3. Calculating the Remaining Sahamas

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Next, the calculation of the remaining sahamas [is described] in the Saṃjñātantra [beginning at 3.6]:

The reverse of this is the calculation of [the sahamas called] (2) Teacher (guru) and (3) Learning (vidyā). Jupiter less by Fortune by day, the reverse by night, [and projected] as before: that sahama they call by the name of (4) Renown (yaśas).

‘Of this’ [means] of the sahama of fortune. The calculation of the sahamas of teacher and learning should be performed by reversing day and night, and the addition [of the resulting distance] to the ascendant and the addition of one [sign] should be performed as before.

[Continuing from Saṃjñātantra 3.7:]

One should subtract the lot of fortune from the lot of the teacher–the reverse at night–and that [distance] is added to Venus. The addition of one [sign should be made] according to the procedure stated for the ascendant. The wise know that sahama by the name (5) Friends (mitra).

Here [the procedure] should be understood as follows: ‘If Venus is not [placed] between the places of the subtrahend and the minuend, it is declared that one sign should be added to this.’^[1]

[Continuing from Saṃjñātantra 3.8:]

One should subtract Mars from Fortune as described; that will be (6) Greatness (māhātmya). By night it is the reverse of this. [Subtracting] Venus from Saturn by day–the reverse by night–will be [the sahama] called (7) Hope (āśā). The rest is to be understood as described.

Here, the words ‘as described’, ‘as before’ and so on should be understood to mean the addition [of the distance] to the ascendant and the addition of one [sign].

[Continuing from Saṃjñātantra 3.9:]

[The sahama called] (8) Ability (sāmarthya) [is derived] by subtracting the ruler of the ascendant from Mars; the reverse by night. But when Mars is the ruler of the ascendant, [Ability is derived] when it is subtracted from Jupiter at all times [and projected] as before. [The sahama called] (9) Brothers (bhrātṛ) should be deduced from Jupiter, less by Saturn.

That is, when Mars as ruler of the ascendant is subtracted from Jupiter by day or night, that is the sahama of ability. Here, whenever there is no mention of addition after the subtraction has been made, the ascendant should be added.

And Yādava says [in Tājikayogasudhānidhi 11.18]:

Where no addition of anything is stated after subtraction has been made, there the ascendant is added.

But what is said in the Keśavapaddhati, that the ascendant is to be added everywhere, should be disregarded, as it is unfounded.^[2]

And in Tājikasāra 235 the subtrahend and minuend are transposed in [calculating] the sahama of ability:

[To find] Ability, one should subtract Mars from the ruler of the ascendant by day; the reverse at night.

That, [too], should be disregarded as having no foundation. For Samarasiṃha says [in the Tājikaśāstra]:

The sahama of ability [is taken] by day from the ruler of the ascendant to Mars; the reverse at night.

This means: the sahama of ability is as far [from the ascendant] as from the ruler of the ascendant to Mars; that is, one should subtract the ruler of the ascendant from Mars. If you should object, ‘How do you make that out?’, then listen: this explanation is proved by direct observation. For when the ruler of the ascendant has been subtracted from Mars, [the result] is the distance from the ruler of the ascendant up to Mars; [but] when Mars has been subtracted from the ruler of the ascendant, [the result] is not the distance from the ruler of the ascendant up to Mars. For example, in the revolution of the year, [the longitude of] Mars in signs and so on is 3, 10; [that of] the moon, ruler of the ascendant, in signs and so on is 2, 5. Here, the counting should be made from the moon, ruler of the ascendant, up to Mars. By that counting from the fifth degree of Gemini up to the tenth degree of Cancer, [a distance] of 1, 5 in signs and so on results, equal to Mars minus the ruler of the ascendant but not equal to the ruler of the ascendant minus Mars.

That is why it is clearly stated in Tājika-muktāvali 27:

The lot of ability by day is [found by subtracting] the ruler of the ascendant from Mars; if he is the ruler of the ascendant, one should subtract Jupiter from him at all times.

It is to be understood in all cases that [the point] from which the counting is done in Samarasiṃha’s description is the subtrahend; that up to which the counting is done is the minuend. Let this suffice.

[Continuing from Saṃjñātantra 3.10:]

Subtracting the moon by day, the sun by night, from Jupiter, the sun or moon should be added, respectively. [The sahama produced] by the procedure described is (10) Honour (guru)[?]. By subtracting the sun from Saturn, the reverse at night, (11) Dominion (rājya) and (12) Father (tāta) [are produced].

