Glory be to the Sun who is the author and the Soul of the Universe, the ornament of the firmament and who is enveloped in a thousand rays of the colour of molten gold.

Having correctly examined the substance of the voluminous works of the sages of the past, I attempt to write a clear treatise neither too long nor too short.

What means the notion that the works of the Ṛṣis are sound and not so the works of men? In cases where the matter refers to no mantra , what is there to choose between, when the meaning is the same because the words are different?

If Brahmā has declared—“ Kṣititanaya divasavāro net śubhakṛta ” and mantra “ Kujadinamaniṣṭam ” what is there to choose between the work of man and that of a Deva ?

Having examined the vast works that have proceeded from writers from Brahmā downwards, I purpose to write a brief work embodying the substance of the same. The task is a pleasing one to me.

There was darkness (chaos) in the beginning. Then came water (into existence). On it (floated) a golden-coloured egg, the (divine) seed consisting of the Earth and the Firmament from which there arose Brahmā , the creative agent with the sun and moon for his eyes.

Kapila says that the universe had its origin in pradhāna ; Kaṇātha in dravya and the like; a few in kāla (time); others in Svabhāva (nature); and some in karma .

Enough of this (subject of Cosmogony) on account of its vastness. If these questions were discussed, it would swell very much in length. The subject I have now to treat of is the Aṅgaviniścaya ( Saṃhitā ) section of Jyotiṣaśāstra .

Jyotiṣa - Śāstra treats of many different subjects and consists of three sections. The sages call the whole by the general name of Saṃhitā . This section which treats of the motions of the planets is called the Tantrā-śāstra (Saṃhitā or natural astrology).

In my work on Astronomy, I have treated of the rising and setting of the planets as well as their retrograde and reretrograde motions and the like. In my work on Horoscopy, I have fully treated of nativity, of yātrā and of marriage.

In the present treatise, I have rejected questions and re-questions, historical narrations, unimportant planetary phenomena and all that is useless; and my purpose is to speak clearly only of the vital truths of the several subjects treated of.

That prince meets with ruin who does not support a Jyotiṣaka well-versed in all the Divisions and Subdivisions of Saṃhitā and in Horoscopy and Astronomy.

Even men who, having conquered their passions and cut asunder all ties of family, live in woods, desire to question a learned Jyotiṣaka regarding their future.

As is the night without a lamp and the sky without the sun, so is a prince without a Jyotiṣaka and he gropes his way in the dark.

If there were no Jyotiṣakas , the muhūrtas , the tithis , the nakṣatras , the ruthus and the āyanas would go wrong.

It therefore behoves a prince who loves success, fame, wealth, happiness and renown, to secure the services of a learned Jyotiṣaka .

He who loves prosperity ought not to live in a country devoid of a Jyotiṣaka . He (the Jyotiṣaka ) forms as it were the eye of the land and where he dwells, sins exist not.

A learned Jyotiṣaka not only escapes hell but (after death) goes to the Brahma-loka and obtains salvation.

That Brāhmin Jyotiṣaka who has mastered both the text and the purpose of the entire science deserves to be respected and fed first on occasions of Śrāddha and he purifies the party of diners.

Even the Mlecchas and the Yavanas (Greeks) who have well-studied the science are respected as Ṛṣis. Such being the case, if the Jyotiṣaka should happen to be a Brāhmin, who will deny him respect?

A pretentious Jyotiṣaka whose knowledge of the science has been picked up from what has occasionally fallen on his ears ought not to be consulted.

He who, not having studied the science, passes for a Jyotiṣaka is a sinner and a disgrace to society.

He who ridicules the words of a Jyotiṣaka , as well as the person who sneers at the science itself, will suffer miseries in the hell of darkness.

To question an ignorant man is not unlike begging of a clod of earth at the gate of a city for a gift: whatever is truth will finally triumph.

One that, after the occurrence of an event, pretends that his prediction already meant so much, and one that wanders away from the subject as well as the person who is proud, having only an imperfect knowledge of the subject shall be rejected by a prince.

He, who well knows the Horā , the Gaṇita and the Saṃhitā śāstras , ought to be respected by the prince who loves victory and admitted into his court.

That service, which a single Jyotiṣaka , having a knowledge of place and time can render to a prince, cannot be rendered to him by a thousand elephants or by four thousand horses.

The evils of bad dreams, of sad thoughts, of ill omens and of evil deeds and the like will vanish immediately when one hears of the moons motion among the stars.

Neither the father nor the mother nor the relations nor friends of a prince will desire so much his well being and that of his subjects as a true Jyotiṣaka .

We shall now proceed to give a brief description of (the qualifications of) a Jyotiṣaka . He must be of noble birth and of agreeable appearance; meek, truthful and without jealousy; of proportional limbs; of joints well built and of good growth; have no physical defects; be of fine hands, feet, nails, eyes, chin, teeth, ears, forehead, eye-brows and head; of fine physique and of high, sonorous voice.

At one time, the Sun’s southward course commenced on his reaching the middle of Āśleṣā (the ninth constellation) and its northward course on its reaching the beginning of Dhaniṣṭhā (the twenty-third constellation). This must have been the case as we find it so recorded in ancient books.

Whereas at present the one course of the sun ( āditya ) commences at the beginning of Cancer, and the other at the beginning of Capricornus. That it is so, and different from what it was at one time can easily be ascertained from actual observation as follows:

Either from observing some distant point in the horizon where the sun rises or sets or from observing the ingress or the egress of the end of shadow of a perpendicular rod placed at the centre of a big horizontal circle (the change in the suns course can be detected).

If the Sun should change his course before reaching Makara ( Capricornus ) he will bring evil on the west and south; and if he should do so before reaching Karka ( Cancer ), he will bring evil on the north and east.

The Sun when he changes his course from north to south and when in his usual condition will bring on prosperity and increase of crops; but when he undergoes a change either in his usual course or in his usual appearance he causes fear to mankind.

Even on other than new-moon days the Ketu named Tvaṣṭā eclipses the solar disc. Then seven princes and their subjects will perish by the sword, by fire and by famine.

The dark spots, also known as Ketus , the sons of Rāhu are Tāmasa , Kīlaka and the like, and are 33 in number. How they affect the earth depends upon their color, position and shape.

If these spots should appear on the solar disc, mankind will suffer miseries; if on the lunar disc mankind will be happy; but if they take the shape of a crow, a headless human body, or a weapon, mankind will suffer even though the spots should appear on the moon.

When the spots appear on the solar disc the waters will get disturbed; the sky will be filled with dust; high winds capable of breaking down the tops of mountains and of trees, will carry pebbles and sand along their course.

The trees will fail to yield in their appropriate seasons; birds and animals will appear to be burning; there will be an appearance of false fire all round; and lightning and earthquake will afflict mankind.

Even Ṛṣis , reduced to mere skeletons by starvation, giving up their pious course of life, with fleshless infants in their arms.

Deprived of their property by highway men, with long sighs, closed eyes, emaciated bodies, and with their sight dimmed with the tears of sorrow will proceed with difficulty to other lands.

Men, reduced to mere bones and as named to beg will be harassed both by their own princes and by the princes of other lands. Some will begin to speak disparagingly of the character and deeds of their own sovereign.

Even though there should be indications of good rain, the clouds will yield little rain; the rivers will fall and (food) crops will be found (only) here and there.

If the spots should be of the shape of a rod the prince dies; if of the shape of a headless body mankind will suffer from disease; if of the shape of a crow they will suffer from robbers; and if of the shape of a pike, they will suffer from famine.

If the solar spots should be of the shape of the emblems of royalty such as Chatra (umbrella), Dhvaja (flag staff) and Cāmara (hairy fan) and the like, the reigning prince will be dethroned and a foreign prince will begin to reign. If the spots should appear like sparks of fire, like the smoke and the like, his subjects will suffer.

A single spot will bring on famine; if two or more spots should appear, the reigning prince will die; if they should appear white, red, yellow or black then the Brāhmaṇas , the Kṣatriyas , the Vaiśyas or the Śūdras will suffer respectively.

Only those parts of the earth will suffer in the corresponding parts of which on the solar disc the spots happen to appear.

If, when the rays are turned away from the earth the colour of the sun be that of copper the commander-in-chief dies; if it be green or yellow the kings son dies; if it be white the royal chaplain dies.

If the sun (āditya) be variegated in colour or of the colour of smoke there will be either immediate rain or mankind will suffer from robbers and from weapons.

If in Śiśira (February, March) the sun be of copper colour or red black, if, in Vasanta (April, May), blue crimson, if, in Grīṣma (June, July), slightly white and of gold color, if, in Varṣā (August, September), white,

If, in Śarada (October, November), of the colour of the centre of the lotus, if, in Hemanta (December, January), of blood color, mankind will be happy. If, in Varṣā (August, September), the rays of the sun be soft, mankind will be happy even though the sun should be of any of the colors mentioned above.

If, in Varṣā , when the rays are sharp, the sun be white then the Brāhmins, if of blood colour the Kṣatriyas, if yellow the Vaiśyas, and if black the Śūdras will perish. If, as said above, the rays be soft, mankind will be happy.

If, in Grīṣma , the sun be of blood colour mankind will be afflicted with various fears; If, in Varṣā , he be black there will be drought on the Earth; If, in Hemanta he be yellow there will be immediate fear from disease.

If the solar disc should be crossed by the rainbow the princes of the land will be at war with one another. If in winter the disc be clear there will be immediate rain.

If in Varṣā the colour of the sun be that of the flower Śirīṣa (Mimosa flexuosa) there will be immediate rain; if the colour be that of the peacock’s plume there will be no rain for twelve years to come.

If, then the sun be black there will be fear from worms and reptiles; if it be ashy pale there will be fear from foreign princes; if the sun should appear with a hole that prince will perish in the star of whose nativity the sun then happens to be.

If at other times than rising or setting the sun be of the colour of the blood of a hare there will be war in the land; if he should appear like the moon, the reigning prince will be killed and a foreign prince will succeed immediately.

If the sun should appear like a pot; he brings on hunger and death; if he should appear broken, the reigning prince dies; if without rays, mankind will be afflicted with fears; if like a gate, then the capital city, if like an umbrella then the country, will perish.

If the sun should appear like a flag staff, or a bow, or quivering or of sharp rays he will bring on wars; if there should appear black lines on his disc the reigning prince will die by the hand of his own minister.

If, at rising, the sun should be crossed by the fall of an aerolite, or thunderbolt, or by lightning, the reigning prince will die and a foreign prince will succeed.

If, for several days, there should appear a halo round the sun both at rising and setting or if the sun should, at such periods, be of blood color, the reigning sovereign will be dethroned and a foreign prince will succeed.

If at rising and setting the sun should be hid by clouds of the shape of implements of war, he will bring on strife; if these clouds should appear like a deer, a buffalo, a bird, an ass or a young camel, mankind will be afflicted with fears.

The planets, when subjected to the hot rays of the sun are freed from their impurities just as gold is purified by the action of the fire.

If the halo should be to the north of the sun there will be rain; if to the south there will be wind; if on both sides there will be fear from floods; if above the sun (towards the meridian) then the king, if below it (towards the horizon), then his subjects, will perish.

If the sun (āditya) should be of blood colour when in mid-heaven, or if he should appear red by a dust storm the reigning prince will die.

If there should appear on the solar disc Ketus other than the thirty-three already mentioned, or spots pike like in shape the effects of these and of solar eclipses are the same as those assigned to them in the Chapters (V and XI) on Rāhucāra and Ketucāra . The princes of the countries in which the spots are visible will be afflicted with miseries.

The moon ( candra ) is always below (nearer to the Earth than) the sun. It is spherical in shape. One half of it is always illumined by the light of the sun, while the other half is dark owing to its own shadow, just like a pot placed in the sun.

The rays of the sun falling on the watery moon remove the darkness of the night (on Earth) just in the same way as light reflected from a mirror (placed in the sun) removes the darkness (from) within a room.

The moon after quitting the place (direction) of the sun becomes illumined by the sun from below and she then also rises after the sun.

Thus the lunar disc appears more and more illumined day by day by the sun according to her change of place, just in the same way as the western half of a pot becomes gradually illumined by the sun in the afternoon.

If the moon should pass to the south of Jyeṣṭha (the 18 th constellation), Mūla (the 19 th constellation) and the two Āṣāḍhas (20 th and 21 st constellations) she destroys seeds, creatures in water and forests; and there will also be fear from fire.

If the moon should pass to the south of Viśākhā (the 16 th constellation) and Anurādhā (the 17 th constellation) she will bring on evil. If she should pass through the middle of Maghā (the 10 th constellation) or of Viśākhā (the 16 th constellation) she will bring on prosperity.

In the six lunar mansions beginning from Revatī (the 27 th ) the stars are towards the east; and in the twelve beginning from Ārdrā (the 6 th ) they are in the centre; and in the nine beginning from Jyeṣṭhā (the 18 th ) they are in the west of the several mansions; and the moon’s conjunction with the several lunar mansions is said to take place when the moon is in the middle of these mansions.

If the two horns of the moon should appear but slightly raised and far from each other presenting the appearance of a boat, she brings trouble on the sailors but prosperity on mankind at large.

If the northern horn of the moon should be higher than the other by one-half, the moon appearing like a plough, ploughmen will then suffer. They and their prince will be friendly and there will be prosperity in the land.

If the southern horn should be higher than the other by one half, the appearance of the moon is also said to be plough like but of evil consequences. The ruler of Southern India will die and his army will engage in war.

If, on the first lunar day after new moon, both horns should be alike and of equal height, there will be the same prosperity and rain throughout the month as on such first lunar day. If the moon should appear like a rod, the cattle will suffer and the sovereign will rule with a severe rod.

