Chapter on the Yogas of Renunciation (Pravrajyā) — Bṛhat-Pārāśara-Horāśāstra, Adhyāya 79

प्रव्रज्यायोगाध्यायः

The complete Chapter on the Yogas of Renunciation (Pravrajyā) chapter of the Bṛhat-Pārāśara-Horāśāstra — all 14 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 — Announcement of the pravrajyā-yoga chapter

अथ सम्प्रति ते वच्मि प्रव्रज्यायोगमुत्तमम् । येनापहाय सर्वस्वं विरक्ता गेहिनो जनाः ॥ १ ॥

Now, next, I shall declare to you the excellent yoga of renunciation (pravrajyā) — that by which householders, abandoning all they possess, become detached from the world.

BPHS Adhyāya 79, śloka 1

Śloka 2-3 — Core pravrajyā-yoga: four or more strong grahas in one rāśi; type of renunciation by the strongest

सबलैरेकभगतै-श्चतुष्प्रभृतिभिर्ग्रहैः । सूर्यादिभिस्तापसश्च कपाली लोहिताम्बरः ॥ २ ॥ दण्डी यतिश्चक्रधारी वीतवासाः क्रमादिति । बलिषु प्रबलस्यैव बोध्या बहुषु विद्वरैः ॥ ३ ॥

When four or more strong grahas are placed together in one rāśi — [the results,] according as they are the Sun and the rest, are: an ascetic (tāpasa); a skull-bearer (kapālī); one clad in red garments; a staff-bearer (daṇḍī); a yati; a bearer of the discus (cakradhārin); and one wholly without clothing — in that order. Among many strong ones, the [renunciation] of the strongest alone is to be understood by the best of the learned.

BPHS Adhyāya 79, śloka 2-3

Śloka 4 — Combust (astaṅgata) pravrajyā-causing grahas — renunciation without formal initiation

अस्तंगता वीर्यवन्तः प्रव्रज्याकारका यदि । तदा दीक्षाविरहिता वेद्या प्रव्रजिता नराः ॥ ४ ॥

If the grahas that cause renunciation, though possessed of strength, are combust (astaṅgata), then the men are to be known as renunciates devoid of formal initiation (dīkṣā).

BPHS Adhyāya 79, śloka 4

Śloka 5 — All others combust and the Sun strong — solar renunciation

विबला रविसान्निध्या-दस्ताश्चेदपरे ग्रहाः । रविश्च प्रबलस्तर्हि प्रव्रज्या रविजा मता ॥ ५ ॥

If the other grahas are weak and combust through proximity to the Sun, and the Sun himself is strong, then the renunciation is held to be Sun-born [i.e. of the solar type].

BPHS Adhyāya 79, śloka 5

Śloka 6 — Anya-yoga: the janma-rāśi lord unaspected by other grahas but connected with Saturn

ग्रहैरन्यैर्यदि जन्म-र्क्षेशोऽदृष्टः शनीक्षकः । तयोर्बलवतोस्तत्र प्रव्रज्यां लभते जनः ॥ ६ ॥

If the lord of the birth-rāśi, unaspected by the other grahas, himself aspects Saturn, then the person obtains the renunciation [proper to] whichever of those two — Saturn or the rāśi-lord — is the stronger.

BPHS Adhyāya 79, śloka 6

Śloka 7 — Weak janma-rāśi lord aspected only by Saturn

विबलो जन्मराशीशो दृष्टश्चेत् सौरिमात्रतः । तदार्किजनितैव स्यात् प्रव्रज्या नात्र संशयः ॥ ७ ॥

If the lord of the birth-rāśi is weak and is aspected by Saturn alone, then the renunciation will be of the kind produced by Saturn — there is no doubt in this.

BPHS Adhyāya 79, śloka 7

Śloka 8 — Itara-yoga: Moon in Saturn's dreṣkāṇa and in the navāṃśa of Mars or Saturn

इन्दौ मन्दद्रेकाणस्थे कुजार्किनवभागके । सौरीक्षिते तु प्रव्रज्या मन्दजैव प्रजायते ॥ ८ ॥

When the Moon stands in a dreṣkāṇa of Saturn and in the navāṃśa of Mars or of Saturn, and is aspected by Saturn, renunciation of the Saturn-born kind indeed arises.

BPHS Adhyāya 79, śloka 8

Śloka 9 — Determining the victor in graha-yuddha (planetary war)

विजयी भार्गवो याम्ये सौम्ये वा संस्थितो यदि । भौमादिषु, परेष्वेवं सौम्यगो युधि जायते ॥ ९ ॥

Venus is the victor whether he stands to the south or to the north. Among the others — Mars and the rest — it is the one placed to the north that becomes the victor in the war.

BPHS Adhyāya 79, śloka 9

Śloka 10 — Pravrajyā-cyuti: the renunciation-giving graha defeated in war

ग्रहः परेण विजितः प्रव्रज्याया विधायकः । तदावाप्य परिव्रज्यां पुनर्जह्यात्तु तां नरः ॥ १० ॥

If the graha that ordains the renunciation is itself defeated by another, then the man, having taken up the wandering life, will again abandon it.

BPHS Adhyāya 79, śloka 10

Śloka 11 — Maitreya's question: several equally strong pravrajyā-causing grahas

समानबलवन्तश्चे-दनेके जन्मनि ग्रहाः । प्रव्रज्यादायकास्तर्हि प्रव्रज्या कस्य जायते ॥ ११ ॥

[Maitreya said:] If at birth several grahas that bestow renunciation are of equal strength, then whose renunciation comes about?

BPHS Adhyāya 79, śloka 11

Śloka 12 — Parāśara's answer: all of them give their renunciation

खगा अनेके सबलाः प्रव्रज्याकारिणो यदि । तदा समेषां प्रव्रज्यां लभते नात्र संशयः ॥ १२ ॥

If several strong grahas are causers of renunciation, then he obtains the renunciation of them all — there is no doubt in this.

BPHS Adhyāya 79, śloka 12

Śloka 13 — Timing: each graha gives its own renunciation in its own bhukti

दशाक्रमानुसारेण स्वस्वभुक्तिषु खेचराः । प्रव्रज्यां स्वस्वजनितां प्रयच्छन्ति न संशयः ॥ १३ ॥

Following the order of the daśās, the grahas bestow — each in its own bhukti — the renunciation produced by itself. There is no doubt in this.

BPHS Adhyāya 79, śloka 13

Śloka 14 — Pravrajyā-yogāntara: Saturn aspecting Jupiter, lagna and Moon, with Jupiter in the 9th

पश्येद् यदि शनिर्जीव-लग्नेन्दूनपि भाग्यभे । गुरुस्तदा राजयोग-स्तद्भवस्तीर्थकृन्नरः ॥ १४ ॥

If Saturn aspects Jupiter, the lagna and the Moon, and Jupiter is in the bhāgya-bhāva (ninth), then there is a rājayoga; and the man born in it becomes a tīrthaṅkara — a founder of a sacred path.

BPHS Adhyāya 79, śloka 14

Śloka 15 — Saturn in the ninth unaspected by any graha — renunciate king

सौरौ भाग्यगते खेटैरदृष्टे तु प्रजायते । राजयोगस्तत्र जातः प्रव्रज्यायुग् नृपो भवेत् ॥ १५ ॥

When Saturn has gone to the ninth and is unaspected by the [other] grahas, a rājayoga arises; and one born under it becomes a king joined with renunciation.

BPHS Adhyāya 79, śloka 15