Research notes · Jyotisha classics · 10,764 words

#Parashari and Jaimini classical corpus on the Internet Archive: rules precise enough to implement

Conventions used throughout these notes:

• BPHS x.y = Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, chapter.verse in R. Santhanam's numbering (Ranjan Publications, 1984; 97 chapters). I read it mainly in the e-text transcription at archive.org id ParasharaHoraSastra, full text: https://archive.org/stream/ParasharaHoraSastra/BrihatParasharaHoraSastraVedicAstrologyEbook_djvu.txt. That transcription is Santhanam's translation with Hindi-style spellings (Grah, Surya, Mangal, Sukr, Kon for trikona) and his notes (it says "Addition Santhanam" in places). I filled one gap from the scan of the printed Santhanam book, id brihatparasarahorashastrabyr.santhanam.
• PD = Phaladeepika of Mantreswara, tr. V. Subrahmanya Sastri, 2nd ed. 1950 (id Phaladeepika2ndEd.1950ByVSubrahmanyaSastri), adhyaya.sloka.
• JP = Jataka Parijata of Vaidyanatha, tr. V. Subrahmanya Sastri, 1932 (id JatakaParijata1932).
• JS = Jaimini Sutras (Upadesa Sutras), tr. B. Suryanarain Rao, 3rd ed. revised by B.V. Raman, 1949 (inside id Astrology_Books_by_B_Suryanarayana_Row; also in.ernet.dli.2015.486584), adhyaya.pada.sutra.
• Everything below is paraphrased. I give no verbatim quotations.

#Q1. Exact computation rules for each varga (D1–D60) and each dasha system

#Takeaway

BPHS Ch. 6–7 and Ch. 46 & 51 give enough to implement all 16 vargas, the Vimshopaka scoring, Vimshottari, Ashtottari, the eight other conditional nakshatra dashas, Yogini, Kalachakra, and the Parashari rasi dashas (Chara, Sthira, etc.). A few points are underspecified or disputed: the starting sign of D27, how D30 maps lords to signs, how D60 is counted, year length, and whether Chara Dasha counts years inclusively. The engine must make an explicit, documented choice on each.

#Cited Findings

#Vargas (BPHS Ch. 6, 7)

• The 16 vargas (BPHS 6.2–4): D1 Rasi, D2 Hora, D3 Drekkana, D4 Chaturthamsa, D7 Saptamsa, D9 Navamsa, D10 Dasamsa, D12 Dwadasamsa, D16 Shodasamsa, D20 Vimsamsa, D24 Chaturvimsamsa, D27 Saptavimsamsa (Bhamsa/Nakshatramsa), D30 Trimsamsa, D40 Khavedamsa, D45 Akshavedamsa, D60 Shashtyamsa — BPHS e-text
• D2 (6.5–6): in an odd sign, the first 15° is the Sun's hora and the second 15° the Moon's. Even signs are the reverse. In practice the chart uses only Leo (Sun) and Cancer (Moon) — BPHS e-text
• D3 (6.7–8): the three 10° parts map to the 1st, 5th and 9th signs from the sign itself. Their deities are Narada, Agastya and Durvasa — BPHS e-text
• D4 (6.9): the four 7°30′ parts are ruled by the lords of the four kendras from the sign (the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th signs) — BPHS e-text
• D7 (6.10–11): odd signs count from the sign itself, even signs from the 7th sign — BPHS e-text
• D9 (6.12): movable signs count from the sign itself, fixed signs from the 9th, dual signs from the 5th. Deva / Manushya / Rakshasa labels rotate by sign type — BPHS e-text
• D10 (6.13–14): 3° parts; odd signs count from the sign itself, even signs from the 9th. The ten dikpalas preside, reversed in even signs — BPHS e-text
• D12 (6.15): 2°30′ parts counted from the sign itself — BPHS e-text
• D16 (6.16): 1°52′30″ parts; movable signs start from Aries, fixed from Leo, dual from Sagittarius — BPHS e-text
• D20 (6.17–21): 1°30′ parts; movable signs start from Aries, fixed from Sagittarius, dual from Leo. Note that D20 swaps the fixed and dual starts compared with D16 — BPHS e-text
• D24 (6.22–23): 1°15′ parts; odd signs start from Leo, even signs from Cancer — BPHS e-text
• D27 (6.24–26): 1°06′40″ parts. The text says counting begins "from Aries and the other movable signs". The usual implementation is: fire signs from Aries, earth from Cancer, air from Libra, water from Capricorn. That element mapping is an interpretation; the e-text does not spell it out — BPHS e-text
• D30 (6.27–28): uses unequal parts.
  • Odd signs: Mars 0–5°, Saturn 5–10°, Jupiter 10–18°, Mercury 18–25°, Venus 25–30°.
  • Even signs: the same lords and widths in reverse order (Venus 0–5°, Mercury 5–12°, Jupiter 12–20°, Saturn 20–25°, Mars 25–30°).
  • BPHS names the lords and deities only, not the signs, so placing them in a chart needs a convention.
  • BPHS e-text
• D40 (6.29–30): 45′ parts; odd signs start from Aries, even signs from Libra — BPHS e-text
• D45 (6.31–32): 40′ parts; movable signs start from Aries, fixed from Leo, dual from Sagittarius — BPHS e-text
• D60 (6.33–41): take the degrees within the sign, double them, divide by 12, and add 1 to the remainder to get the sign. The text says to set aside the planet's sign first.
  • It names all 60 parts (Ghora, Rakshasa, Deva, …, Indurekha) in order for odd signs and reversed for even signs.
  • Benefic parts give good results and malefic parts bad ones.
  • BPHS e-text
• Varga-dignity classes (6.42–53):
  • Shadvarga: Kimshuka, Vyanjana, Chamara, Chatra, Kundala for 2–6 good vargas.
  • Saptavarga adds Mukuta for 7.
  • Dasavarga, for 2–10 good vargas: Parijata, Uttama, Gopura, Simhasana, Paravata, Devaloka, Brahmaloka, Sakravahana (Airavata), Sridhama.
  • Shodasavarga, for 2–16 good vargas: Bhedaka … Sri Vallabha.
  • A "good" varga is exaltation, mooltrikona, own sign, or a sign owned by the lord of a kendra from the Arudha Lagna.
  • Vargas of a combust, defeated, weak or badly placed (e.g. sleeping) planet do not count.
  • BPHS e-text
• What each varga signifies (7.1–8): D1 body; D2 wealth; D3 siblings; D4 fortune; D7 children; D9 spouse; D10 power and position; D12 parents; D16 conveyances; D20 worship; D24 learning; D27 strength and weakness; D30 evils; D40 auspicious and inauspicious effects; D45 and D60 all matters. A house whose lord sits in a malefic D60 part declines; a house whose lord sits in a benefic D16 part flourishes — BPHS e-text
• Vimshopaka bala (7.17–27) — BPHS e-text

  • Weights by scheme (each scheme totals 20):

    Scheme	Weights
    Shadvarga	D1 6, D2 2, D3 4, D9 5, D12 2, D30 1
    Saptavarga	D1 5, D2 2, D3 3, D7 2.5, D9 4.5, D12 2, D30 1
    Dasavarga	D1 3, D60 5, the other eight 1.5 each
    Shodasavarga	D2 1, D30 1, D3 1, D16 2, D9 3, D1 3.5, D60 4, the remaining nine ½ each

  • Dignity score ("varga vishwa") per varga: own 20, great friend 18, friend 15, neutral 10, enemy 7, great enemy 5.

  • Planet's score = Σ(weight × vishwa ÷ 20).

  • Reading the score: below 5 means it cannot give good results; 5–10 some good; 10–15 middling; above 15 fully favourable.

