Stanzas 16 to 20. — The unfavourable times for putting questions are:, the eleven constellations not considered auspicious for the first feeding of the child; gandantha, ushna and visha nakshatras, the four evil lunar days, vishti and sthira karanas; junctions of tithi, nakshatra, rasi and amsa; gulikodayakala, vyatheepatha, sarpa siras, eclipses and ekargala; mrityu and dagdha yogas; when malefics rise in or aspect evil signs, thirteenth lunar day; at dusk; at midnight; when the Lagna is aspected by the Sun; at a solar ingress ; on a day ruled by the 3rd, 5th or 7th star from the birth star of the querent; when the Lagna of query is the 8th from the querent's birth Lagna; and when the query Moon is in the 8th from the natal Moon. Queries put under such evil times are indicative of inauspicious results.
NOTES
According to stanzas 16 to 20, an astrologer has to consider innumerable astronomical
factors before pronouncing judgement. There are nearly 22 doshas or afflictions or inauspicious periods. When a question is put under these doshas, the indication should be deemed to prove harmful or inauspicious. For the information of the readers, I propose to list these doshas seriatim. There is a slight difference between the definition of the following doshas as given here and as found in some works on Muhurtha.
I. Constellations considered inauspicious for first feeding: They are Bharani, Krittika, Aridra, Aslesha, Makha, Pubba, Visakha, Jyeshta, Moola and Poorvashadha.
II. Gandantha: The first pada or quarter of Aswini, Makha and Moola and the last pada of Aslesha, Jyeshta and Revati.
III. Ushna: From 7 1/2 to 15 ghatikas of Aswini, Rohini, Punarvasu, Makha and Hasta; 55 to 60 ghatikas of Bharani, Mrigasira, Pushyami, Pubba and Chitta; 21 to 30 ghatikas of Krittika, Aridra, Aslesha, Uttara, Swati; 1 to 8 ghatikas of the 1st quarter of Visakha, Moola, Sravana and Poorvabhadra; 52 to 60 ghatikas of Anuradha, Poorvashadha, Dhanishta, Uttarabhadra; 20 to 30 ghatikas of Jyeshta, Uttarashadha, Satabhisha and Revati.
IV. Visha: 50, 24, 30, 4, 14, 11, 30, 20, 32, 30, 20, 18, 22, 20, 14, 14, 10, 14, 20, 24, 20, 10, 10, 18, 16, 24, 30; 4 ghatis from these limits in each of the 27 constellations respectively. For example, in Krittika that part of the constellation coming between 30 and 34 ghatis becomes Visha.
V. Riktha Thithis: The 4th, 8th, 9th and 14th lunar days.
VI. Bad Karanas: Vishti and Sthira. Vishti is the 7th Karana. The first seven come by rotation eight times in a lunar month commencing with the second half of the first lunar day.
There are 11 Karanas, the four, viz., sakuna, chatushpada, naya and kimstughna being sthira or permanent Karanas which occur in order from the second half of the 29th lunar day.
VII. Sandhis or junctional points:
(a) The first and the lastghati (24 minutes) of a lunar day and nakshatra.
(b) The first and the last five vighatis (2 minutes) of a sign.
(c) The first and the last vighatika (24 seconds) of each Navamsa.
VIII. Gulikodaya Kala: This is the time at which the tertiary planet Gulika rises. Each day at a particular interval of time from sunrise as given below Gulika is said to rise.
Day Night
Sunday 26 10
Monday 22 6
Tuesday 18 2
Wednesday 14 26
Thursday 10 22
Friday 6 18
Saturday 2 14
It is this moment that is meant.
IX. Vyathipatha: This is an evil Yoga prohibited for all auspicious works.
The method of calculation of Vyathipatha has been detailed in all Hindu astronomical treatises. Roughly Vyathipatha falls in the following asterisms in the corresponding solar months:
Aries and Libra Makha and Satabhisha Taurus and Scorpio Sravana and Pushyami Gemini and Sagittarius Poorvashadha and Aridra Cancer and Capricorn Rohini and Jyeshta Leo and Aquarius Bharani and Swati Virgo and Pisces Revati and Hasta
X. Eclipses: For three days from the time of the commencement of solar or lunar eclipse, the lime is said to be inauspicious. XI. Sarpasiras: The latter half of Vyathipatha.
XII. Ekargala: This yoga is powerful during the daytime.
The following is a rough method for calculating Ekargala:
Subtract the Sun's longitude from 360°. Divide the balance by 13°20'. Reject the remainder and the quotient plus 1 is the Ekargala nakshatra. The 2nd, 7th, 10th, 11th, 14th, 16th, 18th and 20th from this asterism are also Ekargala stars.
Example: The Sun's longitude is 116°.
360-116: 244°/13°20' = 18 3/10
The 19th from Aswini, viz., Moola is Ekargala star. Other Ekargala stars are Poorvashadha, Poorvabhadra, Aswini, Bharani, Mrigasira, Punarvasu, Aslesha and Pubba.
XIII. Mrityu and Dagdha Yogas: Sunday to Saturday coinciding with Makha, Visakha, Aridra, Moola, Satabhisha, Rohini, Poorvashadha respectively causes Mrityu Yoga in the first eighth part of the day concerned. Dagdha Yoga arises when Sunday to Saturday respectively coincide with the 12th, llth, 5th, 2nd, 6th, 8th and 9th lunar days.
XIV. Rise and Aspect of Evil Planets: The Sun, Mars, Saturn and Rahu are malefics.
Their aspect of or association with the rising sign is considered inauspicious.
XV. The 13th lunar day.
XVI. Pradosha: At dusk, i.e., just before and immediately after sunset.
XVII. Nishi: At the time of midnight.
XVIII. Ravi Darshana: When the Lagna at the time of the query is aspected by the Sun.
According to some the 7th sign from that occupied by the Sun.
XIX. Sankranti: At the time of the solar ingress into a zodiacal sign. The 16 ghatikas (6h.
24m.) both before and after the Sun's entry can be considered as inauspicious.
XX. When the ruling constellation is the 3rd, 5th or 7th from that of the birth, it goes
under the name of Vipat, Pratyak and Naidhana respectively and hence inauspicious.
XXI. The Lagna at the time of query should not be the 8th from the Lagna at the time of birth.
XXII. The Moon at the time of query should not be in the 8th from the radical Moon.
Thus it will be seen that in these stanzas, some sort of a brief summary of Muhurtha or electional astrology has been given. Then there are other equally inauspicious phenomena like fall of meteors and appearance of comets, etc., which should also be considered.