CHAPTER 51
1. The Moon travels constantly through the 108 navamsas in the zodiacal circle; if it is strong, it causes the certain death of the native; but if it is weak, it does so slowly.
2. Whatever planet at the nativity was in the sixth or eighth place from the Moon’s sign or was strong and an enemy of the lord of that sign, that planet kills (the native) when it transits the birth-sign-or it is extremely maleficent.
3. Whatever planet at the nativity was in its dejection or an enemy’s house, was overcome by others, was aspected by an enemy, was of little strength (alpatanu), or was without brilliance (vivarna), that planet, if the lord of the birth-sign is strong, is said to have a useless influence when it transits the birth-sign.
4. Whatever planet at the nativity was in a friend’s house or its exaltation, was aspected by a benefit planet, was in an upacaya of a friend’s house or of the birth-sign, or was strong, that planet gives good when it transits the birth-sign; even if it is malefic, it does not give evil.
5. If, in the astakavarga, there are two influences, one of which is good and the other evil, (the two planets which exercise these influences), if of equal strength, are said to be without influence; but if one (planet) is superior, its influence is to be established as being felt either in a military expedition or in a personal horoscope.
6. The good and evil (influences) which reside in the mind and body (of the native) exist according to the productivity or destructiveness of their lords (i.e., of the planets which determine them). (A planet), travelling through the series (of signs), enters either its own house or the house of another; and (by these transits brings into being) the good and evil (influences) which arise from them.
7. As a planet enters the house of (another planet), either a malefic or a benefit, and exercises an influence, so …
8. Whatever (a planet) establishes in its own dasa occurs without diminution if it is attained in a year belonging to that planet; a half occurs if in a year belonging to another planet or in a day belonging to another planet. This is further complicated by the aspects of benefic and malefic planets.
9. The planets, even the malefic ones, give an extra fourth if they are in their friends’ houses, their base-triplicities, or their exaltations; but these malefic planets give an entirely evil result if they are in their navamsas or houses, while the others (i.e., the benefit planets) give an entirely good result in these places.
10. A benefit planet which exercises a good influence destroys its own portion (daya) if it is aspected by all the malefic planets – and this even though it be in a friend’s house; so also a malefic planet if it is aspected by three benefits.
11. Even one planet, if it has full aspect and is in its exaltation, is said to take away the portion (daya); if it is in its base-triplicity, its own house, or a friend’s house, it destroys the influence by its aspect in accordance with its strength.
12. For the wise (astrologer), properly considering the seven planets with their (various) peculiarities which are caused to exist at the time of the nativity, should enunciate this certain rule concerning natives – a rule which involves both good and evil and which has three natures and three conditions.
13. He who is brilliant with the knowledge of the sciences of the Vedas, the Vedangas, the Puranas, and Dharma, and knows grave fate; he who is free from impurities such as theft, envy, falseness, fraud, injury, hatred, and anger;
14. a Brahman whose body is praiseworthy, full-grown, and beautiful; one who possesses vows, praise, purity, and righteousness (dharrna); a wise, intelligent, restrained, and tranquil man who is devoted to independence and is honoured by his elders (gurus) ;
15. he who has obtained success through the favour of the Earth and the Planets; a yogi like Nimi among men; he should find out the past, present, and future influences, both good and evil, which pertain to himself and others.
16. Keeping his mind independent with respect to what is impending and what is visible, to arguments, to questions, and to actions, and so on, and maintaining his self-control, one wise in the meaning of horoscopy knows the influence of the signs and so forth at that time by calculating (the positions) of the planets;
17. he establishes the signs, degrees, and minutes which have or have not risen and which are in the cardines, and he knows the yogas in their fixed order and the lords of the years, the directions, the months, and the days;
18. (he knows) the ascendent in signs and so on, and the position (of the planets) in its cardines or in their dejections, exaltations, friends’ houses, or enemies’ houses; (and he knows) the origin, character, and nature of (each) sign, and which are town signs, water signs, forest signs, movable signs, or fixed signs;
19. receiving news regarding the time for looking, he properly establishes the ascendant and the qualities of its lord; understanding the differences (which arise) from the (relative) strengths (of the planets and signs), he is a leader in decisions regarding business and position;
20. examining the places in which the planets were at the nativity, the qualities of the ascendant and so on, and the transits (of the planets), together with the changes produced at the time of the nativity, he determines the influence of such things as the dasas and the astakavarga.
In the Yavanajataka: the influence of the astakavarga.
