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Vedic Astrology:

Authors names beginning with B


Authors appearing on this page include Bala Bhadra, Kevin Barrett, K. Baskaran, M. Ramakrishna Bhat, Sage Bhrigu, Narayana Bhatt, Andrew Bloomfield, Ebenezer Burgess.


UNDERSTANDING THE MOON'S NODES, RAHU & KETU, ancient astrological Vedic wisdom - Kevin W. Barrett, $15.00

Contents:

Introduction
Mythology of the nodes
Basic rules for Vedic interpretations
The nodes - Rahu & Ketu
The nodes's exaltations & rulerships
Rahu's influence on the planets
Nakshatras the 27 lunar mansions
Rahu & Ketu in house polarities
Rahu in signs
Combination of nodal axis in houses
Transiting nodes
Dasa progressions
The natal node yogas
The natal nodes in the moon chart
Chart interpretations.

Appendices:
A. Moon mansion constellation rulers
B. Navamsa conversion tables
C. Ayanamsa conversion tables
D. Progressed dasa system calculations
E. Benefic, malefic & neutral planets
F. Planetary relationships
Dictionary - Hindu words to English.

Comment: Kevin Barrett is an Australian who has studied Vedic astrology since 1976. This book is intended for western astrologers. All the charts in the book are in the western round format, though the planetary positions in them are Lahiri ayanamsa. As a Vedic book, it's elementary. As a western book, it's pretty solid. The Dictionary in the back runs 44 pages, with several hundred brief entries, a very nice reference by itself.

Barrett had previously self-published this book, which made it both expensive & hard to get. I was happy to see the Sagar edition.

Sagar, 213 pages.


PRINCIPLES OF CUSPAL INTERLINKS, an advanced reader in astrology - K. Baskaran, translated by S. Gnanasambandan, $18.00
Contents:
A step forward; Acknowledgements;
1. Introduction; 2. Karam yoga & cuspal beginnings; 3. What is a cusp; 4. Cuspal interlinks; 5. Classification of karakas; 6. Inner thread; 7. 1st bhava; 8. 2nd bhava; 9. 3rd bhava; 10. 4th bhava; 11. 5th bhava; 12. 6th bhava; 13. 7th bhava; 14. 8th bhava; 15. 9th bhava; 16. 10th bhava; 17. 11th bhava; 18. 12th bhava; 19. How to use cuspal interlinks; 20. Epilogue.

Comment: This is a book of Krishnamurti astrology, one of the rare ones to escape the Krishnamurti publishers.

Sagar, 208 pages.


VEDIC SECRETS TO HAPPINESS - Anne Beversdorf, $22.95

Contents:

Illustrations
Preface, by Ben Collins
Introduction: The most important chapter

Part 1: How I found this and How it works
1. Discovery
2. Learning more: experiments and examples
3. How does this work?
4. What is karma and Can we change it?

Part 2: Assessment
5. Assessing your energy patterns
6. Assessment sheets
7. Examining your scores / note to jyotisis

Part 3: Balancing energies
8. Principles for balancing energies
9. Activities for balancing material energy systems: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn
10. Activities for balancing subtle energy systems: Rahu, Ketu
11. Balancing transcendent energy systems: Uranus, Neptune, Pluto

Part 4: Wrapping it up
12. Who did what
13. Your next step

Appendices:
A. General purpose mantras and prayers
B. Sources for pujas and yagyas
C. Matching problems to remedies
D. Balancing activities - a quick reference guide

Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgements
About the author

Comment:

This is a book of Vedic remedies, updated and modernized by American Jyotish astrologer Anne Beversdorf. The Introduction gives a short synopsis of how to best use the book. Chapter one is the author's own story of her experience with pujas, which is both brief and not at all cloying, and, of course, positive. She used remedies to cure herself of depression, a most difficult disease to defeat.

Chapter two continues with more successful examples, from clients and friends. Several of them were instinctively, and unknowingly, doing exactly the right things to ward off danger.

