VARGA TECHNIQUES EXTRACTED FROM CLASSICS

1.0. HORĀ

Bṛhat jātaka

A person born when krūra grahas occupy the Sūrya horās of odd rāśis will be of wide-spread
fame, will do important deeds, will be powerful, wealthy and of bright appearance. A person
born when saumya grahas occupy the Chandra horās of even rāśis will be of gentle manners and
of bright appearance; will live in comfort, will be liked by all; will be intelligent and of a sweet
speech (21.04).

If the horās occupied by the krūra and saumya grahas be the same as stated above, while the
rāśis are different, the person born will be all that has been stated above for the two yogas in a
moderate degree; but if both the horās and rāśis be different, the effects will fail (21.05).

1.1. DREKKĀṆA

Basically, drekkāṇa is seen based on: (1) their categories as sarpa, pakṣī, nīgada, varāha,
saumya, krūra, adhama, madhyama, uttama, etc.; (2) 22th drekkāṇa and its lord; (3) delineation
of effects of grahas and bhāvas; (4) from where a person has come and to where it will go after
death; (5) for body division; (6) transit and daśā predictions.

However, there are certain disagreements between astrologers about what is the category of a
certain drekkāṇa. Besides this, certain drekkāṇas that are considered bad fall in saumya rāśis,
while others that are good fall in krūra rāśis, so this is another thing that is difficult to conciliate.

Bṛhat jātaka

A person born when Chandra occupies either her own drekkāṇa or a friendly drekkāṇa will be of
very fine beauty and of well known virtues; but if Chandra occupy other drekkāṇas the person
will be agreeably to the character of the lord of such drekkāṇa

If at the time of birth Chandra occupy vyala drekkāṇa, the person will be wicked; if he occupy
an ayudha drekkāṇa, the person will do deeds of torture; if he occupy a chatushpad drekkāṇa,
the person will cohabit with his preceptor's wife, and if she occupy a pakshi drekkāṇa, the
person will be of wandering habits (21.06).

If at the time of birth the rising drekkāṇa be either a sarpa or a pāśa drekkāṇa and if the rāśi
represented by its lord be powerful and under the dṛṣṭi of a krūra graha, the person will also
suffer inprisonment of the nature of such rāśi (23.16).

If the 8th house from the lagna contains a sarpa, pāśa or nīgala drekkāṇa, death will result from
inprisonment or other restraint (25.04).

If at the time of birth the 22th drekkāṇa be a fiery one, the body will be burnt; if a watery, it will
be thrown into water; if miśra, it will dry up. If the 8th is a sarpa drekkāṇa, the body will be
devoured by dogs, jackals, crows and the like (25.13).
The lord of the drekkāṇa of Sūrya or Chandra, whichever is powerful, is used to determine from
where the person has come (25.14).

The destiny after death is determined by grahas in 6th, 7th or 8th, or by the lords of the 6th and
8th drekkāṇa, whichever is stronger (25.15).

Chapter 17 describes the representations of all the 36 drekkāṇas.

Phaladīpikā

If the lord of the drekkāṇa of the lagna be strong, the person concerned will achieve status like
that of a king (03.11).

The last drekkāṇa of leo, aries, sagittarius, libra and gemini are called ayudha drekkāṇas. The
second drekkāṇa of scorpio is called paśa. The first of capricorn is called nigala. The first of leo
and aquarius and the second of libra are vulture faced. The first of taurus is pakṣī and the first of
cancer has the face of a big.

The first drekkāṇa of scorpio and the third one of cancer and pisces are called sarpa. The second
of aries and taurus, the first of leo and the last of scorpio are called chatuṣpāda. The person born
when these drekkāṇas are rising will be poor, cruel and unscrupulous.

In a dual rāśi the three drekkāṇas in their order are adhama, madhyama and uttama; in chara
rāśis, uttama, madhyama and adhama, while in sthira rāśis they are adhama, uttama and
madhyama. The effects will be in accordance with the names of the drekkāṇas (03.13-14;
Varahamihira says the same).

If the lord of the lagna drekkāṇa be in his own varga, associated with a śubha graha or in uccha,
mitra rāśi; if the same occurs with the lord of the horā, dvadaśāṁśa or trimśāṁśa that is rising,
the native will be gifted with all noble qualities, will be pure, clever, longlived, sympathetic and
wealthy, will be blessed with children, will be widely renowned and will enjoy royal comforts
(03.15).