• Special lagnas (BPHS 5.2–8); all start from the Sun's longitude at sunrise, using time elapsed since sunrise:
  • Bhava Lagna: add one sign per 5 ghatis (2 hours).
  • Hora Lagna: add one sign per 2.5 ghatis (1 hour).
  • Ghati Lagna: add one sign per ghati (24 minutes); vighatis ÷ 2 give the degrees.
  • BPHS e-text
• Varnada lagna and dasha (5.10–24): count from Aries forward to an odd lagna, or from Pisces backward to an even one. Do the same for Hora Lagna. Add the two counts if both have the same parity, otherwise take the difference. Then count that number forward from Aries (odd result) or backward from Pisces (even result). Sub-periods are 1/12 each — BPHS e-text

#Nakshatra dashas (BPHS Ch. 46)

• Vimshottari (46.12–16) — BPHS e-text
  • Count nakshatras from Krittika to the birth star and take the remainder on dividing by 9. That picks the starting lord in the order Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Ketu, Venus. This is identical to the usual cycle starting Ketu at Ashwini.
  • Periods: Sun 6, Moon 10, Mars 7, Rahu 18, Jupiter 16, Saturn 19, Mercury 17, Ketu 7, Venus 20 years (total 120).
  • Balance at birth = period × (unelapsed part of the Moon's nakshatra ÷ whole nakshatra). The text phrases it as elapsed ÷ total, subtracted from the full period.
• Vimshottari sub-periods (51.1–2): antardasha = MD years × AD years ÷ 120. The first antardasha is the dasha lord's own, then the same cyclic order. Pratyantardasha = antardasha span × that planet's years ÷ 120, recursively — BPHS e-text
• Ashtottari (46.17–22) — BPHS e-text
  • When to use: Rahu is not in the lagna but is in a kendra or trikona from the lagna lord.
  • Uses 28 nakshatras including Abhijit, starting from Ardra, with groups of 4 and 3 alternating: Sun 4 (Ardra–Ashlesha), Moon 3, Mars 4, Mercury 3, Saturn 4, Jupiter 3, Rahu 4, Venus 3.
  • Years: Sun 6, Moon 15, Mars 8, Mercury 17, Saturn 10, Jupiter 19, Rahu 12, Venus 21 (total 108). There is no Ketu period.
  • Each nakshatra carries ¼ of a malefic's period or ⅓ of a benefic's.
  • Abhijit = the 4th pada of Uttarashadha plus the first 1/15 of Shravana. Uttarashadha's span is then only its first three padas, and Shravana's span is reduced by that 1/15.
• Conditional nakshatra dashas (46.23–43) — BPHS e-text
  • Shodashottari — use when born by day in the dark fortnight or by night in the bright fortnight (also tied to the lagna's hora). Count from Pushya, mod 8. Order Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Ketu, Moon, Mercury, Venus = 11–18 years (total 116).
  • Dwadashottari — use when the lagna is in a Venus navamsa. Count from the birth star to Revati, mod 8. Order Sun, Jupiter, Ketu, Mercury, Rahu, Mars, Saturn, Moon = 7, 9 … 21 years (total 112).
  • Panchottari — use for a Cancer lagna in a Cancer D12. Count from Anuradha, mod 7. Order Sun, Mercury, Saturn, Mars, Venus, Moon, Jupiter = 12–18 years (total 105).
  • Shatabdika — use when the lagna is vargottama. Count from Revati, mod 7. Order Sun, Moon, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn = 5, 5, 10, 10, 20, 20, 30 years (total 100).
  • Chaturashiti-sama — use when the 10th lord is in the 10th. Count from Swati, mod 7. Seven planets × 12 years (total 84).
  • Dwisaptati-sama — use when the lagna lord is in the 1st or 7th. Count from Mula, mod 8. Eight planets including Rahu × 9 years (total 72).
  • Shashtihayani — use when the Sun is in the lagna. Jupiter, Sun and Mars get 10 years each; Moon, Mercury, Venus, Saturn and Rahu get 6 each (total 60). The text gives a fixed nakshatra-to-lord table.
  • Shat-trimshat-sama — count from Shravana, mod 8. Order Moon, Sun, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Saturn, Venus, Rahu = 1–8 years (total 36). Preferred for a day birth with lagna in the Sun's hora, or a night birth with lagna in the Moon's hora.
• Yogini (46.195–199): eight yoginis — Mangala (Moon) 1, Pingala (Sun) 2, Dhanya (Jupiter) 3, Bhramari (Mars) 4, Bhadrika (Mercury) 5, Ulka (Saturn) 6, Siddha (Venus) 7, Sankata (Rahu) 8 years (total 36). Starting yogini = (birth-star number + 3) mod 8. Balance is computed as for Vimshottari — BPHS e-text
• Kalachakra (46.52–100) — BPHS e-text
  • Nakshatras are split into Savya (15) and Apasavya (12) groups in triads.
  • Each pada has a Deha sign, a Jiva sign and a fixed sequence of nine sign-lords; the text lists them for every pada of Ashwini, Bharani, Rohini and Mrigashira, and other stars copy those patterns.
  • Years per sign lord: Sun 5, Moon 21, Mars 7, Mercury 9, Jupiter 10, Venus 16, Saturn 4.
  • Full span (paramayus) by navamsa sign: Aries 100, Taurus 85, Gemini 83, Cancer 86; trinal signs share the same value.
  • Elapsed = elapsed part of the pada × total years ÷ pada length (worked examples at 46.92–95 and in the notes).
  • Sign "jumps" are named Manduki (skip one sign), Markati (step back) and Simhavalokana (to a trine), with predicted effects at 46.96–119.
  • Antardasha = MD × AD years ÷ total (51.12).
• Kala and Chakra dashas (46.44–51) are listed but described only briefly — BPHS e-text

#Rasi (sign) dashas, Parashari and Jaimini

• Chara Dasha years (BPHS 46.155–157 in the printed Santhanam book; this passage is missing from the e-text) — Santhanam scan
  • A sign's years = the count from the sign to the sign holding its lord.
  • The zodiac falls into four groups ("padas") of three signs: Aries–Gemini (1), Cancer–Virgo (2), Libra–Sagittarius (3), Capricorn–Pisces (4). Signs in odd groups count forward; signs in even groups count backward.
  • Scorpio has two lords (Mars and Ketu) and Aquarius two (Saturn and Rahu).
• Chara Dasha special cases (BPHS 46.158–166) — BPHS e-text
  • If both lords of Scorpio or Aquarius are in that sign, the dasha is 12 years.
  • If one lord is in the sign, count to the other lord.
  • Otherwise use the stronger lord. Strength tests in order: occupied beats empty; more planets beats fewer; dual beats fixed beats movable; then the larger count.
  • An exalted planet in a sign counts as decisive.
  • Add 1 year if the lord is exalted; subtract 1 if it is debilitated.
• Chara Dasha sequence (46.167): the order runs from the lagna, forward if the 9th-house sign is in an odd group, backward if in an even group — BPHS e-text
• Jaimini's version of the same rule:
  • JS 1.1.28: a sign's years = signs counted from the sign to its lord. Rao's worked examples count inclusively (lord in the 7th gives 7 years), add 1 for exaltation and subtract 1 for debilitation, and repeat the dual-lord rules for Scorpio and Aquarius — JS, Rao 1949
  • JS 1.1.26–27: in even signs count backward, with unspecified exceptions — JS, Rao 1949
  • JS 1.1.34: sub-periods = 1/12 of the dasha each — JS, Rao 1949
• Other rasi dashas (BPHS 46.168–190) — BPHS e-text
  • Sthira: movable signs 7 years, fixed 8, dual 9; starts from the sign of the Brahma graha (selection rules in 46.170–173).
  • Yogardha: each sign gets (Chara + Sthira years) ÷ 2; starts from the stronger of the 1st and 7th.
  • Kendradi: kendras first, then panapharas, then apoklimas, from the stronger of the 1st and 7th; Chara years.
  • Karaka: dashas run AK first, then the other karakas; years = signs from lagna to the karaka.
  • Manduka: starts from the stronger of the 1st and 7th; jumps by threes; Sthira years.
  • Shula: starts from the stronger of the 2nd and 8th; used to time death; Sthira years.
  • Trikona: starts from the strongest trine.
  • Drig: follows the 9th, 10th and 11th signs and the signs they aspect.
  • Lagnadi rasi dasha: starting point = lagna + 12 × (elapsed part of the nakshatra); balance = elapsed degrees × years ÷ 30.
• Rasi dasha sub-periods (BPHS 51.5–12) — BPHS e-text
  • Each antardasha = dasha ÷ 12.
  • It starts from the dasha sign or the 7th from it, whichever is stronger; forward if odd, backward if even.
  • Special orders: a fixed dasha sign steps every 6th sign; a dual sign takes its kendras, then the kendras from its 5th, then from its 9th.
  • These rules also define the Paka and Bhoga signs.

