ststrilwiErgfirl: I tvvtl

Ctrpter 44

Maraka (Killer| Planets

rgmsqi'n qlqr: rferdr qailinsqil |
1rt qnrrirr{q wwai sqqr gtl rrlrr
t. O sage,you havementioneda lot about longevity. Be
kind enoughto throw light on Marakasor killers.

$itqqcEqcqraqrq:rst{ Eti frq t r

,mri rqqqqrqrf fildtd sqd aqr rrQrr
2-5. O Brahmin,the 3rd and 8th are the two housesof
longevity. The houscs related to death are the l2th from each
of these,i.e. the 2nd and'7th are Maraka houscs.
Notes : The 3rd houseis alsoa houseof longevityas it is
thc 8th from the 8th. The 2nd house-l2rh from the 3rd-and
thc 7th house-l2th from the 8th-are two principle Maraka
houses. Thc lordq of these houseswill also acquire such
qualitieogiving life or taking away life.

fifq sttq?ttar{ fadld qmrtr(t I

ildftit t? rdl: qrfqiRiq e'gn: ttlt
i igr: qrrqirti q qq w$F(ilr6l: r
ilqt ?rlrflrrrtg srqi frui 1urq rrvn
eK{-ramquqfg: r$Tlqfqt dqq t
'furq
rq{ ti rRri tRlwatq rrrrr
3. Out of the two (i.e 2nd and 7th) the 2nd is a powerful
Maraka house(as againstthe 7th) The lords of the 2nd and the
7th, malefic'sin tho 2nd ard the ?th and maleficsaceompanying
tbc 2nd and the 7th lords are all known as Marakas. The major
and sub periodsof theseplanetswill bring deathon the native
depcndingon whetherhe hasa long life, mediumlife or short life.
Chapter 44 441
Notes : The 2nd an<l 7th are denotedas Maraka houses.
but the 2nd is givena more important placeto kill than the 7th
house. For the 2nd houseacquiresan additional qualification of
beingin the 7th from the 8th house.Thus, the 2nd is l2th from
the 3rd, and 7th from the 8th.
If thereiq a maleficin the 2nd or in the 7th, he will be a
prime killer while a beneficwill not be so. The Dasa periods of
suchplanetswill inflict death.

arilIi gatiut srffiin aaritng:r

nfaw-rni a a{nrqcel{ttlfig quqrl
*sfir{i rr q|qrii amg frad q{fqq r
scq{fri qtii.ri qnt,mrqElti rrrgrr
6-7. The Dasa of a beneficplanet related to the l2th lord
may also inflict death. End may descendon the nativein the 8th
lord's Dasa. The Dasaof a planetwhich is an exclusivemalclic
(i.e. first-ratemalefic)may also causedeath.
Notes : The l2th houseisalsoa houseof death,for it is
the terminal house. Malefics related to 2nd, 3rd, Tth and 8rh
will causedeathwhile or not a beneficrelatedto l2th will do so.
The Dasaof a malefic,whelheror not he is a lord of oneof these
houses,will also prove harmful for spanof life. Ho\wever,for
Saturn,a dilferentapproachis recommended.
The rules given are just general and are hints to decide
deathgivers. The life spanshould be ascertainedthrough other
Ayurdaya catculations, and the exact dasaperiodsbe dccided
only later on. Simply sayingthat the 2nd lord's dasawill bring
in death and so on and so forth will be a misnomer. The sage
suggeststhat the occupantsof the 3rd,alsowi[ causedeath..Thus
thc 8th and the 3rd, though known as housesof longevity,are
gimultaneouslycapableof causingdeath. For the information
of the reader,the Maraka planetsin the ascendingare : occu-
ponts ofor lords of l2th, 3rd, 8rh, ?th and 2nd. The lords/
gccupantsof 6th and llth are seco'ndgrade killers. The last
group consistsof occupants/lords of 5th, 9th, l0th, 4th and Ist.
They are the least rnarakas. However, thesecan also become
Marakasdependingon the cluesgiven in slokas l5-2t infra.
412 Brthd Parasara Hora Sastra

A difficult subjectlike tongevitycannot be fully explained

in a chapter like this. The readermay take basic guidelines
from the presentwork and other standardworks beforeforming
au opinion on longevitY.

qd{fq sia qrq-.ri t Qff, {qrlfrd{ |

qtr$: qTqtf{ag llqu
ECfr Frarqr.r'ei
8. The dasaof a male{icwillnotcausedeath in the Antar-
dasa(sub period) of a benefic planet, althoughthe former, is
related to the latter, but in the sub periodql a maleficplanet
though not relatecl'
qIq'((IEE?aTfi;tQFat rtiltuiqR: I
ql6qulare HEt{ qqirra t rinq: ttett
9. Shold Saturnbe ill-disposedand be relatedto a maraka
plqnet,he will be the lirst to kill in prelerenceto other planets.

