History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.214.1

v6.c82.214.1

Another set of texts indicates another stage in the development of astrology based on nakṣatras, which seems to have been somewhat on the lines of the later horoscopic system of 'houses'. Traces of it exist though they are not very ancient. The Vaikhänasasmärta⁷⁶¹ sūtra (IV 14) refers to nakṣatras called Janma, Karma, Sāṅghātika, Sāmudayika and Vaināśika and these terms are explained in the Yogayātrā of Varāha and in the Viṣṇudharmottara-purāṇa.⁷⁶² The Yogayātrā remarks⁷⁶³ 'the nakṣatra on which a man is born is called *ādya* (first), the tenth from it (from *ādya*) is called *karma*, the 16th nakṣatra from the ādya is called 'sāṅghātika' (pertaining to a group or a collection of human beings), the 18th (from ādya) is called Samudāya (collection) and the 23rd (from ādya) is called Vaināśika (lit. pertaining to death or destruction), the 25th (from ādya) is called *mānasa* (pertaining to the mind), in this way all persons are concerned with six nakṣatras (1st, 10th, 16th, 18th, 23rd and 25th), they say that the king is concerned with nine nakṣatras, the three additional ones being those connected with his *jāti* (caste), his country and with the nakṣatra on the day of his coronation The Yogayātrā and Viṣṇudharmottara (I. 78. 14-16) further provide 'when the nakṣatra of one's birth is affected by evil (star or aspect) the results are the appearance of disease, loss of money, and- disputes; if the nakṣatra called *karma* is affected then one's undertakings do not succeed;