Chapter 9: Avocation and Profession

If a planet is accompanied by another planet in a sign, the amount of reduction is one-half of the period obtained.

If a planet occupy his depression sign, the alnount of reduction is one-half.

If he be an Astangata planet, the amount of reduction is also one-half. 4?. . If he occupy an inimical sign, the amount is one- third.

Add together the figures of the four signs from Pisces, — Pisces, Aries, Taurus and Gemini. Add also the figures of the four signs from Cancer and of the four signs from Scorpio. These three totals represent the three sections of a man's life. Whichever total is the largest, the corresponding division of life will be happy and prosperous. If three or more malefic planets occupy the four signs from Pisces, a person will suffer miseries in the 1st section of life ; if they occupy the four signs from Cancer, the miseries will occur in the 2nd section, and if they occupy the four signs from Scorpio, then, in the 3rd CH. IX.] Bfihat Jdtakd. 109 section of life. If the planets in the several sections be benefic, the person will be happy ; and if both malefic and benefic planets occupy the several sections, the effects will be both good and bad.

If he occupy the ^visible hemisphere, the amount is one-half. IX.] B-rihat Jdtakd. 113

If he suffer defeat in conjunction, the amount is one-third.

In the case of the Sun and the Moon again, if these be of unusual appearance the amount is one-third. N.B. — Where several reductions have to be applied to the period of a planet, it will be enough if the largest of them alone be made. After making the several reductions, add up the result- ing years of the planets, multiply the sum by 334 and divide the product by 3G5. The quotient will give the length of a person's life in years, months, days, &c. Again, in the A. V. of Saturn as before, multiply the figures of the several signs from Aries by the Zodiacal fac- tors and add up the products. Multiply the figures in the several signs occupied by the Sun and other planets by the several planetary factors and add up the products. Add together the two totals. To the sum, add the sum of the figures resulting after making the Trikona and Ekadhi- patya reductions to the figures of the A. V. of Saturn. Multiply the sum by the figure in the 8th house from the ascendant in the A. V. of Saturn ; divide the product by 27; the quotient will also give the length of a person's life, pro- vided such length is otherwise found to range between 34 and 66 years. The length of life will be 27 years less than the period obtained if the person's age is otherwise found to range from 1 to 33 years ; and 27 years more than the period obtained if such length be found to range between 67 and 1 00 years and death will occur if the dasa period be a malefic one. There are brief processes for ascertaining by inspection whether the length of life of a person falls in the first, or the second or the third section of the maxi- mum period of 100 years — Vide the Astrological Aphorisms of Jaimini. Hitherto, we have been dealing with the tables of the B. A. V. and S. A. V. prepared with the figures re- presenting the benefic planetary places. Tables can also be prepared with figures representing the malefic places of the planets ( Vide, Note b, to Stanza 8). Special rules exist relating to the prediction of events of life with the help of the figures of these tables. The reader is referred to the works of Parasara.

Multiply the total of the figures of A. V. of the planet who is the lord of the 8th house from the Ascendant by the figure of the 8th house in S. A. V. table. Divide the product by 12; the remainder w»'1 give the Month from Aries in which a person dies (in the year of his death). In the same way, the month of death of a person's father may be ascertained by a similar calculation with reference to the 9th house and that of the mother with reference to the 4th house.

