Jyotisha Sastram – Part 2
Jyotisha Sastram – Sanskrit
Greetings to all participants.
Before I begin the subject, many people who love Sanskrit are finding it difficult to pronounce and recite Sanskrit correctly. Musicians give importance to musical tune rather than the meaning. It should be the other way round – Meaning should have priority over the musical tone.
Examples are Venkateswara Suprabhatam, Lalita Sahasram, Vishnu Sahasram etc. Padachchedam and thrust on each word disturbs the meaning and takes away the essence of Prarthana. The recorded versions played every day on TV channels are examples.
Organisations committed to protection of Sanskrit must devote their attention and do the needful.
The topic I have chosen today is ‘Jyotisha Sastram’ – not Astrology as commonly understood – Astronomy or Khagola Sastram.
It is believed by many that ancient Indians did not know about ‘Ayana chalana’ or ‘Ayana Gati’ – Precession of Equinoxes, and that they were taught by Greeks and Egyptians etc. This belief is prevalent among even University faculty members who teach Astronomy to the students. That this is far away from truth is illustrated by the following extract from Rig-Veda :
“इयास: क्रुष्णे द्शभि: सहस्रै: अवतमिन्द्रैः” (8-96-13)
Meaning : Indra or Vishuvath or equinox) makes circular revolutions – 15 x 10 x 1000 = 150,000 times (in one Kalpa – implied). Kalpa is 4320 million years. That is 150 circles in one Mahayuga. One Kalpa = 1000 Mahayugas. It comes to 28,800 years for completing one revolution as against 26,000 estimated at present.
There are many Vedic scholars who recite Vedas. There are very few who understand and interpret the meanings correctly. They are known as Vedaartha scholars.
While interpreting Vedas, following are the standard and acknowledged equivalents :
Agni = Vasanta Vishuvath / Vernal equinox
Indra = Sarath Vishuvath / Autumnal Equinox
Mitra = Winter Solstice
Varuna = Summer Solstice
Inspite of clear statements in Vedas that Ayana keeps moving and is not stationary, we believe that Uttarayana begins on the day Sun enters Capricorn (Makara) i.e. the day of Makara Sankramana. Learned Purohits and Vedic Scholars continue their Samkalpa that Uttarayana begins on Makara Samkramana day. Many Panchangas show Uttarayana begins on Makara Samkramana day. In reality, however, Uttarayana begins nowadays on December 21 or 22 each year. Does it mean Vedic scholars do not believe in the sanctity of Vedas.
Vedanga Jyotisha is one of the oldest Sanskrit books on ancient Astronomy. It is known as ‘Apaurusheya’. i.e. Author is unknown. Professors and scholars believe Lagadha is the author. The very first sloka in Vedanga Jyotish reads as follows :
“कालज्ञानं प्रवक्ष्यामि लगधस्य महात्मन:”
If Lagadha was the author, he would not have addressed himself as “महात्म”. The expression “लगधस्य” would not have been used. That Lagadha was the author was advanced by some vested interests only to counter the fact that it was “apaurusheya”. The fact is that Lagadha was a Special Purpose Vehicle used for the purpose of transmitting the knowledge for the benefit of the Society by the divine power.
Univeristy faculty believe what was told to us by international Indologists that Surya Siddhantha, another ‘Apaurusheya’ text on ancient Indian Astronomy is only 1500 years old. It is deeply engraved in the minds of present generation of Indian Astronomers.
See the first sloka in Surya Siddhantha.
“अल्पावसिस्टेतु क्रुते मयो नाम महासुर: ——-“
Meaning : When Mayasura did penance at the end of Kruta Yuga, Surya Bhagawan was pleased with Penance, appeared and gifted Surya Siddhantha for the benefit of the Society. Atleast 2,165,000 + years passed if it was in this Mahayuga. We are now in 28th Mahayuga.
Foreign Indologists do not know simple arithmetic. Did they make us forget?
Look at the number of equivalents in Sanskrit for various numerals :
| Numerals | No. of equivalents in Sanskrit words |
| 0 | 36 |
| 1 | 96 |
| 2 | 45 |
| 3 | 69 |
| 4 | 59 |
| 5 | 61 |
| 6 | 43 |
| 7 | 56 |
| 8 | 62 |
| 9 | 47 |
| 10 etc | 14 |
All ancient Jyotisha texts use equivalents in Sanskrit words and not the numerals. Present generation of scholars find it difficult to understand and interpret the subject.
For example, Bhaskaracharya while explaining the year in which born and the year in which he wrote Siddhantha Siromani, composed a sloka as follows :
“रस गुण पूर्ण मही (1036) सम (salivahana) शक काले भवन मम उत्पत्ति:
रस गुण (36) वर्षेण मया सिद्धांत शिरोमणि विरचित:”
Bhaskaracharya in Sunya Parikarmashtakam in Leelavati Ganitam, explaining 0/0 wrote in Sanskrit :
“शून्ये गुणके जाते खं हारस्चेत पुन: तदा राशि:”
Mr Colebrook while translating Leelavati Ganitam from Sanskrit to English commented that “it is absurd”. We do not understand Sanskrit. How an English man can understand ? Pity him !!!