Chapter Two Astrological Works in Sanskrit

51 CHAPTER TWO ASTROLOGICAL WORKS IN SANSKRIT Astrology can be defined as the 'philosophy of discovery' which analyzing past impulses and future actions of both individuals and communities in the light of planetary configurations. Astrology explains life's reaction to planetary movements. In Sanskrit it is called hora sastra the science of time-'^rwRH ^5R5fai«fH5iref ^ ^Tm ^ ^ % ^i^J' 11 L.R. Chawdhary documented the use of astrology as "astrology is important to male or female as is the case of psychology, this branch of knowledge deals with the human soul deriving awareness of the mind from the careful examination of the facts of consciousness. Astrology complements everything in psychology because it explains the facts of planetary influences on the conscious and subconscious providing a guideline towards all aspects of life, harmony of mind, body and spirit. This is the real use of astrology^. Dr. ^.V.Raman implies that "astrology in India is a part of the whole of Indian culture and plays an integral part in guiding life for all at all stages of life" ^. Predictive astrology is a part of astronomy that exists by the influence of ganita and astronomical doctrines. Winternitz observes that an astrologer is required to possess all possible noble quantities and a comprehensive knowledge of astronomy, ' Quoted from Sabdakalpadruma, kanta-ll, p.550 ^ L.R.Chawdhari, Secrets of astrology. Sterling Paper backs, New Delhi,1998, p.3 ^Raman.B.V, Planetary influence of Human affairs, U.B.S. Publishers, New Delhi, 1996,p.147 52 mathematics and astrology^ Astrology or predictive astrology is said to be coconnected with 'astronomy'. A number of works in Sanskrit is available on astrology. It may be defined as "The philosophy of discovering and analysing past impulses and future actions of both individuals and classes in the light of planetary configurations". Astrology explains life's reactions to vibrations on the basis of rebirth: It is standing out as a distinct science and is based on astronomical facts *^Tm i^]kmm\ %^ ?in^'^. The antiquity of Indian astrology The antiquity of Indian astrology is remote. Premkumar Sarnna has documented many astronomical references from the Vedic Samhitas and Brahmanas in his work entitled Siddhdntasiromanergoladhyayasyopapatti as follows: '"^^ fspgi M$iwfe<k||c|^§' ^ JT%r ¥ ^ ^^ =^g^ =KKU|r^H TrfrFnf^: I... '3TRt ^ ^Sm^ T^..! W^ «fti#^3a?Flt ^^Sfq ^: I '% T^ ^l^f^ SIS;?! H^TTSRT: I %R ' Winternitz, History of Indian Literature, vol.111, Motilal Benarsi dass, New Delhi, 1996 p.693 ^ Laghujdtaka, 1-3 ^ Bharatiyajyotisa, Nemichandra Sastri, Bharatiyajnanaplthaprakasam, New Delhi, 1995,p.1 53 Deviprasad Chatopadhyaya establishes that the science of mathematics was prevalent especially based on the calculation of the bricks sun/ived in the age of Indus valley civilization^. N.V.P.Unithiri also observed that 'astrology and mathematics were lightly propagated in the age of Indus valley civilization^'. So astronomy, as a part of mathematics was applied in ancient society, which may be practical at the time of Indus valley civilization. However astrology or predictive science was originated only after the age of Veddngajyotisa of Lagadha (1200 BC) In India, astrology and astronomy were considered with equal status in application. Winternitz denotes "In India, astronomy is closely related with astrology. Astronomy is some times taken for astrology, but the two are different, former is visible while the latter is Invisible. To an extent however, both are complimentary to each other"*. Astrology was developed with the influence of astronomy and mathematics and it has been divided later as siddhanta, hora and samhita. ^Siddhantasiromanergoladhyayasyopapatti, Premkumar Sarma, Nag Publishers, New Delhi, 2005, p.iv, in preface. ^History of Science and Technology in ancient Indiathe Beginning, 1986 ^Samskritattinte Nizhalum veliccavum, N.V.P.Unithiri, D.C. Books, Kottayam, 1998, p.43. " Op.Cit, History of Indian Literature, p.691 54 Major works on astronomy During the last forty to fifty years especially after the worid war 2^, several new astronomical manuscripts both original works and commentaries have been critically edited, translated, and commented upon by a number of scholars in India and abroad throwing new light on the subject. It now appears that the originality of Indian astrononny did not cease with the astronomical and mathematical productions of Bhaskara II in the beginning of the twelfth century that both before and after him important works and commentaries were produced, and further that the medieval period from the twelfth to the eighteenth century, through largely marked by the secondary activities of the commentators, did occasionally produce brilliant minds with significant contributions