Prasna Marga: Part II

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From the Jacket:

Prasna Marga, Part II, is an encyclopedic work on matters that affect all areas of human life. It carries the original slokas with English translation and copious notes deal exhaustively with Marriage; Childre; Causes of diseases as given in Karma Vipaka and the remedies; Matters relating to deities, rulers, war, natural calamities, when to travel and when not; Rainfall cyclones and storms and their forecasting; Digging well, details for finding underground water etc.; Theft cases; Lost horoscopes; Dreams and their interpretation as indicators for death of disease and its timings etc.

It is a most unique and important treatise on Predictive Astrology worthy of possession by all students, savants and practitioners of Astrology.

About the Author:

Dr. B.V. Raman was the renowned astrologer and author. He was the Chief Editor of The Astrological Magazine. He had number of titles to his credit. He held a string of titles such as Abhinava Varahamihira, Jyotisha Bhanu, Jyotisha Vignana Marthanda, Jyotish Ratna, Abhinava Bhaskara, Jyotisha Bhooshana etc. He was a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, London and a Member of the Royal Asiatic Society. Dr. Raman had influenced the educated public and made them astrology-conscious. His special fields of research were Hindu Astronomy, Astro-psychology, weather, political forecasts and disease-diagnosis. He was widely traveled man and addressed the elite audience almost throughout the world.

Of late interest in, the study of astrology has been increasing not only in India but an over the world. Strangely, a certain section of the educated public in the name of "Scientitic outlook" continue to snipe at astrology dubbing it as superstition. But no serious attempt has ever been made by these critics to examine scientifically the claims of astrology. Crores of rupees expended on the so- called scientific evaluation of the composition of the stars and their life cycles etc. are sheer waste of public money, unless the astronomers and astrophysicists engage themselves in an intensive study of the correlations between planets. the celestial bodies and life on earth. Our ancients did not study astronomy as a venal occupation. To them a logical corollary was to link the study- of astronomy with our affairs. The greatest astronomers of yore like Varahamihira were also great astrologers. They did not waste the knowledge of the celestial sphere. on sheer scholastic pursuits. If Indian astronomers, proficient in western astronomy, shed their prejudices and predilections and take a new- approach to' astrology, highly developed by ancient savants, they will find truths full of significance to human life and relevant to modern times.

Prasna Marga is perhaps one of the most important treatises on predictive astrology, revealing methods peculiar to the genius of Kerala.

The first part (Chapters I to XVI) was published in 1980 . and the reception extended to it has been more than expected as could be gleaned from the sale of the book - and the spate of letters of appreciation received by me.

A tentative translation of the second part (Chapters XVII to XXXII) was also made in 1942 along with the first part. Revised and re-written several times, the final version of this translation emerged in 1977.

Most of the educated persons who read the book are not acquainted with Sanskrit. Therefore, in deference to the wishes of such readers, the original text in Devanagari script has been omitted. However, in due time, it will be made available at a reasonable price, to those who ask for the text. Copious notes have been added to explain obscure and tough passages and wherever necessary, examples have been given to enable aspiring students of astrology to understand the principles clearly.

I am thankful to my daughter Mrs. Gayatri Devi Vasudev for her assistance in the revision of the manuscript and writing the notes, to my esteemed friend Dr. P. S. Sastri for preparing the technical index and to Mr. G. K. Ananthram of IBH Prakashana for coming forward to bring out this book in an attractive form.

The first edition was published in 1985. The demand was so great that it went out of print within a short period.

The first edition carried only the English translation with my critical notes and illustrations without the original Sanskrit text in Devanagari. This was because, the text on which my trans- lation was based, secured from the Oriental Library, Madras, was in Kannada script.

However, after the publication of the first edition, it was possible to get the text of the Part II copied in Devanagari script from the Oriental Library, Mysore. But this text did not contain many important slokas given in the earlier text in Kannada script. Therefore it involved much time to compare both the manu scripts and make it complete.

