Samhita Skanda

The Samhita Skanda by sage Sanandana from the Narada Purana is an ancient treatise dealing with the principles of Vedic astrology.

Sanandana said:

1) The twelve limbs of Kälapuruça, the Cosmic Being viz. (1) head, (2) face, (3) arms, (4) heart, (5) breast, (6) entrails, (7) pelvis, (8) genital organ, (9) thighs, (10) knees, (11) shanks, (2) feet are (represented by) the twelve Signs of the Zodiac. Viz. Meña (Aries), Våñabha (Taurus), Mithuna (Gemini), Karkaöaka (Cancer), Simha (Leo), Kanyä (Virgo), Tulä (Libra), Våñcika (Scorpio), Dhanus (Sagittarius), Makara (Capricorn), Kumbha (Aquarius) and Ména (Pisces) respectively.
Notes: In Sanskrit, the word Käla is used in many sense. It means time, the God of Death, the Cosmic Being, the Supreme Lord etc. The Bhägavata has the following to say: “Time is called Käla, because it controls the life and death of all living beings.; it does not leave even the minutest part of time. Käla it seizes or gathers together all beings; it drives beings; it invests all beings with weal and woe; it contracts their span of life; or it leads them to the abode of Death”.

2) The Lords of the twelve Signs (Räçis) beginning with Meña (Aries) are in order (1) Mars, (2) Venus, (3) Mercury, (4) Moon, (5) Sun, (6) Mercury, (7) Venus, (8) Mars, (9) Jupiter, (10) Saturn, (11) Saturn, (12) Jupiter.

3) In the Odd Signs of the Zodiac, the first Horä i.e., 15 degree portion, is ruled by the Sun and the second by the Moon, next by the Sun. The lords of the three decanates i.e., 10 degree portions in each Räçi are those of the same Sign, the fifth one from the first and the ninth from the first respectively.

Notes: There was a dispute about the origin of Horä. Burgess first thought that it was borrowed from the Greeks, but later he changed his view. However, the word Drekkäna or Dreñkäna is evidently a Greek word. In each Sign, there are two Horäs and three Decanates. In Meña, Mithuna, Siàha and other odd Räçis the first half or 15 degree portion is presided over by the Sun, while the next half by Moon. In even Signs, i.e., Våñabha, Karkaöaka, Kanyä etc., they are ruled by the Moon and the Sun respectively There are three decanates in each Sign, the dimension of each being 10 degrees. In each Räçi, the first part that is 5th from it; and the third by the Räçi and its lord; the second by the Räçi that is 5th from it; and the third by the Räçi that is 9th from the original. For example, take Sign Cancer, it is three decanates are called respectively Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. Their lords too are in order the Moon, Mars and Jupiter.

4) In the odd Signs of the lords of Triàsäàças (degree portions) are Mars who owns the first 5 degrees, saturn who owns the next 5 degrees, Jupiter who owns the next 8 degrees, Mercury who owns the next 7 degrees and Venus who owns the last 5 degrees. This order of ownership is reversed in the case of even Signs.

Notes: Triàçäàça is 1/30 of a Räçi which consists of 30 degrees. So one Triàçäàça means one degree. But in Hindu astrology, each degree is not given a ruler. On the other hand, these 30 degrees are distributed among the non-luminaries. In the odd Signs, Meña, Mithuna etc., Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury and Venus own in order 5° , 5° , 8° , 7° and 5° . In the even Signs, Taurus, Cancer etc., the order is reversed. In other words, the first 5° are ruled by Venus, the next 7° by Mercury, the next 8° by Jupiter the next 5° by Saturn and the last 5° by Mars.

5) The Naväàçäs (1/9 of a Sign or 3 degrees and 20 minutes) of Meña, Siàha and Dhanus begin with Meña itself; those of Våñabha, Kanyä and Makara begin with Makara; those of Mithuna, Tulä and Khumbha with Tulä; lastly those of Karkaöaka, Våçcika and Ména, with Karkaöaka. The Lords of the Dvädaàäàças (1/12 portions of a Räçi or 2 1/2 degree portions) are those of the 12 Signs beginning with the same Räçi. Thus the six sub-divisions of a sign are based upon the Signs of the zodiac.

Notes: The Naväàças, 3° 20’ portions of a Rasi of each sign bear the names of nine Signs and are owned by their lords. The first Naväàça of Aries is owned by Aries itself and its lord is that of Aries viz. Mars; the second by Taurus whose lord is Venus; the third by Gemini ruled by Mercury; the fourth by Cancer and the Moon; the 5th by Leo and the Sun; the sixth by Virgo and Mercury; the 7th by Libra and Venus; the 8th by Scorpio and Mars; and lastly the 9th by Sagittarius and Jupiter.

This method should be followed in the case of Leo and Sagittarius also. So it will be seen that for Meña and the last one Dhanus. Similarly, in the case of Våñabha, Kanyä and Makara the first Naväàça is Makara itself and the last one is Kanyä. In the case of Mithuna, Tulä and Kumbha the first and last ones are Tulä and Mithuna respectively. In respect of the last group of Karkaöaka, Våçcika and Ména, they are Karkaöaka and Ména respectively. Here it can be seen that every Räçi participates in the Naväàça scheme in one way or other. In every triad of Signs, the first owns the first Naväàça, the second the middle one and the third the last Naväàça. Thus Våñabha, Siàha, Våçcika and Kumbha own their middle or fifth Naväàças and Mithuna, Kanyä, Dhanus, and Ména own their last Naväàças. If a planet is posited in one and the same Räçi and Naväàça, it is said to be Vargotamämça.

6) Meña, Våñabha, Karkaöaka, Dhanus and Makara are termed as Nocturnal Signs, and these Signs rise with their hind parts first. The remaining Signs are called Diurnal, while Meña rises both ways. The Signs are called Cruel and Gentle in order. They are also named Male and Female respectively.

7) The three Signs beginning with Meña, taken at a time, represent in order Male, Female and Eunuch as well as Movable, Fixed and Dual Räçis. The four Signs, Aries, Taurus, Gemini and Cancer, represent the four quarters, East, South, West and North respectively. The 12 Signs have their respective haunts or abode.

Notes: In this verse, the 12 Räçis are distinguished on the basis of their sex, nature, quarters they own and their habitats. For the first two 3 Räçis are taken at a time and the process repeated. Thus we get four signs under each: Meña, Karkaöaka, Tulä and Makara are Male and Movable; Våñabha, Siàha, Våçcika and Kumbha, female and Fixed; and lastly Mithuna, Kanyä, Dhanus and Ména, Eunuch and Dual. Next four Signs are taken together at a time to represent the four cardinal points. For showing eight quarters we have to consider Meña and Våñabha- as forming the East and Mithuna the South-East and so on. For knowing the habitats of the Signs one has to understand their forms. For example, Aries is represented by a Ram, Taurus by a Bull, Gemini by a human couple and so on.

So the habitats of the 12 Signs are in order (1) Forest or Plateau (2) Field or Meadow (3) Bed Chamber or village (4) Pond (5) Mountain Cave (6) Land with water and vegetation (7) Market place (8) Hole (9) Battle-field (10) Forest with plenty water (11) Place of potters and (12) Water.

8)The Exaltation Signs of the Seven Planets headed by the Sun are in order, Meña, Våñabha, Makara, Kanyä, Karkaöaka, Meña and Tulä. Their highest exaltation points are in order, the 2nd (?), 3rd, 28th, 15th, 5th, 27th and 20th degrees in their respective exaltation Signs.