The person concerned will be gifted with attractive appearance and good qualities, if Chandra
be in his own drekkāṇa or in a mitra drekkāṇa. If Chandra has attained an uttama varga, the
native will be fortunate. If she is posited elsewhere, the native will be endowed with qualities
belonging to the graha which lords the Chandra's rāśi (03.17).

Add the longitudes of the five upagrahas reckoned from Dhūma. When Śani in the course of his
transit passes through the particular drekkāṇa or the rāśi indicated by the aggregate, the death of
the native may take place (17.10).

Find out the navāṁśa, drekkāṇa and dvadaśāṁśa occupied by Gulika. The death of the native
takes place when: (1) Guru passes through this navāṁśa; (2) Śani through this dvadaśāṁśa; (3)
Sūrya through this drekkāṇa and the trikoṇa position from it, and the lagna is the rāśi occupied
by rāśi denoted by the aggregate of the longitudes of the lagna, Chandra and Gulika (17.12).

Find out the drekkāṇa of the lagna and where the lord of the drekkāṇa is posited. There will be
danger to the life of the native when Guru passes through this position or its trikoṇa. The same
can be predicted when Śani passes through the house owned by the lord of the 8th house
drekkāṇa or its trikoṇa (17.16).

Sārāvalī

If the lagna falls in a drekkāṇa of Maṅgala or Śani, while krūra grahas or Chandra occupy the
lagna, with śubha grahas in 2th or 11th, denote that the child was born with navel cord coiled
around (09.43).

If Chandra is conjunct śubha grahas and occupy a drekkāṇa owned by a śubha graha, all
adversities will be removed, just as saline water controls ear diseases (11.08).

The native will attain religious order if Chandra is posited in a drekkāṇa of Śani under Maṅgala
and Śani's dṛṣṭi. The same occurs if Chandra is in a navāṁśa of meṣa or vṛśchika under Śani's
dṛṣṭi (20.22).

If the 5th bhāva falls in the divisions of Śani and be under Budha's dṛṣṭi, but without that of
Guru, Maṅgala or Sūrya, the native obtains progeny by authorising his kinsmen to raise the
same for him from his wife (34.28).

If the drekkāṇa of the 8th be one of pāśa, sarpa and nīgala, death will be reticent (47.07).

The 22th drekkāṇa from the lagna will denote the nature of one's death. For example, by the
nature of its lord (47.22).

The effects of all 22th drekkāṇas are described, as well as that of the lagna drekkāna.

Jātaka pārījāta

When a kendra is occupied by Rāhu conjoined Gulika, or the lord of the lagna is in conjunction
with the 8th lord while the rising drekkāṇa be of a krūra graha, the person born will have a cord
coiled round his body (03.36).

When Budha, Rāhu and Śani occupy the rising drekkāṇa occupied by its own lord, without
śubha dṛṣṭi, the person born has a cord wound about his body (03.37).

The lagna and other bhāvas are divided in three drekkāṇas each and they represent the three
divisions of the body (03.77).

When a drekkāṇa is occupied by a krūra graha, there will be an ulcer or wound in the part of the
body indicated by the drekkāṇa. But when it is occupied or looked by a śubha graha, the
astrologer should declare the existence of a spot there. When the graha happens to be in its own
rāśi or in conjunction with Śani, the ulcer, wound or mark should have been in the portion of the
body indicated from the very birth. If the graha be in positions other than those described above,
the ulcer, etc., will crop up later on. If Śani be the graha to cause such ulcer, etc., it will be due
to a hurt caused by a stone or some vata roga. If Maṅgala, it will arise from fire, a missile,
poison or serpent bites. If Budha, the injury will arise by a fall on the ground from a height or
by a blow received from a clod or some such earthy substance. If Sūrya, by some piece of
timber or a quadruped. Lastly, if Chandra be the krūra graha, the hurt will come from a horned
creature or by liquids, such as acids. If other grahas free from krūra influence occupy these
drekkāṇas, there will be no mark or moles and the results will be favourable (03.78).

If the rising drekkāṇa be one of those styled nīgala, ahī, vīhanga, pāśadhara and be occupied by
a krūra graha and without the dṛṣṭi of its lord, it would lead to the child's death in seven years
(04.45).

