Week 7 · Unit 2 · Yogas, Wealth, Longevity and Condition
Milestone 2 of 5: Longevity, and how to hold it
How Long
Three longevity systems that disagree, why Parashara gives three rather than one, and what a responsible reader does with that.
Assumes you have done: Week 5's strength material — the reductions are all strength judgments
Why this matters
Parashara calls this knowledge difficult even for the gods, and then gives you three methods that routinely produce different answers. That is not an embarrassment in the source — it is the source telling you something about the nature of the question. The honest teaching is neither to suppress the chapter nor to hand you a formula you will point at people. It is to teach the doctrine, teach the disagreement as a feature, and be explicit about what this course does not train you to do.
Learn
Parashara opens this chapter by saying the knowledge in it is difficult even for the gods, and that there are various methods described in various ways.
Take that seriously. It is not ritual modesty; it is a statement about the epistemic status of everything that follows, made before any of it arrives.
Three systems
Piṇḍāyu. Each planet contributes a quantity of years determined by its position relative to its exaltation and debilitation. Dignity, converted to lifespan.
Aṁśāyu. The same idea worked through the Navāṁśa.
Naisargāyu. A fixed natural allotment per planet — this is the system verse 48 of Chapter 3 referred to, back in Week 1, when it said Saturn bestows the greatest number of years in Naisargika Daśā.
Three different foundations: dignity, division, and fixed allotment. They are not three estimates of one quantity produced by one method. They are three instruments built on different things, which is exactly why they disagree.
And Parashara gives a selection rule rather than an averaging rule — the system to use depends on the relative strength of the Lagna, the Sun and the Moon. That tells you how he regarded them: as alternative instruments suited to different charts.
The reductions, and what they imply
Verses 9 onward are almost entirely corrections to the raw figure.
Half the longevity a planet contributes is lost if it is combust — except for Venus and Saturn. A third is lost if it is in an enemy’s sign — unless it is retrograde. Malefics in the visible half of the chart lose graded fractions depending on house. Benefics so placed lose half what the malefics lose. Malefics in the Lagna lose a further amount, computed by converting the Lagna’s degrees into minutes and multiplying.
Count the corrections and one thing becomes obvious: the raw figure means very little. The system is mostly adjustment, and each adjustment is a strength judgment of the kind Week 5 taught you.
What the apparatus actually produces
Here is the thing most modern discussion of this material gets wrong.
Chapter 46, in the next unit, divides longevity into three bands: Alpāyu, to 32 years. Madhyamāyu, from 32 to 64. Dīrghāyu, beyond 64.
And then it gives different timing rules depending on which band applies. The band is what the rest of the system consumes.
So the practical output of the whole longevity apparatus is a band, not a date. Reading Chapter 45 as a machine for producing a specific year misunderstands what BPHS itself does with the result.
That is not a modern softening. It is what the text’s own structure shows.
Three answers, and what to do with them
Run all three systems on a chart — by software, which is the only sane way — and you will typically get three different figures.
The temptation is to pick the one you like or to average them. Neither is right. Parashara’s selection rule tells you which to prefer, and even after applying it the spread between the three is information.
Where the three cluster, the chart speaks relatively firmly. Where they scatter widely, it does not. That is a genuine and defensible reading, and it is more useful than a number because it carries its own confidence with it.
The course’s position, stated plainly
This course does not train you to announce death dates.
That statement stands from here to the end, and it is worth giving the reasoning rather than just the rule.
The chapter’s own author calls the knowledge difficult even for the gods. Three methods that he supplies disagree. The corrections depend on a birth time accurate to the minute, which almost nobody has. The text’s own downstream use of the result is a band of thirty-two years, not a date. And the cost of being wrong falls entirely on a person who trusted you, and cannot be taken back.
Every one of those is a reason from inside the material rather than a modern scruple imposed on it.
Next: the Mārakas, and how to talk about this to a human being.
Read BPHS
This is the source itself. The teaching above prepares you for it; it does not replace it.
धनाधनाख्ययोगौ च कथितौ भवता मुने ।
नराणामायुषो ज्ञानं कथयस्व महामते ! ॥ १ ॥
- O Muni (Muni a profound thinker) you spoke of the Yogas (combinations) named as wealth giving and poverty-giving yogas. Now, O Sage, tell me of those yogas that determine the life span of men.
साधु पृष्टं त्वया विप्र ! जनानां च हितेच्छया ।
कथयाम्यायुषो ज्ञानं दुर्जेयं यत् सुरैरपि ॥ २ ॥
आयुर्ज्ञानविभेदास्तु बहुभिर्बहुधोदिताः ।
तेषां सारांशमादाय प्रवदामि तवाऽग्रतः ॥ ३ ॥
2-3. O Vipra, it was well asked by you and it was asked for the benefit of mankind and I will tell you of the methods of knowing longevity which are difficult to know even for the gods. There are various methods of knowing longevity and these have been described in various ways. I shall tell before you of these methods after making their summary.
