Bhavartha Ratnakara

Last updated
Bhavartha Ratnakara
Author Ramanuja
LanguageSanskrit
SubjectAstrology
Publication placeIndia

Bhavartha Ratnakara [1] was formerly a little-known Sanskrit treatise on the predictive part of Hindu astrology which is believed to have been written by Ramanuja, it had for a very long time remained confined mainly to the southern parts of India. It was in the year 1900 that Raman Publications, Bangalore, published this text along with its translation into English and comments by Bangalore Venkata Raman, [2] the 10th Edition of which translation was published in 1992 followed by another edition in 1997. [3]

Bhavartha Ratnakara does not cover the entire Phalita portion of Hindu astrology as do other standard texts but selectively lists rules some of which are not to be found in other more renowned texts e.g. the rule which states that a person will be fortunate in respect of that bhava whose karaka is situated in the 12th house from the Ascendant. [4] Scholars have found many of these rules to be effective and revealing e.g. a) the situation of Jupiter in the 8th as the lord of the 9th house, Saturn casting its aspect on the 9th from the 7th house giving rise to yoga during the course of its own dasha, [5] b) Saturn as the simultaneous lord of the 8th and the 9th not acting as an outright benefic giving mixed results only, [6] [7] c) Saturn as lord of the 4th situated in the 2nd house in conjunction with Venus and Mercury granting proficiency in poetry, [8] [9] d) Venus situated in the 12th house from the Ascendant producing good results and affluence as also when occupying the 6th house. [10] and an exalted planet situated either in the 5th or in the 9th house giving rise to Dhana yoga, making one wealthy, fortunate and famous. [11]

Bhavartha Ratnakara has 384 slokas or verses presented in fourteen Tarangas or Chapters, the First Chapter being the longest containing 130 slokas. It is in this chapter that Ramanuja says that Saturn is not a yogakaraka for Taurus Lagna in spite of the fact that he simultaneously owns the 9th and the 10th bhava. The Second Chapter deals with Dhana yogas, poverty and gain of education. The Third Chapter deals with brothers and the Fourth, with combinations for owning vehicles and general fortune. The Sixth and the Seventh Chapters are inter-linked and in the Eighth Chapter Fortunate Combinations are discussed. The Ninth Chapter deals with Raja yogas and Punya yogas. The Tenth Chapter lists important combinations which enable one to predict the dasha or antra-dasha during whose course death is likely to occur. The Eleventh Chapter gives information about planetary dashas and results. The Twelfth Chapter lists combinations conferring strength to bhavas or harming the bhavas, and in the Thirteenth Chapter are listed some Malika yogas. The last chapter deals with the fundamental principles of Hindu astrology.

Related Research Articles

Dasha The dasha pattern shows which planets according to Hindu astrology would be ruling at particular times.

In Hindu astrology, yoga is the relationship between one planet, sign, or house to another by placement, aspect, or conjunction. It is the consideration of the planetary dasha's directional effects, the most important factor which distinguishes Hindu astrology from Western astrology.

Raja yogas are Shubha ('auspicious') yogas in jyotish philosophy and tradition. They are believed to give success and a grand rise in career or business, and a greater degree of financial prosperity particularly during the dasha of the planets that give rise to Raja yogas. However, these results get adversely modified by the presence of other Ashubha ('inauspicious') Arista yogas. In a nutshell, the Yoga or Raja yoga-causing planets during the course of their respective dashas confer their most auspicious results if they happen to own the lagna-bhava or the Suta-bhava or the Bhagyasthana ; the person remains healthy, wealthy, happy and successful enjoying yoga and Raja yoga results in case the lagna, the 3rd, the 6th, the 8th, the 9th and the 12th houses counted from the lagna are also not occupied by any planet, and the kendras (quadrants) are occupied only by benefic planets.