When Śani goes to a house occupied by the lord of the drekkāṇa of the 8th house from the
lagna, death may happen. The same event may be expected when Śani passes through the rāśi
owning the navāṁśa occupied by the lord of the house in which is the owner of the drekkāṇa
referred to above, or in other words, the navāṁśa rāśi of the khareśa (05.51).

The middlemost, the last and the first drekkāṇas of karka, mīna and vṛśchika are termed sarpa.
These are also called pāśa drekkānas. The 2th drekkāṇa of vṛśchika is styled nīgada. The first of
makara as well as of siṁha are termed pakśī (05.55).

Maṅgala occupying the lagna drekkāṇa and under the dṛṣṭis of Śani, Sūrya and Chandra
produces a headless child. The child will be born armless if Maṅgala occupy the drekkāṇa of the
5th bhāva and is under the same dṛṣṭis described before (51.06).

The first drekkāṇa of siṁha, meṣa, kumbha, vṛśchika and makara; the last drekkāṇa of mīna,
vṛśchika, siṁha, tula and the middle drekkāṇa of karka and vṛśchika are, for the most part,
declared by the sages to be malefic. The first drekkāṇas of karka and mīna, the middlemost of
mīna, kanyā and the last of vṛṣa and mithuna are the six water-bearing drekkāṇas. The second of
meṣa, dhanus, vṛṣa, kumbha and makara and the first of tula, kanyā and mithuna, as well as the
last of dhanus, kanyā and kumbha are termed saumya drekkāṇas. The last of makara, meṣa and
karka, the first of vṛṣa and dhanus and the middlemost of mithuna, tula and siṁha are termed
mixed drekkāṇas, say the astrologers with one accord (09.112-115).

The person born in a malefic drekkāṇa will be evil-minded, of wandering habits, addicted to evil
deeds and in bad repute; the person born in a toyadhara drekkāṇa will be liberal, voluptuous,
compassionate, bent on agriculture and irrigation, and void of morality; the person born in an
auspicious drekkāṇa will have rich and happy sons, a lovely form and will be tender-hearted; the
person born in a miśra drekkāna will be ill-behaved, addicted to young women not his own, of
cruel aspect and fickle-minded (09.116).

Find out the drekkāṇa indicated by the sum total of the figures for the four grahas conneceted
with the bhrātru bhāva. When Guru passes through the rāśi owning the drekkāṇa in question,
astrologers say, a brother or sister will be lost (12.31).

If the lord of the 3th bhāva occupy a rāśi, navāṁśa or drekkāṇa owned by Guru, or be under his
dṛṣṭi, and if Maṅgala occupy in great strength a kendra or koṇa with respect to the lord of the
3th, the person born will be fond of roots, fruits, radishes and syrups (12.55).

Chandra in the 1th or 7th bhāva in a malefic drekkāṇa will make the wife incontinent or
widowed (14.09).

When the lord of the 10th occupy a navāṁśa, trimśāṁśa or drekkāṇa of Guru, good fortune will
come in a crowd. But the person concerned will not indulge in enjoyments, devoting himself to
a strict austere life (14.97).
If Chandra occupy a drekkāṇa owned by Śani in a rāśi occupied by Maṅgala and also be under
Śani's dṛṣṭi, the person concerned will become an ascetic (15.20).

When Chandra occupies a drekkāṇa of Śani and is under his dṛṣṭi, the yoga leads to the
renunciation of the world (15.41).

1.3. NAVĀṀŚA

Bṛhat jātaka

A person born when the rising navāṁśa is that of aries, will be a thief; in taurus, he will enjoy
away his earnings; gemini, the person will be learned; cancer, he will be wealthy; leo, he will be
a king; virgo, he will be hermaphrodite; libra, he will be bold in fight; scorpio, he will earn his
livelihood by carrying loads; saggitarius, he will become a slave; capricorn, he will be a sinner;
aquarius, he will be wicked; pisces, he will be fearless. But if the rising navāṁśa be at the same
time a vargottama navāṁśa, the person born will be the chief of the respective classes of
persons mentioned. The rising dvadāśāṁśas produce the same effects as if they were the rising
rāśi (21.07).

