Narapatijayacarya 13: arghakāṇḍam

Oṃ.

Now the chapter on commodity prices (arghakāṇḍa). / I shall declare the chapter on commodity prices by means of the six grains and the tastes in succession: / one should combine the month syllable, the time syllable, and all in the query;

one should divide by twelve, and one should know without doubt. / The wise person should count from Caitra and the rest, whether odd or even.

In the case of an odd [remainder], there is an increase in prices; and in the case of an even [remainder], prices are halved. / A, e, ka, ca, ṭa, ta, pa, ya, and śa are the flattened (cipiṭa) syllables; / [under them] rice, wheat, sorghum, and peas are produced.

Ā, ai, kha, cha, ṭha, tha, pha, ra, and ṣa are lower (adhara); / mung bean, black gram, sesame, and flax are produced in abundance.

I, o, ga, ja, ḍa, da, ba, la, and sa are northern (uttara); / lentils, tilaka, barley, grains, and so forth are to be understood.

Ī, au, gha, jha, ḍha, dha, va, and ha are circular (cartula); / pigeon pea, chili, and various creeping plants [thrive].

U, ū, aṃ, aḥ, ṅa, ña, ṇa, na, and ma are burnt (dagdha); / famine arises quickly, causing shortage [of food].

Thus ends the Section on Price Forecasting.
Now on this: "by foods having six tastes..." It is indicated: the phoneme-count of the month in which the query was posed, one should combine—that is, add—to the phoneme-count of the name of the merchandise to be sold and the phoneme-count of the query. That is to say, one should add together the phoneme-count of the month, the phoneme-count of the name of the merchandise to be sold, and the phoneme-count of the query; one should divide [the sum] by twelve, and by the remainder one should know the price. Then, starting from Caitra, the wise man should count odd and even. If the remainder number is odd, that merchandise becomes cheap. If the remainder number is even, it becomes dear. Namely: when the remainder is one, in the month of Caitra there is cheapness of that commodity; when the remainder is two, in the month of Vaiśākha there is dearness of that commodity. In this way it should be understood for the further months too.
Now he states another method: a, e, ka, ca, ṭa, ta, pa, ya, śa are the upper ones. If the first phoneme in the query is among these, one should predict that there will be an increase of rice-paddy and the like in that year. Likewise, ā, ai, kha, cha, ṭha, tha, pha, ra, ṣa are the lower ones. i, o, ga, ja, ḍa, da, ba, la, sa are higher-upper. ī, au, gha, jha, ḍha, dha, bha, va, ha are lower-lower. u, ū, aṃ, aḥ, ṅa, ña, ṇa, na, ma are neuter. The rest is clear.

Now I shall explain price arising from years, months, and so forth,
by the mere knowledge of which merchants attain the highest success.

Āśleṣā, Svātī, Jyeṣṭhā, Ārdrā, Śatatārā, and the one named after Yama [Bharaṇī]—
one should declare these six asterisms to have fifteen muhūrtas each.

Rohiṇī, the three Uttarās, Viśākhā, and Punarvasu—
[these are] eighty-five muhūrtas; and the others are thirty in number.

By the measure of the asterism's passage in muhūrtas according to the number of sounds,
wherever the transit occurs, the lunar division should likewise be known.

Thirty-one, sixteen, seventeen, nineteen, and fifteen,
twenty-three, eleven, twenty-five, and twenty-eight are the sounds;

and ten and fourteen in the set of twelve vowels in succession;
they are to be understood as always scorched by Saturn, the Sun, and Rāhu.

Twenty-five, thirty, nine, and twenty-one are born of the ka-class;
the number is declared threefold in this way: Saturn and Mars scorch them always.

Twenty-four, thirty-one, fifty-one, and fourteen:
this is declared the number belonging to the ca-class, scorched by Jupiter, the Sun, and the Son of Earth [Mars].

Eighteen, thirty-five, thirteen, twelve, and seventeen:
one should know the number belonging to the ṭa-class, scorched by Jupiter, the Sun, and Rāhu.

Likewise, thirteen, thirty-five, twenty-eight, and eighteen:
such is the number belonging to the ta-class; Venus and Rāhu are the scorchers.

Thirty-six asterisms, thirty-eight, and seventeen are taught;
and this is the number produced from the pa-class; Mars and the Sun are always the scorchers.

Twelve, eleven, nine, thirty, twenty-five, ten, thirty, and twelve:
the number belonging to the ya- and śa-classes is scorched here when Saturn has arrived.

