ASSAM
BooKs
SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR VEDIC ASTROLOGY - By Dr. Pranav Jyoti Deka
INTRODUCTION:
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Once such relation is established, two more propositions can be construed:
1. It is improbable that the ancient astronomers/astrologers had any knowledge about the solar wind and 27-day long cycle constituted with own characteristic pattern of low and high-energy day's sequence. At the same time, the ancients could establish a sequence of high and low energy Naksatras with a near perfect match with the solar energy variation sequence. The stellar classification was done on the basis of 'effects' they have observed on the mundane affairs. Their confidence was wrongly vested on the power of the Naksatras with which the Moon is seen to be in conjunction. The real causative physical energy underlying the formulation of the astrological tenets of the 'Naksatrakarmagunaddhaya' (Varahamihira) is the fluctuating solar energy within the 27-day energy cycle generated by revolution of the Sun on its axis.
2. Classification of the Naksatra were done on the basis of the observed 'effects' only, and if it can be established that this classification is rational, with solid scientific base, it can be surmised that 'astrological effects' do exist. Here formulators themselves did not understand the real causative forces.
Unlike the fullmoon-newmoon cycle or the eclipses, where the celestial phenomena are discernible with the naked eyes and the spatial relationship between the Sun, the Moon and the Earth is comparatively easy to understand, in the stellar-lunar elective astrology the Sun does not come into the picture, at the same time it is the fluctuating solar energy which is controlling the 'astrological effect'. The Naksatras here are merely indicator entities. This also removes one hurdle in establishing the scientific fundament of astrology and provides with an answer to the question how a star possibly located millions of light years away from Earth can influence the health and fortune of an earthling? The answer is, that they do not influence, at least not to an appreciable extent.
It may be questioned why the present work is putting emphasis on the coincidence of periodicity of lunar-stellar occultation with the solar energy cycle, and not on actual synchronization of them, which is the mainstay of Vedic astrology. The logic is as follows:
(a) The ancient formulators of astrological rules had no instruments capable of measuring solar energy fluctuations, hence synchronization of effects on mundane affairs were done with the lunar-stellar occultations.
(b) Astrological effects (results) may be subjective. Hence they can be taken only as a part of the general pattern and not as of absolute value.
(c) If the Moon's passage and its occultation with various Naksatra were noted down carefully and the sequence of events happening on the Earth were also recorded, then after consulting the earlier texts, one can synchronize the periodicity of the function or projects showing successful culmination if commenced during occultation of the Moon with a particular Naksatra. The synchronization (classification) thus obtained will be valid for a particular period of time and will gradually lose its validity till it gets reset automatically at a later date to lose it again repeatedly. The reason behind this sliding and resetting is that the sidereal lunar month is constituted of 27.3217 mean solar energy cycle is also not exactly 27 mean solar days but a few hours shorter or longer, which probably depends upon the intensity of the solar flare in the last two days of a cycle. These factors convinced us that comparison of periodicities should be more dependable than attempting direct synchronization between two changing series.
The Vedic astrologers/astronomers struggled for more than fifteen hundred years to chart the Moon's passage through the stars and to synchronize each conjunction with a Naksatra with the Earth's durinal extension, and the nature of happenings during that particular period, including results. Finally sage Lagadha cut this Gordian knot by allotting each Naksatra an equal angular space. During these 15 hundred years the number of Naksatras used for charting the Moon's passage varied from as high as 33 to as low as 24, and finally they settled into two schools, using either 27 or 28 Naksatra. In the final form, Parasara School included Abhijit Nakasatra whereas Varahmihira excluded Abhijit (Taitt. Sam. 27; Maitri Sam. 28; Kath. Samh 27; Atharva Veda 27; Vedanga Jyotisha 27; Surya Siddhanta 28; Parasara 28; Varahmihira27; Source. H.D. Pandya. Some Thoughts on Astronomy/Astrology -Issues in Vedic Astronomy and Astrology. P.P. 242-43). The root of the problem is that if equal angular space is allotted to each Naksatra, 28 is one too many, and 27 makes one short. Not being sure which number of Naksatras gives better synchronization, Abhijit is included by some authors, others exclude it.