If the moon should appear like a bow, there will be war in the land; and those will succeed whose places lie in the direction of the bow-string. If the moon should appear stretched from north to south presenting the appearance of a carriage pole there will be earthquake (within that month).

If, when the northern horn is a little higher than the other and bent aside, the southern horn is straight like a carriage pole, pilgrim parties will suffer and there will be no rain.

If one of the horns should appear higher than the other and bent down at the end, cows will suffer.

If the horns should together appear like a circle then the provincial rulers will have to quit their places.

If the northern horn should be higher than the southern one otherwise than as stated already, the crops will flourish and there will be good rain. If the southern horn should be similarly higher there will be famine and fear in the land.

If, to any person who observes on the first lunar day after new-moon, the moon should appear of only one horn, or if one of the horns should appear bent downwards or if she appear like a full moon (when in reality such is not the case) the person dies.

Having thus described the shape of the moon we next proceed to describe her size (generally): if the moon should appear small there will be famine, and if big, prosperity, in the land.

If the middle of the moon (candra) should appear small, there will be hunger in the land and princes will be afflicted with cares. If the middle should appear big she will cause prosperity and plenty.

If she should appear broad, she will increase the prosperity of the princes; if she should appear big there, will be happiness in the land, and if small, there will be abundance of that grain which men like most,

If, during the waxing moon, Mars should be eclipsed by a horn, the border ( Mleccha ) princes as well as wicked rulers will suffer; if Saturn should be so eclipsed there will be fear from weapons and from hunger; if Mercury should be so eclipsed there will be drought and famine in the land; if Jupiter should be so eclipsed eminent princes will suffer; and if Venus , the minor princes will suffer. As regards the waning moon the subject has been elsewhere treated.

If Venus should be eclipsed by the lunar disc the people of Magadha , the Yavanas , the Mlecchas , men of Pulinda (a barbarous tribe), the Nepālīs, the Bhṛṅgīs and the Mārwārīs ( Marus ), the men of Kaccha and of Surat, the Madras , the Pāñcālas , the Kaikayas , the Kulūtakas, the Cannibalas (Pūruṣādas) and the men of Uśīnara ( Gāndhāra ) will suffer miseries for seven months.

If Jupiter should be eclipsed by the lunar disc the men of Gāndhāra, of Sauvīraka , of Sindhu and of Kīra, ( Kāśmīra ) the rulers of the Draviḍa countries and Brāhmins as well as food grains and mountains will suffer for ten months.

If Mars should be so eclipsed the rulers of Traigarta (Lāhora) and of Mālavā, with their fighting men in their cars, the chiefs of Kulinda , the rulers of Śibi , of Audha, of Kuru (Delhi), of Matsya and of Śukti will suffer for six months.

If Saturn should be eclipsed by the lunar disc, the ministers of Yaudheya , the Kauravas , the Arjunāyanas as well as the men of the eastern countries will suffer miseries for ten months.

If Mercury should be so eclipsed the men of Magadha, of Mathurā and those on the banks of the river Veṇa will suffer miseries while the rest of the land will enjoy the happiness of Kṛtayuga .

If the Moon (candra) should be eclipsed by Ketu she will destroy prosperity, health and plenty. Artisans will perish and thieves will suffer greatly.

If while the moon is eclipsed, she be crossed by the fall of a meteor, that prince will die in the star of whose nativity the moon then happens to be.

If the lunar disc be of ashy colour, of sharp rays or red, or rayless, or red black, or appear broken there will be fear of hunger, of war, of disease and of robbers.

If the lunar disc should appear white and of the colour of the snow, of Kunda , of Kumuda and of crystal he brings prosperity on the land.

If the disc of the moon that regularly waxes and wanes should appear white resembling the colour of the Kumuda flower or that of the stem of the lotus or if the moons course or disc or rays should suffer no irregular change there will be prosperity in the land.

During the waxing moon, the Brāhmins, the Kṣatriyas and mankind at large will prosper; and during the waning moon, they will suffer miseries. The increase of prosperity will commence after the new-moon and of adversity after the full moon.

Some say that Rāhu , the asura , though his head was cut, dies not but lives in the shape of a planet having tasted of ambrosia.

That he has a disc like the sun and moon and as that disc is black it is invisible when in the sky except on the occasion of eclipses in virtue of a boon from Brahmā .

Others say that he resembles a serpent in shape with his head severed from his tail; a few that he is bodiless, that he is mere darkness and that he is the son of Siṃhikā .

Now, if he has a body or be simply a head with a regular motion in the ecliptic, how comes it that he eclipses the sun and moon when they are 180� from him?

If his motion be not subject to fixed laws, how comes it that his exact place is ascertained; how comes it that he never eclipses by the part of his body between his head and tail?

If being of the shape of a serpent he eclipses with his head or with his tail, how comes it that he does not hide one half of the heavens lying between his head and tail?

If, as some say, there be two Rāhus , when the moon is eclipsed by one of them at rising or setting how comes it we see the sun in the opposite point uneclipsed by the other Rāhu of equal motion?

The truth is that in her own eclipse, the moon enters the shadow of the earth, and in that of the sun, the solar disc. Hence, the lunar eclipse does not commence at the western limb nor the solar at the eastern limb.

Just as the shadow of a tree neither continues in the same direction nor of the same length, so changes the shadow of the earth, night after night owing to the revolution of the sun.

When the moon, whose course is always from west to east, is due opposite to the sun swerving neither much to the north nor to the south, she enters the shadow of the earth.

The moon, moving from the west, hides the solar disc from below just like a cloud; and the solar eclipse varies differently in different countries according to the different degrees of visibility of the eclipsed disc.

What eclipses the moon is bigger than the moon; what eclipses the sun is smaller than the sun. Hence in semi-lunar and semi-solar eclipses, the luminous horns are respectively blunt and sharp.

It is wrong to say that there can be no eclipse unless five planets are in conjunction and it is equally wrong to suppose that on the previous Aṣṭamī (eighth lunar) day, the coming eclipse and its properties can be ascertained by examining the appearance of a drop of oil on the surface of water.

The magnitude of the solar eclipse is determined by means of the moons parallax (in latitude); the points (on the disc) of the commencement and termination of the eclipse are determined by means of both parallax and angles; the times of the commencement and termination of the eclipse by means of the time of new moon.

Commencing from the time of creation, Brahmā is the lord over the new and full moon periods of the first six months; the Moon is the lord over those of the second six months; Indra over those of the third six months; Kubera over those of the fourth six months; Varuṇa over those of the fifth six months; Agni over those of the sixth six months and Yama over those of the seventh six months; and so on the cycle being repeated over and over again.

If Brahmā should be lord as stated above, cows and Brāhmins will prosper; there will be health and happiness in the land; and crops will thrive. If the moon should be the lord, the effects will be those described above; also, learned men will suffer and there will be drought.

If Indra should be the lord, the princes will be at war with each other, the crops of Zarat (October and November), will perish and there will be no prosperity in the land. If Kubera should be the lord, rich men will suffer in their wealth but there will be prosperity in the land.

If Varuṇa should be the lord, princes will suffer; the rest will be happy and crops will flourish. If Agni should be the lord, there will be good crops, and there will also be health, freedom from fear and abundance of water.

If Yama should be the lord, there will be drought, famine, and total blight of crops; in the next parva mankind will be afflicted with misery, hunger, death and drought.

If the eclipses should occur before the calculated times, there will be miscarriage of pregnancy and wars in the land; if they should occur after the calculated times, flowers and fruits will perish and there will be fear in the land and crops.

I have described, as above, the effects of the occurrence of eclipses either before or after the calculated times in accordance with the ancient śāstras ; but the calculation of a really learned Astronomer will at no time fail.

If there should be both lunar and solar eclipses in one month, princes will suffer both from dissensions among their own army and from wars.

If the eclipse should occur at rising or setting, the crops of Zarat (October and November) will perish and princes will suffer. In total eclipses if the eclipsed sun or moon should be subject to malefic planetary influence, there will be death and famine in the land.

If the sun and moon should begin to be eclipsed when only half risen, deceitful men will suffer as well as sacrificial rites. If they should be eclipsed when in the first section of the firmament, those that live by fire and virtuous Brahmins will suffer as well as men belonging to one of the holy orders.

If they should be eclipsed when in the second section of the firmament, agriculturists, heretics, merchants, the Kṣatriyas and commanders of the army will suffer. If when in the third section, artisans, the Śūdras , the Mlecchas and ministers will suffer.

If when in mid-heaven, the central provinces will suffer, but there will be happiness over the land and the price of food grains will fall. If when in the fifth section, herbivorous animals, ministers and household inmates will suffer as also the Vaiśyas .

If they should be eclipsed when in the sixth section of the firmament, women and the Śūdras will suffer; if when setting, robbers and the border Mlecchas will perish. Those will be happy in whose section the eclipse terminates.

If the sun and moon should be eclipsed when in their uttarāyaṇa (northward march), the Brāhmins and the Kṣatriyas will suffer; if when in their dakṣiṇāyana (southward march) the Vaiśyas and the Śūdras will suffer. If the eclipse should commence at the northern, eastern, southern, or western point of the disc, the Brāhmins, the Kṣatriyas, the Vaiśyas or the Śūdras will suffer respectively.

If the disc should be eclipsed at one of the comers, the Mlecchas, persons proceeding to battle and those who live by fire will perish; if the southern limb should be eclipsed aquatic creatures as well as elephants will die; and if the northern limb should be eclipsed cows will suffer.

If the eastern limb should be eclipsed there will be abundant rain; if the western limb should be eclipsed, farmers and servants will suffer and seed grains will be destroyed,

If the sun and moon should be eclipsed when in the sign of Aries ( Meṣa ), the Pāñcālas , the Kaliṅgas , the Sūrasenas , the people of Kāmboja , of Odra , of Kirāta , soldiers and persons who live by fire will be afflicted with miseries.

If the sun or moon should be eclipsed when in the sign of Taurus ( Vṛṣabha ), shepherds, cows, their owners and eminent men will suffer miseries.

If they should be eclipsed when in the sign of Gemini ( Mithuna ), chaste women, princes, powerful petty chiefs, learned men, people living on the banks of the Yamunā and the rulers of Bahlikā and Matsya with their subjects will suffer miseries.

If they should be eclipsed when in the sign of Cancer ( Karka ) the Ābhīras , the Śabaras , the Pallavas , the Mallas , the Matsyas , the Kurus , the Śakas , the Pāñcālas and the Vikalās will be afflicted with miseries and food grains will be destroyed.

If the sun and moon should be eclipsed when in the sign of Leo ( Siṃha ) hill men, prince like people possessed of a single military force, princes and forest men will suffer miseries. If they should be eclipsed when in the sign of Virgo ( Kanyā ), crops, poets, writers and singers will suffer and the rice fields of Aśmaka and Tripura will be destroyed.

If they should be eclipsed when in the sign of Libra ( Tulā ), the people of the extreme border lands on the west, the people of Sindha , the trading classes and the people of Kaccha will be afflicted with miseries. If when in the sign of Scorpio ( Vṛścika ), the people of Udambara, of Madra , of Colā and of Yaudheya will all suffer miseries along with soldiers armed with poisoned weapons.

If they should be eclipsed when in the sign of Sagittarius ( Dhanuṣa ), ministers, fine horses, the Videhas , the Mallānas, the Pāñcālas, physicians, merchants and persons skilled in the use of destructive weapons will perish. If when in the sign of Capricornus ( Makara ), fishes, the families of ministers, the Cāṇḍālas , skilled magicians, physicians and old soldiers will perish.

If they should be eclipsed when in the sign of Aquarius ( Kumbha ), hill men, men of western countries, carriers, robbers, shephards, serpents, worthy men, lions, citizens and the people of Barbara will perish. If when in the sign of Pisces ( Mīna ), the products of the sea beach and of the sea, man of respectability and of learning and persons that live by water will suffer. Also those provinces will be affected which correspond to particular lunar mansions in which the eclipses happen to occur, as will be explained in the chapter (14) on Kūrmavibhāga.

Solar and Lunar eclipses are of ten kinds and they are technically known as—1. Savya , 2. Apasavya , 3. Leha, 4. Grasana , 5. Nirodha , 6. Avamardana, 7. Āroha, 8. Āghrāta, 9. Madhyatama, 10. Tamontya.

If the eclipse should commence on the left side of the disc, it is technically known as Savyagata : the earth will then be flooded with water and there will be joy and freedom from fear. If it should commence on the right side of the disc, it: is technically known as Apasavyagata : mankind will suffer from their rulers and from robbers.

If the solar or lunar disc should be just dimmed by darkness all round which disappears immediately, the eclipse is technically known as Leha (licking): all creatures will be happy and the earth will be flooded with water.

If a third, or a fourth, or one half of the disc should be eclipsed, it is technically known as Grasana (seizing with the mouth) grasa partial eclipse: the wealth of prosperous princes will suffer diminution and prosperous countries will be afflicted with calamities.

If the eclipse should, commencing at the edge, travel inwards and remain there for a time of the shape of a dark ball, it is technically known as Nirodha (blocking up): all creatures will be happy.

If the eclipse should be a total one and continue so for a time, it is known as Avamardana (tormenting): the then chief provinces will suffer and the then chief rulers will be afflicted with miseries.

If immediately after the termination of the eclipse, the disc should be re-eclipsed (by comets and the like), it is technically known as Ārohaṇa (climbing): the princes will be at war and there will be fear in the land.

If a small portion of the disc should be so slightly eclipsed as to resemble a mirror covered with the vapour of hot breath, the eclipse is known as Āghrāta (smelling): there will be good rain in the land.

If the middle of the eclipsed disc should be dark while the disc continues bright all round, the eclipse is known as Madhyatama (centrally dark)annular eclipse: the Central Provinces will be afflicted with miseries, mankind will suffer from stomach pain and there will be fear in the land.