स्वोच्चनीचादि-संस्थित्या ग्रहा आयुःप्रदायकाः ।
स्वस्ववीर्यवशैर्नैवं नक्षत्राणि च राशयः ॥ ४ ॥
पिण्डायुः प्रथमं तत्र ग्रहस्थितिवशादहम्ः ।
कथयामि द्विजश्रेष्ठ! श्रणुष्वेकाग्रामानसः ॥ ५ ॥
क्रमात् सूर्यादिखेटेषु स्वस्वोच्चस्थानगेष्विह ।
नन्देन्दवस्तत्त्वमितास्तिथयोऽर्का: शरेन्दवः ॥ ६ ॥
प्रकृत्यो विंशतिश्चाब्दा आयुःपिण्डाः प्रकीर्तिताः ।
नीचगेष्वेतदर्धञ्च ज्ञेयं मध्येऽनुपाततः ॥ ७ ॥
स्वोच्चशुद्धौ ग्रहः शोध्यः षड्भादूनो भमण्डलात् ।
स्वपिण्डगुणितो भक्तो भादिमानेन वत्सराः ॥ ८ ॥
4-8. PINDAYU : The planets are givers of longevity on the basis of their exaltation and debilitation signs. In the same way the Nakshtras and signs are also givers of longevity according to their strengths and weaknesses. O excellent of the Brahmins, the first of these which is the giver of longevity on the basis of the situation of the planets, is Pindayu. Now I tell you of it, you listen to me with single-mindedness. If the planets Sun etc remain in their deep exaltation, they have respectively 19, 25,15, 12, 15, 21 and 20 years as their Ayu: Pindas (give varshamaanas or value in terms of years for the planets). If the planets are in their deep debilitation their years should be known to be half of those described above and, if the planets are in between their deep exaltation and their debilitation, the extent of longevity should be understood to be in proportion. Deduct the deep exaltation sign of the planet whose longevity is to be known from his planetary position at the time of the native's birth. If the remainder is more than 6 signs then the remainder itself, or if it is less then 6 signs then deducting it from 12, the remaining signs etc. (either of the two) is to be multiplied by the assigned Varshamaana of the planet and it is to be divided by 12 (only the product of the signs will be divided by 12) and it gives the longevity of the planet in terms of year, months, days Ghatis and palas.
अस्तगस्तु हरेत्स्वार्ध विना शुक्रशनैश्चरौ ।
वक्रचारं विना त्र्यंशं शत्रुराशौ हरेद् ग्रहः ॥ ९ ॥
- RECTIFICATIONS : Half of the longevity of the planets, except in the case of Venus and Saturn, is snatched away if the planet is combust. In the same way, if a planet is situated in an enemy's sign the third part of his longevity is reduced. However, this doesnot happen in the case of planet in retrogression.
सर्वार्धत्रिचतुःपञ्चषष्ठभागं क्रमाद् ग्रहः ।
व्ययाद्वामं स्थितः पापो हरेत् सौम्यक्श्च तद्दलम् ॥ १० ॥
एक भे तु बहुष्वेको हरेत्स्वांश बली ग्रहः ।
नाऽत्र क्षीणस्य चन्द्रस्य पापत्वं मुनिभिः स्मृतम् ॥ ११ ॥
10-11. DEDUCTIONS FOR PLANETS IN VISIBLE HALF: The malefics when they are situated in the Houses in reverse order (beginning from 12 and reaching 7) also get their longevity reduced respectively to full half, one third, one fourth, one fifth, and one sixth. Benefics so situated get it reduced only half of what the malefics lose. If in one house there are many planets, it is only the strongest of them that will get his longevity reduced to the measure stated above. The Munis (the deep thinkers) have not considered the Moon as a malefic in the context of finding out longevity.
लग्नांशलिप्तिका हत्वा प्रत्येकं विहगायुषा ।
भाज्या मण्डललिप्ताभिर्लब्धं वर्षादि शोधयेत् ॥ १२ ॥
स्वायुषो लग्नगे सूर्ये मङ्गले च शनैश्चरे ।
तदर्ध शुभसंदृष्टे पातयेद् द्विजसत्तम ! ॥ १३ ॥
12-13. MALEFICS IN THE ASCENDANT: The malefics, the Sun, Mars and Saturn having fallen in the Ascendant also get their longevity reduced in the above manner. In order to find out this reduction the degrees of the Ascendant are converted into Kalas (minutes) and these Kalas are multiplied by the longevity of each planet and the product is divided by 21600. The quotient in terms of years etc. is reduced from the longevity arrived at formerly of each of the planet. The resultant gives us the Sphasta Longevity. If there is the aspect of a benefic on the Ascendant, the one half of the Quotient is reduced.
लग्नराशिसमयाब्दा भागाद्यैरनुपाततः ।
मासादिका इतीच्छन्ति लग्नायुः केऽपि कोविदाः ॥ १४ ॥
लग्नादार्योऽशतुल्य: स्यादन्तरे चाऽनुपाततः ।
तत्पतौ बलसंयुक्ते राशितुल्यं, च भाधिपे ॥ १५ ॥
14-15. THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE ASCENDANT : According to some learned writers of Astrology the number of the sign (beginning from Aries) in the Ascendant is the number of years and the traversed degrees etc are number of months, days, ghatis and palas in proportion; and this will be the longevity of the Ascendant. But if the Navamsha Lord is stronger than the Ascendant Lord, then the number of the years will be the number of the Navamsha. If the Ascendant Lord of the Chandra Lagna is stronger than the Ascendant Lord, then the number of years will be the number of the sign in the Chandra Lagna (the Moon as the Ascendant).
