Ch. 66. AshtakaVargaa
1-4. Maitreya said: O Venerable Sage! You have described many kinds of effects, relating to the Planets and Houses, after incorporating the views of many sages and Acharyas, but it is not possible to say with certainty, if a particular effect is quite correct, after considering the contradictions in the effects by the movements of the various Planets. As because of sinful deeds, committed by people in Kaliyuga, their minds have become blunt, be kind enough to describe a method, which would enable even the shallow minded persons to ascertain their happiness and sorrows and determine their longevity on the basis of the positions of the Planets in transit.
5-6. The sage replied: O Brahmin! You have put a very intelligent question. I will now describe the Shastra for the benefit of all, the Shastra, in which there will be no contradictions in judging the effects of happiness and sorrows and for determination of the longevity. You now listen to me carefully.
7-11. If the 12 Houses, including Lagna, are occupied by, or aspected by benefic Planets, they yield auspicious results, according to their characteristics, but this happens, where the Planets concerned are in their exaltation Rāśi, own Rāśi, or posited in a benefic House. There will be no good effects, if such Planets are in depression, or posited in an inauspicious House. Similarly the Houses, associated with, or aspected by malefics in depression, or posited in malefic Houses, yield adverse results, according to their characteristics. If such Planets be in their exaltation Rāśi, the effects will not be adverse. This is how the general effects have been described by the Daivajnas. I have only repeated those effects. The main purposes of this Jyotishya Shastra are to determine the longevity and joys and sorrows of the people, but because the movements of the Planets are so subtle, even sages, like Vashista and Brihaspati, have not been able to be quite definite in this respect. Then how can a common man, particularly in Kaliyuga, do so.
12. There are two divisions, or parts of the Jyotishya Shastra, namely general and particular. I have already dealt with the general part. I now come to the other part, which deals with this subject in particular.
13-15. As the effects of the twelve Houses are judged from Lagna and Moon, effects of the twelve Houses and the various Planets are judged in the same manner. Therefore the inauspicious places from the seven Planets, named, as Karan, beginning from Sun and Lagna (total 8), should be marked by dots (Bindus) and auspicious places, named, as Sthan, by small vertical lines (Rekhas) and on the basis of their assessment should the judgment of the horoscope and predictions be made.
Notes. The above arrangement is known, as AshtakaVargaa. The meaning of AshtakaVargaa is literally the group of eight things. In other words it is the combination of the good and bad positions of a Planet with reference to the seven Planets and Lagna. So it is the combination of the benefic and malefic marks (the Rekhas and the Bindus) in a planets chart with reference to the position of the eight Planets (here Lagna is to be treated, as a Planet).
16. Five Planets in 1st, 2nd, 8th, 3rd and the 12th Houses from Sun are Karanprad (dot significators). Similarly four Planets in the 7th and 4th, three Planets in the 6th and 9th, six Planets in the 5th, 2 Planets in the 10th and one Planet in the 11th are dot significators.
17-19. Thus Lagna, Moon, Jupiter, Venus and Mercury in the 1st, 2nd and 8th from Sun; Sun, Mars, Saturn, Moon and Jupiter in the 12th; Mercury, Moon, Venus, Jupiter in the 4th; Lagna, Moon, Venus in the 9th; Sun, Saturn and Mars in the 6th; Lagna, Mercury, Jupiter and Moon in the 7th; Venus in the 11th; Sun, Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars in the 3rd; Jupiter and Venus in the 10th; Sun, Saturn, Moon, Lagna Mars and Venus in the 5th are Karanprad, or dot indicators.
20-22. In Moon’s AshtakaVargaa 6 Planets in the 9th and the 2nd, 5 Planets in the 4th, 8th and the 1st, one Planet in the 10th and the 3rd, 4 Planets in the 5th, 3 Planets in the 6th and the 7th and 1st, eight in the 12th are Karanprad. Thus Lagna, Sun, Mars, Saturn and Venus, these five in the 1st; Lagna, Mercury, Sun, Moon, Saturn and Venus, these 6 in the 2nd; Jupiter in the 3rd; Sun, Saturn, Moon, Lagna and Mars, these 5 in the 4th; Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, these 3 in the 6th; Mars, Lagna and Saturn, these 3 in the 7th; Mars, Lagna, Saturn, Venus and Moon, these five in the 8th; Lagna, Sun, Mars, Saturn, Mercury and Jupiter, these 6 in the 9th; Saturn only in the 10th; none in the 11th; all the eight in the 12th from their own places are Karanprad. These Planets in the other Houses are Rekhaprad (line significators).
23-27. In the AshtakaVargaa of Mars6 Planets in the 12th, 4th and 7th, 5 Planets in the 5th, 6 Planets in the 2nd, 7 Planets in the 9th, 5 Planets in the 1st and 8th, 4 Planets in the 3rd, 3 Planets in the 10th and 2 Planets in the 6th are Karanprad. In the 11th no Planet is Karanprad. In other words all the Planets in the 11th from their own places are Rekhaprad. Thus Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter and Venus, these five in the 1st; Lagna, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn, these 6 in the 2nd; Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, these 4 in the 3rd; Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Lagna, these 6 in the 4th; Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Venus and Lagna, these 5 in the 5th; Mars and Saturn, these 2 in the 6th; Mercury, Moon, Sun, Venus, Jupiter and Lagna, these 6 in the 7th; Mercury, Moon, Sun, Lagna and Jupiter, these five in the 8th; Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Lagna, these 7 in the 9th; Venus, Moon and Mercury, these 3 in the 10th; none in the 11th; Sun, Saturn, Mercury, Moon, Lagna and Mars, these 6 in the 12th from their own places are Karanprad.
28-30. In the AshtakaVargaa of Mercury 3 Planets in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 10th, 6th and 9th, 2 Planets in the 8th, 6 Planets in the 3rd and the 7th, none in the 11th, 5 Planets in the 5th and 12th are Karanprad. Thus Sun, Moon and Jupiter, these 3 in the 1st; Jupiter, Sun and Mercury, these 3 in the 2nd; Lagna, Sun, Mars, Saturn, Moon and Jupiter, these 6 in the 3rd; Mercury, Sun and Jupiter, these 3 in the 4th; Jupiter, Mars, Moon, Saturn and Lagna, these 5 in the 5th; Venus, Saturn and Mars, these 3 in the 6th; Mercury, Moon, Lagna, Sun, Venus and Jupiter, these 6 in the 7th; Mercury and Sun, these 2 in the 8th; Jupiter, Moon and Lagna, these 3 in the 9th; Sun, Jupiter and Venus, these 3 in the 10th; none in the 11th; Lagna, Moon, Mars, Saturn and Venus these 5 in the 12th from their own places are Karanprad.
