Article by Ramakrishna

A ‘Mission Saptarishis’ Initiative

Written by Late Challaa Lakshminrisimha Sastri, S/O ChallA nAgaliMgasAstri, bRRindaavana pattanam (Don’t know where this town is. But the book is printed at Machilipatnam by the author)

॥ ज्योतिश प्रश्न शास्त्रम्॥

|| jyotiśa praśna śāstram ||

आदौ इष्तदेवता प्रार्थनम्

ādau iṣtadevatā prārthanam

वन्देविश्वेश्वरं देवं गणनाथं गजाननं।

ध्यानेनयस्य प्रत्यूहा विलयंयांतिदूरतः॥

vandeviśveśvaraṁ devaṁ gaṇanāthaṁ gajānanaṁ |

dhyānenayasya pratyūhā vilayaṁyāṁtidūrataḥ ||

I bow to Vighneswara – the elephant headed God, who is the controller of the universe, lord of the ganas and who removes the obstacles of the people who meditate on him

आदित्यप्रमुखाः खेतास्तथा मेषादि राशयः।

लोकानामुपकर्तारः पांतुमामिहसर्वदा॥

ādityapramukhāḥ khetāstathā meṣādi rāśayaḥ |

lokānāmupakartāraḥ pāṁtumāmihasarvadā ||

Let the grahas like Sun etc and raashis like Mesha etc protect me due to their benevalent nature (due to their nature of doing good to the universe)

सप्तविंशतिताराणाम्श्वादीनां पृथक्पृथक्।

पादैश्च्तुर्भिगगने शिंशुमारं प्रतिष्टितम्॥

saptaviṁśatitārāṇāmśvādīnāṁ pṛthakpṛthak |

pādaiścturbhigagane śiṁśumāraṁ pratiṣṭitam ||

The four-footed nakshatras like Ashwini etc are established in Shimshumara chakra in the sky

प्राक्प्राग्गतोडुचक्रं तदष्तोत्तरशतांघ्रिकं।

प्रत्यज्ञ्मुखंचलत्येव मेरोर्नित्यं प्रदक्षिणं॥

prākprāggatoḍucakraṁ tadaṣtottaraśatāṁghrikaṁ |

pratyajñmukhaṁcalatyeva merornityaṁ pradakṣiṇaṁ ||

(Not Sure). That chakra is 108 feet in size in the eastern side (??) (Feet might be referring to the feet of the nakshatras. Don’t know if eastern side is correct translation. It is a Old Telugu / Sanskrit word – praakbhaaga. praak = east, bhaaga = part) . This chakra faces the meru mountain and revolves around it.

ज्योतिश्शास्त्रे विनिश्चित्य हौरिकं फलमीरितम्। इष्टानिष्ट परिज्ञानादनिष्तस्य

प्रशांतये। इष्टसाधनसिद्ध्यर्थमुपायोयं प्रदर्शितः॥

jyotiśśāstre viniścitya haurikaṁ phalamīritam | iṣṭāniṣṭa parijñānādaniṣtasya praśāṁtaye | iṣṭasādhanasiddhyarthamupāyoyaṁ pradarśitaḥ ||

With careful study, we can learn about the good and bad fruits using the Jyotish shastra.God created this shastra to know about the good and bad fruits that we reap without our knowledge (Note: I believe the author did not translate the second completely /correctly. With my limited knowledge in Sanskrit, I think what the sloka means is that the shastra gives remedies to avoid the unpleasant things and attain the desirable results )

– अथ पृच्छकचिंताज्ञानम् –

– atha pṛcchakaciṁtājñānam –

आदौ चिंतापरिज्ञानं भॄत्वा प्रश्नं विचारयेत्। व्योमदृष्टि भवेज्जीव मूलम्भूम्यावलोकने।

समावलोकने धातुचिंतयः लक्ष्मणं स्मृतम्॥

ādau ciṁtāparijñānaṁ bhṝtvā praśnaṁ vicārayet | vyomadṛṣṭi bhavejjīva mūlambhūmyāvalokane |

samāvalokane dhātuciṁtayaḥ lakṣmaṇaṁ smṛtam ||

If the querent looks at sky while asking the question, it is jiva chinta (i.e. question he is thinking about is related to life). If is looks down, it is moola chinta (related to roots ?). If he looks straight / level, then it is dhaatu chinta ( related to metals ?)

