Knowledge and Compendium of Horary Questions

...combined and then divided by nine. The remainder designates the Planet of the Moment tātkālika-graha; the ruling planet at the time of the query. ||

The wise astrologer should then speak properly regarding whether the inquiry concerns Minerals, Plants, or Living Beings.

The Three Categories of Inquiry

• If the planet is the Moon, Venus, or Jupiter, one should specify an inquiry concerning Living Beings Jīva; humans, animals, or spirits.
• If it is the Sun, Mercury, or Ketu, the wise one should state the inquiry concerns Minerals or Metals Dhātu; inorganic matter original: yāta; likely a scribal variant for dhātu given the context.
• Mars, Saturn, and Rahu are known by the wise to concern inquiries about Plants Mūla; roots, flora, or botanical products.

The Colors of the Planets

The Sun is of a red original: rakta-rūpa form, while the Moon is proclaimed to be white original: gaura.
Saturn is known to be black original: kṛṣṇa, appearing with a poison-like original: viṣa-varṇa; likely a dark, smoky, or dull hue complexion.
Ketu is of a variegated original: karbura; multi-colored or spotted color, and the color of Rahu is remembered similarly by the wise.

The Determination of Minerals and Metals

The determination of Minerals Dhātu is to be known as follows; the wise one should speak of the planet’s associated material:

• For Venus and the Moon, it is silver raupya.
• For Mercury, gold svarṇa is declared.
• For Jupiter, it is gemstones ratna and gold hema.
• For the Sun, it is said to be pearls mauktika.