Topics • Basics of Indian astrology • Astronomical assumption in Indian astrology • Scientific arguments against astrology • How Astrology came into Indian scene Basics of Indian astrology • What is zodiac • What is janma nakshatra • • What is panchang • What is Shani dasha/ dosha? The star that appears to be above head at 8 pm one day will be above head at 7:56 pm next day. That is stellar sphere will appear to rotate eastward by 1o. Now we know that actually Earth that is rotating about its own axis at the rate of 1o in every 4 min., and also going round the sun about 1o in one day. From the point of view of Earth, thus sun will appear to rotate once a year in the sky and come to same star after one year. Or one can say, Sun ‗moves‘ in the background of stars once a year. PATH OF SUN As seen from Earth, Sun in the sky moves in a path – called ecliptic. 12 constellations are almost evenly placed on this ecliptic ring. These are called Zodiac signs or Rashis What is Rasi The concept of Zodiac originated in Mesopotamia and spread to India via Greek. Similarity of the names/ figures attest to the same. Taurus Scorpio Leo Bull Scorpion Lion Rishab Vrichikam Simham Measm Rishabam Meenum Apparent position of Sun against a particular constellation is the Rasi.. Number Sanskrit Name Western Name 1 Mesha Aries 2 Vrishabha Taurus 3 Mithuna Gemini 4 Karka Cancer 5 Simha Leo 6 Kanya Virgo 7 Tula Libra 8 Vrishchika Scorpio 9 Dhanus Sagittarius 10 Makara Capricorn 11 Kumbha Aquarius 12 Meena Pisces Panchang Panch (five) – Ang (elements) Thithi- waxing and waning of moon (~ 29/30 days- a month) Nakshartra – position of moon in the background of stars (either 27 or 28 such Nakshatras are chosen in Indian tradition) – 1/4 part of a Nakshatra is called a Padam ( feet) making 108 padams or divisions of the ecliptic Yogam – total of angle of sun & moon Karnam- one half of Thithi Vaara- 7 day week TITHI The total time of rotation of moon around the earth (30 days) is divided into 30 parts or Tithis. Thus, Tithi is 12° rotation around the earth, but the time taken for 1 tithi is not uniform (because of moon‘s elliptical orbit) and may vary from 19 to 26 hours. Tithis begin at varying times of the day. There are 30 tithis in each lunar month. Because the duration of Tithi keeps changing, one sun day ( 24 hours), may contain 1,2 or 3 tithis. Thus, at times, it is difficult to give a Tithi name to a sun-day, and there are differences amongst experts. Celebration of festivals according to tithis also is often contested. NAKSHTRA Moon takes about 27.3 days to go The position of moon each around Earth once and come back to day in its orbit against a the same star. prominent star - called the nakshatra or lunar mansion. There are 27 nakshtras Krittika Bharani Ashwini Janama Nakshtra Barani Karthik Aswi a n The first Nakshatra is Aswini (Aswathi), a Rohin group of 3 stars in the i shape of „Aswamukha‟ or horse head. If a child is born when moon is near Aswini, its birth star is said to be Aswini. The next day Moon will be in Bharani, Then it will go to Kritika (Karthika), the seven sisters, then to Rohini (the Hyades) in the shape of letter V, and so on. Since the Moon‟s path and Sun‟s path are nearly the same, the nakshatras and rashis fall on the same ecliptic ring. Thus, all the 27 Nakshatras are included in the 12 rashis, so that each 1 has 2 /4 Nakshathra. Moon spends one day and Sun 13-14 days in each Nakshathra. Nakshtra as day count 1 27 /3 Days is the length of a sidereal Lunar month ( from starting Nakshatra back to the same nakshatra). The Nakshtras were very useful in counting days, eg. if a child was born in Aswini and today is Magha then evidently it is 10 days old. In olden days Indians had no 7 day week ! Nakshtra and their imaginary shape VAR- WEEKDAYS Shani, Guru, Mangal, Ravi, Shukra, Budha, Chandra…. Is in order of the speed at which they appear to move… 1Shani 2Guru 3Mangal 4Ravi 5Shukra 6Budha 7Chandra 8Shani 9Guru 10Mangal 11Ravi 12Shukra 13Budha 14Chandra 15Shani 16Guru 17Mangal 18Ravi 19Shukra 20Budha 21Chandra 22Shani 23Guru 24Mangal 25Ravi In like manner, weekday order: Sun, Mon, Tue… flows VAR- WEEKDAYS Shani, Guru, Kuja (Mangal), Ravi, Shukra, Budha, Chandra is the order in which they appear to move around Earth. Shani is the slowest. Chandra is fastest. This is because Shani takes 30 years to come back to the same Nakshtra, Guru 12 years, and so on.. Chandra is fastest with 27 days. Every day is 24 parts called ―hours‖ (hora). The successive hours are