Horaphalaratnavali: A Unique Malayalam Commentary on the Initial Eight Chapters of Brihajjataka

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The Horaphalaratnavali dealing with the initial eight chapters of Brihajjataka runs as a dialogue between a teacher and his disciple. The author appears to be well-versed in various branches of ancient learning and reveals several secret interpretations of many Shlokas which were guarded by the tradition and were hitherto unheard by others. Particularly, his treatment of the last two chapters on Ayurdaya and Dasas deserve special attention from the readers. He appears to be well acquainted with Sanskrit commentaries by Bhattotpala, Rudra, and Govinda Bhattattiri and so on. A discerning reader can easily recognize the erudite scholarship of the author and the value of his unambiguous instructions.

This English translation brings forth for the first time the greatness of the work to the non-Malayali Jyotisha enthusiasts by providing extensive notes at every instance by explaining the concepts with pictorial depictions, real-life case studies and examples, and by incorporating information from the commentaries of Bhattotpala, Rudra, Govinda Bhattattiri. Parameshwara and A.N. Srinivasaraghava Aiyangar. Relevant information from other works like s like Prashnanushthana Paddhati and Phaladeepika is also incorporated.

Brihajjataka of Varahamihira is impregnated with multifarious information covering the entire gamut of the subject. There are more than twenty commentaries on Brihajjataka in Sanskrit, besides many in Indian vernacular languages, particularly in Malayalam.

The present commentary in Malayalam is named as Horaphalaratnavali and its author is Kannassa Panicker about whom not much is known. He seems not to be a famous literary person in the history of Kerala literature. The word Kannassa in the name suggests that he probably belongs to the Kaniyar caste whose members had mastery of Sanskrit, Astrology and Ayurveda, and were accepted and patronized by the Kings of Kerala. The title Panicker is a widely used surname by different castes of Kerala. However, the members of Kaniyan caste or traditional astrologer castes are the most prominent persons using Panicker surname.

While gathering the literature for my previous book Dasadhyayi, a commentary on Brihajjataka by Govinda Bhattattiri, I came across a few words about Horaphalaratnavali in Apoorvarthapradarshika commentary of Shri A.N. Srinivasaraghava Aiyangar as follows: "There is a Malayalam Commentary in the form of conversation between a teacher and a pupil dealing with only important verses by Kannassa Panicker. This excels the commentaries of both (Dasadhyayi and Rudra Vivarana)'. This ignited my enthusiasm and on further inquiry, I could collect few articles written by Shri V.A. Nair that were published during 1984 to 1986 in the erstwhile "The Astrological Magazine' edited by Late Shri B.V. Raman. However, the article series had covered the first chapter and the beginning of the second chapter only. Meanwhile, I could gather the Horaphalaratnavali Malayalam text published around 1949 and started its study.

The text of Horaphalaratnavali dealing with the initial eight chapters of Brihajjataka runs as a dialogue between a teacher and his disciple. It could have actually happened like that or a single person might have crystallized his teaching/learning experience in this form.