Mansagari is a popular classical treatise on Hindu predictive astrology. It is written in the usual poetic form in the traditional Sanskrit Sloka format; the language and the method of expression used are both simple and unambiguous, and therefore, easy to understand. Its author, Janardan Harji, about whom not much is known, was the son of Janardan, of Gurjar Mandala, who belonged to the Shandilya Gotra, who was also a learned and renowned astrologer of his time and place. This text, comprising five chapters, covers briefly the essential parts of Ganitha and Siddhanta, but deals with the Phalita portion of Hindu astrology in far greater detail. It has described numerous yogas and Raja yogas and also narrated their effects, as also the results of the planetary dashas as all major dasha systems in vogue. Along with the more renowned works of Parashara and Varahamihira, Mansagari has remained a standard reference book. The book, Three Hundred Important Combinations, was written by Bangalore Venkata Raman on the basis of Jataka Tantra, Parashara Hora Sastra and Mansagari.

Jaimini Sutras, also known as Upadesa Sutras is an ancient Sanskrit text on the predictive part of Vedic Astrology, attributed to the sage Jaimini, the founder of the Purva Mimamsa branch of Vedic philosophy, a disciple of Vyasa and grandson of Parashara. It comprises nine hundred and thirty-six sutras or aphorisms arranged in four chapters, and though having several distinct features of its own, the Jaimini System, which is a unique system, appears as an offshoot of the Parashari System only; wherever it deviates, it is not found to be in conflict with the Parashari system, and gives due importance to Rahu and Ketu, the two Lunar Nodes.

Prasna Marga is a work on Hindu astrology, natal and horary, that appears to be a major classical text covering every aspect of human existence. It was written in Sanskrit Sloka – format in the year 1649 at Edakad near Tellasseri in the present Indian State of Kerala, by Narayanan Nambutiri of Panakkattu house. The author himself wrote a brief commentary to his book with the name 'Durgamartha prakasini'. This work is known in English through the commentary written by Punnasseri Nambi Neelakantha Sarma, a disciple of Kerala Varma. All Parashari principles are briefly available in this classic, and about which principles it is claimed that one conversant with the six branches of Jyotisa will never err in predictions.

Planetary dispositors play an important role in Astrology. A dispositor is a planet that rules the sign that another planet is located in. For example, if Venus is in Gemini, then Mercury is the dispositor of Venus.

Balarishta in Hindu astrology is one of the Arishtas. These Arishtas are indicated by certain specific planetary situations or combinations or associations present at the time of one's birth or at the time of query or at a particular muhurta or happening as are revealed by the Natal Chart or the Query Chart or the Muhurta Chart. It is a Dosha.

Sanyasa yoga in Hindu astrology are the peculiar planetary situations or combinations seen in certain horoscopes that indicate Sanyasa i.e. renunciation of worldly material life by persons born with those yogas. Sanyasa yogas are also known as Pravrajya yogas.

In Vedic astrology a constant reference is made to the Navamsa occupied by planets and the Lagna-point. Both, the Rasi-chart and the Navamsa-chart are deemed equally important and therefore, consulted together. Whereas the Rasi-chart provides overall information regarding the location of planets and sensitive-points such as the Lagna, the latter provides vital information regarding their active quality and strength. A planet may be well-placed in the natal-chart Rasi-wise but its full effects may not materialise if its situation in the navamsa-chart is not supportive.

Dhana yogas are astrological combinations or yogas for wealth and prosperity which prove more fruitful if both the lagna and its lord are strong, and there are no Arista yogas present affecting the Dhana yoga - causing planets and the bhavas associated with earning, acquisition, and accumulation of wealth. Jupiter is one of the natural Dhana-karaka, a strong Jupiter gives lifelong prosperity and financial stability.

Dainya yogas, along with Khala yogas, Mantreswara in his Phaladeepika states, are inauspicious planetary combinations. Those born with Dainya yogas emerge as fools i.e. not intelligent, they insult and speak ill of others, they are bad in conduct and behaviour, suffer at the hands of their opponents or foes, are of unsteady mind whose own actions create hurdles and problems in all works commenced by them. Those born with Khala yogas exhibit good and bad traits in their conduct, speech and behaviour; and also experience good fortune and bad fortune, both. Dainya yogas and Khala yogas affect good fortune and prosperity; They harm people. In the event of these yogas occurring the evil bhavas flourish because of the lord of their lords occupying good houses but these inauspicious yogas prove detrimental to the affairs of the auspicious bhava the lords of evil bhavas occupy. Dainya yogas are worse than Khala yogas. By permutation and combination the lord of the 12th mutually exchanging sign with the lords of the 6th and the 8th causes eleven Dainya yogas, the lord of the 8th with the lords of the 6th and the 12th, ten Dainya yogas, and the lord of the 6th with the lords of the 8th and the 12th, nine Dainya yogas.

