Varahamihira: the Brihat Jataka, the Brihat Samhita and the Panchasiddhantika · Chapter 21 of 22 · Part Three · The Brihat Samhita

#Times, marriage and transits

Brihat Samhita, chapters 97–106

The last ten chapters of the Brihat Samhita return to time: when things happen, when to begin, and how the moving planets affect a person.

#When effects fall due (97)

Signs from the Sun take effect after a fortnight; from the Moon, a month; from Venus, six months; from Saturn, a year; from Rahu, six months; a solar eclipse after a year (97.1–2). These are the "periods of fruition" of celestial signs.

#The nakshatras (98)

The number of stars in each nakshatra (98.1–2) and the deity of each — the Ashvins for Ashvini, Yama for Bharani, Agni for Krittika, Prajapati for Rohini, Soma for Mrigashira, Rudra for Ardra, Aditi for Punarvasu, Brihaspati for Pushya, the Serpents for Ashlesha, the Ancestors for Magha, and so on (98.4–5) — the same deities as in the Vedic lists. The chapter closes with a general rule for beginning any work:

All works commenced when the 12th house, the kendras and the 8th house are not occupied by planets, when malefic planets occupy the 3rd, 6th and 11th houses, and when Jupiter or Venus occupies the rising sign or one of the kendras, will end successfully. House-building or entry into a house shall be commenced when the rising sign is benefic to the person or when it is a fixed sign (98.18).

#Tithis and karanas (99)

The deities of the fifteen tithis (99.1); the five groups of tithis — Nanda (1, 6, 11), Bhadra (2, 7, 12), Vijaya (3, 8, 13), Rikta (4, 9, 14) and Purna (5, 10, 15) (99.2); the eleven karanas and the work suited to each — in Vishti "auspicious deeds shall not be done" (99.4–8); and the fifteen day and fifteen night muhurtas of 48 minutes each (note to 99).

#Marriage (100, 103)

• The marriage chart (100): marriages under the Moon in Rohini, the three Uttaras, Revati, Mrigashira, Mula, Anuradha, Magha, Hasta or Swati, with Virgo, Libra or Gemini rising; avoiding a Rikta tithi, a malefic's weekday, the Vyatipata and Vaidhriti yogas and the Vishti karana (100.1 and following).
• Marriages (103): readings of the chart of the wedding moment. Many of its lines concern the bride's widowhood and are of historical interest only.

#The Moon's nakshatra at birth (101)

A portrait for each nakshatra of the birth Moon: Ashvini, fond of ornaments, handsome, skilled and intelligent; Bharani, successful, truthful, healthy, free from grief; Rohini, truthful, clean, sweet-spoken, firm and handsome (101.1–2); and so on — the source of chapter XVI of the Brihat Jataka.

#The division of the zodiac (102)

A chapter on the signs and their divisions, as in the Brihat Jataka.

#The planets' transits (104)

The longest of these chapters is written, unusually, in a different poetic metre for each verse, naming the metre in the verse (104.2). Varahamihira jokes that a reader who knows Mandavya's work on the subject will not like his (104.3).

The core rule: transits are counted from the birth Moon. A planet passing through these places from it gives good results (104.4):

and "all the planets produce benefic effects when they pass through the 11th house from the Moon" (104.4). The following verses give each planet's effect in each of the twelve places (104.5–45).

The limiting rules:

Though a planet might be benefic to a person, he produces benefic effects only according to the nature of the dasa periods and the rank of the person in life, just in the same way as the quantity of rain falling into a small cup cannot but be small though the rain be excessive (104.46).

• The Sun and Mars act in the first half of a sign, the Moon and Saturn in the second, Mercury throughout (104.49–50).
• A benefic aspected by a malefic, or the reverse, or the two together, give mixed effects (104.52).
• Good effects fail if the planet is debilitated, in an enemy's sign, combust, or aspected by an enemy (104.53); a combust Saturn "will not produce miseries to the righteous" (104.55).
• The Moon takes on the character of the planet it is with (104.56).

Remedies (104.47–48): worship of the planets with their flowers and gifts — and, in the same breath, "the subjugation of one's passions", "moving in the company of sadhus, and conversing with them".

#The Star-Person (105)

The nakshatras are arranged on the body of the Nakshatra Purusha — Mula the feet, Rohini and Ashvini the shanks, the Ashadhas the thighs, and so on up to the head (105.1–2) — for a vow of worship of the stars.

#The conclusion (106)

Varahamihira ends with an image and an invitation:

Planting the hill of my learning in the vast ocean of Jyotisha shastra and churning it, I have thus brought out this bright Moon of science which sheds its light of knowledge over the whole world (106.1).

O ye good men, I have not omitted to mention anything contained in the old shastras; you may compare my work with the shastras and follow the rules freely (106.2).

Exposed to the fire of malicious criticism, the gold of a literary production becomes purified. Every attempt must therefore be made to bring a work to the notice of severe critics (106.4).

And, as at the end of the Brihat Jataka, he asks the learned to correct anything missing or wrong, "setting aside all feelings of malice" (106.5).

#Summary

• When celestial signs take effect (97); the nakshatras, their deities, and a general rule for beginnings (98); tithis, karanas and muhurtas (99).
• Marriage times and charts (100, 103); the Moon's nakshatra at birth (101); the zodiac (102).
• Transits from the Moon, with a table of good places, each planet in each place, and limiting rules — the rain and the cup (104).
• The Star-Person (105); the conclusion, inviting severe critics and correction (106).

#Exercises

1. When does a sign from Saturn take effect, according to 97?
2. Which tithis are "Rikta"?
3. Give the transit rule for Jupiter from the Moon.
4. Explain the "rain and cup" rule.
5. What does Varahamihira say about critics in 106.4?

Answers: 1. After a year (97.2). 2. The 4th, 9th and 14th (99.2). 3. Good in the 2nd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th from the Moon (104.4). 4. A planet gives good effects only as far as the person's dasha and station allow, as a small cup holds little rain however heavy the rain (104.46). 5. That severe criticism purifies a work like fire purifies gold, so every work should be shown to severe critics.