अथ विप्र! निसर्गायुः खेटानां कथयाम्यहम् ।
चन्द्रारज्ञसितेज्यार्कशनीनां क्रमशोब्दका ॥ १६ ॥
एकद्वयंकनखा धृत्यः कृतिः पंचाशदेव हि ।
जन्मकालात् क्रमाज् ज्ञेया दशाश्चैता निसर्गजाः ॥ १७ ॥
16-17. NISARGAYU: O Vipra, now I speak of the Nisargayu of the planets. The Nisargayu of the planets Moon, Mars, Mercury Venus, Jupiter, the Sun and Saturn is, beginning from the time of the birth of the native, respectively 1, 2,9, 20, 18,20, and 50. It is considered to be their Naisargika Dasa also.
अथांऽशाय् सलग्नानां खेटानां कथयाम्यहम् ।
नवांशराशितुल्यानि खेटो वर्षाणि यच्छति ॥ १८ ॥
भादिं खगं खगैः सूर्यैर्हत्वा तद्धगणादिकम् ।
कृत्वाऽर्कशेषितं ज्ञेयमब्दाद्यंशायुषः स्फुटम् ॥ १९ ॥
18-19. ANSHAYU: Now I speak of the Anshayu of the planets along with the Ascendants. The planets give years equal to the number of Navamsha sign (counted from Aries). Therefore, multiply the longitude of the planet by 108. If the product comes to be more than 12, then deduct it from 12 or multiple of 12. That which is the resultant in signs, de etc is to be understood as the longevity of that planet in years, months etc.
पिण्डायुरिव तत्रापि हानिं कुर्याद् विचक्षणः ।
अत्राऽपरो विशेषोऽपि कैम्चिद् विज्ञैरुदाहृतः ॥ २० ॥
20- 22. The learned Astrologers has to make the same reductions here also as are made in Pindayu (that is, half for a combust planet, 1/3 for inimical placement and the ones due for placements in the half of the Zodiac counted from the 12th backwards). Some learned writers of Astrology have suggested some special corrections also for Anshayuradaya. Thus, the calculated longevity of the planet in his deep exaltation or in his own sign is tripled and the calculated longevity of the planet in his own Navamsha or in his own decanate is to be doubled. If there are both the conditions, (that is the planet is in his deep, exaltation and in his own Navamsha) the longevity is to be tripled only. And if there are both the losses (that is Half or one third both are there), it is only half the reduction that is to be taken. It is in this way that the Spashta Ayu (calculated longevity) of human beings is obtained.
Show the full passage — 36 verses
साधितायु: खगे स्वोच्चे स्वर्क्षे वा त्रिगुणं स्मृतम् ।
द्विगुणं स्वनवांशस्थे स्वद्रेष्काणे तथोत्तमे ॥ २१ ॥
उभयत्र गते खेटे कार्य त्रिगुणमेव हि ।
हानिद्वयेऽर्धहानिः स्यादित्यायुः प्रस्फुटं नृणाम् ॥ २२ ॥
20- 22. The learned Astrologers has to make the same reductions here also as are made in Pindayu (that is, half for a combust planet, 1/3 for inimical placement and the ones due for placements in the half of the Zodiac counted from the 12th backwards). Some learned writers of Astrology have suggested some special corrections also for Anshayuradaya. Thus, the calculated longevity of the planet in his deep exaltation or in his own sign is tripled and the calculated longevity of the planet in his own Navamsha or in his own decanate is to be doubled. If there are both the conditions, (that is the planet is in his deep, exaltation and in his own Navamsha) the longevity is to be tripled only. And if there are both the losses (that is Half or one third both are there), it is only half the reduction that is to be taken. It is in this way that the Spashta Ayu (calculated longevity) of human beings is obtained.
एवं संसाध्य चान्येषां हन्यात् स्वस्वपरायुषा ।
नृणां परायुषा भक्तवा तेषामायुः स्फुटं भवेत् ॥ २३ ॥
- LONGEVITY FOR OTHER LIVING BEINGS: The longevity of other living beings should be calculated in the same way. The longevity so arrived at is to be multiplied by the figure corresponding to his full span of life. The product is to be divided by the figure corresponding to the full span of life of human beings.
अथायुः परमं वक्ष्ये नानाजातिसमुद्भवम् ।
अनन्तसंख्यं देवानामृषीणां च द्विजोत्तम ! ॥ २४ ॥
गृधोलूक-शुकध्वांक्ष-सर्पाणां च सहस्रकम् ।
श्येन-वानर-भल्लूक-मण्डूकानां शतत्रयम् ॥ २५ ॥
पंचाशदुत्तरशतं राक्षसानां प्रकीर्तितम् ।
नराणां कुञ्जराणां च विशोत्तरशतं तथा ॥ २६ ॥
द्वात्रिंशद् घोटकानाञ्च पंचविंशत् खरोष्ट्रयोः ।
वृषाणां महिषाणां च चतुर्विशतिवत्सरम् ॥ २७ ॥
विंशत्यायुर्मयूराणां छागादीनां च षोडश ।
हंसानां पंचनव च पिकानां द्वादशाब्दकाः ॥ २८ ॥
शुनां पारावतानां च, कुक्कुटानां समाष्टकम् ।
बुद्बुदाद्यण्डजानां च परायुः सप्त वत्सराः ॥ २९ ॥
24-29. O excellent of the Brahmins, now I tell you of the full span of longevity of the various other living beings. The longevity of the gods and the Risis (Sages) is endless. The full span of life of eagles, owls, parrots, crows and snakes is one thousand years, Falcons, monkeys, bears and frogs, the span of life of these is three hundred years. The life span of Rakshasas (demons) has been said to be of 150 years, of human beings and of elephants 120 years, of horses 32 years, of donkeys and camels 25 years, of oxen and buffaloes 24 years, of peacock 20 years, of goats and rams 16 years, of swans 14 years, of cuckoos, dogs and doves 12 years, of hens etc 8 years and of birds nightingales etc that are born of eggs 7 years.
