PRASNA MARGA, in 2 volumes translated by B.V. Raman Synopsis: An exhaustive treatise on Prasna, or horary astrology. Authorship is attributed to a Namboodiri Brahmin of Kerala, who wrote in 1649 at a place called Edakad, near Talasseri. Motilal Banarsidass. Continued below. Price: $50.00 Contents, volume 1: I - Prayer; What astrology comprehends; Who can study astrology?; Qualifications of an astrologer; Different kinds of Ganitha; The five Siddhanthas; Beginning the study of astrology; Importance of Varaha Mihira; Role of horoscopy & horary; Importance of Muhurta; Similarity between Prasna & Jataka. II - Procedure for the astrologer; Procedure for the querist; Procedure for Arudha; Things to be noted at query time; Method of reading the results; Indications for success; The time factor; The place factor; Examination of breath; The touch analyzed; Sign occupied by the querist; Direction occupied by the querist; Pranakshara; The querist's bearing; The querist's behavior pattern; The querist's mood; Dress & garments; Some particular Lakshanas; Omens or Tatkala Lakshanas. III - The astrologer's departure; Omens on the way; Indicative signs while entering the house. IV - Conducting the Prasna; Preparation; The lamp & the flame; Drawing the circle or chart; Nature of the chart; How the priest draws the chakra; Behavior of the agent; Invocation to the Lord; Worshiping the planets; Placing the gold piece; Sankalpa; Ashtamangalam; Determining the Arudha Rasi; Things to be noted; Conclusion. V - Time of query; Calculation of lagna; Correction by Kunda; The moon's longitude; Position of Gulika; Thrisphuta; Prana & Deha; The death circle; Planetary longitudes; Arudha position. VI - The five sutras; Diagnosing illness; Results of sutras; Sutras & the Bhutas; The time factor; The three sutras; Significance of Thrisphutas; Thrisphuta indicative of death; Beginning of diseases; Thirsphuta nakshatra; Thrisphuta dasa. VII - Ashtamangalam; Results of the sun & other planets; Effects of 'dhwajas', etc.; Animal symbols; Panchabhuta effects; Reckoning of lunar day, etc.; Results of thithi, etc.; Niryana Saturn. VIII - Effects of arudha; Avastbas; Diseases & arudha; Arudha navamsa; Planets & vegetables; Urdhwamukha & other signs; Significance of gold piece; Effects of lagna; Effects of Prana & Deha; Rahu chakra; Amazing predictions; Significance of Chandra Navamsa. IX - Recapitulation; Examination of age; Mrityu lakshana; Determining the length of life; Lagna & arudha; Chatra rasi; Signs of long life; Longevity from birth chart; Yogas & longevity; Long life again; Short life. X - Timing death; Evil periods; Kala-chakra dasas; Niryana Saturn; Niryana Jupiter; Niryana Sun; Niryana Moon; Pramana Gulika; Death as read by the planets; Death dealing ascendant; Time of death as from Prasna; Planetary positions at death. XI - Causes of death; Nature of death; Cause of death according to Prasna; Place of death. XII - Diseases & their cause; Types of diseases; Symptoms of madness; Symptoms for epilepsy; Treatment for epilepsy; Aberration of mind; Combinations for diabetes; Diseases indicated by planets; Combinations for disease. XIII - Beginning & ending of diseases; Direction of beginning of disease; Recovery; Causes of diseases; Remedial measures; Mrityunjaya homa. XIV - Fixing the person's age; Significations of bhavas; Bhava significations in prasna chart; External & internal bhavas; How bhavas are ruined; Karakas or significators; Fructification of bhavas; Favorable & unfavorable houses; When bhavas are ruined; Effects of planets in houses; Effects of Golika; Effects of tertiary planets; Time when bhavas fructify; Favorable & unfavorable positions of planets; Categories of karma; Imprisonment or captivity; Quarrels & misunderstandings; Visible & invisible hemispheres. XV - Favorable & unfavorable karma; Afflictions due to deity; Palliatives for afflictions; Misappropriation of Deity's property; Nature of misappropriated property; Intensity of Deity's wrath; Anger of serpent god; Parental curses; Curse of elders; Trouble from ghosts; Remedial measures; Evil eye; Cause of evil eye; Places of attack; Names of spirits causing evil eye; Categories of spirits; How to distinguish spirits; Planets favoring spirits; Houses of harm; Ascertaining the "Drishti badha"; Place of attack; Evil arising from words; Bala-graha affliction; Food poisoning; Troubles from enemies; Nature of trouble; Who is the enemy?; Enemy's motive; Identifying the enemy; Means adopted by enemies; Where the Kshudra is kept; Containers used; Another view; Removing the Mahabhichara; Different kinds of devatas; Who should perform the remedies. XVI - Whereabouts of the querist; Success over enemies; Bright & dark future; Means to adopt; Locating a treasure trove; Nature of persons with on the way; Characteristics of bride & bridegroom; Rulers of different parts of the day; Characteristics due to five elements; Laksbanas given in other works; Danger to the house; Loss of metals; Interpreting first letter of query; Predicting by betel leaves; Acquisition of elephants; Indications for sickness; Performing obsequies; Happiness & sorrow to parents; Afflictions to residence; Avakahada system; Becoming the head; Kalachakra or time cycle; Star positions in Kalachakra; Positions of yogini; Calculating the yogini; Features of yogini; Movements of yogini on weekdays; Longitudes of yogini & mrityu; Movement of mrityu; Yogini movement vis a vis lunar days; Hell & heaven; Signs of krita yuga etc. Conclusion; Appendix 1: Rise of Gulika Kala during day & night in Ghatikas. Appendix 2: Yogas, nakshatras & weekdays. Appendix 3: Mrityu bhagas of planets & rasis. Appendix 4: Chandra Kriya. Appendix 5: Chandra Vela. Appendix 6: Chandra Avasthas. Appendix 7: Nature of Drekkanas. Appendix 8: Finding time with the help of the sun's shadow. Appendix 9: "Yogini" diks. Index of technical terms. Errata. 717 pages, includes original Sanskrit slokas in Devanagari. Contents, volume 2: XVII - Putting the question; About the girl's parents; Possibility of marriage; Death of the couple; Indicative signs; Ugly looking wife. XVIII - Causes for absence of issues; Adoption; Loss of children; Birth of children; Barrenness in woman; Garbha prasna; Afflictions to parents; Ascertaining a woman's pregnancy; Miscarriage; Sex of the child; Time of delivery; Remedial measures; Santhana thithi; How adoption is denied. XIX (Issues according to birth horoscope) - Combinations for progeny; Bija & kshetra sphutas; Death of children; Family extinction; Childlessness; Father's death before son's birth; Adoption; Number of issues; Planetary rays; When children are born. XX (Seventh house through horoscope) - Factors to be considered; Yogas for wife's death; Character of wife; Role of Venus; Number of wives; Birth star of wife; Period of marriage. XXI (Marriage compatibility) - Rasi agreement; Different views; Sexual compatibility; Planetary friendships; Different kootas; Gotra vichara; Vihanganukoolya; Bhootanukulya; Ashtakavarga agreement; Mental compatibility; Importance items of concordance. XXII (Effects of transits) - Transit of the sun; The moon's transits; Transit of Mars; Transit of Mercury; Transit of Jupiter; Transit of Venus; Transit of Saturn; Propitiation of planets; Vedha & vipareeta vedha; Vedhya signs. XXIII (Diseases: Causes & Remedies) - Remedies as per Karma Vipaka; Consumption; Leprosy; Serpis; Leucoderma; Dysentery; Piles; Diseases of the eye; Ear defects; Lingual diseases; Rheumatism; Colic trouble; Spleen diseases; Female diseases; Dropsy; Urinary troubles; Fistula; Throat