Stanza 1. I shall describe in this chapter the query bearing on the birth of children. All queries should be put at an auspicious moment

NOTES

Since time plays an important part in shaping the course of actions, the author suggests that it is necessary that queries are put at auspicious moments.

Stanza 2. A lady cohabiting with her husband at an auspicious moment will be blessed with children soon. All good actions should be conducted at auspicious moments. Similarly all queries regarding marriage, wealth, cohabitation, etc., should be made at a chosen time when the ascendant and planets are beneficially disposed.

Stanza 3. A query regarding children should be made thus: "will this person named.. and born in the constellation of... get a son from this woman named and born in the constellation of...."

Stanza 4. A santhathi Prasna (query bearing of children) is applicable to both husband and wife. The Lagna signifies matters pertaining to the husband and Arudha Lagna reveals everything about the wife. This is the view of Prasna Sangraha.

Stanza 5. If both the lords of Arudha and the 9th from it are in combustion, there is something wrong in the 'womb' (kshetra) of the wife; in which case the man has to marry again for the sake of children If both the lords of the Lagna and the 5th from it are in combustion, there is some trouble in the beeja (seed) of the husband, in which case, worship of Vishnu and Brahmins should be resorted to.

NOTES

If it is found that kshetra and beeja are afflicted, one can safely predict that the couple will have no children. What is to be noted is that in a female horoscope, the 9th house is the seat of children, while in a male horoscope the 5th house governs children.

Stanza 6. When the Moon occupies upachayas from Arudha and anupachaya from the ascendant; when Arudha happens to fall in a female sign while Lagna happens to be a male Rasi; when Agni-bhuta rises in the ascendant; and when the tree, governed by the constellation occupied by Jupiter, bears no fruits at the time of Prasna, the prediction can be given that it is difficult to have issues.

NOTES

The Prasna chart does not indicate the birth of children under the following combinations:

(1) The Moon occupies the 3rd, the 6th, the 10th and the 11th from Arudha Lagna and the 2nd, the 4th, the 5th, the 7th, the 8th, the 9th and the 12th from the ascendant.

(2) Arudha Lagna is a feminine sign and the Prasna Lagna is a masculine sign.

(3) Agnibhuta rises in the ascendant.

(4) The tree ruled by the constellation occupied by Jupiter is not yielding fruit at the time of query.

The various Tatwas, such as Agni, etc., have been explained in Chapter 14 of the first part to which the reader may refer for details.

The above stanza is from Santana Deepika.

Stanza 7. The combinations for childlessness, adoption, death of children, birth of few children, and having many issues, etc., are now dealt with.

Stanza 8. If Jupiter, the lord of Lagna and the lords of the 5th and the 7th are all weak, the questioner will have no children.

Stanza 9. If malefics are in the 5th and the lord of the 5th house is hemmed in between malefics and is devoid of benefic aspect, then childlessness will result.

NOTES

According to another version the lord of the 5th is to be debilitated (neecha samsthite): The 9th from Arudha Lagna and the 5th from the ascendant are the houses of issues.

Stanza 10. If malefics occupy the 5th from the ascendant, the Moon and Jupiter, and they are not aspected by benefics, anapatya yoga results.

Stanza 11. If a sign owned by Mercury or Saturn happens to be the 5th house and it is aspected by or associated with Saturn and Gulika, one will have to go in for adoption.

Stanza 12. The native will have no natural issue but will have to adopt one if a strong benefic planet occupies the 5th house without the aspect from the lord of the 5th house.

Stanza 13. If Pisces or Capricorn happening to be the 5th house is occupied by Jupiter, the native suffers from sorrow due to loss of children. If Cancer happening to be the 5th is occupied by Jupiter, he will have a number of female children, so say the sages.

NOTES

Stanzas 5 to 13 list the combinations for birth of children, death of children, childlessness (or anapat a yoga) and adoption. The stanzas are clear and need no further exemplification.

In stanza 5, there is a reference to Beeja and Kshetra. This subject has been exhaustively dealt with in my book How To JUDGE A HOROSCOPE Volume I, to which the interested reader may refer. When Beeja is afflicted, the husband, despite normal functions of the generative system, lacks the subtle energy in the sperm to impregnate the wife. When the Kshetra is afflicted, even though the wife's womb, etc., may be normal she lacks the subtle energy to conceive. A careful study of Beeja and Kshetra theory is very necessary.

While there is the general dictum that Jupiter as karaka of children, placed in the house of children, destroys the house, the author appears to extend the principle further when he says, on the authority of ancient sages, that Jupiter in the 5th identical with Capricorn or Pisces makes one suffer from sorrow due to death of children. If Pisces is to be the 5th, the ascendant must be Scorpio. If Jupiter is in the 5th, his functions as karaka and lord become identical. He will also aspect the Lagna. Yet the result is highly unfavourable. Again when one is born in Pisces and has Jupiter in the 5th (Cancer) he will have a number of daughters. On the face of it, this yoga could be considered improbable. But the author says it is the opinion of the sages. These combinations should be balanced in the light of other favourable or unfavourable factors influencing the house of children.

Stanza 14. If the debilitated lord of the 5th occupies the 8th which should be an inimical sign devoid of aspects of benefics and the lord of the 8th is in the 5th, there will be loss of children.