an e magazine from ASSAM & NAGALAND      

percent of what is being touted in the present world of commercial astrology as the Vedic astrology has got nothing to do with astrology practised by the Vedic Aryans.
The Vedic astrology, to be more precise the astrology of the Vedic and immediate post-Vedic period which ended with the pre-Buddhist period, that is 7th , 6th century B.C. and the origin of which cannot be ascertained with any certainty is comprised of Rig, Yajusha, Atharva and Vedanga Jyotisha (Lagadha). The purists do not accept even Vedanga Jyotisha-Vyasha Siddhanta as 'Vedic' (Vedanga Jyotisha -H. Yajnik. Hindi). Much of the contents in all the four works are common, but the later literature shows rectified or modified form of the earlier verses. A wealth of additional and supporting information on Vedic astrology can be obtained from different Brahmanas, Samhitas, and post-Vedic Siddhantas.

To understand the structure and aim of Vedic astrology one has to remember the historical and anthropological background of the society in which the Vedic verses were composed. It was a society of highly energetic, intelligent, male-dominated, warlike, materially poor, mostly nomadic, pastoral, grazier people who looked at their intellectually superior and materially advanced neighboring civilizations with total disdain and contempt, and at the same time had no qualm to aquire knowledge from the 'despicable, decadent Asuras'.

Agriculture and permanent settlements were already there, but they were not appreciated as evidenced by the fact that out of the 27/28, Naksatra only one, Kritika 'patronized' agriculture. Whereas four Naksatras looked after animal wealth and rest were busy in warfare and spiritual advancements.

Even many primitive animals in this world understand that it is the presence or absence of the Sun in the sky that causes the difference between day and night, and the variation of the length of day is interlinked with change of seasons. The next level of understanding is the waxing and waning of the Moon. The Sun's apparent change of position from north to south and back in the sky and its connection with summer changing to winter is noted by all. Migration of wild birds and animal herds is triggered by the change of season. Cave-dweller, primitive hunter-gatherer human groups also must have known about these phenomena.

Between the sixth and fourth millennium B.C. a number of well-organized human civilizations with traceable cultural history sprang up in different parts of the world, among which the Nile civilization of Egypt is the most famous. The exact century is not known, but as early as the 'First kingdom' itself, the ancient Egyptians calculated 365 days in a solar year on the basis of the positions of star Sirius during the time of sunrise. They also identified 36 stars rising in various groups at an interval of about 10 days. According to S. B. Dixit (Bharatiya Jyotisha Shastra), in the early Vedic period, the calendar of the Aryans was based on the 'movements of the Sun' (seasonal?). Unfortunately not even indirect records of this stage of development of Indian astronomy are preserved except in the form of folk festivities celebrating position of the Sun in the sky (Holi, Bihu etc.).

In about 3000 B.C. two new cultural centers -Babyloniya and Sumeria emerged on the banks of Tigris and Euphretes. Astronomy and astrology flourished during the period of these two civilizations, which were later taken up by the Chaldeans. The concept of zodiacal houses, natal charts, point of ascendant and predicting about the future of the kingdom, the king, the nobles and even common men was practised in cities like Nippur, Nineveh and Babylon.

The contemporary Vedic Aryans had their own separate and independent astrology which answered better to the need of a pastoral, grazier society and nomadic mode of life. A few small groups of Aryans must have opted even at that time for permanent settlement, agrarian life and cultural link with the more advanced 'Asuras'. The majority of the Aryans had a contemptuous attitude towards these 'soft urban people' and though they knew about their intellectual wealth, did not readily accept them. This makes it extremely difficult to decipher many early astronomical/astrological verses, as one can never be sure how much the Vedic sages actually knew and how much they did not accept (even in book written in the present century, orthodox Indian astrologer avoided the question whether the Earth really revolves round the Sun as 'controversial' -Jyotish Ratnakar).

Vedic Aryan astrology is elective in nature, whereas the Babylonian-Sumerian astrology is basically predictive. To understand the causative factors for this difference one must remember that the ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations flourished in a settled agrarian society where the rainfall, flood in the river, harvest, crop pestilence, price of the crops were of primary importance. A farmer would like to know whether there will be sufficient rain when the seeds are to be sown, or whether the hail will destroy the crops, whereas a nomadic grazier tribe would be interested in the immediate future. A good rain after six months is of no use to them. It is vital for them to know in which direction rain is falling today, so that they can make a move to that place with their domestic animals to take advantage of fresh grass. A pastoral grazier would like to know whether that place is already occupied by tribes inimical to them? Whether hailstorm will take place in this week? In that case he can take his herd of animals to safer place for shelter, and is least bothered about possibility of storms after six months, because there is no certainty where he would be after six months.