#Inferences

• Vimshottari, Yogini and Ashtottari are fully determined by BPHS once you fix the year length, which the e-text does not specify. Expose year length (365.25 days or a 360-day year) as a setting.
• D27, the D30 sign mapping and D60 are interpretations. Choose one convention, label it, and if possible show the alternative. The literal reading "ignore the sign" for D60 would count from Aries; most software counts from the sign itself.
• The inclusive count in the Chara Dasha examples (Santhanam: Aries gives 1 year when its lord is in Aries…; Rao: lord in the 7th gives 7) does not match practice in some modern schools. Store the counting method as a parameter.
• The conditional dashas (Shodashottari, Dwadashottari, etc.) come with explicit eligibility tests that can be computed. The engine can flag which ones "apply" without asserting they are better.

#Gaps

• The BPHS e-text drops verses 147–157 of Ch. 46 (it prints "(147-157) ... Char"). I recovered 155–157 from the Santhanam scan; 147–154 (end of Kalachakra effects) were not checked.
• The BPHS text read here does not cover Narayana Dasha and Jaimini Navamsa, Brahma and Rudra dashas. JS Adhyaya 2 does cover Shoola, Sthira, Navamsa and Yogardha dashas (per Rao's contents list) but I did not read those sutras.
• Several modern schools reportedly subtract 1 from Chara Dasha counts. I did not verify this from any primary text in this session.
• The N.N. Krishna Rau & V.B. Choudhari 1963 BPHS (25 chapters) is not on archive.org under any search I tried, so I could not compare its varga readings.

#Q2. Yoga formation rules (~100 yogas) and where BPHS, Phaladeepika, Saravali and Jataka Parijata disagree

#Takeaway

BPHS Ch. 34–42 and 75, PD Ch. VI–VII and JP Ch. VII–VIII together define well over 100 named yogas as checkable rules. The main disagreements are in Gajakesari, Kemadruma cancellation, Lakshmi, Parvata, Matsya, Lagnadhi, Kahala and Amala. Santhanam's notes list variant readings across the Venkateswara, Chaukhamba, Thakur Prasad and Tamil editions, which makes them a good source for "variant" flags.

#Cited Findings

#Lordship-based (BPHS 34)

• Functional nature by house lordship (34.2–15) — BPHS e-text
  • Natural benefics that own kendras lose their beneficence; natural malefics that own kendras lose their maleficence.
  • Trikona lords are good. The lagna lord is especially good.
  • Lords of the 3rd, 6th and 11th are bad. Lords of the 8th and 12th act according to their associations.
  • The 8th lordship is not bad for the Sun or Moon.
  • An 8th lord who also owns the 3rd, 7th or 11th is especially harmful; one who also owns a trikona is good.
  • Natural benefics: Jupiter and Venus. Moon is mildly benefic. Mercury takes on the nature of its company. Natural malefics: Sun, Saturn, Mars.
• Raja yoga by kendra–trikona link (34.11–15) — BPHS e-text
  • A kendra lord and a trikona lord form a yoga if any of these hold:
    • they exchange signs;
    • they are conjunct in a kendra or trikona;
    • one sits in the other's house (a trikona lord in a kendra or vice versa);
    • they aspect each other fully.
  • A single planet ruling both a kendra and a trikona is a yogakaraka.
  • The link is cancelled if either lord also owns a dusthana.
  • Rahu or Ketu in a kendra or trikona and linked to a kendra or trikona lord also becomes a yogakaraka (34.16–17).
• Benefics, malefics and yogakarakas for each lagna (34.19–44); for example:
  • Taurus: Saturn gives raja yoga.
  • Cancer: Mars is a full yogakaraka.
  • Libra: Moon and Mercury give raja yoga.
  • Capricorn and Aquarius: Venus is the sole raja-yoga giver.
  • Pisces: Mars and Jupiter form a yoga.
  • BPHS e-text

#Nabhasa yogas (BPHS 35; 32 yogas)

All seven planets (Rahu and Ketu excluded) must meet the pattern — BPHS e-text

• Ashraya:
  • Rajju — all planets in movable signs.
  • Musala — all in fixed signs.
  • Nala — all in dual signs.
• Dala:
  • Mala — benefics in three kendras.
  • Sarpa — malefics in three kendras.
• Akriti (20):
  • Gada — two successive kendras.
  • Sakata — 1st and 7th only.
  • Vihaga — 4th and 10th only.
  • Shringataka — 1st, 5th and 9th.
  • Hala — 2/6/10, 3/7/11 or 4/8/12.
  • Vajra — benefics in 1st and 7th, or malefics in 4th and 10th.
  • Yava — the reverse of Vajra.
  • Kamala — all four kendras.
  • Vapi — all panapharas or all apoklimas.
  • Yupa, Shara, Shakti, Danda — four consecutive houses starting from the 1st, 4th, 7th or 10th respectively.
  • Nauka, Kuta, Chatra, Chapa — seven consecutive houses starting from the 1st, 4th, 7th or 10th respectively.
  • Ardha-chandra — seven consecutive houses starting from a non-kendra (BPHS cites Saravali for this).
  • Chakra — six alternate signs starting from the lagna.
  • Samudra — six alternate signs starting from the 2nd.
• Sankhya (number of signs occupied): Gola 1, Yuga 2, Shula 3, Kedara 4, Pasha 5, Dama 6, Veena (Vallaki) 7. A Sankhya yoga does not apply if any other Nabhasa yoga forms (35.16–17).
• Effects of Nabhasa yogas operate across all dashas (35.50).

#Other yogas (BPHS 36–38)

• Ch. 36 — BPHS e-text
  • Subha / Asubha — benefics or malefics in the lagna, or in both the 2nd and 12th.
  • Gajakesari — Jupiter in a kendra from the lagna or Moon, joined or aspected by a benefic, and not debilitated, combust or in an enemy sign.
  • Amala — only a benefic in the 10th from the lagna or Moon.
  • Parvata — benefics in kendras, with the 7th and 8th empty or holding only benefics.
  • Kahala — 4th lord and Jupiter in mutual kendras with a strong lagna lord; or the 4th lord own/exalted and conjunct the 10th lord.
  • Chamara — lagna lord exalted in a kendra and aspected by Jupiter; or two benefics in the 1st, 7th, 9th or 10th.
  • Shankha — 5th and 6th lords in mutual kendras with a strong lagna lord; or the 1st and 10th lords in a movable sign with a strong 9th lord.
  • Bheri — the 1st, 2nd, 7th and 12th occupied with a strong 9th lord; or Venus, Jupiter and the lagna lord in kendras with a strong 9th lord.
  • Mridanga — strong lagna lord, other planets in kendras or trikonas or own or exaltation signs.
  • Shrinatha — 7th lord in the 10th, with the 10th lord exalted and conjunct the 9th lord.
  • Sharada — two variants.
  • Matsya — benefics in the 1st and 9th, mixed planets in the 5th, malefics in the 4th and 8th.
  • Kurma — benefics in dignity in the 5th, 6th and 7th; malefics in dignity in the 1st, 3rd and 11th.
  • Khadga — 2nd and 9th lords exchange, lagna lord in a kendra or trikona.
  • Lakshmi — 9th lord in a kendra in own, mooltrikona or exaltation sign, with a strong lagna lord.
  • Kusuma — for fixed lagnas: Venus in a kendra, Moon in a trikona with a benefic, Saturn in the 10th.
  • Kalanidhi — Jupiter in the 2nd or 5th aspected by Mercury and Venus.
  • Kalpadruma — the lagna lord, its dispositor, that planet's dispositor and the navamsa dispositor of the last all in kendras or trikonas or exalted.
  • Hari / Hara / Brahma — benefics in set houses counted from the 2nd, 7th and 1st lords.
  • Lagnadhi — benefics in the 7th and 8th from the lagna with no malefic contact.
• Ch. 37 (Moon yogas) — BPHS e-text
  • Moon's house position from the Sun: kendra means little wealth and skill; panaphara means middling; apoklima means excellent.
  • Chandra-Adhi — benefics in the 6th, 7th and 8th from the Moon.
  • Benefics in upachayas from the Moon (3rd, 6th, 10th, 11th) give wealth: three benefics much, two middling, one little.
  • Sunapha — a planet other than the Sun in the 2nd from the Moon.
  • Anapha — in the 12th.
  • Durudhara — in both.
  • Kemadruma — no planet (Sun excluded) with the Moon or in the 2nd or 12th from it, and none in a kendra from the lagna.
• Ch. 38 (Sun yogas) — Vesi (planet other than the Moon in the 2nd from the Sun), Vosi (12th), Ubhayachari (both). Benefic and malefic versions give opposite effects — BPHS e-text

