CHAPTER 73
1. I shall describe the king who is indicated by the distinctions predicted by his horoscope, who has attained good fortune, who desires victory, who has obtained the pleasures and virtues of a king, and who knows the rules of meditation and concentration.
2. His speech and his intelligence are famed, his courage is noble, his nature inscrutable and firm; he knows policy (naya). He is a strong, sweet, and handsome hero, a pure and non negligent person who performs famous deeds.
3. Clever and generous, he knows patience and how to be kind and to rebuke, and has won over his citizens (paura) and servants by his virtues; controlling his senses, he is devoted to the truth and independent; he honors the gods and Brahmanas, and does not work for pay.
4. The king thus endowed with virtues begins an expedition which will be successful in time; though the essence of his power is the performance of cruel deeds, he is also famed for gentle acts.
5. At the ripening of the (proper) time which is occasioned by the benefit planets, and when the lord of the da& is at its highest strength, and when the lord of its place in the nativity-horoscope is strong, and when the malefic planets are not in the places they occupied at his birth;
6. when the Moon is in the ascendant, an upacaya of the ascendant, or a cardine, in the house of a benefit planet and not in conjunction with the malefic planets, or when it is in the ascendant, sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth place in an upacaya of the sign it occupied at his birth;
7. and when the benefit planets are strong in the navamsas of the benefits, on an auspicious tithi when the Moon is waxing and the benefit planets are in the cardines – then, even if the Moon is weak, the expedition is accomplished successfully.
8. Setting aside those places which are afflicted by malefic planets or omens, which are bad, or which arc aspected by malefic planets, (one should realize) that those which are occupied by benefits and which rise headfirst cause honour in expeditions.
9. As the Moon traverses in order the group of signs indicating a particular direction, the obstacles to the one who sets forth (in that direction) are to be avoided. An expedition in any direction must be in keeping with the omens, winds, and ayanas, and with the lords of that direction.
10. As the signs which are occupied by the Moon or upcaya to it are movable or fixed; terrible, straightforward, or gentle; or ordinary or harsh, an expedition attains success in accordance with their qualities.
11. A king desiring to accumulate the territory of two kingdoms and having power consisting of armies and treasure, should march in the afternoon (when the Moon) is in Visakha, the Uttaras (i.e., Uttaraphalguni, Uttarsadha and Uttarabhadrapada), and Rohini; an expedition starting out in the morning in these constellations is not good.
12. A king desiring power (makes) a successful expedition in Savitra (i.e., Hasta), Pusya, Asvini, and Anila (i.e., Svati); but ifeven the lord of the earth (mahipati) marches forth in the afternoon (in these constellations), he does not come back with glory and brilliance.
13. He who goes forth in Citra, Anuradha, Aindava (i.e., Mrgasiras), or Revati quickly chastises the army of his foe; but, if he sets out in the first half of the night, his expedition is not successful and fruitful.
14. In the three constellations beginning with Vaisnava (i.e., Sravana, Dhanistha and Satabhisaj) and in Punarvasu the expedition gives good results;
(in these constellations), save in the second half of the night, the one who goes forth is endowed with good qualities such as cheerfulness and honour.
15. Except when one sets forth at dawn, an expedition in Raudra (i.e., Ardra), Aindra (i.e., Jyestha), Mu1a, and Uraga (i.e., Aslesa) is commended with respect to (gaining) possessions, harsh seizures, concluding treaties, and cruel deeds.
16. In the Purvas (i.e., Purvaphalguni, Purvasadha and Purvabhadrapada), in Yamya (i.e., Bharani), and in Pitrdevata (i.e., Magha), except during the second half of the night, an expedition attains success in taking the enemy’s country and in battles which have fearful results, and in harsh actions.
17. In Anala (i.e., Krttika) an expedition to another’s house, city (pura), or territory is best at a time other than afternoon; in Savitra (i.e., Hasta), Pausna (i.e., Revati), and Sravana they cause an expedition to be avoided at night.
18. The constellations beginning with Agneya (Krttika) are distributed in groups of seven in serial order to the (four) directions beginning with the East; they are put in the order of the "gate-keepers" (dvarabhimukhya). In those expeditions (where they correspond) there is the conquest of the directions.
