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Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra — Chapter 83: Drekkana Classifications (Ayudha, Pasha, Sarpa)

Sanskrit verses with English translation from Maharishi Parasara. Read the full classical treatise on AstroFusion Learning.

Chapter audio (Sanskrit)

Verse 1 — Threefold Drekkana: Ayudha, Pasha, Sarpa

द्रेष्काणास्त्रिविधाः प्रोक्ता आयुधं पाश एव च । सर्पश्च तेषां फलमाहुः स्थानभेदानुसारतः ॥

dreṣkāṇās trividhāḥ proktā āyudhaṁ pāśa eva ca | sarpaś ca teṣāṁ phalam āhuḥ sthānabhedānusārataḥ ||

The drekkanas are declared threefold—Ayudha (weapon), Pasha (noose), and Sarpa (serpent); their effects are declared according to the difference of position.

Verse 2 — The Sixteen Vargas: Kshetra through Shodashamsha

क्षेत्रं होरा च द्रेष्काणस्तुर्यांशः सप्तमांशकः । नवांशो दशमांशश्च सूर्याम्शः षोडशांशकः ॥ ३॥

kṣetraṁ horā ca dreṣkāṇas turyāṁśaḥ saptamāṁśakaḥ | navāṁśo daśamāṁśaś ca sūryāṁśaḥ ṣoḍaśāṁśakaḥ ||

The Rashi (sign), Hora, Drekkana, Turyamsha (fourth division), Saptamsha (seventh division), Navamsha (ninth division), Dashamsha (tenth division), and Suryamsha, also named Shodashamsha (sixteenth division), are proclaimed.

Verse 3 — Hora Lords: Devas of the Sun and Pitris of the Moon

पितरश्चन्द्रहोरेशा देवाः सूर्यस्य कीर्तिताः । राशेरर्द्धं भवेद्धोरा ताश्चतुर्विंशतिः स्मृता । मेषादि तासां होराणां परिवृत्तिद्वयं भवेत् ॥ ६॥

pitaraś candra-horeśā devāḥ sūryasya kīrtitāḥ | rāśer ardhaṁ bhaved horā tāś caturviṁśatiḥ smṛtā | meṣādi tāsāṁ horāṇāṁ parivṛtti-dvayaṁ bhavet ||

The Pitris (fathers) are declared the lords of the Moon's horas, while the Devas (gods) belong to the Sun's horas; half of a sign constitutes a hora, they are remembered as twenty-four in number, and beginning from Aries these horas proceed in two cycles (parivritti-dvaya).

Verse 4 — Thirty-six Drekkanas and Parivritti-Traya

राशित्रिभागाद्रेष्काणास्ते च षट्त्रिंशदीरिताः । परिवृत्तित्रयं तेषां मेषादेः क्रमशो भवेत् ॥ ७॥

rāśi-tribhāgād dreṣkāṇās te ca ṣaṭtriṁśad īritāḥ | parivṛtti-trayaṁ teṣāṁ meṣādeḥ kramaśo bhavet ||

The drekkanas arise from dividing each sign into three parts, and they are declared to be thirty-six in number; their sequence proceeds in three cycles (parivritti-traya) beginning from Aries in regular order.

Verse 5 — Drekkana Lords: Narada, Agastya, Durvasa

स्वपञ्चनवमानां च राशीनां क्रमशश्च ते । नारदाऽगस्तिदुर्वासा द्रेष्काणेशाश्चरादिषु ॥ ८॥

sva-pañca-navamānāṁ ca rāśīnāṁ kramaśaś ca te | nāradāgastidurvāsā dreṣkāṇeśāś carādiṣu ||

Counting in regular order the signs that stand as the 1st, 5th, and 9th from one another—that is, movable, fixed, and dual—Narada, Agastya, and Durvasa are respectively the lords of the drekkanas in the movable signs and the rest.

Verse 6 — Turyamsha Lords: Sanaka, Sananda, Kumara, Sanatana

स्वर्क्षादिकेन्द्रपतयस्तुर्यांशेशाः क्रियादिषु । सनकश्च सनन्दश्च कुमारश्च सनातनः ॥ ९॥

svarkṣādi-kendrapatayas turyāṁśeśāḥ kriyādiṣu | sanakaś ca sanandaś ca kumāraś ca sanātanaḥ ||

In the signs beginning with Kriya (Aries), the lords of the turyamshas (fourth divisions) are the lords of the kendras counted from a sign's own position onward, namely Sanaka, Sananda, Kumara, and Sanatana.

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