Varahamihira: the Brihat Jataka, the Brihat Samhita and the Panchasiddhantika · Chapter 12 of 22 · Part Two · The Brihat Jataka

#The Moon and the planets in the signs

Brihat Jataka, chapters XVI–XIX

These four chapters give portraits: short descriptions of a person according to where the Moon and the planets are. They are the part of the Brihat Jataka closest to popular astrology.

#A note on chapters XVI and XVII

Aiyar points out that Varahamihira's own list of contents at the end of the book (XXVIII) does not include these two chapters, and that they "are later additions from the other works of the author, the former from the Brihat Samhita and the latter from the Horasara" (note to XXVIII.1–3). So they are Varahamihira's material, or close to it, but were placed here later.

#Chapter XVI: the Moon's nakshatra

Each nakshatra of the birth Moon gives a portrait (XVI.1–14, two nakshatras to most verses). Examples:

• Ashvini: fond of ornaments, handsome, popular, skilled and intelligent (XVI.1).
• Bharani: successful, truthful, healthy, capable, free from grief (XVI.1).
• Rohini: truthful, not covetous, clean, sweet-spoken, firm, handsome (XVI.2).
• Shatabhisha: harsh in speech but truthful, conquering enemies, independent (XVI.13).
• Revati: well-formed, liked by all, brave, not covetous, rich (XVI.14).

The chapter ends with a note that these effects "will fully come to pass only if the Moon be powerful".

#Chapter XVII: the Moon's sign

Each sign of the birth Moon gives a longer portrait of body and character (XVII.1–12). For example:

• Moon in Aries: round, reddish eyes; fond of simple food in moderation; quick to forgive; fond of travel; weak knees; no lasting wealth (XVII.1).
• Moon in Taurus: handsome, with a fine gait; generous; able to bear misfortune; influential (XVII.2).
• Moon in Gemini: sharp intellect, learned, witty, a carrier of messages, able to read others' thoughts (XVII.3).

The chapter's rule for how fully these come true:

If the sign occupied by the Moon and the lord of such sign be all powerful, the effects described in this chapter will fully come to pass (XVII.13).

Aiyar's note: if two of the three are powerful, the effects come partly; if one, still less; if none, hardly at all.

#Chapter XVIII: the planets in the signs

Chapter XVIII gives portraits for the Sun, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn in each sign (usually grouping signs with the same lord). For example:

• Sun in Aries (not at its exaltation degree): famous, able, a wanderer, of modest wealth, bearing arms (XVIII.1).
• Sun in Gemini: learned in grammar, an astrologer, rich (XVIII.2).
• Mars in Aries or Scorpio: respected by the king, a commander, a trader, rich, with a scarred body (XVIII.5).
• Mars in Gemini or Virgo: bright, with children, helpful to others, skilled in music and in contests (XVIII.6).

At the end, Varahamihira says that the effects given for the Moon in the signs, and for the Moon aspected by the planets, apply also to the rising sign, and more strongly (XVIII.20); Aiyar then adds portraits of each rising sign from other works.

#Chapter XIX: the Moon aspected by the planets

Chapter XIX gives the result of the Moon in a sign aspected by each planet (XIX.1–3), and of the Moon in each navamsa aspected by each planet (XIX.5–8). For example:

• Moon in Aries: aspected by Mars, a king; by Mercury, learned; by Jupiter, like a king (XIX.1).
• Moon in Leo: aspected by Mercury, an astrologer; by Jupiter, rich; by Venus, a king (XIX.2).
• Moon in Sagittarius: aspected by Mercury, protects his kin; by Jupiter, a king; by Venus, protects many (XIX.3).

And the governing rule:

If the Moon occupy a vargottama position, her own navamsa, or other navamsas, the benefic effects described for the Moon occupying the several navamsas and being aspected by planets will respectively be full, imperfect [moderate], or small (XIX.9).

#How to use the portraits

These chapters give many lines, and many of them will contradict each other in any real chart. Varahamihira's own rules for weighing them are:

• the Moon's own strength, and its sign lord's (XVI note, XVII.13);
• the Moon's navamsa (XIX.9);
• the planets' dignity, by the general rule of the share of results (XX.11, chapter 13 of this book);
• conflicting effects on the same point cancel (VIII.23, chapter 6).

So a portrait is a starting tendency, scaled by strength — not a description to be read out.

#Summary

• Chapters XVI (Moon's nakshatra) and XVII (Moon's sign) are later additions from Varahamihira's other works (Aiyar).
• The nakshatra portraits come true fully only when the Moon is strong (XVI, note); the sign portraits only when the Moon, its sign and the sign's lord are strong (XVII.13).
• Chapter XVIII portrays each planet in each sign; the same effects apply to the rising sign (XVIII.20).
• Chapter XIX gives the Moon aspected by each planet in each sign and navamsa, fully if vargottama, moderately in its own navamsa, slightly otherwise (XIX.9).

#Exercises

1. Where did chapters XVI and XVII come from, according to Aiyar?
2. When do the Moon-sign portraits come true fully?
3. What does a Moon in Leo aspected by Mercury give?
4. How fully do the aspect results come true for a vargottama Moon? For a Moon in another navamsa?

Answers: 1. From the Brihat Samhita and the Horasara, added later. 2. When the Moon, its sign and the sign's lord are all strong (XVII.13). 3. An astrologer (XIX.2). 4. Fully; slightly (XIX.9).