Because of delay in getting ready the original text and because of my former publishers having suspended their publication business, the second edition could not be brought out earlier. I am happy that this edition has been made complete by the addition of the Sanskrit text.

. I am thankful to Mr. J.P. Jain of Messrs Motilal Banarsidass for coming forward to publish the new editions of both the parts of this great classic on astrology in an attractive form.

My English translation of the second Part of Prasna Marga presented herewith is not literal in the sense of word for word translation but liberal. It gives the summary of each stanza as made out by me. It is therefore likely that in regard to some stanzas I may not have been quite successful in conveying the intended meanings of the original author. One great difficulty I had to face in translating Part II into English was the absence of an authentic original text, printed or written, in Devanagari script.

Two versions of the original text of Part II were obtained, one from the Oriental Library. Madras, transcribed in Telugu script and the other, copied in Kannada script from the Oriental Library, Mysore, each differing from the other in regard to the wording of some slokas and the number of slokas in a chapter. No comment aries were available and I had to fall back on my own humble understanding and' the assistance rendered by some Kerala friends well versed in Prasna Marga.

"With regard to part I, I had no such difficulty because of the availability of an authentic printed edition with commenta- ries by the great scholar Punnasseri Neelakanta Sarma. There- fore foi any translational errors, the responsibility is solely mine though thetranslation has been done as faithfully to the original as possible, keeping in view that in such a work it is the spirit of the author that matters.

In away, the second Part is-more important than the first, as it deals with some of the most significant events bearing on human life, such as marriage, children, occupation etc. The peculiarity is that it throws light not only on the Prasna chart but also embodies important and rare combinations bearing on the birth horoscope also.

No extant classical work on astrology appears to have gone so deeply into the subjects of marriage and marriage compatibility; birth and death of issues, childlessness, etc., as Prasna Marga.

Some of the methods given for timing events bearing on these matters are practical and novel offering wide scope for research.

The chapters on predicting rainfall, locating under-ground water and the existence of submerged wells etc., open a new vista of astrological knowledge which is relevant to modern times and conditions if only our so-called men of science could shed their prejudices and avail themselves of this knowledge.

The other equally important subjects dealt with pertain to political astrology, installation of Deities in temples and discovering Haws after the installation.

Transits based mostly on Varahamihira's Brihat Samhita will be of more than casual interest. The chapter on Nashta Jataka expounds rules for casting horoscopes when birth details are not available.

Prasna Marga appears to be the only classical text covering thoroughly every aspect of human existence and throwing light on remedial measures to be adopted to neutra- lise afflictions causing different types of diseases, etc.

Now a Summary of the Book: Chapter Seventeen deals with the question of marriage. The longevities of either party to a match are of the utmost importance. Thereafter, the Yivaha Prasna must be carefully read. The author refers to various authorities such as Prasna Sangraha, Madhaveeyam, Prasna Ratna and, of course, Brihat Jataka on various combi- nations for happy marriages, unhappy unions, thwarted matches, early or delayed marriages etc. Certain combinations given also suggest early death of husband or wife or both. All these combinations are on the chart for the time of query.

Chapter Eighteen takes up the topic of children, their birth and longevity. A Santhathi Prasna or query bearing on children is applicable to both husband and wife. The 5th house is important in the case of a man and the 9th, for a woman. Combinations for the birth of limited or many issues, childlessness and for adoption of a child are given. References are made to celebrated treatises such as Madhava's Muhurta, Santana Deepika , Prasna Sangraha, Gnana Pradeepika Brihat Jataka, Shatpanchasika and Vidwajjana Vallabha to emphasize certain combinations, In some instances, Swara Sastra is also employed to divine whether one will have issues or not. Certain periods depending on the Moon's position in relation to the woman's natal Moon and the benefic aspects it receives are shown as good for sexual union to be fruitful. Several numerical methods to determine the question of children are also given.

CONTENTS