PRASNA MARGA English Translation with Original Text in Devanagari and Notes by BANGALORE VENKATA RAMAN Editor: The Astrological Magazine PART I [Chapters I to XVI] 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I 1. Prayer ... 1 2. What Astrology Comprehends ... 3 3. Who can study Astrology? ... 7 4. Qualifications of an Astrologer ... 11 5. Different Kinds of Ganitha ... 14 6. The Five Siddhanthas ... 16 7. Beginning the Study of Astrology ... 17 8. Importance of Varaha Mibira ... 19 9. Role of Horoscopy and Horary ... 23 10. Importance of Muburtha ... 25 11. Similarity between Prasna and Jataka ... 28 CHAPTER II 12. Procedure for the Astrologer ... 30 13. Procedure for the Querist ... 32 14. Procedure for Arudba ... 34 15. Things to be noted at Query Time ... 36 16. Method of Reading the Resuits ... 37 17. Indications for Success ... 39 18. The Time Factor ... 45 19. The Place Factor ... 48 20. Examination of Breath ... 50 21. The Touch Analysed ... 67 22. Sign occupied by the Querist ... 73 23. Direction occupied by the Querist ... 83 24. Pranakshara ... 84 25. The Querist's Bearing ... 91 26. The Querist's Behaviour Pattern ... 93 27. The Querist's Mood ... 96 28. Dress and Garments ... 97 29. Some Peculiar Lakshanas ... 98 30. Omeni or Tatkala Lakshanas ... 98 CHAPTER III 31. The Astrologer's Departure ... 108 3 32. Omens on the Way ... 109 33. Indicative Signs while entering the House … 121 CHAPTER IV 34. Conducting the Prasna ... 125 36. Preparation ... 125 37. The Lamp and the Flame ... 127 38. Drawing the Circle or Chart ... 132 39. Nature of the Chart ... 134 40. How the Priest Draws the Chakra ... 134 41. Behaviour of the Agent ... 137 42. Invocation to the Lord ... 141 43. Worshipping the Planets ... 142 44. Placing the Gold Piece ... 142 45. Sankalpa ... 144 46. Ashtamangalam ... 145 47. Determining the Arudha Rasi ... 146 48. Thing to be Noted ... 148 49. Conclusion ... 149 CHAPTER V 50. Time of Query ... 150 51. Calculation of Lagna ... 150 52. Correction by Kunda ... 153 53. The Moon's Longitude ... 154 54. Position of Gulika 159 55. Thrisphuta ... 162 56. Prana and Deba ... 163 57. The Death Circle ... 170 58. Planetary Longitudes ... 175 59. Arudha Position ... 176 CHAPTER VI 60. The Five Sutras ... 177 61. Diagnosing Illness ... 181 62. Results of Sutras ... 182 63. Sutras and the Bhutas ... 183 64. The Time Factor ... 184 4 65. The Three Sutras ... 185 66. Significance of Thrisphutas ... 188 67. Thrisphuta Indicative of Death ... 189 68. Beginning of Diseases ... 193 69. Thrisphuta Nakshatra ... 195 70. Thrisphuta Dasa ... 206 CHAPTER VII 71. Ashtamangalam ... 209 72. Results of the Sun and other Planets ... 211 73. Effects of 'Dhwajas', etc. ... 213 74. Animal Symbols ... 215 75. Panchabhuta Effects ... 217 76. Reckoning of Lunar Day. etc. ... 218 77. Results of Thithi, etc. ... 219 78. Niryana Saturn ... 220 CHAPTER VIII 79. Effects of Arudha ... 230 80. Avasthas ... 232 81. Diseases and Arudba ... 235 82. Arudha Navamsa ... 238 83. Planets and Vegetables ... 240 84. Urdhwamukha and other Signs ... 241 85. Significance of Gold Piece ... 245 86. Effects of Lagna ... 250 87. Effects of Prana and Deha ... 252 88. Rahu Chakra ... 256 89. Amazing Predictions ... 256 90. Significance of Chandra Navamsa ... 257 CHAPTER IX 91. Recapitulation ... 261 92. Examination of Age ... 262 93. Mrityu Lakshana ... 266 94. Determining the Length of Life ... 268 95. Lagna and Arudha ... 272 96. Chatra Rasi ... 275 5 97. Signs of Long Life ... 277 98. Longevity from Birth Chart ... 279 99. Yogas and Longevity ... 281 100. Long Life Again ... 286 101. Short Life ... 288 CHAPTER X 102. Timing Death ... 292 103. Evil Periods ... 296 104. Kala-Cnakra Dasas ... 297 105. Niryana Saturn ... 299 106. Niryana Jupiter ... 