Brihat Jataka Verse 1.20

Sanskrit Verse

रक्तः श्वेतः शुक तनु निभः पाटलो धूम्र पांडुश्चित्रः कृष्णः कनक सदृशः पिङ्गलः कर्बुरश्च । बभ्रुः स्वच्छः प्रथम भवनाद्येषु वर्णाः प्लवत्वं स्वाम्याशाख्यं दिन करयुताद् भाद् द्वितीयं च वेशिः ॥ २०॥

Transliteration

raktaḥ śvetaḥ śuka tanu nibhaḥ pāṭalo dhūmra pāṃḍuścitraḥ kṛṣṇaḥ kanaka sadṛśaḥ piṅgalaḥ karburaśca | babhruḥ svacchaḥ prathama bhavanādyeṣu varṇāḥ plavatvaṃ svāmyāśākhyaṃ dina karayutād bhād dvitīyaṃ ca veśiḥ || 20||

Word meanings

raktas—red; śvetas—white; śuka—a parrot; tanu—a feather nibha = like a; śukatanunibhas—like a parrot feather (the color yellow); pāṭalas—pink; dhūmra—smoke-colored; pāṃḍu—pale; dhūmrapāṃḍus—pale smoke colored; citras—variegated in color; kṛṣnas—black; kanaka—gold; sadṛśa—like; kanakasadṛśas—like gold; piṅgalas—reddish-brown; karburas—of a spotted or variegated color; ca—and; babhrus—deep brown; svacchas—transparent; prathama—the first; bhavana—zodiac sign ādi = beginning with; prathamabhavanādyeṣu—beginning with the first zodiac sign; varṇās—colors; plava—plava (boat); tva—one’s own; plavatvam—one’s own plava (the position of a constellation in the quarter ruled by its planetary regent); svāmya—lordship; āśa—attained ākhya = termed; svāmyāśākhyam—termed from the obtained lordship; dinakara—maker of the day (the Sun); yuta—joined; dinakarayutāt—from joined the maker of the day (the Sun); bhāt—from the zodiac sign; dvitīyam—the second; ca—and; veśis—veshi

Translation

The colors assigned to the signs starting from Aries are: red, white, parrot-wing yellow, pink, smoky grey, multi-colored, black, gold, tawny-brown, variegated, deep brown, and translucent. The direction of strength (Plava) depends on the ruling planet and its seasonal position relative to the Sun.

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Reference: Brihat Jataka