Jyotish

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Vinay Jha

Jyotisha (ज्योतिष) is the traditional Indian system of astrology^[1] rooted in Vedic-Puranic tradition. It is often called Vedic Jyotisha by its practitioners and Hindu or Indian astrology by foreigners. Jyotisha is a Vedaanga or an auxiliary text to the the Veda.

Jyotisha reasons out destiny in terms of Karma phala^[2] and its predictions are reflections of karma phalas.

Contents 1 Sub-divisions of Jyotisha 2 Origins 3 Texts 4 Historical Evolution 4.1 Vedānga Jyotiṣa of Lagadha 5 Siddhanta 6 Samhitaa 7 Horaa 8 Panchanga 9 Modern Innovations in Jyotisha 10 Teaching of Jyotisha and controversies 11 External Influences & Uses 12 Notes & References

Sub-divisions of Jyotisha

Vedic Jyotisha has two branches, Ganita (Siddhanta) and Phalita (Samhita plus Hora). Ganita means mathematics, but in practice it does not include the calculations involved in making horoscopes and predictions, it is merely a synonym for Siddhanta in the parlance of traditional jyotishis. Phalita or predictive astrology has two main branches, Samhita and Hora, which have many sub-branches as shown below. But in actual practice, Samhita and Hora are enumerated as separate branches due to vast difference in their subject matter, and traditional taxonomy talks of three skandhas or divisions of jyotisha : Siddhanta, Hora and Samhita, and every good Jyotishi was expected to be adept in all three divisions of Tri-skandha Jyotisha-shaastra.

• Siddhanta, which literally means "theory" (siddha+anta", ie "established conclusions") is traditional astronomy for special uses of astrology, which has many varieties broadly divided into two classes
  • Original apaurusheya Siddhantas, 18 in number, propounded by sages or gods
  • Man made or paurusheya siddhantas, five siddhantas and another set of five siddhantas now used by traditional panchanga^[3] makers.
• Samhita which includes
  1. Medini Jyotisha (mundane astrology) or predictive astrology of territorial regions and is used for predicting important events such as earthquakes, weather events like storms or rains, war, national politics and economy, prices (argha-kaanda), etc, based on analysis of astrological dynamics in the horoscope of a territorial region of all sizes including whole world, and/or general transit events (graha-chaara).
  2. Vaastu-shaastra which is used for construction of houses, temples, forts and towns. Varaha Mihira included iconography and sculpture under Samhita.
  3. diverse topics like Shakuna-shaastra (omens), matters related to materials, trees, animals, regal attributes and items, etc.
  4. Muhurta (electional astrology) for finding auspicious timing of important events and actions like war, marriage, travel, etc.
• Hora : predictive astrology of individuals, which has two branches
  • Jaataka which is used to analyze natal horoscopes (birth charts) known as janma-kundali. It includes Varshaphala.
  • Prashna (horary astrology) from which horoscopes based on the moment and a query are made

Origins

Jyotisha is a Vedaanga^[4]. The first ever record for Jyotisha is found in the Veda. The earliest reference to Jyotisha as a vedaanga is found in the Mundaka Upanishad. The first Vedic Yajna in Yajurveda is Darsha-paurnamaasa Yajna, which needed correct timing of tithis (eg, New Moon or Darsha, and Full Moon or Poornamaasa). Vedas are concerned with Yajnas which can be performed only at astrologically auspicious moments. Jyotisha has been referred to as the Eye of Veda.

Texts

The main phalita text of Jyotisha is the Brihat Parashara Horaa Shaastra which belongs to the last phase of Dvaapara Age. The most revered text of Jyotisha is Suryasiddhanta which states it was given by Lord Surya at the tail end of Krit Yuga. The earliest paurusheya (man made) texts of Jyotisha, such as Panchsiddhantika by Varaha Mihira, eulogize Suryasiddhanta as a divine.

Historical Evolution

• Vedānga Jyotiṣa of Lagadha
• Jyotiṣa in Vedic, Puranic, Epic and Jain literature
• Ancient Jyotiṣa Texts
• 'Mediaeval and Modern Jyotiṣa Texts

Vedānga Jyotiṣa of Lagadha

Vedānga Jyotiṣa is not one but three different texts :

• Yājuṣa-Jyotiṣa (44 verses, some versions have 49)
• Ārcha-Jyotiṣa (36 verses)
• Atharva-Jyotiṣa (163 verses).

