Stanza 37. According as at the time of query the ascendant is moveable, fixed or common, there will be a small spring, many springs or two springs

Stanza 38. In certain compounds, there may be old wells buried beneath and to ascertain where they are, the following authoritative combinations will be greatly useful.

Stanza 39. If Arudha is a fixed sign, Taurus is the ascendant and the Moon occupies it, then it is an indication that an old well exists in the compound.

Stanza 40. When the Moon is in Scorpio and Arudha happens to be Taurus occupied by Venus; or when Jupiter is in the 10th and the Moon and Venus are in the 4th, there is an old well.

Stanza 41. The Moon and Venus in exaltation indicate two old wells far below the earth. The Sun in the 7th from Arudha and the Moon in the 7th from the ascendant indicate an old submerged well.

Stanzas 42 to 44. If the Moon and Rahu occupy the ascendant, or if Arudha being Aquarius is occupied by the Moon and Venus; or if the ascendant is a fixed sign and the Moon and Venus occupy it; if Jupiter and Venus are in the 4th; or the Moon is in the 10th and Venus is in Virgo; or Venus is in the 7th and the Moon in the 4th covered by a halo in the sky at the time of query — all these indicate that old wells are buried beneath in the compound.

Stanza 45. All these combinations are Kupa yogas which can be ordinarily used. To answer a query whether any well can be found in a particular spot, other indications should also be looked into.

Stanza 46. When the rising sign and Chathra sign are watery, and the Moon is in Arudha or the Sun is in conjunction with Rahu or Ketu in a watery sign, there is a well at the marked spot.

Stanza 47. Saturn in the ascendant and the Moon in the 10th; or Jupiter in the 4th, Rahu in the 7th and the Sun in the 10th indicate old submerged wells.

Stanza 48. When Rahu is in conjunction with the Sun and the Moon in the 4th, or the Sun has a halo surrounding his disc, the indication is the existence of an old well hidden to view.

Stanzas 49 and 50. The ascendant, Arudha and Chathra are watery signs, of which the ascendant must be a fixed sign; or at the time of query, an outcaste appears in haste; or a dancing girl, a person whose wealth is stolen, or a Brahmin or a mountaineer appears; or a rainbow is seen in the sky; they indicate an old well can be found in the proposed spot though covered by the earth.

Stanzas 51 and 52. Having thus ascertained the existence of an old well, the taste of the water has to be noted from the planet occupying the 4th house or aspecting the 4th house, or the lord of Lagna Navamsa. The Sun governs acid or hot taste, the Moon saltish, Mars bitter taste, Jupiter sweetness, Venus sourness and Saturn pungent taste and Mercury a mixture of all.

Stanza 53. The taste of water can also be known from the first letter contained in the query of the person. A (*) varga, the Moon's taste; Kha (*) varga, taste of Mars; Cha (*) varga, Mercury's; Ta (*) varga, Jupiter's; Tha (*) varga, Venus'; Pa (*) varga, Saturn's; Ya (*) varga, Rahu's; and Sa (*) varga, the Sun's.

Rahu's taste is 'to have no taste' or insipid taste.

Stanza 54. The various movements of the questioner should be carefully noted and the transit of the Moon should be studied and then the occurrence of water, where a well has to be dug and what the depth of the well is to be, etc., ascertained.

Stanza 55. Wells have to be dug in the spots where the eyes, or the face or the mouths of Nadis of Vastu Purusha stand. But care should be taken that those portions in the body of Vastu Purusha which are connected with Agni are excluded.

NOTES

In Silpa Sastras we have frequent mention of Vastu Purusha. The head of Vastu Purusha is in the north-east and the legs are in the south-west. This is the reason why wells are to be constructed in the north-east. Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries and Taurus and western direction are good. Readers are referred to my book Muhurtha for more details.

Stanza 56. The compound of the questioner should be divided into 12 signs; of these the direction signified by Aquarius is the best (uttama); Pisces and Aries are ordinary (madhyama); and Capricorn is useless (adhama).

Stanza 57. A well should not be dug in the area signified by Virgo. If dug, the owner will die an unnatural death.

Stanza 58. If the Sun occupies the ascendant, the water will be very deep in the ground; if Mars occupies the ascendant, the flow of water will be between rocks; and if Rahu or Saturn occupies the rising sign, there will be no water flow.

Stanza 59. If the rising sign is occupied by the Moon and Venus, the well will be full; if by Jupiter and Mercury, there will be moderate water. If Mercury and the Moon are in the ascendant, there will be sand underneath from which water will sprout out. If the Sun and Mars are in the ascendant, water will issue out of rocks.

Stanza 60. When Venus occupies the ascendant, water will have good taste. Jupiter in the ascendant makes the water tolerably good. Saturn in a watery sign renders the water brackish and the quantity also will be very small. Rahu in the rising sign makes the well dry and waterless.

Stanza 61. The depth of the water-layer can be determined from the number indicated by the letters in the first word expressed by the questioner; or the number indicated by the rays of planets or signs.

Stanza 62. The rays of the planets that occupy the ascendant or the 4th indicate the depth of the well. If there are more planets, the strongest should be taken. In watery places (anupadesa) the measure is to be by cubits. In places where there is water along with trees in moderation, i.e. semi-dry (jangala), the measurement is to be half; in dry deserts, the measurement is to be by the average height of man. The number is to be furnished by Graha Rasmis or planetary rays.

Stanza 63. In Kupa Prasna, the Rasmis or rays of planets are: the Sun — 16; the Moon — 4; Mars — 10; Mercury — 9; Jupiter 7; Venus — 5; and Saturn - 21.

Stanza 64. The rays for the various signs beginning from Aries respectively are: 7, 8, 12, 11, 12, 6, 9, 7, 13, 7, 8 and 27.

Stanza 65. These rays can be used to measure the amount of money lost in regard to questions bearing on theft, the amount gained and to measure the time required for going and return.

Stanzas 66 and 67. In Kupa Prasna, no differentiation need be made between the rising sign and Arudha. It is immaterial whether the yoga-karaka planets occupy the rising sign or Arudha. Full effects will come to pass. Besides, if the Sun's halo and other signs described are observed in full, one can boldly predict that a well can be found submerged in the selected spot.

Stanza 68. In both Varsha Prasna and Kupa Prasna, watery planets in non-watery signs indicate very little water and the water layer very low and the rains will be late and the rise of water in the rivers will be slower still. Non-watery planets in non-watery signs give a dry waterless soil. Watery planets in watery signs give a watery layer even at the surface. Rains will pour in, and floods will choke the rivers.