Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra · Volume 1

10. Surroundings at the time of Birth

32 verses5 translator's notesStudied in Week 3

Read BPHS — the source itselfBPHS 10 · Surroundings at the time of Birth

पराशर उवाच —

अथाहं सूतिकाध्यायं वक्ष्यामि श्रृणु सुव्रत ! ।
पुरा प्रसङ्गवशतो ब्रह्मणा कथितं यथा ॥ १ ॥

यन्त्रैः स्पष्टतरो वेद्यो जन्मकालस्तथा पुनः ।
साध्या:स्पष्टखगाचैवं लग्नं साध्यं यथोदितम् ॥ २ ॥

लग्नद्वादशभावेषु ग्रहाः स्थाप्या दिवाजनौ ।
सूर्याे रात्रौ सूर्यपुत्रो जनकौ परिकीर्तितौ ॥ ३ ॥

तथैव सितचन्द्रौ तु विज्ञेयौ मातृसंज्ञितौ ।
तयोर्मध्ये बली यः स्यात्तस्य गेहे जनिर्भवेत् ॥ ४ ॥

Verse 1–4

1 - 4 Parasara said: "O Suvrata Maitreya (Suvrata: one who has taken a religious vow) now I tell of the surroundings at the time of birth. Lord Brahma told it to me by way of telling Astrological matters. First of all with the help of instruments (as we have watch, people in those days had some device of knowing time: this was the yantra) the Astrologer should have the exact knowledge of the time of birth. Then he should know in the birth chart the Ascendant and the planets at the time of birth and the planets should be placed in the Ascendant and the other Houses. If the birth occurs in the day time then the Sun, if it does during night, then Saturn is to be regarded as the father. Similarly Venus and the Moon will represent the mother respectively during day and night time. The birth of the child has taken place in the house of that parent whose representative planet is stronger.

Translator's note

In this chapter the Sage has described all the possible situations and incidents at the time of birth. The verification of the Ascendant was done according to the formulae referred to in this Chapter. In the ancient times people had various methods of knowing time. The word 'Yantra' (instrument) has been used for those methods. Time was also known through the medium of an observatory. If the birth occurred during the day time, the Sage has indicated to get knowledge about the natives father on the basis of the Sun while this knowledge should be had on the basis of Saturn if the birth occurred during night time. Similarly, the situations of Venus and the Moon will provide information with regard to the native's mother, in the event of the birth occurring during day and night time respectively. If the planet representing the mother is stronger than the one representing the father, then it should be known that when the birth occurred the mother was at her father's house and the delivery took place there. In the reverse situation, the delivery took place in the house of the native's father.

नीचराशिगताः सौम्या ग्रहदृष्टिविविर्जिताः ।
चन्द्रो यदि भवेल्लग्ने पथि जन्म विनिर्दिशेत् ॥ ५ ॥

Verse 5

If the benefics are situated in their signs of debilitation and are not aspected by any planet and the Moon is placed in the Ascendant, then the birth is to be told as occurring on the way.

सबलो भौमदृष्ट्य स्वक्षेत्रादिषु संस्थितः ।
सूर्यो यद तदा ज्ञेयं बहुदीपान्वितं गृहम् ॥ ६ ॥

जलभांशगतश्चचन्द्रश्चतुर्थे भवने भवेत् ।
युक्तो मन्देन वा दृष्टोऽन्धकारे जायते जनिः ॥ ७ ॥

Verse 6–7

6-7. When being in his own sign the Sun is strong and is aspected by Mars, it should be known that the birth chamber was lit with many earthen lamps. If the Moon being in a watery sign has been placed in the 4th house and is in conjunction with or is aspected by Saturn, the birth of the child should be predicted as occurring in darkness.

