Sanskrit verses with English translation from Maharishi Parasara. Read the full classical treatise on AstroFusion Learning.
वक्री भवति यो ग्रहः स्वगतिव्यतिक्रमेण च । स बलवान् फलदः स्यात् कार्यसिद्धिकरो नृणाम् ॥
vakrī bhavati yo grahaḥ svagativyatikrameṇa ca | sa balavān phaladaḥ syāt kāryasiddhikaro nṛṇām ||
The planet that becomes retrograde by deviating from its own motion becomes powerful and bestows results, accomplishing the native's objectives.
वक्रचेष्टाविशेषेण खचराणां बलमुत्तमम् । शुभा वक्राः शुभं यन्ति पापाः पापफलं भृशम् ॥ अत्यन्तचेष्टया युक्ताः फलदाः स्युरखण्डितम् । कार्यसिद्धिं च कुर्वन्ति वक्रिणो बलशालिनः ॥ २॥
vakra-ceṣṭā-viśeṣeṇa khacarāṇāṁ balam uttamam | śubhā vakrāḥ śubhaṁ yanti pāpāḥ pāpa-phalaṁ bhṛśam || atyanta-ceṣṭayā yuktāḥ phaladāḥ syur akhaṇḍitam | kāryasiddhiṁ ca kurvanti vakriṇo balaśālinaḥ || 2||
By the special retrograde motion the planets moving in the sky attain their highest chesta-bala; retrograde benefics yield auspicious results while retrograde malefics yield intensely harmful ones. Endowed with utmost motion, the strong retrograde planets bestow unbroken results and accomplish the native's objectives.
जन्मनि वक्रा ये ग्रहाः ते फलं तीव्रं प्रयच्छते । शुभार्थेषु विशेषेण जातकस्य हितं वहु ॥ गोचरे तु पुनर् वक्रा दृढफल्लाभदायकाः । उभयत्र तु वक्रत्वं बलं वर्धयते स्मृतम् ॥ ३॥
janmani vakrā ye grahās te phalaṁ tīvraṁ prayacchate | śubhārtheṣu viśeṣeṇa jātakasya hitaṁ bahu || gocare tu punar vakrā dṛḍha-phal-lābha-dāyakāḥ | ubhayatra tu vakratvaṁ balaṁ vardhayate smṛtam || 3||
Those planets that are retrograde at birth bestow intense results, especially for auspicious matters, giving abundant benefit to the native; retrogression again in transit grants firm attainment of fruits. In both contexts, birth and transit, retrogression is said to increase a planet's strength.