यदेतदधुना प्रोक्तं त्रिधायुर्द्विजसत्तम! ।
तेषु किञ्च कदा ग्राह्यमिति ते कथयाम्यहम् ॥ ३० ॥
विलग्नपे बलोपेते शुभदृष्टेंऽशसम्भवम् ।
रवौ पिंडोद्भवं ग्राह्यं चन्द्रे नैसर्गिकं तथा ॥ ३१ ॥
30-31. CHOICE OF LONGEVITY: O excellent of the Brahmins, I have narrated to you the three different methods of Longevity. Now I speak to you as to which of them is to be adopted and when. If the Ascendant Lord is the strongest of the Ascendant Lords, the Sun and the Moon and he is aspected by a benefic, the method adopted will be Anshayu, if it is the Sun Pindayu and, if it is the Moon Nisargayu.
बलसाम्ये द्वयोर्योगदलमायुः प्रकीर्तितम् ।
त्रयाणां त्रियुतेस्त्र्यंशसमं ज्ञेयं द्विजोत्तम ! ॥ ३२ ॥
- DOUBTFUL CASES: O excellent of the Brahmins, if two among these three- the Ascendant, the Sun and the Moon are equally strong, the Longevity is found out by using both the methods and the average of both is taken. If all the three are equally strong, the average of all the three is to be considered.
अथाऽन्यदपि वक्ष्यामि श्रृणु त्वं द्विजसत्तम! ।
कैश्चिल्लग्नाष्टमेशाभ्यां मन्देन्दुभ्यां तथैव च ॥ ३३ ॥
लग्नहोराविलग्नाभ्यां स्फुटमायुः प्रकीर्तितम् ।
आदौ लग्नाष्टमेशाभ्यां योगमेकं विचिन्तयेत् ॥ ३४ ॥
द्वितीयं मन्दचन्द्राभ्यां योगं पश्येद् द्विजोत्तम ।
लग्नहोराविलग्नाभ्यां तृतीयं परिचिन्तयेत् ॥ ३५ ॥
चरराशौ स्थितौ द्वौ चेत् तदा दीर्घमुदाहृतम् ।
एक: स्थिरेऽपरो द्वन्द्वे दीर्घमायुस्तथापि हि ॥ ३६ ॥
एकश्चरे स्थिरेऽन्यश्चेत् तदा मध्यमुदाहृतम् ।
द्वौ वा द्वन्द्वे स्थितौ विप्र ! मध्यमायुस्तथापि च ॥ ३७ ॥
एकश्चरेऽपरो द्वन्द्वे द्वौ वा स्थिरगतौ तदा ।
जातकस्य तदाऽल्पायुर्ज्ञेयमेवं द्विजोत्तम ! ॥ ३८ ॥
योगत्रयेण योगाभ्यां सिद्धं यद् ग्राह्यमेव तत् ।
योगत्रयविसंवादे लग्नहोराविलग्नतः ॥ ३९ ॥
लग्ने वा सप्तमे चन्द्रे ग्राह्यं मन्देन्दुतस्तदा ।
हासो वृद्धिश्च कक्ष्याया विचिन्त्या सर्वदा बुधैः ॥ ४० ॥
33-40. O excellent of the Brahmins, now, I speak of the other methods of finding out Longevity also, listen to me. Some of the writers on Astrology have found out the extent of Longevity by means of the Ascendant Lord, the 8th Lord, Saturn and the Moon and the Natal Ascendant and the Hora Ascendant. Of these Of excellent of the Brahmins, the first yoga that is to be considered is by means of the Ascendant Lord and the 8th Lord, the second one is by means of Saturn and the Moon and, the third one is by means of the Natal Ascendant and the Hora Ascendant. If the two (the Ascendant Lord and the 8th Lord or Saturn and the Moon and the Ascendant and the Hora Ascendant) are in movable sign /signs the native's life should be predicted as long. If one of the planets is in a fixed sign and the other in dual sign, it also denotes long life. If one of the planets is in a movable sign and the other in a fixed one, it will give medium life. If both are in a dual signs, it also denotes medium life. One in a movable sign and the other in a dual sign or both in fixed signs, O excellent of the Brahmins, certainly gives a short life to the native. That Longevity is to be accepted which is found by all three methods or by two. If the three groups denote three different scales then the one which is indicated by the pair of Natal Ascendant and the Hora Ascendant is to be accepted. But if in such a condition there is the Moon in the Ascendant or in the 7th House, the longevity determined by means of Saturn and the Moon is to be considered. The wise should also consider the decline or the increase in the classes of the planets.
