Stanza 54. If Rahu occupies the 5th house or associates with the lord of the 5th unaspected by benefics, the child dies due to the curse of the serpent-god

Stanza 55. If Saturn conjoins with Gulika in the ascendant, the 5th or the 9th without any aspect of benefic planets, death of the issue is due to ancestral curse.

Stanza 56. The lord of the 5th in association with Mars or the lord of the 6th and devoid of benefic influences causes the death of the issue due to the curse of the enemies.

Stanza 57. The lord of the 5th in the 5th devoid of benefic aspect but subject to the aspect of malefic planets denotes the curse of the Devas.

Stanza 58. When malefics occupy the 4th, house, Saturn joins with the lord of the 5th and malefics are in the 12th, death of the child will be due to mother's curse.

Stanza 59. If malefics occupy the 9th, lord of the 5th joins Saturn and Gulika occupies a trinal place, death of the issue is due to the curse of the father.

NOTES

The above five stanzas culled out by the author from Prasna Sangraha give combinations which indicate the death of the child due to curses.

Many may not be inclined to believe in the efficacy of blessings and the power of curses in this fashionable age of the so-called "scientific temper". It cannot be denied that there are some persons born with strong passions which mostly find expression in inflicting injuries on others. When such persons 'curse', it is likely that the curse may harm the victim in the shape of his not begetting any issues. When children who have been brought up with affection and consideration let down their aged parents who are in need of care, attention and affection from them, it is natural that the parents may feel bitter and unhappy. This feeling may express itself as a parental curse, even when the parents may not have intended it. It is Rahu's affliction of all the factors connected with the 5th house that gives a clue to the nature of the curse.

According to the above five stanzas:

Serpent-god's curse: Rahu in the 5th, or with the 5th lord, without beneh'c aspects.

Curse of the manes: Saturn with Gulika in the 1st, 5th or 9th, without beneficial aspect.

Curse of the enemies: Lord of the 5th with Mars or lord of the 6th without benefic aspects.

Curse of the devas (gods): Lord of the 5th in the 5th devoid of benefic aspect but subject to malefic aspect.

Mother's curse: Malefics in the 4th, Saturn in association with the 5th lord and malefics in the 12th.

Father's curse: Malefics in the 9th, the lord of the 5th with Saturn and Gulika in the 1st, 5th or 9th.

Whether or not we attach any importance to blessings and curses, it is clear that when the house of children is afflicted under the combinations given above, one must be careful in assessing the "afflictions" before giving out his finding.

Again in the following stanzas some more combinations for death of children due to curses, are listed, taken from Prasna Sangraha.

Stanza 60. When the lords of the Lagna and the 5th and Jupiter are weak as also the luminaries and the lord of the 9th, children will die due to the curse of the Devas.

Stanza 61. When the above-mentioned Yoga is present and Jupiter or Venus is conjoined by evil planets, Brahmins may be the cause of the curse.

If the Sun and the Moon are afflicted by malefics or they are debilitated or occupy inimical signs, then the source of the curse will be the manes.

Stanza 62. The lords of the ascendant and the 5th and Jupiter are rendered feeble and occupy the 6th, the 8th or the 12th; the lord of the 10th is associated with or aspected by malefics; then his own sinful deeds have made him issueless.

Stanza 63. The lords of the ascendant and the 5th and Jupiter are weak, the lord of the 6th and Mars are strong and associate with the previous mentioned lords; or Mars and lord of the 6th occupy the 5th house; then the abhichara of enemies is the reason for childlessness.

Stanza 64. Lords of Lagna and the 5th and Jupiter are strong; malefics occupy the 4th, or the lord of the 4th occupies the 6th, the 8th or the 12th; then the dosha is in his own residence. If the above factors, viz., lord of Lagna, lord of the 5th and Jupiter join Rahu in the 5th house, then the wrath of the serpent god is involved.

If Mars also joins the above, then the anger of the serpent is due to the native's own sinful actions towards the serpent.

Stanza 65. If the three factors referred to above are strong and the Sun is associated with malefics, or the 9th house is weak and otherwise afflicted, the evils in the horoscope of the native's father are responsible for the absence of children; and a child will be born after the death of his father. If instead of the 9th house, the 4th house, and instead of the Sun, the Moon are afflicted as above, the evil in the native's mother's horoscope causes the absence of children; the issue will be born after the mother's death.

Stanza 66. If vayubhuta rises in the ascendant, loss of children is due to the curse of the manes; if agnibhuta rises, it is divine wrath; if akasabhuta rises both pitru and deva sapas have to be stated. If prithvibhuta or jalabhuta rises, children will soon be born.

NOTES

The rising of the bhutas or elements of vayu (air), agni (fire), akasa (ether), prithvi (earth) and Jala (water) have been explained in earlier stanzas.