#Raja, dhana and daridra yogas (BPHS 39–42) and Pancha Mahapurusha (BPHS 75)

• Raja yogas (Ch. 39) — BPHS e-text
  • Judged from both the lagna and the karakamsa.
  • Maha raja yoga — 1st and 5th lords exchange; or AK and PK in the 1st or 5th, or in own/exalted sign or navamsa, with a benefic aspect.
  • AK and the lagna lord in the 1st, 5th or 7th with a benefic link.
  • Benefics in the 2nd, 4th and 5th from the lagna lord or AK; or malefics in the 3rd and 6th from them.
  • Arudha Lagna and Dara Pada in mutual kendras, 3/11 or trines.
  • 6th, 8th and 12th lords debilitated, combust or in enemy signs while the lagna lord, in own or exaltation sign, aspects the lagna (a forerunner of the Vipareeta pattern).
  • 9th and 5th lords in mutual aspect, conjunct, or mutually in the 7th.
  • Counting exalted planets: 1–3 exalted gives raja yoga for royal birth; 4–5 in exaltation or mooltrikona makes even a humble person a king; 6 makes an emperor.
  • Birth within 2.5 ghatis of noon or midnight.
• Royal-service yogas (Ch. 40) — rely on the 10th lord's link with the Amatyakaraka (AK = Atmakaraka, AmK = Amatyakaraka) or its dispositor, and on the AK in a kendra or trikona — BPHS e-text
• Wealth yogas (Ch. 41) — BPHS e-text
  • Great wealth (41.2–8): each planet in its own sign in the 5th, combined with specific planets in the 11th.
  • Wealth (41.9–15): each planet in its own sign in the lagna, joined or aspected by specific planets.
  • The 9th and 5th lords, and planets joined to them, give wealth in their dashas.
  • Kendra and trikona lords in Parijata…Airavata varga classes get graded results (41.18–34).
• Poverty yogas (Ch. 42) — BPHS e-text
  • Lagna lord in the 12th with the 12th lord in the lagna joined to a maraka.
  • 1st/6th exchange plus a maraka.
  • Ketu with the lagna or Moon, plus the lagna lord in the 8th.
  • Mars and Saturn in the 2nd ruin wealth, but Mercury's aspect turns this into great wealth.
  • Sun in the 2nd aspected by Saturn brings poverty; without Saturn's aspect it brings riches.
• Pancha Mahapurusha (BPHS 75.1–2) — Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus or Saturn in its own or exaltation sign in a kendra from the lagna gives Ruchaka, Bhadra, Hamsa, Malavya or Sasa respectively. Ch. 75 then gives detailed physical descriptions — BPHS e-text

#Phaladeepika (PD VI and VII)

• PD VI.1–4 — Pancha Mahapurusha yogas as in BPHS (own or exalted in a kendra). PD adds that they can also be counted from the Moon — PD 1950
• PD VI.5–7 — Sunapha, Anapha, Durudhara as in BPHS. Kemadruma is the absence of all three, but PD records that some authorities cancel it if any of these hold — PD 1950
  • a planet is in a kendra from the lagna;
  • the Moon is joined by a planet;
  • a planet is in a kendra from the Moon.
• PD VI.8–20 — PD 1950
  • Subha/Papa Vesi, Vasi and Ubhayachari.
  • Subha-kartari and Papa-kartari — benefics or malefics in both the 2nd and 12th from the lagna.
  • Susubha.
  • Mahabhagya — for a male, a day birth with Sun, Moon and lagna in odd signs; for a female, a night birth with all three in even signs.
  • Kesari — the Moon in a kendra from Jupiter.
  • Sakata — the Moon in the 6th, 8th or 12th from Jupiter; cancelled if the Moon is in a kendra from the lagna.
  • Adhama, Sama, Varishtha — the Moon in a kendra, panaphara or apoklima from the Sun.
  • Vasumat — benefics in upachayas from the lagna or Moon.
  • Amala — benefics in the 10th from the lagna or Moon.
  • Pushkala.
• PD VI.21–31 — PD 1950
  • Subhamala and Asubhamala.
  • Lakshmi — the 9th lord and Venus in own or exaltation signs that are kendras or trikonas.
  • Gauri — the Moon in that position aspected by Jupiter.
  • Saraswati — Venus, Jupiter and Mercury in kendras, trikonas or the 2nd, with Jupiter strong and in own, exaltation or a friend's sign.
  • Srikantha, Srinatha, Virinchi.
• PD VI.32 onward — PD 1950
  • Parivartana (sign exchange) gives 66 pairs. Exchanges involving the 6th, 8th or 12th lord are 30 Dainya yogas, those involving the 3rd lord are 8 Khala yogas, and the remaining 28 are Maha yogas.
  • Kahala and Parvata (PD's own definitions).
  • Raja and Sankha.
  • Sankhya yogas.
  • Adhi yoga — benefics in the 6th, 7th and 8th from the lagna or Moon.
  • Twelve "good" bhava yogas (Chamara, Dhenu, Saurya, …, Parijata), formed when each house's lord is well placed.
  • Twelve "bad" bhava yogas (Avayoga, Nisswa, Mriti, Kuhu, Pamara, Harsha, Dushkriti, Sarala, Nirbhagya, Duryoga, Daridra, Vimala), formed when house lords fall in the 6th, 8th or 12th.
  • Harsha (6th), Sarala (8th) and Vimala (12th) yield good results. These are the classical source of the "Vipareeta Raja Yoga" family.
• Neecha-bhanga raja yoga (PD VII.26–29) — for a debilitated planet — PD 1950
  • (a) the lord of its debilitation sign, or the lord of its exaltation sign, is in a kendra from the lagna or Moon (VII.26 and 29). A note gives a variant: "the planet exalted in that sign" instead of the exaltation-sign lord.
  • (b) the debilitation-sign lord and the exaltation-sign lord are in mutual kendras (VII.27).
  • (c) the debilitation-sign lord aspects the debilitated planet (VII.28). The result is stronger if the planet is outside the 6th, 8th and 12th.

#Jataka Parijata

• Gajakesari (JP VII.116) has two forms — JP 1932
  • (a) Jupiter in a kendra from the Moon;
  • (b) the Moon aspected by Venus, Jupiter and Mercury that are not debilitated or combust.
• Santhanam's survey of edition variants (notes to BPHS 36) — Santhanam scan
  • Gajakesari: the Venkateswara (Bombay) edition's second form needs only Mercury joining or aspecting an unafflicted Moon. Santhanam takes this as evidence that JP borrowed these verses from Parashara.
  • Parvata: the Tamil (C.G. Rajan) edition has two different variants (benefics in kendras plus the 6th and 8th; or kendras plus the 9th). The Venkateswara edition adds a second form: 1st and 12th lords in mutual kendras aspected by friends.
  • Matsya: the Venkateswara, Thakur Prasad and Tamil editions, and JP, need malefics in the 1st and 9th, against the Santhanam and Chaukhamba benefics. Santhanam argues for benefics.
  • Lagnadhi: only the 7th and 8th in BPHS editions (some editions also require the 4th to be empty), whereas Chandradhi uses the 6th, 7th and 8th.
  • Kahala: different Tamil-version definitions exist.

