Brihadyatra 12: adhyāyaḥ 12

Chapter 12: Miscellaneous Rules

One who sets out at a vyatīpāta incurs great calamity, or even death;

they declare exactly the same upon marching during a vaidhṛti, and similarly on a lunar day touching three civil days.

One should not march on an avamarātra, for there is flaw therein; on an intercalary month there is calamity.

At the junction of seasons or solstices, a king desiring victory should not march forth.

Born from the friendly, neutral, or inimical divisions of the lord of one's natal asterism and of the lord of the planetary period,

and enjoying their ripening, are declared the friends, neutrals, and enemies of the would-be conqueror.

An enemy whose planetary period is empty or unfavorable must invariably be eradicated by the would-be conqueror;

one whose planetary period is descending should be harassed, and likewise one whose period is ascending should be worn down.

An enemy whose planetary period is equal to one's own should not be attacked; an alliance with him should be detailed by the king.

One whose impending, imminent planetary period is inauspicious should make an alliance with one whose impending planetary period ripens auspiciously;

hostility is preferable in the reverse case. Likewise, one whose impending planetary period is inauspicious, when the enemy's is ascending,

should remain inactive when that enemy, whose ripening planetary period will be auspicious, is stationed far away.

A king whose impending planetary period is ascending and auspicious, and whose period-lord is endowed with strength,

should march forth; in the opposite case [he should act] contrarily, but one whose planetary period is mixed should adopt a dual policy.

In a planetary period that is empty or struck down, and during the ripening of an enemy to the lord of the natal sign or rising sign,

a king should seek refuge with one whose planetary period is governed by the significator or lord of his own period.

One should march in the direction of the planet producing increase, when the guardian of that quarter is strong and located in a cardinal house;

not even in thought [should one march] when the guardian of the quarter is endowed with directional strength and situated right in front.

The lord of the natal sign and the lord of the rising sign, endowed with strength and situated in houses of increase or cardinal houses, bestow good fortune;

even if they are naturally cruel, both are always declared equal indeed to benefic planets.

The lord of one's planetary period and the lords of the natal sign and ascendant, when approaching twilight or the sun, are not auspicious.

Setting aside Śukra and Manda, those that have emerged from the hot-rayed sun are mediocre.

Manda and Kuja, Ravi and Indu, and Śukra and Kuja mutually situated in trine houses

destroy entirely whatever good result was stated, and afterwards lead [the army] in their own direction.

He whose enemy's day it is, even if a benefic, does not grant good fortune when occupying the ascendant;

even a malefic that is a friend produces the desired result on his own day when situated in the ascendant.

The lord of the year, the lord of the month, the lord of the day, and the lord of the horā, strong and situated in cardinal houses,

are planets that bestow twice the auspicious or inauspicious fruit, each successive one greater than the preceding, for the march.

A military expedition is best when the sun occupies Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius; mediocre in the houses of Saturn, Mercury, and Venus;

and extremely prolonged when the sun is in Cancer, Pisces, or Scorpio; but in Devala's opinion, the sun behind on the road is auspicious.

An expedition rich in planetary periods giving full results is superior; mediocre through the purification of the aṣṭakavarga;

and yielding lesser results through the temporary ascendant, lunar day, weekday, karaṇa, and the like.

A military expedition bears the highest results when benefic planets are in trine houses, exaltation, and houses of increase;

mediocre when they occupy their own or a friend's house; and worst in dejection or an enemy's sign.

A mediocre, worst, worst-of-best, equal, mediocre-of-worst, worst, best, most excellent,

and mediocre-of-best is the sixth expedition favored by those skilled in expeditions.

When Venus has gone contrary in its directional division, is afflicted, has approached twilight, and is devoid of brilliance,

a man marching out falls under the sway of enemies; and likewise when Mercury is situated in retrograde motion.

When Mercury has gone direct, and Venus is likewise positioned,

one may march without apprehension; by others, Bṛhaspati too is declared to act just like Mercury.

The sun in the middle of the day is an ally in the rear; in front, he is a city-defender; and elsewhere, an attacker.

The moon is an ally in the rear; Jīva, Manda, and Mercury are remembered as city-defenders; and those other than these are attackers.

Some proclaim an attack on the enemy to be fortunate by means of attacking planets endowed with strength and victory;

it is true so far, but they state a distinction: those planets bestow their true fruit on a king who wishes to conquer.

When Śukra is aspected, action through conciliation is favored, setting aside deception and feigned steps;

Rāhu arrived in the third, eleventh, or tenth house is auspicious, and one should march when Ketu is situated near.

Śukra and Bṛhaspati are the lords of conciliation; the sun and Kuja are lords of force;

Mercury, Rāhu, Ketu, and Manda are lords of dissension; Śukra is lord of gift.

From the sun arises forest forces; from Manda, hired troops; from Śukra, guild forces;

from Mercury, counsel; and Mars, the moon, and Bṛhaspati are the protectors of the enemy's territory and hereditary army.

When the sun and the lord of the asterisms are suitably placed, from that [point] a king should march for the destruction of enemies;

or when the sun and moon of day and night are together situated in a single course, then he should march.