The Sixteen Divisions of a Rāśi

यह अध्याय बृहत् पराशर होरा शास्त्र के प्रामाणिक अंग्रेज़ी अनुवाद पर आधारित है; मूल संस्कृत सूत्रों का हिन्दी अनुवाद शीघ्र जोड़ा जाएगा।

1. O Mahārishi Parāśar, I have known from you about the Grahas, Rāśis and their descriptions. I desire to know the details of various divisions of a Rāśi, will you please narrate.

2-4. Names of the 16 Vargas. Lord Brahma has described 16 kinds of Vargas (Divisions) for each Rāśi. Listen to those. The names are Rāśi, Horā, Dreshkan, Chaturthāńś, Saptāńś, Navāńś, Dashāńś, Dvadashāńś, Shodashāńś, Vimshāńś, Chaturvimshāńś, Saptavimshāńś, Trimshāńś, Khavedāńś, Akshavedāńś and Shashtiāńś.

5-6. Rāśi and Horā. The Rāśi, owned by a Grah, is called its Kshetra. The first half of an odd Rāśi is the Hora, ruled by Sūrya. While the second half is the Hora of Candr. The reverse is true in the case of an even Rāśi. Half of a Rāśi is called Hora. These are totally 24, counted from Mesh and repeated twice (at the rate of 12) in the whole of the zodiac.

7-8. Dreshkan. One third of a Rāśi is called Dreshkan. These are totally 36, counted from Mesh, repeating thrice at the rate of 12 per round. The 1st, 5th and the 9th Rāśis from a Rāśi are its three Dreshkanas and are, respectively, lorded by Narada, Agasthya and Durvash.

9. Chaturthāńś. The Lords of the 4 Kendras from a Rāśi are the rulers of respective Chaturthāńś of a Rāśi, commencing from Mesh. Each Chaturthāńś is one fourth of a Rāśi. The deities, respectively, are Sanak, Sanand, Kumar and Sanatan.

10-11. Saptāńś. The Saptāńś (one seventh of a Rāśi) counting commences from the same Rāśi in the case of an odd Rāśi. It is from the seventh Rāśi thereof, while an even Rāśi is considered. The names of the seven divisions in odd Rāśis are Kshaar Ksheer, Dadhi, Ghrith, Ikshu, Ras, Madhya and Suddh Jal. These designations are reversed for an even Rāśi.

12. Navāńś. The Navāńś calculation are for a Movable Rāśi from there itself, for a Fixed Rāśi from the 9th thereof and for a Dual Rāśi from the 5th thereof. They go by designations Deva (divine), Manushya (human) and Rakshasa (devilish) in a successive and repetitive order for a Movable Rāśi. (Manushya, Rakshasa and Deva are the order for a Fixed Rāśi, while Rakshasa, Manushya and Deva are a Dual Rāśi‟s order)

13-14. Dashāńś. Starting from the same Rāśi for an odd Rāśi and from the 9th with reference to an even Rāśi, the 10 Dashāńśas, each of 3 degrees, are reckoned. These are presided over by the ten rulers of the cardinal directions, viz. Indra, Agni, Yama, Rakshasa, Varuna, Vayu, Kuber, Isan, Brahma and Ananth in case of an odd Rāśi. It is in the reverse order, that these presiding deities are reckoned, when an even Rāśi is given.

15. Dvadashāńś. The reckoning of the Dvadashāńś (one twelfth of a Rāśi, or 2½ degrees each) commences from the same Rāśi. In each Rāśi the presidentship repeats thrice in the order of Ganesh, Ashvini Kumar, Yama and Sarpa for the 12 Dvadashāńśas.

16. Shodashāńś (or Kalāńś). Starting from Mesh for a Movable Rāśi, from Simh for a Fixed Rāśi and from Dhanu for a Dual Rāśi, the 16 Shodashāńśas (16th part of a Rāśi, i.e. of 1°52‟30”) are regularly distributed. The presiding deities of these repeat in the order Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Sūrya four times in the case of an odd Rāśi. It is reverse in the case of an even Rāśi, that these ruling deities are understood.

17-21. Vimshāńś. From Mesh for a Movable Rāśi, from Dhanu for a Fixed Rāśi and from Simh for a Common Rāśi: this is how the calculations of Vimshāńśas (1/20th of a Rāśi, or 1°30‟ each) are to commence. The presiding deities of the 20 Vimshāńśas in an odd Rāśi are, respectively: Kali, Gauri, Jaya, Lakshmi, Vijaya, Vimal, Sati, Tara, Jvalamukhi, Sveta, Lalita, Bagalamukhi, Pratyangir, Shachi, Raudri, Bhavani, Varad, Jaya, Tripura and Sumukhi. In an even Rāśi these 20 deities, respectively, are Daya, Megha, Chinnasi, Pisachini, Dhumavathi, Matangi, Bal, Bhadr, Arun, Anal, Pingal, Chuchchuk, Ghora, Vaarahi, Vaishnavi, Sita, Bhuvanesvari, Bhairavi, Mangal and Aparajit.

22-23. Chaturvimshāńś. The Chaturvimshāńś (1/24th part of a Rāśi, or 1°15‟ each) distribution commences from Simh and Kark, respectively, for an odd and an even Rāśi. In the case of an odd Rāśi the ruling deities

repeat twice in the order of Skand, Parusdhar, Anal, Vishwakarma, Bhag, Mitr, Maya, Antaka, Vrisha-Dwaja, Govinda, Madan and Bhima. Reverse these from Bhima twice to know the deities for the Chaturvimshāńś in an even Rāśi.