Then one should add thereto the commodity additive previously mentioned;
by the remainder after dividing by three, the determination of commodity price is known.

Prices are highest, middling, and lowest; one should state them in order starting from one.
Loss, equilibrium, and gain also arise in the price of goods.

Each quotient obtained is again to be divided by three, by the number three;
those are the fractions of loss and gain, destroying the current price.

In a year, from Jupiter's transit; in a month, from the Sun's transit;
in a day, from the rising of the weekday lord—thus is the threefold determination of goods.

Whatever phonemes of country and goods are pierced by benefic or malefic planets
via the Sarvatobhadra diagram, from that especially comes good or bad fortune.

According to the measure of the planet-count, the fractions of loss and gain
should always be calculated by the wise according to the division between malefics and benefics.

Thus ends the Second Section on Price Forecasting.
Now regarding "price"—clear. Regarding "Āśleṣā": Āśleṣā, Svātī, Jyeṣṭhā, Ārdrā, Śatabhiṣā, and Bharaṇī—these six asterisms are each to be assigned fifteen muhūrtas. There, a sixty-daṇḍa asterism is known to have four daṇḍas per muhūrta. Prājāpatya is Rohiṇī; the three Uttarās, Viśākhā, and Punarvasu—these consist of eighty-five (85) muhūrtas. The others—named Aśvinī, Kṛttikā, Mṛgaśirā, Puṣya, Maghā, the triad of Pūrvās, Hasta, Citrā, Anurādhā, Mūla, Śravaṇa, Dhaniṣṭhā, and Revatī—consist of thirty muhūrtas. The rest is clear.

Now, therefore, I shall declare what was spoken in the Brahmayāmala:
planetary pacification for the prosperity of the seven-limbed kingdom and the people.

One in whose astrological house there is planetary affliction, especially at the time of battle,
must not engage in battle; so it is said in the Brahmayāmala.

When a country or fortress is afflicted by planets and enemy peril has arrived,
for one who must fight of necessity, one should declare the pacification for that purpose.

When a malefic planet arrives upon the umbrella, throne, and so forth,
planetary pacification must be performed for the land, horses, elephants, and the like.

Planets are merit, planets are sin, planets are death and defeat;
[they are] loss, death, pleasure, pain, sickness, and health alike.

Men are afflicted by the afflictions of planets through enemies and diseases,
and likewise through weapon-blows, Śākinīs, Bhūtas, and Vetālas.

Blemishes such as fatal blows and falls, disturbances arising from the heavens,
and the wrath of kings and friends arise through planetary affliction.

For those born at a gaṇḍānta or under Mūla, when there is an evil conjunction at the ascendant and the like,
in affliction of a wretched place and the like, and in transit after transit, upon piercing,

when evil calamity has arrived, planetary pacification should be performed:
one should prepare worship of the planets, fire oblation, and ablution materials.

One should make the Sun and Mars out of copper; Jupiter and Mercury looking like gold;
the Moon and Venus should be made of silver; the remaining planets are of iron.

Or one may fashion them from powdered substances with the luster of their respective colors;
and one should worship one's planets with sacred threads and garments.

Having made a shapely altar of fresh clay measuring one cubit,
the Sun and the other [planets] are to be placed there, each according to its prescribed form:

the circular Sun in the center; the Moon in the southeast;
Mars as a triangle in the south; Mercury shaped like a bow in the northeast;

one should place Jupiter lotus-shaped in the north, Venus as a square in the east;
and in the west, one should fashion Saturn like a staff.

in the northwest [one should draw] Ketu shaped like a sword, and Rāhu in the form of a makara; / having considered thus, one should draw it, and then worship according to rule,

[offering] fruits and flowers of their respective colors, and diverse food offerings, / and ninefold sacrificial garlands, and again ninefold garments,

dyed with their own colors, as well as with perfumes, incense, and the like, / with lamps, unbroken grains, and so forth properly; thereafter, one should invoke the planets:

"O radiant Lord, resembling the bandhūka flower, equal to a red lotus! / O lord of the world, lord of the universe, bestow peace, O Sun!

O you who shine like a conch, jasmine, and lotus-stalk, with luster like the kāśa flower! / O Moon, husband of Rohiṇī, grant me peace always!

O Lord born from the womb of the earth, equal in luster to the bandhujīva flower! / May you always grant me peace, O Prince Mars, O Lord!

Resembling the śirīṣa flower, or else of yellowish-green hue, / the son of Soma, Mercury: may he always grant peace!

