Daivajnabharanam

Edited by P.P. Lakshminarayana

Government Oriental Manuscripts Library, Madras, 1954
The work is written in 21 prakashas and describes, as the editor of the text
says, a description of the planets, the constellations, the ascendants, birth,
the 27 nakshatras, dangers to children and parents, the twelve fruits of the
houses, and the final chapter with raja yogas.

I made an extensive study of this book in the mid to late 1970s, but never
completed a translation. I have, however, translated enough of it to present a
relatively full abstract of its comments.

Chapter One
The first chapter is called Treatise on the Planets and starts off by giving
synonyms for the nine “planets” of the Indian system, that is to say the Sun,
the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and Rahu and Ketu. In
Hindu astrology, the planets are all male.

Verses one to eight describe the synonyms of these planets, and these lines
substitute as the usual salutation found at the beginning of astrological works.

The Sun’s synonyms are the Source, the Nourisher, the Cause of Light, the
One that Radiates, the Maker of the Day, the Hot Rayed One, The Drier Up,
the Burning One, the Shining One, the One with 1,000 Rays, the Source of
Illumination.

The Moon’s synonyms are Having White Rays, Shining, Soma, Marked like a
Deer, the Drop, the Cause of Night, the White Line of Light, the Lord of the
Night, Marked like a Hare, Hare-Stained.

Mars’ synonyms are Burning Coal, Son of Earth, Made of Earth, Red Bodied,
Son of the Earth, Inimical, Known to be Cruel, Fettered with Irons.

Mercury’s synonyms are Budha, Son of the Moon, the Knower, Very Wise,
Instructing, The Youth and the Prince, the Star, Child Like.

Jupiter’s synonyms are God of Mantra, Teacher of the Gods, Preceptor of the
Individual, Lord of Devotion, the Messenger, Wise, Spokesman of the Gods,
Counsel, Lord.

Venus’ synonyms are Son of Bhrigu, Mantra-Demon, Thought of by Demons,

Eye of the Priest, Dawn, Related to Bhrigu, Poetic, Resplendent, Guru of the
Daityas, Poet.

Saturn’s synonyms are Lord Shani from the Sun, the Lame One, Angular,
Restless Son of the Sun, Sluggish and Dark, Yellow Limbed, Son of Shadow
clothed with Darkness.
The two nodes of the Moon – Rahu and Ketu - have the following synonyms
Rising-and-Setting, the Seizer, Enemy of the Gods, Lion Roar, Ketu Son of
Brahma, Known as Smoky Coloured, and Peacock Crest.

Verses nine to 18 describe the different characteristics of the planets.

The waxing Moon, Mercury, Jupiter and Venus are auspicious, and Ketu and
Rahu are both malefic. The Waning Moon, Mars, the Sun and Saturn are
malefic and Mercury joined with them is also malefic (verse nine).

Verses 10 to 15 describe the inner doctrine relating to this. Jupiter is fully

auspicious, Venus is three quarters auspicious, Mercury joined with a benefic
is auspicious.

The sun is half inauspicious, Mars is a quarter inauspicious, Saturn is

completely inauspicious, while Rahu and Ketu joined to a benefic are
auspicious.

The full moon is auspicious while the waning moon is malefic. When joined to
a malefic the moon is malefic, when joined to a benefic it is benefic. Mercury
joined to a malefic is malfic – when it is with the Moon on and the eighth day
of the bright moon it is auspicious, and on the eighth day of the dark
fortnight it’s inauspicious.

The fourteenth verse describes male and female planets. The Sun, Mars, and
Jupiter anre male. Rahu, the Moon and Venus are female. Mercury, Ketu and
Saturn are described as eunuchs. The next verse gives an “inner doctrine”
saying Rahu, Ketu, the Sun, Jupiter and Mars are male planets. The female
planets are Venus and the Moon. Both Saturn and Mercury are eunuchs.

The Sun, Saturn and Mars are dry planets. The Moon and Venus are moist
planets. Mercury and Jupiter are both dry and moist.

Verse seventeen and eighteen relate the planets to the four varnas. Jupiter
and Venus are both vipras (Brahmins), the Sun and Mars are kshatriyas –
protectors and destroyers. The Moon and Mercury indicate birth in a vaishya
family and Saturn is a shudra. Births in outcast families are related to Rahu
and Ketu. The inner doctrine, it’s said that for a shudra, Saturn is strong; for
Brahmins Jupiter is strong; for vaishyas the Moon and Mercury are strong.
The Sun in a moderate place indicates a cowherd. When Venus is powerful, a
woman gives birth to hermits. When Ketu is strong a love child is born. And
when Rahu is strong, the family are travellers.

