Brihat Jataka Ch. 1: Rāśibhedādhyāyaḥ: Zodiacal Signs

Verse 1 — Cosmic Anatomy of Kalapurusha and Sign Synonyms

कालाङ्गानि वराङ्गमाननमुरो हृत्क्रोडवासोभृतो वस्तिर्व्यञ्जनमूरुजानुयुगले जङ्घे ततोऽङ्घ्रिद्वयम् । मेषाश्विप्रथमा नवर्क्षचरणा नव्यैश्च राश्यंशकैः राशिक्षेत्रगृहर्क्षभानि भवनं चैकार्थसम्प्रत्ययाः ॥ ४ ॥

kālāṅgāni varāṅgamānamanuro hṛtkroḍavāsobhṛto vastirvyañjanamūrujānuyugale jaṅghe tato'ṅghridvayam | meṣāśviprathamā navarkṣacaraṇā navyaiśca rāśyaṃśakaiḥ rāśikṣetragṛharkṣabhāni bhavanaṃ caikārthasampratyayāḥ || 4 ||

The 12 signs represent the anatomical limbs of Kalapurusha from Aries (head) to Pisces (feet). Rashi, Kshetra, Griha, Riksha, Bha, and Bhavana are declared synonymous.

Verse 2 — Dual Nature of Signs: Masculine and Feminine Classifications

मेषादयः क्रूराः सौम्याः पुंस्त्रीसंज्ञाश्च ते स्मृताः । ओजायुग्माः क्रमेणैव चरस्थिरद्विस्वभावाश्च ॥ २॥

meṣādayaḥ krūrāḥ saumyāḥ puṃstrīsaṃjñāśca te smṛtāḥ | ojāyugmāḥ krameṇaiva carasthiradvisvabhāvāśca ||

Beginning from Aries, the signs are alternately designated cruel (masculine, odd) and gentle (feminine, even); similarly, they follow the cyclic order of movable (chara), fixed (sthira), and dual (dvisvabhava).

Verse 3 — Directional Rulerships of the Twelve Signs

प्राच्यादिदिक्षु विज्ञेया मेषाद्यास्तिस्रस्तिस्रश्च । कीटालिगोघटाश्चैव चतुष्पदा द्विपदास्तथा ॥ ३॥

prācyādidikṣu vijñeyā meṣādyāstisrastisraśca | kīṭāligoghaṭāścaiva catuṣpadā dvipadāstathā ||

Groups of three signs beginning with Aries rule East, South, West, and North respectively; furthermore signs are designated quadruped, biped, water-dwelling, or insect according to their constitutional form.

Brihat Jataka — Chapter 1: Rāśibhedādhyāyaḥ: Zodiacal Signs & Kalapurusha (राशिभेदाध्यायः)

Chapter audio (Sanskrit)

Verse 1 — Cosmic Anatomy of Kalapurusha and Sign Synonyms

Verse 2 — Dual Nature of Signs: Masculine and Feminine Classifications

Verse 3 — Directional Rulerships of the Twelve Signs