Parashari school
Brihat Jataka · बृहज्जातक
A compact, disciplined natal manual valued for its precision.
Attributed to
Varahamihira
Approximate period
c. 550 CE
Rights status
source_text_public_domain
What it covers
Concise natal astrology: signs, planetary character, yogas, longevity, and the outline of a life read from the birth chart.
Concise classical natal treatise on planetary dignity, yogas, longevity and character.
Signature methods
- Terse verses that state a rule without elaboration
- Careful treatment of planetary dignity and combination
- Longevity reckoning laid out systematically
What makes it different
Where BPHS is expansive, Brihat Jataka is compressed. It is often used as the accuracy check on a rule quoted loosely elsewhere.
How the Parashari school reads a chartChapter-by-chapter summary
Brihat Jataka is arranged in 28 short chapters. Numbering is stable across editions; only the chapter titles differ by translator.
How to work through Brihat Jataka
- 1Read chapters 1 and 2 closely — the definitions are compressed and everything later depends on them.
- 2Work through the conception, birth and childhood chapters before the result chapters.
- 3Treat the longevity chapters as a method to reconcile, never as a single verdict.
- 4Finish with the yoga, dasha and closing chapters, which assume all preceding material.
12 entries covering the full text
These summaries describe what each chapter covers in Astravya's own words. No verses are translated or reproduced.
Glossary
- Jatakaजातक
- Natal astrology — the astrology of birth charts.
- Ayurdaya
- Longevity estimation methods.
- Drekkana
- One-third of a sign; the D3 division.
Published rules cited from this text
Ascendant lord sets overall vitality
The ascendant and its lord describe body, temperament and overall resilience. A strong, well-aspected lagna lord supports health and self-direction through the rest of the chart.
When it applies: General personality and health questions.
Brihat Jataka Brihat Jataka, general principles
Sanskrit source text is public domain; use original summaries of modern commentaries.
Every summary on these pages is Astravya's own wording of a classical principle. Sanskrit verses are not reproduced unless the source wording is out of copyright or licensed, and each published rule records its chapter, verse and rights basis.