Verse 19 onward describe what the planets signify, the karaka. The Sun is
the father, a tiger, a sculptor, day, jewels, wheat, fragrance, virility and the
delight when a son is born. The Moon represents taste, friendship, and
silversmiths. Mars represents a pure son, recklessness, wounds, fractures,
brothers, fire and vigour. Mercury represents astrology, knowledge, the
maternal uncle, friends, craftsmen, and is the child of the Moon. Jupiter
performs true actions, signifies the son, companionship, fame, gold, land, and
song. Venus is the significator of pearls, woman, love, song, the shastras, and
a craftsman who makes silver earrings. Saturn signifies a stable hand, a
coward, sesame oil, the pain from combat and wandering. Ketu signifies fear
of the king, journeys, serpents, and is the seizer.

Verse 21 describes the planetary significators for taste. Mars represents that
which is pungent, hot, invigorating, salty and repugnant. The Moon
represents the bitter taste and mixed taste. Jupiter is sweetness, Venus is
acidulous and Saturn is astringent.

The following verses describe exaltation positions for the planets. The Sun is
exalted in Aries, the Moon in Taurus, Venus in Pisces, Mars in Capricorn,
Jupiter in Cancer, Saturn in Libra and Mercury in Virgo. Rahu is exalted in
Taurus, the Moon’s mansion and mulatrikona. Aries is the friend of Rahu’s
house and the seventh from that sign in which place both Rahu and its lord
rule. Virgo, Leo, Sagittarius and Pisces are the serpent’s houses, while the
inner doctrine is that Rahu’s house is Virgo. It’s said in verse 24 that Ketu’s
exaltation place isn’t known but the inner doctrine is that in whichever house
Ketu is in, if that’s rising, that’s its exaltation place.

Verses 25 to 33 describe the friends, enemies, temporary friends and

temporary enemies of the planets.

The friends of the Sun are Mars, the Waxing Moon and Jupiter. The enemies
are the Waning Moon, Saturn and Merciry. The friends of the Moon are the
Sun and Mercury. Saturn and Mars are the oppressing rays. The Sun, the
Waxing Moon and Jupiters are friends of Mars. Mercury and Venus are the
enemies. The Sun and Venus are Mercury’s friends. The enemies are the
Moon, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn.

The friends of Jupiter are Mars, Waxing Moon and the Sun. The enemies are
Saturn, Mercury and Venus. Venus, Mercury and Saturn friends together,
while Mars, the Sun and the Waning Moon are enemies.

Mercury and Venus are friends of Saturn. The Sun, the Waxing Moon and
Mars and Jupiter are enemies. For Rahu and Ketu, Venus, the Moon and
Saturn are friends while the remainder are adversaries.

The planets in the second, sixth and 10th places are friends. A temporary
friend which is also a friend or a neutral is very friendly. It’s the same with
enemies.

Reciprocal friends are the Sun and Moon, Mars and the Sun, Jupiter and the
Sun, Jupiter and Mars, Mercury and the Moon, Saturn and Jupiter. The inner
doctrine is that the Sun, the Moon, Jupiter and Mars are all friends. Reciprocal
friends are Mercury, Venus and Saturn. The enemy of the Sun is Saturn, of
Mercury Jupiter. The enemies of Venus are Mars, the Sun, Jupiter and the
Moon.

Verse 34 starts to discuss planetary aspects. Saturn aspects the third, the
fifth and fully the fourth and the eighth. Jipiter aspects the fifth and the ninth
and the seventh and all planets increase in the moveable signs. There’s a
quarter aspect between the 10th and the 3rd, a half aspect between the 9th
and the 5th, a three quarter aspect between the 4th and the 8th, and a full
aspect in the 7th.

In verse 37 the topic of planetary strength is dealt with. In its own exaltation,
in a kanthakona, in its house, in its mulatrikona, with a benefic, in a decanate
and in a ninth, joined with a benefic in the house, and in vargottama, with
friends and benefics in aspect or conjunction, and well placed planets
constitute planetary strengths.

A planet is fully strong in the 10th and the 9th, and in the mulatrikona of the
7th. A planet is less than a quarter strong in the fifth and fourth a half, and in
the ascendant a quarter. In a decanate, in a navamsha and joined with
benefic planets gives half strength. If a planet is in its own house it gives
three quarter strength, and conjoined with a benefic planet one quarter
strength.

In a term (30th) and in a navamsha and joined with benefic planets gives
three quarters strength, with a friend and also aspecting a bright planet in a
moveable sign gives half strength, while aspecting a strong planet gives one
quarter strength. Half strength is given to a planet when its flying with
brilliant planets in aspect.

Verse 40 talks of planetary weakness – if a planet is in a low place, with a

foe, or in the 6th, 8th or 12th houses it’s weak. If a planet is in a house with a
malefic’s rays, or joined in aspects with inimical malefics and with the Sun’s
rays aspecting causes weakness.

Chapter Two
This chapter relates to the rashis, or constellations and starts by giving their
synonyms.

