SJVC Lesson 1

Astronomical Denitions in Jyotish

Compiled by Gauranga Das, c SJVC & Gauranga Das JAYA JAGANNATHA!

Bgvn^ prm\ py\ g\ vdAmm^ . E/-k D\ >yOEtq\ horA gEZt\ s\EhtEt c ;

(BPHS. 1.2.)

bhagavan parama puya guhya vedgamuttam . triskandha jyautia hor gaita sahiteti ca ..

O Supreme sage! Astrology, the supreme limb of the Vedas, consists of three divisions. Viz. Hora, Ganita and Samhita. This is one of the beginning shlokas of Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra, which describes that Jyotish has three skandhas or divisions, namely Hora (natal astrology), Ganita (astronomical calculations) and Samhita (omens and other signs). Varaha Mihira especially mentions, that an astrologer should be well versed in all of these three divisions. According to Prasna Marga, theres two subdivisions of Ganita, or astronomical calculations, namely Gola (spherical astronomy) and Ganita (general calculations), out of which the latter deals with general description of the heavenly bodies, while the former deals with the factors which are due to the shperical nature of the Earth and other Grahas.

The heavenly bodies

fZ Ev v#yAEm Bg }hAZA\ pErE-TEtm^ . aAkAf yAEn d[y t >yoEtEbMbA ynkf, ; tq n"/s\+AEn g }hs\+AEn kAEnEct^ . tAEn n"/nAmAEn E-Tr-TAnAEn yAEn { v;
(BPHS. 3.2-3) O brahmin, listen to me, I shall give an account of the placement of the heavenly bodies. Out of the many luminous bodies that are seen in the heavens, some are called stars (nakshatras) and the others are named as planets (grahas). Those which have no movements and are xed in their places are called nakshatras, and the moving bodies are the grahas. According to the above verse there are two classes of heavenly bodies: the non-moving ones, or the stars (nakshatras) and the moving ones, or the planets (grahas). To measure the movements of the grahas in the background of the stars, we should determine points of measurement on the sky.
u vipra pravakymi bhagrah paristhitim . ke yni dyante jyotirbimbnyanekaa .. teu nakatrasajni grahasajni knicit . tni nakatranmni sthirasthnni yni vai ..

The structure of the earth

According to the Surya Siddhanta (ancient astronomical treatise) the Earth (Bhumi) could be considered a globe, which rotates around its own axis. The two ends of this axis poke through the surface of the Earth at the north and south pole.

SJVC Lesson 1

Astronomical Denitions in Jyotish

1.1

The Earths Equator (Vishvarekha)

This is an imaginary line running around the earth in the exact middle between the south and north poles. This divides thre Earth into a northern and southern hemisphere. The dierence between the two is especially visible in the changes of the seasons (determined by the yearly motion of the Sun). In June for example we have summer in the northern hemisphere but simultaneously winter in the southern hemisphere. Therefore the location of the nativity (place of birth) will be a determinant factor in the astronomical calculations that we carry out. Therefore it is necessary to be able to determine the location by certain measurements. To ascertain a point on the earth globe, we will need two coordinates: the latitude and the longitude of the place.

1.2

The Latitude (Akshamsa)

This is the angular distance of the place from the Equator towards the North or South. It is measured in degrees, minutes and seconds of arc. The equator is the 0 point, and the poles are at 90 to the south and the north. The southern or northern latitude of the nativity will determine the time of sunrise and sunset and the duration of the day and night, which have important role in a number of calculations in Jyotish.

1.3

The Longitude (Rekhamsa)

The longitude is the vertical measurement of degrees. The earth can be divided into 360 longitudinal meridians, each of the extent of 1 . Now the choice of the beginning point, or 0 is not determined astronomically. In the ancienc India the 0 meridian was the one intersecting the ancient town of Ujjain, where one of the Jyotirlingas (Lord Shivas manifestation in a glowing stone) is situated. This Jyotirlinga is called Mahakaleshvara, and as the astrology is the science of the measurement of the quantity and quality of time (Kala), this was naturally taken as 0 . In the modern times the latitude is better known as the angular distance from Greenwich, where the ocially accepted 0 meridian runs. Thus a place may have either eastern or western longitude from Greenwich and either southern or northern latitude from the Equator. For example New York lies at 74 West of Greenwich and at 40 43 north of the equator. This is usually indicated thus: 74W00, 40N43. Paris is located at 2E20 and 48N52. The longitude will inuence which planets will be above the horizon, and which ones will be under the horizon. For example while theres noon in New York, there will be night in Delhi. So in one chart the Sun is above the horizon, while in another its under it, although the natives were born at the same time cosmically. So the latitude determines, where the Lagna (ascendant) will be, i.e. which sign or nakshatra will be rising on the eastern horizon at the time of birth.

