Studying the Lal Kitab system / Raheja ji

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Respected Raheja ji,

 

There can not be any one single uniform technique to

study any subject or for that matter any text such that

which could be uniformly applicable / useful to every

student. Each student develops his own method of

study which suits him. However there could be very

general guidelines for handling a subject which could

be used by every one to their benefit.

 

Therefore all I can share is the way we studied the

Lal Kitab, under the guidance of our Guru Pt. Bhooshan Priya ji.

 

[ 1 ] First and foremost thing to learn the Lal Kitab system

is that one has to be very well versed in Vedic astrology;

with all aspects of it including the mathematics of it.

Knowledge of the traditional Vedic astrology is a must

in order to be a good Lal Kitab scholar. As a matter of

fact, Lal Kitab was written for the astrologers of that time,

and there was no other system except the Vedic Astrology

system prevalent in those days.

 

[ 2 ] Start with Pt. Krishna Ashant ji’s books [a] Prashthabhoomi

evam vyakhya trik bhavano ki gatha. These two books

introduce the subject in its correct perspective. These books

also act as a link between the traditional Vedic astrology and

the Lal Kitab. Unless you start with these two books, you will

not make a head or tail of the Lal Kitab, and you might get

frustrated and might leave studying the book altogether.

These two books are a must like an appetizer before a

sumptuous meal. Once you have gone through these books,

the ground is prepared for you to move to the original text.

[ 3 ] After you have read the two books mentioned above,

start reading the original Lal Kitab books with the Hindi

transliteration of the 1941 edition by Pt. Yograj Prabhakar.

During the first reading of this book, just read through the

prose text ; do not bother about the poetic couplets.

Read through the couplets but do not strain your brain

to understand them.

The second reading should be done along with the poetic

couplets too. At places it will be difficult to understand

what they mean. Do not get stuck up with them. There are

quite a few couplets which we have not been able to

understand till today, in spite of having read the book

over a dozen of times.

[ 4 ] After having done at least two readings of the 1941 ed.

Move on to the 1942 edition. Although there is no authentic

transliteration of this edition available till today, you have no

option but to start with the Arun Sanhita. Better still that you

wait for a couple of months for an authentic version to hit the

book stalls. If you have some time in between, you might do

a third reading of the 1941 edition.

While reading the first original text, you should inculcate

the habit of taking down notes. It will be useful to make your

own list of the karakatwa of various planets in various houses.

Later you could use it as a ready reckoner.

[ 5 ] 1942 book is a very important book. At places we have

found it to be better than the 1952 edition. This is a big book

and will need a lot of time reading it. Go ahead and read through

the text and the couplets with equal attention. Most of the

couplets would be very similar to the ones you had already

read in the 1941 edition, and therefore you will not find the

couplets alien.

Even otherwise by now you will be familiar

with the language and the style in which the Lal Kitab is written.

It will be an easy reading, and interesting too.

1942 edition will be a book which you might keep referring to

very often. Therefore it needs the utmost attention. Two complete

readings are a must. Later on, rather much later, you will be

flipping through the book more often than you can ever imagine.

[ 6 ] Now is the time to move on to the 1952 edition. This is the

last and the most exhaustive editions of the Lal Kitab. Currently

only Arun Sanhita version is available; but by the time you

would come to read it, an authentic version might hit the book

stalls.

Except for the grammar portion of the book, the rest of it will

be very familiar to you. In the beginning leave the grammar

portion, if you try understanding it you might get frustrated

and might develop an aversion to the book. Just read through

the rest of the book. By now you will not only be familiar with

the language, the style and the idioms of the book, you would

also get familiar with the system of delineation.

Get to the grammar portion at the end. By now you would have

understood what the Lal Kitab is all about. Grammar portion is

one section which is not only poorly written, it appears to be a

haphazard attempt. Nothing is systematic about it. We have not

been able to understand a very large portion of it till today. But

never bother about it. The portions you do not understand leave

them, because you can handle the horoscopes even without having

to understand those portions. You can always fill in the gaps

with your knowledge of the Vedic astrology

This is true for the entire Lal Kitab system.

If you want to be a successful Lal Kitab scholar, you may

have to keep drawing from the knowledge of the vedic

astrology more often than you can imagine. Most of the

contemporary problems can not be understood or ‘samadhan’

suggested without the help of the Vedic astrology.

The Lal Kitab system is complimentary to the vedic astrology.

It is not an independent system in itself; it is a sub-set of the

vedic astrology system. Therefore the knowledge gaps of

Lal Kitab system can be very easily made up for through

the vedic astrology.

[ 7 ] The 1939 and the 1940 editions should be read at the last.

By this time you would also be able to determine for yourself

what to read and how to read.

[ 8 ] About this time you can also read a few books written on the

Lal Kitab. You will by now be able to discern the good from the

bad also.

Regards,

Varun Trivedi

, " girish_raheja "

<girish_raheja wrote:

>

> Respected Varun ji,

>

> Is there a uniform method to study the Lal Kitab system ? If so,

could

> you please share with us.

> I would love to have some tips from you, as to how one should go

about

> studying the Lal Kitab.

>

> With respect,

>

> Girish Raheja

>