Article by Saaji Kulangara Bhaskaran

Prashna Riiti is an important astrological text in the Malayalam language, written by Edakkatt Kukkaniyaal, the foremost student of Prashna Marga author. There are stories related to the uncanny skills of Kukkuniyaal, which goes like writing a horoscope even before conception and predicting the events in hunting through a Prashna. Kukkani means the King of astrologers. It is a title given by the Kolathiri Raja having been satisfied with a prashna done in the palace. The scholars/historians vouch that after this incident only Kukkaniyal wrote ‘Prashna Riiti’. In the 21 chapters of Prashna Riiti, Kukkuniyaal illustrates the principles of prashna, nimitta & jataka.

This is only an attempt to translate a portion of Chapter 18, which gives the following significations for bhava, karaka and the rules for assessing the bhava strength.

Bhava

1^st House: Body, fame, position in a society, happiness, beauty, prosperity, victory & security should be seen from the 1^st house.

2^nd House: Wealth, family, speech, right eye, knowledge & motive.

3^rd House: Heroism, prowess, courage, folly, co-borns, help from others, right ear.

4^th House: Happiness, relatives, house, mother, sisters children, vehicle, temple and water.

5^th House: Intelligence, children, minister, thought, hymn/prayer, merits of previous births.

6^th House: Wound or ulcer, disease, enemies, thieves, obstacle, death by enemies or weapon.

7^th House: Desire, spouse, matrimony, bed.

8^th House: Split or division, mockery, death, difficulties, sickness, obstacles, house of the thief, destruction.

9^th House: Fortune, dharma, kindness, punya, austerity, teacher and father, grandson, medicines, service.

10^th House: Pride, all works, command, temple, support, position.

11^th House: Seed, gain, cessation of sorrow, all desires, elder sibling and left eye.

12^th House: Expenses, sin, fall, left eye, evil deeds, loss of position, Deficiency.

Karaka

Sun stands for father, deity, king, soul, life or breath, bone, doctor, light, day & eye.

Moon represents mind, intelligence, body, blood, happiness, mother, agriculture, water, rice & night.

Mars represent siblings, earth, satva i.e., the ability to be of same mind in difficulties and happiness, war, enemies, weapon, cooking, fire; marrow and fat.

Writing abilities, mathematics, words or speech, game, cleverness, knowledge,

relatives especially maternal uncles, skin and birds seen by Mercury.

Intelligence, children, higher knowledge, body, wealth, gurutva, happiness, mantra, minister, guidance, fat are seen with Jupiter

Venus represents spouse, bed, desires, poetry, enjoyment, happiness, semen, dress, minister, songs and cows.

Disease, death, grief, murder, base deeds, servants, muscles all these from Saturn.

Bhava results

The following positions are detrimental for the bhava results:

a) If the bhava, its lord and karaka are weak, b) If all these are in the middle of malefics,

c) If they are combined or aspected by malefics and enemies; at the same time do not have the association or aspect of benefics or friends,

d) Malefics in the 4^th,8^th and 12^th from a bhava.

e) Malefics in the 5^th and 9^th from bhava.

f) Two or three of the above combinations will make the bhava completely weak. The same should be seen from Lagna and Chandra Lagna.

g) If bhava, its lord and karaka all three are strong, it indicates a very good strength of the concerned bhava.

h) If the 12^th, 6^th and 8^th lords situated in a bhava or aspect any bhava or if the bhava lord is situated in the 12^th, 6^th or 8^th or if the above lords associate or aspect the bhava lords, these also indicates the weakness of the bhava.

i) If the bhava lord is situated in the bhava or if the bhava lord being strong aspect the bhava, the person will enjoy the bhava results.

j) Even if the bhava lord and karaka are in 12^th, 6^th or 8^th, but if a benefics other than lord of the 12^th, 6^th or 8^th is associated or aspected with the particular bhava, or if the lagna lord is posited or aspect the bhava, then also the native will benefit from the bhava results.

Ketu, Mars and Sun are termed fiery planets while Saturn and Rahu are windy planets. Any of these fiery-windy planet association or aspect on any bhava is not good.

Ability to attribute results

If the 6^th, 8^th and 12^th lords association or aspect to a bhava, or planets which associate or aspect any bhava are weak, or if the bhava lord and karaka are weak, they will not be able to give the bhava results.

Timing of bhava results

Bhava or the house its lord posited, or the 5^th house or 9^th house therefrom the bhava lord, lagna lord and karaka transit, that is the time of the bhava result fructification.

Bhava gainers

Malefics in the 11^th, 3^rd, benefics in the angles and trines, friends of the bhava lords can also give benefics results of bhavas in their dashas and antar dashas.

Bhava obstructers

8^th lord from bhava, 22^nd drekkana lord from bhava, weak planets in the 12^th and 6^th house from bhava, enemies or bhava lord or the bhava lord itself in their dasha and anatar dashas the native will have adverse results of the bhava.

Other rules

All planets in their dasha, anatar dashas give the results of the bhava that of rulership and association.

Basic rule is benefics increase the bhava strength while malefics reduce the same.

If the lord is in the 12^th, 6^th or 8^th or if associated with Sun, it will reduce the strength of the bhava.

Bhava Results in Prashna Riiti by Saaji Kulangara Bhaskaran