INDIAN ASTROLOGY

Introduction to Indian Astrology
By Sri.M.P.Radhakrishnan Nair

Astrology actually dates back from the origin of man, Indian Astrology is no exception. In India, Astrology is popularly known as Jyothissastra, meaning the science of light, primarily intending the Sun. The relevance of the Sun and the Moon is very important in India from time immemorial. Indians worshipped the Sun and are still worshipping it as God. It is emphasized in Vedas originated about 5000 years Before Christ (BC). The Vedas contain ample references to Astrology especially the Atharva Veda is almost full of it, used in the context of finding out auspicious times for starting good things etc. Even in scriptures came out during this period on
Sruthis (what is heard) and Smrithis (what is remembered) there were references of Astrology. How ever Vedanga Jyothisham or Vedic Astrology is supposed to be first written documents on Astrology in its ancient form in India.

Astrology and Astronomy went hand in hand in India for many millennia. There were sooth-sayers in India like the Oracle of Delphi. There were also learned and well renowned Astronomers in ancient India. Aryabhatta, Bhaskaracharya, Kalidasa, Varahamihira, Bhattolpala are a few among them. Some others though not studied Astrology as a vernal occupation dedicated their lives for the cause of Astrology and contributed precious and valuable information through their hard work and research on the subject. These people with very meagre resources they had and with their naked eyes identified the various planets and measured the distance to
them from the earth and found out their sizes and shapes. Their recordings when verified later with those found out with the help of telescopes invented by Galileo were accurate. They also predicted correctly the time of solar and lunar eclipses that are to come for many years as well.

Astrology, they proved, is an empirical science like that of Physics or Chemistry, thanks to the presence of the Sun, the Moon and the stars as typical and visible evidences. The tools to prove its veracity are very limited and handful, only the Sun, the Moon, the stars, the 12 signs and the 9 planets in all, which can not be brought into a test tube or a laboratory. They stand far away from the people. One can not touch and feel them, but their impact on us is tremendous and foretelling. In Indian Astrology 27 stars are used for delineation purpose. The difference in Western Astrology is that only one star, the Sun, is used there. The Dasha, Bhukthi, Antara based on the Moon is not taken into account in Western Astrology. It is given vital importance in Indian Astrology to find out the timing of events, exactly to the hour, minute and second of a happening.

In Indian Astrology the names of the 12 signs of the Zodiac came into existence 500 years BC. The names were assigned to each sign based on the shape of constellation each sign carried. For instance the shape of the constellation contained in the first sign of Zodiac was that of the head of a goat and therefore it was named after goat namely Mesha (Mesha means goat in Sanskrit). Similarly the second sign is Rishabha meaning Bull in Sanskrit and so on. There are many synonyms for each sign in Sanskrit. A small state Kerala in India took the names of their months for the signs to exactly fit in the Calendar Year. Kerala is also famous for well renowned astrologers especially among Namboodiri castes like Machattilayath, Puliyoor Purushothaman Namboodiri, the Astrologer of Pazhur Padippura and the like. The land of Kerala is very beautiful with its sweet rivers, evergreen forests, wild sanctuaries and a variety of loving and affectionate people in a part of the world blessed by nature in all respects.

There were hundreds of thousands of books in Astrology in ancient India. Originally most of them were written in palm leaves, chemically prepared for the purpose. Almost all books were written in Sanskrit. The most voluminous literature in the world namely Tantra is also written in Sanskrit. These books were later translated into many Indian and foreign languages and were spread throughout the world. Famous universities have copies of these books with them. The Vedas, Upanishads, Agamas (Sastras or science) Puranas, Ithihasas like Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Mahabhagavatha, Bhagavad Gita and many other books on Indology, depicting the culture and rich heritage of India and conveying the message of good will, peace, fraternity, moral principles and human values etc. were all printed originally in Sanskrit. Their manuscripts are even available in India in certain particular libraries.