दीर्घे योगत्रयेणैवं नखचन्द्रसमाब्दकाः ।
योगद्वयेन वस्वाशा योगैकेन रसांककाः ॥ ४१ ॥
मध्ये योगत्रयेणैवं खाष्टतुल्याब्दका: स्मृताः ।
द्वयगा योगद्वयेनाऽत्रयोगैकेनाब्धिषण्मिताः ॥ ४२ ॥
अल्पे योगत्रयेणाऽत्रद्वात्रिंशन्मितवत्सराः ।
योगद्वयेन षट्त्रिंशत् योगैकेन च खाब्धयः ॥ ४३ ॥
एवं दीर्घसमाल्पेषु खाब्धयो रसवह्नयः ।
खण्डा दन्तमितास्तेभ्यः स्फुटमायुः प्रसाधयेत् ॥ ४४ ॥
41-44. FURTHER CLARIFICATIONS : If long life is denoted by all the 3 said groups the span of life is 120 years; if by 2 groups it is 108 years and if only by one group it is 96 years. If medium life is denoted by all the 3groups, it is 80 years, if 12 groups it is 72 years and if by one group it is 64 years. If short life is denoted by all the 3 groups it is only 32 years, if by 2 groups it is 36 years and, if by one group it is 40 years. Long life etc denoted in this way gives 40, 36 and 32 contributors. The Spashta Ayu (longevity) is to be known by these contributors.
पूर्ण राश्यादिगे चान्ते हानिर्मध्येऽनुपाततः ।
योगकारकखेटांशयोगस्तत्संख्यया हृतः ॥ ४५ ॥
लब्धांशास्तु यथाप्राप्तखण्डघ्नास्त्रिंशतोद्धृताः ।
लब्धवर्षादिभिर्होनं प्राप्तायुः प्रस्फुटं भवेत् ॥ ४६ ॥
45-46. RECTIFICATIONS : If the yoga karaka planet is in the beginning of a sign then his contribution will be full and if he is at the end of a sign it will be nil (loss of life). When the yoga karaka planet is in the middle of a sign, longevity is to calculated proportionately. Thus the degrees etc. of all the yoga karaka planets are added and the total of all is divided by the number of the yoga karaka planets. The degrees etc. so obtained are to be multiplied by the obtained division (contributor obtained according to sloka 44) and the product is divided by 30 and the quotient so obtained in years etc is subtracted from the number of years of Ayurdaya, long, medium and short, and it will give Spashta Ayu (Longevity of the native).
योगहेतौ शनौ कक्ष्याहासोऽन्यैर्वृद्धिरुच्यते ।
न स्वर्क्षतुङ्गगे नो वा पापमात्रयुतेक्षिते ॥ ४७ ॥
- SPECIAL RULE FOR SATURN : If Saturn is a yoga karaka planet, the class of longevity declines: But some learned astrologers say that it will increase. But if Saturn is in his exaltation or own sign it will cause neither decline nor increase of the class or if he is in conjunction or has the aspect of a malefic, it will also cause neither decline nor increase.
लग्नसप्तमगे जीवे शुभमात्रयुतेक्षिते ।
कथितस्यायुषो विप्र! कक्ष्यावृद्धि प्रजायते ॥ ४८ ॥
- SPECIAL RULE FOR JUPITER : If Jupiter occupies the Ascendant or the 7th House and if he is in conjunction with or is aspected by a benefic it will cause the increase of the class.
अनायुश्चेद् भवेदल्पमल्पान्मध्यं प्रजायते ।
मध्यमाज्जायते दीर्घ दीर्घायुश्चेत्ततोऽधिकम् ॥ ४९ ॥
योगहेतौ गुरावेवं कक्ष्यावृद्धेश्च लक्षणम् ।
एतस्माद् वैपरीत्येन कक्ष्याह्रासः शनौ भवेत् ॥ ५० ॥
49-50. INCREASE AND FALL IN THE CLASS OF LONGEVITY : If there is the increase in the class of Longevity, then in Anayu (Heenayu) or shorter life span than even Alpayu or short life span there will be Alpayu; in Alpayu there will be Madhyayu or medium life span; in Madhyayu there will be Deerghayu or long life span and; in Deerghayu there will be a greater life span even than Deerghayu or long life span, it will be Amitayu. In this way if Jupiter is a yoga karaka planet there is the increase in the class of longevity and if Saturn is a yoga karaka planet there is the decline in the class of longevity.
आयुषो बहुधा भेदाः कथिता भवताऽधुना ।
कतिधा सा कदाऽनायुरमितायुः कदा भवेत् ॥ ५१ ॥
- (Maitreya says) : You have told of the various kinds of longevity computations. Now kindly tell me of how many kinds these spans are and when there will be Anayu (life span shorter even than short life span) or when there will be Amitayu (life span longer even than long life span).
बालारिष्टं योगारिष्टमल्पं मध्यञ्च दीर्घकम् ।
द्विव्यं चैवाऽमितं चैवं सप्तधायुः प्रकीर्तितम् ॥ ५२ ॥
- Parasara replies: Balarishta, Yogarishta, Alpa, Madhya, Deergha, Divya and Amita (Death in childhood in youth, short, medium, long, supernatural and illimitable respectively) are the seven kinds of longevity computations.
