Phala Deepika Ch. 1: Definitions & Invocations

Verse 1 — Invocation: Ganesha and the Lamp of Jyotisha

शुक्लाम्बरधरं देवं शशिवर्णं चतुर्भुजम् । प्रसन्नवदनं ध्यायेत्सर्वविघ्नोपशान्तये सन्दर्शनं वितनुते पितृदेवनॄणां मासाब्दवासरदलैरथ ऊर्ध्वगं यत् । सव्यं क्वचित् क्वचिदुपैत्यपसव्यमेकं ज्योतिः परं दिशतु वस्त्वमितां श्रियं नः ॥ १॥

śuklāmbaradharaṃ devaṃ śaśivarṇaṃ caturbhujam | prasannavadanaṃ dhyāyetsarvavighnopaśāntaye sandarśanaṃ vitanute pitṛdevanṝṇāṃ māsābdavāsaradalairatha ūrdhvagaṃ yat | savyaṃ kvacit kvacidupaityapasavyamekaṃ jyotiḥ paraṃ diśatu vastvamitāṃ śriyaṃ naḥ || 1||

Devotees meditate on the four-armed, moon-hued deity wearing white garments, of pleasant face, for the removal of all obstacles; and this supreme light, moving savya and apasavya in turn, bestows on us steadfast glory.

Verse 2 — Author's Salutation and the Treatise Named

वाग्देवीं कुलदेवतां मम गुरून् कालतयज्ञानदान् सूर्यदींश्च नवग्राहन् गणपातिं बक्त्या प्रणम्येश्वरम् । संक्षिप्यात्रिपराशरादिकथितान् मन्त्रेश्वरो दैवविद् वक्ष्येऽहं फलदीपिकां सुविमलां ज्योतिर्विदां प्रीत्ये ॥ २॥

vāgdevīṃ kuladevatāṃ mama gurūn kālatayajñānadān sūryadīṃśca navagrāhan gaṇapātiṃ baktyā praṇamyeśvaram | saṃkṣipyātriparāśarādikathitān mantreśvaro daivavid vakṣye'haṃ phaladīpikāṃ suvimalāṃ jyotirvidāṃ prītye || 2||

Homage to the goddess of speech, the family deities, the gurus, Ganesha, the Sun, the Moon and the navagrahas; then the diviner Mantresvara, condensing what was taught by Atri, Parashara and others, declares this pure lamp of results (Phaladeepika) for the delight of jyotisha-mariners.

Verse 3 — First Fix the Precise Birth Moment

पदाभाद्यैर्यन्त्रैर्जननसमयोऽत्र प्रथमतो विशेषाद्विज्ञेयः सह विघटिकाभित्तवत तदा । गतैदृ क्तुल्यत्वं गणितकरणैः केचरर्गातिं विदित्वा तद्भावं बलमपि फलं नैः कथयतु ॥ ३॥

padābhādyairyantrairjananasamayo'tra prathamato viśeṣādvijñeyaḥ saha vighaṭikābhittavata tadā | gataidṛ ktulyatvaṃ gaṇitakaraṇaiḥ kecarargātiṃ viditvā tadbhāvaṃ balamapi phalaṃ naiḥ kathayatu || 3||

First and foremost, the moment of birth must be determined with instruments and careful reckoning down to the vighatika; only when planetary motions are computed in like measure should one then state the state, strength and results.

Verse 4 — The Kala-Purusha: Zodiac Limbs in Order

शिरोवक्त्रोरोहृज्जठरकटिवस्तिप्रजननस्थलान्यूरूजान्वोर्युगलमिति जंघे पदयुगम् । विलनात्कालाङ्गान्यलिझषकुलीरान्तिममिदं भसन्धिविख्याता सकलभवनान्तानपि परे ॥ ४॥

śirovaktrorohṛjjaṭharakaṭivastiprajananasthalānyūrūjānvoryugalamiti jaṃghe padayugam | vilanātkālāṅgānyalijhaṣakulīrāntimamidaṃ bhasandhivikhyātā sakalabhavanāntānapi pare || 4||

The head belongs to Aries, the face to Taurus, the pair of arms to Gemini, the heart to Cancer, the stomach to Leo(?) - the waist, hip, privy and mouth-of-lineage follow - then thighs, knees, pair of shanks and the pair of feet, laid out in order by the sign table; from the ecliptic-gates these whole bhava extents stand in the beyond.