Verse 2 of Yājuṣa-Jyotiṣa and verse 3 of Ārcha-Jyotiṣa define the subject of these treatises : finding the appropriate time for performing Yajñas ("Yajña-kālārtha-siddhayaye").

But Ārcha-Jyotiṣa (2nd verse) mentions Mahatmā Lagadha as the original composer of Ārcha-Jyotiṣa. It means the extant version was written in the post-Vedic period by someone else, while the original texts were composed by the sage Lagadha in Vedic period. Yajñas were performed during the Vedic Age and Yajña needed correct timing, which is proven by the name of first Vedic Yajña (Darśa-paurnamāsa ; Darśa means amāvasa).

Verse 18 in Yājuṣa-Jyotiṣa and verse 14 in Ārcha-Jyotiṣa (36 verses) gives a list of 27 Nakṣatras, excluding Abijit. Atharva-Jyotiṣa also gives only 27 Tāras (Nakṣatras beginning with birth-Nakṣatras as Janma-Tāra). Tāṇḍya Brāhmaṇa^[5] also mentions only 27. But the system of 28 Nakṣatras is also Vedic : Atharvaveda says "Abhijit me rāsatām puṇyameva" ; Taittiriya Brāhmaṇa^[6] mentions Abhijit by name and gives 28 Nakṣatras^[7]. Hence, like modern Vedis Jyotiṣa, both systems of 27 and 28 Nakṣatras prevailed from the earliest times, 27 being used for general purposes and 28 being reserved for special uses.

Verse 5 in Yājuṣa-Jyotiṣa ("Mīnāt prabhṛti Raśayaḥ") and Verse 4 of Ārcha-Jyotiṣa are the earliest direct references to Raśi in ancient literature.

Atharva-Jyotiṣa is most detailed of these three texts, and gives detailed proofs pf phalita (predictive) Jyotiṣa in the Vedic period. Yajñas were performed for obtaining "phala". But only a tip of the iceberg has survived : verse 3 of Ārcha-Jyotiṣa says the motions of heavenly bodies are "completely" described in Ārcha-Jyotiṣa, but only 36 verses are extant now.

Siddhanta

• Original 18 Siddhantas
• Five Siddhantas in Varaha Mihira's Panchsiddhantikaa
• Five Siddhantas used by modern traditional panchanga makers
• Summary of Suryasiddhanta
• Comparison of Other Siddhantas with Suryasiddhanta

Samhitaa

• Medini Jyotisha
• Yaamala Tantras, Narapatijayacharyaa, Krishi Parashara, Makaranda Prakash,etc
• Muhurta : Muhurta Chintamani
• Vaastu Shaastra
• Shakuna Shaastra
• Misc (trees, minerals, animals, etc)

Horaa

• Various Schools : ancient and modern
• Elements of Natal Horoscopy :
  • Grahas and astrological attributes
  • Raashis, Nakshatras and astrological attributes
  • Lagna, Bhaavas and significance
  • Shodashvarga : methods of construction and techniques of using
  • Planetary strengths : Shadbala and vimshopaka-bala
  • Drishti (aspects)
  • Dashaas : Moon based, and other types
  • Pada : Arudha and Upapada
  • Argalaa and Baadhaka
  • Kaaraka
  • Svaamsha
  • Yogas
  • Longevity
  • Varshaphala and Tadjika
  • Ashtakavarga
  • Sudarshanchakra
  • Sarvatobhadra in Natal Horoscopy
  • Phalaadesha : How to Interpret a Horoscope
• Nashta-Jaataka : Casting Horoscope without Birthdata
• Horary Astrology
• Propitiation of Inauspicious Grahas
• Misc (anga-lakshanam, feminine jaataka, etc)

Panchanga

Modern Innovations in Jyotisha

Teaching of Jyotisha and controversies

External Influences & Uses

Jain astrologers use Vedic Jyotisha. Islamic astrology in India has made important two-way interactions with native Jyotisha and some contributions from Islamic astrology has been accepted as a part of Vedic Jyotisha by many practitioners mostly in Tadjik method of Varshaphala (annual charts). Purists reject all Islamic influences.

Notes & References