Aries is known as a goat, a ram and action. Taurus is a bull, a cow, and a
sprinkler. Gemini represents twins and joined people. Cancer is a crab or a
crustacean. Leo is a lion, a destroyer, the enemy of deer. Virgo is a young
woman and a little girl and is the place of Mercury. Libra represent scales,
merchant’s scales, or a man carrying scales. Scorpio represents a tortoise, a
scorpion, an insect or a bee. Sagittarius is represented by an archer with
arrows, and bows and arrows. Capricorn is called the one horned (akokero)
and also represents a horse, a deer faced creature and a makara. Aquarius is
called the sick at heart, the water jar, and the pot. Pisces represents fish,
twinkling eyes, and a large fish.
Verse 6 says that the constellations are cruel and benefic, oodd then even,
rough and smooth, moveable, fixed and dual natured, starting from Aries.

The water constellations are Cancer and Pisces and the latter half of
Capricorn as well as parts of Aquarius. It’s said that the true form of the
constellations was first perceived by Rishi Markandeya.

Libra, Gemini, Cancer, Sagittarius, Taurus, Pisces and Virgo are the seven
benefic signs, houses and constellations while Scorpio, Aquarius, Capricorn,
Leo and Aries are malefic, unsaintly, terrifying, inert and put fear into others.

Chapter Three
This section deals with the ascendant or lagna. Verses 1 to 59 deal with the
calculation of the ascendant and describe the wood that can be used to make
the gnomon or spike. It should be 12 angulas (fingerbreadths) in height and
six angulas in circumference.

The spike or gnomon should be placed on a level rock or on a cement base.

The position of the shadow of the gnomon related to the position of the sun
allows the ascendant to be calculated. There follows a description of the stars
of the 27 constellations (nakshatra) and the directions they fall in.

Verse 50 describes the lagna position at a place in Niladri which the editor, in
his English introduction, places at about 30 degrees north.

Verse 60 begins to describe the six vargas, or divisions used in astrology.

These are the hora – half a sign; the decanate – a third of a sign; a
navamsha which is a ninth of a sign; a dvadamsha which is one twelfth of a
sign, a trimshamsha which is one thirtieth of a sign and a rashi which is a
whole sign. The lords of the rashis and navamshas are Mars, Venus, Mercury,
Moon, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Saturn and Jupiter,
starting with Aries first. This is also true for the navamshas.

A hora is half of a constellation. In odd signs, the Sun rules the first half, in
even signs the Moon rules the first half. The three parts of a constellation are
known as the decanates, the first is ruled by the lord of that sign, the second
and third lords are ruled by the lords of the 5th and 8th signs from it.

In moveable, fixed and dual natured signs the first navamsha is its own sign.
In a dvadamsha or 12th, the first twelfth is the same as the sign it is in. The
terms or 30ths are divided into five, five, eight, seven and five degrees, ruled
by Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury and Venus in odd signs, and the reverse in
even signs.

Verse 60 says the 12 houses or bhavas are the body, wealth, courage,
happiness, son, enemies, wife, death, fortune, kings, gain, and destruction
from the acendant onwards. The ascendant is the head, the 2nd house is the
face, the 3rd house represents the arms, ear and throat. The 4th house
represents the heart and womb, the 5th house the belly, the 6th house the
abdomen, the 7th house the genitals, the 8th house the ans, the 9th house the
thighs, the 10th house the knees, the 11th house the legs and the 12th house
the feet.

Another view, in verse 71, is that the houses represent the head; eyes, ears
and throat; cheeks, jaws and mouth; the neck and shoulders; the heart and
chest; the navel; the pelvis, the penis and anus; the testicles and vagina; the
legs; and the feet.

The 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses are the angles or kendras. Of these, the
ascendant has full strength, the 4th half strength, the 7th three quarters
strength and the 10th full strength.

The chapter concludes by saying that the 2nd, 5th, 8th and 11th are panaparas,
while the 6th, 3rd, 9th and 12th are apoklimas.

Chapter Four
This chapter is called the discussion on birth (prasuti). With Gemini, Leo,
Virgo, Libra, Scorpio or Aquarius in the ascendant, the child’s face turns
upwards. With Mars, Taurus, Cancer, Sagittarius or Capricorn in the
ascendant the face turns downward. In a Pisces ascendant, the face is turned
sideways.

Breech births happen when the ascendant is a Pisces navamsha in Aries,

Taurus, Cancer, Sagittarius and Capricorn.

Twins are predicted when the Sun is in Aries, Taurus or Leo, the last 15
degrees of Sagittarius and the first 15 degrees of Capricorn with Saturn. Or
when the lord of the ascendant is conjunct with Rahu and aspecting Mars and
Saturn, with the lord of the ascendant in Capricorn or Aquarius. Twins are
also likely when the lord of the ascendant is conjunct Rahu and Venus, or
when the lord of ascendant conjoins Rahu in the ascendant, with a malefic in
Capricorn and four planets exalted.

