Parasara on Chara Karakas: Kechith - Classical ref

November 12, 2008

Namaste Ramadas ji,

Thank you for the mail. The version quoted by you and Ajit avoids any little confusion created by kechit. This version is even clearer than Santhanam's version.

Parasara said 7 planets from Sun to Saturn or 8 planets upto Rahu are to be considered. If any two planets are in the same degree, he said 8 upto Rahu should be counted. Then he said "in this manner" seven or eight karakas are taken. He did not suggest different schools at all. By using "in this manner", he suggested that there are no further guidelines and what he mentioned before was all.

Thus, this verse is saying the same thing said by the other version of BPHS, only clearer. Vriddha karikas are also saying the same thing.

Best regards,NarasimhaDo a Short Homam Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homamDo Pitri Tarpanas Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/tarpanaSpirituality: Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.netFree Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer.orgSri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagannath.org

sohamsa , "Ramadas Rao" <ramadasrao wrote:O SHRI RAGHAVENDRA GURUBHYO NAMAHDear Chi.Narasimha,I am reading along discussion about seven or eight chara karakas.You all are discussing about the word " kechit".Now I have a Kannada version of Brihta Parashara Hora Shastra translated by Pandit Shri R.J.Deshpande.He wrote that he got the original Shlokas taken from Dr.Pandit Devachandra Jha 's Sanskrit version of Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra.In this book,chapter 33 on Karakadhyaya he says " aTha vakshyaami KheTaanamaatmaprabhritikaarakaan.sUryadi mandaparyantaan raahuntaan va dwijottama || 1|yadiKheTau samaanshau raahuntaan guNayed dwija .evam saptaathavaaShThaa syuH kaarakaH sammataaH sataam |2| "So in this 2nd Shloka, I can not find any "kechit" but "syuH " is mentioned.Now please compare all the available texts on BPHS and JMUS and give your views about this.With Shri Hari Vaayu Guru Naama Smarana,Ramadas Rao.On Mon, 3 Nov 2008 15:04:39 -0500 sohamsa wroteNamaste Pradeep,I just want to address the "kechit" thing that I have not addressed before.> 1)It could be that they took ''Kechit'' ''as others opinion'' instead > of ''other''. The word kechit is what made some scholars come up with the "two schools" theory (i.e. there are some people who use 7 and some who use 8).Kechit means some. It can mean "some scholars" or "some charts" or "some nativities" or any "some XYZ". The line "saptaiva kaarakaanevam kechidaShTau pracakShate" can be translated as "in this manner, some bring to light 7 significators and some 8 significators".It is normally valid to interpret this to suggest two schools of opinion. However, that interpretation is totally illogical in this context. He has given a horoscope-based criterion to choose when 8 are used and when 7 are used and then said *in this manner* 8 are brought to light by some and 7 by some. If this is referring to two schools of thought using 7 karakas in all charts and using 8 karakas in all charts, what is the criterion on 2 planets in the same degree doing and what does "in this manner" mean? In this context, kechit cannot mean "some scholars". He is saying "in this manner, some nativities (charts) bring to light 7 karakas and some 8 karakas".Please note that the word kechit is avoided in the corresponding vriddha karika verse that gives the same horoscopic criterion to teach the use of 7 karakas in some charts and 8 in some. Also there is an alternate verse quoted from another version of BPHS by Ajit Krishnan that gives a different verse with the same meaning but avoiding kechit. Moreover, I find it very hard to believe that a maharshi would say "some use 7. Some use 8. Do as you wish".Without a question, Parasara is clearly teaching that 7 karakas are used in some charts and 8 karakas in some charts and clearly describing when to use what. The choice is based on two planets being in the same degree.* * *Though it is the best I can do now, my interpretation of BPHS may be imperfect in cases where two planets are in the same degree and 8 planets are used. But, in cases where all planets are in different degrees and 7 planets are used, I am confident of what I taught. Please do give a try to Karaka dasa.Best regards,Narasimha