If all round the disc, the darkness be thick and in the middle, it be slight, the eclipse is technically known as Antyātma (terminally dark): the crops will be injured and mankind will suffer from robbers.

If the eclipsed disc should appear white, there will be prosperity and plenty in the land, but the Brāhmins will suffer; persons who live by fire will be afflicted with miseries.

If the disc should appear yellow, there will be increase of disease in the land and crops will suffer. If the disc should appear of gold color, swift footed animals and the Mlecchas will suffer and there will be famine in the land.

If the disc should be of the colour of the sky at dawn of day, there will be famine and drought and birds will suffer. If red-black, there will be prosperity and plenty in the land but slight rain.

If the disc be of the colour of the pigeon or of blood colour or of the colour of gold or yellow-black, mankind will suffer from starvation. If again the disc be black or as said above, of the colour of the pigeon, the Śūdras will suffer from disease.

If the eclipsed disc should appear yellow resembling the topaz in colour, the Vaiśyas will perish and there will be prosperity in the land. If the disc should appear to be burning, there will be fear from ñre; if it should resemble gold ore, there will be wars in the land.

If the disc should appear black resembling the colour of the stem of dūrvā grass (agrostis linearis) or yellow, there will be much death in the land. If of the colour of the flower pāṭali (Bignonia Suaveolenis) ‘trumpet flower’ there will be fear from lightning.

If the eclipsed disc be of the colour of red dust, the Kṣatriyas will suffer and there will be no rain. If of the colour of the rising sun, of lotus, of the rainbow, there will be suffering from weapons.

If Mercury should see the eclipsed disc, honey and oil will become scarce; princes will suffer. If Mars should see the eclipsed disc, there will be war in the land and fear from fire and robbers.

If Venus should see the eclipsed disc, crops will be injured and there will be drought and famine in the land and the mankind will have fear from robbers.

These evil effects, resulting from planetary look at eclipsed disc, apply as well to the time of termination of the eclipse as to its commencement. If Jupiter, a beneficent planet, should also see the eclipsed disc, the evils described will vanish in just the same way as the flame of fire dies out when water is poured over it.

If during the eclipse, there should occur portents, meteoric fails, dust storms, earthquakes, universal darkness or thunderbolt, the eclipse will re-occur after six, twelve, eighteen, twenty-four, thirty, or thirty-six months respectively.

If Mars should be eclipsed by Rāhu , the people of Āvanti , those living on the banks of the Kāverī and the Narmada and haughty princes will be afflicted with miseries.

If Mercury should be so eclipsed, men living between the Ganges and the Yamunā , on the banks of the Sarayū and in the country of Nepāla , those living about the east sea and on the banks of the Śoṇa will suffer and women, princes, soldier boys and men of letters will perish.

If Jupiter should be so eclipsed, learned men, kings, ministers, elephants and horses will perish and persons living on the banks of the Indus and in the northern countries will suffer calamities.

If Venus should be so eclipsed, the people of Dāśeraka , of Kaikaya , of Yaudheya and of Āryāvarta and the Śibīs will suffer; women and ministers will be afflicted with miseries.

If Saturn should be so eclipsed, the people of Marubhava , of Puṣkara and of Saurāṣṭra , the minerals, the low classes inhabiting the Arbuda hills, and the hillmen of Gomanta and Pāriyātrā will perish immediately.

If the solar or lunar eclipse should fall in the lunar month of Kārttika , persons who live by fire, the Magadhas , the eastern princes, the Kosalas , the Kalmāṣas , the Śūrasenas and the people of Benares will suffer miseries; the ruler of Kaliṅga with his ministers and servants and the Kṣatriyas will perish but there will be prosperity and plenty in the land.

If the eclipses should fall in the lunar month of Mārgaśīrṣa , the people of Kāśmīra , of Audha and of Puṇdra will suffer miseries; quadrupeds will perish, men of the western countries and Somayajīs will suffer calamities; there will be good rain and prosperity and plenty throughout the land.

If the eclipses should fall in the lunar month of Pauṣa , the Brāhmins and the Kṣatriyas will suffer; the people of Sindh, the Kukuras and the Videhas will perish; there wall be slight rain and fear of famine in the land.

If the eclipses should fall within lunar month of Māgha , persons noted for filial duty, the descendants of Vasiṣṭha , men acting up to the Vedic principles, elephant and horses will suffer distress; the people of Vaṅga of Aṅga , and of Benares will be afflicted with miseries; and there will be rain suited to the wants of the ryots.

If the eclipses should fall in the lunar month of Phālguna , the people of Vaṅga, of Āśmaka, of Avantikā and the Mekalās will be afflicted with disease; dancers, food crops, chaste women, bow-makers, the Kṣatriyas and ascetics will also suffer.

If the eclipses should fall in the lunar month of Caitra painters, writers, singers, prostitutes, men learned in the Vedas and dealers in gold, the people of Pauṇḍra , of Auḍra , of Kekaya and of Āśmaka will suffer distress and there will be good rain throughout the land.

If the eclipses should fall in the lunar month of Vaiśākha cotton, gingelly and beans will be injured; the Ikṣvākus , the Yaudheyas , the Śakas and the Kaliṅgas will suffer; but there will be prosperity over the land.

If the eclipses should fall in the lunar month of Jyeṣṭha , the Brāhmins , the Queens of the reigning sovereign, crops, rain, large gatherings of men, beautiful persons, the Sālvas and the Niṣādas will suffer.

If the eclipses should fall in the lunar month of Āṣāḍha , wells, wet fields and rivers will become dry; dealers in roots and fruits, the people of Gāndhāra , of Kāśmīra, of Pulinda and of Cīna ( China ) will perish; and there will be abundance of rain.

If the eclipses should fall in the lunar month of Śrāvaṇa , the people of Kāśmīra, of Pulinda and of Cīna (China), the Yavanas , the Kurus, the Gāndhāras and the people of Madhyadeśa (Central Provinces), the horses of Kāmboja and the crops of Śarat will perish; the rest of mankind will enjoy prosperity and will be happy.

If the eclipses should fall in the lunar month of Bhādrapada , the people of Kaliṅga, of Vaṅga, of Magadha and of Saurāṣṭra, the Mlecchas, the Sauvīras , the Daradās and the Śakas will perish; pregnant women will miscarry but there will be prosperity over the land.

If the eclipses should fall in the lunar month of Aśvayuja the people of Kāmboja, of Cīna (China), the Yavanas, surgeons, the Vāhlīkas and the people living on the banks of the Indus, together with the physicians of Ānarta and of Pauṇḍra and the Kirātas will perish, but there will be prosperity in the land.

Lunar and solar eclipses terminate in ten ways technically known as—1. Dakṣiṇa hanu , 2, Vāma hanu , 3. Dakṣiṇa kukṣi , 4. Vāma kukṣi , 5. Dakṣiṇa pāyu , 6. Vāma pāyu , 7, Sañchardana , 8. Jaraṇa , 9. Madhvavidaraṇa , 10. Antavidaraṇa .

If the lunar eclipse should terminate at the south-eastern point of the disc, the termination is technically known as dakṣiṇa-hanu (right jaw): crops will perish; facial disease will afflict mankind; princes will suffer; and there will be good rain.

If the lunar eclipse should terminate at the north-eastern point of the disc, the termination is known as vāma-hanu (left jaw): the king’s son will be afflicted with fears; there will be facial disease and wars, but prosperity over the whole land.

If the lunar eclipse should terminate at the southern point of the disc, the termination is known as dakṣiṇa-kukṣi (right abdomen): the king’s son will suffer and the enemies in the south may then be defeated in wars.

If the lunar eclipse should terminate at the northern point of the disc, the termination is techincally known as vāma-kukṣi (left abdomen): pregnant women will miscarry and crops will suffer to some extent.

If the lunar eclipse should terminate at the south-western and north-western points of the disc, the terminations are known as dakṣiṇa-pāyu (right anus) and vāma-pāyu (left anus) respectively: there will be diseases of the genital organs in the case of both terminations and the Queens of reigning sovereigns will suffer in the case of the latter.

If the lunar eclipse should commence and terminate at the eastern point of the disc, the termination is known as sañchardana (vomitting): there will be prosperity and joy in the land and food crops will flourish.

If the lunar eclipse should commence at the eastern point and terminate at the western point of the disc, the termination is known as jaraṇa (decaying): mankind will be afflicted with hunger and with wars: where then will they go for protection?

If the middle of the eclipsed disc should first begin to clear, the termination is known as madhyavidaraṇa (central opening): there will be anger at heart and prosperity over the land but not much rain.

If the edge should first begin to clear all round, while there is darkness in the centre, the termination is known as antavidaraṇa (terminal opening): Madhyadeśa or Central Provinces will suffer, and the crops of Śarat will be injured.

These terminations of the lunar eclipse apply to those of the solar eclipse, the only difference being that where the east has been referred to in the former, it must be taken to mean the west in the latter.

If, within seven days from the termination of an eclipse there should occur a dust storm, mankind will suffer from starvation; if there should occur a fall of snow there will be fear from disease; if there should occur an earthquake, the chief rulers will die.

If, within the said period, there should occur any meteoric fall, the ministers will die; if clouds of various hues should appear, mankind will suffer from various fears; if clouds should begin to roar, there will be miscarriage of pregnancy; if lightning should appear, rulers and tusked animals will suffer.

If, within seven days from the termination of an eclipse, there should appear a halo round the Sun or Moon, there will be disease in the land; if there should be an appearance of false fire about the horizon mankind will suffer from rulers and from fire; if there should be a storm, there will be fear from robbers.

If there should appear either a rainbow, or a comet club-like in shape, people, afflicted with hunger, will suffer from foreign yoke; if there should be either planetary conjunctions or cometary appearances princes will be at war with one another.

If there should occur a fall of good rain within the said period, there will be prosperity in the land and the evils described above will disappear.

If on the new-moon day immediately succeeding a lunar eclipse, there should occur a solar eclipse, there will be dissensions among men and discord between husbands and wives.

If, on the contrary, there should occur a lunar eclipse on the full moon day immediately succeeding a solar eclipse, the Brāhmins will perform various sacrificial rites and mankind will be happy.

If the Mars should begin to retrograde from the 7 th , 8 th or 9 th constellation from that in which he reappears after his conjunction with the Sun, persons who live by fire will be afflicted with disease.

If Mars should begin to retrograde from the 10 th , 11 th or 12 th constellation from that of his reappearance, such retrograde motion is known as aśrumukha : when Mars should re-appear after his next conjunction with the Sun, juice will be injured and there will be disease and drought.

If he should begin to retrograde from the 13 th or 14 th constellation from that of his reappearance, such retrograde motion is known as vyāla : when he should disappear before his next conjunction with the Sun, wild boars and fierce animals will be afflicted with distress.

If Mars should begin to retrograde from the 15 th or the 16 th constellation from that of his reappearance, such retrograde motion is known as rudhirānana ; at the time of such reappearance mankind will be afflicted with disease in the face and with various fears, but there will be prosperity in the land.

If he should begin to retrograde from the 17 th or the 18 th constellation from that of his reappearance such retrograde motion is known as Asimusala ; when Mars is in his reretrograde motion, bands of robbers will be afflicted with distress and there will be drought and wars in the land.

If Mars (bhauma) should re-appear in the constellation of Pūrvaphālguni (sacred to Bhāga ) or in that of Uttaraphālguni (sacred to Āryama), retrograde in the constellation of Uttarāṣāḍha (sacred to Viśvedeva ) and disappear in the constellation of Rohiṇī (sacred to Bhauma), he will afflict the three worlds with miseries.

If Mars, after his re-appearance in the constellation of Ś ravaṇa , should retrograde in that of Puṣya , anointed monarchs will be afflicted with miseries; those countries and those persons will suffer in whose Nakṣatra , Mars should begin to reappear.

If Mars should pass through the middle of the constellation of Maghā and retrograde back through the same, the ruler of the Pāṇḍya country will perish and mankind will suffer from wars and drought.

If Mars should, after cutting through the constellation of Maghā, approach the middle of Viśākhā , there will be famine in the land; if he should cut through the constellation of Rohiṇī, there will be fearful deaths in the land.

If Mars should pass to the south of the constellation of Rohiṇī, rulers will suffer, prices will rise and there will be little rain; if Mars should appear enveloped in smoke or with a pointed flame, the people of Pāriyātra will perish.

If Mars should pass through the constellations of Rohiṇī, Śravaṇa , Mūla , Uttara Phālguni , Uttarāṣādha, Uttarabhādrapada and Jyeṣṭhā , he will destroy clouds charged with rain.

If Mars should pass through the constellations of Śravaṇa, Maghā, Punarvasu , Hasta , Mūla, Pūrvabhādrapada , Aśvini, Viśākhā and Rohiṇī, there will be prosperity in the land.

If Mars should appear with a large and clear disc or red like the flower of Kiṃśuka (Butea Frondosa) or of Aśoka (Jonesia Aśoka Roxb) or of clear and fine rays or like molten gold or if he should pass through the northern path, rulers will be happy and there will be prosperity in the land.

Mercury ( budha ) never reappears after his conjunction with the sun without upsetting the existing order of things: he causes fear from flood, from fire and from storms and paralizes trade by abnormally enhancing or lowering the price of food grains.

If Mercury should cut through the constellations of Śravaṇa , Dhaniṣṭhā , Rohiṇī , Mṛgaśīrṣa and Uttarāṣāḍha , sacred respectively to Viṣṇu , Aṣṭavasu, Brahmā , the Moon and Viśvedevā, his disc appearing to rub against those of the stars, he causes drought and disease in the land.

If Mercury should cut through the five constellations from Ārdrā to Maghā , mankind will suffer from wars, from hunger, from disease and from drought.

