Of Longevity

By Sampath Kumar Medavarapu, India

SA Formatting: Mauricio Avila, Brazil.

T
Sampath Kumar Medavarapu
is a practioner of astrology since 35 years. He has written 8 books on astrology in Telugu language which includes Guru Shukra prabhavamu & Chandra kala nadi. He is an M A in Sanskrit and has translated 64 Tantras from sanskrit to Telugu language. He has submitted several research papers in national and international conferences. His email id is sampathkumar57@gmail.com

here are some procedures mentioned to calculate the longevity in Varahamihira's Bruhajjataka, like Manittha, Jiva Sarma, Yavana and Satyacharya. Among them, Satyacharyas method is preferred by Varaha Mihira, If Ascendant is strong then only this method will work. Saravali also confirms this statement. If Sun is strong then Pindayurdaya will work. If Moon is strong then Naisrgikaurdaya should be calculated. Now I am going to explain Satyacharyas method and its conditions. BJ-7-9
1

Meaning: According to Satyacharya, the planetary years are the same as the

N. Chidambaram Ayyar, Bruhajjataka with Bhattotpala Commentary, Published by Thirivadi Jyothisha sabha, 1885, Madras.

Navamshas passed over by each planet. This view has the support of many authorities. The manual method is like this. BJ-7-10 Meaning: According to Satyacharya, convert the Sphuta or longitudes of the planet degrees into minutes; divide the number of by 200; the quotient will represent the number of Navamshas passed over by the planet from the first point of sign. The remainder will give the number of years. Now I will explain with clarity on how to get months and days and so on. Step 1: Take the degrees of the planet and convert them into minutes, then divide by 200, the quotient will be the years and the remainder should be multiplied by 12 and again divide by 200, then that quotient will be the months. The remainder should be multiplied by 30 and again divided by 200; the quotient resultant will be the number of days. The remainder should be multiplied by 60 and again divided by 200, the quotient will be the hours, again the remainder should be multiplied by 60 and again divide by 200, the quotient will be the minutes. This is the process of 1 to 30 degrees. Like this minutes multiplied by 60 and divide by 200 you should get hours in quotient, again remainder should multiplied by 60 and divide by 200 and you will get the minutes, lastly remainder multiply by 60 and divide by 200, the number of seconds will be arrived as the result. According to the planets degrees and minutes longevity can be calculated. First calculate the longevity (years months days) of the planets, from Sun to Saturn (Rahu/ Ketu excluded). After that, the approximate longevity will be arrived. Next step, we will have to add or subtract the numbers arrived according to the planets positional status. BJ-7-11 Meaning: The sages reveal the following rules. 1. If planet is in exaltation or is retrograde then multiply the longevity by 3.

2. If planet is in Vargottama, in own Navamsa, in own house or in own Drekkana then double the longevity arrived for that planet. This is called Bharana (Adding). 3. If planet is in Debilitation or in Combustion (within 8o of Suns orbit) then divide by 2. This condition would not apply to Saturn and Venus. 4. If the planet is placed in enemys house then subtract 1/3 part of the longevity arrived. This is called Harana (Subtracting). At this point, the native will get the actual longevity given by planets. Tripling the years of retrograded planets is a special feature of Satyacharya's longevity method. In other respects, it resembles the Pindayu1daya rules, but the reduction known as Chakrapatha Harana and Krurodaya Harana does not apply to Satyacharya's method. According to Satyacharya the years and months for the Lagna (the rising degree) are the same as the number of Navamshas passed over in the sign. BJ; 7-7 Varahamihira mentioned some other methods of 1-Maya, 2-Yavana, 3-Manittha, 4-Vishnu Gupata, 5-Deva Swami; and 6-Siddha Sena. Here Varahamihira criticized as those other methods are not applicable due to errors. The above verse meaning is: according to these methods death will not happen between the ages of 8 till 20 years old. But in practice, the same is not holding true. Varahamihira vehemently criticized all methods from Maya to Siddha Sena and praised Satyacharyas theory twice. Some thought that these two verses 7 and 8 are interpolated by some others, But commentator Bhattotpala thinks that these verses are not of others despite objections to Pindayurdaya raised in it. He meets follows by proving that Pindayurdaya does give below 20. He took one example horoscope and discussed in lengthy.

