Śrīpati (1019–1066) was an Indian astronomer and mathematician, the author of Dhikotidakarana, a work of twenty verses on solar and lunar eclipses; Dhruvamanasa, a work of 105 verses on calculating planetary longitudes, eclipses and planetary transits; Siddhantasekhara a major work on astronomy in 19 chapters; and Ganitatilaka, an incomplete arithmetical treatise in 125 verses based on a work by Shridhara.
Navaratna is a Sanskrit compound word meaning "nine gems" or "ratnas". Jewellery created in this style has important cultural significance in across many southern, and south-eastern Asian cultures as a symbol of wealth, status, and also as having other talismanic benefits to health and wellbeing. The setting of the stones is believed to hold mystical powers, tied to astrology, mythology and intrinsically linked to the Indian religions of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. The ancient origin of the significance behind the nine gems has proved impossible to trace but is inherently tied to mythological concepts around cosmology and astrology and the "Navagrahas", or "nine celestial gods".
Kumārila Bhaṭṭa was a Hindu philosopher and a scholar of Mimamsa school of philosophy from early medieval India. He is famous for many of his various theses on Mimamsa, such as Mimamsaslokavarttika. Bhaṭṭa was a staunch believer in the supreme validity of Vedic injunction, a great champion of Pūrva-Mīmāṃsā and a confirmed ritualist. The Varttika is mainly written as a subcommentary of Sabara's commentary on Jaimini's Purva Mimamsa Sutras. His philosophy is classified by some scholars as existential realism.
The term Varga in Indian astrology (Jyotisha) refers to the division of a zodiacal sign (rāśi) into parts. Each such fractional part of a sign, known as an aṃśa, has a source of influence associated with it, so that these sources of influence come to be associated with collections of regions around the zodiac.
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.
Brihat Jataka or Brihat Jatakam or Brihajjatakam, is one of the five principal texts written by Varāhamihira, the other four being Panchasiddhantika, Brihat Samhita, Laghu Jataka and Yogayatra. It is also one of the five major treatises on Hindu predictive astrology, the other four being Saravali of Kalyanavarma, Sarvartha Chintamani of Venkatesh, Jataka Parijata of Vaidyanatha and Phaladeepika of Mantreswara. The study of this classic text makes one grasp the fundamentals of astrology.
Phaladeepika is a treatise on Hindu astrology written by Mantreswara. The text is written in lyrical Sanskrit verse comprises 865 slokas and 28 chapters. It is one of the more significant works on Hindu astrology, along with Bṛhat Parāśara Horāśāstra of Parashara, Brihat Jataka of Varahamihira, and Jataka Parijata of Vaidyanatha Dikshita. It deals in a most comprehensive and authoritative manner with almost all astrological aspects of human life. Mantreswara has equated a retrograde planet with an exalted planet in strength and effects even though it be in an inimical or its debilitation sign differing with Saravali which states that benefics are powerful when retrograde and cause Raja yoga but malefic when retrograde do not confer favourable results.
Sarvartha Chintamani is one of the important books of astrology belonging to ancient India. Written in Sanskrit verse it deals with the effects of each house in the natal chart in far greater detail besides giving the description about the planets, their effects, lifespan and prosperity. However, it makes a clear distinction between benefic and malefic indications and their impact, although that distinction may be prima facie indicating contrary results.
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.
Bhavartha Ratnakara 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, the 10th Edition of which translation was published in 1992 followed by another edition in 1997.
Jataka Bharanam is an old treatise on Hindu astrology mainly dealing with the Phalita i.e. predictive astrology. This Sanskrit text is believed to have been written by Dhundiraja, the commentator of Mudrarakshasa, sometime during the 15th Century A.D. Dhundiraja lived in Parthanagar near River Godavari. It is one of the many time-honoured Indian classics on astrology that has been relied upon and frequently cited.
Jataka Parijata is an Indian astrological text that is ranked alongside Bṛhat Parāśara Horāśāstra of Parāśara Muni, Bṛhat Jātaka of Varāhamihira and Phaladīpikāḥ of Mantreśvara. It is regularly studied as a textbook and a reliable reference-book, and is one of the few books that gives time on the nativity, the other two being Horā Ratnaṃ and Jātaka Bharaṇaṃ.
