The Joshi calculates auspicious [226] seasons by a consideration of the
sun's zodiacal sign, the moon's nakshatra or daily mansion, and other
rules. From the monthly zodiacal signs and daily nakshatras in which
children are born, as recorded in their horoscopes, he calculates
whether their marriage will be auspicious. Thus the zodiacal signs
are supposed to be divided among the four castes, Pisces, Cancer and
Scorpio belonging to the Brahman; Aries, Leo and Sagittarius to the
Kshatriya; Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn to the Vaishya; and Gemini,
Libra and Aquarius to the Sudra. If the boy and girl were born under
any of the three signs of the same caste it is a happy conjunction. If
the boy's sign was of a caste superior to the girl's, it is suitable,
but if the girl's sign is of a superior caste to the boy's it is an
omen that she will rule the household; and though the marriage may
take place, certain ceremonies should be performed to obviate this
effect. There is also a division of the zodiacal signs according
to their nature. Thus Virgo, Libra, Gemini, Aquarius and half of
Sagittarius are considered to be of the nature of man, or formed by
him; Aries, Taurus, half of Sagittarius and half of Capricorn are of
the nature of animals; Cancer, Pisces and half of Capricorn are of
a watery nature; Leo is of the desert or wild nature; and Scorpio
is of the nature of insects. If the boy and girl were both born
under signs of the same nature their marriage will be auspicious,
but if they were born under signs of different natures, they will
share only half the blessings and comforts of the marriage state,
and may be visited by strife, enmity, misery or distress. As Leo and
Scorpio are looked upon as being enemies, evil consequences are much
dreaded from the marriage of a couple born under these signs. There
are also numerous rules regarding the nakshatras or mansions of the
moon and days of the week under which the boy and girl were born,
but these need not be reproduced. If on the day of the wedding the
sun or any of the planets passes from one zodiacal sign to another,
the wedding must be delayed for a certain number of gharis or periods
of twenty-four minutes, the number varying for each planet. The hours
of the day are severally appointed to the seven planets and the twelve
zodiacal signs, and the period of ascendancy of a sign is known as
lagan; this name is also given to the paper specifying the day and
hour which have been calculated as auspicious for the wedding. It
is stated that no weddings should be celebrated during the period of
occultation of the planets Jupiter and Venus, nor on the day before
new moon, nor the Sankrant or day on which the sun passes from one
zodiacal sign to another, nor in the Singhast year, when the planet
Jupiter is in the constellation Leo. This takes place once in twelve
years. Marriages are usually prohibited during the four months of
the rainy season, and sometimes also in Pus, Jeth or other months.