Eye of the Vedapurusa from Hindu Dharma

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Eye of the Vedapurusa from Hindu Dharma

Of the fourteen branches of learning basic to our Vedic religion, I have so far

dealt with siksa, Vyakarana, Chandas and Nirukta. These four form part of

Sadanga (the six limbs of the Vedas). I will now speak about Jyotisa, it being

the first of the remaining two of the Sadanga. Jyotisa, which is the science of

the celestial bodies and the eye of the Vedapurusa, consists of three "skandhas"

or sections. So it is called "Skandha-trayatmakam". Sages like Garga, Narada and

Parasura have written samhitas (treatises) on this subject. The sun god, in

disguise, taught the science to Maya, the carpenter of the Asuras. The work

incorporating his teachings is called the Suryasiddhanta. There are treatises

on astronomy written by celestials and sages and ordinary mortals. Of them some

are by Varahamihira, Aryabhata and Bhaskaracarya. In recent times we had

Sundaresvara Srautin who wrote a work called Siddhanta-Kausthubham.

Why is Jyotisa regarded as the eye of the Vedapurusa?

What purpose is served by the eye? Near objects may be perceived by the sense of

touch. With our eyes we learn about distant objects. Just as our eyes help us to

know objects that are distant in space (that is just as we see distant object

with our eyes), Jyotisa sastra help us to find out the position of the heavenly

bodies that are distant in time (their configuration many years ago in the past

or many years hence in future).

We can find out directly the positions of the sun and the moon and other

heavenly bodies. Just as we can know near objects, even if we are blind, by

feeling them with our hands, we can learn about the positions of the heavenly

bodies near in time even without the help of astronomy. What is 50 feet away is

to be perceived by the eye. Similarly, if you want to know the position of

planets 50 years ago or 50 years hence, you have to have recourse to Jyotisa.

We cannot, however, form a full picture of near objects only by feeling them.

For instance, we cannot know whether they are green or red. For this, we must

see them with our eyes. Again, even if we are able to see the planet with our

naked eye, we will need the help of astrology to find out its effects on our

life, how its positions in the heavens will influence our destiny.

This is the reason why Jyotisa is called the eye of the Vedapurusa. Vedic

rituals are performed according to the position of the various planets [and the

sun and the moon]. There are rules to determine this. The right day and hour

[muhurta] for a function is fixed according to the position of the the

celestial bodies. Here again, Jyotisa performs the function of the eye.

This Anga of the Vedas is indeed called "nayana" which word means "to lead". A

blind man needs to be led by another. So it is the eye that leads. Astronomy /

Astrology is the eye that enables us to fix the hours for Vedic rituals.