254. Planetary Rays: The Sun has 10 rays, the Moon 9, each of Mercury, Mars and Saturn 5, Jupiter 7 and Venus 8.
255 – 257. Commencing from a planet’s debilitation sign (i.e. deep debilitation point), its rays increase during its movement in the next six signs up to its (deep) exaltation (degree). From its exaltation sign (Le. deep exaltation degree) to debilitation sign (i.e. deep debilitation point), the rays diminish. The rays of a planet are full (as pre-allotted) when it is in (deep) exaltation, and nil when in (deep) debilitation. In between, the number of rays should be, ascertained by rule of three process. One fifth of its rays should be increased if the planet is in its Moola Trikona sign. The rays should be doubled if the planet is conjunct a benefic, or is in the Trimsamsa of a benefic, or in the Rora of the Moon.
Notes: For fuller information, the reader may consult my English translation of Saravu,li (vol. 2) which is not possible to be reproduced here.
In fact, the present information is incomplete while effects of rays are described in chapter 5 infra.
258 – 261. Full Life-span: (a) The following are the lengths of life in years for some living beings. Human being 120, elephant 120, horse 32, donkey 25, camel 25,goat, buffalo, cow, swine and monkey 21 each, dog 24, tiger, lion and wolf 12 each, and jackal 63. The snake and eagle live for one thousand years each.
(b) The spider, bug, worm, butterfly, insects (or ants) and scorpion live for a year. Mosquito lives for 15 days,
(c) Trees survive a span of one hundred years. Among these, the Palaasatree (Butea Frondosa), however, lives for two hundred years, the Aswaththa (the holy fig tree- Ficus Religiosa) for three hundred years, the banyan tree (Ficus Indica) for four hundred years and the Sami tree (Prosopis Spicigera) for five hundred years.
Notes: “a” and “b” enlist the full life-spans of some living beings. Some of them may not appeal to logic with changing Yugas and times.
(c) Palaasa tree: Its leaves are used for pouring ghee in sacred fire ritual.
Aswaththa tree: Horses are said to rest under Aswaththa “tree. Worship of this tree as per Vedic rituals wards of childlessness and gives progeny. Hindu females greatly honour this tree. For fear of danger to progeny and related matters, no Hindu ever fells this tree.
Jupiter rules Aswaththa tree, horses and progeny which is not a coincidence.
Sami tree: It possesses tough hard wood which is supposed to contain” fire. Primeval fire was generated by the friction of branches of the Sami tree and Aswaththa tree.
262 – 263. Full Life: (a) If all the angles are occupied by benefics, without an association of malefic planets, or all of them are in their signs of exaltation, or are conjunct such malefics that are exalted, the person will enjoy full life-span.
(b) If all planets are placed in their friendly signs and exaltation signs, or in Upachaya houses (3rd, 6th 10th and 11th), the same effect will come to pass.
264. Death At 6: “With all malefic planets occupying the 12th and 2nd, or the 6th and 8th, without association of benefic planets, one’s death will occur at the age of six.
265. By Weapons: Death in the first year will occur due to weapons if malefics are in angles without relation to benefics or without the aspect of Jupiter or Venus.
266. By Quadrupeds: Benefics in the 6th and 8th while malefics are in the 2nd and 12th will bring death through quadrupeds within two months of birth.
267. Instant Death: The Moon in the 6th or 8th in aspect to or association with a malefic, without the aspect of Jupiter from a benefic sign, will promote instant death.
268. Death in 1st Year: The declining Moon in the ascendant, with a malefic, and without relief from a benefic, while the 7th is occupied by a malefic without a benefic’s association will cause death in the very first year.
269 – 272. (a) If the ascendant and the signs-concerned are the sources of the various combinations mentioned above, multiply by 108 and divide by 12 to get the net life span of the person.
(b) If the planet is in its own decanate, in Vargottama, in exaltation or in retrogression the years contributed by it be multiplied by two.
(c) If a planet attracts multiplication for two different re sons, multiply its contribution only once by three.
(d) If a planet is in debility, its contribution should be halved. Barring Saturn and Venus, each of the others lose half of its contribution if in combustion.
(e) A planet in enemy’s camp loses a third of its contribution.
(f) A benefic in the 12th sacrifices half of its contribution while a malefic loses the same in full. In the 11th, a malefic loses half, and a benefic
one fourth. Cast away one third of a malefic’s contribution in 10th, and a sixth for a benefic. One fourth and one eighth in order should be dropped from the contributions of a malefic and a benefic in case of the 9th. This way upto the 6th, the contributions should be reduced differentiating between malefic and a benefic.
Notes: These five verses relate to life-span computations by Pindayu and other methods. These are incomplete and wrongly appended in this part of the text.
For more and complete information, the reader may refer to Sambhu Hora Prakasa, Saravali (Vol. 2) and Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra (Vol. 1) in which I have fully explained Amsayu, Pindayu, Ashtaka Varga Ayu etc.