1.5. TRIMŚĀṀŚA

Trimśāṁśa is used for the following purposes: (1) determination of the character in strī jātaka
through lagna and Chandra's position; (2) delineation of the effects of the grahas; (3)
reinforcement of rāja yogas and kārakatvas; (4) determination of guṇa and nature, based on
Sūrya's position and strength of rajas, sattva and tamas grahas; (5) miseries and death, although
nothing practical or functional can be found in classics about it.

There are no disagreements about how to calculate the trimśāṁśa chart, except for an error of
Kalyāna about the order of regency in even rāśis.

Bṛhat jātaka

A person born when Maṅgala occupies his own triṁśāṁśa will be a married man, will be
powerful, will wear ornaments, will be generous, will be of bright appearance and thoughtlessly
engage in work.

A person born when Śani occupies his own triṁśāṁśa will be afflicted with diseases; his wife
will die before him, he will be wicked, will covet the wives of other men, will be afflicted with
grief, will have a house, clothes, attendants and the like and will be dirty.

A person born when Guru occupies his own triṁśāṁśa will be rich, famous, happy, intelligent,
of bright appearance, universally respected, free from diseases, of active habits and will live in
luxury.

When Budha is in his own triṁśāṁśa, the person born will be intelligent and learned in the fine
arts, will be a fop, a literary author, of distinct speech, will be skilled in carpentry and the like,
will follow the rules of life laid down by sages, will commence bold projects and will be much
respected.

Śukra in his own triṁśāṁśa produces a person that will have many sons, will live in great
comfort, will be free from diseases, will be liked by all, will be rich, beautiful, wicked, of fair
body and will enjoy many women.

A person born when the triṁśāṁśa of Maṅgala is occupied by Sūrya, will be bold in fight and
when it is occupied by Chandra, he will be slow at work. If the triṁśāṁśa of Sūrya is that of
Śani, he will be wicked and in the case of Chandra, he will indulge in acts of torture.

Sūrya or Chandra in a triṁśāṁśa of Guru will indicate someone of a good disposition and a rich
person, respectively. In a triṁśāṁśa of Budha, someone that will live in comfort and a learned
one, respectively. Śukra's triṁśāṁśa indicates a person of a fine body and someone liked by the
people in general, respectively.

Sārāvalī

Sages say that the nature of the native will correspond to that of the lord of the trimśāṁśa
occupied by Sūrya at birth (09.47).

Even if one graha occupies its own panchāṁśa, the subject will become a ruler. If all are
endowed with strength he becomes an emperor (35.63).

Horā ratna

One born with the lagna in a trimśāṁśa of Maṅgala will be a fool, be with an ill-formed body,
skilful, ugly, cruel, wicked, bereft of wealth, fond of others' women, sinful, be a slave at heart,
will acquire enemy's wealth and be mean minded.

In a trimśāṁśa of Śani, he will be devoid of learning, happiness and wealth. He will be tale-
bearer, ugly, subdued by females, involved in squabbles, wholly miserly, a servant, interested in
evil deeds, dirty and ungrateful.

Guru's trimśāṁśa indicates one endowed with an orthodox conduct, caste restrictions, modesty,
courage, dutifulness and splendor. He will be learned, wealthy, long-lived, will have many
children and will lose his wealth.

One born in a trimśāṁśa of Budha will be endowed with religion, wealth, desires, progeny,
fame and success. He will be learned, very wise, virtuous and highly egoistic and interested in
divine women, ornaments, flowers and scents.

Śukra's trimśāṁśa denotes a person that will excel possessing many superior virtues. He will be
gifted with beautiful eyes, be playful with members of the opposite sex, learned in all scriptures,
will honour excellent brāhmaṇas and devas, be magnificent and kind.
If the 8th lord from trimśāṁśa is a benefic or is under śubha dṛṣṭi, one's death will be
auspicious, i.e., peaceful. Involvement of a graha that is not a śubha one will produce a contrary
effect (08.708-713)

Sūrya in Maṅgala's trimśāṁśa indicates a native that will be wealthy, not very meritorious, and
abode of wealth, be a servant, virtuous, will suffer from many diseases and be associated with
kinsfolk; Śani's, the person will be interested in performing sinful deeds, bereft of wealth,
ungrateful, hostile to others and bereft of friendliness; Guru's, he will be exceedingly confident,
will earn fame, be endowed with heroism, good qualities, and abundant wealth and be interested
in the study of śāstras; Budha's, he will enjoy gold, pearls and robes, will be fond of women,
devoted to devas and will be bereft of foes; Śukra's, he will enjoy fortunes, various kinds of
wealth, excellent horses, freedom from diseases and honour those engaged in religious
observances, that is, the native will be religiously well disposed (04.36-40).

