Varahamihira: the Brihat Jataka, the Brihat Samhita and the Panchasiddhantika · Chapter 13 of 22 · Part Two · The Brihat Jataka
Planets in the houses and divisions
Brihat Jataka, chapters XX–XXII
Chapter XX: the planets in the houses
Chapter XX gives each planet's result in each of the twelve houses. Varahamihira writes compactly: he gives the Sun's results in full, and for Mars, Mercury and Saturn says "the same as the Sun" except in a few houses; Venus "the same as Jupiter" except in a few. Expanded:
| House | Sun | Moon | Mars | Mercury | Jupiter | Venus | Saturn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | conflict, poor sight, hard | very difficult (but rich in Cancer, Aries, Taurus) | a wounded body | learned | learned | skilled in love, comfortable | poverty and illness (but kingly in Libra, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces) |
| 2 | rich, but wealth taken by authority | a large family | poor food | wealthy | eloquent | eloquent | as the Sun |
| 3 | intelligent and powerful | (a harsh line) | as the Sun | (a harsh line) | sparing | sparing | as the Sun |
| 4 | grief | happy, with kin and houses, learned | as the Sun | learned | comfortable | comfortable | as the Sun |
| 5 | few children, poor | intelligence, children | as the Sun | a minister | intelligent | comfortable | as the Sun |
| 6 | strong but subdued (or: enemies ruined) | many enemies, delicate | as the Sun | no enemies | no enemies | no enemies | as the Sun |
| 7 | disgrace through women | envious, passionate | as the Sun | knows the law | virtues beyond the father's | quarrels and love | as the Sun |
| 8 | few children, poor sight | changeable, ill | as the Sun | renowned for virtue | work below one's station | as Jupiter | as the Sun |
| 9 | children, wealth, comfort (or: neither) | liked, with children, friends, wealth | (a harsh line) | as the Sun | devout | devout | as the Sun |
| 10 | comfort and power | successful, virtuous, wealthy, brave | as the Sun | as the Sun | wealthy | wealthy | as the Sun |
| 11 | very rich | famous, gaining | as the Sun | as the Sun | full of gain | full of gain | as the Sun |
| 12 | an outcast | (a harsh line) | as the Sun | as the Sun | (a harsh line) | as Jupiter (Venus in Pisces: rich) | as the Sun |
(Brihat Jataka XX.1–9. Aiyar's notes record variant readings for the Sun in the 6th and 9th.)
The rules that scale them (XX.10–11)
The table is never to be read alone:
In determining the effects of the planets in the several houses from the ascendant, the nature of such houses shall be taken into account — that is, whether the houses occupied by the several planets are their friendly signs or inimical or neutral signs or their own houses or their exaltation signs and the like (XX.10).
Aiyar adds two views: Garga's, that planets in exaltation, moolatrikona, own or friendly signs promote the house and those in enemy or debilitation signs reduce it; and Satyacharya's (and the Swalpa Jataka's), that benefics promote and malefics reduce a house — except in the 6th, 8th and 12th, where it is the reverse: a benefic in the 6th ruins enemies, in the 8th frees from dangers, in the 12th prevents loss (notes to XX.10).
Then the general rule of the share of results:
If the planets to which good effects have been assigned occupy their exaltation signs, such effects will fully come to pass. If they occupy their moolatrikona signs, only three-fourths; if their own houses, one-half; if their friendly signs, one-quarter; if their inimical signs, less than one-quarter; and if the planets occupy their depression signs or if they happen to be combust, the good effects will wholly fail (XX.11).
And for bad effects the scale is reversed: in full when debilitated or combust, three-quarters in an enemy's sign, half in a friend's, a quarter in its own, less in moolatrikona, none in exaltation (Aiyar's note).
Chapter XXI: the planets in the divisions
Chapter XXI applies the same thinking to the divisions:
- a single planet in exaltation aspected by a friend makes a king; joined by a friend, very rich and respected (XXI.2);
- malefics in the Sun's horas of odd signs give fame and power; benefics in the Moon's horas of even signs gentleness and comfort; mixtures give moderate results (XXI.4–5);
- the Moon in its own or a friend's drekkana gives beauty and virtue (XXI.6);
- each rising navamsa gives a character (Aries, a thief; Gemini, learned; Cancer, wealthy...) (XXI.7);
- each planet in its own trimsamsa gives its own portrait (XXI.8–10).
Varahamihira also records a disagreement about Aquarius: Satyacharya said a person born with Aquarius rising will not be happy; the Yavanas said this of the Aquarius dvadashamsa rising; Vishnugupta objected to the Yavanas' view (XXI.3).
Chapter XXII: helping planets and timing
The helping planets (karaka, XXII.1–3)
Planets occupying their own signs or their exaltation or moolatrikona signs are said to be karaka planets to one another, if at the same time they occupy the kendras from the ascendant. In the above case, a planet occupying the 10th house from another planet is said to be the special karaka of that planet (XXII.1).
Example: Cancer rising with the Moon in it, and Mars, Saturn, the Sun and Jupiter exalted — all mutual helpers (XXII.2). And any planet in the 10th or 4th from a planet in the ascendant helps it (XXII.2).
Happy maturity, and the timing of periods (XXII.5)
If Jupiter, the lord of the Moon's sign, or the ascendant lord is in a kendra, the person will be happy in middle life (XXII.5). A period's lord in a sign rising "by the back" gives its effects at the end of its period; in one rising by the head, at the beginning (XXII.5).
When in a sign a planet acts (XXII.6)
The Sun and Mars produce their effects immediately after entering a sign; Jupiter and Venus when passing through the middle of a sign; Saturn and the Moon before quitting a sign; and Mercury throughout his course (XXII.6).
Summary
- Chapter XX gives every planet in every house (XX.1–9), scaled by the sign's nature (XX.10) and by the share of results: exalted full, moolatrikona ¾, own ½, friend's ¼, enemy's less, debilitated or combust nil — reversed for bad effects (XX.11).
- In the 6th, 8th and 12th, benefics are protective (Satyacharya, in Aiyar's note).
- Chapter XXI applies the same to horas, drekkanas, navamsas and trimsamsas.
- Chapter XXII: dignified planets in kendras help one another, with a special helper in the 10th (XXII.1–3); timing of periods by rising type (XXII.5); and when in a sign each planet acts (XXII.6).
Exercises
- Mercury is in the 5th. What does XX.6 say, and what would make it come true fully?
- What share of its good results does a planet in its own sign give?
- In which houses do benefics protect, according to Satyacharya?
- When is one planet the "special helper" of another?
- In which part of a sign does Jupiter give its effects?
Answers: 1. A minister under a king; Mercury exalted (in Virgo) — full share (XX.11). 2. Half. 3. The 6th, 8th and 12th. 4. When both are dignified in kendras and it is in the 10th from the other (XXII.1). 5. In the middle (XXII.6).