Find out from the S. A. V. table the powerful Dik or quarter. .Cow sheds, rice fields, agricultural operations shall be conducted in such dik or quarter and the weak dik or quarter shall be rejected for all purposes. Again, Parasara in, his Hora Sastra, a very volu- minous work, has treated of 32 distinct processes for ascer- taining the length of human life. They are: I. Pindayurdaya ... ... ... 12 II. Dhruvayurdaya or Naisargikayurdaya 4 III. Rasmikayurdaya ... ,., ,.. 4 IV. Arasakayurdaya .-, 4? V. Ashtakavargayurdaya 4 VI. Vishayayurdaya ... 2 VII. Nakshatramsakayurdaya 2 Total... 32 /. Pindayurdaya. This is divided into 3 schools : (1) that of Yavanacharya (m'de Stanza 1, Ch. 7), (2), that of Jeevasarma (vide Stanza 9, Ch. 7), (3), that of Badarayana according to which the maximum years of each planet when in his exaltation sign is one-seventh of 100 years. Each of these three schools has 4 sub-divisions : The Neechardhaharana process according to which the maximum period is one-half at depression, The Neechabhava process according to which the period vanishes at depression, The Kritaharana process according to which the periods suffer reductions, (d} The Akritaharana process according to which the periods suffer no reductions. Thus Pindayurdaya is of 12 sorts. II. Dhruvayurdaya. This is otherwise known as Naisargikayuidaya (vide Stanza 9, Ch. 8). As stated above, there are 4 kinds of this depending on the 4 divisions mentioned above —, (6), and. III. Rastnikayurdaya* According to this, the years of the planets from the Sun to Saturn are respectively 16, 20, 9, 8, 9, 25 and 26. There are 4 kinds of this as stated above. I V. Amsakayurdaya. This is Satyacharyar's method referred to at the end of Stanza 9, Ch. 7. This process, in certain cases, has to be varied into what is known as Prakramanugata method. The two processes again divide, each, into two parts known CH. IX.] Brihat Jdtakd. Ill as Kritavriddhika and Akritavriddhika — i.e., the years are to be increased according to some and not to be increased according to others — Vide Parasara's Hora Sastra. Thus, we get 4 kinds of Amsakayurdaya. V. Ashta ka vargayurdaya. This process as stated above has to be varied into what is known as Prakramanugata method. The two pro- cesses, again divide, each, into two parts known as Krita- vriddhi and Akritavriddhi as stated above — Vide Parasa- ra's Hora. Thus, we get 4 kinds of Ashtakavargayurdaya. One of these 4 methods is given at the end of these notes. VI. Vishayayurdaya. This consists of two kinds — the one according to Parasara and the other as mentioned in a work named Prakriyamala. These partake of the nature of the Ash- takavarga process. VII. Naftshatravieakaytirdaya* This is of two kinds — the one is known as the Kala- chakra process and the other as the Nakshtradasa. Thus 32 processes are mentioned by Parasara who, at the same time, states the particular cases to which each process is applicable. Of these 32 processes, Varaha Mihira has mentioned the most important ones in Chapter VII. For further particulars in Ayurdaya, the reader is referred to the works of Parasara and other writers. We shall here state the details of the Ashtakavar^a o process. The following tables are employed in the pro- cess :— Rast Gunakara or Zodical Factors. Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer Leo Virgo 1 10 8 4 10 5 Libra ... 7 Scorpio ... 8 Sagittari ... 9 Capricorn ... 5 Aquarius ... 11 Pisces 12 112 jBriJiat Jdtakd. [CH. IX. Gra/ia Gunakara or Planetary Factors. The Sun ... 5 The Moon ... 5 Mars 8 Jupiter ... 10 Venus ... 7 Saturn 5 Mercury ... 5 Multiply the several figures in the signs from Aries in the Ashtakavarga of the Sun by the figures of the Rasi Gunakara table respectively and add the products. Again, multiply the several figures in the signs occu- pied by the Sun and other planets by the figures of the Graha Gunakara table respectively and add the products. Add the two totals. Multiply the sura by 1, divide the product by 27. The quotient will give the years of the Sun. Multiply the remainder by 12 and divide the pro- duct by 27, the quotient will give the months. Multiply the remainder by 30 and divide the product by 27, the quotient will give the days. And similarly, find the Ghati- kas and Vighatikas. Thus, we have obtained the A. V. years of the Sun. Similarly, those of the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn may be obtained from the A. V. tables. Now, these periods are subject to the following reduc- tions.