Wednesday, September 28, 2011

[click to download Vaidyajyotisham]

Vaidya Jyotisham or Medical astrology (traditionally known as Iatromathematics) is an ancient medical system that associates various parts of the body, diseases, and drugs as under the influence of the sun, moon, and planets, along with the twelve astrological signs. Each of the astrological signs (along with the sun, moon, and planets) is associated with different parts of the human body. The underlying basis for medical astrology, astrology itself, is considered to be a pseudoscience or superstition as there is no scientific basis for its core beliefs.[1][2][3][4] [5][6][7]

More on wikipedia

Nostradamus

Dolores Cannon – Conversations with Nostradamus: His Prophecies Explained, Vol. 2
Publisher: Ozark Mountain Publishing Inc | 1992-01-01 | ISBN: 0963277618 | PDF | 358 pages | 5.25 MB

Volume Two in this series contains 143 quatrains interpreted by the great master Nostradamus himself. Dolores Cannon is a regressionist and psychic researcher who has developed her own unique method of hypnosis that has enabled her to gain the most efficient release of information from her subjects. Since 1979, she has regressed and cataloged information gained from hundreds of volunteers.

SharingMatrix

DepositFiles

TurboBit

  • Lightwin-4, Astrology software, Direct use with out installation, on screen – and print support [click2download] [mirror]
  • Astrology Package – Included in this download are 24 e-books | 42 lovely planet photos, and an audio book | 42 MB [more]
  • Jyotisha Literature in Sanskrit – Telugu — Hindi [more]
  • Astrology – A Cosmic Science - PDF | 358 pages | English | ISBN 0916360520 | 7.53 MB [more]
  • Ancient Astrology (Sciences of Antiquity Series) [more] [mirror]
  • Dictionary of Gnosis & Western Esotericism“Wouter J. Hanegraaff, Antoine Faivre, Roelof van den Broek and Jean-Pierre Brach, Brill (2006) | 2 Volume Set | English | ISBN 9004152318 | 1262 pages | PDF | 5.37 MB [more] [mirror]
  • Symbols, Sex, And the Stars in Popular Beliefs – Ernest Busenbark – - password : www.AvaxHome.ru [more]
  • Astrology, Psychology, and the Four Elements – An Energy Approach to Astrology & Its Use in the Counseling Arts [more]
  • Encyclopedia of Prophecy – Geoffrey Ashe – ABC-Clio Inc | 2001-06-01 | ISBN: 1576070794 | 400 pages | CHM | 4 MB [more]
  • Vastu Literature in Sanskrit – Telugu – Hindi [more]
  • Vedic Astrology E-books [more]

Directional Alignment

  • The directional axis of the plot should be properly aligned with the axis of the earth's magnetic field.

  • Boundaries AC & BD should be parallel to a north-south axis. While boundaries AB & CD should be in an East-West alignment.

  • For otherwise, such land will remain averse to overall growth, peace & happiness of those that shall inhabit it.

The geometrical axis of the plot should be properly aligned with the axis of the earth's magnetic field. i.e. one set of boundaries should be parallel to the north south axis and the other to the east -west axis as shown in the figure (a) and (b).

Figure (a) shows directional alignment Figure

                      (b) shows a non directionally aligned plot.

Shape Of The Site

  • Symmetrical shapes like square or rectangular, circular & hexagonal promote overall growth, increases mental capabilities and generates prosperity.

  • Asymmetrical shapes like oval, triangular, parallelogram, star & trident are deemed inauspicious.

SHAPE

EFFECTS

Rectangular

Overall Growth

Hexagonal

Prosperity

Slope Of The Land Surface

  • The surface should be elevated towards the southern and western sides and should be lower in northern and eastern sides for overall growth and prosperity.

The Land should be elevated towards south and west sides and it should be lower in NORTH and EAST sides for over all growth and happiness.
If the land is--
HIGH IN NORTH OR EAST
LOW IN SOUTH-EAST
LOW IN SOUTH
LOW IN SOUTH-WEST
LOW IN WEST
LOW IN NORTH-WEST
LOW IN CENTRE,

It can have adverse effects.

