The Chapter Determining Exact Strength (spaṣṭa-bala) — Bṛhat-Pārāśara-Horāśāstra, Adhyāya 28

स्पष्टबलनिर्णयाध्यायः

The complete The Chapter Determining Exact Strength (spaṣṭa-bala) chapter of the Bṛhat-Pārāśara-Horāśāstra — all 40 verses, each in the original Sanskrit with VedicSpace's clean-room English translation, cited by śloka. Translated from the Chaukhamba (Devachandra Jha) edition and audited against the printed plates.

Śloka 1 — Opening; ucca-bala (exaltation strength) — step 1

अथ स्थानं दिशा-चेष्टा-कालस्पष्ट-बलं ब्रुवे । नीचोनं तु ग्रहं भार्धाधिके चक्राद् विशोधयेत् ॥ १ ॥

Now I shall declare the exact strengths — that of sthāna, of direction (diś), of ceṣṭā and of kāla. [Take] the graha diminished by its point of debilitation (nīca); when [the remainder] is more than half the bha-cakra (six rāśis), one should subtract it from the circle (twelve rāśis).

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 1

Śloka 2 — ucca-bala completed; sthāna-bala list begins (saptavargaja dignities)

भागीकृत्य त्रिभिर्भक्तं फलमुच्चबलं भवेत् । मूलत्रिकोण-स्वर्क्षाधि-मित्र-मित्र-समारिषु ॥ २ ॥

Having reduced [that remainder] to degrees and divided it by three, the result is the ucca-bala. For [grahas] situated in mūlatrikoṇa, in their own rāśi, in an adhimitra's, in a mitra's, in a sama's, in an enemy's (ari) [house] —

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 2

Śloka 3 — sthāna-bala values for the seven dignities

अधिशत्रुगृहे चापि स्थितानां क्रमशो बलम् । पञ्चाब्धि-खाग्नि-नखर-तिथि-दिग्-युग-दृष्टयः ॥ ३ ॥

— and also in the house of a bitter enemy (adhiśatru): the strength of those so placed is, in order, forty-five, thirty, twenty, fifteen, ten, four and two.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 3

Śloka 4 — saptavargaja bala (strength from the seven vargas)

गृह-होरा-स्व-द्रेष्काण-सप्ताङ्कार्कांश-सम्भवम् । बलं तदैक्यं त्रिंशांशबलयुक् सप्तवर्गजम् ॥ ४ ॥

The strength arising from the gṛha (rāśi), the horā, the svāṃśa (navāṃśa), the dreṣkāṇa, the saptāṃśa and the arkāṃśa (dvādaśāṃśa) — the sum of these, joined with the triṃśāṃśa strength, is the seven-varga-born (saptavargaja) strength.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 4

Śloka 5 — oja-yugma-rāśyaṃśa bala; kendrādi bala

सितेन्दू युग्मभांशेऽङ्घ्रिमितमोजगताः परे । केन्द्रादिषु स्थिताः खेटाः सकलार्धाङ्घ्रिदाः क्रमात् ॥ ५ ॥

Venus and the Moon, when in an even rāśi or even aṃśa, [give] a quarter-measure [of strength]; the other [grahas give it] when placed in odd ones. Grahas situated in a kendra, [in a paṇaphara, in an āpoklima] give respectively the whole, the half, and a quarter.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 5

Śloka 6 — dreṣkāṇa-bala by gender of graha

आद्यमध्यावसानेषु द्रेष्काणेषु स्थिताः क्रमात् । पुंनपुंसकयोषाख्या दद्युः पादमितं बलम् ॥ ६ ॥

Those called male, neuter and female, placed respectively in the first, the middle and the last dreṣkāṇa, give a quarter-measure of strength.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 6

Śloka 7 — dig-bala (directional strength)

अर्कात् कुजात् सुखं जीवाज्ज्ञाच्चास्तं लग्नमार्किणः । मध्यलग्नं भृगोश्चन्द्राद् हित्वा षड्भाधिके सति ॥ ७ ॥ चक्राद् विशोध्य भागास्तु रामाप्तास्तद्दिशो बलम् ।