यस्मिन् भागे भवेत्सूर्यस्तत्र दीपं वदेत् सुधीः ।
लग्नादवर्त्तिस्तथा चन्द्रात्तैलं वाच्यं मनीषिभिः ॥ ८ ॥

चरेऽके चंचलो दीपः स्थिर तु स्थिरो भवेत् ।
द्विभे स्थितिर्द्वयोर्जया सूर्यर्क्षवशतो बुधैः ॥ ९ ॥

Verse 8–9

8-9 The situation of the earthen lamp is to be told in that part of the house where in the birth Chart the Sun is situated. The learned astrologer should know of the Wick from the Ascendant and the oil from the Moon. If at the time of birth the Sun be in a movable sign, the lamp will be flickering, if he be in a fixed sign, it will remain fixed and, if he be in a dual sign, it should be told as sometimes stable and sometimes flickering.

Translator's note

In Chapter 4 entitled "राशि स्वरूपाध्याय" or "Zodiacal Signs Described" has been determined the direction of each of the signs. The situation of the earthen lamp in the delivery room is in the direction of that sign in which the Sun in the horoscope is situated. Some learned Astrologers determine the direction on the basis of the Houses of the Horoscope. The Ascendant House is taken to be the eastern direction, the 7th House the Western, the 4th House the Northern and, the 10th House the Southern one. The rest of the Houses remain between the directions of two Houses. For example, the 11th and the 12h Houses are between the 10th and the Ascendant House. The direction of these Houses from the Ascendant House will be continually from the east to the south. The direction in which the earthen lamp was.placed in the delivery room is known by the direction of the house in which the Sun is situated.

The knowledge of the Wick from the Ascendant means that if the Ascendant sign is on the commencing degrees, a new wick was put in the lamp, and if it was on the ending degrees, the wick was put a long time ago from the birth so that it was about to be burnt but If the Ascendant sign is around 15°, then it (the wick) was half burnt. The knowledge of the wick may be had in this way from the degrees on which there was the Ascendant sign. In the same manner the oil in the lamp may be known from the Moon. If she is on the commencing degrees, the lamp was full of oil, and if she was on the middle degrees of the sign, then it was half full. In this way the knowledge of the quantity of oil may be known by the situation of the Moon in the given sign. Some learned Astrologers have the view that the fullness of the lamp is represented by the fullness of the Moon. The oil also goes on decreasing as the Moon goes on waning. Now the earthen lamps have been replaced by electric bulbs or fluorescent tubes. But the same formulas may give us the knowledge in which direction of the delivery room was situated the bulb or the tube, whether there was light in the room or not and whether the bulb or the tube was new or old.

शीषाच्छीर्षोदये वाच्यः पादात् पृष्ठोदये मतः ।
करात्तदुभये ज्ञेयः प्रसवः सर्वदेहिनाम् ॥ १० ॥

Verse 10

If at the time of birth the Ascendant is a sign rising with its head, then the birth of the child should be told as emerging out with its head, if it is a sign rising with its back, then it emerged with its feet and, if it is a sign rising with both its head and back, then it emerged with its hand.

केन्द्रस्थग्रहयोगाद्वा लग्नर्क्षद्वा बलाधिकात् ।
द्वारं वाच्यं तु गेहस्य दिशीशक्रमतः सदा ॥ ११ ॥

Verse 11

The direction of the door of the delivery room is to be known from the planets situated in an angle according to their strength or from the sign in the Ascendant House. These are respectively the lords of the directions.

लग्नचन्द्रान्तरालस्थग्रहै: स्युरुपसूतिकाः ।
दृश्यादृश्यविभागाम्यां बहिरन्तश्च ताः स्मृताः ॥ १२ ॥

स्वर्शादौ द्विगुणा ज्ञेया वक्रोच्चे त्रिगुणा मताः ।
यत्रोभयस्य सम्प्राप्तिस्त्रैगुण्यं तत्र वै सकृत ॥ १३ ॥

पापैस्तु विधवा ज्ञेया: शोभनैः सधवाः स्मृताः ।

Verse 12–13

12-13.1/2 The number of nurses/mid wives (women present with the child giving mother at the time of the delivery) is equal to the number of planets between the Ascendant and the sign in which the Moon is situated. The nurses attending outside and inside the delivery room are according to the visible and the invisible half of the Horoscope. The number of nurses should be understood by multiplying the number of the planets in their own sign by two, by three if they are in their exaltation signs or are in their retrogression. If there is the situation of both (multiplied by 2 and 3) then multiply it by three only once. Equal to the number of the malefic planets between the Ascendant and the Moon was the number of widows and equal to the number of benefic planets there was the number of women having their husbands alive.