अंगस्पर्श चिंत

aṁgasparśa ciṁta

शिरस्पर्शे जीवचिंत पादस्पर्शेतुमूलकं। नाभीस्पर्शेधातुचिंत विज्ञेयास्सर्वदाबुधैः॥

स्वर्शेवक्त्रललाटानां जीवचिन्ता शुभप्रदाः। हृदोदरकटिस्पर्शे धातुचिंतातु मध्यमाः॥

गुह्योरु पृष्ठभागेच अधमं मूलचिंतनं॥ जानुजंखपदेजीवधातुमूलनिरूपणम्॥

śirasparśe jīvaciṁta pādasparśetumūlakaṁ | nābhīsparśedhātuciṁta vijñeyāssarvadābudhaiḥ ||

svarśevaktralalāṭānāṁ jīvacintā śubhapradāḥ | hṛdodarakaṭisparśe dhātuciṁtātu madhyamāḥ ||

guhyoru pṛṣṭhabhāgeca adhamaṁ mūlaciṁtanaṁ || jānujaṁkhapadejīvadhātumūlanirūpaṇam ||

If the querent touches head with hand while asking the question, it is jeeva chinta. If he touches feet, it is moola chinta. (Note: I think the author missed to translate nAbhisparshe … and I think it means if the querent toches navel it is dhaatu chinta).If he toches mouth or face, good results can be expected for the jeeva chinta (i.e. question related to life). If he touches the chest / stomach / waist, it is conducive for the daatu chinta. However the results will be average. If he touches private parts / thighs / back, it denotes failure of the moola chinta i.e. faliure in the question related to moola chinta. Touching knees, calf (portion between knees and foot), feet indicates jeeva chinta, dhaatu chinta and moola chinta respectively.

पृच्छकदिक्चिंत

pṛcchakadikciṁta

पूर्वास्यांधातुचिंतस्या जीवदक्षिणतस्तथा। उत्तरस्यांपश्चमायां मूलचिंतावदेर्बुधः॥

pūrvāsyāṁdhātuciṁtasyā jīvadakṣiṇatastathā | uttarasyāṁpaścamāyāṁ mūlaciṁtāvaderbudhaḥ ||

Based on the direction from which the querent is asking the question – if he is asking from the east side it is dhaatu chinta, from south it is jeeva chinta and from west and north it is moola chinta.

अक्षरप्रकारचिंत

akṣaraprakāraciṁta

प्रश्नाक्षरंद्विगुणितं एकेनचसमन्वितः। वह्निभिस्तुहरेर्भागं शेषंचिंताविनिर्दिशेत्॥

विषमांके जीवचिंत समेधातुः

प्रकीर्तिताः। शून्येमूलंविजानीय्याचिंतालक्षणमीरितं॥

praśnākṣaraṁdviguṇitaṁ ekenacasamanvitaḥ | vahnibhistuharerbhāgaṁ śeṣaṁciṁtāvinirdiśet ||

viṣamāṁke jīvaciṁta samedhātuḥ

prakīrtitāḥ | śūnyemūlaṁvijānīyyāciṁtālakṣaṇamīritaṁ ||

Multiply the number of letters in the question with 2 and add 1. Divide the result by 3. If the remainder is 1 it is jeeva chinta, 2 indicates dhaatu chinta and 0 indicates moola chinta.

(Note1: I am a bit confused on this. If we know the number of letters in the question, we must be knowing the question as well. Then what is the point in determining if the question is related to dhaatu / jeeva / moola ? The word used is prashnakshara. I hope I am right in translating that in to ‘number of letters in the question’.)

(Note2: The author mentioned moola chinta for remainder 3 even though the Sanskrit sloka says “shUnyemUlamvijAnIyya…” and did not say ‘0’. It might be usefel in decoding the next sloka

धातुजीवादिभेदः

dhātujīvādibhedaḥ

प्रश्नाक्षरं षड्गुणितं अष्टभिश्चतिमिश्रितम्। नवभिश्चहरेर्भागं शेषं तात्कालिकोग्रहः॥

ग्रहोपरिवदेत्सम्यग्धातुमूलादिलक्षणम्। आदित्येनैवसिद्धिस्या सोमेसिद्धि प्रजायते॥

भौमेतु मरणं प्रोक्तं गुरुशुक्रबुधाश्शुभाः। शनैश्चरेनास्तिसिद्धिराहुकेत्वोस्तथैवच॥

praśnākṣaraṁ ṣaḍguṇitaṁ aṣṭabhiścatimiśritam | navabhiścaharerbhāgaṁ śeṣaṁ tātkālikograhaḥ || grahoparivadetsamyagdhātumūlādilakṣaṇam | ādityenaivasiddhisyā somesiddhi prajāyate || bhaumetu maraṇaṁ proktaṁ guruśukrabudhāśśubhāḥ | śanaiścarenāstisiddhirāhuketvostathaivaca ||

Multiply the number of letters in the question with 6 and add 8. Divide the result by 9. The remainder indicates the planets in the order. Based on the planets, dthaatu chinta etc can be identified. If it is Sun, the work will not yield result. Moon indicates success, Mars indicates death, Mercury, Jupiter and Venus indicate good (Shubham), Saturn, Rahu and Ketu indicate failure.

