Origin of vedic astrology (original) (raw)
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Acta Orientalia Vilnensia, 2003
This article sets itself a goal to explore the early historical development of the traditional astrological sciences (jyotiṣaśāstra, jyotiṣavidyā) in India, tracing its relationship to the astrology developed in Mesopotamia and in the Hellenistic period by the Greeks, as well as discussing some of its amplifications in South Asia, and the direct intercourse between India and the Arabs. Some attention is paid to the transformation and re-interpretation of foreign astral and divinatory sciences in India. The primarily sources of the present study are the early Sanskrit texts (mainly those of Sphujidhvaja’s and Varāhamihira’s, and the study itself is grounded on the critical analysis of contemporary discussions carried on by D. Pingree, O. Neugebauer, P. V. Kane, A. M. Shastri, and others scholars in the field.
Modern History of Asian Religions, 2015
Astrology is best defined as "the practice of relating the heavenly bodies to lives and events on earth, and the tradition that has thus been generated."1 India is home to a living tradition of astrology which extends back in an unbroken lineage for almost two thousand years, has roots which may be traced to the first or second millennia bce, and has deep roots in Indian religion.2 In India astrology is known as jyotiṣa or jyotiḥśāstra ("science of the stars"); this branch of learning includes mathematics, astronomy, divination, and astrology.3 As each branch became more sophisticated, each became a separate area of study, and while astronomers and mathematicians no longer utilize astrology in their area of study, astrologers still use mathematics and astronomy. The term jyotiṣa today is mostly used in connection with some sort of divinatory practice, and covers a range of subsets including jātaka (horoscopy, or astrology of the fate of the individual), praśnaśāstra (interrogational astrology), and muhūrtaśāstra (electing the right moment). Although Hellenistic, Arabic, and Western astrological techniques have been added over the course of the last two millennia, the ritual of consulting an astrologer for advice on love, profession, health, money, etc., or parents seeking guidance from an astrologer when their child is born, has never wavered.
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This essay refers to the concise history of Hindu astrology, highlighting its symbolism present in its spirituality which is transversal to all cultures. In a summarized way, it also mentions the foundations and main conceptions of Hindu astrology, namely Rasi, Nakshastra, Navagrahas, Bhava, Dashas.
ON THE PHILOSOPHICAL AND COSMOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF INDIAN ASTROLOGY
2014
In India, since their inception, astronomy and astrology have operated concurrently and in complementary fashion, providing a grammar and syntax for a single semantic universe. In the present paper, an attempt is made to reveal the epistemological and cos-mological foundations of Indian astrology and divination practices, using early astrological Sanskrit sources and historical and textual-hermeneutical methodology. According to traditional Indian sources, the formal cosmological structure is coupled with a rich mythological tradition in order to support a living, meaning-filled cosmos. This cosmos was relevant above all to the terrestrial world, especially to the proper functioning of ancient Aryan society. Astrological practices cannot be differentiated from other social practices on the basis of their symbolic exchange or their rhetorical powers. The concept of "like-ness" (sādṛśya) is fundamental to the operation of the Indian astral sciences. Therefore, to know the grammar and the syntax of the heavens-the unfolding chronology, the modulations of meaning-was essential for Indians if the order of the world and of society was to be maintained.