BJ-7-13 Meaning: In the matter of Ayurdaya, the method of Satyacharya is the best. Objection is made to it on the ground that the planetary years have to be multiplied several times. This is wrong. Where any period has to be multiplied by several numbers it will be sufficient if the period is multiplied by the larger number.

Suppose Mercury occupies the sign of Virgo which is his exaltation sign as well as his own house. It would seem that under verse 2, Mercury's years should first be triplicate and then doubled. This has to be done again, suppose Mercury is occupying the last Navamsha of Virgo, which is his Vargottama position. His years, it would appear, have to be doubled on that account. We already found that for being in his house, his years had to be doubled. The question is whether the years of Mercury have to be doubled twice. Again, suppose Mercury while occupying Virgo, his exaltation sign, is also in retrograde motion for which his years have to be trebled. Are his years then to be trebled twice? No. Bhattotpala elaborated this issue in his commentary as like with these lines of ancients verses. Meaning: Manitha and others elder sages have mentioned If Ascendant is strong then follow the Satyacharya method, if Sun is strong then follow the Pindayurdaya method of Manitha and others. Some commentators have amended this as: Do both calculations of 1-Pindayurdaya and 2-Amsayurdaya of Satyacharya, after that take which is less and then in that less period see the last Dasha lord, if he is friend of starting Mula Dasa lord then that native will complete that Dasha and live after that one. If he is an enemy then death will take place at that Dasha. If he is a neutral then some severe health problem will take place during the period. Ammendment-1: If planets are in mutual exchange, then double the longevity of the highest one and the remaining should be let as it is. (This rule has been proved in many charts). Ammendment-2: If Ascendant Lord aspects Ascendant from any friendly house then according to his strength, 4 to 9 years should be added. Because the longevity of seven planets are given but Ascendant had not been mentioned in the scripture. In Ashtakavarga System, the Ascendant also contributes with some bindus so its also useful in order to get the accurate longevity. Ammendment-3: If Ascendant is devoid of any malefic planet and contains natural benefics like Jupiter, Venus and Moon then 3 years should be added. (This rule has been proved in many charts).

Conditions for the applicability of Satyacharyas Method 1-Condition of Strength: If Ascendant is stronger than Sun and Moon then only this
method works perfectly. 2-Condition of Ayanamsha: Only Surya Siddhanta Ayanamsa should be followed for longitudinal positions of the planets, because in ancient times the exponent Satyacharya and Varahamihira followed Surya Siddhanta only. I made a web based application namely MS-Longevity. Before to use, I want to give more details of this method of Satyacharya. Application link given below. http://www.ms-longevity.host56.com/ Now I am going to explain some examples, using Surya Siddhanta Ayanamsa.

Case 1: Bhanumathi, September 7, 1925. Ongole. Famous Telugu actress.

According to the planet degrees below mentioned gross level longevity has arrived, Now I did additions and subtractions according to the positional status of the planets.

Planet
Sun Moon Mars Mercury

Years
6 8 7 1

Months
11 2 6 9

Days
13 1 8 7

Hours
19 4 0 18

Minutes
12 48 0 48

Jupiter Venus Saturn Total

6 8 5 45

4 7 7 0

18 8 22 20

14 19 18 25

24 12 48 12

Sun is placed in own house, so doubled. Moon in friend house so no subtraction were made, Mars in own Navamsa and combusted within 8 degrees of Suns orbit so no addition or subtraction. Mercury in a friends house so no addition and subtraction, Jupiter retrograded so tripled, Venus is vargottama so doubled, Saturn is in own Drekkana so doubled. The actual longevity was found, now we just need to add this to the natives D.O.B.

Planet
Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Longevity

Years
13 8 7 1 19 17 11 79

Months
10 2 6 9 1 2 3 0

Days
27 1 8 7 25 17 15 13

Hours
14 4 0 18 19 14 13 13

Minutes
24 48 0 48 12 24 36 12

Calc.
Double ---Triple Double Double

D.O.B.: 1925-9-07 + 79-0-13 days, 20 hours and 51 minutes = September 20, 2004. Actually Bhanumathi died on December 24, 2005. 15 months of difference. Case 2: N.T.R. May 28, 1923, Gudivada. Famous Telugu actor and former C.M. of A.P.

According to the planet degrees below, approximately longevity was arrived. Now, I did additions and subtractions according to the positional status of the planets.