If he should cut through the six constellations from Hasta , his disc appearing to rub against those of the stars, cows will suffer, the price of liquid substances and of juice will rise, but there will be abundance of food grains in the land.

If he should cut through the constellations of Uttaraphālguni (sacred to Āryama, the Sun), of Kṛttikā (sacred to Agni , the fire), of Uttarabhadra and of Bharaṇi (sacred to Yama ), all living creatures will be afflicted with disease in blood, in flesh, in bones and the like.

If he should cut through the constellations of Aśvinī (sacred to the Aśvinī Devas ), of Śatabhiṣaja (sacred to Varuṇa ), of Mūla and Revatī , tradesmen, physicians, boatmen, creatures of water and horses will suffer.

If he should cut through one of the constellations of Pūrvaphālguni, Pūrvāṣāḍha and Pūrvabhādra, mankind will suffer from hunger, from wars, from thieves and from disease.

In Parāśara ’s work on Astronomy, Mercury has seven courses assigned to him; they are technically known as—1. Prākṛta , 2. Vimiśra, 3. Saṃkṣipta, 4. Tīkṣṇa , 5. Yogānta, 6. Ghora and 7. Pāpā .

If Mercury (budha) should pass through the constellations of Svāti , Bharaṇi, Roniṇi and Kṛttikā, sacred respectively to Vāyu , to Yama, to Pitāmaha and to Agni, his course is technically known as Prākṛta. If he should pass through the constellations of Mṛgaśīrṣa, Ārdrā, Maghā, Aśleṣā, sacred respectively to the Moon, to Siva , to the Pitṛs and to the serpent, his course is known as Miśragati.

If Mercury should pass through the constellations of Puṣya , Punarvasu and the two Phālgunis , his course is known as Saṃkṣipta. If he should pass through the constellations of the two Bhādrapadas , of Viśākhā , of Aśvinī and of Revatī, his course is known as Tīkṣṇa.

If Mercury should pass through the constellations of Mūla and the two Āṣāḍhas , his course is known as Yogāntika. If such course should lie through the constellations of Śravaṇa, Citrā , Dhaniṣṭhā and Stvāṣṭra, it is known as Ghora.

If Mercury should pass through the constellations of Hasta, Anurādhā , Jyeṣṭhā , sacred respectively to the Sun, to Mitra and to Indra , his course is known as Pāpa . We now proceed to state the periods, in days, of the effects of Mercury’s reappearance in, and course through, particular lunar mansions.

The effects of the Prākṛta and other courses of Mercury described above will last respectively for 40, 30, 22, 18, 9, 15 and 11 days.

When Mercury is in his Prākṛta course, there will be increase of health, of rain, of crops and there will be prosperity in the land. If he should be either in his Saṃkṣipta or Miśra course, mankind will be partly happy and partly miserable. When in his remaining four courses, Mercury brings on adversity.

According to Devata , the effects of the Zjvya (direct), the Ativakra (over retrograde), the Vakra (retrograde) and the Vikala (of irregular rate) motions of Mercury will last respectively for 30, 24, 12 and 6 days.

When Mercury is in his Zjvya course, mankind will be happy; when in his Ativakra course he will destroy wealth; when he is in his Vakra course there will be wars in the land; and when he is in his Vikala course mankind will be afflicted with fear and disease.

If Mercury should, after his conjunction with the Sun, reappear in the month of Āṣāḍha or Śrāvaṇa or Vaiśākha or Māgha , there will be fear in the land; but if he should be in his course in those months there will be happiness in the land.

If Mercury should so reappear in the month of Kārttika or Aśvayuja, there will be wars in the land and mankind will suffer from robbers, from fire, from disease, from flood and from hunger.

When Mercury should disappear, the chief towns in the land will be besieged by enemies, but when he reappears the siege will be raised. According to some writers, the latter occurs only when Mercury reappears as an evening star; and learned writers also say that the chief rulers will also get an accession of territories.

If Mercury should be of the colour of gold or of a parrot or if he should resemble the hue of the Sasyaka gem, or if his disc should appear glossy or big in size, mankind will be happy; but if otherwise, they will be afflicted with miseries.

The years of Jupiter ( bṛhaspati ) take their names from the several Nakṣatras in which he reappears after his conjunction with the Sun; and these names are identical with the names of the lunar months .

These years beginning from Kārttika follow, each, two stars beginning from Kṛttikā ; but the fifth, the eleventh and the twelfth years follow, each, three Nakṣatras.

In the Kārttika year of Jupiter, cart drivers, persons that live by fire and cows will be afflicted with miseries; there will be disease and wars in the land; flowers of blood and of yellow colour will thrive.

In the Mārgaśīrṣa year of Jupiter, there will be drought and

In the Pauṣa year of Jupiter, mankind will be happy; princes will cease their enmity to one another; the price of food crops will become cheap doubly or tribly and there will be an increase of ceremonies to secure special benefits.

In the Māgha year of Jupiter, there will be an increase in respect to fathers; all creatures will be happy, health and rain will prevail over the land; the price of food grains will fall and mankind will be more friendly than ever.

In the Phālguna year of Jupiter, there will be prosperity, rain and crops, here and there; women will suffer miseries; thieves will become powerful and rulers cruel.

In the Caitra year of Jupiter, there will be slight rain, good food and happiness; rulers will become mild; loguminous grains will increase and fair men will suffer miseries.

In the Vaiśākha month of Jupiter, princes with their subjects will be virtuous, fearless and happy; men will engage in sacrificial rites and there will also be growth of crops.

In the Jyeṣṭha year of Jupiter, the chief men of every caste, of every family, of every opulent class and of every village as well as princes and learned men will suffer miseries; and grains excepting Kaṅgu and pod grains will suffer.

In the Āṣāḍha year of Jupiter, there will be crops here and there and drought in other places, mankind will not be very happy and rulers will be afflicted with cares.

In the Śrāvaṇa year of Jupiter, mankind will be happy and crops will thrive and ripen well; wicked men and impostors will suffer with their followers.

In the Bhādrapada year of Jupiter, the produce of creepers will thrive as well as the first crops; but the second crops will fail and there will be prosperity in some places and fear here and there.

In the Āśvayuja year of Jupiter, the rainfall will be incessant; mankind will be happy and prosperous; all living creatures will grow strong and food supply will be abundant.

When Jupiter passes through the northern path , there will be health and happiness in the land; when he passes through the southern path, the reverse of these will be the case; and when he passes through the middle path, there will be neither much of the former nor much of the latter.

If, in one year, Jupiter should pass through a space of two stellar divisions, there will be prosperity in the land; if he should pass through two and a half of such divisions, there will not be much of it; and if at any time, he should pass through over two and a half of these divisions, crops will be injured.

If the disc of Jupiter should appear of the colour of fire, there will be fear from fire; if yellow, there will be disease in the land; if dark-blue, there will be wars; if green, suffering from thieves, and if of blood color, suffering from weapons.

If the disc of Jupiter should appear of the colour of smoke, there will be drought; if it should be visible during day, rulers will perish and if it should appear large and clear at night, mankind will be happy.

The Nakṣatras— Rohiṇī and Kṛttikā, form the body of the Vatsara Puruṣa , the two Āṣāḍhas form his navel, Āśleṣā forms the heart and Maghā , the heart-bladder; when benefíc planets pass through these, there will be happiness in the land; if malefic planets should pass through the body, there will be suffering from fire and winds; if they should pass through the navel, there will be suffering from starvation; if they should pass through the heart-bladder, roots and fruits will suffer, and if they should pass through the heart, crops will perish.

Multiply by 11 the number of past solar years from the time of the Śaka prince (Śālivahāna), and take 4 times the product; to it add 8589 and divide the sum by 3750.

Add the quotient to the said number of solar years from the time of the Śaka prince, and divide the sum by 60; the remainder represents the number of years by which Jupiter (bṛhaspati) has advanced in his cycle of 60 years; (call it J); divide this remainder by 5, the quotient will give the number of yugas preceding the current yugas of Jupiter calculated from Viṣṇu (the name of the first of Jupiter’s 12 Yugas, each consisting of 5 years); and the remainder will give the years by which Jupiter has advanced in his current Yuga .

Divide J (Jupiter’s years) by 12 and multiply the remainder by 9 and divide the product by 4; the quotient will represent the number of Nakṣatras, calculated from Dhaniṣṭhā , passed over by Mean Jupiter and the remainder the number of Navāhas passed over by him in the next Nakṣatra .

The twelve yugas of Jupiter’s cycle are known as belonging to the Devas 1. Viṣṇu, 2. Jupiter, 3. Indra , 4. Agni (fire), 5. Tvaṣṭā , 6. Ahirbudhnya , 7. The Pitṛs , 8. Vāsudeva , 9. Soma (the Moon), 10. Indrāgni , 11. Aśvinideva, 12. Bhaga (the Sun).

The five years of each yuga are known as—1. Saṃvatsara , 2. Parivatsara , 3. Idāvatsara , 4. Anuvatsara , 5. Idvatsara . These are sacred respectively to 1. Agni (fire), 2. Arka (the Sun), 3. Candra (the Moon), 4. Prajāpati (the Creator), 5. Rudra (the Destroyer).

Generally in every yuga, there will be good rain in the first year and at the beginning of the second year; excessive rain in the third year; moderate rain at the end (of the rainy season) of the fourth year; and slight rain in the fifth year.

In the first four yugas there will be prosperity in the land; in the next or middle four there will not be much of it; and in the last four mankind will suffer miseries.

When Jupiter (bṛhaspati) reappears at the beginning of the constellation of Dhaniṣṭhā in the month of Māgha, the first year of the cycle of 60 years of Jupiter known as Prabhava commences. In it all creatures will be happy.

In the same year there will be drought in certain places and suffering from storm and fire; the crops will be injured; phlegmatic maladies will afflict mankind; nevertheless mankind will be happy.

The next year is known as Vibhava the third as Śukla , the fourth as Pramoda , and the fifth as Prajāpati : in each of these years mankind will be happier than in the next preceding year.

In the same four years there will be good growth of the Śālī crop, of sugarcane, of barky and other crops in the land; mankind will be freed from all fears and they will live at peace, in happiness and without the vices of the Kaliyuga .

The five years of the second yuga are known as—1. Aṅgirā , 2. Śrīmukha 3. Bhāva , 4. Yuvā and 5. Dhātā . Of these, during the first three years mankind will enjoy happiness and during the last two they will not enjoy much of it.

In the first three of the above five years there will be abundance of rain and mankind will be freed from fears and anxieties; in the last two years the rainfall will be moderate but disease and wars will afflict mankind.

The first year of the fourth yuga is known as Citrabhānu ; in it mankind will be happy. The second is known as Subhānu . In it mankind will be neither happy nor miserable; there will however be disease in the land but no deaths in consequence.

The next year is known as Tāraṇa ; in it there will be abundance of rain. The next is known as Pārthiva ; in it crops with thrive well and mankind will be happy. The fifth year is known as Vyaya ; in it amorous sensastions will prevail over the land.

The first year of the next yuga sacred to Tvaṣṭā is known as Sarvajit . The next year is known as Sarvadhārin . The next three years are— Virodhī , Vikṛta and Khara : in the second of these, mankind will be happy and they will be afflicted with fears in the other years.

The five years of the next yuga are1. Nandana , 2. Vijaya , 3. Jaya , 4. Manmatha , 5. Durmukha : during the first three years there will be happiness in the land; in Manmatha mankind will feel neither happy, nor miserable and in the year Durmukha they will feel miserable.

The years of the seventh yuga are—1. Hemalamba , 2. Vilambi , 3. Vikāri , 4. Śarvarī and 5. Plava .

In the first of these years crops will generally be injured and there will be storm and rain; in the second year crops will not grow in abundance and the rainfall will not be much; in the third year mankind will be afflicted with fears and there will be much rain; in the fourth year there will be famine; in Plava , the fifth year, there will be prosperity in the land and also much rain.

The first year of the next yuga sacred to Viśvedeva is Śobhakṛt ; the next year is known as Subhakṛt ; the third is Krodhī ; and the remaining years are known as Viśvāvasu and Parābhava .

During the first two years mankind will be happy; during the third they will feel exceedingly miserable and during the last two years they will be neither happy nor miserable; but in the year Parābhava there will be fear from fire and suffering from weapons and from disease; the Brāhmins and cows will also suffer.

The first year of the ninth yuga is Plavaṅga , the next year is known as Kīlaka , the third is known as Saumya and the last two years are known as Sādhāraṇa and Rodhakṛt respectively; of these, during the years Kīlaka and Saumya mankind will be happy.

In the year Plavaṅga mankind will suffer much; in Sādhāraṇa there will be slight rain and crops will suffer; in the fifth year there will be a variety of rainfall and crops will thrive.

The first year of the next yuga sacred to Indrāgni is known as Paridhāvi ; the remaining years are— Pramādin , Ānanda , Rākṣasa and Anala .

In the year Paridhāvi the Madhyadeśa will suffer and the ruling princes will perish, there will be slight rain and fear from fire; in the year Pramādi mankind will be disposed to be inactive; villagers will be at strife; red flowers and red seed will be destroyed.

In the next year mankind will be happy. In the years Rākṣasa and Anala there will be deaths and decay in the land; in Rākṣasa again the summer crops will thrive and in Anala there will be fear from fire and much suffering in the land.

The five years of the eleventh yuga are—1. Piṅgala , 2. Kālayukta , 3. Siddhārtha , 4. Raudra , 5. Durmati . In the first year there will be much rain and fear from thieves and mankind will suffer from consumption of the lungs and the like asthmatic complaints.

In the year Kālayukta mankind will suffer from various evils; but in Siddhārtha they will be happy in more ways than one. In the year Raudra mankind will suffer much and there will be loss and ruin in the land. In Durmati there will be moderate rain.