3. Quantity and speed of emission of solar particles are not uniform. Energetic particles and rays expelled after a solar flare in 'disturbed condition' will travel at a comparatively greater speed than those emitted during 'quiet' period. If a disturbed condition follows a tranquil period, parts of speedier emission will overtake the older and shower particles and the effects will be smudged (mostly 'Chara' class of Naksatra represents this period).
The intellectual heir of the Vedic astrology is the Nadi system of Indian astrology represented by Dhruba Nadi, Suka Nadi etc. This system is preserved only in parts in the works of Varahmiihira, Vaidyanatha Dikshita, Mantreswar Maharaja etc. It is generally accepted that there are 43 recognized systems of for predictions included in the Indian astrology, among which the Nadi system, Jaimini system and the Parasara School form the mainstream Indian astrology.
The Parasara School of astrology preceded by Garga, Vasistha, Viswamitra, Lomasha, Pulisha etc. must have taken concrete shape by 9-8th century B.C. Thereafter endless additions and interpolations continued till the 18th century (Mansagar is accepted as the last classical Indian astrological work). Elements of Chinese and Western astrology were introduced into Indian astrology even prior to the medieval period.
The mainstream astrology widely practised in India today, which some scholars prefer to call the 'Hindu astrology', is not of pure Vedic origin. The zodiacal-ascendant based astrology, which originated in the Mesopotamian region of western Asia was introduced into India in the late Vedic, Pre-Puranic period and was gradually superimposed on the Vedic Stellar-lunar (Naksatric) astrology. It needed several centuries for the complete assimilation of the new system (Vasistha-Satyacharya) and the best example of result of such fusion is the 'Dasa system' in the Indian astrology.
Many western historians and contributors to encyclopaedia like to put emphasis on the 'debt' of Indian astrology to the Greek astrology. West Asian astrology was introduced to Indian even much prior to rise of Greek civilization not to say anything about invasion of Alexander. The similarity stemmed from the fact that Indian astrology borrowed heavily from the Mesopotamian astrology, while the Greek astrology itself is a degraded form of Chaldean astrology whose root can be traced to Mesopotamia. Mutual exchange of thoughts and knowledge between the European and Indian scholars must have continued from the period of invasion of Alexander to the time of Varahamihira. According to H.D. Pandya (Some Thoughts on Astronomy /Astrology) Yavanacharya learned his science in Central Asia and we can see some elements of Chinese astrology in his work.
After assimilation of the Mesopotamian astrology Indian astrology did not lose its own identity, but harmony was retained, as Satyacharya distributed 27 Vedic Naksatras to 9 planets on ownership basis. The dispassionate may say that planetary ownership of stars as found today in the 'Satyajatakam' has been interpolated at a later age as Rahu and Ketu two of the planets included in the list had no locus standi during the period of Satyacharya. Even in various 'Dasa system' first Rahu and then Ketu secured recognition. In all probability, 28 Naksatras were distributed among 7 planets. Even after being 'subjugated' by the planets, the Naksatras did not lose their primary function as indicators of angular positions of celestial bodies. In the 'Dasa system' the lunar-stellar conjunction still plays the major role.
The present work deals primarily with the Vedic astrology and its pure intellectual descendants. The mainstream Indian astrology is dealt with separately in the annexure. Our overall aim is to demonstrate that the astrologers of different historical period had invariably taken one or the other major cyclic variation of energy intensity in the solar terrestrial electromagnetic field as the basis while formulating astrological rules governing the system of predictions. In the final form, Indian astrology takes nearly al the geomagnetic cycles into reckoning.
If one accepts the power spectrum of the horizontal
component of the magnetic field as detailed by P. Seymour (Cosmic
Magnetism P.40.Fig 3-16. originally prepared by Bullard) one will
observe that the main cycles of frequency variation are of the duration
of 1 year; 6 months; 27 days; 13½ days; 1 day; 12 hours and
8 hours; but the nearly 11 years long sunspot cycle and its effects
have not been incorporated in this diagram. If the cycle of sunspot
maxima is added to the lot and then efforts are made to correlate
these cyclic intensity variations with the recognized systems of astrological
predictions one gets the following picture:
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