Tithi, nkahsatra etc. vis-a-vis muhurtas.

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Shri Bhupendra Jamnadasji,

 

Jai Shri Ram!

 

There has been an inordinate delay in replying your post (#1421 Oct. 16, 09 in

mukti_marg). However, better late than never!

 

<Are you suggesting that prior to Greek influence in India or South Asian

region, there was no predictive techniques used or taught in Vedas?>

 

If there are no Mesha, Vrisha etc. rashis nor Mangal, Shani etc. planets in the

Vedas or the Vedanga Jyotisha, it is obvious that there was no predictive

astrology in the Vedas!

 

There are works like Atharva-Veda-Parishishta and Atharva-Jyotisha that talk of

planets vis-a-vis nakshtras, but they are of a much later date than the Atharva

Veda but prior to the import of Mesha etc. Rashis, since there are no Mesha etc.

rashis in those “astrological works†either. But ironically, we do not

have any work that talks of calculating planetary positions vis-a-vis nakshatras

either! The Vj has given a rough methodology of calculating the sun and the

moon in various nakshtras, but it is silent about planets like Mangal, Shani

etc., not to speak of Mesha etc. rashis.

 

The first " indigenous " work that is available as on date for calculating planets

vis-a-vis nakshatras is the Surya Sidhanta by Maya the mlechha! Even that work

advises as to how to calculate nakshatras via rashis! There is also a separate

chapter on nakshtra-graha- yuti adhikara, but the longitudes of junction stars

as per that chapter is plus/minus several degrees the nakshatra division of that

very name in the same work!

 

It appears that Maya the mlechha had clubbed Hindu nakshtras of the Vedanga

Jyotisha with Greek constellations/rashis and since the Vernal Equinox (The

First Point of Aries----Mesharambha bindu) was in the Ashvini nakshatra as well

as Aries constellation, known as Aries astrological sign in Greek and Western

astrology (Mesha rashi in Sanskrit), during the early centuries of CE, then he

was not far off the mark in doing so.

 

In fact, the Vedas talk of " krittikasu agnim adadeetaa " which means that

krittika naksahtra was prominent then as the VE was in that nakshatra. That is

also one of the reasons as to why the nakshatras in the Vedas and the VJ start

from Krittika instead of Ashvini. By the same logic, the nakshatras should

start these days from Purva-bhadra since the Vernal Equinox is falling in that

division now a days! It is in fact in exact conjunction with Beta Pegassi

(Scheat) star of that division!

 

< Now it would be good if you could tell us what is in Vedas and how is a

muhurata to be calculated? How to determine an auspicious or inauspicious

muhuratas based on any vedic techniques that may exists.>

 

The Vedanga Jyotisha tells us the methodology of calculating nakshatras, through

mean longitudes at that, starting from Krittika. We find in the Vedas

instructions to perform certain Vedic activities like yajnyas in particular

nakshatras, especially if they are coupled with a particular tithi of particular

month. But there are no instructions in any of the Vedanga as to in which

nakshatra tonsure or vivaha etc. is to be performed. Such muhurta shastra

seems to have gained credence much later after the Vedas.

 

Even regarding calculating the longitudes of nakshatras, there are no fool-proof

methods since nobody knows for sure as to which nakshatra starts from which

star, if at all any naksahtra starts from any star. Lots of discussions are

going on in some Indian astrology forums about nakshatras these days but they

are only vis-à-vis phalita jyotisha-----for Patri Melapak and for calculating

bhukta-bhogya etc. and thereby dasha-bhuktis etc.--- and not about their actual

positions and their ramifications for muhurta shastra or ancient Indian

astronomy.

 

For example, if the Vedas tell us “kittikasu agnim adadeetai†which means

that we must get consecrated in Krittika nakshatra, they advised us to do so

because Krittikas “did not deviate from the East†in those days. It is not

clear from this mantra as to whether we have always to get consecrated in

Krittikas even if nowadays they have already deviated “from the East†i.e.

the Vernal Equinox is no longer falling in Krittika nakshatra. Then again,

wherefrom does the Krittika nakshatra start? Is the star Alcyone in the midst

of that nakshatra or is it the starting point of that division? What about the

other starts of that very division? What are their positions vis-à-vis

Krittika nakshatras?

 

If we take into account the longitudes of junction stars vis-à-vis nakshatra

divisions of their namesakes, we land in a bigger problem than the solution

offered by Junction Stars! For example, if Chitra Star is away by less than one

degree from Swati Star, Vishakha is away by about 21 degrees from Svati! If

Mula (Regulus) star is the starting division of Mula nakshatra, Asvhini

nakshatra starts ten degrees before the Ashvini (Beta Arietis) Star. That is

the position of Stars vis-à-vis nakshatras if we take the equal division of

nakshatras as per “almighty “ Lahiri ayanamsha! If sayana longitudes of

Rashis are taken into account then all the Junction stars just fall completely

outside of naksahtra divisions!

