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LESSON 1 : VEDIC A STROLOGY A N INTRODUCTION

Aum ! May He protect us both (the teacher and the disciple) together. May he sustain
us both together. May we attain v igour together. May the learning of us both be
resplendent. May we harbour no mutual ill will.
Aum ! Peace ! Peace ! Peace ! Peace ! Kathopanishad

Astrology is as old as Vedas themselv es. The Vedas which are the sacred Hindu scriptures, embody eternal
knowledge. Strict moral and spiritual practices along with the deep study are prerequisities to understand the
essence of Vedas. To the uninitiated, the Vedas might appear as nothing more than ritualistic oblations to air,
water and thunder etc. Deep truths, howev er begin to unfold to the true seeker as his search goes on.
In time of yore, sincere seekers of truth and knowledge in India used to spend years and years at the feet of
their 'gurus', learning the meaning hidden in Vedas. In order to decipher what lies concealed in Vedas, a study
of certain subjects is considered a prerequisite. These subjects are called the 'Vedangas' or the body organs of
the Vedas. There are six such v edangas. They are :
(A) S h ik s h a : Which deals with the understanding of the Vedic 'Varanas', 'Swaras' and Mantras, and thus
with the technique of correct pronunciation.
(B) Ch h a n d a : Dealing with the appropriate lyrical utterance of the Vedic 'Suktas'.
(C) V y a k a ra n a : Expouding the grammatical aspects of the language.
(D) Niru k t a : Which explains the difficult words, 'padas' and 'mantras'.
(E) K a lp a : Dealing with the understanding of Sutras and the use of Mantras, hence concerned with the
ritualistic aspects of the Vedas.
(F) J y o t is h a o r A s t ro lo g y : Of the body called the Vedas, astrology represents the 'eyes' with its capacity to
see the past, the present and the future. Astrology is considered as the most important of the Vedangas.

Wh a t is A s t ro lo g y ?
Astrology is the scientific study and application of language of the heav enly bodies. These heav enly bodies
determined on the basis of Astronomy and mathematics, are mapped in the form of a horoscope. Their specific
locations in the horoscope indicate specific happenings in the case of indiv iduals, of multitudes and of
geographical regions. Whether the Sun, the Moon, the planets and stars themselv es influence the terrestrial
phenomena, or they only indicate such phenomena by their v arious dispositions, is immaterial. What is
important to us is that v ariations in their disposition determine v ariations in the ev ents on the earth; the
correlations are only too strong to be brushed aside by critics of Astrology.

Wh o s h o u ld p ra c t is e a s t ro lo g y ?
In the ancient times, a strict code of conduct was demanded of those who practised Astrology. A guru would
teach astrology only to deserv ing disciple who would adhere to such a code of conduct. The guru-shishya (i.e.,
the teacher-disciple) tradition is already long ov er in India. With changing times, it has become difficult to find an
appropriate 'guru' and a deserv ing 'shishya' to pursue this scared study within the rules laid by the sages of
yore. It is, howev er, quite in order to be aware of this ancient code of conduct. Varamihira, the celebrated
authority on astrology, prescribes the following qualifications for an astrologer :

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(a) P h y s ic a l f e a t u re s : According to the said author , the physical feature reflect the inner nature of man.
The astrologer must be good to loom at, with all his body parts complete and healthy. He should be of sound
health, with sound hands, feet, nails, chin teeth ears, forehead and head, and hav ing a loud and impressiv e
v oice.
(b) M o ra l s o u n d n e s s : He should be truthful, gentle, bereft of crav ings and av ersions, clear of heart, not
inclined to be critical of the qualities of others, dev oid of base and wordly distractions.
(c) B e h a v io u r in a n a s s e mb ly : He should be clev er, able to express himself, bold in an assembly, not
intimidated by his fellow astrologers, dignified and aware of the constraints of social and historical
circumstances.
(d) P ro f ic ie n c y in t h e s u b je c t o f A s t ro lo g y : He should be well-read, and proficient in the three branches
of Astrology known as Ganita, the Samhita and the hora. He must hav e studied the fiv e siddhantas (or
mathematical treatises). His mathematical proficiency must include the knowledge of v arious div isions of time,
from the gross one like yuga to the finer ones. He must also possess knowledge of the v arious div isions,
including the finest ones, of the zodiac.
(e) P ro f ic ie n c y in v a rio u s b ra n c h e s o f A s t ro lo g y : The astrologer is required to possess a knowledge of
different aspects of astrology which deal with propitiation of planets, rendering the planets beneficial or hostile,
conducting religious ceremonies, and rituals which help neutralise the natural calamities.
(f) D e f e n c e o f A s t ro lo g y : The astrologer must be able to answer queries, and also pose relev ant questions
where appropriate. When necessary, he should be able to dazzle others by his knowledge, only to increase the
dignity of astrology.
The Sage Parashara adv ocates a similar code of conduct for astrologers, stressing particularly on the necessity
for technical intellectual and moral excellence; the capacity to weigh the pros and cons of a situation, along
with the ability to synthesize a coherent prediction based on sound knowledge of the principles, sometimes
apparently contradictory, of knowledge.

S u b -D iv is io n s o f A s t ro lo g y
There are three main sub-div isions of Astrology.
(1) S a mh it a : This deals with collectiv ity or multitudes. It encompasses such v aried areas as weather
forecasts, agricultural produce, natural disasters, floods, famines, wars, earthquakes, cyclones, market trends,
changes in gov ernment, national and international ev ents, and v irtually anything that influences the masses.
The annual world predictions which are generally based either on Hindu New Year commencing on the Chaitra
Shukla Pratipada, or on the solar Ingress into Mesha, fall under the Samhita astrology.
(2) S id d h a n t a o r Ta n t ra o r G a n it a : This deals with the mathematical aspects of astrology. There are
sev eral treatises on Siddhanta Astrology but fiv e among them are considered as particularly important. They
are :

(a) Surya Siddhanta

(b) Paulisha Siddhanta

(c) Romaka Siddhanta

(d) Vasishtha Siddhanta

(e) Paitamaha Siddhanta

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