The division of the sky globe

We can look at the sky above us as a globe around the Earth. Thus for determining positions in the sky we will again need two coordinates.

2.1

The Celestial Equator (Nadivritta)

The celestial equator is the extension of the Earths equator in the skies, and it divides the sky globe into two halves.

SJVC Lesson 1

Astronomical Denitions in Jyotish

2.2

The Declination (Kranti)

This will be the angular distance of a heavenly body from the celestial equator. It will be either negative if the planet is above the northern hemisphere, or positive, in case the planet is above the eastern hemisphere. The declination is also called Ayana. Thus the Suns yearly movement is divided into two parts, called Uttarayana and Dakshinayana. The Sun reaches the southest point of its traectory at the time of the winter solstice (Dec. 23) and from there it begins travelling north, thus its declination gradually decreases. It crosses the equator at the time of the vernal equinoxe (March 21) when on the whole Earth the duration of day and night is equal. Then it proceeds towards the northern hemisphere up until the point of summer solstice when the Sun is above the northest point of the Earth and we have the longest day in the northern hemisphere and the shortest night. After that the declination begins increasing from the lowest negative degree, and coming to the point of autumn equinoxe. At this time the declination of the Sun equals 0 again, and it keeps increasing positively till the point of winter solstice again.

2.3

The Ecliptic (Ravimarga)

The ecliptic is the Suns above described path, which forms a curved line, which once a year touches the Tropic of Cancer (during summer solstice) and also once the Tropic of Carpicorn (during winter solstice), and crosses the equator twice a year at the time of the equinoxes.

2.4

The Celestial Latitude (Kshepa)

This is the angular distance of a planet from the ecliptic (the Suns path). It is negative if the planet is to the north from the ecliptic and is positive if it is to the south from it.

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3.1

The Circle of the Zodiac

The Zodiac (Bhacakra)

This is a broad band in the sky extending 9 degrees on either side of the ecliptic and comprised of dierent constellations (nakshatras). The planets never get very far away from the ecliptic, therefore they are always within this belt. As the circle has no beginning, again, as in the case of the terrestrial longitudes, we should select an arbitrary point in the skies as the beginning of the zodiac, which will be determined by the placement of certain stars (nakshatras), since Parashara gave the denition that only the grahas move, and the rest of the bodies is xed. The zodiac consists of 360 degrees of arc (rekhas). Each degree has 60 minutes (kala) and each minute has 60 seconds (vikala). Thus the full extent of the zodiac may also be expressed as 21 600 minutes or 129 600 seconds of arc. There are further submeasurements like para, paratpara and tatpara.

3.2

The 0 of the Zodiac

This point is determined on the basis of the placement of the star which is known as Zeta Piscium in the west. This star is no longer visible so much, therefore we can determine the exact middle of the zodiac (180 ) by the position of the star Spica.

SJVC Lesson 1

Astronomical Denitions in Jyotish

3.3

The Tropical (Sayana) and Sidereal (Nirayana) Zodiac

The above statements reveal that the zodiac used in Vedic astrology is linked with the stars, and is immovable in comparison to them. On the other hand, observation conrms that the Suns yearly cycle on the Ecliptic does not fully coincide with its making a complete circle relative to the stars, but the former is a bit shorter. This in other words means that the Sun at the time of vernal equinoxe will not come back to the same point of the sidereal zodiac, but a little less than that. This is called precession. The tropical zodiac is xed to the Suns movement through the ecliptic, and thus its called the movable (sayana) zodiac.

