Salutations to Lord Ganesa, the Remover of Obstacles; to Goddess Saraswathi, the all-pervading
Mother of Learning, and to Nava Grahas, the destiny-makers of the Universe. After bringing out
Essentials of Predictive Hindu Astrology last year, I am happy to be amidst my readers with Book 1 of
Deva Keralam with English translation, notes etc.
Some have just heard the name of this work, Deva Keralam. Some have seen the Sanskrit
manuscript. Yet, almost every student of astrology has been keen to possess an English translation of
this work since decades. And, now, here is an occasion for all of us to actually enjoy the instructions
of Achyuta, the author of Deva Keralam.
The name itself suggests that the work belongs to Kerala, in the south of India, which is a
treasure-house of original astrological manuscripts like Jatakadesa Marga, Krishneeyam and Prasna
Marga. Each work from Kerala is a magnum opus, unto itself.
Deva Keralam has over 8200 slokas in all. Its author Achyuta had unfortunately left no clues
about his lineage, place of origin, time period etc. Lack of such information does not affect the
greatness of the work adversely. The name however suggests that it hails from Kerala.
_ The author obviously was a man of letters in astrology and had mastered various Nadi Granthas.
He specialized in use of Nadiamsa apart from employing Parasarian principles. He had consulted, in
compiling the present work, several Nadi Granthas including Surya Nadi, Chandra Nadi, Kuja Nadi,
Budha Nadi, Guru Nadi, Sukra Nadi, Sani Nadi, Lagna Nadi, Lagnadhipathi Nadi, Sarva Nadi and
Yoga Nadi.
He had also quoted Garga, Vasishta, Parasara, Yavana etc. As far as I know, thc. Nadis are not
available in any form nowadays. These Nadis, unlike Saptahrshi Nadi, apparently contained principles
usable in predictive astrology and not full-fledged horoscopes. The readers may be aware, Saptharshi
Nadi contains horoscopes discussing various aspects of natives, but far less instructive principles. The
average reader can hardly know of the basis of such conclusions without the help of an experienced
tutor. However, in case of the Nadi texts consulted by our author, those apparently fulfilled, inter alia,
the sole purpose of laying down rules for exhaustive interpretation of events of numerous kinds mainly
from one starting point - Nadiamsa.
Other stages of instructions contain predicting without the help of Nadiamsa, i.e. with the help
of special planetary combinations, positions, Ashtaka Varga, Dasa periods and the like as is normal
for any standard work we follow.
What is a Nadiamsa is:. :sessary to be explained to the reader. Most of us are us are aware of
Shodasa Vargas, the Parasarian division of a sign or Rasi into sixteen different parts of different lengths
of longitudes. What is less commonly known or employed is Nadiamsa, the 150th part of a Rasi, or one
fifth of a degree. That way, the entire space of 360 deg of the zodiac is divided into 1800 Nadiamsas.
In Table 1, in the immediately ensuing pages, I have enlisted the order and names of Nadiamsas,
as collected from the present work (the relevant original slokas appear much later in our work) and
from late C.G. Rajan of Madras, a known authority on Nadi astrology in particular. Late Rajan’s list
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is hence taken with a specific purpose of textual utility on some occasions. And in Table 2, the
commencing and ending spaces of these 150 Nadiamsas are given.
In giving notes, I have followed the Nadiamsa divisions as shown in column 5 of Table 1. The
reader may use alternative spaces according to his choice and experience if he feels he can obtain
better effects of the text. .
As could be observed, the order and names of these Nadiamsas are identical for all the four
movable signs in a specified manner. Immovable signs again have a common pattern for themselves,
but different from those followed by movable and common signs. The same is the case among the four
common signs, i.e. these have an exclusive arrangement for themselves.
For example whatever applies in this classification and identity to Aries applies equally to Cancer,
Libra and Capricorn; whatever applies to Taurus applies to Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius; and lastly
whatever applies to Gemini applies to Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces.
