planet occupy an inimical or a de- pression Navamsa, his dasa period is known as Adhaina*

The dasa period of a planet, which occupies a depression or an inimical Navamsa, when in a good posi- tion (b\ is known as Nisraphala (c\ The several names of the dasas indicate by their-ineauing the nature of the dasa periods (d}. We shall describe (in the course of this Chap- ter) the effects of the several planetary dasas.

According as the rising Drekkana is the first, second or third, the Lagna dasa is known as Adhama, Madhyama or Uttama if the rising sign be a common sign ; Uttama, Madhyama or Adhama if the rising sign be a movable sign ; and Adhama, Uttama or Madhyama if the rising sign be a fixed sign.

The Naisargika (natural) dasas in the case of all creatures are those of the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, the Sun and Saturn in the order stated, and their periods are respectively 1, 2, 9, 20, 18, 20 and 50 years (a}. If the Naisargika dasa period and the ordinary pla- netary dasa period happen to run together, such period will be a prosperous one. According to Yavaneswara, the closing period is the Naisargika Lagna dasa and produces prosperity. This is objected to by some.

If the lord of the dasa period or one of his friendly planets occupy the Lagna, or if the Lagna belong to the Varga (division) of the lord of the dasa period, or if a benefic planet occupy the Lagna, or if the lord of the dasa period occupy the 3rd, 6th, 10th or the llth house from the Lagna, such dasa period will be a prosperous one (d}. Again, when the Moon occupies a sign friendly (/) to the lord of the dasa or the exaltation sign of the lord of the dasa or the 3rd, 6th, 10th, llth, 5th, 9th or the 7th house from the sign occupied by the lord of the dasa period, she will bring on prosperity ; otherwise, she will produce misery.

If, at the time of commencement of the Dasa period of a planet, the Moon occupy sign Cancer, the native will become rich, will live in comfort and will be res- pected ; if, at the time, the Moon occupy sign Aries or sign Scorpio, his wife will become unchaste ; if the Moon occupy either sign Gemini or sign Virgo, the person will become learned, get friends and become rich ; if the Moon occu- py sign Leo, the person will work in forests, on roads and near houses ; if the Moon occupy sign Taurus or sign Libra, he will eat sumptuous meals ; if she occupy sign Capri- corn or sign Aquarius, he will get a bad woman ; and if the Moon occupy sign Sagittari or sign Pisces, the person will become rich, happy and respected.

In the dasa period of the Sun, a person will acquire wealth by dealing in perfumes or nails, tusks of elephants and the like animals, in tiger skin and the like, in gold, by acts of cruelty, by means of roads, by the king and by battle. He will become cruel, courageous, persever- ing, renowned and valorous, will get into trouble through his wife, son, money, enemy, weapons, fire or the king ; and he will become liberal in gifts and addicted to sinful deeds ; he will quarrel with his servants and will become afflicted with pain in his chest and belly and the like diseases.

In the Dasa period of the Moon, the person will derive benefits from dealing in or by means of the mantras, the Brahmins, the productions of sugar-cane, milk, ghee, and the like, cloth, flower, play, sesamum seeds, and food ; he will be of patient nature ; he will respect virtuous Brahmins and the Devas ; he will get daughters and will acquire an increase of wisdom, wealth and renown. The person will indulge in sleep and idleness, will lose his wisdom, wealth and renown and will quarrel with powerful men and with kinsmen.

In the Dasa period of Mars, the person will acquire wealth, by fighting with his enemies, through his brother, the king, lands, woollen goods and goats, He will hate his sons, friends, wife, and brothers and will dislike learned men and men of importance ; he will suffer from diseases caused by or connected with thirst, blood, fever, bile, loss of limbs or sexual inter- course with other women. He will associate with men doing wicked deeds; he will become vicious, harsh in speech and cruel.