302 107. Niryana Sun ... 304 108. Niryana Moon ... 305 109. Pramana Gulika ... 306 110. Death as read by the Planets ... 309 111. Death Dealing Ascendant ... 316 112. Time of Death as from Prasna ... 318 113. Planetary Positions at Death ... 329 CHAPTER XI 114. Causes of Death ... 332 115. Nature of Death ... 341 116. Cause of Death According to Prasna ... 345 117. Place of Death ... 355 CHAPTER XII 118. Diseases and Their Cause ... 356 119. Types of Diseases ... 365 120. Symptoms of Madness ... 371 121. Symptoms for Epilepsy ... 378 122. Treatment for Epilepsy ... 381 123. Aberration of Mind ... 384 124. Combinations for Diabetes … 384 125. Diseases indicated by Planets ... 385 126. Combinations for Diseases ... 391 CHAPTER XIII 127. Beginning and Ending of Diseases ... 397 6 128. Direction of Beginuing of Disease ... 399 129. Recovery ... 407 130. Causes of Diseases ... 414 131. Remedial Measures ... 416 132. Mrityunjaya Homa .... 417 CHAPTER XIV 133. Fixing the Person's Age ... 420 134. Significations of Bhavas ... 422 135. Bhava Significations in Prawa Chart .... 426 136. External and Internal Bhavas ... 429 137. How Bhavas are Ruined ... 433 138. Karakas or Significators ... 438 139. Fructification of Bhavai … 441 140. Favourable and Unfavourable Houses ... 441 141. When Bhavas are Ruined ... 448 142. Effects of Planets in Houses ... 449 143. Effects of Gulika ... 457 144. Effects of Tertiary Planets ... 459 145. Time when Bhavas Fructify ... 464 146. Favourable and Unfavourable Positions of Planets ... 472 147. Categories of Karma ... 480 148. Imprisonment or Captivity ... 486 149. Quarrels and Misunderstandings ... 492 150. Visible and Invisible Hemispheres ... 493 CHAPTER XV 151. Favourable and Unfavourable Karma ... 496 152. Afflictions due to Deity ... 499 153. Palliatives for Afflictions ... 502 154. Misappropriation of Deity's Property ... 507 155. Nature of Misappropriated Property .... 507 156. Intensity of Deity's Wrath ... 511 157. Anger of Serpent God ... 513 158. Parental Curses ... 517 159. Curse of Elders ... 519 160. Trouble from Ghosts ... 519 7 161. Remedial Measures ... 524 162. Evil Eye ... 525 163. Cause of Evil Eye ... 527 164. Places of Attack ... 528 165. Names of Spirits Causing Evil Eye ... 529 166. Categories »f Spirits ... 530 167. How to Distinguish Spirits ... 531 168. Planets Favouring Spirits ... 543 169. Houses of Harm ... 545 170. Ascertaining the "Drishti Badha" ... 546 171. Place of Attack ... 550 172. Evil Arising from Words ... 552 173. Bala-Graha Affliction ... 553 174. Food Poisoning ... 553 175. Troubles from Enemies ... 554 176. Nature of Trouble ... 556 177. Who is the Enemy? ... 557 178. Enemy's Motive ... 562 179. Identifying the Enemy ... 565 180. Means Adopted by Enemies ... 567 181. Where the Kshudra is Kept ... 568 182 Containers Used ... 569 183 Another View ... 571 184. Removing the Mahabhichara ... 575 185. Different Kinds of Devatas ... 578 186. Who should Perform Remedies ... 589 CHAPTER XVI 187. Whereabouts of the Querist ... 593 188. Success Over Enemies ... 595 189. Bright and Dark Future ... 596 190. Means to Adopt ... 598 191. Locating a Treasure Trore ... 599 192. Nature of Persons met with on the Way ... 601 193. Characteristics of Bride and Bridegroom … 602 194. Rulers of Different Parts of Day ... 605 8 195. Characteristicis due to Five Elements ... 608 196. Lakshanas Given in other Works ... 612 197. Danger to the House ... 613 198. Loss of Metals ... 614 199. Interpreting First Letter of Query ... 616 200. Predicting by Betel Leaves ... 618 201. Acquisition of Elephants ... 622 202. Indications for Sickness ... 623 203. Performing Obsequies ... 637 204. Happiness and Sorrow to Parents ... 632 205. Afflictions to Residence ... 634 206. Avakahada System ... 