#Inferences

• Implementation pattern: store each yoga as a predicate tagged with its source (BPHS / PD / JP / variant edition). Where texts conflict, show a "classical variants" note rather than silently picking one. For example:

  Yoga	BPHS	PD / JP
  Gajakesari	Jupiter in a kendra from lagna or Moon plus benefic aspect and dignity conditions	PD "Kesari" and JP: only Jupiter–Moon mutual kendra (or JP's triple-benefic aspect)
  Lakshmi	9th lord in a kendra in dignity plus a strong lagna lord	PD: 9th lord and Venus in dignity in a kendra or trikona
  Amala	an exclusive benefic in the 10th	PD: benefics in the 10th

• Kemadruma needs a configurable cancellation set: the BPHS kendra-from-lagna clause, plus PD's "other authorities" clauses.

• Vipareeta raja yoga is not named in the BPHS chapters read. Its classical grounding is PD's Harsha / Sarala / Vimala and BPHS 39.19–20, 28. Present it that way.

• Many BPHS raja yogas use Jaimini concepts (AK, PK, Arudha Lagna, Dara Pada, Hora and Ghati Lagnas), so the yoga engine needs those computed (see Q3).

#Gaps

• I did not read Saravali in English. The archive.org Saravali items found are the Sanskrit edition (1907, saravali00kalyuoft; 1914, in.ernet.dli.2015.313760) and a likely-copyrighted English upload (KalyanaVarmasSaravali_201707, probably Santhanam). So I could not verify Saravali-vs-BPHS disagreements beyond the Ardha-chandra quote inside BPHS.
• BPHS Arishta yogas (Ch. 9 "Evils at birth", Ch. 43–44 longevity and marakas) were only partly read. Ch. 10's cancellations are covered: a benefic in a kendra, a strong Jupiter in the lagna, or a strong lagna lord in a kendra destroys the evils.
• I did not re-verify PD's own Kahala and Parvata definitions, or JP's Kemadruma (JP Ch. VI–VII) slokas, word for word.
• BPHS 79 (ascetic yogas) and 80 (female horoscopy) were not extracted.

#Q3. House significations and karakas; dignities and friendships; aspects (Parashari vs Jaimini)

#Takeaway

BPHS Ch. 3, 7, 8, 26 and 29–32 give exact dignity degrees, the rule that generates natural friendships, the temporal and compound friendship rules, house classes, fixed and movable (chara) karakas, Arudha, Upapada and Argala, and two separate aspect systems: graded planetary aspects (Parashari) and sign aspects (Jaimini). These map directly onto data tables. Phaladeepika adds friendships for Rahu and Ketu, which BPHS does not give in the chapters read.

#Cited Findings

• Exaltation and debilitation (BPHS 3.49–50) — BPHS e-text

  • Exaltation sign and deepest degree: Sun Aries 10°, Moon Taurus 3°, Mars Capricorn 28°, Mercury Virgo 15°, Jupiter Cancer 5°, Venus Pisces 27°, Saturn Libra 20°.
  • Debilitation is the same degree in the 7th sign.

• Mooltrikona (3.51–54) — BPHS e-text

  Planet	Mooltrikona	Rest of the sign
  Sun	Leo 0–20°	own
  Moon	Taurus 3–30° (0–3° is exaltation)	—
  Mars	Aries 0–12°	own
  Mercury	Virgo 15–20° (0–15° exaltation)	20–30° own
  Jupiter	Sagittarius 0–10°	own
  Venus	Libra 0–15°	own
  Saturn	Aquarius 0–20°	own

• Share of good results by dignity (3.59–60): exaltation full; mooltrikona ¾; own sign ½; friend's sign ¼; neutral's sign ⅛; debilitation or enemy's sign nil. Bad results run the other way — BPHS e-text

• Natural friendship rule (3.55): a planet's friends are the lords of the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th and 12th from its mooltrikona, plus the lord of its exaltation sign. All other lords are enemies. A planet that qualifies as both friend and enemy is neutral — BPHS e-text

• Natural friendships as listed in PD II (consistent with the BPHS rule): Moon's friends are Sun and Mercury and all others neutral; Mars's enemy is Mercury and Venus and Saturn are neutral; Mercury's enemy is the Moon and its friends Sun and Venus; Venus's friends are Saturn and Mercury, with Jupiter and Mars neutral; Saturn's friends are Venus and Mercury, with Jupiter neutral — PD 1950

• Node friendships (PD II only): Mercury, Saturn and Venus are friends of Rahu and Ketu; Mars is neutral; the rest are enemies — PD 1950

• Temporal friendship (BPHS 3.56): a planet in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th or 12th from another is its temporal friend; otherwise it is an enemy — BPHS e-text

• Compound friendship (3.57–58): friend + friend = great friend; friend + neutral = friend; enemy + friend = neutral; enemy + neutral = enemy; enemy + enemy = great enemy — BPHS e-text

• Upagrahas (3.61–74) — BPHS e-text

  • Dhuma = Sun + 133°20′; Vyatipata = 360° − Dhuma; Parivesha = Vyatipata + 180°; Indrachapa = 360° − Parivesha; Upaketu = Chapa + 16°40′. Adding 30° to Upaketu brings you back to the Sun, which is a built-in check.
  • Gulika and the other kala-velas: divide the day into 8 parts, the first ruled by the weekday lord; the 8th part has no lord. Saturn's part is Gulika, the Sun's Kala, Mars's Mrityu, Jupiter's Yamaghantaka, Mercury's Ardhaprahara.
  • At night, the first part belongs to the lord of the 5th weekday from the current day.
  • Gulika's longitude is the degree rising at the start of Saturn's part (3.70).
  • Pranapada: convert birth time to vighatis and divide by 15 to get signs and degrees; add this to the Sun if the Sun is in a movable sign, add a further 240° if fixed, or 120° if dual.

• House classes (7.33–38; 32.35–37): kendras 1/4/7/10; panapharas 2/5/8/11; apoklimas 3/6/9/12; trikonas 5 and 9 (and the 1st); dusthanas 6/8/12; chaturasras 4 and 8; upachayas 3/6/10/11 — BPHS e-text

• Natural karaka of each house (32.31–34): 1 Sun, 2 Jupiter, 3 Mars, 4 Moon, 5 Jupiter, 6 Mars, 7 Venus, 8 Saturn, 9 Jupiter, 10 Mercury (as transcribed), 11 Jupiter, 12 Saturn — BPHS e-text

• Houses counted from karakas (7.39–43; 32.22–24): father from the 9th from the Sun; mother from the 4th from the Moon; siblings from the 3rd from Mars; maternal uncle from the 6th from Mercury; children from the 5th from Jupiter; spouse from the 7th from Venus; death from the 8th (and 12th) from Saturn. The 10th and 11th are also read from the Sun, and the 2nd, 4th, 9th and 11th from the Moon — BPHS e-text

• Fixed relationship karakas (32.18–21): father = stronger of Sun and Venus; mother = stronger of Moon and Mars; Mars also for sister, younger brother and brother-in-law; Mercury for maternal relatives; Jupiter for paternal grandfather; Venus for husband; Saturn for sons; Ketu for several relatives — BPHS e-text

• Chara karakas (BPHS 32.1–17) — BPHS e-text

  • Rank planets by degrees travelled within their sign (break ties by minutes, then seconds).
  • For Rahu, use 30° minus its degrees.
  • Highest = Atmakaraka (AK), then Amatya, Bhratru, Matru, Pitru, Putra, Gnati and Dara (Stri) karaka — an 8-karaka scheme.
  • Some authorities merge Matru and Putra karaka (7-karaka scheme). The text says to include Rahu either always, or only when two planets tie.
  • If two planets tie, one karaka is missing and the fixed karaka stands in.

