Chapter 1

Explanation of technicalities used

Stanza 1: The Sun, who is one of the AshtaMurthies of Siva, who forms
the path for those who go to Moksha, who represents Atma
for those who are well versed in Atmavidya, who accepts the
results of the sacrificial rites, who is the master of Amaras
and Jyotishas; who destroys, creates and protects the Lokas,
who is praised in the Vedas in various forms, who is
possessed of many rays and who is the lamp of the three
worlds, may he grant us speech?
Stanza 2: Although there are great many works ably written by
intelligent men in accordance with excellent literary style,
many people get dispirited in trying to cross the vast ocean
of horoscopic knowledge; to such I offer a small boat,
constructed with metre of various kinds, short but very
suggestive and full of instructive ideas, to enable them to
cross this ocean.
Stanza 3: The science of astrology is called Hora Sastra from the
compounding of the two words Aho and Ratri and the
dropping of the first and last letters; and it speaks of the
results of the good and bad deeds done by men in their
previous births.
Stanza 4: In the celestial Chakra (globe) the signs commencing with
Mesha and Aswini, are each formed by nine padams
(quarters) of stars and govern the following organs of
Kalapurusha, namely, head, face, chest, heart, belly, waist,
lower belly, sexual organ, thighs, knees, buttocks and feet
respectively. Rasi, Kshetra, Griha, Ruksha, Bha and Bhavana
refer to and signify the zodiacal signs.