Why are the Calculations different in Vedic and Western Astrology
Many people who have viewed their Vedic birth chart next to their Western birth chart have noticed that in many cases the Signs the Planets are placed in will change from one system to the other. A person born on April 11 th for example will have the Sun placed in Aries according to Western astrology. However, in Vedic astrology the Sun will be in Pisces on this date. Western astrology and Vedic astrology have different systems for the calculations of the placement of Planets in Signs. Vedic Astrology is one of the most ancient and complex systems of astrology in existence, which is firmly based upon actual, recordable astronomical phenomena. Vedic astronomy uses a sidereal, or fixed star, system of time for which the calculations are precise and complex. These calculations account for the placement of the Earth in relation to fixed stars (the fixed Signs of the Zodiac). Western astronomers have only recently been able to confirm the accuracy of Vedic astronomy. Western Astrology uses a simpler system for calculating the placement of Planets in Signs, which is based upon the orbit of the Earth around the Sun without regard to the location of the stars. This is referred to as the tropical, or moving star, system. Neither the Vedic, sidereal nor the Western, tropical system is inherently wrong or useless to astrologers, but the system of Vedic astrology is based upon accurate astronomical calculation of the Sun, Moon and Planets in relation to fixed stars (constellations). The breadth and scope of practices of Vedic astrologers have long exceeded the practices of Western astrologers. Western astrology has largely been used as an aid for understanding people's personalities and providing counseling. Vedic astrology has been used for centuries for accurately predicting life events, births, deaths, marriages, careers, health, and disease ; and for identifying and remedying potential problems for people and nations. In addition to the more precise stellar calculations, Vedic astrology has many complex systems for chart analysis and remedial measures which are not present in Western astrology. With all this said, it must be remembered that though astrology is based upon scientific, astronomical calculations, as a system of divination it can never be a firm science. Accurate predictions and effective remedies will always depend upon a clear mind and sharp intuition. For those without clarity, it will do no good to look at astrological charts at all. Yet for a person with a calm, clear mind, astrology can be a great tool to gain insight into how to benefit a person or society. Yet if a person's mind is clear and the intuition is sharp, then it does not matter so much what system he uses. It is possible to gain some insight from a tropical chart, or a sidereal chart, or from tarot cards, or from gazing at a crystal ball, or even from observing the behavior of the crows and other birds. But for this a person cannot learn from a book. He must have a teacher and he must sacrifice his worldly desires and dedicate himself to the service of humanity. This is because astrology is a system for developing the intuition of the higher mind, and the process of thought is contrary and disruptive to intuitive knowing. To really learn such sciences, it is essential not to read and study but to learn directly from an experienced practitioner through personal instruction and direct observation. It is not possible to understand how to transcend the mind by thinking about this feat, but only by seeing and doing it. The intention of this article is not to discredit Western astrology altogether, because surely much good work which helps people is done by Western astrologers, but instead to explain the differences of calculations between the Vedic and Western systems. Vedic astrology is firmly based upon astronomy and the placement of the stars; Western astrology is not astronomically based. That is to say that the Signs in
Chapter Astronomy, Astrology and their Origin (Full Text)
The Origin of Civilization - book, 2021
The author states that scholars have been fascinated by the similarity in ancient astronomy in different civilizations, for example, both the Sumerians and Chinese used Jupiter’s movement in deriving their zodiac of 12 constellations and used 360 degrees in describing the sky. The author has further revealed Chinese zodiac has three phases based on ancient texts and precession, characterized by its starting constellation, Yin 寅Sagittarius at ca 5300BC, Chou 丑Capricornus at ca 3000BC and Zi 子Aquarius at ca 700BC which is still in use today in China. The Sumerians inherited the Chinese zodiac of the second phase Chou Capricornus at ca 3000BC, so did the ancient Indians and the Egyptians via their mutual trades with the Sumerians. Capricornus was used as a telling sign of planting millet during 4000BC-3000BC in the Yellow River downstream, Qian Niu牵牛as a bull being led for plowing the field, however, Sumerians changed the “bull” to Taurus as Sun in the Vernal Equinox, instead of Chinese in the Winter Solstice. The author has also made a breakthrough by determining ancient Chinese started their sexagesimal calendar in 5324BC and their first phase zodiac of 12 constellations known as Yin 寅Sagittarius was already in place then, based on ancient texts and Jupiter’s solar circle, an astonishing discovery which has also been independently verified by another astronomical event based on precession that Chinese started their Phase One zodiac around 5300BC. The author has further demonstrated Chinese used the Left Pivotal Star known as Lota-Draconis today as their North Star at 5000BC and the Right Pivotal Star known as alpha-Draconis as their North Star at 3000BC. Recent archeological findings indicate the People of East had observed the North Star at 4400BC. Chinese astronomy has always been under strict state supervision and, according to our findings revealed in this book, is the oldest known, two thousand years older than the Sumerians. These ancient People of East developed the earliest astronomy and invented the earliest calendar for one practical purpose, to determine the precise dates of their brief planting of millet, which occurs at the end of May and the beginning of June at the northern latitude of 36 degrees. This is the precise reason why the first civilization was born to farmers of millet, not to cultivators of barley, wheat, corn, or rice in warmer climates at lower latitudes.