Contents:
Forward by Prof. B. Suryanarain Rao; Preface to the 1st edition; Preface to the 16th edition; Introduction by Dr. V.V. Ramana Sastrin; Author's introduction;

1: Zodiac & the Planetary System; 2: Preliminaries Explained; 3: The Ayanamsa; 4: Rasimanas; 5: Sunrise & Sunset; 6: Measures & Conversion of Time; 7: Graha Sphutas; 8: Lagna Sphuta; 9: Dasama Bhava Sphuta; 10: Bhava Sphutas; 11: Casting the Horoscope According to the Western Method & Its Reduction to the Hindu; 12: The Shodasavargas; Summary.

Tables: 1. Charakhandas (1 - 60 degrees north latitude); 2. Terrestrial Latitudes & Longitudes; 3. Equation of Time; 4. Table of Standard Times; 5. Sunrise & Sunset; 6. Lords of Vargas (includes those of divisional charts). Index of Technical Terms.

Comment: From 1935, this was not B.V. Raman's first book. (In his Preface to the first edition, he mentions previously writing Hindu Predictive Astrology, though the earliest date in that book is 1938.) B. Suryanarain Rao was Raman's grandfather, one of the most esteemed Vedic astrologers of his day. In the preface to the 16th (last) edition, Raman states that A Manual of Hindu Astrology, Nirayana Tables of Houses, and his 110 Year Ephemeris are the essential tools for the scientific construction of horoscopes.

This is a complete guide to the calculation of Vedic horoscopes, including divisional charts. It is also a guide & reference to Hindu concepts of time measurement (Vighatis, ghatis, etc.), sunrise & sunset calculation (when the sun is half-risen or set), instructions for the calculation of divisional charts, etc. A useful book.

UBSPD, 189 pages.

Synopsis: A comprehensive guide to 300 of the most essential planetary aspects in Vedic astrology.

Contents, comment.

Motilal Banarsidass, paper, 340 pages.

Contents, volume 2:
Preface to the 4th edition; Preface to the 2nd edition; Preface to the 1st edition;
11. Concerning the Seventh house; 12. Concerning the Eighth house; 13. Concerning the Ninth house; 14. Concerning the Tenth house; 15. Concerning the Eleventh house; 16. Concerning the Twelfth house; 17. Some practical illustrations; An index to technical terms. Paper, 475 pages. First published in 1980.

Comment: Since Vedic astrology is house-based, these are books about the effects of planets in houses, rulers (lords) of the houses, planetary combinations (yogas) in & aspecting the houses, etc. Note 39 years between the two volumes. In the first introduction to volume 2, Raman notes that it was the help of Gayatri Devi Vasudev, his daughter, that enabled him to finally prepare & publish the second volume.

Motilal Banarsidass

11. On birth verification & rectification; 12. Dasas & bhuktis (periods & sub-periods); 13. On aspects; 14. Ayurdaya or longevity; 15. Marakas or death inflicting planets; 16. Judgment of a horoscope; 17. Key-planets for each sign; 18. Result of ascending signs; 19. Judgments of bhavas (houses); 20. Some special yogas;

21. Planets in different bhavas or houses; 22. Planets in different rasis or signs; 23. Characteristics of the signs & planets; 24. Results of dasas & bhuktis; 25. Source & nature of death; 26. The ashtakavarga system; 27. Prasna sastra or horary astrology; 28. Unknown birth times; 29. Medical astrology; 30. Female horoscopy;

31. Mundane astrology; 32. Muhurtha or election; 33. Annual horoscopes; 34. Gocharaphala or results of transits; 35. Practical horoscopes; 36. Drekkanas (decanates) & stellar influences.

Appendix A: Calculation of the ayanamsa. Tables: I. Oblique ascension table for places 0 - 60 degrees north latitude; II. Dasa bhukti tables; III. Proportional parts for dasas of planets; IV. Ayanamsa, 1891-2000 AD; Index of technical terms.

Comment: This is a good beginning book to understand the details (many) of Hindu astrology. It is not about prediction per se, but about Hindu astrology generally. So, signs, planets, houses, aspects, dasas, longevity, death inflicting planets, yogas, ashtakavargas & lots more in a small book. In the introduction, the author says, The chapters are systematically arranged. As a matter of fact, the book is so graduated as to make even the beginner well-acquainted with all the principles easily, while the advanced student will find much useful information with which he will not have come into contact hitherto.

UBSPD, 292 pages.