That is, subtracting the moon from Jupiter by day, the sun should be added to the remainder. Subtracting the sun from Jupiter by night, the moon should be added. By day or night, if the sun or moon, respectively, is not placed between the places of the subtrahend and the minuend, then the addition of one sign should be performed.

[Continuing from Saṃjñātantra 3.11:]

(13) Mother (mātṛ) [is produced] by subtracting Venus from the moon, the reverse at night; (14) Children (suta) [by subtracting] the moon from Jupiter by day or night; [the sahama] called (15) Life (jīvita) comes to be [by subtracting] Jupiter from Saturn by day, the reverse at night; (16) Water (ambu) is the same as Mother.

The sahama of water should be understood to be only the sahama of the mother.

[Continuing from Saṃjñātantra 3.12:]

(17) Work (karman) is said to be [produced by subtracting] Mercury from Mars, the reverse by night; [the sahama] called (18) Illness (roga), [by subtracting] the moon from the ascendant at all times; (19) Desire (manmatha), [by subtracting] the ruler of the ascendant from the moon by day, the reverse at night, [or] the moon as ruler of the ascendant from the sun at all times.

If the moon is ruler of the ascendant, then one should subtract the moon itself from the sun at all times.

[Continuing from Saṃjñātantra 3.13:]

(20) Strife (kali) and (21) Forbearance (kṣama) are [produced] when Mars is subtracted from Jupiter, the reverse at night, by the foregoing procedure; (22) Instruction (śāstra), by subtracting Saturn by day from Jupiter, the reverse by night, and adding [the remainder] to Mercury as before.

Here the addition should be made to Mercury, and the adding of one [sign] by taking Mercury [as the point of reference].

[Continuing from Saṃjñātantra 3.14:]

Subtracting the moon from Mercury by day or night, this is [the sahama] called (23) Kinsmen (bandhu); by night, this will [also be] (24) Serfs (bandaka), the reverse by day. Likewise, (25) Death (mṛti) [is produced by] subtracting the moon from the eighth house at all times and adding it to Saturn.

By night, the sahama of kinsmen itself is the sahama of serfs. By night, Mercury is to be subtracted from the moon; adding it to the ascendant and so forth as before will give the sahama of serfs. In [calculating] the sahama of death, addition [is made] to Saturn, and and the adding of one [sign] should be made by taking Saturn [as the point of reference].

[Continuing from Saṃjñātantra 3.15:]

Subtracting the ruler of the ninth house from the ninth at all times as described will give [the sahama] called (26) Foreign countries (deśāntara). Subtracting the ruler of the second house from the second house by day or night as previously described [will produce] (27) the lot of wealth (artha-sadma).

Samarasiṃha, too, [says in the Tājikaśāstra]:

And the sahama of wealth is from the ruler of the second to the second by day or night.

The meaning is as follows: as far as it is from the ruler of the second to the second, that is the sahama of wealth. That is, one should subtract the ruler of the second from the second house. [Therefore], the sahama of wealth that is calculated in the Keśavapaddhati 20 with the words ‘Riches is the second place [subtracted] from the ruler of the second’, by transposing subtrahend and minuend, should be understood [to arise] from a misunderstanding of Samarasiṃha’s statement.

[Continuing from Saṃjñātantra 3.16:]

Next, subtracting the sun from Venus at all times as before [gives the sahama] called (28) Others’ Wives (anyadāra). Next, (29) Others’ Work (anyakarman) [is produced by subtracting] Saturn from the moon, and the reverse at night. (30) Trade (vaṇij) [is found] at all times by the day formula for Serfs.

Mercury is to be subtracted from the moon at all times. Addition to the ascendant and so forth [performed] as before will give the sahama of trade.^[3]

[Continuing from Saṃjñātantra 3.17:]

Subtracting the sun from Saturn by day, the moon from Saturn by night, (31) Success in Undertakings (kāryasiddhi) results from adding the ruler of the sign of the sun or moon. Subtracting Saturn from Venus at all times, (32) the lot of marriage results (vivāha-sadma).

By day, the sun is to be subtracted from Saturn, and the planet ruling the sign occupied by the sun is to be added. By night, the moon is to be subtracted from Saturn, and the ruler of the sign occupied by the moon is to be added. In both cases, the addition of one [sign] is to be performed as applicable.