• Jaimini's version of the karakas:

  • JS 1.1.11 gives the choice of 7 planets (Sun–Saturn) or 8 including Rahu; the highest degrees makes the AK — JS, Rao 1949
  • JS 1.1.13–19 give Amatya and the rest, and note the Matru/Putra merger — JS, Rao 1949
  • JS 1.1.24 says Saturn is the weakest planet — JS, Rao 1949

• Parashari planetary aspects (BPHS 26.2–5) — BPHS e-text

  • Every planet aspects the 7th fully.
  • Partial aspects: 3rd and 10th ¼; 5th and 9th ½; 4th and 8th ¾.
  • Full special aspects: Saturn on the 3rd and 10th, Jupiter on the 5th and 9th, Mars on the 4th and 8th.

• Exact aspect value in virupas (BPHS 26.6–8). Let d = longitude of the aspected point minus that of the aspecting planet (0–360°):

  d (degrees)	Aspect value (virupas)
  0–30	0
  30–60	(d − 30) ÷ 2
  60–90	(d − 60) + 15
  90–120	(120 − d) ÷ 2 + 30
  120–150	150 − d
  150–180	2 × (d − 150)
  180–300	(300 − d) ÷ 2
  300–360	0

  Maximum is 60 at 180°. Verses 26.9–12 give special corrections for Saturn, Mars and Jupiter; the e-text is garbled there — BPHS e-text

• Rasi (sign) aspects, the Jaimini-style aspects that BPHS also gives at 8.1–5 — BPHS e-text; JS 1.1.2–4

  • Each movable sign aspects the three fixed signs except the one next to it.
  • Each fixed sign aspects the three movable signs except the one next to it.
  • Each dual sign aspects the other three dual signs.
  • Planets aspect whatever their sign aspects, and planets in an aspected sign receive the aspect.

• Arudha pada — BPHS e-text

  • BPHS 29.2–3: count from a house to its lord, then the same count again from the lord.
  • BPHS 29.4–5 exceptions: if the pada falls in the house itself, take the 10th from it; if it falls in the 7th, take the 4th from the house. (The e-text adds that a lord in the 4th makes the occupied house the pada.)
  • BPHS 29.6–7: graha arudhas are computed the same way.

• Jaimini's Arudha reading: Rao's JS 1.1.29–31 states the plain counting rule. His examples (lord in the 4th gives the 7th; lord in the 7th gives the lagna itself) do not apply the BPHS "10th / 4th" exceptions — JS, Rao 1949

• Upapada (BPHS 30.1–6) is the arudha of the house "following" the lagna, normally the 12th. Santhanam's note gives a variant from a Jaimini commentary: the 12th for odd lagnas, the 2nd for even lagnas — BPHS e-text

• Argala — BPHS e-text; JS 1.1.5–10

  • BPHS 31.2–9: planets in the 2nd, 4th and 11th cause argala; planets in the 12th, 10th and 3rd obstruct them; the 5th is a secondary argala obstructed by the 9th.
  • Three or more malefics in the 3rd give an unobstructable (vipareeta) argala. For Rahu and Ketu, count backwards.
  • The stronger side, or more planets, wins. One planet gives a small effect, two a medium effect, more an excellent effect.
  • BPHS 31.10 adds a quarter-sign rule for obstruction: 1st quarter vs 4th quarter, 2nd vs 3rd.

#Inferences

• Dignity, friendship and the special lagnas can be implemented as deterministic tables straight from BPHS 3 and 5. The Rahu/Ketu dignities and friendships need an explicit source flag (PD) because BPHS 3 lists only the seven planets.
• Ship both aspect engines: Parashari graded aspects (for shadbala Drik bala and yogas) and Jaimini sign aspects (for Chara Dasha, Arudha-based and Jaimini yogas). Keep them separate, because the two systems often disagree (for example, Aries and Taurus never aspect each other by sign).
• The Arudha exceptions are a real fork between the Santhanam BPHS reading and Rao's literal Jaimini reading. Make it a user or school setting.

#Gaps

• BPHS 32.31–34 lists the 10th-house karaka as Mercury in this transcription. Other texts (e.g. PD Ch. I) use a multi-planet list for the 10th. I did not verify the Sanskrit or PD's list in this session.
• The node exaltation signs (Rahu Taurus or Gemini; Ketu Scorpio or Sagittarius) are not in the BPHS chapters read.
• The full Bhava-phala chapters (BPHS 11–25) were not extracted. House significations beyond 32.31–34 and the karaka list are not summarised here.

#Q4. Shadbala components and formulas; Ashtakavarga bindu tables

#Takeaway

BPHS 27 gives every Shadbala component as an arithmetic rule in virupas (60 virupas = 1 rupa), plus minimum totals and Bhava bala. BPHS 66–69 give Ashtakavarga contributor lists, Trikona and Ekadhipatya shodhana, and pinda multipliers. The e-text has transcription errors in the Ashtakavarga lists and multipliers, so the engine should use the standard benefic-point table, which matches the BPHS text exactly for the Sun, Mars and Saturn.

#Cited Findings

• Sthana bala (BPHS 27.1–6) — BPHS e-text

  • Uchcha: (planet longitude − debilitation point), folded to ≤180°, ÷ 3.
  • Saptavargaja: in each of D1, D2, D3, D7, D9, D12, D30 score mooltrikona 45, own 30, great friend 20, friend 15, neutral 10, enemy 4, great enemy 2; then sum.
  • Ojayugma: 15 virupas if the Moon or Venus is in an even sign, or another planet in an odd sign; apply separately to rasi and navamsa.
  • Kendradi: kendra 60, panaphara 30, apoklima 15. (The e-text says "Kon"; context and PD show it means kendra.)
  • Drekkana: 15 to male planets in the 1st decanate, female planets in the 2nd, neuter planets in the 3rd.

• Dig bala (27.1–2 of that section): take the distance from the point where the planet has zero strength, folded to ≤180°, ÷ 3. Zero points: the 4th cusp for Sun and Mars; the 7th for Jupiter and Mercury; the 10th for Venus and Moon; the lagna for Saturn — BPHS e-text

• Kala bala (27.8–17) — BPHS e-text

  • Nathonnata: based on distance of the birth time from midnight. Moon, Mars and Saturn are strongest at midnight; Sun, Jupiter and Venus at noon; Mercury always gets 60.
  • Paksha: (Moon − Sun folded ≤180°) ÷ 3 for benefics; 60 minus that for malefics.
  • Tribhaga: day thirds go to Mercury, Sun, Saturn; night thirds to Moon, Venus, Mars; Jupiter always gets 60.
  • Lords of year, month, day and hour: 15, 30, 45, 60. Santhanam computes these via the ahargana (day count) and gives worked examples.
  • Ayana: Santhanam's simplified formula is 60 × (23°27′ ± declination) ÷ 46°54′. Signs per 27.15–17 notes: plus for the Moon or Saturn with southern declination, and for Sun, Mars, Jupiter or Venus with northern; Mercury always plus. The Sun's ayana bala is doubled.
  • Yuddha (planetary war): the difference in shadbala is added to the winner and subtracted from the loser.

• Naisargika bala (27.14): 60 × n ÷ 7 with n = 1 for Saturn through 7 for the Sun. Values: Sun 60, Moon 51.43, Venus 42.86, Jupiter 34.29, Mercury 25.71, Mars 17.14, Saturn 8.57 — BPHS e-text

• Cheshta bala (27.18, 24–25) — BPHS e-text

  • Sun: equal to its ayana bala. Moon: equal to its paksha bala.
  • Mars to Saturn: (sighrochcha − (mean + true longitude) ÷ 2), folded, ÷ 3.
  • The eight motion states (retrograde etc.) score 60, 30, 15, 30, 15, 7.5, 45, 30 (27.21–23).

• Drik bala (27.19): plus ¼ of benefic aspect totals, minus ¼ of malefic aspect totals, plus the full aspect of Mercury and Jupiter — BPHS e-text

• Minimum required total shadbala (27.32–33) — BPHS e-text; PD IV states the same thresholds in rupas — PD 1950

  Planet	Virupas	Rupas
  Sun	390	6.5
  Moon	360	6
  Mars	300	5
  Mercury	420	7
  Jupiter	390	6.5
  Venus	330	5.5
  Saturn	300	5

  Very high Saturn strength gives long life together with suffering.