Comment: Subtitled, Being the first real effort to teach Astrology - a simple manner free from technicalities. And it is a simple, practical overview of Hindu astrology without a lot of fussy details, except for the mandatory section on chart construction. Sometimes a book like this helps to cut through all the gibberish in the fancier books.

UBSPD, 104 pages.

Tables: 1. Ahargana; 2. Days from January 1 to the end of the month; 3. Weekdays equivalent to remainders; 4. Mean solar daily motion; 5. Mean motion of Mars; 6. Mean motion of Jupiter; 7. Mean motion of Saturn; 8. Mercury's apogee product table; 9. Venus' product table. Index of technical terms.

Comment: Like A Manual of Hindu Astrology (above) this is a book of calculation, not interpretation. Here are all the many intricate & involved rules for judging house & planetary strengths, all clearly explained. Here as elsewhere, Raman does an excellent job of deciphering & explaining Vedic terms into plain English.

UBSPD, 125 pages.

Chapter 1: Use of Horary Astrology: How to put a query; The true astrologer; About the querist; Answering more than one query; Planetary Avasthas; Results of Avasthas; Planetary Indications; Events to know from different houses;

Chapter 2: Bhava Prasna: General estimate; Success of object in view; Malefic combinations; 1st house questions; 2nd house questions; 3rd house questions; 4th house questions; 5th house questions; 6th house questions; Employer-employee relations; 7th house questions; 8th house questions; 9th house questions; 10th house questions; On releasing the object; 11th house questions; 12th house questions;

Chapter 3: On Special Questions: Return of a person in exile; Missing person, alive or dead?; Whether the traveler is alive or dead?; Attacking the fortress; On the recovery of the patient, etc; On the curse of deities; Master-servant relations; Future with another master; Recovery of lost property; Identity of thief; Special rules regarding children; On meals; On dreams; On sports; On disputes; On the traveler; Release of the imprisoned traveler; Queries bearing on ships, etc; Truth of rumors; On purchase & sale; On crops;

Chapter 4: Miscellaneous Matters: Gain of money; General judgment of houses; On the time factor; One's own thinking; On sexual matters; On trade & commerce; Individual's future; On tajika aspects; Ithasaia Yoga; Easarapha Yoga; Naktha Yoga; Yamaya Yoga; Kamboola Yoga;

Some Examples: Any likelihood of becoming rich?; Mother's longevity; Getting a child; Is the absent person alive or dead?; Illness; Marriage; End of a strike; Recovery of stolen property; Outcome of a law suit; Foreign travel; Leaving the present job; Profession. Index of technical terms.

Comment: A rather readable book on horary, even if you're not all that familiar with Vedic. Many of the concepts are similar to western horary. We fell to reading the chapter on the 7th house & the purity of the bride, etc., then thought to compare to William Lilly (Christian Astrology) where, to our surprise, we found all the same ideas, in some cases, nearly word for word. Which tells us that men ask the same questions everywhere & always and that Raman chose a rather good book to translate if it can stand up to Lilly. Why Vedic horary should be so similar to western is a puzzle, though.

UBSPD, 224 pages.

Comment: Ashtakavargas (the eight sources of energy) of each planet in depth, with notes on bindhu strength (eg, brownie points) of each, from 1 (weak) to 8 (strong). Planets of varying values combine to produce various results, they also influence the outcome of the dasa predictive cycles. Methods to determine longevity, more.

UBSPD, 176 pages.

1. The preparation; 2. The journey; 3. New York-1; 4. New York-2; 5. Washington; 6. Boston; 7. Cleveland; 8. Toledo; 9. Chicago; 10. Los Angeles;

11. The United Nations; 12. S.S. Queen Mary; 13. London-1; 14. London-2; 15. London-3; 16. Astrology in America; 17. Science & astrology; 18. Astrology in Europe; 19. Problems facing western astrologers; 20. America & India; 21. Subsequent visits to USA, Europe & Japan; 22. Fifth visit to USA;

Appendices: 1. Astrology in India; 2. Visit to Cambridge; 3. Nadi astrology; 4. Hindu predictive techniques. With 16 pages of photographs.

Comment: A travelogue of the author's trips to the west in 1959, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1981, during which he met just about all the major western astrologers of the day. This book also contains the complete text of three lectures given while on tour. These illuminate various Hindu techniques, the Nadis, aspects & predictive techniques among them.

UBSPD, paper, 304 pages.