The heart of the book are the twelve assessments, for good and bad. You run down the list, assigning numerical values to each. Under Good Qualities for the Sun are:

Ambition, authority, boldness, charisma, consciousness, creativity, dignity, energy, etc. (pg. 45)
Under negative qualties for the Sun are:
Altercations, excessive ambition, back trouble, being too bossy, bragging too much, etc. (pg. 48)
And so on for the other planets, including Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, and the nodes.

You total up each section and look at the results. If you're a reasonably well-balanced person (in which case, why are you here?) you may need to look closely to find your initial point of reference.

For the rest of us, I'm afraid it's much simpler. You skip through the assessments until you find the one where it hurts. And that's you. In my case - no surprise - it was Saturn.

There follows a brief, fascinating section, where you take the problem planet and apply it to the house it rules. I caution western readers they must set their chart in the Sidereal zodiac (Lahiri ayanamsha, or Fagan-Bradley) and then consider those cusps, not their typical western ones. The problem planet produces problems in the house(s) it rules.

You then turn to Part 3, the solution section, and set about performing the various tasks you will find there. With Saturn, I am, first of all, to follow all rules strictly. Which is a lesson I have learned many times. My day of action is Saturday (Saturn's day) and on that day I am to give black coffee to a homeless person, mow a cemetery, take trash to a recycling center, volunteer in a homeless shelter, feed sunflower seeds to crows, etc. I could even pass the time on Saturdays listening to Mozart's and Faure's Requiems. (The Berlioz requiem, too, I think.) Which I can do easily. Which is almost cheating. Wouldn't Saturn want more work than that? It's notable that in a very large collection of music, I have no requiems at all. Which I think is an instinct to avoid the problem, which I suspect is common.

Beversdorf concludes her book by giving us "the rest of the stories" from the second chapter, the friends who were comforted by specific remedies. She tells us what those remedies were. For one man, the solution to unemployment and headaches was throwing cinnamon red hots into a stream on Tuesdays! Anne has written on a very old, very hoary topic. To have updated it to include cinnamon red hots is a notable accomplishment.

The appendices are useful. Appendix A, prayers, includes both Sanskrit (which you were expecting) as well as choice Christian and Old Testament extracts. Appendix B give two good sources for pujas. Appendix C is a handy alphabetical list of ailments and their corresponding solutions. Appendix D are the twelve remedies, in brief. For Saturn, Sing the Blues on Saturday! The Bibliography is an excellent selection of relevant books, and the reasons to study them. It is followed by a 13 page index.

This is the best book of remedies I have yet seen. I don't give gold stars to Vedic books because I do not clearly understand the system, but this book deserves one. I only caution that it is written for a western audience. Native Indians may not be able to follow it. Which is a triffling detail. The author has written and published in America, where all the Americans are, and where the need is truely great.

Stariel Press, 278 pages.


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BE YOUR OWN ASTROLOGER: Vedic Astrology Made Simple - Pandit Ajai Bhambi, $20.00
Contents: Foreword by Bepin Behari, Preface; 1. What is astrology; 2. The zodiac; 3. Interpretation of horoscope; 4. Nature of the zodiac; 5. Symbols in astrology; 6. The significance of the planets; 7. Importance of dasa; 8. How to interpret a horoscope yourself; 9. Importance of transit

Comment: An introductory book intended for lay persons. There is a lot of general theory & structure about planets, signs & houses.

Wisdom Tree (of India), 318 pages.


Advanced Techniques of Predictive Astrology, in two volumes, by Vishnu Bhaskar

ADVANCED TECHNIQUES OF PREDICTIVE ASTROLOGY: A Vedic treatise in modern times, in two volumes - Vishnu Bhaskar, $80.00

Contents:

Volume 1:

Invocations and dedication
Preface
Abbreviations

Part 1: Horoscope judgement:
1. Principles of judgement of a horoscope
2. Principles of interpretation of divisional charts
3. Case study: Interpretation of divisional charts
4. Principles of time rectification in a horoscope.

