Parashara: the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra · Chapter 2 of 9

#Planets, signs and dignities

#Exact dignities (BPHS 3.49–54)

The BPHS gives each planet an exaltation sign and deepest degree, with debilitation at the same degree in the opposite sign (3.49–50):

Where Varahamihira gives the moolatrikona by whole sign, the BPHS divides the sign into degree ranges.

#Friendship (BPHS 3.55–58)

Natural friendship comes from a rule: a planet's friends are the lords of the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th and 12th signs from its moolatrikona, and the lord of its exaltation sign; the other lords are enemies; a planet that qualifies as both is neutral (3.55). (This is Satyacharya's rule as reported by Varahamihira.)

Temporal friendship: a planet in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th or 12th from another is its temporal friend; otherwise its temporal enemy (3.56).

Compound friendship combines the two: friend + friend = great friend; friend + neutral = friend; friend + enemy = neutral; neutral + enemy = enemy; enemy + enemy = great enemy (3.57–58).

#The share of results (BPHS 3.59–60)

A planet gives its good results in full when exalted; three-quarters in moolatrikona; half in its own sign; a quarter in a friend's sign; an eighth in a neutral's; nothing in debilitation or an enemy's sign — and bad results the other way round (3.59–60).

#The shadow points (BPHS 3.61–74)

The BPHS adds upagrahas, invisible points computed from the Sun or from the day:

• From the Sun: Dhuma = Sun + 133°20′; Vyatipata = 360° − Dhuma; Parivesha = Vyatipata + 180°; Indrachapa = 360° − Parivesha; Upaketu = Indrachapa + 16°40′ (adding 30° more returns to the Sun — a built-in check) (3.61–65).
• From the day: divide the day into eight parts ruled in turn by the planets from the weekday's lord (the eighth 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 fifth weekday from the day (3.66–69). Gulika's longitude is the degree rising at the start of Saturn's part (3.70).

These are the classical source of the Gulika and Yamaghantaka periods in modern almanacs (Rahu kalam has no such source).

#Special ascendants (BPHS 5.2–8)

Starting from the Sun's longitude at sunrise and the time since sunrise:

• Bhava lagna: one sign every 5 ghatis (2 hours);
• Hora lagna: one sign every 2½ ghatis (1 hour);
• Ghati lagna: one sign every ghati (24 minutes).

#Houses (BPHS 7.33–38; 32)

The groups: kendras 1, 4, 7, 10; panapharas 2, 5, 8, 11; apoklimas 3, 6, 9, 12; trikonas 1, 5, 9; dusthanas 6, 8, 12; chaturasras 4, 8; upachayas 3, 6, 10, 11 (7.33–38; 32.35–37).

The significator (karaka) of each house (32.31–34): 1st Sun, 2nd Jupiter, 3rd Mars, 4th Moon, 5th Jupiter, 6th Mars, 7th Venus, 8th Saturn, 9th Jupiter, 10th Mercury (in the transcription read), 11th Jupiter, 12th Saturn.

Matters are also read from the significators themselves (7.39–43; 32.22–24): the father from the 9th from the Sun, the mother from the 4th from the Moon, siblings from the 3rd from Mars, maternal uncles from the 6th from Mercury, children from the 5th from Jupiter, the spouse from the 7th from Venus, death from the 8th from Saturn.

#Aspects (BPHS 26; 8)

Graded aspects (26.2–5): every planet aspects the 7th fully; the 3rd and 10th a quarter; the 5th and 9th a half; the 4th and 8th three-quarters; with full special aspects for Saturn (3, 10), Jupiter (5, 9) and Mars (4, 8). The BPHS also gives a formula for the exact aspect value in virupas from the angular distance (26.6–8), used in shadbala.

Sign aspects (8.1–5): movable signs aspect the fixed signs except the adjacent one; fixed signs the movable except the adjacent; dual signs the other duals — the Jaimini aspects (chapter 6).

#Summary

• Exact exaltation degrees and moolatrikona ranges (3.49–54).
• Natural friendship from the moolatrikona (3.55); temporal and compound friendship (3.56–58).
• The share of results by dignity (3.59–60).
• Upagrahas from the Sun; Gulika and the other parts of the day (3.61–70).
• Special ascendants (5.2–8); house groups and significators (7, 32); graded and sign aspects (26; 8).

#Exercises

1. What is the Moon's moolatrikona range?
2. Use BPHS 3.55 to find the Sun's natural friends (its moolatrikona is Leo; its exaltation sign Aries).
3. What share of good results does a planet give in a neutral's sign?
4. Which part of the day is Gulika?
5. Which house is read for the mother from the Moon?

Answers: 1. Taurus 3°–30°. 2. Lords of the 2nd (Virgo, Mercury), 4th (Scorpio, Mars), 5th (Sagittarius, Jupiter), 8th (Pisces, Jupiter), 9th (Aries, Mars), 12th (Cancer, Moon) from Leo, and of Aries (Mars): Mars, Jupiter and the Moon are friends; Mercury appears once as 2nd lord but also rules the 11th (Gemini), which is not a friend's place, so it is neutral. 3. An eighth (3.59–60). 4. Saturn's eighth part (3.66–69). 5. The 4th from the Moon.