Guest guest Posted January 5, 2000 Report Share Posted January 5, 2000 Om Jaya Jaya Jagannatha Namamyaham Dear Jyotisha, There is no need to send articles to the classroom. Please mail them to jyotish-news . This is the forwarding address for Sarat as he is handling Jyotish-news as the Managing Editor. If anybody requires an e-mail address with sjvc.net like yourname please write to me. The e-mail address will not be POP3 except for the SJVC Guru's who can get one if they so like. The web space is limited (by our budget) and you can get a forwarding address. Our web address is going to be www.sjvc.net and this site is under construction. Om Tat Sat Best Wishes Sanjay Rath - Sarat Chander <saratchander <varahamihira > Tuesday, January 04, 2000 8:37 AM [Jagannath] Re: For Gauranga Jai Jai Sri Jagannath!!! Dear Gauranga, Thanks for the article and I am sorry to reply to you quite late. I am carrying this article in our February issue. Yes, we do want you to contribute regularly for the news letter of SJVC. I shall be grateful if you can send me your articles a little in advance as I plan to release the subsequent month's issue by the 15th of the previous month. So, an article sent to me in advance would enable me sticking to this time frame. Hope I am not too demanding! Thanks. Regards, Sarat. - Sanjay Rath <varahamihira J Sarat Chander <saratchander Sunday, January 02, 2000 7:41 PM Fw: [Jagannath] Re: For Gauranga > > - > Gauranga Das <gauranga > Varahamihira <varahamihira > > Thursday, December 30, 1999 8:53 AM > [Jagannath] Re: For Gauranga > > > > JAYA JAGANNATHA! > > > > Dear Sarat, > > > > Pranaams. > > > > I'm sorry, I didn't figure out that you and Gurudeva wanted me to become a > regular contributor. Anyway, I will try. Here is my piece for this time, I > hope that you will be able to use it. > > > > ASTROLOGYA AND THE VEDIC TRADITION > > > > Although there is much difference of opinions regarding the origins of > Vedic civilization amongst the scientist, we could conclude that according > to the tradition Vedic culture is the culture based on the Vedas, the > ancient Sanskrit writings. Foremost of all this literature are the four > Vedas, viz. Rig, Saama, Yajur and Atharva Veda. Tradition also holds that > the Brahmanas, the Vedic priests who were responsible for the proper > performance of the yajnas, the religius rituals prescribed by the Vedas, had > to learn certain auxuliary sciences facilitating their duty. These were the > six Vedangas, or limbs of the Veda, which include Siksha, Kalpa, Nirukti, > Vyaakarana, Chanda and finally Jyotisha. > > > > Branches of Jyotisha > > > > In his great work Maharishi Parashara explains that there are three > divisions (skandhas) to the holy > > science of Jyotisha. These are Hora, Ganita and Samhita. Hora (or Jataka, > as named elsewhere) > > refers to interpreting the planetary positions at someone's birth in terms > of his karma, or past > > acitivites. Ganita (or Siddhanta) refers to calculations of planetary > positions and movement. This > > branch may be called astronomy and it has a basic role in determining the > time units, favourable times for Vedic rituals and serves as a basic for > erecting the Janma Kundali, or birth chart as well. > > And finally the third one is Samhita, which refers not only to celestial > phenomena but to a wide > > range of other omens (lakshana or shakuna) for predicting the future > events. > > > > Pandit Harihara in his Prashna Marga mentions six further subdivisions or > angas to this great science. > > These are Jataka (predicitve astrology), Gola (movements of the Earth), > Nimitta (omens), Prashna (queries), Muhurtha (electional astrology) and > Ganita (astronomical calculations). Still, on the whole we should consider > Jyotisha as an intrinsic part of Vedic tradition and a complex science > elaborated upon by the greatest Maharishis of Vedic time, like Parashara, > Bhrigu, Jaimini, Garga, Vyaasa and others. All these sages had learned this > science in the disciplic succession (sampradaya or guru-parampara) from > their predecessors and taught it to their disciples. Maharishi Parashara > says thus (BPHS translated by G.C.Sharma, vol. 1. pg. 4.): > > > > " . . . I shall relate to you the science of astrology as it was heard by > me from Brahma. The teachings of this science of astrology are to be given > only to the students who are good and peacefully disposed, who honour the > perceptors and elders, who speak only truth and who are God-fearing. It is > only in this way that good will follow. The teachings of this science, > again, should not be given to an unwilling student, to an atheist or to a > crafty person. " > > > > The Qualifications of an Astrologer > > > > In the above quotation we have seen that this science should be received > through the parampara or disciplic succession. So the first qualification of > a Jyotishi is to become accepted as a disciple of a learned and pure > brahmana, who have received this science in the disciplic