Verse 5 — Where Signs Dwell: Aries's Grounds

अरण्ये केदारे शयनभवने स्वभगलिले गिरी पाथ सस्यान्वितमुवि विशां घोरिन सुविरे । जनाधीशस्थाने सजलविपिने धाम्नि विचरत् कुलाले कीलाले वसतिरुदिता मेषभवनात् ॥ ५॥

araṇye kedāre śayanabhavane svabhagalile girī pātha sasyānvitamuvi viśāṃ ghorina suvire | janādhīśasthāne sajalavipine dhāmni vicarat kulāle kīlāle vasatiruditā meṣabhavanāt || 5||

The abodes of signs - Aries here named - lie in forests, cultivated fields, resting places in the quarters, the uplands; each is described with its place of men's lord, the potter's yard(?), so the dweller of Aries-boyhood is told.

Verse 6 — Sign Lords and the Exaltation–Debilitation Rows

भौमः शुक्रबुधेन्दुसूर्यशशिजाः शुक्रारजीवार्कजाः मन्दो देवगुरुः क्रमेण कथिता मेषादिराशीश्वराः । सूर्यादुच्चगृहाः क्रियो वृषमृगस्त्रीकार्कमीनास्तुला दिक्त्र्यंशैर्मनुयुक्तिथीषुभनकांशैस्तेऽस्तनीचाः क्रमात् ॥ ६॥

bhaumaḥ śukrabudhendusūryaśaśijāḥ śukrārajīvārkajāḥ mando devaguruḥ krameṇa kathitā meṣādirāśīśvarāḥ | sūryāduccagṛhāḥ kriyo vṛṣamṛgastrīkārkamīnāstulā diktryaṃśairmanuyuktithīṣubhanakāṃśaiste'stanīcāḥ kramāt || 6||

From Aries the sign lords in order: Mars, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Saturn, Jupiter. Planets mount exaltation in the named sign-row - Sun in Aries, Moon in Taurus, Mars in Capricorn, Mercury in Virgo, Jupiter in Cancer(?), Venus in Pisces, Saturn in Libra - degrees laid out in measures, while the debilitation houses stand in the reverse column.

Verse 7 — Leo Onward: Degree Seats of the Zodiac Lords

सिम्होक्षाजवधूहयाङ्गवणिजः कुंभस्त्रिकोणा रवेः ज्ञेन्द्वोस्तूच्चलवान्नखोड्विनशरैर्दिग्भूतकृत्यंशकैः । चापाद्यर्धवधूनृयुस्घटतुला मर्त्याश्च कीटोऽलिभं त्वाप्याः कर्कमृगापरार्धशफराः शेष्हश्चतुष्पादकाः ॥ ७॥

simhokṣājavadhūhayāṅgavaṇijaḥ kuṃbhastrikoṇā raveḥ jñendvostūccalavānnakhoḍvinaśarairdigbhūtakṛtyaṃśakaiḥ | cāpādyardhavadhūnṛyusghaṭatulā martyāśca kīṭo'libhaṃ tvāpyāḥ karkamṛgāparārdhaśapharāḥ śeṣhaścatuṣpādakāḥ || 7||

From the Lion-half of the sky the remaining degrees are entered by the stated planet-pairs - the night- and day-shooters with the reef? and Miyan stars - and with the six-fold and hundred-fold degree marks the seated(?) strength is reckoned.

Verse 8 — Day and Night Saura Sets of the Sign Groups

गोकर्क्यश्व्यजनक्रभान्यथ नृयुङ्मीनौ परे राश्यस्ते पृष्ठोधयकोदयाः समिथुनाः पृहोदयाश्चैन्दवाः । सौराः शेषगृहाः क्रमेण कथिता रात्रिद्युसंज्ञाः त्रमादूध्वार्धःसमवक्रभाति तु पुनस्तीक्ष्णांशुमुक्ताद् गृहात् ॥ ८॥

gokarkyaśvyajanakrabhānyatha nṛyuṅmīnau pare rāśyaste pṛṣṭhodhayakodayāḥ samithunāḥ pṛhodayāścaindavāḥ | saurāḥ śeṣagṛhāḥ krameṇa kathitā rātridyusaṃjñāḥ tramādūdhvārdhaḥsamavakrabhāti tu punastīkṣṇāṃśumuktād gṛhāt || 8||

The remaining saura groups from Gokarkya(?) and Kumudonyath, the pairs of friends and Yuvan (?), the fish-end of the outer signs, hold the night-day designations; hauling symmetrically with their feet-fixed waves, glowing from the zenith; rakshite(?) - another statement.