3.4

The Precession (Ayanamsha)

As the two zodiacs are rotating compared to each other, theres a certain cycle to it, which is 25 870 solar years long. Then there is a certain point of coincidence, when the 0 degrees of both zodiacs exactly coincide. Although authorities dier on this, the most widely accepted opinion is that the last coincidence was at the vernal equinoxe in 285 AD. There are also dierent opinions regarding the yearly value of precession. Varaha Mihira states that its approximately 50 1/3 vikalas or seconds of arc. Of course the precession has a negative value, so the vernal equinoxe is pushed back to Pisces, then Aquarius etc. over the years. Also the value of the ayanamsha is not linear but cyclical, as it describes the change of the position of the ecliptic towards the celestial equator.

3.5

The Ayanamsha Value

Out of the number of suggested precessional values, the Lahiri or Chitra Paksha Ayanamsha stands out as the most accurate, although testing with divisional charts indicates that even this may be inaccurate for a couple of seconds of arc. But until a more exact ayanamsha value is suggested, this is recommended for calculations. Lahiri Ayanamsha is veried on the basis of the placement of the above mentioned star Spica, which forms the exact middle of the Chitra nakshatra. According to this system, the Ayanamsha value at the present time is 23 5240. This means that the Sun will this much fall behind the 0 Aries of the sidereal zodiac at the time of the vernal equinoxe. So it will be somewhere around 6 degrees of Pisces.

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4.1

The Divisions Of The Zodiac

The Nakshatra Chakra

As we have mentioned earlier, the basis of the division of the zodiac is the placement of dierent constellations in it. The constellations are divided into areas in the sky, each of which covers 13 20 of the whole zodiac. Thus there are 27 nakshatras beginning from Ashwini and ending with Revati. There is also a 28th nakshatra called Abhijit. This is an intercalary Nakshatra, i.e. it does not have any own extension, rather it ocuppies the last quarter of the Uttarashadha Nakshatra and the rst 1/15th part of the Shravana Nakshatra, i.e. it extends from 276 40 to 280 53 1/3 of the zodiac. The division of Nakshatras is based on the Moon, which makes a complete cycle in the zodiac within one month. The Moon spends approximately one day in each Nakshatra. Every Nakshatra may be further divided into four quarters (padas) 3 20 each. Thus the zodiac will have 108 nakshatra padas, which are also called navamshas (1/9th of a sign).

SJVC Lesson 1

Astronomical Denitions in Jyotish

4.2

The Rasi Chakra

There other main method for the division of the zodiac is based on the Sun. The Sun travels through the zodiac within one year, and during this he meets the Moon 12 times. Thus there will be 12 months within one year. Therefore we could divide the zodiac into 12 rasis or signs, in which the Sun will spend one month each. These signs will have an extent of 30 .

4.3

The Divisional charts (Amsas or Vargas)

The signs of the zodiac may be further divided into subparts. Maharishi Parashara and other Jyotish authors have specically mentioned the following subdivisions of the signs: Hora (D-2), Drekkana (D-3), Caturthamsa (D-4), Panchamsa (D-5), Sashthamsa (D-6), Saptamsa (D-7), Ashtamsa (D-8), Navamsa (D-9), Dasamsa (D-10), Rudramsa (D-11), Dwadasamsa (D-12), Shodasamsa (D-16) Vimsamsa (D-20), Siddhamsa (D-24), Nakshatramsa (D-27), Trimsamsa (D-30), Khavedamsa (D-40), Akshavedamsa (D-45), Shashtyamsa (D-60), Ashtottaramsa (D-108), Dwadasamsa-Dwadasamsa (D-144) and Nadiamsa (D-150). The most important divisional chart is however the Navamsha, as it is based both on the division of the Sun and the Moon.=20

4.4

The Celestial Longitude (Sphuta)

The position of the planets in the zodiac is expressed through the celestial longitude, which is counted from the beginning of Aries. Sometimes the degree of the planet within a sign is indicated, or also its position in the Nakshatra padas and the divisional charts.

Assignments
1. Explain the changing of the seasons and its connection with the above mentioned astronomical factors. 2. There are some days of the year when the Sun either doesnt rise or set above certain parts of the globe. Please explain this phenomenon. 3. Parasara mentions two classes of heavenly bodies: the moeving and non-moving ones. Please explain, what will be the dierence between their roles in the astrological interpretation. 4. If you are able to construct your own chart, please do it and explain as many astronomical principles from it as you can (terrestrial latitude/longitude, season, Suns cycle, Sunrise/Sunset etc.). Also try to determine which planets are above and under the horizon in your chart. In which Ayana the Sun is?