Producing blossoms of the silk-cotton tree, causing diverse pleasures, / pure, having the appearance of gold, conferring health and longevity, the wise one, / minister of the gods, of great splendor: may Jupiter grant peace!"

Resembling a white kunda flower and the moon, adorned in white garments, / may that Bhārgava, minister to the Daityas, grant you perpetual peace.

Dark as a blue lotus petal, resembling black collyrium, / may the planet Saturn grant perpetual peace to men.

Resembling an atasī flower, possessing the radiance of blue collyrium, / may Rāhu, crusher of the moon and sun, grant you perpetual peace.

Formed like vermilion or blood, or else resembling a red lotus, / may Ketu, whose limbs possess a reddish color, grant perpetual peace.

Thus ends the hymn of praise. / Arka, palāśa, khadira, apāmārga, and then pippala, / audumbara, śamī, dūrvā, and kuśa are, in due order, the firewood sticks.

Honey, clarified butter, guggulu, resin, sesame seeds, white mustard seeds, / and barley grains mixed with oil, [along with] red flowers, one should offer in the fire.

Having made an eight-petalled sacrificial pit provided with three rims, / one should offer therein the substances mixed together for each planet,

accompanied by proper meditation and with the mantras of the Sun and the other [planets]; / one should offer nine hundreds, thousands, or hundred-thousands [of oblations].

There the mantras are:

"oṃ hrauṃ hrīṃ hrauḥ saḥ sūryāya svāhā."

"oṃ strauṃ strīṃ strauḥ saḥ somāya svāhā."

"oṃ krauṃ krīṃ krauḥ saḥ kujāya svāhā."

"oṃ hrauṃ hrīṃ hrauḥ saḥ budhāya svāhā."

"oṃ jñauṃ jñīṃ jñauḥ saḥ bṛhaspataye svāhā."

"oṃ hauṃ hīṃ hauḥ saḥ śukrāya svāhā."

"oṃ ṣauṃ ṣīṃ ṣauḥ saḥ śanaiścarāya svāhā." / "oṃ chrauṃ chrīṃ chrauḥ saḥ rāhave svāhā." / "oṃ phauṃ phīṃ phauḥ saḥ ketubhyaḥ svāhā." / Thus the fire oblation is performed with the planetary mantras. / For the planets, one should make a ritual circle, beginning with a diagram rich in beauty, / complete with all characteristics, provided with all constituent parts,

on a completely level ground coated with cow dung, / rich in beauty with scattered heaps of flowers, perfumed with camphor and agallochum,

predominantly measuring nine cubits, half-cubits, or fists; / for pacification, the planetary ritual circle should be drawn with unbroken grains in the colors of the planets.

Square, four-doored, provided with nine substances, / provided with nine lotuses in the center: the planetary ritual circle should be made.

The group of eight directional regents on the outside, and likewise eight banners, / having placed [them] in the center and the [other positions] in the order beginning with the Sun;

a jar placed in the center of the lotus, filled with water from sacred fords, / [containing] cardamoms, realgar, deodar, padmaka, uśīra, saffron,

liquorice, and dill: a bath for the pacification of the Sun. / White water lily, elephant's rut-fluid, together with the five products of the cow,

combined with pearl oyster and sphatika: a bath for the pacification of the Moon. / Priyangu, sandalwood, bilva, cardamom, camphor, and cinnabar,

spikenard, and red flowers: a bath bringing about the pacification of affliction from Mars. / Gold, root born of a pearl oyster, cow dung, honey, yellow orpiment,

accompanied by fruits and unbroken grains: a bath removing the afflictions caused by Mercury. / Shoots of madayantī, jātī flowers, white mustard seeds, / [and] a bath mixed with honey and clarified butter are declared by the sages for Jupiter.

Thus ends the chapter on planetary pacification in the Narapatijayacaryāsvarodaya.

In the year marked by Vedas, nines, Vasus, and the Earth (1894) of the Śaka era,

in the auspicious Caitra, in the bright fortnight, on a Sunday, on the ninth lunar day,

the commentary on that gem of a text, the Narapatijayacaryā,

has reached completion through the grace of the son of Śiva.

Thus ends the commentary composed by Jyautiṣācārya Gaṇeśadatta Pāṭhaka, Head of the Department of Astrology at Jokhiram Ruia (Māṭarūmala) College, born as the son of Śrī Baladevadatta Śarman, who bore the title Pāṭhaka, ornament of the family of Sarayūpārīṇa Brahmins residing in Piyarī Kalā within the district of Vārāṇasī.

This work is finished.