Planet
Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Total

Years
4 6 2 4 5 5 6 35

Months
5 0 1 8 11 0 8 0

Days
1 27 11 17 25 23 8 26

Hours
18 0 9 23 14 23 9 3

Minutes
48 0 36 36 24 36 36 36

Sun is in Vargottama position so doubled. Moon is in enemy house so 1/3 subtracted. Mercury and Jupiter are retrograde so both are tripled. Venus is in enemy house so 1/3 subtracted, Saturn retrograde so tripled. The actual longevity was arrived, now we just add to the D.O.B.

Planet
Sun Moon Mars

Years
8 4 1

Months
10 0 3

Days
3 18 7

Hours
13 0 11

Minutes
36 0 37

Calc.
Double Subtraction Subtraction

Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Longevity

14 17 3 20 69

1 11 2 0 6

23 16 15 25 20

22 19 20 4 20

48 12 50 48 51

Triple Triple Subtraction Triple

Actual longevity is 69 years, 6 months, 20 days, 20 hours and 51 minutes. According to amendment 3 three years must be added (Jupiter posited in Ascendant along with Moon. Three auspicious planets are covered by Ascendant). So in this N.T.R. chart I added 3 years. Then actual longevity comes as like this: D.O.B.: 1923-5-28 + 72-6-28 = December 18, 1995. Actually N.T.R. died on January 18, 1996. Only 1 month of difference. Case 3: Lalbahadur Sastry, October 02, 1904 at 11:15h, Mogulsarai.

Planet
Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus

Years
5 3 2 8 1 3

Months
3 11 9 10 10 2

Days
1 26 18 25 15 5

Hours
19 9 0 0 0 19

Minutes
12 36 0 0 0 12

Saturn Total

7 33

0 0

18 20

0 0

0 0

Planet
Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Longevity

Years
5 2 2 17 5 6 21 61

Months
3 7 9 9 7 4 1 7

Days
1 17 18 20 15 11 24 17

Hours
19 11 0 0 0 14 0 21

Minutes
12 37 0 0 0 24 0 13

Calc.
-Subtraction -Double Triple Double Triple

Sun and Mercury are in mutual exchange so Mercury contribution is doubled (Ammendment-1). Moon is placed in enemys house so 1/3 subtracted, Jupiter and Saturn are retrograde so both are tripled. Venus in own house gets his contribution doubled. The actual longevity was arrived, now we just add this to the D.O.B. D.O.B.: 1923-10-02 + 61-07-17 = May 19, 1966. Actually Sastry died on January 01, 1966. Only 4 month of difference.

Case 4: Princess Diana, July 01, 1961 at 20:18, Sandringham, England.

Planet
Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Total

Years
5 1 2 3 3 0 1 19

Months
3 0 10 4 11 8 9 1

Days
27 10 29 15 10 28 4 5

Hours
14 19 23 0 4 4 4 22

Minutes
0 12 36 0 48 48 24 48

Planet
Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Longevity

Years
5 0 2 10 11 1 5 37

Months
3 5 10 1 10 5 3 4

Days
27 6 29 15 0 26 12 29

Hours
14 23 23 0 14 9 13 2

Minutes
0 21 36 0 24 36 12 9

Calc.
-Subtraction -Triple Triple Double Triple

Moon is in enemy house so 1/3 subtraction. Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn are retrogrades so they are tripled. Venus occupies own house so doubled. The actual longevity was arrived. Here, Mercury is combusted so we have to subtract manually half of the given longevity, then it will be 5 years, 22 days and 12 hrs, subtract this from 37-4-29 then it will be 32-4-6. As per amended rule we have to add 4 more years arriving at the final longevity of 36 years, 4 months and 6 days. D.O.B.: 1961-07-01 + 36-04-07 = November 07, 1997. Actually Diana died on August 31, 1997. Only 2 month and 8 days of difference.

Ancient methods are very accuracy oriented, but some links and parameters are missing. So, we have to reorient this Satyacharyas method and get benefit from him. Astro researchers are requested to test this method vigorously. If the method needs

any addition or editing on the rules for their application, then it will be done in order to make more practical the use of this method.

Reference
1. Brihat Jatakam. N.Chidambaram Ayyar; Bruhajjataka with Bhattotpala Commentary, Published by Thirivadi Jyothisha sabha; 1885; Madras.