Part 2: Medical astrology:
5. Principles of medical astrology and longevity
6. Case study: Longevity determination by mathematical methods

Part 3: Love, relationship, marriage and progeny:
7. Strijatak - interpretation of the female horoscope
8. Interpretation of issues in love, relationships and marriage
9. Compatibility for marriage and relationships
10. Marriage muhurta
11. Case studies - love, relationship, marriage and progeny
12. Rules governing various aspects of progeny determination
13. Case studies - progeny

Part 4: Transit and ashtakavarga:
14. Interpretation of transit and ashtakavarga
15. Case study: Methodology for rashi-wise forecast for ingress of a planet in a sign
16. Case study: Methodology of monthly forecast for persons born in different signs

Part 5: Annual chart:
17. Principles of interpretation of annual chart
18. Case studies: annual chart

Part 6: Jaimini Shastra
19. Jaimini sutras - a holistic summary
20. Case study: Chara, mandook and vimshottari dasha systems
21. Jaimini case studies: Shoola, navamsha, sthir and Brahma dashas for longevity determination
22. Jaimini case study: The number, sex and sequence of co-borns
23. Case study Jaimini - The number, sex and sequence of progeny

Annexures, volume one:
1. Veda, Vedic astrology, modern science and welfare of society
2. Rashis (signs)
3. Nakshatra
4. Planets
5. Results of planets in different houses
6. Yoga
7. Bhava chalit and bhava madhya (cusp) charts
8. Vimshopak bala
9. Horoscope construction
10. Vimshottari dasha calculations
11. Yogini dasha calculations and interpretation
12. Ashtakavarga
13. Interpretation of birth in various rashi, lagna, nakshatra and yoga

Index of volume 1

Hardcover, 353 pages.

Volume 2:

Part 7: Prashna Shastra:
24. Basic considerations for interpretation of a prashna chart
25. House-wise principles of interpretation of prashna charts
26. Case studies: Interpretation of prashna relating to health issues
27. Case studies: Wealth, property and family happiness prashna
28. Prashna case studies: Progeny, higher education and love relationships
29. Prashna case studies: Debt, legal disputes and accidenets
30. Prashna case studies: Marriage and conjugal life
31. Prashna case studies: Inheritance, cause of death, journeys and parents
32. Prashna case studies: Profession
33. Prashna case studies: Gains, success and Moksha
34. Prashna case studies: Theft and missing person

Part 8: Chakra predictions:
35. Shri Sarvatobhadra chakra
36. Slinghasan and chhatra chakras and successes or failures of a country's chief executive
37. Rahu Kaalanal chakras: Predicing the results of wars
38. Kot chakra
39. Sanghatta rasi and sanghatta nakshatra chakras
40. Interpretation of Sudarshana chakra
41. Matrika chakras
42. Interpretation of other important chakras
43. (Swar Shastra) This chapter is entirely in Hindi. There is no English.

Part 9: Astro-meteorology:
44. Principles of astro-meteorology in predicting weather
45. Astro-meteorology: Short, medium and long-term prediction
46. Astro-meteorology case studies: Predicting rain and crops
47. Astro-meteorology case study: Weather and crop prediction for year 2005

Part 10: Samhita - Mundane astrology:
48. Principles of mundane astrology
49. Case studies: Mundane astrology
50. Principles and case studies: Commodity price trends

Annexures, volume two:
14. Krishnamurti Paddhati: A synopsis
15. Kerala astrology prashna and other prashna methods
16. Punch vedha in sarvatobhandra chakra and vedha in sapta shalaka
17. Concept of time
18. Lunar calendar: Panchang
19. Muhurtas
20. Sooksma tithi, nakshatra, rashi, vaar, direction and barhaspatya year: samvatsar
21. Shad bala and bhava bala

Bibliography

Index of volume 2

Hardcover, 357 pages.