considered to be governed by the celestial bodies in the above given order. The celestial body governing the first hour of the day lent its name to that day. For example, if you start from Shani as the planet governing the first hour, that day is Shanivaara (Saturday). The fourth planet from Shani in the given order is Ravi (the Sun) whose name is lent to the next day as Ravivaara (Sunday). Then, the fourth planet from Ravi is Chandra and hence the next day is named after Chandra (the Moon) as Somavaara (Monday), Soma being a synonym for Chandra. KARNAM Karnam is half of a Tithi. Like day and night of solar day, Karnam is one half of a lunar day. Later it was accepted that, one Karanam equals 6 degree movement around earth.. YOGAM Fictitious angular relationship between Sun and Moon. It is the total of the two solar and lunar angles swept on the ecliptic. One Yoga equals 13 degrees:20 minutes. There are 27 Yogas in all. This has no real ‗physical meaning‘… This has only astrological significance. WHAT IS KUNDALI? Mars in Sun in Aquarius Moon in Pisces Pisces This is the basis of Kundali… it records the positionPosition of ofcelestial objects at the time of Birth heavenly objects can be recorded against zodiac Jupiter in Venus in Saturn in Taurus Gemini Libra Position of Planets, Moon and Sun as seen from Earth Mangal in Kanya Rising Rashi- Kanya- Budha in Lagna Thula Shani in Sun in Karkataka Vrichika Guru in Shukra in Mithina Dhanus Chandra in Meena Position of Planets, Moon and Sun as seen from Earth.. Birds eye view Position of Planets, Moon and Sun as seen from Earth.. In Kundali format The Kundali Jathagam… South Indian style Jupiter Moon Shani Lagna Venus Sun Mercury Mars What does this Kundali mean… Ragu and Saturn in Kumbam is the Meenam ascending rasi Venus in Moon in Mesham Danush Sun, Mars and Mercury in Rishab Ketu in Kanni Jupiter in Simham Shani Dasha/ Dosha Shani affects these three rasis Saturn takes about 30 years to complete one revolution and thus it will be in each Rasi for about 2.5 years. The ‗effect‘ of ‗dasa‘ of Shani is supposed to be affecting for the 2.5 years before it is in a rasi, during and subsequently. Thus 2.5 x 3 = 7.5 years. Me Su Ve Ju Ke n Ke, Ma Ru Birth Today‘s Me, chart postion Su, Sa Ju MoSa Ma La Mo Ru Saturn has completed one full circle ie. 30 yrs. So, he is about 30 yrs old. But need not be exact, since we don‘t know its exact position at the time of birth and also now. (Each constellation consists of 300 and Saturn could be anywhere between 0 and 30). So we consider Jupiter now, it is clear that Jupiter has completed two full circles and moved 7 more constellations. So his age is 2x12+7=31 yrs (since Jupiter takes 12 year for one full circle) Again considering other planets an accuracy of 1 day can be achieved. If we consider other factors like Lagna etc we can be little more accurate. Night Jupiter Side Sun is about 2 Moon house above Shani Lagna, therefor e the time is Planets morning like Lagna Jupiter and Saturn are Mars Venus Sun Mercury visible in the night Astronomical assumptions of Indian Astrology In ancient Indian traditions: (similar to Greek, Roman, Arabic, Persian etc) astronomy AND astrology (Aster=star + logos=logic) are called Hora (Time) Shastra or Jyotisha (Light): Aryabhatiya (c. 474) deals only with astronomy, uses jyotisha only in this sense, makes no astrological predictions or statement. Panchang and Kundali thus have a astronomical basis but were hijacked by astrology ~ c. 600. dominant astrological tradition is Parasari (others being Jaimini and Tajaka) followed by Varahamihira, Bhattotpala, Venkatesa etc astronomical basis is the Suryasiddhanta (c.700) Astronomical assumptions in “Hindu” Astrology along with almost ALL astrology: – a zodiac or band of 9º either side of the ecliptic – set of planets: (including Sun and Moon) – 12 Constellations or Signs (solar months) (IndianGreek) Actually the path of all planets including Neptune and Uranus passes through 13 constellations! The 13th zodiac constellation is actually Ophiuchus. Geocentrism Ancient astrology & astronomy was founded on geocentrism, that the Earth is the center around which the heavenly bodies move. Copernicus (~1540) showed a great simplification was possible if the sun were in the center instead- his heliocentric theory proved to be a step in right direction. Newton‘s physics provided theoretical foundation and Sun centered Solar system is accepted in modern science Modern astronomy is distinct from astrology in this count.