[Continuing from Saṃjñātantra 3.18:]

Subtracting Mercury from Jupiter, (33) Birth results (prasūti); the reverse by night. Subtracting the moon from Saturn, one should add the sixth by the procedure stated at all times: [this is] (34) the lot of affliction (saṃtāpa-sadma). Subtracting Mars from Venus–

Here, subtraction from the sixth house is prescribed in Tājikasāra [244]: this should be understood [to arise] from a misunderstanding of Samarasiṃha’s statement.

For Samarasiṃha says [in the Tājikaśāstra]:

The sahama of affliction by day and night is [the distance] from the moon up to Saturn; the projection is [made] from the sixth.

Here, that from which the projection is made should be understood to be the addend. For example, in the sahama of friends, projection is prescribed from Venus: there, Venus is added. Here, likewise, the meaning is that the sixth house is to be added. The words ‘Subtracting Mars from Venus’ are connected with what follows.

[Continuing from Saṃjñātantra 3.19–22:]

–at all times by the procedure stated, (35) Faith (śraddhā) [is produced]. Next, subtracting Fortune from [the sahama] called Knowledge at all times as previously stated [gives the sahama] called (36) Love (prīti). [The sahamas] described as being called (37) Force (bala) and (38) Body (deha) are the same as Renown. (39) Dullness (jāḍya) [is produced] by subtracting Saturn from Mars–the reverse at night–and adding [the result to] Mercury. (40) Occupation (vyāpāra) [is produced] by subtracting Mercury from Mars at all times. (41) Falling into Water (pānīyapāta) is produced by subtracting the moon from Saturn, the reverse at night, as before. (42) The Enemy (ripu) [sahama] comes to be by subtracting Saturn from Mars, the reverse at night. (43) Valour (śaurya) is produced by Fortune made less by Mars, the reverse at night, as before. (44) Means (upāya) [is produced] by subtracting Jupiter from the sun, the reverse at night. Subtracting Mercury from Fortune and adding Mercury, the reverse at night, is [the sahama of] (45) the Poor (daridra).^[4]

Here one is to subtract Mercury from the lot of fortune, and then add Mercury. When this is done, the sahama of the poor will be identical with the sahama of fortune; but because [the procedure] is reversed at night, the calculation of the sahama of the poor is performed [separately].

[Continuing from Saṃjñātantra 3. 22:]

Subtracting the sun from the exaltation of the sun, [or] the moon from its own exaltation by night, according to the previous description, [produces] (46) Dignity (gurutā).

By day, the sun is to be subtracted from the exaltation of the sun; but by night, the moon is subtracted from the exaltation of the moon. In either case, the addition of the ascendant and so forth is to be performed according to the previous description.

[Continuing from Saṃjñātantra 3.23–24:]

Subtracting Saturn from the middle of Cancer produces (47) Travel by Water (jalādhvan); the reverse at night. Subtracting Saturn from Fortune by day, but the reverse at night, [produces] (48) Imprisonment (bandhana). Subtracting the moon from Venus is said at all times [to produce the sahama] called (49) Daughters (kanyā) [when performed] as stated. Subtracting the sun from Fortune and adding [the result] to the eleventh house [produces] (50) Horses (aśva); the reverse at night.

These are the fifty sahamas.

Next, the calculation of other sahamas is described by Yādava [in Tājikayogasudhānidhi 11.26–31]:

