Transit in D-charts : As per Devakeralam ?!

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

Somebody started to argue that D-charts and Transit in Vargas are

described in Devakeralam. Here are some facts, just to add to the

discussion and understanding of the subject.

Love,

Sreenadh

 

Transit in D-charts : As per Devakeralam ?!

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Devakeralam - Origin and period

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Devakeralam is an extensive work on analytic astrology, called

severally as Devakerala, Keralajyothisha, Chandranadi and

Chandrakalanadi. It introduces itself as to have been compiled from

the teachings of Achutha, a brahman from Kerala. It is said that,

Achutha propitiated, by penance, Brahaspathi, who taught him the

Jathaka Skanda. In a similar manner, Achutha propitiated Sukra and

Parameswara also and got from them their teachings as well, which he

propagated. His period might have been around 11th and 12th century

AD. Neither the exact date of this Achutha nor any personal details

about him is known. The Devakerala which represents his teachings is,

obviously, a compilation by his disciples, among whom Venkateswara of

the Kasyapagothra is specifically mentioned as the redactor of the

Utharabhaga of this work.

Krishneeyam

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It would be useful to have an idea about the other well-known

astrologers of that period. Krishna (AD.1200), also known as

Krishnacharya, is the author of Krishneeyam (also known as

Chindanjanam), a comprehensive work on astrology in 32 chapters. No

personal details about him are known but his being quoted frequently

as an authority by later writers, the earliest of them being Govinda

Bhattathiri of Talakkulam (AD.1237-1295), is a pointer towards his

popularity and date, which might be taken to be about AD.1200 or

before. Krishna's Chindanjana (Krishneeyam) has a popular commentary

called Chathura-Sundari by Vishnu. (Vishnu is the son of Madhavacharya

who wrote Vidya-madhaveeyam). The study of Krishneeya with Chathura-

sundari Vyakhya can help us much in understanding the then prevailing

trend and system of astrology prevailed in Kerala on those days.

[Krishneeyam with Chathurasundari Vyakhya is available today and I am

ready to provide an electronic copy of the text in Devanagari script

to anybody interested]

Desadhyayi

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Desadhyayi (A Vyakhya of Varaha hora) is written by Govinda

Bhattatiri of Talakkulattur family. He belonged to the villaged of

Alathur in South Malabar and is renowned as the progenitor of the

famous Pazhur Kaniyar family of astrologers. The dates of his birth

and death fall respectively, in AD.1237 and AD.1295. His elaborate

commentary Desadhyayi on the Hora, called so on account of its

commenting only chs.I to X of the work, deals in substance, with the

entire Hora. ). The study of Desadhyayi can also help us much in

understanding the then prevailing trend and system of astrology

prevailed in Kerala on those days. This text is also available in

print in Devanagari script.

Presnamarga

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Presnamargacharya (Parameswaran Namboothiri of Edakkade), speaks

about texts like Krishneeyam, Varaha Hora and Desadhyayi with

reverence. He says that we should memorize Krishneeyam and Varaha Hora

and then adds, who ever is trying to cross the ocean of astrology

without the help of Desadhyayi, he is like one without a boat, trying

to cross the ocean.

 

[Ref. History of Kerala School of Hindu Astronomy - by K V Sarma]

 

Why I have told all these? I will explain. We at times make the

mistake of misinterpreting ancient slokas in the absence of clear-cut

directions given by the authors who wrote those texts. That caused all

these misinterpretations like D-charts etc in North India. But that

never happened in Kerala due to the presence of Chathura-sundari

(Vykhya of Krishneeyam) and Desadhyayi (Vyakhya of Varaha Hora) !!!

They are in plane Sanskrit prose (not poem) and there is no room for

misinterpretation !!! Now, look at Presnamarga which is considered as

another authentic text. The author himself has written a translation

of the text in Plane Malayalam with the name Durgamardha prekasini !!!

To add to it direct disciples of these acharyas, wrote texts in plane

Malayalam prose and poems. Now how you are going to misinterpret !!!

There is no room for that - as far as Kerala astrologers are concerned

!!! The system followed by the gurus of astrology from Achutha (who

wrote Devakerala) to the Parameswara (who wrote Presnamarga) is very

clear to us !!

Now if you don't believe in this Kerala tradition, take Bhattolpala

Vyakhya of Varaha Hora, or Acharya Balabhadra's Hora Rethnam. Can you

take any instance where they are speaking about drawing separate

navamsa chart (for that matter any other Varga charts), and speaking

about transit in Varga charts (let alone be in Navamsa-chart)?!! No,

you can't - because it is not at all the system followed !!!

You can employ your logic and try your level best to twist and turn

your arguments, make things fit into the system of D-charts *you

propose*. But it is not going to help - since the Acharyas NEVER

mentioned such a thing.

Now, look, people are searching in the unseen corners of astrological

literature, to find at least some help in support of their arguments,

and in vain they are seeking help form Devakerala, a text originated

in 12th century AD in Kerala!!! Why this trouble? Many texts including

Devakerala of the same period (11th, 12th and 13th century), which

originated in Kerala, speak the opposite. "They don't support transit

considered in Varga-charts", or to put it more clearly, "They don't

support Varga-charts either"!!!

Why others do not understand this fact, that is pretty clear to a

Keralite astrologer? The only reason I can spot is, the absence of

vyakhyas for such slokas in plane Sanskrit. It is the people who tried

to translate them to many other regional languages and English made

such mistakes. The scholarly approach would be - trying to correct

this mistake, once it occurred to us, that it is not the original path

described by the Rishis and Acharyas. Hope this note will be of help,

to at least some, who are sincerely after the truth of astrology.

Love,

Sreenadh