Rāja Yogas in Parāśara Horā

The Bṛhat Parāśara Horā Śāstra is considered the most
comprehensive and authoritative Sanskrit text on Jyotiṣa, the
ancient astrological science of India. The most popular English
translation by R. Santhanam consists of 97 chapters published
in two volumes. The work is traditionally ascribed to the
legendary Maharṣi Parāśara
, but this is quite doubtful since
most scholars date the Sanskrit style of the text to circa 600
C.E. Rather, it appears to be a compilation of all the
astrological knowledge at that time, possibly assembled by a
team of astrologers drawing from different sources. For
example, the section having to do with the Jaimini system is
clearly derived from the Jaimini Sūtras.
Regardless of its origin, the BPHS is a treasure trove of
astrological knowledge that I have been absorbing and applying
for 30 years. The essence of Jyotiṣa and what gives it its
predictive power are yogas and daśās. These components are
what make Jyotiṣa unique among all other forms of astrology.
Yogas is the term used to refer to planetary combinations that
reflect the static potential for a certain kind of karma, for
example, the karma of becoming rich and famous. Daśās
refers to timing mechanisms that show when this karma will
manifest. These can either be planetary periods as in the
Parāśarī system or the sign periods of Jaimini.
Rāja yogas are among the most well-known and referred to
categories of yogas given in the ancient texts. In the most
literal and strict sense of the word, Rāja Yogas (royal
combinations) are yogas that in the feudal societies of ancient
India indicated the karma for being a Mahārāj or Rāj
, which
is to say a “Great King,” or “King.” In the modern-day context
this might mean that a person becomes a head of state like a
President or Prime Minister, or within a corporation, a Chief
Executive Officer (CEO). In a general sense they are success
and status-giving planetary combinations that can give a person
a career rise when activated in the daśā system.
The BPHS contains two separate
…