In the twelveth yuga sacred to god Bhāga (Sun), the first year is known as Dundubhi ; the crops will thrive well. The next year is known as Udgāri ; in it the ruling sovereigns will perish and there will not be good rain.

The third year is known as Raktākṣa ; in it there will be fear from the attack of tusked animals and mankind will suffer from disease. The fourth year is known as Krodha ; in it there will be anger in the land and countries will be ruined in consequence of internal strife.

The last year of the last yuga is Kṣaya ; there will then be much rain in the land; the Brāhmins will be afflicted with fear and farmers will prosper. The Vaiśyas and Śūdras will be happy as also persons that deprive others of their property. Thus have been described briefly the effects of the sixty years of Jupiter’s cycle.

If the disc of Jupiter (bṛhaspati) be full of pure rays and large and appear of the colour of white jasmine or white water lily or crystal and if he does not suffer by occulation by or conjunction with, other planets and when he is in his good course mankind will be happy.

The five years of the third yuga sacred to Indra are known as—1. Īśvara , 2. Bahudhānya , 3. Pramāthin , 4. Vikrama and 5. Vṛṣa . In the first two years mankind will enjoy the happiness of Kṛtayuga . In the year Pramāthin they will feel miserable but in the years Vikrama and Vṛṣa they will again be happy.

The ecliptic is divided into nine divisions known as Vīthis (paths), According to some each division consists of three constellations beginning from Aśvini : these divisions are technically known as—1. Nāga (serpent), 2. Gaja (elephant), 3. Airāvata (the divine elephant), 4. Vṛṣabha (bull), 5. Go (cow), 6. Jaradgava , 7. Mṛga (deer), 8. Aja (ram), 9. Dahana (fire).

According to others the Nāga Vīthi consists of the constellations of Svāti , Bharaṇī and Kṛttikā ; the Gaja Vīthi of the three constellations from Rohiṇī ; the Airāvata Vīthi of the three from Punaravasu ; the Vṛṣabha Vīthi of the three from Māgha ; the Go Vīthi of the three from Aśvini Revatī , Pūrvabhādrapada and Uttarabhādrapada .

The Jaradgava Vīthi consists of the three constellations from Śravaṇa ; the Mṛga Vīthi of the three from Anurādhā ; the Aja Vīthi of Hasta , Viśākhā and Citrā ; and the Dahana Vīthi consists of the two constellations Pūrvāṣāḍha and Uttarāṣāḍha .

Of the nine Vīthis the first three are known as the northern Vīthis ; the next three as the central Vīthis and the last three as the southern Vīthis . Again in the case of each three the first is known as the northern Vīthi , the second as the central Vīthi and the last as the southern Vīthi .

According to some the position of a Vīthi follows that of the Yoga Tārā (chief star) of the particular constellation; so that if the star should be on the north of the ecliptic, the Vīthi is known as the northern one ; if on the ecliptic, it is known as the central one and if on the south of the ecliptic, it is known as the southern one.

According to others the nine constellations from Bharaṇi form the northern Vīthi or path, the nine from Pūrvaphālguni form the central path and the nine from Pūrvāṣādha form the southern path.

If writers on Jyotiṣaśāstra should disagree it is not for me to determine the correct view; I have only to state the views here of several authors.

If Venus ( śukra ) should either disappear or reappear in a northern Vīthi there will be prosperity and happiness in the land; if in a central Vīthi there will not be much of either; and if in a southern Vīthi mankind will be afflicted with miseries.

If Venus should disappear or reappear in the several Vīthis beginning from the northernmost one, the condition of the world will respectively be—1. Very excellent, 2. Excellent, 3. Good. 4. Fair, 5. Moderate, 6. Tolerable, 7. Poor, 8. Very poor, 9. Miserable.

The four constellations from Bharaṇi are known as the first maṇḍala (circle or division). If Venus should reappear in it there will be prosperity in the land; the people of Vaṅga and of Aṅga , the Mahiṣas , the Vāhlīkās and the Kaliṅgas will be afflicted with fears.

If Venus, who so reappears in the said circle, should be crossed by a planet, the rulers of the Bhadrās , of the Aśvas , of Śūrasenakas and of the Yaudheyas and Koṭivarṣa will perish.

The four constellations from Ārdrā form the second maṇḍala or circle; if Venus should reappear in it, the rainfall will be moderate and the growth of food crops will also be moderate; the Brāhmins will suffer, especially those who are wicked.

If Venus who so reappears in the said circle, should be crossed by a planet, the Mlecchas , forestmen, persons that live by dogs, the hill men of Gomanta and Gonarda , the Cāṇḍālas , the Śūdras and the people of Videha will become wicked and lawless.

The five constellations from Maghā form the third maṇḍala : if Venus should reappear in it, crops will suffer; there will also be suffering from hunger and robbers. Cāṇḍālas will prosper and there will be an intermingling of castes.

If Venus, who so reappears in the said maṇḍala , should be crossed by a planet, shepherds, hunters, the Śūdras, the Puṇḍras the border Mlecchas, the Śūlikas , forestmen, the Draviḍas and persons who live close to the sea will be afflicted with miseries.

The three constellations from Svāti form the fourth maṇḍala ; if Venus should reappear in it, mankind will be free from fear; the Brāhmins and Kṣatriyas will prosper and friends will turn into enemies.

If Venus, who so reappears in the said maṇḍala , should be crossed by a planet, the chiefs of the hunters will perish; the Ikṣvākus , the border Mlecchas, the people of Avantī and of Pulinda and the Śūrasenas will also perish.

The five constellations from Jyeṣṭhā form the fifth maṇḍala ; if Venus should reappear in it, the people of Cashmere [i.e., Kāśmīra ], the Aśmakas , the Matsyas , those living on the banks of the Charudevi [i.e., Cārudevī ] and in the country of Avantī will suffer from hunger, from thieves and from disease.

If Venus who so reappears in the said maṇḍala should be crossed by a planet, the Ābhīras , the Draviḍas, the Ambaṣṭhas , the Trigartas , the Saurāṣṭras , the people of Sindh and of Sauvīraka and the ruler of Benares will perish.

The six constellations from Dhaniṣṭhā form the sixth maṇḍala ; if Venus should reappear in it there will be wealth and prosperity in the land and cows will thrive and crops will be abundant but fear in certain places.

If Venus, who so reappears in the said maṇḍala should be crossed by a planet, the Śūlikas, the people of Gāndhāra and of Avantī will be afflicted with miseries. The Videhas will perish. The servants of the border Mlecchas and of the Yavanas will prosper.

If Venus should reappear or be crossed by a planet in the western portion of the maṇḍalas beginning from Svātī and from Jyeṣṭhā or in the eastern portion of the maṇḍala beginning from Maghā, there will be happiness in the land; in all the other maṇḍalas the effects will be the same as those already described wherever Venus might happen to reappear or be then crossed.

If Venus should be visible before sunset there will be fear in the land; if visible throughout the day, mankind will suffer from hunger and from disease; if visible at midday in conjunction with the moon, the kings army and capital city will suffer.

If Venus should pass through the constellation of Kṛttikā , the Earth will be so much enundated with water as to make its surface even.

If Venus should pass through the constellation of Rohiṇī Earth will assume the same appearance of death and devastation as if she was going through the ceremony of Kāpālika for the expiation of the sin of murder.

If Venus should enter the constellation of Mṛgaśīrṣa , juice and crops will suffer; if she should enter the constellation of Ārdrā, the people of Kośala and of Kaliṅga will suffer and there will be abundance of rain.

If Venus should enter the constellation of Punarvasu , the people of Aśmaka and of Vidarbha will become lawless. If Venus should enter the constellation of Puṣya , there will be good rain; singing and dancing parties will suffer.

If Venus should enter the constellation of Āśleṣā there will be much suffering from serpents; it Venus should pass through the constellation of Magha , elephant keepers or ministers will suffer and there will be abundance of rain.

If Venus should pass through the constellation of Pūrvaphalgunī , hill men and the people of Pulinda will perish and there will be abundance of rain; if she should pass through the constellation of Uttaraphalgunī , the people of Kuru , of Jāṅgala and of Pāñcāla will perish, and there will also be rain.

If she should pass through the constellation of Hasta , the Kauravas and painters will suffer; there will be no rain; well-diggers and birds will suffer. If she should enter the constellation of Citrā , there will be good rain.

If she should enter the constellation of Svāti , there will be much rain; servants, merchants and boatmen will become wicked and lawless. If she should enter the constellation of Viśākhā , there will be good rain and tradesmen will suffer.

If she should enter the constellation of Anurādhā , rulers will be at strife; if she should enter the constellation of Jyeṣṭhā , the chief rulers will suffer; if she should enter the constellation of Mūla , physicians that deal in medicinal plants will suffer. In each of these three cases there will be drought in the land.

If Venus (śukra) should enter the constellation of Pūrvāṣādha , the creatures of water will suffer; if she should enter the constellation of Uttarāṣādha , diseases will increase. If she should enter the constellation of Śravaṇa , diseases of the ear will afflict mankind. If she should enter the constellation of Dhaniṣṭhā , heretics will suffer.

if venus should enter the constellation of Śatabhiṣaja, drunkards or dealers in liquor will suffer; if she should enter the constellation of Pūrvabhādra , gamblers will suffer as well as the Kauravas and the Pāñcālas , and there will be rain in the land.

If Venus should enter the constellation of Uttarabhādra , fruits and roots will be injured; if she should enter the constellation of Revatī , travellers will suffer; if she should enter Aśvinī , horsekeepers will suffer and if she should enter Bharaṇī , hillmen and the Yavanas will suffer.

If Venus should either reappear or disappear in the 8 th , 14 th , or 15 th lunar day of the waning moon, the Earth will be flooded with water.

If Jupiter and Venus should be opposite to, that is, 180� apart from each other and if they should be at the same time due east and west of each other, mankind will suffer from disease, from fears and from sorrow, and there will be no rain.

If the course of Jupiter, Mercury, Mars and Saturn should just precede that of Venus, mankind, elephants and magicians will be at strife among themselves; storms and deaths will afflict mankind.

Friends will cease to be friends; the Brahmins will cease to perform religious ceremonies properly; there will be no rain; and mountains will be riven asunder thunderbolts.

If the course of Saturn should just precede that of Venus, the Mlecchas , cats, elephants, asses, buffaloes, black grains, hogs, Pulindas ( barbarians ), the Śūdras and travellers in the south will suffer by diseases of the eye and by windy disorders.

If the course of Mars should just precede that of Venus, mankind will suffer from fire, from weapons, from hunger, from drought and from thieves; all the creatures and objects of the north will suffer and the sky will be filled with fire, lightning and dust.

If the course of Jupiter should just precede that of Venus, he will destroy objects that are white, the Brāhmaṇas , cows and temples; the east will suffer; there will be a fall of hail from the clouds and diseases of the neck; the crops of Śarat will thrive well.

If the course of Mercury should just precede that of Venus, and if Mercury should then have either disappeared or reappeared, there will be rain in the land ; diseases and bilious jaundice will afflict mankind; the crops of Grīṣma will flourish ; ascetics, persons who have performed sacrificial rites, physicians, dancers or wrestlers, horses, the Vysias, cows, rulers in their chariots and all yellow objects will perish and the west will suffer.

If Venus (śukra) should be of the colour of fire, there will be fear from fire; if of blood colour, there will be wars in the land; if of the colour of burnished gold, there will be disease; if green, there will be asthmatic complaints; if ashy-pale or black, there will be drought in the land.

If Venus should be of the colour of coagulated milk, of the white water lily , or of the moon, or if her course be direct, or if she should be the successful planet in conjunctions, mankind will enjoy the happiness of Kṛtayuga .

If the disc of Saturn ( śanaiścara ) should appear glossy and if his course should lie through the constellations of Śravaṇa , Svāti , Hasta , Ārdrā , Bharaṇī or Pūrvaphālguni , the Earth will be covered with water.

If his course should lie through the constellations of Āśleṣā , Śatabhiṣaj , Jyeṣṭhā , there will be prosperity in the land but slight rain; if his course should lie through Mūla , mankind will suffer from hunger, from weapons and from drought. We will now proceed to state the effects of Saturn’s course through each of the 27 constellations.

If the course of Saturn should lie through the first constellation of Aśviṇī , horses, horse-keepers, poets, physicians and ministers will perish. If it should lie through the constellation of Bharaṇi , dancers, players on musical instruments, vocal singers, low people and deceitful men will perish.

If his course should lie through the constellation of Kṛttikā , persons that live by fire and commanders of armies will perish; and if through Rohiṇ , the people of Kośala , of Madra , Kāśī or Benares , of Pāñcāla and carriage drivers will suffer.

If the course of Saturn should lie through the constellation of Mṛgaśīrṣa , the people of Vatsa , the officiating priests in sacrificial rites as well as the persons that perform them, revered men and the people of Madhyadeśa will suffer miseries; if through Ārdrā , the people of Pārata , of Ramaṭha , oil-mongers, washermen and thieves will suffer.

If the course of Saturn should lie through the constellation of Punarvasu , the Pāñcālas , the border Mlecchas and the people of Saurāṣṭra , of Sindh and of Sauvīraka will suffer miseries; if his course should lie through the constellation of Puṣya , bell ringers, criers, the Yavanas tradesmen, deceitful men and flowers will suffer.

If the course of Saturn should lie through the constellation of Āśleṣā , the creatures of water and serpents will suffer; if through the constellation of Maghā , the Bāhlīkas , the Cīna (Chinese), the people of Gāndhāra , of Śūlika , of Pārata, the Vaiáyas, store houses and merchants will suffer.