The Nadiamsa count is different for movable, immovable and common signs as could be witnessed
in Table 1. In movable signs, the count is in regular order from 1 to 150 (as shown in col 1).
For an immovable sign, the count is reverse, ie. from 150 to 1 (i.e. 150, 149, 148, 147, 146, ete...
as shown in col.2).
For common signs the count is firstly from 76 to 150 and then from 1 to 75 (as shown in col.3).
Keeping the list for movable sign as basis. Col. 4 gives the names of these segments as per C.G.
Rajan while col. 5 gives what is at one stage followed by our present work. Table 1 will of course make
the whole thing very clear.
Now if you observe the list, Vasudha Nadiamsa is the Ist of a movable sign, the 150th of an
immovable (or fixed) sign and the 76th of a common (or dual) sign. Vaishnavi Nadiamsa is the 2nd of
a movable sign, the 149th of an immovable sign and the 77th of a common sign. Braahmi is the 3rd of
a movable sign, the 148th of an immovable sign and the 78th of a common sign. The concerned segments
should be selected from Table 2.
Details about all the names and positions of Nadiamsas can be well understood from Table 1.
Table 2 is an easy one and can be used to know the serial number of Nadiamsa when the actual
longitude is selected following which the exact name of Nadiamsa should be referred to in Table 1.
For example there is a planet or the ascendant cusp in one of the movable signs (Aries, Cancer
Libra, Capricorn) at 10 deg 52’ of arc. That is 55th Nadiamsa which is Seethala Nadiamsa (as per col
1, Table 1). The same longitude in an immovable sign (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) causes
Apavargaa Nadiamsa (as per col. 2 of Table 1). Again in a common sign (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius,
Pisces) the relevant Nadiamsa is Raudri (as per col. 3 of Table 1). We should do well to remember that
the first Nadiamsa in a movable sign is Parameswari Nadiamsa, and in a common sign it is Mahamaaya
Nadiamsa.
For ascendant, its cusp should be used to find out its Nadiamsa position, and for the planets the
usual longitudes we obtain from the ephemeris.
In many cases, the text divides the Nadiamsa in four parts called Vipra, Kshatriya, Vaisya and
Soodra Kalas. Vipra denotes a Brahmin, Kshatriya a ruler, Vaisya a trader and Soodra the fourth caste
as per Vedic divisions. Kala means time. Simply these are quarters 1 to 4 (each of 3’ longitude) of a
given Nadiamsa and are superior or inferior in that order for certain purposes. In other words they
‘lo not always indicate the birth in a certain caste as prevailing in olden days. These are actually meant
for attainment of perfection in prediction. Needless to mention, this kind of division makes the whole
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zodiac into 7200 equal minor segments, each of 3’ arc (total 21600’ accounting for 360deg) - 1800 each
of Vipra, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Soodra Kalas, the use of which can hardly allow accuracy to escape
from the hands of a master astrologer.
The reader going through the pages will find the extent of changes in events each quarter (viz.
Vipra etc.) of a Nadiamsa can introduce. In the same Nadiamsa, for example Vipra Kala gives certain
result while another of the 3 parts gives completely different results.
Another division made of this Nadiamsa is first half and second half making the whole zodiac in
3600 parts. That is of 6° longitude. Here again the effects are absolutely in mutual variance.
On quite limited occasions, we find that a Nadiamsa is made into six parts attributing to Garga’s
authority. Meseems, this division is however questionable and must have been wrongly attributed to
the said sage.
True, exact degree of ascendant in terms of degrees and minutes of arc is very essential to use
some of the instructions contained hereof. Then without that, there can be no real astrology. Astrology
of approximation can only be disastrous. To use the principles containing Nadiamsas, the astrologer
must also obtain excellence in standard methods of rectification, prenatal epoch theory and through
Horary methods. Once that is done, with known events the correct Nadiamsa can be located.
