''Phaladeepika'' is a treatise on

Hindu astrology Jyotisha or Jyotishya (from Sanskrit ', from ' “light, heavenly body" and ''ish'' - from Isvara or God) is the traditional Hindu system of astrology, also known as Hindu astrology, Indian astrology and more recently Vedic astrology. It is one ...

written by Mantreswara. The text is written in lyrical

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...

verse comprises 865 '' sloka''s and 28 chapters. It is one of the more significant works on Hindu astrology, along with

Bṛhat Parāśara Horāśāstra The Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra ( Sanskrit: बृहत् पराशर होरा शास्त्र; IAST: '; abbreviated to BPHS) is the most comprehensive extant Śāstra on Vedic natal astrology, in particular the Horā branch ( ...

of Parashara,

Brihat Jataka ''Brihat Jataka'' or ''Brihat Jatakam'' or ''Brihajjatakam'' (Sanskrit: बृहज्जातकम्), is one of the five principal texts written by Varāhamihira, the other four being ''Panchasiddhantika'', ''Brihat Samhita'', ''Laghu Jataka ...

of Varahamihira, and Jataka Parijata of Vaidyanatha Dikshita. It deals in a most comprehensive and authoritative manner with almost all astrological aspects of human life. Mantreswara has equated a retrograde planet with an exalted planet in strength and effects even though it be in an inimical or its debilitation sign differing with Saravali which states that benefics are powerful when retrograde and cause

Raja yoga (Hindu astrology) Raja yogas are ''Shubha'' ('auspicious') ''yogas'' that are superstitiously believed to give success and a grand rise in career or business, and a greater degree of financial prosperity particularly during the '' dasha'' of the planets that g ...

but malefic when retrograde do not confer favourable results.

Author

Very little is known about its author, Mantreswara, who is believed to have lived in the 13th century CE. He was born Markandeya Bhattathiri in a family of Namboodari

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests ( purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers ( ...

s in Panchgiri village of

Tirunelveli Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tam ...

in the Indian state of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

. The exact date of his birth and date of death are not known, some believe that he lived in the 13th century and some believe that he lived in the 16th century. He was a devotee of Sukuntlambika Devi. He had traveled to far-off places in India in search of knowledge. He had renounced the world and had finally died in Tirunelveli; his date of birth and his date of death are not known. According to one belief Mantreswara was born in Shalivati in

and according to another, he was born in

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...

. Whether he lived in the 13th century or in the 16th century remains undecided. His work, Phaladeepika, though very popular in South India and from a very long time in the past available in Southern languages script-versions came to light when its original Sanskrit version was published from

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

around 1925. At the very close of this text, Mantreswara confirms that :श्रीशालिवाटिजातेन मया मन्त्रेश्वरेण वै , :दैवज्ञेन द्विजाग्रेण सतां ज्योतिर्विदां मुदे , , - Sloka XXVIII.5 he indeed lived in Shalivati, in present

, as a Brahmin astrologer.

Author

See also

References

Further reading