If his course should lie through the constellation of Pūrvaphālguni , juice-sellers, prostitutes, virgins and the people of Mahāraṣṭras will suffer miseries; if through Uttaraphālguni , kings, ascetics, jaggery, salt, water and the town of Takṣaśilā will suffer.

If the course of Saturn (śanaiścara) should lie through the constellation of Hasta , barbers, mill-men, thieves, physicians, weavers , elephant deepers (keepers?), prostitutes, the Kośalas and garland makers will suffer.

If the course of Saturn should lie through the constellation of Citrā , women, writers, painters , various utensils will suffer; if through Svāti , the people of Magadha , reporters, messengers, charioteers, sailors, dancers and the like will suffer miseries.

If the course of Saturn should lie through the constellation of Viśākhā , the Trigartas , the Chinese and the Kulūtas , saffron, lac, crops and everything of bright, red or crimson colour will suffer.

If the course of Saturn should lie through the constellation of Anurādhā , the Kulūtas, the Taṅgaṇas , the Khasas , the people of Kāśmīra , ministers, drivers and bell-ringers will suffer, and friends will turn into enemies.

If the course of Saturn should lie through the constellation of Jyeṣṭhā , the king’s chaplain, the king’s favorites, valient soldiers and mixed crowds of men of different castes will suffer; if through Mūla , the people of Benares, of Kośala and of Pāñcāla, fruits, medicinal plants and soldiers will suffer.

If his course should lie through the constellation of Pūrvāṣādha , the people of Aṅga , of Vaṅga , of Kośala, of Girivraja , of Magadha, of Puṇḍra , of Mithilā and of Tāmralipta will suffer miseries.

If the course of Saturn (śanaiścara) should lie through the constellation of Uttarāṣādha , the people of Daśārṇa , the Yavanas, the people of Ujjain , barbarians, the people of Pāriyātra and the Kuntibhojas will suffer.

If the course of Saturn should lie through Śravaṇa public officials, the chief Brāhmins, physicians, priests and the people of Kaliṅga will suffer miseries. If his course should lie through Dhaniṣṭhā , the ruler of Magadha will become triumphant and treasury officers will prosper.

If the course of Saturn should lie through the constellations of Śatabhiṣaj and Pūrvabhādra , physicians, poets, drunkards or those that deal in liquor, tradesmen and ministers, will be afflicted with miseries; if it should lie through the coñstellation of Uttarabhādra , dancers, travellers, women and gold will suffer.

If the course of Saturn should lie through Revatī , the servants of the reigning sovereigns, the people of Krauñcadvīpa , the crops of Śarat , barbarians and the Yavanas will suffer.

If, while Saturn is in Kṛttikā , Jupiter should be in the constellation of Viśākhā , mankind will then become very wicked. If both the planets should be in one and the same constellation, the chief towns will suffer.

If Saturn should appear variegated in colour, birds will perish; if yellow, there will be fear from hunger; if of blood colour, there will be wars in the land and if of ashy colour, mankind will be very much at strife.

If Saturn should appear as bright as the Vaidūrya gem or pure or of the colour of the Bāṇa (a black flower) or Atasī flower, mankind will be happy. Whatever may be the colour of Saturn, the persons who or objects which correspond to the particular colour will suffer.

Having examined the treatises of Garga , Parāśara , Asita , Devala and many others on Ketus , I now proceed to give a clear account of the same.

The reappearance or disappearance of the Ketus is not subject to astronomical calculations. The Ketus are of three kindscelestial, etherial and terrestrial.

Ketus are luminous appearances resembling f�re but without the power to consume objectsthe glow worm, certain phosphorescent appearances, gems, precious stones and the like excepted.

The etherial Ketus appear in flag staffs, instruments of war, houses, trees , horses, elephants and the like. The celestial Ketus appear in stellar regions and the terrestrial ones appear in pits and low grounds in the surface of the Earth.

Some writers say that the Ketus are 101 in number; others say that they are 1,000 in number; Nārada says that there is but one Ketu which appears in various shapes at various times.

Whether there is one Ketu or many, the effects to be described are various and these effects depend on their reappearance or disappearance (at particular times and places), their positions, the heavenly bodies with which they might appear to be in contact and on their colours.

The effects will last for as many months as the number of days during which the Ketus continue to be visible; if visible for months, the effects will last for years. The effects will commence after three weeks from such appearances.

Generally, if the luminous body or comet be small, clear, glossy, straight, transient, white and visible either immediately after their appearance or some time afterwards, there will be health and happiness in the land.

If it be the opposite of these, or of the shape of the rainbow or with two or three tails, mankind will not be happy.

The Ketus or comets that resemble garlands, gems and gold are named Kiraṇa Ketus and are 25 in number; they have tails and appear in the east and in the west; they are the sons of the Sun, and when they appear, princes will begin to be at strife.

The Ketus that are of the colour of the parrot, of fíre, of Bhandhu- Jīvika flower, of lac or of blood are the sons of Agni (fìre) and appear in the south-east; they are 25 in number; when they appear mankind will be afflicted with fears.

The Ketus or comets whose tails are bent and which are of sharp rays and black are the sons of Yama ; they are 25 in number; they appear in the south; when they appear there will be deaths in the land.

The Ketus or comets that appear like a mirror, are round in shape without tails but with rays and looking like oil or water are the sons of the Earth; they are 23 in number, and appear in the north-east; when they appear mankind will be afflicted with fear and hunger.

The Ketus or comets that appear bright like the moon, silver, snow, white jasmine and the white water lily are the sons of the moon; they appear in the north and are in number; when they appear mankind will be happy.

A single comet possessing three tails and three colours is called Brahmadaṇḍa (born of the creator); it appears anywhere; when it appears the world will come to an end.

Thus have been stated briefly 101 Ketus and we will now proceed to state clearly the 1,000 Ketus already referred to.

The comets that appear in the north and north-east are 84 in number; they are the sons of Venus ; they have large, white and shining discs and when they appear mankind will not be happy.

The comets that appear glossy, with rays and double-tailed are sixty in number; they are the sons of Saturn; they appear anywhere and are named Kanaka Ketus ; when they appear mankind will feel very miserable.

The comets which are white, of single disc, without tails and glossy are named Vikacā Ketus and are the sons of Jupiter. They are 65 in number; they appear in the south and when they appear mankind will not be happy.

The comets that are neither very bright nor clearly visible to the naked eye, and that are long and white are named Taskara Ketus ; they are the sons of Mercury, they appear anywhere and are 51 in number; when they appear mankind will feel miserable.

The comets which are of the colour of blood or fire and with three tails are named Kauṅkuma Ketus : they are the sons of Mars and are 60 in number; they appear in the north and when they appear mankind will feel miserable.

The Ketus that appear as spots in the solar and lunar discs are 33 in number. They are named as Tāmasa and Kīlaka Ketus . They are the sons of Rāhu . Their effects have been stated in the chapter on the Sun (vide stanza 7, Ch. 3.)

The comets that resemble the flaming fire or a garland are 120 in number. They are the sons of Agni and are named Viśvarūpa Ketus . When they appear there will be fear from fire.

The comets that are dark-red in colour, without disc, presenting the appearance of Cāmara and with scattered rays are named Aruṇa Ketus . They are the sons of Vāyu (the wind) and are 77 in number; when they appear mankind will feel miserable.

The comets that resemble clusters of stars are named Gaṇakā Ketus ; they are 8 in number and are the sons of Prajāpati . Those that are oblongular in shape, are 204 in number and are the sons of Brahmā .

The comets that resemble clusters of bamboo canes and that are as bright as the moon are named Kaṅkā Ketus ; they are the sons of Varuṇa and are 32 in number. When they appear mankind will suffer miseries.

The comets that resemble a headless trunk are named Kabandha Ketus ; they are the sons of Yama, are 96 in number and are without discs; when they appear there will be much fear all over the Earth.

The comets that are white possessing a single disc are 9 in number; they appear in the four corners. Thus we have given an account of 1,000 Ketus. We shall now give a few particulars connected with them.

Vasā Ketu is a comet which lies with its head towards the north; it is of large size, glossy and appears in the west. When it appears there will be immediate deaths in the land but prosperity in the end.

Asthi Ketu resembles the Vasā Ketu ; but if it appears of sharp rays, there will be fear in the land. Śastra Ketu also resembles the Vasā Ketu but is glossy and appears in the west; and when it appears, there will be wars and deaths in the land.

Kapāla Ketu is visible on new-moon days; its tail is of the colour of smoke; its course lies through the eastern half of the visible hemisphere; when it appears mankind will suffer from hunger, death, drought and disease.

Raudra Ketu is a comet resembling the dagger’s end and is of a dull red colour; it appears in the south-east and travels through a third of the sky and produces the same effects as the Kapāla Ketu .

Cala Ketu is a comet which appears in the west with a tail an inch in length pointing to the south; as it proceeds more and more towards the north, it increases in length.

After touching the Pole star or the constellation of Abhijit , it turns back and after travelling one half of the sky disappears in the south.

When this Ketu appears, the country between Prayāga (Allahabad) and Avantī , the forests near Puṣkara , the north, the country of Devikā and Madhyadeśa will perish.

The other countries will also suffer in several places from disease and from famine; the effects described will last for 10 months according to some and for 18 months according to others.

Zveta Ketu is a comet which appears in the east about midnight with its tail pointing to the south. Ka Ketu is a comet of the shape of a carriage pole and appears in the west. Both the above Ketus are seen simultaneously for 7 days.

If both should appear glossy, there will be prosperity and happiness in the land; if the Ka Ketu should be visible for over 7 days, there will be much suffering from wars for ten years.

The Zveta Ketu is of the shape of the twisted hair and of a dull and disagreeable aspect; it travels through a third of the sky and then retraces its steps. When it disappears it leaves only a third of mankind as survivors.

Raśmi Ketu is a comet possessing a tail slightly coloured like smoke; it appears in the constellation of Kṛttikā . The effects are the same as those assigned to Sveta Ketu .

Dhruva Ketu is a comet possessing no fixed course, colour or shape and appears anywhere in the heavens, in the sky and on Earth. When it appears glossy, mankind will be happy.

To those whose death might be near this Ketu appears in the several divisions of the Kings army, in houses, in trees, in hills and in household utensils.

Kumuda Ketu is a comet of the colour of the white water lily. It appears in the west with its tail pointing to the east and is visible only for a night. When it appears there will be unprecedented happiness in the land for a period of ten years.

Maṇi Ketu is a comet which appears for only 3 hours occasionally; it possesses an invisible disc and appears in the west; its tail is straight and white and it resembles a line of milk drawn from a human breast.

There will be happiness in the land from the very time of its appearance for four and a half months; reptiles and venomous creatures will come into existence.

Jala Ketu is a comet which appears in the west with a raised tail; it is glossy, when it appears there will be prosperity in the land for 9 months, and the world will be freed from all miseries.

Bhava Ketu is a comet visible only for a single night and in the east, possessing a small disc; it is glossy; the tail is bent like that of a lion.

There will be unprecedented happiness in the land for as many months as the number of hours for which it continues to be visible; if it should be fearful to look at, fatal diseases will afflict mankind.

Padma Ketu is a comet white like the stem of the lotus. If it appears only for a night, there will be joy and happiness in the land for 7 years.

Āvarta Ketu is a comet of red colour; it appears in the west at mid-night with its tail pointing to the south and it is glossy. There will be happiness in the land for as many months as the number of kṣaṇas (four minutes) for which it continues to be visible.

Samvarta Ketu is a comet which appears in the west in the evening with a tail of the colour of smoke and copper, extending to a third of the sky and resembling the sharp end of a dagger; it is fearful to look at.

Princes will suffer in wars for as many years as the number of hours for which it continues to be visible. Those persons will also suffer in the star of whose nativity the comet appears.

Omitting the benefic comets, we shall proceed to state the several princes who will perish according as the malefic comets either dim with their tails the stars of the various constellations or appear to be in contact with the same.

If the stars of the constellation of Aśvinī should be dimmed by the tails of or appear to be in contact with malefic comets, the ruler of Aśmaka will perish; if the stars of Bharaṇi should be so dimmed or in contact with malefic comets, the ruler of Kiratas will perish; if those of Kṛttikā , the ruler of Kaliṅga will perish; if those of Rohiṇī , the ruler of Śūrasena will perish.

If the stars of the constellation of Mṛgāśīrṣa should be dimmed by the tails of or appear to be in contact with malefic comets, the ruler of Auśīnara will perish; if those of Ārdrā , the ruler of the people subsisting by the products of water will perish; if those of Punarvasu the ruler of Aśmaka will perish; and if those of Puṣya the ruler of Magadha will perish.

If the stars of the constellation of Āśleṣā should be dimmed by the tails of or appear to be in contact with malefic comets, the ruler of Asika will perish; if those of Maghā , the ruler of Aṅga will perish; if those of Pūrvaphālguni , the ruler of Pāṇḍya will perish; if those of Uttaraphālguni , the ruler of Ujjain will perish; and if those of Hasta , the ruler of Daṇḍaka will perish.

If the stars of the constellation of Citrā should be dimmed by the tails of or appear to be in contact with malefic comets, the ruler of the Kurus will perish; if those of Svāti , the rulers of Kāśmīra and Kāmboja will perish.

If the stars of the constellation of Viśākhā should be dimmed by the tails of or appear to be in contact with malefic comets, the ruler of Ikṣvāku and of Alaka will perish; if those of Anurādhā , the ruler of Puṇḍra will perish; if those of Jyeṣṭhā the chief emperor will suffer.

If the stars of the constellation of Mūla should be dimmed by the tails of or appear to be in contact with malefic comets, the rulers of Andhra and of Madra will perish; if those of Pūrvāṣādha , the ruler of Benares will perish; if those of Uttarāṣādha , the rulers of Yaudheya , of Arjunāyana , of Śibi and of Caidya will perish.