Comment:

The author is a 1990's graduate of the Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan of New Delhi. While the school as a whole dates to 1938 and covers many subjects, since 1987 its astrology courses have been under the administration of K.N. Rao. Which makes Vishnu Bhaskar a graduate of K.N. Rao's school, a high distinction. Bhaskar is the founder and director of the International Institute of Vedic Astrology (IIVA). I mention this as the production of two massive volumes implies both great talent as well as great organizational skills.

This is a comprehensive, detailed sketch of Vedic astrology. There is virtually nothing omitted, indeed, there are many details that I have never seen before. Not merely natal and forecasting, but also medical (very rare), along with astro-meteorology (even more rare), Prashna, Jaimini, Stri Jataka (female horoscopes), relationship matching, mundane and more, including systems based on sticks in the ground and turtle shells, which, if I am not mistaken, have only just been recovered from oral tradition. In the annexures (appendices), even more, including a sketch of the Krishnamurti system.

Note that, with one exception (Chapter 43), the text is entirely in English, but various scattered tables are only in Hindi. It might be these two volumes were not intended for the export market, as few non-native speakers are fluent in Hindi. At least, I presume it's Hindi.

These two volumes will be expensive to ship overseas. Current international postage rates are in excess of $50. Apologies.

These books would make a fabulous addition to almost any Vedic astrologer's library.

Alpha Publications, hardcovers. Volume 1: 353 pages. Volume 2: 357 pages.


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ESSENTIALS OF HORARY ASTROLOGY, or PRASNAPADAVI - M. Ramakrishna Bhat, assisted by B.P. Nair, $25.00
Contents:

Foreword
Abbreviations
Preface

1. Introductory
2. Astrologer & querist
3. Planets & signs
4. Astamangala Prasna
5. Deva-prasna
6. Matrimony
7. Progeny
8. Diseases
9. Fructification of karma
10. Span of life
11. Demise
12. Travel
13. Rainfall
14. Water resources
15. Lost articles
16. Lost horoscopes
17. Decanates & stars
18. Transits
19. Miscellaneous

Appendix
Bibliography
Index

Comment: This book was inspired by a close study of Prasna Marga (available in an English translation by B.V. Raman), there are many references to it. Like Prof. P.S. Sastri, M. Ramakrishna Bhat brings great wisdom & scholarship to his work.

Motilal Banarsidass, 446 pages.


FUNDAMENTALS OF ASTROLOGY - M. Ramakrishna Bhat, $24.00
Contents: Preface to the first edition (1967); Preface to the second edition (1978); Preface to the third edition (1988);

1. General principles; 2. Planets' characteristics; 3. Lagna & other houses; 4. Planetary strength; 5. Moon's states & constellations; 6. Rectification of birth time; 7. Span of life; 8. Rasi effects; 9. On bhavas; 10. Conception & birth;

11. Ududasas; 12. Yogas; 13. Rajayogas; 14. Issue; 15. Matrimony; 16. Female horoscopy; 17. Disease; 18. Description of decanates; 19. Death; 20. Profession;

21. Transits; 22. Ashtakavarga. Appendix: What is Pancanga?; Index.

Comment: This book has been in print for nearly 40 years, the author is the translator of the classic Brhat Samhita. In the preface to the first edition, the author writes,

In the pages that follow I have in my own humble way attempted to bring to the fore not only the rationality of astrology but also the nature and structure of the correct knowledge that our forefathers possessed regarding the predictable influences of planets on human beings, and to give a spiritual bias to astrology. The reader is taken step-by-step in this work from the rudiments viz. the distribution of constellations in the Zodiacal belt which is divided into twelve Signs, and the planetary hierarchy, through the method of calculating the ascendant and other houses of the natal chart, assessment of the strengths, infuences, aspects, afflictions, mutual relations etc. of the planets, to the final stage of reading the brighter and darker sides of the subject's life, his chances of success and failure, their periods, ingress of the Soul into the mortal coil and exit therefrom as well as its departure to other worlds according to its Karma. I am sure the illustrative charts, appended to explain different rules will be of special benefit to students and lovers of astrology. (pg. ix)
A detailed & demanding book.

