Chapter 1

Explanation of technicalities used

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The Sun, who is one of the AshtaMurthies of Siva, who forms the
path for those who go to Moksha, who represents Atma for those
who are well versed in Atmavidya, who accepts the results of the
sacrificial rites, who is the master of Amaras and Jyotishas; who
destroys, creates and protects the Lokas, who is praised in the
Vedas in various forms, who is possessed of many rays and who is
the lamp of the three worlds, may he grant us speech?
Although there are great many works ably written by intelligent
men in accordance with excellent literary style, many people get
dispirited in trying to cross the vast ocean of horoscopic
knowledge; to such I offer a small boat, constructed with metre of
various kinds, short but very suggestive and full of instructive
ideas, to enable them to cross this ocean.
The science of astrology is called Hora Sastra from the
compounding of the two words Aho and Ratri and the dropping of
the first and last letters; and it speaks of the results of the good
and bad deeds done by men in their previous births.
In the celestial Chakra (globe) the signs commencing with Mesha
and Aswini, are each formed by nine padams (quarters) of stars
and govern the following organs of Kalapurusha, namely, head,
face, chest, heart, belly, waist, lower belly, sexual organ, thighs,
knees, buttocks and feet respectively. Rasi, Kshetra, Griha,
Ruksha, Bha and Bhavana refer to and signify the zodiacal signs.
Meena is represented by two fishes lying close to each other with
their heads pointing in opposite directions; Kumbha is shown by a
person bearing a water pot; Mithuna is indicated by a man with a
club and a woman with a lute, in close embrace; Dhanus is
described as a Centaur with the hind part resembling that of a
horse and the front of an archer; Makara bears the representation
of the face of a deer with the hinder part of a crocodile; Thula
represents the appearance of a man with a balance in hand; Kanya
is shown by a virgin seated in a boat with a crop in one hand and
with a light in the other, and the other signs are represented by
their names and move in places congenial to their nature.
Kuja, Sukra, Budha, Chandra, Ravi, Budha, Sukra, Kuja, Guru,
Sani, Sani and Guru are respectively the lords of the signs and
their divisions from Mesha; the navamsas commence from Mesha,
Makara, Thula and Kataka, etc., Dwadasamsas commence from the
houses themselves.

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Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury and Venus govern five, eight, seven
and five Bhagas (degrees) respectively in the Trimsamsas of the
odd signs while the order is reversed in those of the even signs.
The last part of Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces goes under the name of
Rikshasandhi (junction of two rasis or constellations).