Prasna Marga

{{Short description|Hindu astrological text}}

{{Infobox book

| name = Prasna Shastra

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| author = Narayanan Nambutiri of Panakkattu house in Edakkattu village

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| translator = Bangalore Venkata Raman

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| country = India

| language = Sanskrit

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| subject = Astrology

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{{Hindu scriptures |Hindu astrology}}

Prasna Marga is a work on Hindu astrology, natal and horary ('Prashna' means 'Horary'), that appears to be a major classical text covering every aspect of human existence. It was written in Sanskrit Sloka – format in the year 1649 at Edakad near Tellasseri in the present Indian State of Kerala, by Narayanan Nambutiri of Panakkattu house (a Namboodari Brahmin). The author himself wrote a brief commentary to his book with the name 'Durgamartha prakasini'. This work is known in English through the commentary written by Punnasseri Nambi Neelakantha Sarma, a disciple of Kerala Varma.{{cite book|title=Prasna Marga (Part-1)|year=1991|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers|place=New Delhi|page=12|isbn=9788120809185|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eUonmc-NPXgC&pg=PR3}} All Parashari principles are briefly available in this classic, and {{cite book|title=Elements of Vedic Astrology|author=Dr.K.S.Charak|year=1998|publisher=Institute of Vedic Astrology|page=407|isbn=9788190100809|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y7FM5Fpn1X8C&q=Prasna+Marga&pg=PA407}} about which principles it is claimed that one conversant with the six branches of Jyotisa will never err in predictions.{{cite book|title=Light on Life|author=Hart De Fouw|year=2003|publisher=Lotus Press|page=10|isbn=9780940985698|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jBzSLNNbTWwC&q=Prasna+Marga&pg=PA10}}

Prasna Marga is the most comprehensive and elaborate exposition of Horary astrology.{{cite book|title=Sri Neelakantha's Prasna Tantra|author=Bangalore Venkata Raman|author-link=Bangalore Venkata Raman|year=1970|publisher=Raman Publications|place=Bangalore|page=ix|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OtkZAAAAMAAJ&q=Prasna+Marga}} This classic occupies a high position of pride without entering into which like mines of works riches of Indian astrology cannot be discovered.{{cite book|title=Saravali of Kalyan Varma Vol.1|author=R.Santhanam|year=1983|publisher=Ranjan Publications|place=New Delhi|page=9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4BY6AAAAMAAJ&q=Prasna+Marga}} In Prasna Marga each house is allotted a fixed number of Sarvashtaka bindus above which the house prospers (this concept is taken from Ashtakavarga chapter of BPHS or Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, the foundational classic of Indian predictive astrology)).{{cite book|title=Dots of Destiny:Applications of Ashtakvarga|publisher=Institute of Vedic Astrology|page=28|isbn=9788186824047|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1Uwi1LAZb7QC&q=Prasna+Marga&pg=PA28}} Prasna Marga also uses many techniques, like Navams-Navams, Navams-Dvadasams, etc. which are not used by anyone in practice, but were used earlier.