From the Sun and from Mars [subtract] the fourth house (sukha); from Jupiter and from Mercury the seventh (asta); from Saturn the lagna; from Venus and from the Moon the madhya-lagna (tenth). When [the remainder] is more than six rāśis, having subtracted it from the circle, the degrees divided by three give the dig-bala.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 7

Śloka 8 — natonnata-bala (part 1) — Mars, Moon, Saturn

भौमचन्द्रशनीनां तु नता घट्यो द्विसंगुणाः ॥ ८ ॥

But for Mars, the Moon and Saturn, the nata ghaṭīs multiplied by two [are the strength].

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 8

Śloka 9 — natonnata-bala (part 2); Mercury always full

शुद्धास्ताः षष्टितोऽन्येषां कलाद्यं तद्बलं भवेत् । बौधं नतोन्नतबलं रूपं ज्ञेयं सदा बुधैः ॥ ९ ॥

Those [doubled ghaṭīs] subtracted from sixty give, in kalās, that strength for the others. Mercury's natonnata-bala should always be known by the wise to be one rūpa [i.e. a full sixty].

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 9

Śloka 10 — pakṣa-bala for benefics

चन्द्राच्छुद्धो रविः षड्भादूनः शोध्यस्तु चक्रतः । शेषांशा वह्निविहृताः शुभानामुदितं द्विज ! ॥ १० ॥

The Sun subtracted from the Moon; [the remainder,] to be made less than six rāśis, should be subtracted from the circle [if it exceeds that]. The remaining degrees divided by three — this, O twice-born one, is declared [as the pakṣa-bala] of the benefics.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 10

Śloka 11 — pakṣa-bala for malefics

पक्षजं बलमिन्दुज्ञशुक्रार्याणां तु षष्टितः । शोध्यं तदेव विज्ञेयमिनारार्किसमुद्भवम् ॥ ११ ॥

That is the pakṣa-born strength of the Moon, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter; the very same, subtracted from sixty, is to be understood as that arising for the Sun, Mars and Saturn.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 11

Śloka 12 — tribhāga-bala (thirds of day and night)

ज्ञार्कमन्देन्दुशुक्रारा दिनरात्र्योस्त्रिभागपाः । तत्रैतेषां बलं पूर्णं देवेज्यस्य तु सर्वदा ॥ १२ ॥

Mercury, the Sun and Saturn, [then] the Moon, Venus and Mars, are the lords of the three parts of the day and of the night [respectively]. In those [parts] their strength is full; but Jupiter's is full at all times.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 12

Śloka 13 — varṣa-, māsa-, dina- and horā-lord strength

वर्षमासदिनेशानां तिथि-त्रिंशच्छराणंवाः । होराधिपबलं पूर्णमिति ज्ञेयं विचक्षणैः ॥ १३ ॥

For the lords of the year, of the month and of the day: fifteen, thirty and forty-five. The strength of the lord of the horā is full — so should the discerning know.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 13

Śloka 14 — naisargika-bala (natural strength)

षष्टिः सप्तहृतैकादिसप्तभिर्गुणिता तदा । मन्दारज्ञेज्यशुक्रेन्दुसूर्याणां स्यात् स्फुटं बलम् ॥ १४ ॥

Sixty divided by seven and then multiplied by one, two and so on up to seven, gives the exact [naisargika] strength of Saturn, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, the Moon and the Sun [respectively].