Motilal Banarsidass, 326 pages.


BHRIGU SUTRAM - Sage Bhrigu, translated by Dr. G.S. Kapoor, $20.00
Contents: Part 1: Significations of the planets & houses: 1. Zodiac & the 12 signs, astrological nature, influence, characteristics, functions of Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu & Ketu. Their signs of exaltation & debilitation; their own signs; their friends, enemies & neutrals.

2. The significations of the 12 houses of the horoscope. The 12 houses termed as: Tanu, Dhana, Sahaja, Sukha, Suta, Ripu, Jaya, Ayu, Dharma, Karma, Labha & Vyaya, according to their significance.

Part 2: Bhrigu Sutram: 1. Effects of Sun in the 12 houses. Dispositions when Sun in spite of being a malefic gives very beneficial results & gives rise to Raja yoga. Difference of effects when Sun is in own sign, sign of exaltation, enemy sign, etc.

2. Effects of Moon in the 12 houses. Difference in effects of Moon when posited in a house in different signs; difference of effects of a waning & waxing Moon; dispositions when Moon produces Rajayoga, difference in effects when Moon is in own sign, sign of exaltation, sign of debilitation, etc.

3. Effects of Mars in the 12 houses. How a great malefic like Mars becomes a yogakaraka. Difference in effects of Mars in different houses when in own sign, sign of exaltation, sign of debilitation, etc. Dispositions when Mars produces Ruchaka yoga, Dhana yoga & Raja yoga & their results. Special yogas for sexual perversions.

4. Effects of Mercury in the 12 houses. When a benefic Mercury can become a malefic. Difference in effects of Mercury in different houses when in own sign, sign of exaltation, debilitation, etc. Dispositions when Mercury produces Bhadra yoga, Amla yoga, Dhana yoga & Raja yoga & their results.

5. Effects of Jupiter in the 12 houses. Difference in effects of Jupiter in own sign, sign of exaltation, sign of debilitation, etc. Dispositions when Jupiter produces Hamsa yoga, Amla yoga, Dhana yoga, Raja yoga & their results. When lords of 6th, 8th & 12th houses become yoga karaka planets. Jupiter good even when is lord of 3rd & 12th houses.

6. Effects of Venus in the 12 houses. Difference in effects of Venus in own sign, sign of exaltation, sign of debilitation, etc. Dispositions when Venus produces Malavya yoga, Amla yoga, Dhana yoga & Raja yoga & their results. Venus gives yoga effects when posited in the 6th & 12th houses.

7. Effects of Saturn in the 12 houses. When a great malefic like Saturn gives very beneficial results & functions as yoga karaka planet. Saturn gives long life when posited in the 8th house. Effects of Saturn in own sign, sign of exaltation, sign of debilitation, etc. Dispositions when Saturn produces Sasa yoga, Dhana yoga & Raja yoga & their results.
8. Effects of Rahu & Ketu in the 12 houses. Controversy about the roles of Rahu & Ketu in a horoscope & different views in that regard.

Comment: This book includes the original Sanskrit slokas, translated & with commentary. Further commentary is provided by Brihat Jatak, Phaladeepika, Saravali, Chamatkar Chintamani. For its limited scope, this is a very nice book.

Ranjan, 176 pages.


CHAMATKAR CHINTAMANI of Narayana Bhatt - translated by S.S. Sareen, $15.00
Contents:
1. Introduction; 2. Manglacharan; 3. Sun; 4. Moon; 5. Mars; 6. Mercury; 7. Jupiter; 8. Venus; 9. Saturn; 10. Rahu; 11. Ketu.

