Chapter on the Description of the Varieties of Aspect (dṛṣṭi) — Bṛhat-Pārāśara-Horāśāstra, Adhyāya 8

दृष्टिभेदवर्णनाध्यायः

The complete Chapter on the Description of the Varieties of Aspect (dṛṣṭi) chapter of the Bṛhat-Pārāśara-Horāśāstra — all 9 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 topic — the twelve rāśis' modes of aspect

अथ मेषादिराशीनां द्वादशानां पृथक् पृथक् । दृष्टिभेदं प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु त्वं द्विजसत्तम ॥ १ ॥

Now I shall declare, one by one, for each of the twelve rāśis beginning with Meṣa, the several kinds of aspect (dṛṣṭi); listen thou, O best of the twice-born.

BPHS Adhyāya 8, śloka 1

Śloka 2 — Rāśi-dṛṣṭi: signs see what faces them and what flanks them; cara sees sthira and vice versa

राशयोऽभिमुखं विप्र ! प्रपश्यन्ति च पार्श्वभे । चरः स्थिरान् यथा पश्येत् स्थिरोऽपि च तथा चरान् ॥ २ ॥

O vipra, the rāśis look upon what stands facing them, and upon the sign at their flank. Just as a cara (movable) rāśi sees the sthira (fixed) ones, so too a sthira sees the cara ones.

BPHS Adhyāya 8, śloka 2

Śloka 3 — Completion of the rule: the non-adjacent ones; grahas follow suit; dvisvabhāva sees dvisvabhāva but not itself

अनन्तिकगतानेवं ग्रहास्तत्र गता अपि । द्विस्वभावो द्विभान् किन्तु नात्मानमवलोकते ॥ ३ ॥

— thus [they see] those that are not situated close at hand; and the grahas that have gone into those [signs likewise do so]. But a dvisvabhāva (dual) sign looks upon the [other] dvisvabhāva signs, yet not upon itself.

BPHS Adhyāya 8, śloka 3

Śloka 4 — Graha-dṛṣṭi by rāśi-modality: cara-placed planets aspect sthira-placed planets and vice versa, excluding the adjacent

निरीक्षन्ते चरस्थास्तु स्थिरस्थान् द्युचरांस्तथा । एवं स्थिरगताश्चापि चरस्थान् नान्तिकस्थितान् ॥ ४ ॥

The sky-goers (grahas) standing in cara rāśis aspect the grahas standing in sthira rāśis; and likewise those gone into sthira rāśis aspect those standing in cara rāśis — but not those situated adjacent [to them].

BPHS Adhyāya 8, śloka 4

Śloka 5 — Graha-dṛṣṭi among dvisvabhāva rāśis

द्विस्वभावगताः खेटाः प्रपश्यन्ति द्विभस्थितान् । ग्रहान् समस्तानपि तु नात्मना सह संस्थितान् ॥ ५ ॥

Planets gone into dvisvabhāva rāśis aspect all the grahas stationed in dvisvabhāva signs — yet not those stationed together with themselves [in the same sign].

BPHS Adhyāya 8, śloka 5

Śloka 6 — Introduction of the dṛṣṭi-cakra taught by Brahmā

दृष्टिचक्रस्य विन्यासं वक्ष्येऽथ ब्रह्मणोदितम् । विज्ञानमात्रतो यस्य दृष्टिभेदः प्रकाश्यते ॥ ६ ॥

Now I shall state the layout of the dṛṣṭi-cakra as declared by Brahmā, by the mere understanding of which the distinctions of aspect become manifest.

BPHS Adhyāya 8, śloka 6

Śloka 7 — Placement of the cara and sthira rāśis in the four cardinal directions of the cakra

प्राच्यामजवृषौ देयौ कर्किसिंहावुदग्दिशि । प्रतीच्यां क्रमतोऽवाच्यां तुलाली नक्र कुम्भकौ ॥ ७ ॥

In the east Aja (Meṣa) and Vṛṣa are to be placed; Karka and Siṃha in the northern quarter; in the west, in order, Tulā and Ali (Vṛścika); and in the south Nakra (Makara) and Kumbha.

BPHS Adhyāya 8, śloka 7

Śloka 8 — Placement of the four dvisvabhāva rāśis in the intermediate corners

ईशाने मिथुनं कोणे कन्यां वायव्यसंज्ञके । धनुर्विलिख्य नैर्ऋत्यामाग्नेय्यां विलिखेज्झषम् ॥ ८ ॥

In the Īśāna corner [write] Mithuna, and Kanyā in the corner called Vāyavya; having written Dhanus in the Nairṛta corner, one should write Jhaṣa (Mīna) in the Āgneyī corner.

BPHS Adhyāya 8, śloka 8

Śloka 9 — Square or circular dṛṣṭi-cakra; the aspect to be read off from it

चतुष्कोणाकारचक्रं विन्यस्यैवं दृशं दिशेत् । वर्तुलाकारतो वापि दृष्टेः कार्या विचारणा ॥ ९ ॥

Having thus laid out the cakra in the form of a four-cornered figure, one should point out the aspect; or else the examination of dṛṣṭi may be made by means of a circular form.

BPHS Adhyāya 8, śloka 9