(Note1: Here it is just mentioned that remainder indiactes the planets in order. It is not clear if Sun is ‘0’ or ‘1’. But based on the previous sloka since the author considered remainer as 3 when dividing with 3, we have to assume 0 implies 9 and so assign 1 to Sun.)

(Note2: While the sloka seem to be giving guidance on how to arrive at the result based on the planet, it is also saying that nature of the question is also to be ascertained based on the planet. But it is not elaborated on who implies what. Next sloka after the following sloka gives the details.)

कालपरिमितिचिंत

kālaparimiticiṁta

आदित्येमासमेकंतु सोमेतुर्विंशतिर्दिनैः। भोमेशतद्वयंप्रोक्तं बुधैस्सप्तदिनैः फलं॥

एकोनविंशतिर्जीवे भृगोर्विंशति वासरैः।

शनैश्चरे एकवर्षं राहुकेत्वोरपिस्मृतः॥

ādityemāsamekaṁtu someturviṁśatirdinaiḥ | bhoumeśatadvayaṁproktaṁ budhaissaptadinaiḥ phalaṁ || ekonaviṁśatirjīve bhṛgorviṁśati vāsaraiḥ |

śanaiścare ekavarṣaṁ rāhuketvorapismṛtaḥ ||

Sun indicates result in a month, Moon 20 days, Mars 6 months, Mercury XXX days, Jupiter 7 days, Venus 19days, Saturn 20 days, Rahu & Ketu 1 year.

Note1: Did not understand the Telugu word used for indicating the number of days for Budha.

Note2: Sanskrit sloka says 200 days for Mars, the author translated as 6 months

Note3: I suspect that the tranlsation is wrong. My snaskrit knowledge is limited and so I could be wrong. My version of translation is 1 month for Sun, Moon 20 days, Mars 200 days, Mercury 7 days, Jupiter 19 days, Venus 20days, Saturn, Rahu & Ketu 1 year.

धातुजीवादि ज्ञानम्

dhātujīvādi jñānam

चन्द्रशुक्रेतदाजीवे जीवचिन्ताविनिर्दिशेत्। भोमेबुधेतदा केतौ धातु चिंतावदे मगार्कराहौ

विज्ञेयामूलचिन्ता मनीषिभि॥

candraśukretadājīve jīvacintāvinirdiśet | bhoumebudhetadā ketau dhātu ciṁtāvade magārkarāhau vijñeyāmūlacintā manīṣibhi ||

Following the calculations mentioned earlier, Chandra, Shukra & Guru indicate jeeva chinta; Kuja, Budha & Ketu indicate dhaatu chinta; Shani, Surya & Rahu indicate moola chinta.

ग्रह वर्णानि

graha varṇāni

Note: I translated the Telugu heading in to Sanskrit. In earlier cases, Telugu word(s) and Sanskrit word(s) were same. I hope varNaani is the plural form of varNam

रक्तवर्णोभवेत्सूर्यः शशि गौरः प्रकीर्तिताः। रक्तगौरः कुजोज्ञेयः हरिश्यामो बुधस्मृतः।

गौरवर्णो गुरुज्ञेया श्वेतवर्णः भृगुस्मृतः॥ कृष्णश्शनैश्चरोज्ञेया वियद्वर्णोविधुंतुदः। केतुः

कर्पूरवर्णस्या ग्रहवर्ण स्मृताबुधैः॥

raktavarṇobhavetsūryaḥ śaśi gauraḥ prakīrtitāḥ | raktagauraḥ kujojñeyaḥ hariśyāmo budhasmṛtaḥ |

gauravarṇo gurujñeyā śvetavarṇaḥ bhṛgusmṛtaḥ || kṛṣṇaśśanaiścarojñeyā viyadvarṇovidhuṁtudaḥ | ketuḥ karpūravarṇasyā grahavarṇa smṛtābudhaiḥ ||

Surya is Blood red, Moon is white/yellow, Mars is reddish white / reddish yellow (?) (rakta gaura is the word the author used in Telugu too.), Mercury is Green & black, Guru is yellow, Venus is white, Saturn is black, Rahu is in sky colour, Ketu is ????

Note1: It is printed as Shishi in the original, I assumed it is a printing mistake and assumed as Shashi from the context for Moon. Not sure if Shishi also means Moon in Sanskrit.

Note2: The author mentioned Gaura varna for Moon and Jupiter. Gaura varna means both white and yellow as far as I know.

Note3: Printing in 5th page is bad and I could not understand what the color of Ketu is. Even the Sanskrit word I typed in the sloka is also doubtful. Printing is bad there and I guessed the word as Karpura which I typed in Sanskrit.