Jaimini is one of the most intricate system of Hindu astrology. The Jaimini system or Jaimini Jyotish marks a significant departure from the canons of Parashari which is the most popular and preferred system of horoscope reading among Vedic astrologers in India. However, it can not be maintained that Jaimini and Parashari are at complete variance from each other as the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (BPHS) itself contains the basic rules of Jaimini yogas and dashas in great details. The Parashara Hora Shastra has given the fundamental rules of Jaimini aspects, Arudha or Pada, Argalas, Karakamsha, Jaimini Yogas, determination of longevity and various Jaimini dashas in its early chapters.
Many savants of Hindu astrology believes that Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra is the compilation of all the astrological knowledge in India available at that time. Interestingly apart from Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra only the Jataka Tattva and Vriddhayavana have some references about Jaimini astrology. The other major classics of Hindu astrology like Brihat Jataka, Sarawali, Phaladeepika, Prashna Marga, Hora Saar, Jataka Bharanam, Shambhu Hora Prakasha etc. do not have any mention about techniques of Jaimini system. Perhaps this was for the reason that Jaimini system may not have been very popular and was only consider as merely an off-shoot of Parashari system. As per many scholars of modern times the Jaimini system only compliments the Parashari system which holds the top most importance in the practice of Hindu astrology.
I got interested in Jaimini astrology in 2008 when i was in the astrology research class of Shri K.N. Rao at the Institute of Astrology Bharitiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi. I had completed my Jyotish Acharya with gold medal in the summer of 2008 and later joined the research batch of Shri K.N.Rao who taught us his composite method of astrological predictions. Around that time i started reading various versions of Jaimini Sutra available in the market. In March 2009 my book “Predicting through Jaimini’s Navamsha Dasha” was released which was written under the guidance of my teacher Shri K.N.Rao.
In this small write-up i will discuss about some of the important books on Jaimini astrology.
- Jaimini Sutram by Professor P.S. Sastri: This is the only translation of Jaimini Sutra which contain 4 Chapters in 936 Sutras (Aphorisms). All the other translators of Jaimini has deal with only 2 Chapters available in the manuscripts. It is believed that there were 8 Chapters in the Jaimini Maharishi’s Upadesha Sutras but presently only 4 Chapters have been found and the rest are lost. This book by Professor P.S. Sastri is in English and contains 329 example charts in South Indian format. These charts have Rasi and Navamsha along with planetary longitudes. So if you are well versed with English and can read horoscope cast in South-Indian format then this could be a very good book for you to read on Jaimini astrology.
2. Predicting through Karakamsha & Jaimini’s Mandook Dasha:- This is a great research of Shri K.N. Rao who has lucidly explain the use of Karakamsha and Swamsha with examples. The author has also discuss the controversies about Pada or Arudha lagna calculations and some dark areas of Jaimini system like Argalas, longevity calculation, Nirayan Shoola dasha, Dwara and Bahya Rashis, Hora lagna, rules of calculating Brahma, Rudra and Maheshwara etc. The Mandooka dasha of Jaimini has been taught with very good predictive techniques in this book. This is a must read book for every student of Jaimini system.
3. Predicting through Jaimini’s Chara dasha: This is another great work by Shri K.N. Rao who has shown in this book how 7 Chara Karakas , not 8 as some wrongly do, should be used in making predictions in Jaimini system. The Chara dasha is the king of Rashi dashas in Jaimini as Vimshottari is the king of Nakshatra dasha in Parashari system. In this book Shri K.N. Rao has also discuss about some of the abstruseness in the translations of Jaimini system available to us. After readings this book one should also read ‘Advance Techniques of Predicting through Jaimini’s Chara Dasha’ and also ‘Predicting through Jaimini’s Sthira Dasha’ which was written under the guidence of same author.
4. Jaimini Sutras by B.Suryanarain Rao: This is the oldest commentary of Jaimini Sutras in English. This book was written by the grandfather of Dr.B.V. Raman. In the present edition notes has been given by Dr. B.V. Raman to explain the Sutras of 2 chapters of Jaimini. However, this book don’t contain much practical case studies.
