The ancient writings of Jyotisha can be divided into three distinct categories based on their authors: Deva Hora, Rishi Hora, and Acharya Hora. The Devas are credited with the creation of this sacred discipline of Jyotisha, while the Rishis acquired this knowledge from the Devas and adapted it for the people of Kaliyuga. The Acharyas distilled the core principles from these various texts into a more accessible format, facilitating easier comprehension for the general populace. Below is a table listing the founders of the different schools of Hora Skandha.
According to the Kashyapa Samhita, there are eighteen proponents of Jyotisha. While some fragments of their writings exist today, they are not comprehensive.
सूर्यः पितामहो व्यासो वसिष्ठोऽत्रिः पराशरः।
कश्यपो नारदो गर्गो मरीचिर्मनुरंगिराः ॥
लोमशः पौलिशचैव च्यवनो यवनो भृगुः।
शौनकोऽष्टादशश्चैते ज्योतिः शास्त्रप्रवर्तकाः ॥ (KS)
[Surya, Pitamaha (Brahma), Vyasa, Vasishtha, Atri, Parashara, Kashyapa, Narada, Garga, Marichi, Manu, Angiras, Lomasha, Paulisha, Chyavana, Yavana, Bhrigu and Shaunaka these are the eighteen originators of the scriptures of Jyotisha.]
The essence of the teachings of Devas and Rishis was written by the Acharyas like Sri Varahamihira, Sri Kalyanvarma, Sri Prithuyashas, Sri Gunakara, Sri Vyankatesha Daivagya, Sri Mantreshwara, Sri Vaidyanatha and others. These different treatises are based on different systems and convey the opinions of different Rishis. However, the present work is exclusively based upon the Shiva’s system of Jyotisha.
Shambhu Hora Prakash authored by Sri Punjaraja mentions —
ब्रह्म सूर्यसमुद्भवं शिवशिवा संवादजं हौरिकं ।
श्रीमद्गर्गवशिष्ठशौनकशुकव्यासादिभिः कीर्तितम् ॥
शास्त्रं सत्यवराहरेणुकमणित्थाद्यैश्च यद्विस्तृतं ।
तत्सारं परिगृह्य कोमलपदैः श्रीमच्छिवानुज्ञया ॥ (SHP)
[With the will of the illustrious Lord Shiva, explained in simple words in this treatise are those teachings of Brahma, Surya, Shiva, Parvati, Garga, Vashishtha, Shaunaka, Shuka, Vyasa and others including those narrated by Satyacharya, Varahamihira, Renuka, Maniththa etc.]
शिवमुखैर्गदितं च निजागमैर्भगणजं गगनेचरजं फलम् ।
ललितनिर्मलकोमलसत्पदैः सुमतिना कृतिना हि विरच्यते ॥ (SHP)
[Effects produced by Planets have been discussed in the various Agamas by Shiva and other authorities. These are now explained (by Punjaraja) in a charming and pure language in the form of verses.]
आद्यः सिद्धान्तः स्मृतः सोमसंज्ञो यो वै दुर्गायै शिवेनप्रयुक्तः ।
अन्यो धात्रा निर्मितो ब्रह्मसंज्ञः सूर्येणोक्तः सौरसंज्ञस्तृतीयः ॥
वाशिष्ठाख्यः पौलिशो लोमशश्च पाराशर्य्यः सांप्रताचार्यसंज्ञः ।
प्रोक्ताः सिद्धांतास्त्वमी सप्तसंख्या व्यक्ताव्यक्तै भूरिभेदैः समेताः ॥ (SHP)
[The first Siddhanta is known as the Soma Siddhanta which was taught to Durga (i.e. Parvati) by Shiva. The second one is the Brahma Siddhanta written by Brahma. The third one is the Surya Siddhanta expounded by Surya. The fourth is written by Vasishtha, fifth by Paulisha, sixth by Lomasha and seventh by Parashara (which is considered to be recent). These are the seven Siddhantas dwelling upon various Drik & Vakya Ganitas.]
However, it should be noted that the Soma Siddhanta which is a conversation between Candra and Shaunaka, begins with the following verse —
बृहस्पतिसुतं शान्तं सुखासीनं प्रियेक्षणम् ।
अभिवन्द्य मुनिर्धीमान् शौनकः परिपृच्छति ॥ (JSS)
[After bowing down, the intelligent sage Shaunaka asked the appealing son of Brihaspati (Candra) who was seated peacefully and comfortably.]
It is clear that Candra imparted this Siddhanta to Shaunaka, who subsequently conveyed it to his disciples, leading to its compilation in textual form. The Soma Siddhanta is also referred to as the Shaunaka Siddhanta.
It is clear from the aforementioned quotations that Shiva is the founder of this system, with the Soma Siddhanta serving as its Siddhanta text. As noted by Sri Punjaraja, conversations between Shiva and Parvati are documented in various ancient texts, including the Agamas and Samhitas. These dialogues are a rich source of knowledge and insight. In his work, Scientific Hindu Astrology (Part 1), Prof. P.S. Sastri states that ‘Jyotisharnavpiyusha’ takes the form of a dialogue between Shiva and Parvati and is believed to be part of the Agastya Samhita. However, the current version of the Agastya Samhita does not include any astrological interpretations, suggesting that a more comprehensive text may have been lost over time.
The teachings of Shiva and Parvati are scattered throughout different texts such as Shiva Jataka, Gauri Jataka, Jyotisharnava Navanitam and few Tantra texts like Rudra Yamala. Even a few Samhita texts like the Lomasha Samhita contain a dialogue between Shiva and Parvati. Many verses belonging to the Shiva Parvati Samvada were also located in the ‘Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra’. I am personally convinced that the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra is not written by Maharshi Parashara and that it is a haphazard compilation of various texts which are distinct from each other.
There are numerous Horas attributed to Deva, Rishi, and Acharya, yet Shiva's Jyotisha system stands out as particularly distinctive and captivating compared to others. Currently, there are six texts associated with Shiva's Jyotisha system. Quotations from the Shambhu Hora Prakash suggest that Shiva is the founder of this system, with the Soma Siddhanta serving as its foundational text. The structure of these texts features Devi Parvati posing questions, to which Shiva responds generously. Subsequently, Devi Parvati shares her insights gained from Shiva, which are then learned by other sages. These sages compiled the teachings of both Shiva and Parvati based on their comprehension. It appears that the Parashara Hora and the Marichi Jataka are influenced by this system.
The concept of House Lord-based Vimshottari Dasa was initially introduced by Shiva, which seems to have been adopted by Maharshi Parashara in his Parashara Hora. This is noteworthy because other Rishi Horas typically provide results based on a natural benefic and malefic division, while Parashara Hora deviates from this norm and explains the effects on the basis of functional nature. It is widely recognized that Rishi Horas are fundamentally grounded in the Deva Hora texts. The unique effects of Rahu and Ketu, along with their aspects, are first documented in Shiva's texts. In fact, many verses found in the contemporary Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, which is a compilation of various texts, can be traced back to Shiva's Jyotisha system.
Additionally, concepts such as Karako Bhava Nashaya, Rashesh of Bhavesh, Ashtakvarga, and transits from Candra Lagna are also introduced for the first time in Shiva's Jyotisha system. Shiva also elaborates on various types of curses and their corresponding remedial measures, which can be employed to mitigate negative influences. Devi Parvati discusses the effects of Candra Kundali, which was later adopted by Rishi Marichi in his Marichi Jataka. Texts such as Hora Ratnam and Maan Sagari extensively reference this information.
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