to their credit. There are commentaries for famous astronomical works in India and especially of Keralite original works and commentaries on astronomy and astrology. Lagadha, Aryabhata I, Varahamihira, Brahmagupta, Bhaskaracarya I and Bhaskaracarya II are the renowned scholars on astronomy in India. Vedangajyotisa of Lagadha Though there are no astronomical references found in the Vedic literature, knowledge about the seasons, rains, cold, and so forth for guidance in the agricultural purpose was contributed to the origin of astronomy. A single remnant of a certainly not inconsiderable astronomical literature has come down to us in a small work bearing 55 the title Jyotisavedanga (1200 BC)\ It is a small treatise composed in verses and has forty-three^ stanzas in the Yajurveda and thirty-six stanzas in the Rgveda recession, that are exclusively devoted to calculation of time. The Jyotisavedanga stands on the boundary line in between the Vedic and the 'middle period'; so called by Tibuat on Indian astronomy. Gargasamhita of Garga is known to us only from quotations and has always been considered as enjoying high authority in astronomy^. The Yrddhagargasamhita that has come down to us, deals with astrology mainly and contains also astronomical topics; a fragment of 'Puskarasadin' the Naksatrakalpa and others are older ones. The Pahcamahasiddhanta that is known to us only through the presentation of its contents in the Pahcasiddhantika of Varahamihira (6**^ century AD) and in particular, in voluminous astronomical upanga of Jains, the Suryapaddhati [Suryapannatti). The astronomic cosmological selections of the Mahabharata, of the Puranas and of the Manavadharmasastra too belong to this category. ' About the time calculation in the Veddngajyotisa, R.Shamasastri is of the opinion that they refer to the period from 1400 BC to 850 BC. ^ Op.CiL, History of Indian Literature, vol. Ill, p.681 (according to Shamasastri there are fourty four slokas) ' Mahabharata, lX-37-14. 56 Aryabhata Aryabhata was a famous astronomer born at Kusumapura (Patna) in 476 AD. Varahamihira has mentioned in his Pahcasiddhdntika the names of ancient astronomers like Lata, Sirnha, Pradyumna, Vijayanandin, and Aryabhata. It is only of the last one that is posses a work that is equally important for a history of mathematics and astronomy\ The credit of introducing the new ideas into Indian astronomy was usually given to Aryabhata. Winternitz has indicated that the age of Aryabhata, according to his own statement, "Aryabhata wrote his work in Kusumapura (Pataliputra) and in fact in the three thousand six hundred the years of kaliyuga when he was at the age of twenty three . There is controversy about his native place. Prof. Ramachandra Menon opines that Aryabhata must have been a Keralite^. Aryabhata had applied the Brahmasiddhanta to interpret his astronomical theories and the non-Keralite scholars had been followers of Suryasiddhdnta of Latadeva (4*^ century AD). Further it can be seen that nnost of commentaries on Aryabhatiya are also produced only from Kerala. Vatakumkur however observes that Aryabhata is non- Kearlite astronomer'*. Aryabhatiya or the Laghuaryabhatiya also called the Aryasiddhdnta consists of four parts of which the last three are ' Op.Cit., History of Indian Literature, p.686. ^ Ibid., pmi. ^ Bharatiyaganitam, Ramacandra Menon, Keralabhasa institute, Tfiiruvananthapuram, 1984, p.55 •* Op.Cit., K.S.S.C, vo>.», in^retace. 57 considered to form independent work under the title Aryabhatasataka. Aryabhatiya is divided into four parts. The first part, the Dasagitikasutra explains the special system of writing the numerals that was introduced by Aryabhata alone and gives the basic technical elements of the system. The second part ganitapatha consists of thirty-three arya stanzas. It is in this metre that the entire work is written giving a small anthology of mathematical teachings of Aryabhata. The third part, Kalakriyapada in twenty-five verses deals with the basic principles of astronomical time calculation while the fourth part the Golapada, in fifty stanzas, the celestial sphere. Aryabhata denied all Siddhantas upto that age. One of them was 'the earth is rotating itself and all planets are revolving to the earth continuously. But Aryabhata established his theory that 'the earth is rotating itself and all planets are revolving to the Sun, means Sun is concreted as pivot point of astronomy. But sorrov\rful truth is that, then and after, all famous astronomers namely Brahmagupta and others neglected his valuable observations\ Aryabhata had written other works also that have not come down to us. Varahamihira Varahamihira who flourished in the sixth century AD, has preserved and upto dated all norms of astronomy in his Op.Cit.,

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