• Component minima (27.34–36), in the order Sthana / Dig / Kala / Cheshta / Ayana — BPHS e-text

  Planets	Sthana	Dig	Kala	Cheshta	Ayana
  Jupiter, Mercury, Sun	165	35	50	112	30
  Moon, Venus	133	50	30	100	40
  Mars, Saturn	96	30	40	67	20

• Bhava bala (27.26–31) — BPHS e-text

  • Subtract a reference cusp, chosen by the bhava's sign type:
    • 7th cusp for Virgo, Gemini, Libra, Aquarius and the first half of Sagittarius;
    • 4th cusp for Aries, Taurus, Leo, the first half of Capricorn and the second half of Sagittarius;
    • lagna for Cancer and Scorpio;
    • 10th cusp for the second half of Capricorn and for Pisces.
  • Fold to ≤180° and divide by 3.
  • Add ¼ for benefic aspects and subtract ¼ for malefic ones; add the drik bala of Jupiter or Mercury if they aspect; add the house lord's strength.
  • Add 60 for occupation by Jupiter or Mercury; subtract 60 for Saturn, Mars or the Sun.
  • Add 15 if the bhava is in a head-rising sign for a day birth, a dual sign for a twilight birth, or a back-rising sign for a night birth.

• Ishta and Kashta phala (BPHS 28.2–6) — BPHS e-text

  • Uchcha rashmi and cheshta rashmi are derived from the respective "kendra" values.
  • Ishta = [(uchcha rashmi − 1) × 10 + (cheshta rashmi − 1) × 10] ÷ 2.
  • Kashta = 60 − Ishta.
  • Subhanka points by dignity: 60, 45, 30, 22, 15, 8, 4, 2, 0 from exaltation down to debilitation.

• Ashtakavarga conventions — BPHS e-text

  • BPHS 66.13–15, 69 marks the inauspicious places (karana) with dots (bindu) and the auspicious ones (sthana) with lines (rekha).
  • This is the reverse of the common modern habit of calling benefic points "bindus". A UI must not confuse the two.
  • The Lagna counts as an eighth contributor.

• Benefic points (rekhas) by contributor, standard table — matches the BPHS 66.43–68 rekha lists exactly for the Sun, Mars and Saturn when cross-tabulated by me; other rows differ only where the e-text is evidently mis-transcribed (see Gaps). Columns are the planet whose Ashtakavarga it is; rows are the contributor, giving house positions counted from the contributor. Totals: Sun 48, Moon 49, Mars 39, Mercury 54, Jupiter 56, Venus 52, Saturn 39; Sarvashtakavarga 337 — BPHS e-text

  Contributor	Sun's AV	Moon's AV	Mars's AV	Mercury's AV	Jupiter's AV	Venus's AV	Saturn's AV
  Sun	1,2,4,7,8,9,10,11	3,6,7,8,10,11	3,5,6,10,11	5,6,9,11,12	1,2,3,4,7,8,9,10,11	8,11,12	1,2,4,7,8,10,11
  Moon	3,6,10,11	1,3,6,7,10,11	3,6,11	2,4,6,8,10,11	2,5,7,9,11	1,2,3,4,5,8,9,11,12	3,6,11
  Mars	1,2,4,7,8,9,10,11	2,3,5,6,9,10,11	1,2,4,7,8,10,11	1,2,4,7,8,9,10,11	1,2,4,7,8,10,11	3,5,6,9,11,12	3,5,6,10,11,12
  Mercury	3,5,6,9,10,11,12	1,3,4,5,7,8,10,11	3,5,6,11	1,3,5,6,9,10,11,12	1,2,4,5,6,9,10,11	3,5,6,9,11	6,8,9,10,11,12
  Jupiter	5,6,9,11	1,4,7,8,10,11,12	6,10,11,12	6,8,11,12	1,2,3,4,7,8,10,11	5,8,9,10,11	5,6,11,12
  Venus	6,7,12	3,4,5,7,9,10,11	6,8,11,12	1,2,3,4,5,8,9,11	2,5,6,9,10,11	1,2,3,4,5,8,9,10,11	6,11,12
  Saturn	1,2,4,7,8,9,10,11	3,5,6,11	1,4,7,8,9,10,11	1,2,4,7,8,9,10,11	3,5,6,12	3,4,5,8,9,10,11	3,5,6,11
  Lagna	3,4,6,10,11,12	3,6,10,11	1,3,6,10,11	1,2,4,6,8,10,11	1,2,4,5,6,7,9,10,11	1,2,3,4,5,8,9,11	1,3,4,6,10,11

• Trikona shodhana (BPHS 67): within each fire, earth, air and water triad, subtract the smallest count from all three. If any sign in the triad has 0, skip. If all three are equal, set all to 0 — BPHS e-text

• Ekadhipatya shodhana (BPHS 68), for the two signs owned by the same planet — BPHS e-text

  • Both signs occupied: no change.
  • Both empty and unequal: both take the smaller value.
  • Both empty and equal: both become 0.
  • One occupied and one empty: the empty sign is reduced (its value minus the occupied sign's value, or to 0, depending on which is larger); the occupied sign is unchanged.
  • Sun (Leo) and Moon (Cancer) own one sign each and are exempt.

• Pinda sadhana (BPHS 69) — BPHS e-text

  • Sign multipliers (from the printed table): Aries 7, Taurus 10, Gemini 8, Cancer 4, Leo 10, Virgo 5, Libra 7, Scorpio 8, Sagittarius 9, Capricorn 5, Aquarius 11, Pisces 12.
  • Planet multipliers: Sun 5, Moon 5, Mars 8, Mercury 5, Jupiter 10, Venus 7, Saturn 5.
  • The verse prose in the e-text gives different numbers (Capricorn and Virgo 6; Mars 3; Sun, Moon, Mercury and Saturn 6). Treat the table as authoritative and flag the conflict.

#Inferences

• Shadbala is fully computable from BPHS 27 plus standard astronomy (declination, mean vs true longitude, sighrochcha). The "kendra" for cheshta bala needs mean-planet elements, which BPHS does not define — use a modern ephemeris and document it.
• The Ashtakavarga table above can be hard-coded with its total of 337 as a unit test. The Sun, Mars and Saturn rows verified exactly against the BPHS text.

#Gaps

• Moon's Ashtakavarga in the e-text: the 9th-house rekhas list Venus and the Moon (the standard table has Venus and Mars), and the 2nd lists Jupiter while the 12th has none (the standard has Jupiter in the 12th). Mercury's 5th lists Saturn where the standard has the Sun, and its 5th-house dot list contradicts this. Jupiter's own 1st and 4th are missing. I did not check these against the Santhanam scan or the Sanskrit.
• The Saturn, Mars and Jupiter aspect-correction formulas (BPHS 26.9–12) are garbled in the e-text and were not reconstructed.
• I did not check JP or PD Ashtakavarga chapters for an independent second witness (PD Ch. XXIII and JP have Ashtakavarga chapters).

#Q5. What remedies are prescribed, and which claims are predictive versus spiritual or ethical?

#Takeaway

BPHS prescribes ritual and devotional remedies: worship of the grahas, mantra repetition with set counts, fire offerings, feeding Brahmins, and charity of specific items. No gemstone prescriptions appear in the BPHS remedial chapter or in the dasha-remedy passages searched. The text frames remedies as propitiation that works because the grahas grant results to those who worship them. That is a religious claim, separate from its many deterministic predictions about wealth, kingship, illness, death and family. A website should label the two kinds differently.