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 14

Śloka 15 — ayana-bala — the three declination khaṇḍas

शराब्धयोऽमराः सूर्याः खण्डकाः, सायनग्रहाः । तद्भोराशिसमा खण्डयुतिर्भोग्यसमाहतात् ॥ १५ ॥

Forty-five, thirty-three and twelve are the khaṇḍas. [Take] the sāyana grahas: the sum of as many khaṇḍas as there are rāśis in its bhuja, and from the product [of the remaining degrees] with the khaṇḍa yet to be traversed —

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 15

Śloka 16 — ayana-bala — division by thirty; positive/negative for Saturn and the Moon

अंशादिकात् खरामाप्त-युता अंशादयो मताः । सायने तुलमेषादौ धनर्णं शनिचन्द्रयोः ॥ १६ ॥

— [the product] taken from the degrees etc., divided by thirty and added [to that sum of khaṇḍas], the degrees and the rest are obtained. When the sāyana [graha] is in the six rāśis from Libra or the six from Aries, [the correction] is additive or subtractive for Saturn and the Moon.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 16

Śloka 17 — ayana-bala — the three-rāśi base, Mercury's exception, the final division

राशित्रये, तथा ज्ञे तु धनं, व्यस्तं तु शेषके । तदंशा विहृता रामैरयनं बलमीरितम् ॥ १७ ॥

[The correction is applied] to three rāśis; and for Mercury it is [always] additive, while for the rest it is reversed. Those degrees divided by three are declared to be the ayana-bala.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 17

Śloka 18 — identity of Sun's ayana/ceṣṭā bala and Moon's ceṣṭā/pakṣa bala

सूर्यस्यायनजं यत् स्याद्बलं चेष्टाख्यकं च तत् । चन्द्रचेष्टाबलं पक्षबलमेकमुदीरितम् ॥ १८ ॥

Whatever ayana-born strength the Sun has, that is also called his ceṣṭā-bala; and the Moon's ceṣṭā-bala and pakṣa-bala are declared to be one and the same.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 18

Śloka 19 — dṛg-bala and the final graha-bala total

शुभाशुभदृशां पादैर्युगयुक् तु बलैक्यकम् । ज्ञेज्यदृष्टियुतं तर्हि स्फुटं ग्रहबलं स्मृतम् ॥ १९ ॥

The sum of the strengths, increased and diminished by a quarter of the aspects of benefics and of malefics [respectively], and then joined with the aspect of Mercury and Jupiter — that is called the exact graha-bala.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 19

Śloka 20 — graha-yuddha (planetary war) correction

मिथः संयुध्यतोस्ताराग्रहयोर्यद् बलान्तरम् । धनं बले विजेतुस्तन्निर्जितस्य बलेऽन्यथा ॥ २० ॥

Of two tārā-grahas warring with one another, whatever the difference of their strengths — that is positive in the victor's strength, and the reverse in the strength of the one defeated.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 20

Śloka 21 — the eight kinds of planetary motion

वक्रानुवक्रा विकला मन्दा मन्दतरा समा । शीघ्रा शीघ्रतरा चेति ग्रहाणामष्टधा गतिः ॥ २१ ॥

Vakra (retrograde), anuvakra, vikala, manda, mandatara, sama, śīghra and śīghratara — thus the motion of the grahas is of eight kinds.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 21

Śloka 22 — ceṣṭā-bala values by motion (part 1)

षष्टिर्वक्रगतेर्वीर्यमनुवक्रगतेर्दलम् । पादो विकलयुक्तेः स्यात् समायास्तु दलं स्मृतम् ॥ २२ ॥

Sixty is the strength of one of retrograde motion; half of that for one of anuvakra motion; a quarter for one endowed with vikala motion; and for sama, half is declared.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 22

Śloka 23 — ceṣṭā-bala values by motion (part 2)

पादो मन्दगतेस्तस्य दलं मन्दतरस्य च । शीघ्रयुक्तेस्तु पादोनं दलं शीघ्रतरस्य तु ॥ २३ ॥

A quarter for one of slow motion, and half of that for mandatara; for one endowed with swift motion, [sixty] less a quarter; and half for śīghratara.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 23

Śloka 24 — ceṣṭā-kendra computation (part 1)

मध्यमस्पष्टराश्यादिग्रहयोगदलोनितम् । स्वस्वशीघ्रोच्चकं षड्भाधिकं चक्राद् विशोधितम् ॥ २४ ॥