Karmasthana, also known as the Kirtisthana and the Rajyasthana, is the 10th bhava or house counted from the Lagna or the Ascendant or from the Chandra-lagna i.e. the natal position of the Moon. It is the house of action and the house of profession.

Trikonasthanas or trikonas or trines are conventionally the Lagna or the Birth-ascendant, the fifth and the ninth bhava or house counted from the Lagna. They form the Dharma-trikona and are also known as the Lakshmisthanas, these bhavas and their lords signify luck and prosperity. The Lagna is both, a kendrasthana and a trikonasthana.

The term Upachayasthana is derived from the Sanskrit word उपचय which means increase, it also means the entire process of acquisition, assimilation and augmentation or proximate aggregation or increase or gain of nourishment or in growth or in body weight.

Saraswati yoga given rise to by the three natural benefic planets, namely, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter co-operating with each other is an auspicious yoga which is not rare in occurrence but when its participants are not strong merges with other yogas. The person born in Saraswati yoga besides being a very learned intelligent orator also becomes very fortunate, rich and famous.

Daridra yogas or Nirdhanta yogas along with Kemadruma yoga and Shakat yoga, are certain exceptional ava-yogas or unfavourable planetary combinations that indicate poverty. The word, Daridra means poor, needy or deprived, and the word, Nirdhanta means poverty, poorness or indigence.

Yoga-karakas are those planets which, according to Hindu astrology, confer fame, honour, dignity, financial prosperity, political success, and reputation. The lords of the kendras and trikonas associating with each other, or the lords of the 9th and 10th interchanging signs or fully aspecting each other, give rise to Raja yoga.

Maraka in Hindu astrology refers to the planet or planets that cause death at the end of a particular life-span; if the assessed life-span is not over they cause accident, ill-health, poverty and misery during the course of their dasha or antra-dasha or in the period of the planet associating/influenced by them. Each lagna has a fixed maraka or marakas. The two luminaries, the Sun and the Moon, and the lord of the 9th house generally do not become marakas. The lords of the 2nd and the 7th house, or the malefic planets occupying anyone of these named houses and associated with their lords are the Primary determinants of death. The Secondary determinants of death are the benefic planets in association with lords of 2nd and 7th house or the lords of the 3rd and 8th house, or the lord of the 3rd or the 8th associating with the lord of the 2nd or the 7th house. The Tertiary determinants of death are Saturn associating with any of the afore stated marakas, the lord of the 6th or the 8th associated with a maraka, and the least powerful planet in the horoscope. The transit influences of the Sun, Mars and Jupiter are taken into account for determining the time of death.

Nābhāsa yoga refers to the different arrangements of all seven of the planets in the celestial realm in Hindu astrology.

References

  1. "Bhavartha Ratnakara (English translation)" (PDF).
  2. Ramanujacharya. Sree Bhavartha Ratnakara. Bangalore: Raman Publications. OCLC   61650813.
  3. Ramanujacharya (1992). Bhavartha Ratnakara (1992 ed.). New Delhi: UBS Publishers Distributors (P) Ltd. ISBN   9788185674230.
  4. Rohiniranjan. "Karako Bhav Nashaya". Express Starteller.
  5. "Bhavartha Ratnakara: Two scintillating points".
  6. Dr. K.S.Charak (2002). Essentials of Medical Astrology. Institute of Vedic Astrology. p. 30. ISBN   9788190100830.
  7. Dr. K.S.Charak (1998). Elements of Vedic Astrology. Institute of Vedic Astrology. p. 75. ISBN   9788190100809.
  8. Raman, B. V. (1991). Notable Horoscopes. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN   9788120809000.
  9. Onkarlal Sharma (30 October 2006). Astrology and its Utility. Kalpaz publications. p. 191. ISBN   9788178354170.
  10. Mridula Trivedi (2008). Foretelling Widowhood. New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. p. 102. ISBN   9788120832237.
  11. Ravinder Kumar Soni. Planets and Their Yoga Formations. New Delhi: Pigeon Books India. p. 195. Archived from the original on 2013-02-09.