Comment: From the introduction: Bhatt Narayana has written his Chamatkara Chintamani in 108 slokas which he claims to have collected out of an ocean of four lac Jyoti Shastras [that's a lot]. These Slokas or Sutras deal with all the nine planets from the Sun to Rahu-Ketu when they are posited alone or jointly from the 1st house to the 12th in a particular chart. There are 9 planets & 12 houses. Hence the 108 slokas. Each sutra or sloka reads the influence of a particular planet in a particular house. For example, the first bhava phal is that of the sun in the first house. He has not made any reference of the 12 signs from Aries to Pisces which might rise in the same house in different births. Thus the bhava-phal which he has given are in a general way & not specific. None the less, an advanced scholar, for whom this book is the best companion, can easily discriminate the distinct personalities represented in each bhava phal-sutra. Reading & rereading of these sutras would be most rewarding to our readers. (From page i)

The result is a bit choppy. The planets through the houses, with notes on signs & aspects. The introduction is some 46 pages in itself.

Sagar, 239 pages, paper.


HOW TO PRACTICE VEDIC ASTROLOGY, a beginner's guide - Andrew Bloomfield, $29.95
Contents: Introduction;
Part 1 - The basics: Birth time adjustment, The chart, Step 1 - The nature of the rising sign, Step 2 - Planets in the first house, Step 3 - No planets in the first house, Planets & their meanings, Aspects, Planetary exaltation & debilitation, Retrograde planets, Planetary friends & enemies, Mahadasha - the major cycle of the planets, Another method of prediction - transits, Navamsha, Remedial measures, Astro-locality, Summary.

Part 2: Reading Charts: 1st house: The body; 2nd house: Wealth; 3rd house: Creativity; 4th house: The mother; 5th house: Children; 6th house: enemies; 7th house: Marriage; 8th house: Transformation; 9th house: The father; 10th house: Career; 11th house: Opportunity; 12th house: Actualization.
Appendix: Vedic astrology resources; Glossary; Index; About Parasara's Light vedic astrology software (CD included).

Comment: For each house, there are example charts- 18 for the 7th house, 6 charts for the 9th (which is a more typical number), more than 100 in all. Like many beginner books, you should ideally find this in a store, skim through it & love it or not, as it speaks to you (or not). It is a nice book. The best thing about it is the free CD Rom of Parasara's Light software in the back. It's Windows-only (sorry Macs!). This will let you do basic on-screen chart calculations & pretty much everything described in the book. It is otherwise a tease for the full program, which is $299. Which is a lot for a limited-use specialty program of any kind, frankly.

Destiny Books, 264 pages.


THE SURYA SIDDHANTA - translated by Ebenezer Burgess, edited by Phanindralal Gangooly, $65.00
Contents: Note; Introduction; Life of Rev. E Burgess; Introductory note;

1. Mean motions of the planets; 2. True places of the planets; Directions, place, time; 4. Eclipses, lunar eclipse; 5. Parallax in a solar eclipse; 6. Projection of eclipses; 7. Planetary conjunctions; 8. Asterisms; 9. Heliacal risings & settings; 10. Moon's rising & setting & elevation of her horns; 11. Certain malignant aspects of the Sun & Moon; 12. Cosmogony, geography, dimension of creation; 13. Armillary sphere & other instruments; 14. Different modes of reckoning time.

Appendix: Footnotes & corrections to the text, calculations of eclipses, stellar map (folds out nicely); Sanskrit Index (in Roman characters); English index.

Comment: Born in 1805, Ebenezer Burgess was an American missionary who spent 15 years in India (1839-1854). During his time there he found a need for a good text on Hindu astronomy, and so made this translation, first published in 1860. Mr. Burgess died in 1870. This is a reprint of the 1935 reprint by Calcutta University. Burgess concludes the Hindu civilization dates back to 2000 BC, and no earlier. Their knowledge of astronomy was therefore not derived from the Greeks. Among many other analysises, he carefully compares nakshatras to Arabic & Chinese lunar mansions. I can find no astrology in this book, but it will be a useful resource for the serious student. There are no Sanskrit slokas in this book.

Motilal Banarsidass, 409 pages.


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