The Astrologers of the yore in India found out truths full of significance to human life and relevant to modern times. Vedic Astrology truly gives more importance to stars. The ancient astrologers of India traditionally had deep knowledge in the subject. This tradition established that human beings acquire the temperaments of the powerful planets in their native charts. They found out that it is the influence of these planets that determines the personality of the human beings. Many of the medical discoveries in India are related to traditional Astrology. In olden days doctors in India were expert practitioners in Astrology as well and with the assistance of their knowledge in Astrology their treatment was most effective.

There are so many branches in Indian Astrology like Jathaka or Native Chart, Prasna or Horary, Muhurta or Electional Astrology, Vana Nireekshana or Meteorology, Nashta Prasna or Missing persons or things, the affairs of Sanctum Sanctorum of temples and the like.

Indian Astrology is very sharp, because there is provision to go deep into the root cause of the matter since each sign and planet is divisible into 60-minute parts called the shashtyamsa. By studying these parts in detail the intricacies can be realized. Moreover the saptavarga and the ashtakavarga studies also reveal the manifold characteristics of various planets in detail. The planets are supposed to be hereditary transmitters from one generation to the other. Births and re-births are taken place to complete the cycle of life. The horoscope indicates the residues of the results of the deeds of the past births or karma phala. In this birth one will carry three sorts of karma, sanchitam that is stored from the past birth, prarabdham accumulating in this birth and aagami stored for the future. The doctrine of karma says so. When the karma phala is exhausted there will be no more births. The microcosm becomes one with the macrocosm, which is the materialization of life as if a drop of water becomes one with the sea.

In India, Astrology is considered to be the supreme knowledge granted to human being by the Gold Almighty. If it is not properly used it will become tantra virodha causing havoc in life. It should therefore be used only after deep study, dedication and full providence. The three time periods namely past, present and future are supposed to be the transcendence of time and space in Indian Astrology. It is therefore true knowledge. It is the path of eternal bliss. The conscious, unconscious and subconscious are contained in it. Old Indian sages say that no knowledge is complete with out the knowledge of Astrology. It is the most valuable possession human beings can have. Astrology can be used to cure diseases, to gain any knowledge, to make friends with any one and gain his intimacy, to answer questions, to lead healthier and happier life, to get through interviews, to negotiate successfully most difficult business deals, to determine the sex of a child, to gain wealth, to evaluate the position of stocks and shares, to win horse races, to speculate successfully and to lead a better and meaningful contented life. Astrology provides the basic human needs of food, shelter and companionship and above all an urge to create an orderly world governed by dependable rules and to develop a re-assuring structure of beliefs. Lastly one who understood Indian Astrology in its proper perspective attains Moksha or eternal liberation through which our Creator is realized to fulfill the purpose of our life.

Thank you, God bless you.
I would like to share some of my experiences as follows:

** Prepared several hundreds of Horoscopes/Nativity Charts and delineated them according to Indian Atrology.
** Conducted hundreds of Prasna/Horary in a most scientific manner.
** Studied Medical Astrology in detail. Accurately analyzed hundreds of cases of diseases.
** Handled Electional and Mundane Astrology in a fruitful way.
** Conducted "Deva Prasna", regarding Sanctum Sanctorums, in more than 500 temples.
** Studied in detail Gemology and successfully suggested gems for several people.
** Published varieties of articles (My First Prediction, A Prasna Session, Planets and Leagal Profession, Planets and Criminal Propensities, etc. to mention a few)
** in leading Astrological magazines and journals in India
** Conducted Group discussions on various topics (Horoscope Matching, Missing Persons, Lost Articles, Marriage and related Problems, Family Life, Health
** Education, Longevity, Old Age, Diseases of mind and body, Childhood, Unnatural births, etc.) in Astrology.
** Conducted several training programs (Fundamentals of Indian Astrology, Calulating and Analyzing Birth Charts, etc.) in Indian Astrology.

Please feel free to Counsel
The writer of this article can be contacted for consultation in the e-mail address given below:-
nairradhakrishnan@hotmail.com