#Cited Findings

• BPHS 84.2 — anyone seeking peace, wealth, rain, health or longevity should worship the grahas through prayer, mantra and charity — BPHS e-text
• BPHS 84.3–14 — graha images made of: copper (Sun), crystal (Moon), red sandalwood (Mars), gold (Mercury and Jupiter), silver (Venus), iron (Saturn), glass or lead (Rahu), bell-metal (Ketu). Alternatively, coloured drawings on cloth. Iconography is given for each graha; images are 108 finger-widths tall — BPHS e-text
• BPHS 84.17–20 mantra counts (as transcribed): Sun 7,000; Moon 11,000; Mars 11,000; Mercury 9,000; Jupiter 19,000; Venus 16,000; Saturn 23,000; Rahu 18,000; Ketu 17,000 — BPHS e-text
• BPHS 84.21–25 — BPHS e-text
  • Fire-offering woods, in planet order: arka, palasha, khadira, apamarga, ashvattha, udumbara, shami, durva, kusha. Offered 108 or 28 times with honey, ghee, curd or milk.
  • Foods to feed Brahmins for each graha.
  • Charity items: cow with calf, conch, bull, gold, cloth, horse, black cow, iron weapon, goat.
• BPHS 84.26–27 — the stated rationale is that Brahma gave the grahas a boon to favour those who worship them, and that rise and fall rest under their authority. This is a theological premise, not an empirical one — BPHS e-text
• Dasha-effect chapters (BPHS 52–60) end many sub-period descriptions with a remedy — BPHS e-text
  • Mrityunjaya japa; worship of the Sun.
  • Gift of a white or black cow or a she-buffalo.
  • Durga worship / Shat-Chandi recitation.
  • Vishnu or Shiva Sahasranama.
  • Rudra japa; giving gold or a goat.
• Gemstones: a keyword search of the whole BPHS e-text for gem, ruby, emerald, sapphire, diamond, pearl and coral found only descriptive mentions — wealth results, the colours or materials of the grahas, and 3.41–44 assigning lead and blue gem to Rahu and Ketu. None were remedial prescriptions — BPHS e-text
• Remedies for "evil" births (BPHS 85–96): births on new moon, Krishna chaturdashi, Bhadra, bad nakshatras, sankranti, eclipse, gandanta, abhukta-mula, Jyeshtha-gandanta, a daughter after three sons, and unusual deliveries. BPHS 83 covers curses from past lives (mainly childlessness) and their remedies — BPHS e-text
• Natal cancellations (BPHS 10.2–8) are astrological, not ritual — BPHS e-text
  • Mercury, Jupiter or Venus in a kendra destroys the evils.
  • A strong Jupiter in the lagna, or a strong lagna lord in a kendra, does the same.
  • Benefic or malefic aspects on the lagna help according to fortnight and day or night of birth.
• Ethical and epistemic notes inside BPHS — BPHS e-text
  • 27.39–40 describes the qualities of a reliable predictor: mathematics, grammar, ethics, self-control and logic.
  • 66.7–11 admits that even great sages could not be certain because planetary motions are subtle. Ashtakavarga is introduced as the remedy for that uncertainty, not as a ritual.

#Inferences

• Gemstone recommendations, common on commercial astrology sites, are not grounded in the BPHS remedial chapters read here. If the site offers them, it should present them as later or regional practice (sources such as Garuda Purana or Ratna Pariksha would need separate research), not as Parashari.
• Suggested content labels:
  • "Classical prediction (deterministic in source)" — yogas and dasha effects, including death or "will become king".
  • "Classical religious practice" — japa, havan, charity, worship.
  • "Modern addition" — gemstones, and any use of specific products.
• Some classical predictions are sensitive: death timing (Shula Dasha, marakas, Kalachakra), caste (3.21), gender norms (Ch. 80–82 female horoscopy and body marks), "thief" yogas (30.37, 41). A responsible engine should suppress or soften them by default.

#Gaps

• I did not extract Phaladeepika's or Uttara Kalamrita's remedy content, if any. PD XXVIII and the transit chapters were not read.
• The Sanskrit of BPHS 84.17–20 was not checked against the Santhanam scan. Other sources give a different mantra count for Mars (10,000), so 11,000 may be a transcription variant.

#Q6. Which editions on archive.org are public domain and which are copyrighted, and what is known about interpolation in BPHS?

#Takeaway

The PD English sources are B. Suryanarain Rao's 1899 and 1900 translations and the 19th-century Brihat Jataka translations. Indian PD status of V. Subrahmanya Sastri's 1932–1950 translations depends on his death year, which I could not establish; in the US they are likely still under URAA-restored copyright. The standard English BPHS editions (Santhanam 1984, G.C. Sharma 1994–95) are in copyright even though archive.org hosts them, and some uploads carry an unreliable CC0 or public-domain mark. Modern BPHS rests on manuscripts that surfaced only in the 20th century, and its main Sanskrit editor admitted editorial changes. Its rules should be treated as a compiled tradition, not a single ancient text.

#Cited Findings

#Archive.org editions found

Rules used for the status column: India's term is life + 60 years. The US rule applied here is: published before 1931 = PD; foreign works published 1931 or later that were still in copyright in India on 1 Jan 1996 = restored for 95 years (URAA). That is my reading of the law, not legal advice.

#Interpolation and textual history

• Santhanam's own account (preface): he compared four printed versions — Venkateswara Press (Bombay, mostly Sanskrit commentary), Sitaram Jha (Master Khelari Lal, Varanasi), Devachandra Jha (Chaukhamba) and Ganesa Datta Pathak (Thakur Prasad). He adopted Sitaram Jha's Sanskrit and found Chaukhamba's nearly the same. He knew of C.G. Rajan's Tamil (36 chapters) and N.N.K. Rao's English (25 chapters). He dates Parashara to the Mahabharata era from internal statements, which is a traditional rather than a scholarly view — Santhanam scan
• Secondary scholarship as summarised by Wikipedia:
  • The 1981 History of Indian Literature volume (Pingree's "Jyotihshastra", in the series edited by J. Gonda) dates the purva-khanda to after 600 CE, roughly 600–750. It sees heavy debt to Varahamihira's Brihajjataka and two verses borrowed from Sphujidhvaja; Govindasvamin commented on an uttara-khanda around 850.
  • Bhattotpala (c. 900) said he had heard of the text but never seen it.
  • Sitaram Jha's 1944 edition (71 chapters, about 5,100 verses) reportedly admitted changing and removing material.
  • Shyamasundara Dasa notes there is no ancient commentary.
  • The first printing was by the Venkateswara Press in 1905.
  • Wikipedia: BPHS (secondary; its claims about Pingree are cited, not verified)
• Uttara Kalamrita's date: P.S. Sastri's introduction places its author after the 16th century and in South India (references to Persian, Andhra, Rahu-kala and similar). It is not Kalidasa the poet — Uttara Kalamrita, P.S. Sastri
• Jaimini Sutras extent: Rao says he saw only four adhyayas and translated two; others claim eight — JS, Rao 1949

#Inferences

• For quoting or reproducing text on the site, the safe primary sources are:
  • Sanskrit editions published before 1931 (Venkateswara 1905 BPHS, Nirnaya Sagar 1907 Saravali);
  • Rao's 1899 Sarvartha Chintamani and 1900 Jataka Chandrika;
  • the Brihat Jataka translations of 1885 / 1905 / 1919.
• Santhanam and G.C. Sharma can be used for facts and rules, which are not copyrightable, with citations, but not reproduced. Archive.org's CC0 or public-domain marks on DLI/JaiGyan uploads of modern books should not be relied on.
• Because BPHS content beyond the core (and especially the Jaimini-like chapters, Kalachakra and remedy chapters) may be 20th-century compilation, the engine's "source" tag should say "BPHS (Santhanam / Sitaram Jha recension)", not just "Parashara".

#Gaps

• I could not find V. Subrahmanya Sastri's death year. It decides Indian PD status for the 1932 JP, the 1937/1950 PD and the 1949 Horasara.
• I could not find the original first-edition date of Rao's Jaimini translation (the 3rd edition is 1949). If a pre-1931 edition exists on archive.org, it would be PD in the US.
• I did not read Pingree's own text (HIL VI.4, 1981, p. 86) or the vedicastrology.wikidot.com note on Sitaram Jha's admission; both are known only via Wikipedia.
• I did not check DLI metadata (accession dates, imprints) for the Sanskrit and Hindi BPHS items one by one.