Chandra in Maṅgala's trimśāṁśa indicates a person that will be unfaithful. He will vigorously
follow the school of kularnava tanta (kaula or vamachara tantra), will wear dirty and torn
clothes, be interested in mean men, will incur disorders of blood, be given to anger and be
triumphant; in Śani's division, will not be good looking, be garrulous, illustrious, thick skinned,
triumphant and ever interested in blaming others; in Guru's division, he will be learned, will
earn fame in the world, be very rich and close to the ruler; in Budha's he will be pure,
dissatisfied, dear to women, skilful in music, fond of guests and be ever liberal in disposition; in
Śukra's division, he will be valorous, disposed to meritorious acts, will own horses and other
conveyances, be merciful and ever interested in virtuous people (04.103-108).

Maṅgala in own trimśāṁśa indicates one that will be wealthy, possessing various articles, will
perform agreeable deeds, be a spendthrift and a victim of calamities, be unsightly and ever
much troubled by vices; in Śani's division, he will be miserly, attached to others' females,
contemptuous, will marry an evil female and be a rebellion; in Guru's division, he will be
attached to vedic yajñas, studies and charities. He will be a priest and a king's minister and be
highly righteous; in Budha's he will be a donor, will enjoy robes, scents and garlands, will have
many children, will ever be desirous of his kinsfolk's welfare and be a knowledgeable person; in
Śukra's aṁśa, he will be skillful in writing and learning, be virtuous, fond of his kinsfolk, skilful
in music and opulent (04.168-172).

If Budha is in Maṅgala's trimśāṁśa, the subject will argue with others and be fierce. He will be
addicted to vices and averse to devas and brāhmaṇas; in Śani's division, he will argue with
others and be fierce, he will be interested in his duties, fond of gambling and be troubled by
diseases; in Guru's division, he will be courageous, modest, liked by virtuous men, honored by
his kinsfolk and be the best of the men of his race; in Budha's division, he will be
knowledgeable in śāstras, wealthy, famous in the world for his good qualities, unconquerably
heroic and be a gracious and virtuous person; in Śukra's division, he will be highly valorous,
will lord over others' lands and wealth, be munificent and endowed with an agreeable spouse
(04.236-240).

Guru in Maṅgala's trimśāṁśa indicates that the native will be crooked, jealous, bereft of
association with scholars, bereft of virtues and be interested in arguments; in Śani's aṁśa, he
will be devoid of wealth, will take interest in sinful work, will go to others' wives, be bereft of
kinsfolk and be crooked in disposition; in Budha's trimśāṁśa, the subject will be skilful in
speech, be dejected, devoted to brāhmaṇas and devas, be a satisfied person and virtuous; in his
own aṁśa, the person born is of an eminent descent. Further, his mind will be set on
contemplation of the Parama tattva. He will be of forgiving disposition and be the best
brahmavid; in Śukra's division, he will be wealthy, modest, endowed with sons, will enjoy
pleasures, be liked by women and adored by the band of rulers (04.303-307).

Śukra in Maṅgala's trimśāṁśa makes the person diseased, he will incur bilious disorders, be an
excellent person, less energetic and will join base people. He will incur a colossal loss of fame;
in Śani's division, one will be broken by grief, will be akin to a dead person, be separated from
his kinsmen, cunning in disposition and devoid of truthfulness and cleanliness; in Guru 's
division, he will be devoted to devas, be dutiful, honored by the king and will undertake
religious vows; in Budha's aṁśa, the native will have an attractive physique, be soft in
disposition, wealthy, interested in others' wives, will possess elephants and horses and be close
to the ruler; in his own triṁśāṁśa, will give birth to a modest person endowed with wealth and
grains. He will be of heavy weight, famous, learned, interested in jocular matters and be
exceedingly playful (04.370-375).

