Jatakalankara

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Jatakalankara
AuthorGanesa
LanguageSanskrit
SubjectAstrology
Publication placeIndia

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. [1] It was written by Poet Ganesa, son of Gopal Das (who was the second son of Kanhaji, and who was himself an accomplished poet, dramatist, artist and mathematician), 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 [2] Its first translation into English was probably published, along with the original text, in 1941 by Sri Vijay Lakshmi Vilas Press. [3]

Ganesa examined the planetary influences on the health of individuals while observing that ritualistic remedia scriptures, medical and astronomico-astrological texts of instruction are propitiable as well as religious scriptures.. [4] At the International Sanskrit Conference it was brought on record that Ganesa, son of Gopala, wrote this treatise in Vrddhapura (Vadanagara). [5]

This work describing numerous planetary combinations yogas, some unique, some auspicious and other inauspicious, is divided into seven Adhyayas or chapters, viz – 1) Sangyadhyaya (12 stanzas) dealing with preliminaries, 2) Bhavadhyaya (38 stanzas) dealing with nature, characteristics and results of 12 bhavas i.e. houses, 3) Yogadhyaya (34 stanzas) dealing with planetary combinations and their results, 4) Vishakanyadhyaya (4 stanzas) dealing with combinations which indicate birth of Vishakanyas (inauspicious women), 5) Ayurdayadhyaya (23 stanzas) dealing with longevity, 6) Vaiparityasthadhyaya (9 stanzas) dealing with mutual exchange of signs by planets, and 7) Vanshadhyaya (5 stanzas) dealing with basic information about this text and its author. Its author, Ganesa, belonging to the Bhardwaja Gotra, was the son of Gopaldas. He wrote and completed this work in a village named Suryapur in the month of Bhadrapada Saka year 1536 (1613 CE). [6]

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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.

Events in the year 1613 in India.

Parajāta yogas are special planetary combinations or yogas that indicate birth of children who are not genetically related to their father or non-marital children or born out of illicit connections of their married mothers. Illegitimate children are stigmatized for no fault of theirs; some, like T.E.Lawrence, are made to seek redemption of their mother’s status but most accept their fate like Satyakama Jabala did. In India, illegitimate children of a Hindu father do not inherit from him on intestacy but they do inherit from their mother at par with her legitimate children.

References

  1. David Edwin Pigree (1970). Census of the Exact Sciences in Sanskrit. American Philosophical Society. p. 113. ISBN   9780871690814.
  2. "Jataka Alankara".
  3. Jatakalankara. Sri Vijay Lakshmi Vilas Press.
  4. Satadal Kargupta (2002). Mystical Buddhism. Asiatic Society. p. 6/400. ISBN   9788172361167.
  5. Venkatarama Raghvan (1975). International Sanskrit Conference, Volume 1, Part 1. Ministry of Education and Social Welfare, Govt. of India. p. 185.
  6. Pt. Dinanath Jha. Ganesa Daivagnya's Jatakalankara. Jaikrishandas Haridas Gupta Chaukhamba Sanskrit Series 141.