Chara Dasa - A Classical Reference

Shri Ganeshaya Namah

Dear Friends,

Last month, I introduced the Chara Dasa (Raghava Bhatta – Nrisimha Suri) variation with ample explanation and, of course, some of the ancient commentaries on the Jaimini system as well. I know the list is not exhaustive, but gives a glimpse of the vast knowledge that needs to be explored. I request the astrological fraternity to come forward and share the rare manuscripts to the public since the authors or the commentators of those valuable resources never intended them to be the household secrets or treasure. Since, I never intended this blog to be a forum as similar to some of the Parampara internet forums where they discuss and authenticate only the teachings of their Paramapara. I don’t want to write the names, but intelligent readers may ponder the state of affairs regarding the Jaimini on Internet. Yet, in this blog, I venture to write some strong comments with only academic interest.

As I promised that I would give more authentic information on Chara Dasa, this month I am giving that information on Chara Dasa that ordains the Padakrama order for Chara Dasa. Please go through the following and my comments in the later part of this blog. I hope readers would forgive me for not disclosing the name of the text from which I culled this info. I kept this secret for the very obvious reasons that readers could easily understand.

The following text is culled from *******, a very important commentary and sometimes revered as Magnum Opus of Jaimini System

अस्यामेव दशायां चरदशामार्ग उच्यते

asyāmeva daśāyāṁ caradaśāmārga ucyate

लग्नमारभ्य पदक्रमेण दशानेया

तस्यां रुद्राश्रये रुद्र दृष्टराशौ वा तत्तदायुर्भेदेन मृतिः वाच्यः

lagnamārabhya padakrameṇa daśāneyā

tasyāṁ rudrāśraye rudra dṛṣṭarāśau vā tattadāyurbhedena mṛtiḥ vācyaḥ

अथ चतुर्णामपि दशानां राशिमारभ्य ईशपर्यंतं

atha caturṇāmapi daśānāṁ rāśimārabhya īśaparyaṁtaṁ

चरक्रमेण दशानेया ओजे क्रमेण युग्मे व्युत्क्रमेण

carakrameṇa daśāneyā oje krameṇa yugme vyutkrameṇa

कारकास्तु राश्यधिपा येव

एव विधायकस्य क्रमेण ग्रहान् परिकल्प्या भावाश्च विचारणीयाः

अत एव अस्याः दशायाः चरदशेतिनाम

kārakāstu rāśyadhipā yeva

eva vidhāyakasya krameṇa grahān parikalpyā bhāvāśca vicāraṇīyāḥ

ata eva asyāḥ daśāyāḥ caradaśetināma

चरदशायां एवं फलकथन प्रकारः

राशेः कारकस्य वा पापयोगे तद्दशायां क्लेशः

एवं तमेव राशिं लग्नस्थाने अभिषिच्य सर्वेपि भावाः योजनीयाः रास्यारूढादिकमपि चिंतनीयम्

दशानयनेषु वृद्धि ह्रासावपि चिंतनीयाविति चरदशा प्रकरणम्

caradaśāyāṁ evaṁ phalakathana prakāraḥ

rāśeḥ kārakasya vā pāpayoge taddaśāyāṁ kleśaḥ

evaṁ tameva rāśiṁ lagnasthāne abhiṣicya sarvepi bhāvāḥ yojanīyāḥ rāsyārūḍhādikamapi ciṁtanīyam

daśānayaneṣu vṛddhi hrāsāvapi ciṁtanīyāviti caradaśā prakaraṇam

Literal Translation:

I am giving below a very literal translation and request to forgive me for the errors.

Now, the Chara Dasa is being explained. This dasa shall be started from Lagna and be progressed in Pada Krama order. Death will occur in the signs occupied by the Rudra planet or the signs aspected by him. The dasa years shall be calculated from the dasa sign to the sign occupied by its lord for these four types of the dasas. (Note: The author of this work explained, at an earlier part, that there were four types of Chara Dasas).

If the Lagna is odd sign, the dasa shall move in zodiacal direction and anti zodiacal for the even sign. The dasa karaka for this dasa sign is none other than the lord of the sign itself. And the respective Karakas for the other Bhavas shall be reckoned form this Karaka (Using Graha Chakra). The respective bhava results may be ascertained from this Bhava Karakas as well.

Results of Chara Dasa:

1. The dasa sign shall be treated as dasa lagna and the houses shall be delineated from the dasa sign.

2. If the dasa sign or the dasa karaka is influenced by malefic, the dasa will be give troubles.

3. The Rasyarudha (Sign Arudha) may be calculated and its results shall be studied.

4. The Vriddhi (Increase) and Hrasa (decrease) may be used in calculating the dasa.

My Notes:

Now from the above Sanskrit text and translation, it is evident that in Chara dasa, we need to consider Padakrama and it shall always starts from Lagna and the direction is based on the oddity of Lagna. Sign Arudha (Rasyarudha) and Aspect Arudha (Drishtyarudha) are two important Arudhas introduced by this text and extensively used By Raghava Bhatta. As exposed by Sri Rangacharya, the Aspect Arudha finds its extensive use in Drig Dasa which is based on Aspects. Readers may read commentary by Sri Rangacharya Sign Arudha. It looks the author of this work intends that this dasa may be used as Ayurdasa and accordingly he categorized this as Phalita and Ayurdasa as well.

Again, as a promise, I will write the exposition of Drig dasa which extensively uses Aspect Arudha Drishtyarudha as given in Jataka Sara Sangraha. I am really overwhelmed by the contents and explanation by Raghava Bhatta and that’s why his name referred as frequently as possible here.