diseases; Headache; Epilepsy; Dumbness & insanity; Fevers; Thirst; Ulcers; Dispepsia; Internal troubles; Gift of health. XXIV (Deities, Rulers, etc.) - Installation of the holy idol; Divine presence; Impairing of divine presence; Deva prasna; Differing views; Wrath of the Deity; Questions bearing on rulers; Planets & portfolios; Questions on war & invasion; Indicative signs; Invasion of the country; Retreat of the enemy; Time of invasion; Peace between parties; Defeat & victory; When to declare war; Evil omens; Ruin of the ruler; When to move the army; Parigha; Effects of weekdays on travel; Journey by water; Advice to rulers; Hunting; Classification of animals. XXV (Rainfall) - Combinations for heavy rainfall; Appearance of mock sun; When does rain occur?; Significance of lunar month Ashadha; Venus & rainfall; Mandalas or cycles; Shapes of clouds & rainfall; Animal prognosticators; Other helpful hints for predicting rainfall; Importance of solar ingress; Karanas & rainfall; Answering queries on rainfall; Predicting floods; Adverse winds. XXVI (Koopa Prasna) - Hint for discovering water layers; Indicative signs; Dearth of water; Gupti chakra; Existence of submerged wells; Taste of water; Vastu Purusha; Clues from plants; Depth of the water layer. XXVII (Bhojana Prasna) - Menu at meals; Type of drinks served; Quality of food; Conversation at meals; Planets & tastes; Nature of food consumed; The dining hall; Return home of a traveler. XXVIII (Suratha Prasna) - On co-habitation; Description of the partner; Nature of intimacy; Place of co-habitation. XXIX (Nashta Prasna) - Revealing the nature of the question; Questions relating to missing articles; Details about theft & the thief; The location of the article; Planetary indications of theft; Number of persons involved; Nature of the missing article; Sign significations; Planets signifying the thief; The thief's appearance, etc.; Recovery of the article. XXX (Nasta Jataka) - Birth star from prasna chart; Nimittas & the moon's position at birth; Month of birth; Rising sign at birth; Jupiter at birth. XXXI (Dreams) - Finding the nature of a dream; Results of dreams; Different kinds of dreams; Causes of dreams; Time of experiencing the effects of dreams; Bharata's dream. XXXII - Benefic dots contributed by planets; Adhma, Madhyama & Sobhana; Planets transiting their Ashtakavarga signs; The sun's ashtakavarga; The moon's ashtakavarga; Mars ashtakavarga; Mercury's ashtakavarga; Jupiter's ashtakavarga; Venus ashtakavarga; Saturn's ashtakavarga; Samudaya ashtakavarga; Maximum & minimum points; Bhanduka, sevaka, poshaka & gnataka; First, second & third parts of life; Ashtakavarga & dasa results; Trikona sodhana; Ekadhipatya sodhana; Zodiacal & planetary factors; Father's death; Mother's death; Death of brothers; Number of children; Timing the birth of issue; More than one wife; Period of marriage; Death of the person. Summary of book. Conclusion. Original Sanskrit text for chapters 16 - 32. 599 pages. Comment: An exhaustive treatise on Prasna, or horary astrology. Authorship is attributed to a Namboodiri Brahmin of Kerala, who wrote in 1649 at a place called Edakad, near Talasseri. The work appears to be influenced by a number of ancient sources, among them Brihat Jataka, and, Krishneeya, though in many areas the author of Prasna Marga goes far beyond his sources, encompassing (in addition to horary) predictive astrology, electional astrology, remedial astrology & the science of omens. Raman's translation is not word-for-word, but more or less a summary of the stanzas as Raman understood them, sometimes with the assistance of various Pandits. In addition, Raman includes his own notes. There are no chart examples in either book. Back to the B.V. Raman, Page 2.

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