If the stars of the constellation of Śravaṇa should be dimmed by the tails of or appear to be in contact with the malefic comets, the ruler of Kekaya will perish; if those of Dhaniṣṭhā , the ruler of Punjab will perish; if those of Ṣaṭbhiṣaj the ruler of Ceylon will perish; if those of Pūrvabhādra , the ruler of Bengal will perish; if those of Uttarabhādra , the ruler of Naimiṣa will perish; and if those of Revatī , the ruler of Kirāta will perish.

If the tails of the comets should be crossed by the fall of meteors there will be happiness in the land; if there should be a fall of rain at the time of the appearance of a comet mankind will be exceedingly happy; but the people of Cola and Avagāṇa as well as the white-men, the infidels and the Chinese will suffer.

The rulers of the countries to which the bent tails of the comets point, of the countries in the direction of which the tails of the comets extend and of the countries corresponding to the several constellations (as described above) with whose stars the comets might appear to be in contact, will triumph over their enemies and be happy.

The mighty ocean whose waters were swallowed by Agastya, exhibited gems that eclipsed the splendour of the crowns of the Devas and rocks broken by the action of the sharks on them and thus presented an appearance beautiful, though without water.

It also exhibited hills with trees, corals and gems and the scene was rendered picturesque by serpents that issued from the rocks.

It exhibited whales, water elephants, rivers and gems scattered over its bed, and, though deprived of water, presented an appearance splendid as Devaloka .

There were also seen, moving to and fro, whales, pearl oysters and conch shells, and the sea altogether looked like a summer lake with its moving waves, water lilies and swans.

Its huge white waves looked like clouds; its gems looked like stars; its crystals looked like the Moon; and its long bright serpents bearing gems in their hoods looked like comets and thus the whole sea looked like the sky.

Hear now the effects of the heliacal rising of Canopus (Agastya), a star sacred to Agastya who suppressed the Vindhya mountains whose soaring heights obstructed the course of the Sun; to which the pictured robes of the Vidyādhara females leaning for support on their lord’s arms and flying aloft in the sky formed beautiful flowing flags; whose caves were the abodes of lions which, having drunk of the perfumed blood of elephants in rut had their mouths covered with bees that looked like so many black flowers, and from which caves issued rivers; whose summits appeared to score the starry vault; whose rocks were full of buzzing bees scared by the violent pulling of flower trees by wild elephants and were also the abodes of hyenas, of bears, of tigers and of monkeys; through which lay the secret course of the Ravi which appeared to embrace its bosom with the affection of a mistress; and in whose forests dwelt the Devas and also Brāhmaṇa recluses, some subsisting on water, some on roots, some on the air and some altogether without food.

When star Canopus reappears after its conjunction with the Sun, waters muddled by their contact with the earth will resume their original clearness just in the same way as the minds of the Sādhus naturally recover their original purity after contact with the wicked.

The autumn is attended by the Cakravāka on both its sides ( i.e ., beginning and end); in it is heard the music of the swan; and its opening is marked by the beautiful red sky; in all these respects the season resembles a woman with a rising bosom, sounding jewels and betel-coloured mouth.

Again in the season of autumn will be found the blue and white lotus growing side by side, hovered over by beautiful lines of bees, tender creepers adding beauty to the scene; the season therefore resembles a charming woman with blue eyes, fair face, black hair and thin brows.

As if to view the beauty of the pure disc of her lordthe Moon, the summer lake opens at night her red lotus budsher eyes of soft petals in which lie concealed the black bee serving as the pupil of the eye.

The Earth, by means of her arms, the waves, adorned by the lotus, the swan, the ruddy goose and the water-crow appears to welcome the appearance of Agastya with her offerings of gems, abundant foowers and fruits.

The poisonous and hot waters poured down by cloud-covered serpents by order of Indra become pure and fit for use on the reappearance of the star Canopus.

The very thought (meditation) of the sage Agastya is calculated to wash off one’s sins; his praise (worship) must be capable of doing more. For the benefit, therefore, of princes, I will now speak of the rules of the Arghya (offering) to be presented to Agastya as stated by the Ṛṣis.

The time of reappearance of the star Canopus (Agastya) is different in different places; and it is for the learned astronomer to ascertain these times for given places. In the town of Ujjain , the star reappears when the sun just begins to enter the 24 th degree of the sign Leo.

When the darkness of the night should just begin to be broken by streaks of red light from the eastern horizon, princes, previously prepared for the purpose, ought to offer their Arghyam to Agastya by pouring it on the Earth in the direction of the star Canopus rising in the south-east as will be pointed out by the astronomer.

The offering to be made by princes in honour of Agastya shall consist of the fragrant flowers of the season, of fruits, of precious stones, of gold cloths, of cows, of bulls, of well-cooked rice, of sweet-meats, of curdled milk, of coloured rice, of perfumed smoke and fragrant paste.

A prince making this offering, with a truly devout spirit, on every occasion of the reappearance of the star Canopus for 7 years will be freed from disease, will triumph over his enemies and will become the sole ruler of the Earth.

A Brāhmaṇa making this offering to the extent of his ability will become learned in the Vedas and will be blessed with a wife and children; a Vaiśya doing the same will get cows; and a Śūdra doing it will get wealth, and all the four will be freed from disease and become virtuous.

If the disc of the star Canopus should present a disagreeable appearance, there will be disease in the land; if yellow, there will be drought; if of the colour of smoke, cows will suffer; if of unsteady light, mankind will be afflicted with fears; if white red, they will suffer from hunger and from starvation; and if of very small disc, the chief towns will be surrounded by the enemy.

If Canopus (Agastya) should appear of the colour of silver or crystal, or brilliant, there will be prosperity in the land and mankind will be free from fear and disease.

If Canopus should be crossed by meteoric falls or by comets, mankind will suffer from hunger and death. When the sun enters the constellation of Hasta , Canopus reappears, and when he enters the constellation of Rohiṇī , Canopus disappears. (see notes)

I shall now expound about the movements of the Seven Ṛṣis ( Saptarṣi ), through whom the northern region shines as though bedecked with a pearl necklace, like a maiden with a smiling countenance wearing a garland of white lotuses.

Or by the direction of her lord—the Pole-Star (Seven Ṛṣis), the northern maiden (quarter) appears to dance round as the Seven Ṛṣis move in their course. I begin to treat of these stars adopting the views of Vṛddha Garga .

During the reign of Yudhisthira , 2526 years before the commencement of Vikrama Śaka , the Seven Ṛṣis (Saptarṣi) were at the constellation of Maghā (Regulus).

The Ṛṣis take a period of 100 years to go over each of the 27 asterisms. They rise in the north-east and are accompanied by the chaste Arundhatī —the consort of Vasiṣṭha .

The eastern-most of the group is Bhagavān Marīci ; the next to him is Vasiṣṭha; the next is Aṅgiras and the next two are— Atri and Pulastya .

The next in order are the Ṛṣis— Pulaha and Kratu . The chaste Arundhatī closely attends her husband the sage Vasiṣṭha.

If the Ṛṣis should be crossed by meteoric falls, thunderbolts or comets, or if they should appear dim or without rays or of very small disc, they will cause misery and suffering to the persons and objects they severally represent; but if they should appear big or bright there will be happiness and prosperity.

If Marīci should be affected as described above the Gandharvas , the Devas , the Asuras , skilled magicians and physicians, the Yakṣas , the Nāgas and the Vidyādharas will also be afflicted.

If Vasiṣṭha should be crossed by meteoric falls or otherwise affected, the Scythians, the Yavanas , the Daradas , the Pāratas, the people of Kāmboja and the Ṛṣis of the forests will suffer; but if Vasiṣṭha should appear bright, he will cause happiness.

If Aṅgiras should be affected as described above, men of knowledge, men of actual intellect and Brāhmaṇas will be afflicted; if Atri should be so affected, the products of the forests and of water, seas and rivers will suffer.

Along with Pulastya will suffer the Rākṣasas , the Piśācas , the Asuras, the Daityas and the Nāgas. Along with Pulaha will suffer roots and fruits; and along with Kratu will suffer sacrificial rites and persons performing them.

The countries of the Earth beginning from the centre of Bhāratavarṣa and going round the east, south-east, south, etc., are divided into 9 divisions corresponding to the 27 lunar asterisms at the rate of 3 for each division and beginning from Kṛttikā .

The constellations of Kṛttikā, Rohiṇī and Mṛgaśīrṣa represent the Madhyadeśa or central division consisting of the countries of Bhadrā , Arimeda , Māṇḍavya , Sālva , Nīpa , Ujjihāna, Maru , Vatsa , Ghoṣa , the countries bordering on the Yamunā and the Sarasvatī , the countries of Matsya , Mādhyamika, Māthuraka ( Mathura ), Upajyotiṣaka, Dharmaraṇi, Śūrasena , Gauragrīva , Uddehika, Pāṇḍu , Guḍā, Aśvattha , Pāñcāla , Sāketa , Kaṅka , Kura, Kālakoṭi, Kukura , the Pāriyatra mountains, Audumbara , Kapiṣṭhala and Gajāhvaya.

The constellations of Jyeṣṭhā , Mūla and Pūrvāṣāḍha represent the western divisions consisting of the five mountains of Maṇimān , Meghavān, Vanaugha, Kṣurārpaṇa and Astagiri and the countries of Aparāntaka , Śāntika , Haihaya , Praśastādri, Vokkāṇa, Pañcanada (Punjab), Ramaṭha , Pārata, Tārakṣiti, Jṛṅga, Vaiśya , Kanaka , Śaka and the rude Mleccha countries in the west.

The constellations of Śatabhiṣaj , Pūrvabhādrapada and Uttarabhādrapada represent the northern division consisting of the six mountains of the Kailāsa , the Himālayas , the Vasumān , the Dhanuṣmān, the Krauñca and the Meru and the countries of the Uttara (North) Kuru , Kṣudramīna, Kaikaya , Vasāti, Yāmuna , Bhogaprastha, Arjunāyana, Agnīdhra , Ādarśa , Antardvīpi, Trigarta , Turagānana, Aśvamukha , Keśadhara, Cipiṭa, Nāsika , Dāseraka, Vāṭadhāna , Śaradhāna, Takṣaśilā , Puṣkalāvata, Kailāvata, Kaṇṭhadhāna, Ambara , Madraka , Mālava , Paurava , Kacchāra, Daṇḍapiṅgala, Māṇahala, Hūṇa , Kohala , Śītaka, Māṇḍavya, Bhūtapura, Gāndhāra , Yaśovati , Hematāla, Rājanya, Khacara, Gavya, Yaudheya , Dāsameya, Śyāmākā and Kṣemadhūrta.

The constellations of Uttaraphālguni, Hasta and Citrā represent the southern division consisting of the countries of Laṅkā (Ceylon), Kālājina, Saurikīrṇa, Tālikaṭā, the mountains of Giri , Nagara , Malaya , Dardura , Mahendra , Mālindya and the countries of Bharukacchā (Bhroach), Kaṅkaṭa, Ṭakaṅkaṇa, Vanavāsi, Śibi , Phaṇikara, Koṅkaṇa , Abhīra, Ākara , the river Veṇa , the countries of Avantī , Daśapura , Gonarda , Kerala , Karṇāṭa; the forest of Mahāṭavi, the mountain of Citrakūṭa , the countries of Nāsikya , Kolla, Giri, Colā , Krauñcadvīpa and Jaṭādhara , the river Kāverī and the mountain of Ṛṣyamūka , the islands of Vaidūryadvīpa, Śaṅkhadvīpa , Muktādvīpa, Trivāricaradvīpa and Dharmapaṭṭanadvīpa; the countries of Gaṇarājya, of Kṛṣṇa , Vellara, the Śika, Śūrpa and Kusumanagā mountains, the forest of Tumbavana , the country of Kārmaṇeyaka, Yāmyodadhi (the south sea), the countries of Tāpasāśramā, Ṛṣikā , Kāñcī , Marucī, Paṭṭa , Ceryā, Āryaka , Siṃhala , Ṛṣabha , the town of Baladeva , the forest of Daṇḍaka , the countries of Timiṅgilāśana, Bhadra , Kaccha , Kuñjaradarī and Tāmraparṇī .

The constellations of Svāti , Viśākhā and Anurādhā represent the south-western division consisting of the countries of Pahlava , Kāmboja , Sindhu , Sauvīra , Vaḍavāmukha , Ārava, Ambaṣṭha, Kapila , Nārīmukha, Anarta , Pheṇagiri, Yavana , Mārgara, Karṇaprāveya, Pāraśava, Śūdra , Barbara , Kirāta , Khaṇḍa , Kravya, Ābhīra , Cañcūka, Hemagiri, Sindhukālaka, Raivataka , Saurāṣṭra , Bādara , Draviḍa and Mahārṇava.

The constellations of Revatī , Aśvinī and Bharaṇī represent the north-eastern division consisting of the countries of Meruka, Naṣṭarājya, Paśupāla , Kīra, Kāśmīra , Abhisāra , Darada , Taṅgaṇa , Kulūta, Sairindha, Vanarāṣṭra, Brahmapura , Dārvaḍa, Amara , Vanarājya, Kirāta, Cīna ( China ), Kauṇinda, Bhallā , Paṭola , Jaṭāsura , Kunaṭa, Khasa, Ghoṣa, Kucikā, Ekacaraṇa, Anuviddha, Suvarṇabhū, Vasudhana , Diviṣṭhā, Paurava, Cīranivāsana, Trinetra , Muñjādri and Gāndharva .