Contradictory Points:

BPHS and Neelakantha:

Now, the interesting points are which differ from BPHS Chara Dasa and Neelakanta Chara Dasa. Readers may ponder that BPHS Chara Dasa and Neelakanta Chara Dasa are similar in most respects. I purposefully stated this as BPHS Chara Dasa not Parasara Chara Dasa for obvious reasons.

This version of Chara Dasa

1. Doesn’t say that dasa movement according to oddity of 9th house.

2. Dasa movement is always according to the oddity of Lagna.

3. Stresses on Padakrama order

4. Is based on the Oja and Yugma signs, not on Vishama Pada and Samapada signs.

5. Usage of Rudra and Rasyarudha

IMHO, except Neelakantha, no other original commentator approves the view of 9th house rule for Chara Dasa. We can understand this if we study the Chara Dasa by Raghava Bhatta, Nrisimha Suri and of course this text as well. Please go through the previous blogs to appreciate this.

A Parampara Dasa in the name of Lord Vishnu:

Next, the points are differing from a popular dasa in the name of Lord Vishnu as advocated by a Parampara. Let us call it ND. I discuss this only for academic purpose and I intend neither controversy intended nor defaming them.

The Paramapara unfortunately never discusses any standard Jaimini commentary in their possession, nor quote them in their articles. One self claimed scholar of that Parampara even writes that the students of the parampara not necessarily read the ancient commentaries since their Gurudev has already done that and tested them. He opines that reading other texts is Rajasic and perhaps reading the books of their Gurudev works is Sattvic and sufficient for them.

One day, I was informed by one scholar of the Parampara that their Parampara recognizes another Navamsa in the name of Somanatha Navamsa. I requested the scholar to produce the relevant verse that gives the variation and he admitted he didn’t bother to learn about the source. So nice of him to admit. When I offered him that the available, IMHO corrupted, verse of Somanatha, he never turned up to discuss and they run a scholar program in the name of Sage Jaimini.

Sometime later, I requested another scholar of the same parampara about the source of Somanatha Navamsa that their Parampara recently introduced in their secret teachings. That scholar informed me that the name derived as Somanatha since the ancestors of the Parampara were migrated from Gujarat and the linkage with Somanatha temple. I can’t help myself but knocking my head to the wall. Then, I asked about Somanatha Drekkana, you know, the answer was obvious. The scholar explained that for the very reason it was given by Somanatha.

And, the first scholar mentioned above, writes that their Parampara is a living lineage of Jaimini and they fail to understand the source of Somanatha Navamsa and its reckoning. Another scholar of the same parampara warns the students about the Guru Chandala Yoga in the sky (which is not in reality since Jupiter is retro in Capricorn and far away from Rahu) and its effect on Sage Jaimini teachings.

There are many things which I don’t want to discuss here. Thanks for your patience.

Coming back to the Chara dasa,

1. The above text authenticates using Padakrama order for Chara Dasa, which is also followed in ND.

2. ND follows Vishama Pada and Sama Pada of 9th house where as this text ordains using only oddity of Lagna for ascertaining the direction of dasa.

3. ND asks us to start the dasa from the stronger of Lagna and its 7th, where as this text specifies that Chara Dasa always starts from Lagna.

4. There are much more additions/ research etc. like Saturn exception, Ketu exception and Leo exception etc., which no other available sources acknowledge. And unfortunately, the Paramapara never bother to disclose or inquire the original verses for their claims. Nevertheless, this ND dasa is an intelligent extension of principles and readers may try its veracity.

IMHO, The Parampara looks to have cleverly mixed the Neelakanta Chara Dasa with this variation with some other intelligent modifications and came up with a dasa in the name of Lord Vishnu. The following graphic depicts the same. Of course I may be wrong, yet one can appreciate better if they bringforth the relevant manuscript or resource, lest it becomes highly impossible to know whether it is their parampara research or individual attempt.

The text discussed above is, perhaps, the first commentary explains the padakrama for Chara Dasa, which was also followed in Jataka Sara Sangraha. Fortunately, the text discussed here, at a later chapter, mentions the Vishama Pada and Sama Pada and their usage in another dasa, but not for Chara Dasa. It again discusses the Ketu exception for another dasa and the Gurudev of the paramapara writes as if it was his own research/interpretation.

Raghava Bhatta Chara Dasa:

In comparison with RB-NS Chara Dasa, there are many interesting points and that are tabulated below.

1. Both use the Padakrama order, which is very important for the Phalita Dasas. If we study the 2nd adhyaya of Jaimini Sutras, we can observe definitely specific padakrama jumps invariably used for most Phalita dasas. For example, Drig Dasa and Mandooka Dasa use Trikona Padakrama in Udaya Chakra, where as Chara Paryaya Dasa uses another Padakrama in Prakritai Chakra.

2. The Dasa start sign varies according to gender of the native in RB-NS which is not indicated in this text.

3. The calculation of Dasa years also differs. RB-NS uses Nadha Prabriti Rasyantah principle, where as this text uses Nadhantah Sama Principle.

I request the readers to add this info and study these variations and I sincerely hope Jaimini System would be placed at its deserving position. Somebody on a forum expressed that Astrology doesn’t start and, of course, end with Jaimini. As far as I am concerned, it is exactly reverse.

In the next blog, we will discuss the “Swaste Darah” rule from another ancient text.

Seeking Blessings,

Shanmukha