5. Studies in Jaimini Astrology by B.V. Raman: This book authored by legendary Dr.Raman is based on his own practical experiences in Jamini astrology. Some of the concepts in this book like adding one year for exalted planet in case of Chara dasha and subtracting one year if the planet is in its debilitation are confusing and don’t work in practical circumstances. The method of calculating Trikona dasha, Nirayan Shoola dasha, Brahma, Rudra and Maheshwara are also not correct in this book.
6. Jaimini Sutramritam by Iranganti Rangacharya: This is the English translation of two chapters of Jaimini Sutras by a great scholar of Hindu astrology. In this commentary of Jaimini there are not much practical examples to explain the techniques of this system which is a handicap in understanding this book. I would rate Professor P.S. Sastry’s Jaimini Sutram in English better than this book.
7. A Manual of Jaimini Astrology by Iranganti Rangacharya: This book is written for the purpose of explaining the Jaimini Sutramritam by the same author. The aspects, argalas, arudhas, raja yogas, ayur dasha, phalitha dasha etc. have been explain in this book but again there are not much practical examples there.
8. Jyotisha Phala Ratna Mala by Iranganti Rangacharya: This book is an English translation of Krishna Mishra’s work Phala Ratna Mala. It is said that Krishna Mishra was astrologer in the court of great King Vikramaditya. This work of Krishna Mishra was said to be containing 2000 Slokas in 30 chapters. Only 23 chapters are available at present which has been translated by author with his notes. This book is mainly for the advance researches of Jaimini system.
9. Jaimini Sutram in Hindi by Pandit Sitaram Sharma : This Hindi translation of Jaimini Sutram published by Chaukhamba Vidya Bhavan Varanasi is a must buy for student of Jaimini astrology. Only two chapters have been deal in this work with lucid translation but it also lack practical examples.
10. Jaimini Sutrayani in Hindi published by Shri Khemraj Shri Krishnadas , Venketshwar Press Mumbai : It is the best Hindi translation of Jaimini Sutras available in the market. The author have also given some footnotes in this book which explain the Jaimini techniques given in Vriddhakarikas.
11. A comprehensive guide for Jaimini Astrologers: This is a very good book for research students of Jaimini astrology as it contain many practical case studies with explanation of 38 dasha’s of Jaimini system school. Although Jaimini Maharishi has given only 13 types of Dasha’s in his Jaimini Sutram but later authorities from the Jaimini school, mostly from Andhra Pradesha, adding some new dashas. Texts like ‘Soothraartha Prakaashika’ , ‘Vanchhanathiyam’, ‘Jataka Rajiyam’ and ‘Vriddhakarikas’ later on added new concepts and dasha in the Jaimini system school which has been explained in detail by erudite author Shri Sampath Kumar Medavarapu’. But one should not forget that all the 38 dasha of Jaimini in circulation are not the one which were given by Jaimini Maharishi. The sage Jaimini has only given 13 dasha in his Upadesha Sutra’s. This book is a translation of original Telegu Version of Scholar Sri Medavarapu Sampath Kumar.
12. Predicting Through Jaimini’s Navamsha Dasha – Navamsha Dasha’s are calculated in many different ways but the Sage Jaimini has mention only one ‘Navamsha Dasha’ in Jaimini Sutram. The Chapter number 2nd Pada III Sage Jaimini has given two Sloka’s only which gives clue to the calculation of ‘Navamsha Dasha’. Working on these two Sutra’s this scribe had wrote the book under the guidance of his teacher Shri K.N. Rao in year 2009. The book is available in both Hindi and English languages.
13. Casting of Arudhas the right way : This is an interesting book on the Arudha Pada’s and Jaimini’s Pada Navamsha Dasha. The author Sri Ananta Sharma is senior astrologer from Andhra Pradesh who has written many books on the subject in Telegu. He has practically demonstrated in this book the right method of casting Arudhas which has to be without taking any exceptions. He has also shown the application of ‘Pada Navamsha Dasha’ or ‘Pada Nadhamsa Dasa’ which is being taken from the classical text ‘Phala Ratana Mala’ of Krishnam Mishra. The author has discussed various yoga’s from Lagna Arudha and Upa Pada as per the Jaimini Sutram by using 10 practical examples.