Impact of Gates At Various Locations

  • Eastern Side : The third and fourth gate promote prosperity.

  • Southern Side : The twelfth gate enhances growth.

  • Western Side : The twentieth and twenty-first gates stimulate financial growth.

  • Northern Side : The twenty-seventh, twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth gates promote happiness, financial growth and overall gain respectively.

Of all the positions of the gates depicted in the figure, the positions that are favourable are in the

EASTERN SIDE

3. Prosperity
4. Govt Favour

SOUTH SIDE

11. Meanness
12. Prosperity, Human Growth

WEST SIDE

20. Financial and Human Growth
21. Financial and Human Growth

NORTH SIDE

27. Happiness
28. Financial and human Growth
29. All types of Gains

All the other placements of the gates ( marked Cross ) prove to be unfavourable.


Brahmasthan (Central Zone of the Building)

  • Should be free from any obstruction in the form of a wall, pillar and beam.

  • There should not be any fixture, toilet, lift or staircase etc. in this area as shown in the Figures (a) and (b)


For Figure (a) Jurisdiction of brahmsthan in a square building as shown by the central square ABCD


For Figure (b) Jurisdiction of brahmsthan in a rectangular building is shown by a central "STAR"

The Staircase

  • Should be in the western or northern side of the building.

  • Turnings should be in the clockwise direction.

  • On reaching the upper floor, the facing should be towards south or east.

Inner Planning of a House

  • The oven should ideally be in the south-east zone.

  • Toilets should not be in the north-eastern, central and south-western zones.

  • The most south-western location is the ideal position for your master bedroom.

  • Position the boy's room in the northern or eastern side while the girl's and guest room are to be in the 
    north-western parts.

  • Place the beds in southerly or easterly direction.

The provisions shown in the side diagram are as per the living style in the ancient times. However considering the requirements of the modern days it can be rearranged based on the following guide lines

1.

Kitchen fire should be in the South -East and should never be at the North-East, Centre and the south west zones.

2.

Toilets should not be provided at the North-East, Center and the South-West zones

3.

Master bedroom should be in or nearest to the South-west Zones

4.

Boys' Rooms should be in the North and/or East Zones

5.

Girls and Guest rooms should be in the North - West zones.

6.

Head Seat of the Bed should be in the South or the East Direction

7.

Facing of the W/C should be towards the north or West Direction

Inner Planning of an Office

  • The shape of the cabin should be a regular square or a perfect rectangle.

  • The opening for the door should be free from any obstacle.

  • Doors should open inwards while entering a cabin.

  • The master chamber should either be in the south-west or nearest to south- west direction.

  • Chambers of directors / managers / senior staff should be in the southern & western zones. While that of the 
      junior staff should be in the north-west, north, north-east, east and south-east.

  • Pantry and toilets must be in north-eastern, central & south-western sections.

While making the interior of an office the following guidelines have to kept in mind.

1.

The shape of the cabin should be regular ie square, or Perfect rectangle etc.

2.

There should not be any obstacle ( Dvar-Vedh) in front of the door opening

3.

The door leaves should pushed inside while entering into the cabin.

4.

The master chamber should be in the south west or nearest to the south west zone.

5.

The directors/managers/senior staff should be in the south & west zones.

6.

The junior staff and other activities should be in the North-West, North, North-East, East and South East Zones.

7.

The facing of the Directors/Managers/Officers should be towards East or North.

8.

Pantry and Toilets should not be in North-East, Center & South-west Zones

Internal Planning of any Industrial Building

  • Heavy plant and machinery should be installed in the south-western, southern & western parts.

  • Light weight and auxillary machines should be in the northern & eastern zones. 

  • Install boiler, AC panels, generator, heater, dryer, oven, furnace etc. in the north-west & east
    sections.

  • Toilets should be placed in the north-east, centre or south-west.

  • Make sure not to place spare parts stores in the north-west, centre & south-east.

  • Rest rooms for labour should be in the northern & eastern zones.

1.

heavy plant machinery should be installed in the South-West, South and West Zones

2.

Light Weight and Auxillary machines should be installed in North and East Zones

3.

