Prashnabhushanabhidhoya Granth

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Prashnabhushanabhidhoya Granth," based on the content you've shared:

Book Title: Prashnabhushanabhidhoya Granth (प्रश्नभूषणाभिधो ऽयं ग्रन्थः) Authors: Jivnath Sharma, Shashipal Sharma Publisher: Braj B. Das and Co. Publication Year: 1893 Subject: Astrology (specifically Prashna Shastra or Horary Astrology)

Overall Purpose and Content:

"Prashnabhushanabhidhoya Granth" is a significant work in Jain horary astrology. It aims to provide guidance and methodologies for answering questions posed to an astrologer based on the time the question is asked (Prashna Lagna). The text is a compilation of astrological principles and techniques, likely drawing from earlier works and traditions, with a focus on practical application for predicting outcomes related to various life events and queries.

Key Sections and Topics Covered (as indicated by the Table of Contents and text):

The book systematically addresses a wide range of horary astrological inquiries. Based on the "Suchipatram" (Table of Contents) and the provided text, the following areas are covered:

• Mangalcharanam (मङ्गलाचरणम्): Invocation and auspicious beginnings, likely a prayer or salutation to deities.
• Bhavanaprayojanam (भावानां प्रयोजनम्): The purpose and significance of houses (Bhavas) in astrology.
• Kapatprashnalakshanam (कपटप्रशलक्षणम्): Identification of deceitful or misleading questions, or perhaps how to interpret questions asked with insincerity.
• Mauṣṭikādi praśna (मौष्टिकादिप्रश्नः): Questions related to hidden or concealed items (often translated as "muṣṭi" which means fist, implying guessing the content of a closed fist).
• Pathikāgamana-āgamana praśna (पथिकागमनानागमनप्रशः): Questions about the arrival or non-arrival of a traveler (pathika).
• Nauka gamana praśna (नौकागमनप्रश्नः): Questions related to sea voyages or journeys by boat.
• Śatru gamana-āgamana nivṛtti praśna (शत्रुगमनागमननिवृत्तिप्रश्नः): Questions concerning the movement, arrival, or cessation of enemy activities.
• Vivāha praśna (विवाहपशः): Questions about marriage.
• Strī praśna (स्त्रीप्रश्नः): Questions concerning women, possibly their well-being, or marital relationships.
• Garbha praśna (गर्भप्रश्नः): Questions about pregnancy.
• Prasavakāla praśna (प्रसवकालप्रशः): Questions related to the time of childbirth.
• Rogīmaraṇa-jīvana praśna (रोगीमरणजीवनप्रश्नः): Questions about the life or death of a sick person.
• Maṣṭa dravya praśna (मष्टद्रव्यप्रश्नः): Questions about lost articles or wealth.
• Vāda-prativādinoḥ jaya-vijaya praśna (वादप्रितिवादिनोर्जयविजयप्रश्नः): Questions about victory or defeat in arguments, debates, or legal disputes.
• Dinacaryā praśna (दिनचर्या प्रश्नः): Questions related to daily routines or the outcome of daily activities.
• Prakārāntara praśna (प्रकारान्तरम्): Questions of other types or variations.
• Kraya-vikraya praśna (क्रयविक्रयप्रश्नः): Questions about buying and selling.
• Tṛeṣkāṇa praśna (ट्रेष्काणप्रत्रः): Questions related to the Triskaida, a division of a zodiacal sign.
• Praśnopayogi vastuni (प्रश्नोपयोगिवस्तनि): Essential items or concepts for Prashna.
• Varāhamihirakṛta uṣṭakāla sādhanasya ślokavyākhyā (वराहमिहिरीतोष्टकालसाधनस्य श्लोकस्तव्याख्या): Explanation of verses from Varahamihira related to calculating time.
• Lagna-ānayana udāharaṇaṁ (लग्नानयनोदाहरणम्): Example of calculating the ascendant.
• Daśamalagna sādhanam (दशमलग्नसाधनम्): Method for calculating the "Dasha Lagna."
• Aparāhaviṣṭakāla jñānārthaṁ (अपरामाविष्टकालज्ञानाथं): For knowing the time of the afternoon.
• And other specific calculation examples.

Methodology and Principles:

The text delves into the astrological interpretation of the "Prashna Lagna" (the horoscope cast at the moment the question is asked). Key principles and techniques discussed include:

• Planet Rulerships and Positions: The book emphasizes the importance of planet placement in various houses, their strengths, dignities (e.g., exaltation, debilitation), and aspects.
• Influence of Lords: The rulers of the Lagna and the house related to the question are crucial indicators. Their strength, conjunctions, and aspects are analyzed.
• Transits and Aspects: The current transits of planets and their aspects to the Prashna Lagna and relevant house lords are used for prediction.
• Specific Astrological Indicators: The text details how particular planets (e.g., benefics like Jupiter and Venus, malefics like Saturn and Mars) and the Moon's condition indicate different outcomes.
• Use of Navamsa and Triskaida: The text mentions the use of Divisional Charts like the Navamsa and the specific Triskaida divisions for further refinement of predictions.
• Indications for Specific Questions: Each section of questions (e.g., traveler, marriage, lost items) is likely associated with specific houses, planets, and configurations that are considered indicative of the outcome.

Authorship and Scholarship:

• The primary author is Jivnath Sharma (श्रीजीवनाथशर्मणा).
• The text was meticulously researched and edited by Mahamahopadhyaya Panditvar Sudhakar Dwivedi (महामहोपाध्यायपडितवर सुधाकर द्विवेदिभिध्ये), who was the Head Professor of Astronomy at the Government Sanskrit College, Kashi. This indicates a high degree of scholarly rigor and traditional knowledge in the compilation.
• Shashipal Sharma (श्रीशशिपालशया) is also mentioned as having thoroughly researched (सम्यक् परिशोधितः) the text.

Significance:

"Prashnabhushanabhidhoya Granth" is a valuable resource for understanding Jain horary astrology. Its comprehensive coverage of various life queries and the detailed astrological methodologies employed make it a significant text for practitioners and scholars of this field. The endorsement by a renowned scholar like Sudhakar Dwivedi lends considerable authority to its content.

In essence, the book serves as a manual for astrologers, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to accurately answer a wide array of questions by analyzing the celestial configurations at the moment of inquiry.