Stanza 67. Breath passes through the left nostril and the ascendant is in the Sun's hora; breath traverses through the right nostril and the ascendant is in the Moon's hora; Arudha Lagna is even and the ascendant is odd; the lord of the 5th in the birth chart and the lord of the 5th from Arudha in Prasna chart are the same; or the two lords are closely connected; or the tree governed by the asterism in which Jupiter stands at the time of the query is bearing fruits. These indicate gain of children.

NOTES

Here the author mixes up astrological combinations, biological phenomena and even the vegetable phenomena. Birth of children is indicated when the following circum stances exist:

(1) Breathing in left nostril and Lagna in the Sun's Hora.

(2) Breathing in right nostril and the Lagna in the Moon's Hora.

(3) Prasna Lagna odd and Arudha Lagna even.

(4) Close connection (association or mutual aspect, etc.), between the lord of the 5th in the Prasna chart and the lord of the 5th in the birth horoscope.

(5) The tree indicated by the asterism in which Jupiter is placed is yielding fruit.

Frankly speaking we have not tested these combinations. It is for readers to experiment with them. Depending perhaps upon the presence of one or more of the above combinations we may have to infer about the birth of issues.

Stanza 68. If the Navamsa arrived at by the addition of the longitudes of the Sun, the Moon and Jupiter happens to be the 7th, the 1st, the 5th or the 9th from the Navamsa of Gulika; if Jupiter is in a trine from the Rasi or Navamsa obtained by adding the longitudes of the lord of the 5th and the ascendant; and if Gulika occupies a trine from Jupiter, there will be birth of children.

NOTES

The stanza is not only interesting but gives combinations which have been found in our humble opinion to be fairly reliable. The stanza involves the following considerations:

(1) Add together the longitudes (in the prasna chart) of the Sun, the Moon and Jupiter.

(2) Note down the Rasi and Navamsa so arrived at.

(3) Note down the Navamsa of Gulika.

(4) If these two Navamsas are in mutual trines or samasaptaka or opposition it is a good sign for getting children.

(5) Next add together the longitudes of the 1st and 5th houses.

(6) Note down the Rasi and Navamsa so arrived at.

(7) If Jupiter is in a trine from the Rasi and Navamsa suggested in (6), it is a good augury for getting children.

(8) If Gulika happens to be in a trine from Jupiter, it is also a positive factor. Let us take an example (Chart 5):

(1) The Sun 116° The Moon 53° Jupiter 222°

Therefore, Sun + Moon + Jupiter = 391 = 31° = x

(2) Rasi (of x) is Taurus and Navamsa (of x) Capricorn

(3) The Navamsa of Gulika is Capricon.

(4) Both the Navamsas are the same. Therefore it is a good augury for getting children.

(5) Longitude of 1st house 312° Longitude of 5th house 72°

384 = 24° = Y

(6) The Rasi (of Y) is Aries and the Navamsa of (Y) is Scorpio.

(7) Jupiter is not in a trine from the Rasi or Navamsa suggested in (6).

(8) Gulika is not in a trine from Jupiter.

If more than one factor is favourable the birth of children can be predicted.

Stanza 69. If Arudha is aspected by Mars, the woman can be said to be pregnant. If it has not the aspect of Mars, then she cannot be impregnated due to excess of blood in her system.

Stanza 70. In the Ashtakavargas of the Sun, the Moon and Jupiter (in the horoscopes of the couple) note the sign (in the prasna chart) which should be a trinal place from Gulika, which has the largest number of marks or bindus. When the Sun, the Moon and Jupiter transit such a sign, birth of a child takes place.

NOTES

The translation may appear to be a little confusing.

The stanza envisages the consideration of the birth charts of the couple and query chart. Take the Ashtakavarga of Jupiter, say in the husband's horoscope. Note the sign which should be a trine to the sign occupied by Gulika in the Prasna or horary chart, which has the largest number of bindus. When Jupiter transits this sign birth of an issue occurs. That is, the year is shown. Likewise consider the Sun (with reference to his Ashtakavarga) and the month is indicated. Treat the Moon in the same manner. The probable date will be known.

Suppose in the birth horoscope, Jupiters Ashtakavarga has the largest number of bindus, say in Cancer. And in the prasna chart Gulika is in Pisces. Cancer happens to be a trine from Pisces. When Jupiter transits Cancer, the year of birth is indicated. Suppose in the Sun's Ashtakavarga, the largest number of bindus is in Cancer. When the Sun transits Cancer the event can happen. Similarly if in the Moon's

Ashtakavarga, the highest number of bindus is in Scorpio, a trinal sign to Cancer, the birth of an issue can coincide with the Moon's transit of Scorpio.

The next stanza gives the suchanas (indicative factors) of pregnancy.