Each graha's own śīghrocca, diminished by half the sum of its mean and true [longitudes] in rāśis and the rest; and if [the remainder] exceeds six rāśis, it is subtracted from the circle —

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 24

Śloka 25 — ceṣṭā-bala; the six kinds of bala enumerated

चेष्टाकेन्द्रं कुजादीनां, भागीकृत्य त्रिभिर्भजेत् । चेष्टाबलं भवति यद् बलमेवं तु षड्विधम् ॥ २५ ॥ स्थानजं दिग्भवं कालदृष्टिचेष्टानिसर्गजम् ॥

— that is the ceṣṭā-kendra of Mars and the others. Reducing it to degrees, one should divide by three: what results is the ceṣṭā-bala. Thus strength is of six kinds: born of sthāna, arising from direction, and born of kāla, of aspect (dṛṣṭi), of ceṣṭā and of nature (naisargika).

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 25

Śloka 26 — transition to bhāva-bala

ग्रहाणां बलमित्युक्तं शृणु भाववलं पुनः ॥ २६ ॥

Thus the strength of the grahas has been declared. Now hear, further, the strength of the bhāvas.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 26

Śloka 27 — bhāva-bala — which house to subtract, by rāśi (part 1)

द्वन्द्वकन्यातुलाधन्विपूर्वार्धं घटतोऽस्तभम् । सुखं गोऽजमृगाद्यार्धसिंहचापोत्तरार्धतः ॥ २७ ॥

For Gemini, Virgo, Libra, the first half of Sagittarius, and Aquarius, [subtract] the seventh house (asta). For Taurus, Aries, the first half of Capricorn, Leo and the latter half of Sagittarius, [subtract] the fourth (sukha).

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 27

Śloka 28 — bhāva-bala — remaining rāśis; reduction of the remainder

कर्कालितस्तनुं, खं तु मीनान्मकरान्त्यार्धतः । विशोध्याङ्घ्राधिकं तच्चेच्छोध्यमर्काल्लवीकृतम् ॥ २८ ॥

For Cancer and Scorpio, [subtract] the lagna (tanu); and for Pisces and the latter half of Capricorn, the tenth (kha). Having subtracted, if that [remainder] is more than half [the circle], it is to be subtracted from twelve and reduced to degrees.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 28

Śloka 29 — bhāva-bala — final assembly

त्रिभक्तं सदसद्दृष्टिपादयुक्तोनितं क्रमात् । बुधेज्यदृग्युतं तत्तु स्वस्वेशबलसंयुतम् ॥ २९ ॥ स्फुटं भाववलं चैतदन्यत्तु प्रागुदीरितम् ।

Divided by three, then respectively increased and diminished by a quarter of the aspects of the good and the bad [grahas], then joined with the aspect of Mercury and Jupiter, and joined with the strength of its own lord — this is the exact bhāva-bala; the rest has been stated before.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 29

Śloka 30 — bhāva-bala — occupancy correction

विदिज्योपेतभावस्य बलमेकेन संयुतम् । मन्दाररवियुक्तस्य बलमेकेन वर्जितम् ॥ ३० ॥

The strength of a bhāva occupied by Mercury or Jupiter is increased by one [rūpa]; the strength of one occupied by Saturn, Mars or the Sun is diminished by one.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 30

Śloka 31 — bhāva-bala — rising-mode correction by time of birth

दिवा शीर्षोदयाश्चैव सन्ध्यायामुभयोदयाः । नक्तं पृष्ठोदयाश्चैव दद्युरङ्घ्रिमितं बलम् ॥ ३१ ॥

By day the śīrṣodaya (head-rising) rāśis, at twilight the ubhayodaya, and by night the pṛṣṭhodaya rāśis give a quarter-measure of strength.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 31

Śloka 32 — ṣaḍbala thresholds for the seven grahas

अङ्गाग्नयोऽङ्गरामाश्च खरसाः करसिन्धवः । नवाग्नयः क्षुराः शून्याग्नयो दिग्गुणिताः क्रमात् ॥ ३२ ॥

Thirty-six, thirty-six, sixty, forty-two, thirty-nine, [thirty-three] and thirty — multiplied by ten (dik = 10), in order — [if the sum of the strengths of the Sun and the rest equals these, they are to be known as well-strengthened; v. 33].

