Puṣkara bhāga
Two sets of puṣkara bhāga degrees are described in the available literature.
The first set of degrees is given in Jātaka Pārijāta 1.58 (translated and explained in English by V. Subramanya Sastri):
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21° | 14° | 18° | 8° | 19° | 9° | 24° | 11° | 23° | 14° | 19° | 9° |
The second set of degrees is given in “Predicting through Navamsa and Nadi Astrology”, chapter 5 by C. S. Patel (1999):
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21° | 14° | 24° | 7° | 21° | 14° | 24° | 7° | 21° | 14° | 24° | 7° |
For historical reasons, Chakra Darshana uses degrees given in Jātaka Pārijāta.
However, the choice between the set of degrees is not the only choice one has to make when working with puṣkara bhāgas. The other question is how to interpret these degrees. Taking 21° as an example, the following interpretations are possible and have been observed in practice:
- 21° means the range from 20° to 21° (the 21st degree);
- 21° means the range from 20°30’ to 21°30’;
- 21° means the range from 21° to 22°;
- 21° means the point at 21° and some vicinity around it.
It seems that according to “Predicting through Navamsa and Nadi Astrology”, puṣkara bhāga is meant to be an arc of 1°. The word bhāga itself means “the 30th part of a rāśi”. Puṣkara bhāga is also meant to fall into the corresponding puṣkara navāṃśa. However, regardless of which of the interpretations (1), (2) or (3) is taken, there is an example where puṣkara bhāga is not completely contained in its puṣkara navāṃśa (using degrees from Jātaka Pārijāta):
- taking 14° in Vṛṣabha, the range from 13° to 14° touches outside the 5th navāṃśa (13°20’ - 16°40’);
- taking 23° in Dhanu, the range from 22°30’ to 23°30’ touches outside the 7th navāṃśa (20°00’ - 23°20’);
- taking 23° in Dhanu, the range from 23° to 24° touches outside the same 7th navāṃśa (20°00’ - 23°20’).
Similar examples can be found when using degrees from “Predicting through Navamsa and Nadi Astrology”.
The question of interpretation is a topic for further research. Currently, Chakra Darshana uses interpretation (1), based on an email by P. V. R. Narasimha Rao from 2005 that suggests viewing bhāgas as triṃśāṃśas (the 30th part of a rāśi), although that discussion does not touch on puṣkara bhāgas, but on mṛtyu bhāgas instead.