बालारिष्टे समा अष्टौ योगारिष्टे च विंशतिः ।
द्वात्रिंशद् वत्सरा अल्पे चतुष्षष्टिस्तु मध्यमे ॥ ५३ ॥
विंशाधिकशतं दीर्घे दिव्ये वर्षसहस्रकम् ।
तदूर्ध्वममितं पुण्यैरमितैराप्यते जनैः ॥ ५४ ॥
53-54. The life span in Balarishta is 8 years, in Yogarishta it is 20 years, in Alpayu 32, in Madhyayu 64, in Deerghaya 120, in Divyayu 1000 years and more than the Divyayu span there is the Amitayu one which is acquired by doing limitless deeds of merit.
चन्द्रेज्यौ च कुलीरांगे ज्ञसितौ केन्द्रसंस्थितौ ।
अन्ये त्र्यायारिगाः खेटा अमितायुस्तदा भवेत् ॥ ५५ ॥
- LIMITLESS LONGEVITY: If the Ascendant is Cancer, there are Moon and Jupiter in the Ascendant, Mercury and Venus are in an angle and the Sun, Mars and Saturn are in 3-6-11 Houses, the combination so formed is Amitayu combination conferring limitless longevity.
सौम्याः केन्द्रत्रिकोणस्था: पापास्त्र्यायारिगास्तथा ।
शुभराशौ स्थिते रन्ध्रे दिव्यामायुस्तदा भवेत् ॥ ५६ ॥
- SUPERNATURAL LONGEVITY: If all the benefics are in angles and trines, all the malefics in 3-6-11 Houses and there is the sign of a benefic planet in the 8th House, the combination will be Divyayu or supernatural longevity.
गोपुरांशे गुरौ केन्द्रे शुक्रे पारावतांशके ।
त्रिकोणे कर्कटे लग्ने युगान्तायुस्तदा द्विज ! ॥ ५७ ॥
- LIVING TILL THE END OF YUGA : If Jupiter being in Gopuramsha occupies an angle and Venus, being in Paravatamsha occupies a trine, and the Ascendant is Cancer, the native will live till the end of yuga.
देवलोकांशके मन्दे कुजे पारावतांशके ।
गुरौ सिंहासनांशेऽङ्गे जातो मुनिसमो भवेत् ॥ ५८ ॥
- LIVING THE LIFE OF A SAGE : If Saturn is in Devalokamsha, Mars in Paravatamsha and Jupiter being in Simhasanamsha occupies the Ascendant, the native gets life as long as that of a Sage.
सुयोगैर्वर्धते ह्यायुः कुयोगैर्होयते तथा ।
अतो योगानहं वक्ष्ये पूर्णमध्याल्पकारकान् ॥ ५९ ॥
- Good combinations of planets in the Horoscope increase the life span and bad ones decrease the same (even the Longevity arrived at by mathematical calculations). Therefore, I tell you of yogas (combinations) causing long life, medium life and short life.
केन्द्रे शुभग्रहैर्युक्ते लग्नेशे च शुभान्विते ।
सन्दृष्टे गुरुणा वाऽपि पूर्णमायुस्तदा भवेत् ॥ ६० ॥
- If all the benefics are in an angle and the Ascendant Lord is in conjunction with a benefic or is aspected by Jupiter, the native will live a full span of life.
केन्द्रस्थिते विलग्नेशे गुरुशुक्रसमन्विते ।
ताभ्यां निरीक्षिते वाऽपि पूर्णमायुर्विनिर्दिशेत् ॥ ६१ ॥
- If the Ascendant Lord is in conjunction with or aspected by Jupiter and Venus and occupies an angle, the native will have full span of life.
उच्चस्थितैस्त्रिभिः खेटैर्लग्नरन्ध्रेशसंयुतैः ।
अष्टमें पापहीने च पूर्णमायुर्विनिर्दिशेत् ॥ ६२ ॥
- If three planets in which the Ascendant Lord and the 8th Lord are included are exalted, and the 8th House is devoid of a malefic, the longevity span of the native be predicted as full life span.
अष्टमस्थैस्त्रिभि खेटैः स्वोच्चमित्रस्ववर्गगैः ।
लग्नेशे बलसंयुक्ते दीर्घमायुस्तदा भवेत् ॥ ६३ ॥
- If three planets in their exaltation, own or friend's sign are situated in the 8th House and the Ascendant Lord is also endowed with strength, the native will have long life.
स्वभोच्चस्थेन केनापि नभोगेन समन्वितः ।
अष्टमेशः शनिर्वापि दीर्घमायुर्विनिर्दिशेत् ॥ ६४ ॥
- If the 8th Lord or Saturn are in conjunction with any exalted planet in his own sign, the prediction should be long life of the native.
त्रिषडायगतैः पापैः शुभैः केन्द्रत्रिकोणगैः ।
लग्नेशे बलसंयुक्ते दीर्घमायुर्विनिर्दिशेत् ॥ ६५ ॥
- If the malefics are in 3-6-11 and the benefics are in angles and trines and the Ascendant Lord is endowed with strength, full life span for the native should be predicted.
षट्सप्तरन्ध्रभावेषु शुभख्रेटयुतेषु च ।
त्रिभवेषु च पापेषु पूर्णमायुर्विनिर्दिशेत् ॥ ६६ ॥
- If in the 6th, 7th and 8th House there are benefics, and in the 3rd and 11th House there are malefics, the native will have full span of life.
शत्रुव्ययगताः पापा लग्नेशो यदि केन्द्रगः ।
रविमित्रं च रन्ध्रेशः चूर्णमायुस्तथापि हि ॥ ६७ ॥
- If the malefics occupy the 6th and the 12th House, the Ascendant Lord is in an angle and the 8th Lord is a friendly planets to the Sun, the native will have full span of life.