Śani in Maṅgala's trimśāṁśa makes one sinfully disposed, he will perform fierce deeds, be
humiliated by kings, troubled by diseases and be a very wicked man; in his own aṁśa, the
subject will be modest, will eliminate his enemies, be engaged in amassing wealth, will have
good friends, be highly energetic, truthful and will have knowledge of law or politics; in Guru's
division, he will be fortunate, will increase his religious merits by observing vows and fasts, be
truthful and resolute; in Budha's aṁśa, he will be the best of the men of his race, he will have a
charming appearance, be a scholar, righteous and interested in śāstras; in Śukra's aṁśa, he will
be endowed with happiness and progeny, will be fond of his guests, be intelligent, grateful, fond
of women and will receive a high degree of honours from various kings (04.436-440).

Phaladīpikā

If the lord of the rising trimśāṁśa, dvadaśāṁśa, horā, etc., are endowed with strength, the native
will be gifted with all noble qualities, will be pure, clever, longlived, sympathetic and wealthy.
He will be blessed with children, will be widely renowned and will enjoy royal comforts
(03.15).

Grahas that are in their own trimśāṁśas will do all that has been ascribed to them as kārakas
(03.17).

Mānsagari

If any graha is posited in a friendly or own division in trimśāṁśa, the native will be enthusiastic
in all his works, devoutly a religious person and will be revered for his noble deeds.

The effects shall be stated according to a highly dignified and powerful graha of sattvic, rajasic
or tamasic nature in the trimśāṁśa and while doing so, the caste, country and lineage shall be
kept in mind.

If the powerful grahas are sattvic, the native will be merciful, steady, truthful and of simple
nature. He will be devoted to devas and brāhmaṇas. If rajasic grahas are powerful, the native
will be a poet, will consider the lady of the family all in all and will be brave and courageous. If
tamasic grahas are more powerful, then the native will deceive others, will be foolish, lethargic,
angry and fond of long sleeps. With the involvements of all the grahas of different guṇas there
are going to be thousand of combinations of such effects.

Jātaka pārījāta

A person born with the lagna under Maṅgala's trimśāṁśa in any rāśi will be fickle, stiff-voiced
and cruel minded; if in one belonging to Śani, he will be addicted to wandering and of a
depraved mind; in Guru's trimśāṁśa, he will be wealthy; in Budha's, he will have great respect
for his preceptors and the devas, delight in the society of virtuous men and be attended by
relatives; in Śukra's he will be loving, lovely and happy (09.122).

Conception (Varahāmihira's Bṛhat jātaka):

If at the time of the sexual union, Sūrya, Chandra, Śukra and Maṅgala be in their navāṁśas,
such union will produce a child (04.03).

If the lagna, Sūrya, Guru and Chandra be powerful and occupy the odd rāśis and navāṁśas, the
issue will be a male child, the contrary indicates a female child; if again, Sūrya and Guru
occupy odd rāśis and navāṁśas, the issue will be a male, and if Chandra, Śukra and Maṅgala
occupy even rāśis and navāṁśas, the issue will be a female child. Also, if Sūrya and Guru
occupy male double bodied navāṁśas under Budha's dṛṣṭi, the issue will be male twins, and if
Śukra and Maṅgala occupy the two female double bodied navāṁśas under the same condition,
the issue will be female twins (04.11).

...if Śukra, lagna and Chandra occupy male rāśis and navāṁśas, the issue will be a
hermaphrodite (04.13).

...if lagna and all grahas occupy the ubhaya navāṁśas under Budha's dṛṣṭi in his own navāṁśa,
the issue will be three children. Of these, two will be male if Budha occupy mithuna, while two
will be female if he occupies kanyā navāṁśa. Again, if when Budha occupies the navāṁśa of
mithuna, while the other grahas and the lagna occupy mithuna and dhanu navāṁśa, all the three
will be male children. If Budha occupy kanyā navāṁśa, while the others occupy kanyā and mīna
navāṁśa, all the three will be female children (04.14).

If the last navāṁśa of dhanu begin to rise, if all the grahas occupy the navāṁśa of dhanu and be
powerful, and if the rising rāśi be under Budha and Śani's powerful dṛṣṭi, the issue will be more
than three children (04.15).

Other related techniques are described, however, they don't seem much relevant for our
interested study.