_
The Best Kept
Alok Jagawat is a young astrologer with
deep study in astrology. He is a Graphic
Engineer and has done MA in Astrology
He started astrology at a very young age of
nineteen and has had many credible
predictions to his credit. He likes to specialise
in those areas of astrology which has been
traditionally ignored. His website is
www.gems-astrology.com
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Secret of Pukhraj
By
Alok Jagawat, India.
“Ratnen Shubhen Shubham Bhavati
nripanamanishtamshuben”
Yasmadtah parikshyam daivam
ratnashritam tajagaye”
T his is the first stanza from the
chapter “Ratnaparikshadhyaya”
from the ancient classic “Braht
Samitha”.
It says that auspicious, clean and best
quality gems bring prosperity to kings, and
bad quality gems bring bad luck to kings. So
an astrologer should always choose a
gemstone with utmost care as gems are the
harbinger of fortune.
The last line says it very clearly that gems
have powers inside them; that they are the
carriers of fate. But questions still get
mounted in the mind as which stone is the
true gemstone for a planet and this can also
raise some controversy as well. Before
writing this article, I shared this knowledge
with many of my friends; and to my
surprise and astonishment everybody tried
to discourage me to write this article. I
assure you that this article would remove all
your doubts related to a very particular
gemstone known as “Pukhraja”. I have been
threatened to write this article as this will
definitely bring down the businesses of
people who have been selling a different
gemstone as Pukhraja through all these
years. I myself am; one of the culprits as I
also sold the same gemstone calling it
“Pukhraja”. I was not aware of it and I acted
as been informed but researches and
discovery into this subject has forced me to
share this knowledge with everybody.
Please note that I am writing this on the basis of proofs from
Ancient classics and I am backed by the same classics that gave birth to the pure spirit of
astrology.

The synonyms of Pukraja are:

1. Pushparagah
2. Manjumani
3. Vachaspati Vallabha Please note that weight of gemstone is not specified in

4. Pitah classics. It is not necessary to wear gemstones in

5. Peetsphagtikam particular weights. It is clear and understandable that
6. Peetraktha gems should be of certain weight and size so they can
7. Pitaashm
allow the light to pass through (which can be any size
8. Gururatnam
above a carat).
9. Peetmani
10. Pushpraja
11. Topaz

Most important in these synonyms is the colour of this gemstone which is Yellow. “Peeta”
means yellow. But there are several gemstones which are yellow in colour. This includes
yellow beryl, yellow sapphire, yellow topaz, yellow citrine and yellow tourmaline.
So what exactly is Pukhraja or “Pushpragam”?. Please note that most of the commentators
of classics have used the word “topaz” as the synonym for “Pukhraja”. Also nobody can
claim that yellow sapphire was called topaz in those times; as topaz or pushparaga has a
hardness of 8. Yellow sapphire has hardness of 9.

Today almost 99% of the astrologers and gemstone dealers sell yellow sapphire as
“Pukhraja”. The reason is very simple. A clear and bright coloured yellow sapphire can cost
you anywhere between Rs 5000 /carat to Rs 25000 /carat; depending on its size, cut, clarity &
colour. But a real topaz can only cost you 2000 to 3000 Rs /carat in its utmost finest quality.
Now there is a problem with yellow topaz as well. If you go to market to buy a yellow topaz,
you will only end up with citrine which is far cheaper than yellow topaz itself. It is so
controversial that if you happen to differentiate between topaz and citrine while buying it,
the seller will strongly oppose it and you may get dejected as a fool.

First of all let me quote some classics texts to prove that “Pushragam” is the stone related to
Jupiter:
Vaidyanath (Describing Jupiter and its qualities):

“Devacharya Saukhyavigyansagara subhdo devejya jeevastubhaytovrajet purandaracharya dvipaat

budhalayagramcharo guruh; trishat varshani guruh shakhadhipo jevah ; devta indrah; devjayasya cha
Pushparaga”

Mantreshwar. Grahbhedadhyaya, sloka 29:

“Manikayam Tarne, sudharyamamalam muktaphalam sheetgo,

Maheasya cha vidrum, markatam saumyasya garutmatam,
Devdayasya cha pushpragam suramatyasya vajram shane”

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Vrihadjataka, Vrhat Samhita, Rajvallabha, Rasratnasamuchya, Shushrut Shanita, Garud
Purana , mention gems related to planets.