 

In the past also, as clarified by Alberuni, some sidhanta-makers had become

aware of this problem and they had resorted to unequal division of twenty-eight

nakshatras including Abhujit. Brahmagupta, in his Brahma Sphuta Sidhanta, also

has talked of unequal division of naksahtras. But it appears that because of

computational difficulties, unequal division was completely given up!

 

The problem gets aggravated since ninety-nine per cent of Hindus are “Vedic

astrologers†i.e. nirayanawalas! And they do not want to disturb their

apple-pie cart of nakshtra divisions etc. because then they will not be able to

justify their blind faith in Dasha-bhuktis, whether Vimshotari or Ashtotatri or

any other system! Similarly, they will be unable to do any Patri-Melapak etc.

as well. All they are bent on doing right now is to prove by hook or by crook

that the real Vamadevas had nothing else to do except to “inventâ€

non-existent zodiacs---that also nirayana, hundreds of them with hundreds of

ayanamshas--- which were “teeming†with “imaginary animals†like Rams

and Bulls and Scorpions etc. etc.

 

As such, the question of nakshatra divisions vis-à-vis Junction stars etc. is

wide open for discussion and unless and until we come out of the shackles of

dahsa-bhuktis and patri-melapak etc. etc., we can never be able to take an

intelligent and unbiased view of the same.

 

And unless we are able to decide the starting and ending points of nakshatra

divisions, we cannot decide as to whether they are inauspicious or auspicious

for some activity since if we presume some portion of the imaginary circle

known as ecliptic to be Ashvini nakshtra, it may actually be Bharni or Revati!

 

It is therefore, once again, a Clarion call to every Hindu to do some

brain-storming exercise about the nakshtra divisions and arrive at some definite

conclusions. I do not have many expectations from Hindu astronomers since they

are more interested in discussing the birth charts of Bhagwan Ram and Bhagwan

Krishen etc. rather than touching a hornet’s nest! “Vedic astronomersâ€

are as cowardly as “vedic astrologers†are, thus!

 

In a later post, you had also asked about the methodology of calculating tithi

etc. Astronomically, it is the easiest and the simplest component of a

pandchanga. Tithi is always the same whether it is calculated by so called

sayana method or so called nirayana method, because it is the mutual distance of

the moon over the sun!

 

Synodic New Moon is taken as the starting point of the synodic month. Thus when

the Moon is away by 360 i.e. zero degrees from the sun (sun conjunct moon in

longoitude!), that is New Moon i.e. Amavasya—actually the end of Amavasya and

start of Shukla Pratipat. When the moon advances by twelve degrees over the sun,

that is the end of Shukla paksha pratipat i.e. the first tithi of Bright lunar

half. When the Moon advances further twelve degrees over the sun after that

event, that is when it is away by twenty-four degrees from the sun, that is the

end of the second tithi of Shukla Paksha. The timing of ending of one tithi is

also the starting time of the next tithi. Thus Shukla paksha dwitiya starts the

moment Shukla Paksha pratipat ends and so on. We can thus go up to Purnima,

when the longitude of the Moon will have gained 180 degrees over the sun.

This is also known as soli-lunar opposition for the same reason. The moment

Purnima ends, that is the moment the Moon has gained 180 degrees over the

longitude of the sun, that very moment Krishna Paksha starts. When the Moon is

away by 180 + 12 degrees from the sun, that means that is the end of Pratipat of

Krishna Paksha.

 

Thus we can go on up to the next conjunction of the Moon with sun!

 

One thing is to be borne in mind. In certain cases, a tithi that is prevailing

at the time of sunrise is taken into account e.g. for deciding navaratras (Lunar

New Year) etc. Shukla Paksha Pratipat of Chaitra masa must be prevailing at the

time of sunrise. But for deciding the timings of Dipavali etc., Amavasya must

be prevailing at Pradosha i.e. up to about two hours after sunset, whereas for

deciding Bhratri Dvitiya, Dwitiya tithi must be prevailing at Madhyahna and so

on.

 

If you are really interested in understanding the ramifications of all these

discussions, I suggest you join

 

hinducalendar

 

Posts to that forum are not moderated and quite a few members will feel it a

pleasure to answer your questions.

 

Jai Shri Ram!

 

A K Kaul

 

 

 

 

 

--- , Bhupendra Jamnadas <b_jamna> wrote:

>

> Namaste A.K Kaul Ji,

>

> Are you suggesting that prior to Greek influence in India or South Asian

region, there was no predictive techniques used or taught in Vedas?

>

> How is are muhuratas to be determined? I have asked this question a few

times in the past as well but so far you have stuck to the argument that current

Vedic astrologers have nothing to do with Vedas.

>

> Now it would be good if you could tell us what is in Vedas and how is a

muhurata to be calculated? How to determine an auspicious or inauspicious

muhuratas based on any vedic techniques that may exists.

>

> Thanks,

> Bhupendra.

>

>

>

>

> ________________________________

> jyotirved jyotirved

>

> Cc: hinducalendar ;

indian_astrology_group_daily_digest

> Thu, October 15, 2009 5:12:47 AM

> [Mukti_Marg]

>

> Â

> Dear friends,