The Ornament of Natal Astrology with Commentary

"...with joy," because the scripture says, "the bliss of Brahman; he who knows the bliss of Brahman." The adjective "with joy" original: sānanda is not appropriate for anyone other than the Lord. Because He resides in the lotus of the heart—as the Lord himself said, "I am seated in the heart of all"—one bows with devotion and loving recollection to one's own Guru, to the illustrious Shiva, to the Large-Bellied Vinayaka (Ganesha), to Bharati (Saraswati), and to the assembly of planetary orbs beginning with the Sun. Having prostrated to these, what follows is that which "dropped from the mouth of Shuka" Referring to the sage Shuka, the legendary narrator of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa; the author suggests his astrological work is equally divinely inspired.. The phrase "uttered in verses" original: gāthokti refers to the use of poetic speech and discourse. How is this work made manifest? Just as the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, which dropped from the mouth of Shuka, was made clear by the commentator Shridhara Svami A famous 14th-century scholar whose commentary is the standard for the Bhāgavata Purāṇa., it is implied that this work is similarly clarified. What kind of Bhāgavata and Jātaka is it? It is "conceived with true being."

Conceived with true being, beautiful in its meanings, adorned with the play of the limbs of Yoga—this is the Illustrious Bhāgavata dropped from the mouth of Shuka.

This Jātaka is now clearly composed by the poet Ganesha in the Wreath-Bearing Meter with the same qualities, providing the good fruit of birth for the livelihood of astrologers. || 2 ||

"True" original: sat means excellent, and "being" original: bhāva means devotion to Vishnu; the text is characterized by that. In the context of the horoscope (jātaka), "true being" original: sabhāva refers to the text being characterized by the twelve astrological houses, such as the first house of the body (tanu), or the specific purposes of those houses.

"Beautiful in its meanings" original: padārtha-lalita: this means it is beautified by the meanings that illuminate supreme devotion, such as the practices of hearing and chanting the names of God. In the context of the horoscope, it means the work is delightful due to its discussion of "houses of joy" original: sānanda-sadana and other pleasing astrological factors. "Adorned with the play of the limbs of Yoga": in the context of devotion, this refers to the eight limbs of Yoga—restraint, observance, posture, breath control, withdrawal, concentration, meditation, and absorption—and the specific instructions regarding their "play" or practice. In the context of the horoscope, it refers to the "limbs of yoga" as specific planetary combinations (yogas), their strengths and weaknesses, and the specific ways they are arranged, which are highly praised. "The life of those who know the Light": "Light" refers to the Supreme Soul, Narayana, based on the scripture "Narayana is the supreme light." It is the "life" of those who know Brahman, meaning it is how they pass their time. In the context of the horoscope, it is the "life" of the astrologers because it provides them with a livelihood. "In the Wreath-Bearing Meter" SragdharaA complex Sanskrit poetic meter consisting of 21 syllables per line; the name literally means 'she who wears a garland'....