02 — Course Syllabus¶
Personal 3-semester BPHS study course. Built from the verified chapter list in the Chapter Inventory, organized by topic and teaching order rather than strict print order — a few chapters are taught earlier or later than their printed number, and a handful of short, closely related chapters are grouped into one reference module. Every chapter still appears exactly once in the map below — nothing is dropped.
Semester 1 — Foundations¶
Outcome (per your specification): identify and explain the basic nature, function, condition, and role of every planet in a D1 chart.
Module labels below are short for Semester-Module — e.g. S1-M1 means Semester 1, Module 1.
| Module | BPHS Chapters | Topic | Approx. lessons |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1-M0 | — (no chapter; orientation) | Source/edition, how the 100-chapter system is organized, Sanskrit/verse conventions, how to use the workbook and Master Glossary | 1 |
| S1-M1 | Ch. 1–2 | Cosmology, divine origin of the grahas | 2 (Ch.1 and Ch.2 each got their own full lesson once actually built — see the Module 1 Overview) |
| S1-M2 | Ch. 3 | Grahas — names, benefic/malefic status, governance, deities, physical descriptions, dignity (exaltation/debilitation), natural & temporary relationships, Upagrahas & Gulika | 6 (revised up from an initial estimate of 3 once the full 74-verse chapter was actually read — see the Module 2 Overview) |
| S1-M3 | Ch. 4 | Rashis — Kalapurusha limbs, sign classifications, sign-by-sign nature, Nisheka Lagna | 3 (revised up from an initial estimate of 2 — the original syllabus missed Ch. 4 v.25–30's Nisheka Lagna sub-topic entirely, found only once the full chapter was read; see the Module 3 Overview) |
| S1-M4 | Ch. 5 | Locating planets (historical manual method) — reference-only, light treatment | 1 |
| S1-M5 | Ch. 6–8 | Special Lagnas; conceptual map of the 16 Vargas and their purpose (construction technique deferred to S3) | 2 |
| S1-M6 | Ch. 9 | Planetary and sign aspects | 1 |
| S1-M7 | Ch. 13 | Bhava classification (Kendra/Trikona/Upachaya/Dusthana) and natural significations | 1 |
| S1-M8 | Ch. 36 (moved up) | Functional benefic/malefic classification by ascendant (Yoga Karakas) — Semester 1 capstone | 1 |
| S1 Review | — | Cumulative review, error-log pass | 1 |
| S1 Exam | — | Semester 1 exam | 1 |
≈ 13–14 active lessons + review + exam ≈ 15 weeks (~3.5 months).
Semester 2 — Horoscope Judgment¶
Outcome (per your specification): conduct a structured D1 analysis and support the reasoning with BPHS references.
| Module | BPHS Chapters | Topic | Approx. lessons |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2-M9 | Ch. 10–12 | Birth circumstances, evils at birth, antidotes | 1 |
| S2-M10 | Ch. 14–17 | House-by-house effects: 1st–4th houses | 3–4 |
| S2-M11 | Ch. 18–22 | House-by-house effects: 5th–9th houses | 4–5 |
| S2-M12 | Ch. 23–25 | House-by-house effects: 10th–12th houses (11th+12th paired — both short, gains/loss axis) | 2 |
| S2-M13 | Ch. 26 | Effects of Bhava Lords — the lord-in-house method (framework taught in full; all 144 combinations used as a reference table, not memorized individually) | 2 |
| S2-M14 | Ch. 27 | Non-luminous planets/Upagrahas in houses — reference-weighted | 1 |
| S2-M15 | Ch. 28 | Refined evaluation of planetary aspects | 1 |
| S2-M16 | Ch. 29 | Shadbala (six-fold strength) — calculation-heavy, deliberately slow pace | 2–3 |
| S2-M17 | Ch. 30, 47 (Ch. 47 moved from end of Vol. 1) | Ishta/Kashta Bala and Avasthas (planetary states) | 2 |
| S2-M18 | Ch. 34 | Karakas, dispositors, Atmakaraka | 1 |
| S2-M19 | Ch. 33 | Argala (planetary intervention) | 1 |
| S2-M20 | Ch. 46 (moved up) | Marakas (killer-lord identification) | 1 |
| S2-M21 | — (integration, no new chapter) | D1 Synthesis Workshop: assemble Modules 9–20 into one repeatable judgment procedure — first entries into the Master Chart Analysis Procedure | 1 |
| S2 Review | — | Cumulative review, error-log pass | 1–2 |
| Catch-up | — | Buffer for Shadbala/house-judgment overrun | 1 |
| S2 Exam | — | Semester 2 exam (includes a full D1 chart judgment) | 1 |
≈ 20–23 active lessons + review/catchup/exam ≈ 24–27 weeks (~5.5–6.5 months).