Subtract Venus from the ruler of the seventh house; [if ] Venus is the ruler of the seventh house, then from the ruler of [the sign occupied by] the moon: added to the seventh house, [this is the sahama] called (51) Wife (jāyā). [Subtract] Fortune from Saturn: [this] will be (52) Release from imprisonment (bandhamokṣa) by day and night [when] added to Saturn. Subtracting Jupiter from Fortune by day or night is declared [to produce] the house of (53) Suffering (duḥkha-gṛha) [when the result is] added to Mars.^[5] [Subtracting] Saturn from Mars by day, the reverse by night, [produces] the sahama (54) Limbs (aṅga)^[6] [when] added to the ascendant. Subtracting Mars from the moon by day [produces] (55) Pain (kleśa) [when] added to the sun; the reverse by night. [Subtracting] Saturn from the sun and adding the ascendant: this should likewise be considered the sahama called (56) Coming and Going (gamāgama). [Subtracting] Jupiter from the moon at all times and adding the ascendant [produces the sahama] called (57) Elephants (gaja). [Subtracting] the sun from Jupiter and adding the ascendant by day one should next consider [the result] the house of (58) Agreement (sumahatī[?]),^[7] the reverse at night. [Subtracting] Fortune from Jupiter is said here [to produce] another [sahama], (59) Killing (ghāta).^[8] [Subtracting] Mars from Capricorn^[9] and adding the ascendant [produces] (60) Camels (uṣṭraka). [Subtracting the sahama of ] the Enemy from the twelfth house by day and adding the ascendant [produces the sahama] called (61) Quadrupeds (catuṣpada), the reverse at night. [Subtracting] Saturn from the ascendant and adding the ascendant at all times: this [produces] (62) Vice (vyasana). [Subtracting] Saturn from Mars by day or night and adding the ascendant [produces the sahama] called (63) Ploughing (kṛṣi). [Subtracting] the sun from the moon by day, the reverse at night, and adding the ascendant will give [the sahama] called (64) Sight (dṛṣṭi).^[10] These [sahamas] were proclaimed by the sages.

Next, the calculation of the sahamas of uncles, hunting, servants and understanding is described in Tājika-muktāvali [30–32]:

When the sun is subtracted from Saturn and added to the ascendant, [that is] the house of (65) uncles (pitṛvya-bhavana). The sixth less by the ruler of the sixth and added to the twelfth house becomes (66) Hunting (ākheṭaka). Subtracting Mercury from the moon will be the sahama of (67) servants (bhṛtya) when the ascendant is added. Jupiter less by the sun and added to the ascendant will be the sahama of (68) understanding (buddhi). By night it should be understood to be the reverse. In all cases [the calulation] should be understood as before.^[11]

Then, the calculation of other sahamas is described in the Hillājatājika:

The eleventh house less by the ruler of the eleventh house and added to the ascendant will be the sahama of (69) acquisition (lābha). The ascendant less by the ruler of the fourth and added to the ascendant will be the sahama of (70) treasure (nidhi). (71) Wisdom (jñāna) is [identical with] the sahama of greatness; the sahama of (72) family members (jñāti) is the same as Knowledge. Saturn less by Venus and added to the ascendant will be the sahama [called] (73) Debts (ṛṇa). Next, the ruler of the fifth house less by the ascendant and added to the fifth house will be the sahama of (74) pregnancy (garbha).^[12] The moon less by Mercury and added to the ascendant will be the sahama of (75) truth (satya). For these sahamas there is no distinction between day and night.

This concludes the calculation (ānayana) of the sahamas.

Footnotes and references:

[back to top]

[1]:

The quotation is that from Saṃjñātantra 3.⁵ given above, with the word ‘Venus’ substituted for ‘the ascendant’.

[2]:

Neither the exact phrase used by Balabhadra nor anything resembling it is present in available independent witnesses of Keśava’s Varṣapaddhati, nor does the phrase fit the metre used in the stanzas dealing with sahamas (19–21), so that it is uncertain whether it should be construed as a quotation. Possibly it refers to a prose commentary, perhaps even an autocommentary, on the work.

[3]:

This was called the sahama of merchants in section 4.1.

[4]:

This was called the sahama of poverty in section 4.1.

[5]:

Here and in items 58 and 65 below, a lot or sahama is called a ‘house’ (gṛha, agāra), perhaps meant as synonyms of the more usual sadman.

[6]:

In the list given in section 4.1, this position was given to the sahama of uncles, while the sahama of limbs appeared in place 67.

[7]:

Sumahatī (-i?). Literally ‘very great’ (in the feminine, which does not agree with any of the nouns used for ‘lot’), but possibly a corruption, though all text witnesses agree. In the list given in section 4.1, the 58th sahama was called ‘right thinking’ (sanmati) or ‘agreement’ (saṃmati).

[8]:

This seems a surprising appellation given the astrological symbolism involved, but the witnesses are unanimous, although the phrasing is very terse.

[9]:

Presumably the first degree of Capricorn, or possibly the 28th, which is the exaltation of Mars.

[10]:

This would be identical to the sahama of the teacher or learning above (the lot of the daemon in Hellenistic astrology).

[11]:

As compared to section 4.1, the sahamas listed in this and the following quotation are somewhat disarranged, though perhaps the reverse is the case, and the list in 4.¹ is a later summary of the sources quoted here.

[12]:

This was called the sahama of impregnation in section 4.1.