Verse 9 — Sign Classes: Movable, Fixed, Dual and Their Marks

मेषादाह चरं स्थिराख्यमुभयं द्वारं बहिर्गर्भभं धातुर्मूलमितीह जीव उदितं क्रूरं च सौम्यं विदुः । मेषाद्याः कथितास्त्रिकोणसहिताः प्रागादिनाथाः क्रमादोजर्क्षं समभं पुमांश्च युवतिर्वामाङ्गमस्तादिकम् ॥ ९॥

meṣādāha caraṃ sthirākhyamubhayaṃ dvāraṃ bahirgarbhabhaṃ dhāturmūlamitīha jīva uditaṃ krūraṃ ca saumyaṃ viduḥ | meṣādyāḥ kathitāstrikoṇasahitāḥ prāgādināthāḥ kramādojarkṣaṃ samabhaṃ pumāṃśca yuvatirvāmāṅgamastādikam || 9||

From Aries: movable is declared, the fixed-sign pair and the double ones; two doors of outer attachments and inner-burden carriers; the dhātu-mūla (mineral root) is named in this way; jīva pronounced cruel and gentle in parts. The trikona assembly from Aries onward, the lords of the first three(?) in order follow; odd and even, male and female by alternation of members.

Verse 10 — First- and Second-Bhava Name Lists

लग्नं होरा कल्यदेहोदयाख्यं रूपं शिर्षं वर्तमानं च जन्म । वित्तं विद्या स्वान्नपानाति भुक्तिं दक्षाक्ष्यास्यं पत्रिका वाक्कुटुम्बम् ॥ १०॥

lagnaṃ horā kalyadehodayākhyaṃ rūpaṃ śirṣaṃ vartamānaṃ ca janma | vittaṃ vidyā svānnapānāti bhuktiṃ dakṣākṣyāsyaṃ patrikā vākkuṭumbam || 10||

Names of the first house: Lagna, Horā, Kalya(the well-being?), Deha(the body), Udaya(the ascendent-rise), Rūpa(form), ŚīrSha(the head), Vartamāna(the present), Janma(birth); then for the second bhava: wealth, vidyā, self-eaten food and drink offerings, enjoyment, the dexterous(?) face, documents, speech and family.

Verse 11 — Third- and Fourth-Bhava Signification Clusters

दुश्चिक्योरो दक्षकर्णं च सेनां धैर्यं शौर्यं विक्रमं भ्रात्रं च गेहं क्षेत्रं मातुल भागिनेयं बन्धुं मित्रं वाहनं मातरं च ॥ ११॥

duścikyoro dakṣakarṇaṃ ca senāṃ dhairyaṃ śauryaṃ vikramaṃ bhrātraṃ ca gehaṃ kṣetraṃ mātula bhāgineyaṃ bandhuṃ mitraṃ vāhanaṃ mātaraṃ ca || 11||

Courage, armies, firm valor, heroism and brothers for the third house; the house and the land-, field-dwelling, mother's relatives, kinsmen, friends and the mother for the fourth.

Verse 12 — Royal Seat and the Later Bhava Significations

राज्यं गोमहिषसुगन्धवस्त्रभूषाः पातालं हिबुकसुखाम्बुसेतुनद्यः । राजाङ्कं सचिवकरात्मधीभविष्यज्जानासून् सुतजटरश्रुतिस्मृतीश्च ॥ १२॥

rājyaṃ gomahiṣasugandhavastrabhūṣāḥ pātālaṃ hibukasukhāmbusetunadyaḥ | rājāṅkaṃ sacivakarātmadhībhaviṣyajjānāsūn sutajaṭaraśrutismṛtīśca || 12||

Kingly seat, cows and buffaloes, fragrant garments and ornaments; nether-regions and the comfort of the moon in Hibu(?); river-beds; the king's emblems with ministers - the tomes of nasut(?), sanskrit learning and memory.

Verse 13 — Debts, Weapons, Theft and Enemy Clusters

ऋणास्त्रचोरक्षतरोगशत्रून् ज्ञात्याजिदुष्कृत्याघभीत्यवज्ञाः । जामित्रचित्तोत्थमदास्तकामान् द्यूनाध्वलोकान् पतिमार्गभार्याः ॥ १३॥

ṛṇāstracorakṣatarogaśatrūn jñātyājiduṣkṛtyāghabhītyavajñāḥ | jāmitracittotthamadāstakāmān dyūnādhvalokān patimārgabhāryāḥ || 13||

Debts, weapons, thieves, wounds, diseases and enemies; wrong-doings of kinsmen and the fear of disgraceful disregard(?); things arising from a friend's mind and learned men(?); the houses along the lord-follower path and the stairs(?).