For an established astrologer, Ayanamsa or precession is not an unsettled issue. Let me however
state for the benefit of the new reader that Lahiri’s Chaitrapaksha Ayanamsa is the accurate one when
the horoscope is cast using the exact coordinates at every point.
Not just for Nadiamsa, accuracy of Ayanamsa is a must even in other cases, like Navamsa,
Sapthamsa and Shashtiamsa. To wit, ifa planet, say Saturn is in Aries 19deg 59’ as per Lahiri ayanamsa,
another ayanamsa even with a small difference of minus 2’ of arc can place Saturn somewhat ahead
and give it Libra Navamsa instead of Virgo navamsa due to Lahiri. Saturn even in Aries Rasi with
Libra Navamsa protects one from heart ailments, gives him longevity and helps him progress in his
calling. The same Saturn with Aries sign position but in Virgo Navasma makes him wholly unreliable,
and makes him a victim of some sort of diseases of hand and legs. This difference could be easily located
by an experienced astrologer. Same is the case with other divisions including Nadiamsa.
All the rules given in this book do not, as could be seen, always revolve around Nadiamsa. And
each Nadiamsa in each sign is of course not given in the context of delineation. Select Nadiamsas are
given and they can be easily applied to the same kind of sign - movable, immovable or common, thus
multiplying their use four - fold. Sometimes the reader should be careful for they are just for a given
sign only.
Some Nadiamsas appear with synonym though not in that name. Some have not been enlisted in
both the lists of the text in which case, I have to the possible extent supplied suitable alternatives. These
may or may not be acceptable to the reader.
There are umpteen rules given by the text without ever considering Nadiamsa division. Such
rules, which can be rarely found in other sources than the present text, could be of exemplary use. For
an easy understanding several groups of slokas have been given suitable captions and any reader can
understand where a Nadiamsa features, and where it does not.
The beauty of the text lies in the fact that based on one planetary hint, many of the native’s relatives
have been exhaustively discussed.
The original suffers from certain defects. In some cases, the Sanskrit heading denoting a certain
Nadiamsa and ascendant clashes with the actual text thereof. The reader better follow the body text
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for details. In some cases, copying errors, hopeless interpolations etc. are there, particularly in terms
of transit, using meaninglessly words like "Sphuta Yoga" even though only one planet features. In
some cases, the expression "Sukhi" is used denoting happiness although the effects are not always so.
Such misnomers including some corrupt words have been as far as possible, if not invariably but
carefully, omitted in translation to protect to the reader from being misguided. This mention is not
belittle the author, but with an understanding mind of the limitations of the copyist.
The Contents pages given before the commencement of the text, for understandable reasons, is
only brief as it is bound to be. For in each section, a number of items have been discussed and enlisting
them is only enlarging the volume.
I have in fact tried to give due exposure to the original’s true spirit and I believe I have succeeded
to a great extent in this direction.
I have left no stone unturned in fulfilling my task as the reader expects, having provided English
translations for rare standard works like Saravali (2 vols), Parasara Hora (vol 1 only), Suka Nadi, Hora
Sara etc... etc... Yet there ought to be some shortcoming out of my ignorance, what in Sanskrit, and
what in astrology. In such an event, I can only pray the reader’s broad-minded favour of forgiving me
on such count of failures.
I have however the happiness that I am the first person to have undertaken the task of rendering
these slokas in English and the reader is well aware that so far no language translation has been
provided for the present original text. The present issue, Book 1, contains 2718 slokas while Book 2
and Book 3 containing discussions on further Nadiamsas in many ascendants, and a number of general
rules independent of Nadiamsas, will soon follow to complete the work in question.
The text also excels in suggesting suitable remedies for many shortcomings in the lives of the native
and his relatives.
I am specially appreciative of the interest and enthusiasm shown by Mr. Narinder Kumar Sagar
in placing the present title before the readers.
I will feel greatly honoured if the reader finds something useful in my present efforts.