Manimala mentions different traits of “pushparagam”, sloka 388:

“Aapeetpanduruchirah pashanah pushpragamsangyastu”
A certain ash coloured stone having a beautiful yellowish shade goes by the name of topaz.

Please note that yellow sapphire belongs to corundum class and is found with blue sapphire.
Topaz is an entirely different gemstone with a far lesser value then its popular false
counterpart.
For your benefit here is the technical structure of the gemstones as mentioned earlier:

Properties Yellow sapphire Yellow Topaz Citrine

(Peela Neelam) (Pukhraj) (Sold as topaz)
Crystal System Trigonal orthorhombic trigonal crystal
system
Crystal Habit six‐sided barrel elongate, Enantiomorphic
shape tapering to prismatic
pyramid
terminations
Hardness Scale 9 8.00 7 to 7 1/2
Refractive Index 1.760 to 1.773 1.610 to 1.630 1.550.
(RI)
Specific gravity 3.90 to 4.10 3.54 2.6 ‐ 2.7
(SG)
Gem Colour Yellow Yellow Yellow
Chemical Al2O3 Al2SiO4(F,OH)2 SiO2
Composition

Topaz or Pukhraja Yellow sapphire or Peela Citrine

neelam

As it must be clear through the pictures, all the three gemstones look equally alike and
appear like Pukhraja. A true Pukhraja can only be determined through lab tests. It is
generally clean and should not cost much. Yellow sapphire which is sold as Pukhraja is not
pukhraja and it is a very expensive gemstone.

In Manimala sloka 395, author says:

“ That a man who wears a faultlessly yellow topaz possessed of a beautiful shade, weighty,
exceedingly cool, flawless, and perfectly round, reaps fame, heroism, happiness, wealth and length of

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 days. That topaz which is spotted, rough, white, yet dirty, light, void of lustre and containing
grits is noxious.”

Pukhraja or Topaz as known to ancients:

This stone was called “Pittdoh” in Hebrew; by professor Aaron Pick, and “Pittoh” by
Gesenius, who thought that it
was derived from the Sanskrit Today almost 99% of the astrologers and
word “Pitta” and that the
gemstone dealers sell yellow sapphire as
Greek “Topasion” is a
“Pukhraja”.
transposition from “Pittdoh” to
“Tipdoh”. The topaz is one stone
noticed in the Bible and was in the Middle Ages, considered to be the emblem of Apostle
James the Younger.
According to the ancients the topaz would become pale and obscure if it came in contact
with the poison. It soothed anger and quenched the heat of boiling water. It drove away
nightmares and sadness, strengthened the intellect, sharpened the wit, bestowed courage and
if bound on the left arm or hung round the neck, set in gold, it dispelled enchantments.

Who Should One Wear A Pukhraja:

A ll gemstones should only be worn in the case when a certain planet associated to a
gemstone is weak but benefic. The gemstone of malefic planet who are functional
malefic should be strictly avoided. Topaz should be worn when Jupiter is benefic
but weakly placed in the horoscope. Good results from a weakly placed Jupiter in horoscope
and Shadbala table can be acquired by wearing a clean and proper coloured Pukraj.
Pukraj should not be worn with Rahu Ratna Gomedaka and Markat Mani or Emerald. It
should be embedded in Gold and should be worn in Index finger of the right hand. It can
also be embedded as a pendant in the necklace.

Weight:

P lease note that weight of gemstone is not specified in classics. It is not necessary to
wear gemstones in particular weights. It is clear and understandable that gems should
be of certain weight and size so they can allow the light to pass through (which can be
any size above a carat). But particular weights are not mentioned in classics. I have seen
astrologers recommending gemstones in rattis and heavy weights without any specific reasons. This is
a bogus practise and has no base behind it.

When It Should Be Worn:

Topaz can be worn on a Thursday of a brighter lunar half. The ring should be offered milk
and water. It should then be cleaned with clear water. A brihaspati beej mantra can be
recited 108 times to bring auspiciousness to this object. According to “Ratna Prakasha” the
ring should be worn during one and half hours before sunset.

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