Verse 14 — Auspicious-Openings, Dangers, Teachers and Manes

माङ्गल्यरन्ध्रमलिनाधिपराभवायुः क्लेशापवादमरणाशुचिविघ्नदासान् । आचार्यदैवतपितॄन् शुभपूर्वभाग्यपूजातपःसुकृतपौत्रजपार्यवंशान् ॥ १४॥

māṅgalyarandhramalinādhiparābhavāyuḥ kleśāpavādamaraṇāśucivighnadāsān | ācāryadaivatapitṝn śubhapūrvabhāgyapūjātapaḥsukṛtapautrajapāryavaṃśān || 14||

Auspicious openings, impurity, the lord's defeat and wrongs of life; afflictions, slanders, deaths, the impure, hindrances and serfs; teachers, deities and manes, past-life merits, devotion, austerity, the pious done and corollary of grandson lineage.

Verse 15 — Peak of Deeds and Gains: Upper Bhava Clusters

व्यापारास्पदमानकर्मजयसत्कीर्तिं क्रतुं जीवनं व्योमाचारगुणप्रवृत्तिगमनान्याज्ञां च मेषूरणम् । लाभायागमनाप्तिसिद्धिविभवान् प्राप्तिं भवं श्लाध्यतां ज्येष्ठभ्रातरमन्यकर्णसरसान् सन्तोषमाकर्णनम् ॥ १५॥

vyāpārāspadamānakarmajayasatkīrtiṃ kratuṃ jīvanaṃ vyomācāraguṇapravṛttigamanānyājñāṃ ca meṣūraṇam | lābhāyāgamanāptisiddhivibhavān prāptiṃ bhavaṃ ślādhyatāṃ jyeṣṭhabhrātaramanyakarṇasarasān santoṣamākarṇanam || 15||

Seat of occupations, the harvest of karma victory and fairs, sacrifices and livelihood; the air-going qualifications(?) and motion(?) - the commands of the ram(?); attainment of gains, approach, siddhi, grandeur and getting; the elder brother, the other-eared(?), satisfaction and listening.

Verse 16 — Sorrow Seats, Losses and expenditure Bhava

दुःखांघ्रिवामनयनक्षयसूचकान्त्यदरिद्र्यपापशयनव्ययरिःफबन्धान् । भावाह्व्या निगदिताः क्रमशोऽथ लीनस्थानं त्रिषड्व्ययपराभवराशिनाम् ॥ १६॥

duḥkhāṃghrivāmanayanakṣayasūcakāntyadaridryapāpaśayanavyayariḥphabandhān | bhāvāhvyā nigaditāḥ kramaśo'tha līnasthānaṃ triṣaḍvyayaparābhavarāśinām || 16||

Suffering for the feet, the left-eye(?) breach, loss of the indications(?), final servitude, poverty, sin, bed-spends, harm and bonds - with the bhava-named cluster in order; the hiding places(?) of the six-and-loss-harm sign groups.

Verse 17 — Good and Bad Bhava Groups: Pain Seats and Kendra

दुःस्थानमष्टमरिपुव्ययभावमाहुऊ सुस्थानमन्यभवनं शुभदं प्रदिष्टम् । प्राहुर्विलग्नदशसप्तचतुर्थभानि केन्द्रं हि कण्तकचतुष्टयनामयुक्तम् ॥ १७॥

duḥsthānamaṣṭamaripuvyayabhāvamāhuū susthānamanyabhavanaṃ śubhadaṃ pradiṣṭam | prāhurvilagnadaśasaptacaturthabhāni kendraṃ hi kaṇtakacatuṣṭayanāmayuktam || 17||

The eighth, sixth (enemy), and twelfth (expenditure) houses are declared Duḥsthānas (houses of affliction), whereas all the other houses are designated auspicious Susthānas; the Ascendant (1st), tenth, seventh, and fourth houses are called Kendra, bearing the name Kaṇṭaka-catuṣṭaya (four angles).

Verse 18 — Growth Houses (Upachaya) and Trikona Camps

पणकरमिति केन्द्रादूर्ध्वमापोक्लिमन्तत्परमथ चतुरस्त्रं नैधनं बन्धुभं च । अथ समुपचयानि व्योमशौर्यरिलाभा नवमसुतभयुग्मं स्यात् त्रिकोणं प्रशस्तम् ॥ १८॥

paṇakaramiti kendrādūrdhvamāpoklimantatparamatha caturastraṃ naidhanaṃ bandhubhaṃ ca | atha samupacayāni vyomaśauryarilābhā navamasutabhayugmaṃ syāt trikoṇaṃ praśastam || 18||

Prosperity-bring-up from the kendra upward: apoklima(?), the para of accounts(?), tetra-trim the treasury(?) and brothers' camp; then come the upachaya (growth) houses - the sky (third), the hero sixth, the rishies?(SO) tenth, the gain eleventh; and the ninth-son-feared pair stands for the trikona declared excellent.

Phala Deepika — Chapter 1: Definitions & Invocations (संज्ञाध्यायः)

Chapter audio (Sanskrit)