Jatakalankara is a brief Sanskrit treatise comprising one hundred twenty-five slokas or verses on the predictive part of Hindu astrology written in the classic Sloka format in the Srgdhara meter. It was written by Poet Ganesa, son of Gopal Das, in the year 1613 and describes many yoga-formations that have immediate bearing on various aspects of human life. Ganesha wrote this treatise to please his Guru Shiva Its first translation into English was probably published, along with the original text, in 1941 by Sri Vijay Lakshmi Vilas Press.
Laghu Parashari, also known as Jataka Chandrika, is an important treatise on Vimshottari dasha system and is based on Bṛhat Parāśara Horāśāstra. Written in Sanskrit in the usual Sloka format, it consists of forty-two verses divided into five chapters. Thus, it is a brief but an important treatise on predictive part of Hindu astrology whose authorship is not known even though it is presumed that it was written by ardent followers of Parashara. It contains all the fundamental principles on which the Parashari system is based. It is widely relied upon by the exponents of Hindu astrology and a text that is frequently cited.
Hora Sara is an ancient treatise on the predictive part of Hindu astrology; it is written in Sanskrit Sloka – format. Its author, Prithuyasas, was the son of Varahamihira who at certain places even contradicts his father; for example, in respect of Vihaga yoga, a Nabhasa yoga, that arises when all planets occupy the 4th and the 10th, he has assigned auspicious results. Hora Sara is deemed to be one of the best classics on predictive astrology that was given due important representation in Hora Ratna of Bala Bhadra authored during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan "Just as Varaha is a synonym of astrology, his son, Prithuyasas, occupies the zenith in the astrology’s world through his master piece, Hora Sara".
Dasadhyayi is the famous reputed commentary on the first ten chapters of Varāha Mihira’s Bṛhat Jātaka by Govinda Bhaṭṭathiri of Talakkulam who hailed from Alattur, a village near Thirur in South Malabar, Kerala, and who had also written Muhūrtapadavī. This text was regularly studied and memorised along with Bṛhat Jātaka and its interpretation of terms readily accepted.
Prasna Tantra is a famous work of Neelakantha on Horary astrology. Neelakantha Daivagnya, the author of Tajika Neelakanthi was the minister and court astrologer of Mughal Emperor Jalaluddin Akbar. Prasna Tantra is based on the Tajika system of prognostication. It comprises 430 slokas divided into four chapters, and is written in the usual Sanskrit Sloka – format. It is believed that this work, which is compact and comprehensive, proven and applicable to modern conditions, is the Third Tantra or division of Neelakantha's larger work, Tajika Neelakanthi. Prasna Tantra is divided into four chapters, viz – Prasna Vichara (preliminaries), Bhava Prasna, Vishesha Prasna and Prakirnakadhyaya. The aspects considered by this work are those of the Tajika system, an aspect by itself has no orb but planets have orbs of operation; Yogas in this system arise on the basis of applying and separating aspects, the closer the yoga, the more certain will be the results. The rules and methods initiated by this text have found favour with astrologers since the time it was written and came to light around 1580 A.D. Prasna Tantra by Neelakantha and Daivagya Vallabha of Varahamihira are a must to cover Prasna or Horary astrology.
Viparita Raja yoga is a special kind of Raja yoga that arises out of the weakness of the lords of the Dustasthanas i.e. of the evil bhavas or houses. The word, Viparita, in Sanskrit means the "Opposite", unexpected because the Viparita Raja yoga is basically a planetary combination/association of the lords of Dushtsthanas, which lords otherwise by virtue of their being functional malefics, during the course of their own dashas and also periodic unfavourable transits, give much pain, hardship and losses.
Neechabhanga Raja yoga improves the significance of the neecha graha i.e. planet which is in debilitation. Generally coming into operation during the Dasha of the planet causing Neechbhanga Raj Yoga, it indicates cancellation of debilitation of a debilitated planet which then does not tend to produce adverse results during the course of its dasha but produces exceptionally good results.
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.