आयु: स्थानस्थिताः पापा: कर्मेश: स्वोच्चगो यदा ।
तथापि दीर्घमायु स्याद् विज्ञेयं द्विजसत्तम! ॥ ६८ ॥
- O excellent of the Brahmins, if the malefics occupy the 8th House and the 10th Lord is exalted, the native will have long life.
द्विस्वभावगृहे लग्ने लग्नेशे केन्द्रसंस्थिते ।
स्वोच्चराशित्रिकोणे वा दीर्घमायुर्विनिर्दिशेत् ॥ ६९ ॥
- If the Ascendant is occupied by a dual sign and the Ascendant Lord is situated in an angle, or in exaltation or in own sign or in a trine, long life will follow.
द्विस्वभावगृहे लग्ने लग्नेशाद् बलसंयुतात् ।
द्वौ पापौ यदि केन्द्रस्थौ दीर्घमायुस्तदा भवेत् ॥ ७० ॥
- If the Ascendant is occupied by a dual sign and two malefics are in an angle from the strong Ascendant Lord, then there will be long life for the native.
लग्नाष्टमेशयोर्मध्ये यः खेट प्रबलो भवेत् ।
तस्मिन् केन्द्रगते केन्द्रगते दीर्घं मध्यं पणफरस्थिते ॥ ७१ ॥
आपोक्लिमे स्थिते स्वल्पमायुर्भवति निश्चितम् ।
लग्नेशे च स्वेर्मित्रे दीर्घमायुः समे समम् ॥ ७२ ॥
शत्रौ स्वल्पं वदेदित्यमष्टमेशादपि स्मृतम् ।
मित्रमध्याऽरिभावस्थे तस्मिन्नेवं फलं वदेत् ॥ ७३ ॥
71-73. If the stronger of the Ascendant and the 8th Lord occupies an angle, the life span will be long, if he occupies a panphar House it will be medium and, if an Apoklima House it will be short.
If the Ascendant Lord is the Sun's friend, the life span will be long, if he is neutral it will be medium and, if he is an enemy it will be short.
The same prediction should be made in the same way from the 8th Lord as they have been made from the Ascendant Lord. And if they (the Ascendant and the 8th Lord) are in their friend's sign, the life span should be predicted as long, in neutral's sign medium and in enemy's sign short.
सहजाधीशभूपुत्रौ द्वौ रन्ध्रेशशनैश्चरौ ।
अस्तौ वा पापदृग्यूक्तौ स्वल्पमायुः प्रयच्छतः ॥ ७४ ॥
- If the 3rd Lord and Mars or the 8th Lord and Saturn both are combust or if they are in conjunction with or aspected by malefics the native will have short life.
षष्ठेऽष्टमे व्यये वाऽपि लग्नेशे पापसंयुते ।
स्वल्पायुरनपत्यो वा शुभदृग्योगवर्जिते ॥ ७५ ॥
- If the Ascendant Lord along with a malefic occupies, the 6th, 8th or the 12th House and is devoid of the conjunction or aspect of a benefic, the native will have short life or will have no issue.
चतुष्टयगते पापे शुभदृष्टिविवर्जिते ।
बलहीने विग्लनेशे स्वल्पमायुर्विनिर्दिशेत् ॥ ७६ ॥
- If the angles are occupied by malefics and are devoid of the aspect of a benefic, and the Ascendant Lord is weak, then, short life is to be predicted.
व्ययार्थौ पापसंयुक्तौ शुभदृग्योगवर्जितौ ।
स्वल्पमायुस्तदा ज्ञेयं निर्विशंकं द्विजोत्तम ! ॥ ७७ ॥
- If the 2nd and the 12th House are occupied by malefics and donot have the yoga of the aspect of the benefics, then O excellent of the Brahmins, short life without having any doubt should be understood.
लग्नरन्ध्रेशयोरेवं दुःस्थयोर्बलहीनयोः ।
स्वल्पमायुर्बुधैर्ज्ञेयं मिश्रयोगाच्च मध्यमम् ॥ ७८ ॥
- In the same way if the Ascendant Lord and the 8th Lord are situated in evil Houses and are bereft of strength, the learned Astrologers should know the native's life as short and medium if the yoga karaka planets are both benefics and malefics.
Practice
Name the three longevity systems and the basis of each.
Write your answer down before opening the explanation.
Show the answer and why
Answer: Piṇḍāyu — longevity contributed by each planet according to its exaltation and debilitation. Aṁśāyu — based on the Navāṁśa. Naisargāyu — the natural lifespan allotted to each planet.
Three different foundations: dignity, division, and fixed natural allotment. That they are built on different things is precisely why they disagree, and it is also why Parashara supplies rules for choosing between them rather than averaging them.
Source: BPHS 45.4–8
Verses 2 and 3 say this knowledge is difficult to know even for the gods, and that there are various methods described in various ways. What is Parashara doing there?
Write your answer down before opening the explanation.
Show the answer and why
Answer: Framing the whole chapter as uncertain before he begins it.
That opening is easy to read as ritual modesty and it is more than that. He is stating the epistemic status of everything that follows: this is genuinely hard, methods differ, and I will give you several. A reader who takes verse 3 seriously reads the rest of the chapter differently from one who skips to the arithmetic — which is most of the difference between responsible and irresponsible use of it.