24-26. Saptavimshāńś (Nakshatrāńś, or Bhāńś). The Saptavimshāńś Lords are, respectively, the presiding deities of the 27 Nakshatras, as under: Dastra (Ashvini Kumar), Yama, Agni, Brahma, Candr, Isa, Adhiti, Jiva, Ahi, Pitar, Bhag, Aryama, Sūrya, Tvasht, Marut, Chakragni, Mitr, Vasava, Rakshasa, Varuna, Vishwadeva, Govinda, Vasu, Varuna, Ajap, Ahirbuddhnya and Pushya. These are for an odd Rāśis. Count these deities in a reverse order for an even Rāśi. The Saptavimshāńś distribution commences from Mesh and other Movable Rāśis for all the 12 Rāśis.

27-28. Trimshāńś. The Trimshāńś Lords for an odd Rāśi are Mangal, Śani, Guru, Budh and Śukr. Each of them in order rules 5, 5, 8, 7 and 5 degrees. The deities, ruling over the Trimshāńśas, are, respectively, Agni, Vayu, Indra, Kuber and Varuna. In the case of an even Rāśi the quantum of Trimshāńś, Grah lordship and deities get reversed.

29-30. Khavedāńś (or Chatvarimshāńś, 1/40th part of a Rāśi). For odd Rāśis count from Mesh and for an even Rāśi from Tula in respect of Khavedāńśas (each of 45‟ of arc). Vishnu, Candr, Marichi, Tvasht, Dhata, Shiva, Ravi, Yama, Yaksh, Gandharv, Kaal and Varuna repeat successively, as presiding deities, in the same order for all Rāśis.

31-32. Akshavedāńś (1/45th part of a Rāśi). Mesh, Simh and Dhanu are the Rāśis, from which the distributions, respectively, commence for Movable, Immovable and Common Rāśis. In Movable Rāśis Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu; in Immovable Rāśis Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma and in Common Rāśis Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva repeat 15 times the presidentship over these Akshavedāńśas.

33-41. Shashtiāńś (1/60th part of a Rāśi, or half a degree each). To calculate the Shashtiāńś Lord ignore the Rāśi position of a Grah and take the degrees etc. it traversed in that Rāśi. Multiply that figure by 2 and divide the degrees by

12. Add 1 to the remainder, which will indicate the Rāśi, in which the Shashtiāńś falls. The Lord of that Rāśi is the Grah, ruling the said Shashtiāńś. In odd Rāśis the names of Shashtiāńśas are

1. Ghora,

2. Rakshasa,

3. Deva,

4. Kuber,

5. Yaksh,

6. Kindar,

7. Bhrasht,

8. Kulaghna,

9. Garal,

10. Vahni,

11. Maya,

12. Purishak,

13. Apampathi,

14. Marutwan,

15. Kaal,

16. Sarpa,

17. Amrit,

18. Indu,

19. Mridu,

20. Komal,

21. Heramba,

22. Brahma,

23. Vishnu,

24. Maheshwara,

25. Deva,

26. Ardr,

27. Kalinas,

28. Kshitees,

29. Kamalakar,

30. Gulik,

31. Mrityu,

32. Kaal,

33. Davagni,

34. Ghora,

35. Yama, 36 Kantak,

37. Suddh,

38. Amrit,

39. PurnaCandr,

40. Vishadagdha,

41. Kulanas,

42. Vamshakshaya,

43. Utpat,

44. Kaal,

45. Saumya,

46. Komal,

47. Sheetal,

48. Karaladamshtr,

49. Candramukhi,

50. Praveen,

51. Kaalpavak,

52. Dhannayudh,

53. Nirmal,

54. Saumya,

55. Krur,

56. Atisheetal,

57. Amrit,

58. Payodhi,

59. Brahman,

60. CandraRekha (InduRekha). The reverse is the order for even Rāśis in so much, as these names are cased. Grahas in benefic Shashtiāńśas produce auspicious, while the opposite is true in case of Grahas in malefic Shashtiāńśas.

42-53. Varg Classification. Maitreya, explained now are the sum effects of classifications of different divisions (or Vargas, so far narrated). These are four kinds, viz. Shad Varg, Sapth Varg, Dasha Varg and Shodasha Varg. In the ShadVarg classification the Varg designations are Kimshuk, Vyanjan, Chamar, Chatr and Kundal, according to a Grah being in 2 to 6 combinations of good Vargas. Next is the Sapth Varg, in which these classifications continue in the same manner up to six combinations of good Vargas, the 7th additional Varg getting classified, as Mukut. In the Dasha Varg scheme the designations commence from Parijata etc., such as 2 good Vargas - Parijatha, 3 Uttama, 4 Gopur, 5 Simhasan, 6 Paravata, 7 Devaloka, 8 Brahmaloka, 9 Sakravahana and 10 Vargas - Shridham. In the Shodasha Varg scheme the combinations of Vargas go with designations thus: two good Vargas - Bhedak, 3 Kusum, 4 Nagapushpa, 5 Kanduk, 6 Kerala, 7 Kalpa Vriksha, 8 Chandan Vana, 9 PurnaCandr, 10 Uchchaisrava, 11 Dhanvantari, 12 Sūryakant, 13 Vidrum, 14 ChakraSimhasan, 15 Golok and 16 Vargas - Śrī Vallabh. In these divisions the divisions, falling in the Grah‟s exaltation Rāśi, Mooltrikon Rāśi, own Rāśi and the Rāśis, owned by the Lord of a Kendra from the Arudha Lagn, are all to be considered (as good Vargas). The divisions of a combust Grah, defeated Grah, weak Grah and a Grah in bad Avasthas, like Sayan, be all ignored to be auspicious, for these destroy the good Yogas.