The constellations of Ārdrā , Punarvasu and Puṣya represent the eastern division consisting of the mountain of Añjana , of Vṛṣabha , of Dhvaja , of Padma and of Mālyavān ; the countries of Vyāghramukha, Suhma , Karvaṭa, Cāndrapura, Śūrpakarṇa , Khasa , Magadha , Śibiragiri, Mithilā , Samataṭa , Uḍra, Aśvavadana, Danturaka and farther-east Jyotiṣa , Lauhitya , Kṣīrasamudra , Puruṣāda (land of the Cannibals), the Udayagiri , the countries of Bhadragauḍaka, Pauṇḍra , Utkala , Kāśī , Mekalā , Ambaṣṭha , Ekapada , Tāmralipta , Kosalaka and Vardhamān.

The constellations of Uttarāṣāḍha , Śravaṇa and Dhaniṣṭhā represent the north-western division consisting of the countries of Māṇḍavya, Tuṣāra , Tālahala, Madra , Aśmaka , Kulūta, Halaḍā , Strīrājya, Nṛsiṃha , Vanakha, the rivers of Veṇumatī , Phalgu and the Guluhā, and the countries of Marukuccha and Carmaraṅga whose people possess a single eye, single lock, a long neck, a long face and long hair.

The constellation of Āśleṣā , Maghā and Pūrvaphālguni represent south-eastern division consisting of the countries of Kosala , Kaliṅga , Vaṅga , Upavaṅga, Jaṭharāṅga, Śaulika, Vidarbha , Vatsa, Āṇḍhra, Cedika, Ūrdhvakaṇṭha, the island of Vṛśa, of Nālikera and of Carma ; the countries in the Vindhya mountains of Tripuri , Śmaśrudhara, Hemakuṭa, Vyālagrīva, Mahāgrīva, Kiṣkindha , Kaṇṭakasthala, Niṣāda , Purika , Dāśārṇa , Nagna , Parṇa and Śabara .

If the nine divisions of the 27 constellations from Kṛttikā should suffer from the presence of malefic planets in them, the rulers of Pāñcāla, Magadha, Kaliṅga, Avantī, Anarta, Sindhu, Sauvīra, Hārahaura, Madra and Kauṇinda will respectively suffer miseries.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Kṛttikā will delight in white flowers, will perform sacrificial rites, will be Brāhmins , potters, priests or astronomers.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Rohiṇī will be devout men, merchants, rulers, rich men, Yogis , drivers, or men possessed of cows, cattle and the animals of water, farmers and men possessed of wealth derived from mountain produce.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Mṛgaśirṣa will delight or deal in perfumes, dress, pearls, flowers, fruits, precious stones, wild beasts, birds and deer; will be Somayajis or singers; will be lascivious; will be good writers or painters.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Ārdrā will delight in killing, torturing, lying, in adultery, thieving, cheating and tale-bearing; will deal in pod-grains, black magic, sorcery and exorcism.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Punarvasu will be noted for truthfulness, generosity, cleanliness, respectable descent, personal beauty, sense, fame and wealth; they will also be merchants, dealing in excellent articles, will be fond of service and will delight in the company of painters and sculptors.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Puṣya will be dealers in barley, wheat, rice, sugar-canes and in the produce of the forest; will be either ministers or rulers; will live by water; will be Sādhus and will delight in sacrificial rites.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Āśleṣā , will be dealers in perfumes, roots, fruits, reptiles, serpents and poison; will delight in cheating others of their property; will be dealers in pod grains and will be skilled in medicine of every sort.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Uttaraphālguni will be mild, cleanly, modest, heretical, generous and learned; will be dealers in grains; will be wealthy, virtuous and in the company of princes.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Maghā will be possessed of wealth, grains and storehouses; will delight in frequenting hills and in the performance of religious rites; will be merchants; will be valiant; will take animal food and will be female haters.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Pūrvaphālguni will delight in dance, in young women, in music, in painting, in sculpture and in trade; will be dealers in cotton, salt, honey and oil and will be forever in the enjoyment of the vigour of youth.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Hasta will be thieves, dealers in elephants, charioteers, chief ministers, painters, merchants and dealers in pod-grains; learned in the Śāstras and of bright appearance.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Citrā will be dealers in jewels, precious stones, fine cloths, writers and singers, manufacturers of perfumes, good mathematicians, weavers, surgeons, oculists and dealers in Rājadhānya.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Svātī will delight in keeping birds, deer, horses; will be grain merchants; dealers in beans; of weak friendship; weak, of abstemious habits and skilled tradesmen.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Viśākhā will grow trees yielding red flowers and red fruits; be dealers in gingelly seeds, beans, cotton, black gram and chick peas and worshippers of Indra and Agni .

Those who are born on the lunar day of Anurādhā will be valiant; heads of parties; fond of the company of Sādhus, keep vehicles and grow every species of crop.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Jyeṣṭhā will be valiant, of good descent, wealthy, famous; disposed to cheat others of their property, fond of travelling, rulers of provinces or commanders of armies.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Mūla will be druggists, heads of men, dealers in flowers, roots, fruits and seeds; will be rich and will delight in garden work.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Pūrvāṣāḍha will be of gentle manners; fond of sea-voyage, truthful, cleanly and wealthy; will delight in earth work; will be boatmen; will be dealers in fruits and flowers of water.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Uttarāṣāḍha will be chief ministers or wrestlers; will keep elephants and horses, will be religious; will be men of principles; soldiers; happy and of bright appearance.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Śravaṇa will be cunning, of active habits, efficient workmen, bold, virtuous, god-fearing and truthful.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Dhaniṣṭhā will be shameless, of weak friendship, haters of women, generous, rich and free from temptation.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Śatabhiṣaj will be fishermen or dealers in fish and hogs; washermen; dealers in wine and birds.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Pūrvabhādrapada will be thieves, shepherds, torturers; wicked, mean and deceitful; will possess no virtues; neglect religious rites and will be successful in fight.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Uttarabhādrapada will be Brāhmins, performers of sacrificial rights; will be generous, devout, rich and observant of the rules of the holy orders; will be heretics, rulers, dealers in rice.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Revatī will be dealers in water-flowers, salt, gems, conch shells, pearls, creatures of water, fragrant flowers and perfumes; they may also be boat-men.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Aśvinī will keep horses, will be commanders of army; physicians, servants, dealers in horse, riders, tradesmen or masters of horses.

Those who are born on the lunar day of Bharaṇī will deal in precious stones, will be flesh eaters, will be wicked men; will delight in acts of killing and torture; will be dealers in pod grains; will be of low descent or weak-minded.

The constellations of Pūrvaphālguni, Pūrvāṣāḍha, Pūrvabhādrapada and Kṛttikā belong to the Brāhmaṇa class; those of Puṣya, Uttaraphālguni, Uttarabhādrapada belong to the Kṣatriya class; those of Revatī, Anurādhā, Maghā and Rohiṇī belong to the Śūdra class.

The constellations of Punarvasu, Hasta, Abhijit and Aśvinī belong to the Vaiśya class; those of Mūla, Ārdrā, Svāti and Śatabhiṣaj belong to the butcher class.

The constellations of Mṛgaśīrṣa , Jyeṣṭhā, Citrā and Dhaniṣṭhā belong to the serving class; those of Āśleṣā, Viśākhā, Śravaṇa and Bharaṇī belong to the lowest or Cāṇḍāla class.

That constellation in which the Sun and Saturn might happen to be together or through which Mars might happen to pass or in which the retrograde motion of a planet might lie or in which a lunar or solar eclipse might take place or through which the moon might pass, will bring misery to the persons and objects it represents. If on the other hand the constellation should be free from any such affection, the same persons or objects will prosper.

The Moon presides over citadels fortified by hills or by water, over Kosala , Bharukaccha , the sea, the city of Roma, the country of Tuṣāra , dwellers in forests, the islands of Taṅgaṇa , Hala and Strīrājya in the big seas.

She presides over sweet juice, flowers, fruits, water, salt, gems, conch shells, pearls, creatures of water, paddy, barley, medicinal plants, wheat, Somayajis , kings attacked in the rear, and Brāhmaṇas .

She also presides over fine white horses, charming young women, commanders of armies, articles of food, clothes, horned animals, the Rākṣasas , farmers and Śrotiyas.

He also presides over Nāsika Bhogavardhana , Virāṭa , the countries bordering on the Vindhya mountains and over the people living on the banks of the Tāpī and the Gomatī .

Venus also presides over simple silk, coloured silk, wollen cloth, white silk, Rodhra , Patra , Coca, nutmeg, Agaru , Vacā , Pippalī and sandal.

Saturn also presides over binders, bird hunters, impure men, boatmen or fishermen, ugly men and old men; over dealers in hogs, chiefs of tribes, men of weak resolution, hill men, harbarous mountain tribes and over poor men.

He also presides over pungent flavour and bitter flavour; over chemistry; over widows, serpents, thieves, buffaloes, asses, camels, beans, leguminous seeds and Niṣpāva .

Rāhu presides over hill men, mountain peaks, outer and inner caves, the Mlecchas, the Śūdras , persons subsisting on dogs and jackals, spear men, the countries of Vokkaṇa and Aśvamukha and persons physically deformed.

He also presides over the most wicked in the family, over torturers, ungrateful men, thieves, persons who are untruthful, uncleanly and ungenerous; over ass-riders, duelists, persons of easily irritable temperament, infants in the womb and Cāṇḍālas .

He also presides over notorious sinners, fops, Rākṣasas, excessive sleepers, all sentient beings and wicked persons; over black gram and gingelly seed.

Ketu presides over mountains, fortified cities, the countries of Pahlava , Śveta , Hūṇa ; Colā , Avagāṇa, Maru , Cīna (China) and the land of the Mlecchas; over rich men, men of note, men of industry and valour; over men coveting the wives of others, men prying into the secrets of other men, haughty men, ignorant men, sinners and persons fond of victory.

If at the time of reappearance, a planet should appear bright, of large disc and in his natural condition, not crossed by thunderbolts, meteoric falls or dust-storms and not suffer in conjunction with other planets or if he should be in his house or in his Uccakṣetra or if he should be within sight of a benefic planet, he will bring prosperity to the persons and objects presided over by him.

If on the other hand he should appear otherwise than as described above, the same persons and objects will suffer miseries and people will also suffer from wars and from diseases and kings will be afflicted with sorrow.

Though free from enemies, princes will suffer from the intrigues of their sons or ministers. Their subjects, suffering from drought, will quit their native cities and resort to new towns and mountains.

Mars presides over the people residing in the west half of the countries on both banks of the Śoṇa , the Narmadā and the Beas; over those residing on the banks of the Nirvindhya , the Vetravatī , the Siprā , the Godāvarī , the Veṇa , the Gaṅgā , the Payoṣṇī , the Mahānadī , the Indus , the Mālatī and the Pārā ; he also presides over the country of Uttarapāṇḍya, the Mahendra , the Vindhya, the Malaya mountains, Colādeśa, the Draviḍas , the Videhas , the Āndhras , the Aśmakas , the Bhāsapuras, the Kauṅkaṇas, the Mantriṣikās, the Kuntalas , the Keralas , the Daṇḍakas , the Kāntipuras , the Mlecchas and the mixed races.

The Sun presides over the people of the western half of the Narmadā , of the countries on both banks of the Soṇa , of Orissa, Bengal, Suhma , Kaliṅga , Bāhlīka , Śaka , Yavana , Magadha , Śabara and eastern parts of Jyotiṣapura, Cīna ( China ) and Kāmboja ; over the people of Mekala , Kirāta , Viṭaka, the outer and inner mountains, Pulinda , the eastern half of Draviḍa and the east bank of the Yamunā ; over the people of the Campā city, the Udumbaras , the citizens of Kauśāmbī , of Cedī, of Kaliṅga in the forest of the Vindhya mountains, of Puṇḍra , of Golāṅgula , of Śrīparvata and of the town of Vardhamān; and over the people living on the banks of the Ikṣumatī . He also presides over hill-men, quick-silver, deserts, shepherds, seeds, pod-grains, bitter flavour, trees, gold, fire, poison and persons successful in battle; over medicines, physicians, quadrupeds, farmers, kings, butchers, travellers, thieves, serpents, forests and renowned and cruel men.

He presides over citizens, farmers, chemists, firemen, soldiers, forest-men, citadels, chief towns, butchers, sinners, haughty men, kings, children, elephants, fops, infanticides, shepherds, red fruits, red flowers, corals, commanders of armies, jaggery, wine, cruel men, storehouses, Agnihotrins , metal mines, the Śākyas in red robes, the Buddhists, thieves, rogues, vindictive and gluttonous persons.

Saturn presides over the countries of Ānarta , Arbuda , Puṣkara , Saurāṣṭra, Abhīra, Śūdra , Raivataka , countries through which the river Sarasvatī passes as an underground stream and the western countries; over the natives of Kurukṣetra , the town of Somanātha , and persons born on the banks of the Vidiśā , the Vedasmṛti and the Mahī ; over wicked men, uncleanly men and men of the lowest class; over oil-mongers, weak men and persons not possessing virility.

Mercury presides over the western half of the Lohitya river, the Indus, the Sarayū , the Gāmbhīrika, the Ratha , the Ganges and its tributary the Kauśi. He also presides over the countries of Videha , Kāmboja; the eastern half of Mathurā , the Himālayas , the Gomanta , the Citrakūṭa mountains, Saurāṣṭra ; people living on table lands, on the surface of water, in valleys and in mountains; over persons possessing a knowledge of the laws of drink, of mechanics, of music, of writing, of gems, of colour and of perfumes; he also presides over painters, grammarians, mathematicians, physicians, sculptors, spies, jugglers, infants, poets, rogues, tale-bearers, black-magicians, messengers, eunuchs, buffoons, sorcerers and conjurers; over sentinels, dancers and dancing masters; over ghee , gingelly and other oils; over seeds, over bitter flavour, over observers of religious ceremonies, over chemists and mules.