Source: BPHS 45.2–3
Verses 9 to 13 give reductions: half the longevity contributed by a combust planet, a third for a planet in an enemy's sign, graded reductions for malefics in the visible half, further reductions for malefics in the Lagna. What does the number of reductions imply?
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Show the answer and why
Answer: That the raw figure means very little on its own — the system is mostly correction.
Count them. Combustion, enemy sign, retrogression as an exemption, position in the visible half graded by house, malefics in the Lagna computed against the Lagna's exact degree. That last one is worth noticing especially: it makes the result depend on the ascendant to the minute, which means a Piṇḍāyu figure is only as good as the birth time, and almost nobody's birth time is good enough to support a number stated in years and months.
Source: BPHS 45.9–13
The three systems give three different answers for the same chart. What does a careful practitioner conclude?
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Show the answer and why
Answer: That the chart supports a range rather than a figure, and that the width of the range is itself the finding.
Parashara gives rules for selecting between the systems — based on the relative strength of the Lagna, the Sun and the Moon — so he is not suggesting you average them. But even with a selection rule applied, three instruments that disagree tell you something about how firmly the chart speaks. Where they cluster, the indication is firmer. Where they scatter, it is not. That is a real and defensible reading, and it is considerably more useful than a number.
Chapter 46 divides longevity into three ranges — Alpāyu, Madhyamāyu and Dīrghāyu. What are they, and why does that division matter more than a specific figure?
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Show the answer and why
Answer: Short life to 32, medium from 32 to 64, long beyond 64. It matters because the band is what the chart supports, and because the daśā rules that follow depend on which band applies rather than on an exact number.
This is genuinely useful and it is the form in which longevity actually gets used in BPHS. Chapter 46 verses 15–21 then give different timing rules depending on which band a chart falls into. So the practical output of the whole apparatus is a band, not a date — and reading it as producing a date misunderstands what the text does with it.
Source: BPHS 46.10–21
Check your understanding
Answer from memory first. Looking back at the reading before you try turns a memory test into a copying exercise.
What does Parashara say determines the choice between the three systems?
Write your answer down before opening the explanation.
Show the answer and why
Answer: The relative strength of the Lagna, the Sun and the Moon — with the system selected according to which is strongest.
A selection rule rather than an averaging rule, which tells you Parashara regarded the three as alternative instruments suited to different charts rather than as three estimates of one quantity. Worth reading in the source rather than in summary, because the rule is stated compactly and summaries of it vary.
Source: BPHS 45
Why does this course teach the longevity material at all, rather than omitting it?
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Show the answer and why
Answer: Because it is real BPHS doctrine, it is the foundation of the Māraka material and the daśā rules that follow, and omitting it would misrepresent the book.
There is also a practical reason. A student who has never read this material is defenceless against someone who has read it badly. Knowing what Parashara actually says — including that he opens by calling it difficult even for the gods, and that his own three methods disagree — is what lets you push back on a confident claim.
A client asks how long they will live. What do you say?
Write your answer down before opening the explanation.
Show the answer and why
Answer: That this is not something you will put a number on, and why — and then what you can say instead.
The "and then" is the part that separates a considered refusal from a brush-off. You can say a great deal that is genuinely useful: whether the chart shows constitutional strength or fragility, which periods carry more strain, where the 8th house and the Lagna lord stand, and what the chart suggests about resilience. All of that is real and none of it is a date. This is the written exercise you should actually do, and Week 13 assesses it.
Where in BPHS are the three longevity systems, and where are the bands?
Write your answer down before opening the explanation.
Show the answer and why
Answer: Chapter 45 for the systems and their reductions; Chapter 46 verses 10–21 for Alpāyu, Madhyamāyu and Dīrghāyu.
A small structural point worth having: the systems are in one chapter and the practically used output — the band — is in the next, alongside the Mārakas. That arrangement tells you how Parashara expected the material to be used, and it is why the course teaches 45 and 46 as adjacent units.
What you carry forward
Two things grow across the whole course. This unit adds to both.
To your chart-analysis process
- **Step 8 (continued) — assess condition and strength.** Where longevity is relevant, work to a band rather than a figure, and treat disagreement between the three systems as information about how firmly the chart speaks.
To your field manual
- Three longevity systems: Piṇḍāyu (from planetary dignity), Aṁśāyu (from the Navāṁśa), Naisargāyu (fixed natural allotment).
- Selection is by the relative strength of the Lagna, the Sun and the Moon — not by averaging.
- Reductions in Piṇḍāyu: half for combustion (except Venus and Saturn), a third for an enemy's sign, graded reductions for the visible half, further reduction for malefics in the Lagna computed against the exact Lagna degree. Retrograde planets are exempt from the enemy-sign reduction.
- Because the reductions depend on the Lagna degree, a Piṇḍāyu figure is only as good as the birth time.
- Practical output is a BAND, not a date: Alpāyu to 32, Madhyamāyu 32–64, Dīrghāyu beyond 64 (46.10–14).
- Standing statement: this course does not train you to announce death dates.
By now you should be able to
- Name the three longevity systems and say what each is based on
- Explain why they disagree and why Parashara supplies three
- State the reduction rules in outline and say what they imply about precision
- State the course's position on longevity prediction and the reasoning behind it