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 32

Śloka 33 — definition of subalin and pūrṇa-balin

चेद्बलैक्यमिनादीनां ज्ञेयाः सुबलिनस्तदा । ततोऽपि च बलाधिक्ये पूर्णतो बलिनो मताः ॥ ३३ ॥

— if the sum of the strengths of [the grahas] beginning with the Sun [reaches these figures], then they are to be known as well-strong (subalin); and where the strength exceeds even that, they are held to be strong to the full.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 33

Śloka 34 — component thresholds — Jupiter, Mercury and the Sun (part 1)

गुरुसौम्यरवीणां तु भूतषट्केन्दवो द्विज ! । पञ्चाग्नयः खभूतानि करभूमिसुधाकराः ॥ ३४ ॥

For Jupiter, Mercury and the Sun, O twice-born one: one hundred sixty-five, thirty-five, fifty, one hundred and twelve —

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 34

Śloka 35 — component thresholds — the five balas named; Venus and the Moon (part 1)

खाग्नयश्च क्रमात् स्थानदिक्चेष्टासमयायने । सितेन्दोस्त्र्यग्निचन्द्राश्च खेषवः खाग्नयः शतम् ॥ ३५ ॥

— and thirty, respectively for sthāna, diś, ceṣṭā, kāla and ayana. For Venus and the Moon: one hundred thirty-three, fifty, thirty, one hundred —

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 35

Śloka 36 — component thresholds — Mars and Saturn

खाब्धयो लिप्तिका भौममन्दयोः षण्णव क्रमात् । त्रिंशत् खवेदाः सप्ताङ्गा नखाश्चेत्थमुदीरिताः ॥ ३६ ॥

— and forty, in kalās. For Mars and Saturn, in order: ninety-six, thirty, forty, sixty-seven and twenty. Thus have they been declared.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 36

Śloka 37 — acting on the strength-total; yoga-causing grahas

एवं कृते बलैक्ये तु फलं वाच्यं सदा बुधैः । भावस्थानग्रहैः प्रोक्तयोगे ये योगहेतवः ॥ ३७ ॥

When the summation of strengths has been made in this way, the wise should always pronounce the result. Among those which are the causes of a yoga declared by way of bhāvas, sthānas and grahas —

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 37

Śloka 38 — the strongest yoga-kāraka gives the result

बली तेषु च यः कर्ता स एवास्य फलप्रदः । योगेष्वाप्तेषु बहुषु न्याय एवं प्रकीर्तितः ॥ ३८ ॥

Whichever agent among them is the strong one, he alone bestows the result upon the native. When many yogas are obtained [in one chart], this is the declared principle.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 38

Śloka 39 — qualifications of the true astrologer (part 1)

गणितेषु प्रवीणोऽथ शब्दशास्त्रे कृतश्रमः । न्यायविद् बुद्धिमान् होरास्कन्धश्रवणसम्मतः ॥ ३९ ॥

Proficient in the computational sciences, having laboured in the science of words (grammar), a knower of nyāya, intelligent, esteemed for his study of the horā branch [of Jyotiṣa] —

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 39

Śloka 40 — qualifications of the true astrologer (part 2); closing

ऊहापोह-पटुर्देशकालवित् संयतेन्द्रियः । एवंभूतस्तु दैवज्ञोऽसंशयं सत्यमादिशेत् ॥ ४० ॥

— adept in reasoning for and against, knowing place and time, with senses restrained: an astrologer of such a kind will, beyond doubt, declare the truth.

BPHS Adhyāya 28, śloka 40