snrr$qqfrr qeqtfq faq t qr(mqHq{ |

fafrun-qrqql q),tt: raeng{uaa}flRl: | | | oll
arhrnq gaietwgdwTqrgcltl: qr{ |
qgcq6eqT: grq( g ad) atdgaqaq llltll
iriTqrq: qral{e{ nliTd GqcrHq! t
?r rRrRtutRrl
w-6lr-fa fm.qIEiqttrci i A rntq t
' fqwi fnqiiw *fa;rqu{qfq ttt llt
tFqE *arRcatrrmqfxfqil ileqliq{: I
irir: qT 1grTqlTirri{ Gqtrf,q ! ttqvtt
10-14.O Brahmin, I tell you further about Marakas'
Narratedearlierare three kinds of life spans,viz' short,medium
and long. Short life is before 3l years, later on upto 64 it is
med'urnlife aod from 64 to 100it is long life. Beyond100 the
longevityis called supreme. O excellentof the Brahmins,it is
impossibleto decideupon longevitytill the nativeis 20 year old'
Tii suchyear the child shouldbe protectedby sacredrecitations,
religious offerings(of gheeetc. to consecr&tedlire as prescribed
Chapter44 443

by Vedasetc.) and medicaltreatments,for prematuredeath may

discend on the child due to sins of father or mother or of its
own (in the previous birth).

B[qr$qEfq qstt|f,q Ttri qr(|6tteNr{ I

slfntfrrrilftFq fqq Ji ir tft,inq uttrt
qsqqqArceiri sflrfr ir $adaq r
{turQdrrwaeq qqt g 1feriiqntqu
arfq{11ri{rq{,*q Wn iarfvtrfuq: t
Rqat<r-seritm iriwtq g tltsll
w*ffil q fqiql T,a66ir,!ilq fac I r
qnrl qrqdal a} q* *slrrE"tqlnl lltcll
qearlqqqmqi q qqi fltrqwqq; 1
fa{nq nterl
qt<E6t qEq: deT qf{ *rtqqtkil: t
ffi{{rrfii fqr ' <}qmcafqisq:trR"tl
. irqin t qffifds neel grcw16': l
ffiq${rgrior $ .n qtaufariq ltRtll
15-21. I furtber mention about the Maraka planets.
One born with short lifs combinations may face death in the
Dasadenotedby Vipat star (3rd from birth star);one of medium
life may die in the dasadenotcdby Pratyak star (5th from birth
star). .In the dasa denotedby Vadha star (7th from birth star),
-one
with long life may obtain his end. The dasaof the lord of
22nd decanateor the one of 23rd, 3rd, Sth or ?th asterismsmay
also cause death. The lords of the 2nd and l2th counted from
the Moon sign may bring death,this is true when the said ruler
is a maleficand if he be a beneficthere will be (only) disease
(but not death). Death may cometo passin the dasaof the 6th
lord and in the sub periodsof 6th/8th/l2th lords. Should there
be many Marakas (endowedwith the power of killing) and be
strong, therc will be diseases,misbriesetc. in the respective
major and sub periods. Thus theseare Marakas (as above)and
are primarily relatedto descenddeathupon the native. Accor'
ding to thcir dispositiousthere may be dcath or difficulties.
 441 .. Brlhat Parasara Hora Sastra
Notes : The Maraka power of a planet may be correlated
to the spanof life arrived by other calculations. If both
coincide therewill be death. If thereis a variation, therc will
not be deathbut difficultiesequalto deathlike miseries,diseases,
poverty etc.

rrg{iazril *gFir+ sllsaai .qt r

qR*m;qe ilsR qtq*tq dga: rr11rr
qRiil: Q t fq*q: g{E{|r;iltnRqf'qI
qdi {va* ar;rr lrdRrr 1farc: illltl
q66lsqR6sril {Tgrnflt firrE} q\ r
{qr({it} {ce} ,il ir{r $'cEQfq6;illYtl
22-24. RAHU AND 'KETU AS MARAKAS : If Rahu or
Ketu be in tho ascendant, Tlh,8th or l2th lhercotlor be in the
7th from a Malaka lord or be with sucha planet,they acquire
pbwefsof killing in thcir majoror sub pcriods. For oncborn
in Capricorn or in Scorpio, Rahuwilt bc a Maraka, Should
Rahu be in the 6th, 8rh or t2th, hc will giveclilllcultiesin his
dasa periods. He will not, howevcr,do so if aspectedby or
conjunct a bene{ic.
Notes: Importantplaccsfor Rahu/Ketuto acquirepower
of killing arethe ascendant, Trh. Sth or l2th. The 2nd houseis
naturally addedas another node will be in the 2nd wlrcnone is
in the speclfied8th house. They will not be Marakas if they
are in the 3rd, 9th, 5th and llth houses.lf a nodejoins a Maraka
planet 1or is in the houseof a Marakaplanet)it will actas.a
Maraka. Rahu is termedas a primary maraka for Capricorn
and Scorpio ascendants. lf he is in one of the adversehouses
for these ascendantshis dasa wiil briog death or intolerable
difficulties.

iTnrr( gitawi g qfqqr rfecr gfr r

rr{a}ra q{oi nrxr iiri Bq}rq I nR{tl
giln igil g{i Esi qr qsqqT1fa: r
gfra quunarFq-Erqrii{toirriq rrlqrr