Prasna Marga is a classical Vedic astrology text that teaches how to answer questions using planetary positions and specific rituals. One of its most important techniques is the Ashtamangala Kriya — a ritual that uses 108 sacred cowrie shells to generate predictions.

This article explains exactly how this process works, step by step, as described in Chapter 4 of Prasna Marga. The cowrie shells serve three purposes: they are worshipped as sacred objects, touched with focused intention, and counted mathematically to produce a number that reveals the answer.

Reference: Prasna Marga, Chapter 4, Stanzas 37–39

The astrologer sits to the left of the Chakra (the astrological diagram), facing east. A wooden plank is placed to the north of the Chakra.

Exactly 108 cowrie shells are placed on the plank. The number 108 is sacred in Vedic tradition — it appears in prayer beads, sacred texts, and astrological calculations.

The cowries are then:

• Sprinkled with holy water
• Covered with sandal paste and flowers
• Worshipped as representing Shiva

This prepares the shells to become instruments of divination.

Reference: Prasna Marga, Chapter 4, Stanzas 45–50

A ritually pure boy or girl is called to assist. The astrologer touches the cowries while repeating mantras three times. This charges the shells with the intention of the question.

The child is then asked to place a gold piece on one of the twelve signs in the Chakra. The sign where the gold piece is placed becomes the Arudha Rasi (ascendant sign) for the reading.

Reference: Prasna Marga, Chapter 4, Stanzas 51–53

The astrologer divides the 108 cowries into three groups, each representing a time period:

At this moment, the astrologer also observes:

• The nature of their breath (left or right nostril)
• The Sun's shadow
• Any omens or signs

All these factors are considered together with the cowrie count.

Reference: Prasna Marga, Chapter 4, Stanzas 54–55

The astrologer picks up each group of cowries and counts them. From each group:

1. Count all the cowries in the group
2. Remove all multiples of 8 (8, 16, 24, 32, etc.)
3. Keep only the remainder (a number from 0–7)

The remainder from each group forms the three digits of the Ashtamangala Number:

This three-digit number is then divided by different values (30, 27, 7, 12, 9, and 5) to reveal:

• Lunar day (tithi)
• Constellation (nakshatra)
• Weekday
• Zodiac sign
• Ruling planet
• Primordial element

These factors are then compared with the querent's birth chart to determine the outcome.

Reference: Prasna Marga, Chapter 4, Stanzas 58–59

At the end of Chapter 4, Prasna Marga summarizes: "Worship the cowries for Ashtamangala. See that a piece of gold is asked to be deposited in one of the squares of the Chakra and find out the Ashtamangala number."

The cowries serve three roles in this process:

This combination of ritual worship, intentional focus, and mathematical calculation makes the cowrie system unique in Vedic astrology.

Summary

The cowrie shell method in Prasna Marga combines ritual, mathematics, and observation to generate predictions. The 108 shells are first worshipped, then divided into three groups representing past, present, and future. Each group is counted and divided by 8 to produce a three-digit number. This number is then analyzed to reveal astrological factors that answer the question.