In the Dasa period of Mercury, the person will acquire wealth by doing acts of message and through friends, preceptors and Brahmins. His praises will be sung by learned men. He will become famous and will get brass and the like mixed metals, gold, horses, lands, popularity, comfort and ease. He will be skilled in the art of ridiculing others and serving under other men. He will get an increase of wisdom and successfully do deeds of virtue. He will suffer from harsh words, will suffer from grief, imprisonment, pain of mind and diseases arising from an affection of the three dhatus—vata (the air), pitta (bile), and sleshma (phlegm).

In the dasa period of Jupiter, the person will acquire wealth by acts of worship, by his learning, valour 12 90 Brihal Jdtakd. [Cn. VIII. ingenuity, bright personal appearance, military fame, by acts of generosity, mantras, diplomacy, the king and the Vedas. He will have an increase of gold, horses, sons, elephants and cloths, and will acquire the friendship of good kings. He will learn things requiring much ingenuity, will suffer from foot journey and pain in the ear and will quarrel with wicked men.

In the Dasa period of Venus, the person will enjoy sweet music, various pleasures, perfumes, sump- tuous meals, alcohol, fine cloths, women, and precious stones. He will be of fine appearance, valorous, and will enjoy every substance provoking sexual passion, will be- come learned in the Sastras, will obtain the object of his desire, will acquire friends, will become skilled in trade and in Agriculture and will get hidden treasures and wealth. He will quarrel with crowds of people, with the king, hunters and wicked men and he will suffer grief from his own friends.

In the Dasa period of Saturn, the person will get asses, camels, birds, buffaloes and old women, will rule over hamlets, villages or towns, and will thereby become renowned and will get grain of inferior quality. He will suffer difficulties from phlegmatic and windy complaints ; from jealousy, anger, distraclion of mind, and dirty habits. He will be idle, suffer from grief and be much troubled. His servants, sons, daughters and wife will exercise authority over him and his organs will become defective.

If the dasa period be a benefic one, the good effects will come to pass ; if it be a malefic one, the bad CH. VIlL] Brihattttakd. 91 effects will coine to pass. If it be of a mixed nature, both effects will come to pass. The effects for the Lagna Dasa are the same as the effects for the dasa period of the lord of the rising sign.

In the benefic Dasa periods of the planets, a per- son will acquire the several metals assigned to the planets, (vide Chapter II, 12) and in the malefic Dasa periods of the planets, he will lose them. Again, in the Dasa period of a planet, a person's occupation will be that mentioned for the planet (a}. The effects described for the 12 houses from the ascendant, (6) for the 12 signs from Aries, for planetary aspects and for all yogas excepting Nabhasa yogas (/) will occur in the Dasa period of the planet which is most powerful among the yoga plauets.

In the Dasa period of a particular planet, the person's complexion will be that due to the elementary principles presided over by the planet and the complexion will be accompanied by certain other qualities due to the elementary principles of earth, water, fire and Akas and discernible by their respective organs of sense, viz., the nose, the tongue, the eyes, the body and the ears.

In the benefic dasa period of a planet, the good effects are caused immediately by the Divine Soul living within the body and assuming for the time being a benefic character. When a person is found to enjoy the good effects described for a planetary Dasa period, it may be concluded that such dasa period is going on at the time. As regards the effects described for planets which might be powerless, these are experienced by a person either in his dream or in mental reveries. NOTES- (<z) If the dasa period be a malefic one, the Divine soul assumes a malefic character for the time, and pro- duces evil, and if the period be of a mixed nature, the Divine soul assumes a corresponding character and pro- duces both good and evil. (3) A wild train of thought in which a person enjoys or suffers according to his hopes or fears.

If the effects of a planet be found to be benefic under one yoga and malefic in respect to the same point under another yoga («) neither of the effects will occur ; if two or more yogas give a character, one a different character to one and the same planet, the former will take effect. But if, to two distinct planets, conflicting effects have been assigned, both will come to pass in their respective dasa periods.