fw: Graha Versus Planet [was (Prabhupada)]

[Guest guest]

One answer that helped me [ considering that cosmology and astrology

were connected and discussed below, while astronomy is a biproduct of

modern day phisics ] is below (txt was posted a while back)

 

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Graha Versus Planet

 

There is a fundamental difference between the Vedic concept of graha and

the Western use of Planets in astrology. Graha, by definition, is

anything which has the power to seize, grasp or influence. In this case

"seizing or influencing the destinies of men in a supernatural manner."

The word for planet on the other hand is translated as loka in Sanskrit.

Not all grahas are lokas, nor are all lokas grahas. In English, this

means that the class of entities or objects which have divinatory

significance includes planets, but not all planets have divinatory

significance. (We are reminded however that while certain planets may be

grahas, in a divinatory sense, they are not causal agents. They do not

cause anything to happen. But as mantic grahas they do have the power to

be used in a divinatory language to explain the will of God. Just as

omens do not cause anything but are divine signs.)

 

In Vedic Astrology the ten major grahas are: The Ascendant, Sun, Moon,

Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu (North Node of the Moon) and

Ketu (South Node of the Moon). Of these ten grahas the Ascendant, Rahu

and Ketu are not lokas or planets but rather mathematical points

calculated by the astrologer. Though not planets they are of great

significance. Vedic astrology also has numerous upa-grahas (minor

grahas) and kala-velas (sensitive points in time). Of these up-grahas

and kala-velas, Mandi is considered most important and is especially

used in Kerala. Mandi is definitely not a planet in the Western sense,

but it is a graha.

 

Vedic Astrology is a limb of the Vedas and was revealed to Rishis from a

higher source. Ultimately, Jyotisha is revealed knowledge coming from

Lord Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus, the

traditional assignments of grahas is not trivial, meaningless or

haphazard. We also note the Vedic distinction between the

classification of graha (divinatory agent) and loka (planet).

 

Western Astrology entirely lacks the concept of graha; they are left

only with planets. As a consequence, they assume that simply because

something is floating "out there," whether it be a planet like Neptune,

or Ganymede (a moon of Jupiter) or asteroids like Athena; in all cases

they should be incorporated into the chart. We suggest that such an

attitude creates an incomprehensible hodge-podge which further erodes

the axiomatic basis of their school of astrology. (What about comets and

meteors? While Vedic astrology doesn't use asteroids in delineations, it

does recognize and use comets and meteors, especially in Mundane

astrology and nimitta.)

(Text PAMHO:2679117)---------------

 

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