Translator's note

The number of beings attending on delivery has been told to be equal to the number of planets that are situated in the Houses or signs between the Ascendant and the sign in which the Moon is placed. The number of attendants/nurses outside the delivery room will be equal to the number of planets situated in the visible half of the Horoscope, that is from the to-be-covered degrees etc of the 7th House to the covered degrees etc of the Ascendant House; and the number of those inside the delivery room will be equal to the number of the planets situated in the invisible half of the Horoscope or from the covered degrees etc of the Ascendant House, the to- be covered degrees etc of the 7th House. There is also the view that the number of planets in their own sign or in their Navamamsha etc multiplied by two gives the number of delivery attendants or it is given if the number of planets in their exaltation sign or in retrogression is multiplied by three. If the planets that are to be multiplied by two are equal to those that are to be multiplied by (3) three, then their number should be multiplied by three only once.

कालाङ्गे यत्र भौमार्कों तत्र ज्ञेयं तिलादिकम् ॥ १४ ॥

शनिराहू स्थितौ यत्र तत्र श्यामलमादिशेत् ।

लग्ने चन्द्रारशुक्रश्चेत्चिह्नं शिरसि संस्थितम् ॥ १५ ॥

शुक्रेऽस्ते निधनेराहुः वामकर्णेऽथ मस्तके |
गुरु शुक्रोऽथवा भौमो यदि द्यूने व्यवस्थितः ॥ १६ ॥

तदा चिह्नं भवेन्मूर्ध्नि ग्रहवर्णाऽनुसारतः ।
चन्द्रो वा क्षितिजो लग्नेऽथवा शुक्रो भवेद्यदि ॥ १७ ॥

द्वादशाब्दे तदा चिह्नं शीर्षे स्यान्नात्र संशयः ।
त्रिकोणास्थाकिंभौमाभ्यां गुदे लिंगेऽपि वा दिशेत् ॥ १८ ॥

सुखे लग्नेऽथवा मन्दस्त्रिकोणे भार्गवो यदि ।
मृत्युस्थौ बुधदेवेज्यौ जठरो तत् समादिशेत् ॥ १९ ॥

शुक्रार्कराहवश्चेत् स्युः सुखे लग्नेऽथवा कुजे ।
तदा चिह्नं भवेन्नूनं वामपादे विशेषतः ॥ २० ॥

शुक्रो लग्नेऽष्टमे राहुश्चिन्हं वामश्रुतौ शिशोः ।
जीवो लग्ने मदे राहुस्तदा वामभुजे वदेत ॥ २१ ॥

अष्टमे रजनीनाथो-व्ययस्थौ गुरुभार्गवौ ।
मदस्थौ मन्दमाहेयौ तदा चिह्नं भुजद्वये ॥ २२ ॥

शुक्रो घनेऽथ कर्मस्थौ सैहिकेयशनैश्चरौ ।
अष्टमे दिवसाधीशो नाभौ चिह्नं तदा दिशेत् ॥ २३ ॥

शुक्रभौमौ तृतीयस्थौ द्वितीये रजनीपतिः ।
दशमे भवने मन्दचिह्नं कटिगतं भवेत् ॥ २४ ॥

त्रिषडाये यदा सौम्यो व्यये व वाचस्पतिर्भवेत् ।
सहजे च भवेत् काव्यस्तदा चिह्नं हृदि स्थितम् ॥ २५ ॥