Semester 3 — Advanced Application¶
Outcome (per your specification): combine D1, relevant Vargas, yogas, strength factors, and dashas into a reasoned, BPHS-sourced interpretation.
| Module | BPHS Chapters | Topic | Approx. lessons |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3-M22 | Ch. 6–8 (revisited in depth) | Varga construction technique, Vimsopaka Bala | 3 |
| S3-M23 | Ch. 31–32, 35 | Bhava Padas, Upapada, Karakamsa (full technique) | 3 |
| S3-M24 | Ch. 37–40 | Yoga catalog I — Nabhasa Yogas, other named yogas, Lunar & Solar yogas | 3 |
| S3-M25 | Ch. 41–44 | Yoga catalog II — Raja Yogas, royal association, wealth, penury | 3 |
| S3-M26 | Ch. 45 | Longevity (Pindayu/Amshayu/Naisargayu) — calculation-heavy | 2 |
| S3-M27 | Ch. 48–50 | Dasha foundations: survey of systems, Vimshottari mechanics, dasha-of-lords results | 3 |
| S3-M28 | Ch. 51–62 (consolidated) | Vimshottari Antardasa results — method taught via worked examples (Sun, Moon Mahadasas), remaining Mahadasa chapters used as reference | 3 |
| S3-M29 | Ch. 63–67 | Pratyantar/Sookshma/Prana subdivisions (reference-only) and Kalachakra Dasha | 2 |
| S3-M30 | Ch. 52–53 (revisited) | Chara Dasha and the broader dasha-system catalog from Ch. 48 | 1 |
| S3-M31 | Ch. 68–75 | Ashtakavarga — construction, Shodhanas, results, longevity use | 4 |
| S3-M32 | Ch. 76–77 | Sudarshana Chakra, Panchamahapurusha Yogas | 2 |
| S3-M33 | Ch. 78–81 (consolidated) | Panchabhuta rulership, Gunas, Lost Horoscopy, Asceticism yogas — reference-weighted | 1 |
| S3-M34 | Ch. 82–84 | Female horoscopy and body characteristics | 2 |
| S3-M35 | Ch. 85, 86–98 (consolidated) | Curses of previous birth; propitiation/Graha Shanti chapters as one reference module | 2 |
| S3-M36 | Ch. 99 | Horary system | 2 |
| S3-M37 | Ch. 100 + capstone | Epilogue; final synthesis into the Master Chart Analysis Procedure | 2 |
| S3 Review | — | Cumulative review across all 3 semesters | 2 |
| Catch-up | — | Buffer | 2 |
| Final Exam | — | Independent chart analysis (see [00 Final Exam spec in original request, §9]) | 2 |
≈ 34–38 active lessons + review/catchup/final exam ≈ 40–44 weeks (~9–10 months).
Course Totals¶
| Semester | Active lessons | Total weeks incl. review/exam |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — Foundations | 13–14 | ~15 |
| 2 — Horoscope Judgment | 20–23 | ~24–27 |
| 3 — Advanced Application | 34–38 | ~40–44 |
| Total | 67–75 | ~79–86 weeks ≈ 18–20 months |
This runs slightly past the 18-month upper bound at a strict one-lesson-per-week pace, because Volume 2 (53 chapters) is genuinely large.
Decision (adopted): run the longer, uncompressed ~18–20 month course. Mastery, not the calendar, sets the pace — lesson count and timing are determined by conceptual difficulty, application load, and logical progression, not by forcing an even distribution across the weeks. Some chapters get one lesson; some get several; nothing is compressed just to hit a target month. This has already held up in practice three times in a row: Module 1's "1 lesson" estimate for Ch. 1–2 became 2; Module 2's "3 lessons" estimate for Ch. 3 became 6; Module 3's "2 lessons" estimate for Ch. 4 became 3 (an entire sub-topic, Nisheka Lagna, was missing from the original estimate). Expect this pattern to continue — the totals above are directional, not a ceiling.
See the Course Timeline for the week-by-week calendar. Treat its week numbers as an approximate scaffold, not a contract — a module's actual lesson count is authoritative once that module is built, and the timeline is expected to drift as later modules are completed.
Assessment Schedule¶
- Weekly quiz — one per lesson, recall + understanding + application + source-awareness questions, with an answer key included. Volume scales to the lesson's complexity — a short conceptual lesson gets a short quiz.
- Chart Clinic — every lesson ends with one, following the same seven-step method: Observation → Relevant BPHS Principle → Supporting Evidence → Contradicting Evidence → Interpretation → Confidence Level → Reflection, run against a real chart (own natal chart early, then the reference-chart library, then blind charts late in the course — see below).
- Module test — after logical topic clusters, not every module. Several closely related modules → review → module test → continue, the way a university course paces exams rather than testing after every single class. Which modules cluster together is decided when the cluster is actually reached, based on how the material naturally groups — not pre-assigned here. (Module 1 got its own test because it was the opening cluster on its own; going forward, clustering is expected.)
- Semester exam — end of each semester; includes a full chart-judgment component appropriate to that semester's outcome.
- Final exam — independent analysis of an unfamiliar chart per the 9-part structure in your original specification (§9), separating strong/probable/tentative conclusions from unsupported speculation.
Review Schedule¶
- Every lesson's homework includes at least one item recalling a prior lesson's principle (cumulative retrieval).
- A dedicated review week sits at the end of every semester before its exam.
- The error log is checked at the start of every module for recurring mistakes before new material is introduced.
- The BPHS Field Manual is updated after every completed module with distilled, practical insights — reviewed before any real chart analysis.
- The BPHS Research Journal is the student's own reflection log, one entry per lesson — not graded, not reviewed by the tutor unless asked.
Reference Chart Library (for Chart Clinic)¶
A small, permanent set of charts reused throughout the course, so pattern recognition builds across lessons instead of restarting with an unfamiliar chart every time:
- My own natal chart — always first, used from Module 2 onward once birth data is available. Purpose: verify BPHS principles against already-known life outcomes, not prediction.
- 2–4 additional reference charts, representing different life patterns, introduced once Stage 1 (natal-chart verification) is well underway — exact charts to be proposed when that point is reached, not decided speculatively now.
- Blind charts, introduced near the end of the course (Semester 3) to develop independent judgment without the safety net of a known outcome.