19. One should set forth for the East when (the constellations to the North) are "gate-keepers" (dvarin) of the North, and for the North when the (eastern) constellations are "gate-keepers" of the East; and so, one should set out for the South when the (western) constellations belong to the West, and for the West when (the southern ones) belong to the South.
20. If any king who desires victory sets forth in another way than this, even though he breaks (all other) obstacles and even though he possesses an army of many elephants and horses, he meets destruction on the battlefield, in a fortress, or on the sea.
21. If the constellation occupied by the Moon, even though it was favourable at his nativity, is in a sign injured by a malefic planet, or if the tithi is not Rikta, he who goes forth does not obtain the desired result of his expedition;
22. even if the Moon is in the sign it occupied at his birth, he does not attain power and satisfaction in his deeds. Therefore, even though he is strong, the expedition is fruitless, he is overcome by fatigue, and his health and strength are quickly destroyed.
23. If the Moon is in the sign which was the ascendant at his birth in its enemy’s house or in its dejection, aspected by a malefic planet or in a yoga such as sunaphi with one, afflicted by a malefic, or waning, it causes the deficiency, grief, and loss of the one who sets forth.
24. If the Moon is in the house of a benefit planet, waxing, auspicious, in an upacaya of the ascendant, aspected by a benefit, in its own house but not in a cardine, it gives victory, health, and wealth to (the king) who sets forth.
25. The tithis Bhadra, Siddhajaya, Sunanda, and Supurna are excellent and possess good dharma; they have auspicious and fmn results similar to their names-and so also does Pratipad when the one who sets forth enters a city (pura).
26. (The tithis) Rikta, Ugrasena, Ugra, Mahabala, and Asa quickly and utterly destroy an army; in these tithis one should perform evil deeds pertaining to swords, fire, and poison.
In the Yavanajataka: the influence of the naksatras and tithis on expeditions.
CHAPTER 74
1. If Aries is in the ascendant, those who desire to destroy soldiers, cities (pura), and their foes, or who wish for loot and battle (should) go on an expedition; if Taurus is in the ascendant, (the expedition is successful) in injuring lands, gold, cows, women, agriculture, property, and people;
2. if the third sign (Gemini), in such things as fighting battles with swords and missiles, learning the traditions (sruti) and the crafts, and entering after (one’s foe) with courage (7); if the fourth sign (Cancer) is in the ascendant the expedition is good for such things as paying respects to gods, saints (sadhukarin), and pilgrimages;
3. if Leo, one should set forth to destroy cities (pura), villages (grama), deer, and enemies, to fight battles, and to perform harsh and terrible deeds; if the sixth sign (Virgo), to seize maidens, to attain brilliance and happiness, to be generous, and to beget children;
4. in Libra, the expedition is best for obstructing the elders (vrddha), diminishing the wealth of one’s enemies, and making an effort to sell merchandise; if the eighth sign (Scorpio), the expedition is good for doing evil and dishonest deeds;
5. if Sagittarius, the expedition is good for fighting battles with horses, chariots, and missiles, for performing sacrifices, and for honoring the gods; if Capricorn, one should set out to clear the road, to murder one’s foes, to gain freedom, and to get rid of hunger and disease;
6. if Aquarius is in the ascendant, one should set forth to attack one’s foes, to fight battles with tricks, to pierce (the enemy), and to carry off his possessions and servants; and if Pisces, to accumulate boats, money, and piles of jewels.
7. He who sets out when the ascendant is a sign which rises headfirst obtains success on his journey, brightness of his body, cleverness in his actions, and honesty; the fruits of his expedition are of little consequence.
8. He who sets out when the ascendant is a sign which rises backwards loses his brilliance, is stuck on the road, and loses his memory, his firmness in action, and his courage; but somehow, with toil and loss, he attains victory.
9. One should say that it is auspicious if the planets, both benefit and malefic, are in the upacayas of the signs in the ascendant and occupied by the Moon at the time of his birth; if these signs are "facing with" the expedition, the one who sets forth obtains success-though it may be unkind.
In the Yavanajataka: the influence of the ascendant on military expeditions.
