The Kalaprakasika: choosing times for every part of life · Chapter 3 of 6

#Marriage

Kalaprakasika, chapters XIII–XVIII

#Matching: the ten agreements (XIII)

Chapter XIII, "Decision of marriage", is the classic source of South Indian marriage matching (porutham). It gives ten agreements between the birth stars of the bride and groom (XIII, pp. 68–78):

1. Dina — count from the bride's nakshatra to the groom's: counts of 2, 4, 6 and 8 (in each round of nine) are good, 3, 5 and 7 bad; in the second round only certain quarters are to be avoided; the third round is free from evil; with special rules for the 27th and 22nd and for both partners having the same star.
2. Gana — the temperament of the stars: the same gana excellent; a deva groom with a manushya bride middling; deva with rakshasa very bad; manushya with rakshasa fatal — except that the rakshasa fault diminishes if the bride's star is beyond the 14th from the groom's.
3. Mahendra — the groom's star the 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, 19th, 22nd or 25th from the bride's.
4. Stree-deergha — the groom's star beyond the 13th from the bride's ("some writers" say the 7th).
5. Yoni — the animals of the stars: the same good, different neutral, enemies to be avoided.
6. Rasi — the distance between the Moon signs, read by direction (some placements of the bride's sign from the groom's are good, the reverse bad), with exceptions.
7. Rasyadhipati — the friendship of the sign lords.
8. Vasya — signs "amenable" to each other.
9. Rajju — the stars grouped by parts of the body (foot, thigh, navel, neck, head); the same rajju is forbidden.
10. Vedha — pairs of stars that "repel" each other (Ashvini–Jyeshtha, Rohini–Swati, and so on).

Weights (p. 76): Dina, Gana, Yoni, Rasi and Rajju are the five chief agreements, and Dina and Rajju are first in importance. At least five of the ten should agree. Faults of rajju, vedha, gana and rasi are set aside if the sign lords are the same or friends, or the signs are seventh from each other (p. 76).

The chapter adds the sex of the stars, the "family" (gotra) of the stars, and a rule against marrying across certain social lines — the last recorded here as history.

#The wedding (XIV)

The best times for a wedding (XIV): the Sun's northern course is excellent, the southern middling; good tithis are the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 11th and 13th, while those after the 8th of the dark fortnight are inauspicious; Gemini, Virgo and Libra are the best rising signs. The chapter also reads Jupiter's transit from the bride's Moon sign, with harsh predictions for unfavourable positions — history, not guidance.

#The girl's character (XV)

Chapter XV judges a girl's "character, career and destiny" from the month, tithi, nakshatra, weekday and moment of her first menstruation — with predictions of chastity, widowhood and the like. It reflects the social world of its time and is not used here.

#The first union and pregnancy (XVI–XVIII)

• Nishekam (XVI), the first union of the couple: a time of benefic influence, a pleasant room "kept fragrant with sandal and flowers", and — the text insists — "above all, there should be nothing to disturb the peace of mind of the couple".
• Rites of pregnancy (XVII–XVIII): the times for the ceremonies of the third month and later.

#Reading these chapters

The ten agreements are still widely used in South India. The Study of Jyotisha (chapter 41) compares them with the North Indian Ashtakoota, shows that the two systems can disagree about the same couple, and reports that no study has found either to predict how marriages turn out. As the Kalaprakasika itself allows, the faults have many exceptions.

#Summary

• Ten agreements: dina, gana, mahendra, stree-deergha, yoni, rasi, rasyadhipati, vasya, rajju, vedha; dina and rajju first; five of ten needed; faults set aside when the sign lords are the same or friends (XIII).
• Wedding times by course of the Sun, tithi and rising sign (XIV).
• The puberty readings (XV) are history; the first union should be peaceful (XVI); pregnancy rites (XVII–XVIII).

#Exercises

1. Name the ten agreements.
2. Which two are "first in importance"?
3. How many must agree?
4. When are the faults of rajju, vedha, gana and rasi set aside?

Answers: 1. Dina, gana, mahendra, stree-deergha, yoni, rasi, rasyadhipati, vasya, rajju, vedha. 2. Dina and rajju. 3. At least five. 4. When the sign lords are the same or friends, or the signs are seventh from each other (p. 76).