Eunuch or maiden twins are predicted when the ascendant is in a Gemini or

Virgo amsha with Mercury there too.

The child is strangled by the navel cord when Mars is conjunct Saturn in an
Aries, Leo or Taurus ascendant; or when there are many malefics in the
ascendant aspecting Rahu; or when Rahu is in a malefic ascendant with Mars
and Saturn; or when the the lord of ascendant is with the Moon, aspecting
Mars and Saturn.

For Mars, Leo and Sagittarian ascendants, the child is born in the east part of
the house, a young woman being there in white clothes. When the child is
born in Virgo, Taurus or Capricorn, it will be in the south part of the house
with four women present dressed in yellow. In Aquarius, Gemini and Libra
ascendants the child will be born in the west part of the house, with a young
woman present. When born in Cancer, Scorpio or Pisces ascendants, the
child will arrive in life at the north of the house, with six women present in
faded clothes.

At births in Aries, Sagittarius and Leo ascendants the child’s head will face
east; in Virgo, Taurus and Capricorn ascendants south; in Pisces, Scorpio and
Cancer ascendants the child’s head will face north; and in Aquarius, Libra and
Gemini ascendants the child’s head will face west.

Children will be born away from water when it’s a Cancer or a Scorpio
ascendant, with Saturn present aspecting the Moon; in a Cancer or a
Capricorn ascendant with Mercury, Sun, and the Moon there, aspecting
Saturn; and with Saturn in a male ascendant, aspecting the Moon.

The child will be born near water when the ascendant is Pisces, Capricorn and
Cancer, or when the Moon is in Capricorn or Cancer. The child will be born in
the house of the father when the Sun is strong and in a day birth, and when
Venus is strong in the mother’s house. The child will be born in the father or
the maternal uncle’s house when the Moon is strong and it is a night birth.
The child will be born in the middle of water when the Moon is in a watery
constellation with Mercury, away from the ascendant, and when there’s a
benefic in Cancer. The child will be born in a boat if the Moon is strong in
Cancer, and conjoins a benefic.

Other places of birth mentioned in the text up to verse 32 include birth in a

prison, birth in the middle of the forest, birth in a clear space and birth in an
old broken down place. Verses 33-34 describe the door of the house in which
birth takes place, while verse 35 describes birthmarks on the head. There are
42 verses in this prakasha (chapter).

Chapter Five
This chapter discusses the 27 sidereal constellations as well as the phases of
the Moon that are fortunate or unfortunate for an individual born on earth.
This chapter covers unfortunate ghatikas – periods of 24 minutes - in the
different tithis (lunar days) of the Moon’s passage.

Verse five starts by describing the grief wrought in the different ghatikas of
the dark fortnight. The first is actually lucky, the second is a father killer, the
third is a mother killer, the fourth kills the maternal uncle, the fifth destroys a
brother, and the sixth kills a son.

Verses 7 to 8 describe dangerous ghatikas during the new Moon. The first
kills no-one, the second kills the mother, the third kills the father, the fourth
kills the maternal uncle, the fifth kills the new born child and the sixth kills the
son.
In verse 12, the text starts to describe the misfortunes that can occur from
the 27 lunar constellations and through other causes.

If a native’s moon is in the Jyeshta nakshatra, in the Mula nakshatra, in the

Ashlesha nakshatra there are various misfortunes for the child, including
death. Each nakshatra is divided into four parts.

Other misfortunes for a native are based on the time of day, on the month
and even on the year, depending on the position of the Moon. The sidereal
constellations also bring misfortune at certain times, and when the Moon is
associated with Cancer, Leo, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Pisces and Aries.

At the end of this chapter, there are ritual prescriptions to allay these
misfortunes.

Chapter Six
This chapter describes combinations which can cause death when found in
the horoscope of the native. Verses one to three say that when there are
malefics in the angle or aspecting the Moon, while the benefics are in Virgo,
Scorpio or Pisces, and the Sun is rising, it brings instant death. When the Sun
is in the midheaven fully aspected by the malefics – Mars, and Saturn – that
also brings instant death.

Such results are alleviated if the Sun is in Leo or Aries aspecting a friend in
the sixth, in Scorpio or in Aquarius. If the Sun is conjunct a benefic, that also
protects from instant death.

The text describes misfortunes connected with the Moon. Death may result if
the Moon is conjunct a malefic in Virgo or Scorpio; or if the Moon is conjunct
Mars in the Ascendant, while there are malefics in the first, the fourth, the
seventh, the eighth or the tenth. If the Moon is conjunct Mars in Pisces, with
malefics rising in Scorpio and no benefics in the first, the fourth, the seventh
or the tenth that can also cause instant death.