634 207. Becoming the Head ... 639 208. Kalachakra or Time Cycle ... 642 209. Star Positions in Kalachakra ... 643 210. Position of Yogini ... 646 211. Calculating the Yogini ... 647 212. Features of Yogini ... 654 213. Movements of Yogini on Weekdays ... 655 214. Longitudes of Yogini and Mrityu ... 658 215. Movement of Mrityu ... 661 216. Yogini Movement Vis-a-Vis Lunar Days ... 665 217. Hell and Heaven ... 668 218. Signs of Krita Yuga Etc. ... 670 219. Conclusion ... 672 220. Appendices ... 673 221. Index of Technical Terms ... 681 222. Sanscrit Errata ... 708 9 PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION The first edition published in 1980 has been out of print for the past six years. Due to my other literary commitments, publishing the second edition had to be delayed, though there was great demand for the book. It is my hope that this new edition will aid both the students and savants of astrology in their studies and researches and contribute to a better understanding and appreciation of the novel methods of horoscopic interpretation presented in these pages. Thanks are due to the well-known publishers Motilal Banarsidass for having brought out this edition attractively. Bangalore 29-4-1991 B.V. RAMAN 10 PREFACE It is with justifiable feelings of pride and humility that I present herewith an English translation of Prasna Marga (Part I) a celebrated work on astrology largely in use in Kerala. The idea to bring out an English edition of Prasna Marga first occurred to me in 1940. This was largely due to the persuasion of one Mr. P. G, Subrahmanya Iyer, then working as an assistant in my office. Mr. Iyer was well versed in astrology besides being a scholar in Sanskrit and Malayalam. With his help and co operation a rough or tentative translation was made and the matter left there. For health reasons, Mr Iyer had to relinquish the job in my office and return to bis native land. I feel indebted to Mr. Iyer for the initial help given to me. I should say that the period between 1942 and 1962 was perhaps the most creative part of my life as it was during these years that the greater part of my intellectual productions in the shape of books were made available to the public. It was again during these jears that I was busy building up THF ASTROLOGICAL MAGAZINE, organising research work etc. Hence it was only in 1964-65 that the translation of Prasna Marga could be completely revised and re-written with copious notes and illustrations. But for various reasons the manuscript had to be again kept in cold storage. In 1977, thanks to the persuasion of my son B. A. Kumar Babu and daughter Gayatri Devi Vasudev, I took up the final revision of Part I and completed the notes and the manuscript was made ready for the press. I do not claim infallibility. Some of the stanzas may not have been correctly translated or a meaning given which may not have been intended by the original author. I am therefore open to correction. It is hoped that the book will be received with the same warmth by my indulgent readers as all my other publications have been received by them. Each part of this great work is self-contained and can be used without reference to the other. Hence one need not have the apprehension that in the absence of Part II, Part I may not be useful. Though the title Prasna Marga suggests that the book deals with Prasna or horary astrology, I have to make it clear that the text gives equally valuable information bearing on natal astrology which can be used with advantage. The translation of Part II (Adhvavas 17 to 32) is also ready and I hope to bring it out in 1981. In bringing the book to its final shane, considerable assistance has been given to me by my daughter Gayatri Devi Yasudev and I must record my appreciation of this help.