Verse 14–25

14-25. The organ of the body of the Kalpurusha (Time Personified) on which Mars and the Sun are situated should have a mole on it and where Saturn and Rahu are situated a black spot is to be indicated there. If the Moon, Mars and Venus occupy the Ascendant, the spot will be on the head. In case Venus is there in the 7th House and Rahu in the 8th House there will be spot in the left ear or on the forehead; if Jupiter, Venus and Mars are situated in the 7th House there should be spot in the forehead according to the colour of the planets; If there are the Moon, Mars or Venus in the Ascendant, there should be no doubt in it that there will be a spot in the forehead in the 12th year. In case Saturn and Mars are in a trine the spot should be indicated in the Anus or in the sexual organ. When Saturn is there in the Ascendant and Venus occupies a trine and Mercury and Jupiter are situated in the 8th House, it should be indicated that there is a spot on the belly; If Venus, the Sun and Rahu are in the 4th House or Mars is in the Ascendant, it should be specially predicted that there will be spot on the left leg. Should there be Venus in the Ascendant and Rahu in the 8th House, there will be spot in the left ear of the child. In case Jupiter is in the Ascendant and Rahu in the 7th House the spot should be told on the left arm: If there is the Moon in the 8th house, Jupiter and Venus in the 12th House and Saturn and Mars in the 7th House, there should be a spot on both the arms. When there is Venus in the 2nd House, Rahu and Saturn in the 10th House and the Sun is there in the 8th House, there should be a spot on the navel. If Venus and Mars are situated in the 3rd House, the Moon occupies the 2nd House and Saturn the 10th House, the spot is to be predicted on the back. In the event of Mercury falling in the 3rd 6th or 11th House, Jupiter in the 12th House and Venus in the 3rd House, the spot should be told on the chest.

लग्ने मन्दो मदे भौमश्चन्द्रो लग्नं च पश्यति ।
बुधशुक्रान्तरे चन्द्रः परोक्षे स्याञ्जनिः पितुः ॥ २६ ॥

अष्टमे नवमे वापि चरभे यदि भास्करः ।
परोक्षे जन्म जातस्य पितुः स्यान्नात्र संशयः ॥ २७ ॥

कर्मभावं विना दृश्ये चरभे यदि भास्करः ।
लग्नं चन्द्रो न पश्येश्चेद् दूरसंस्थः शिशो:पिता ॥ २८ ॥

Verse 26–28

26-28 If Saturn occupies the Ascendant, Mars the 7th House and the Moon does not aspect the Ascendant and she is situated between Mercury and Venus, then the birth of the child should be told as occurring in the absence of the father (the father being some where far away from his home,). When the Sun is situated in the 8th or the 9th House in a movable sign, then also the birth of the child will certainly occur in the absence of the father. Again, if the. Sun is situated in any other house of the visible half of the birth chart, except the 10th House, and the Moon does not aspect the Ascendant, even then the birth will occur in the absence of the father.

रात्रौ जन्म यदा यस्य, भौमयुक्तः शनैश्वरः ।
चरस्थ: परदेशे तु तातस्य निधनं वदेत् ॥ २९ ॥

अष्टमे वा व्यये पापा लग्नेशो बलसंयुतः ।
सुखेऽथ नवमे वापि रोगयुक्तस्तदा पिता ॥ ३० ॥

लग्नस्थं सबलं सूर्यं शनिभौमौ प्रपश्यतः ।
जन्मकाले तदा तस्य रोगयुक्तः पिता भवेत् ॥ ३१ ॥

चतुर्थे दशमे वापि शनिभौमार्कखेचराः ।
शुभसम्बन्धहीनश्चेत्तदा पितृसुखं नहि ॥ ३२ ॥

Verse 29–32

29-32. If in the horoscope of a child born during night time, Saturn in conjunction with Mars, is placed in a movable sign, the death of the father should be predicted in foreign lands. If the 8th or the 12th House is occupied by malefic planets and the strong Ascendant lord occupies either the 4th or the 9th House, the native's father gets illness. In case the Sun is strong and occupies the Ascendant and is aspected by Saturn and Mars, the native's father should be ill at the birth of the child. If Saturn, Mars and the Sun are placed in the 4th or the 10th House and they are bereft of any benefic influence, the native is deprived of the happiness of having his father.