succession and > mastered it. The further qualifications are listed by Maharishi Parashara > and other sages in their works as follows: > > > > " O vipra! The shastra expounded by Lord Brahma for Mahatma Narada and he > (Narada) with all humbleness narrated the same to Rishis Shaunaka etc. and I > have unfolded the same shastra as it is, before you. This knowledge should > never be imparted to a person who is jealous, backbiter, dull, arrogant and > unknown. This supreme and pious shastra amongst all Vedangas should be > taught well to the humble, devoted, truthful, intelligent, submissive and > known persons. (. . .) A person knowing the subjec matter of Hora Shastra > should be truthful and able to exercise control over his senses. The > auspicious and inauspicious predictions of such a person will come true. " > (BPHS, vol. 2., pg. 794-795., transl. by G.C. Sharma) > > > > Acharya Varaha Mihira amongst others lists the following qualifications > for an astrologer: > > > > " Now the following are the virtues of an astrologer: He must be clean, > efficient, bold, eloquent, possessed of genius or ready wit, knower of the > time and place, sincere, not timid in assemblies, not to be overpowered by > his fellow students, expert, free from vices, well-versed in the art of > performing rituals of both curative and preventive types, as well as in that > of magic and bathing, engaged in the worship of Gods, observances of > austerities and fast, possessed of great power generated by the wonderful > achievements of his scientific knowledge and capable of answering queries > made by others and suggesting remedial measures for troubles other than the > visitations of God. " (Brihat Samhita, transl. by M. Ramakrishna Bhat, vol. > 1, pg. 8.) > > > > And finally, Pandit Harihara also elaborates on this subject as follows: > > > > " The exalted and recondite science of astrology is to be studied only by > Brahmins. A proper study of the subject leads one to the acquisition of > wealth, merit, salvation, respect and fame. (. . .) > > That person, who has mastery of this science, who has a good knowledge of > mathematics, who leads a religious life, who is truthful, who is free from > conceit and who is well versed in the Vedas, mantras and tantras, he alone > can be called a Daivajna or seer. > > All the predictions made by such a person will come true and will never be > false. The learned support tis statement. (. . .) > > He who has acquired a thorough knowledge of the different Horas, who is an > adept in the five Siddhantas, who has inferential ability and who is > initiated into a secret mantra by a perceptor, can alone know horoscopy " > (Prashna Marga, transl. by B.V. Raman, Vol. 1, pg. 9-13.) > > > > Here the Pandit points again to the basic qualification of a Jyotishi: > accepting an authentic guru and receiving the guru- (or siddha-) mantra from > him. This proves that astrology is not a mundane science subject to empiry > and logic, but a transcendental science understood by the grace of the Guru. > Seeing nowadays the state of Jotish where it is, I aimed at pointing out the > importance of this feature and the other qualifications that all aspiring > vedic astrologers should develop if they want to be faithful to the > tradition and qualified to understand thi great mistery of Jyotish. As > Jyotish is a Vedic science, we should adopt the Vedic process of learning > enunciated even by Lord Krishna Himself in the Bhagavad-gita: > > > > tad viddhi pranipaatena pariprashnena sevayaa > > upadekshyaanti te jnaanam jnaaniinas tattva-darshinah > > > > " Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. > Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized > souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth. " (Bg. > 4.34. transl. by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada) > > > > Yours, Gauranga das > > > > ---------- > > > Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah > > > Jai Jai Sri Jagannath > > > > > > Dear Gauranga, > > > > > > This is just to remind you about your article for the January issue of > the > > > Jyotish News of SJVC. I am already overdue in despatching it. I shall > > > greatly appreciate if you could just take a little time, may be 1/2 an > hour or > > > so, and mail me one immediately. > > > > > > Regards, > > > Sarat. > > > > > > > > > ------ > > > HARI OM TAT SAT > > > Jaya Jagannatha Mahaprabhu > > > > > > ------ > > > GET $100 IN COUPONS FOR TRYING GATOR! > > > > > > Grab the Gator! Free software does all the typing for you! > > > > > > Gator fills in forms and remembers passwords with NO TYPING at > > > > > > over 100,000 web sites! > > > http://click./1/341/3/_/2192/_/946481753 > > > > > > eGroups.com Home: varahamihira/ > > > - Simplifying group communications > > > > > > > > > > > ------ > > HARI OM TAT SAT > > Jaya Jagannatha Mahaprabhu > > > > ------ > > GET $100 IN COUPONS FOR TRYING GATOR! > > Grab the Gator! 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