Boiler/AC Panels/ Generetor/Heater/Dyer/Oven/Furnace etc are Best in the South East but can also be installed in the North-West and East Zones.

4.

Toilets or Fire/Power installations should not be provided in the North-East, Center and South-West zones.

Free Telugu Astrology Software

Free Telugu Astrology Software. Also available in other languages. (24.21 Mb) Professional Free Telugu Astrology software from Astro-Vision. Ideal for Astrologers and Astrology Students. Contains both calculations as well as predictions. This free Telugu Astrology software also provides you a choice of chart formats, like, North Indian, South Indian, etc. This means you can generate Free horoscope reports according to your individual requirement. It includes a large database of cities from all over the world. So, you don’t need to enter latitude, longitude and time zones of major cities. Additional cities can also be added, making the list of cities fully customizable. Various ayanamsa settings are included in this Free Telugu Astrology Software, such as Chitra Paksha ayanamsa or Lahiri ayanamsa, Raman ayanamsa, Krishnamurthy ayanamsa and Thirukanitham ayanamsa.It includes Panchangam predictions and detailed Bhava predictions based on the influence of planets on your character and life. Download here    or Goto    Download Now

Friday, September 16, 2011

health-related, philosophical, spiritual and India-related sites

www.acuteastrology.com/
www.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/2005-March/014991.html
agrasen.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html
afewspirituallinks.blogspot.com/2004/05/peace-i-meditated-cleared-my-aura.html
www.alien-ufos.com/religion-spirituality-ufos-aliens-religion/12502-karma-nirvana.html
all_magix.tripod.com/id43.htm
www.almviksgard.se
amlanroychowdhury.webs.com/antiquityofegypt.htm
www.angada.xf.cz/odkazy.html
www.angelfire.com/folk/vedalila/vedas.html
a-pilgrimage-to-vat-phu.blogspot.com/
a-pilgrimage-to-vat-phu.blogspot.com/2006/01/8-contact-references.html
www.approachseries.com/liens/index.html
www.arabchurch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14064&page=10
aruniland.blogspot.com/
www.astrology-vedic.com/page2/index.html
www.astrology-vedic.com/page2/page2.html
astrovedic666.blogspot.com
www.bbtitalia.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=245&catid=93&Itemid=138
www.be-pure.info/Links.html
bhagavataminfo.blogspot.com/
bhakti-tattva.blogspot.com/ (several)
www.bhaktiyoga.net/links.php
www.bhaktiyoga.net/links.php
bhaktiyoga.tribe.net/thread/1a6e0287-1224-45dd-9800-d4b4e6e7f7a4
bhaktiyoga.tribe.net/thread/b4863634-2b9f-47c3-a192-28f84665c6c4
www.bharatadesam.com/links.php
board.buddhist.ru/archive/index.php/t-6607.html
boards.ign.com/teh_vestibule/b5296/189779145/p1/ (article verbatim, truncated)
body2soul.bravehost.com/sacredtext.html
www.bodymindspiritdirectory.org/Continent-Europe.html
books.dreambook.com/sada1/korsnas.html
brahmasaraswati.blogspot.com/2011/01/14-planetary-system-by-brahmas-creation.html
chitti.blogspot.com/2003_09_01_chitti_archive.html
cities.sulekha.com/united-states/dc-area/dc-area/events/spiritual/2009/06/shri-krishna-janamastami.htm
cities.sulekha.com/united-states/district-of-columbia/washington/events/Spiritual/2010/02/holi-gaur-purnima.htm
community.krsna.de/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=forum&board=Lokaloka1&op=printpage&num=553 (BVP quote in German)
dandavats.com/?p=3261
www.dandavats.com/?p=7481
david.deltaflow.com/?p=702
web.archive.org/web/20091027031546/http://de.geocities.com/hemangaji/bookmark.htm
deshika.wordpress.com/
devotee.s5.com/DLweb.html
devoteesvaishnavas.blogspot.com/2008/02/108-number-w-a-abhihite-abhidhamma.html
dhamma.ru/lib/colours.htm
www.dipika.org/dipikalinks.htm
discuss.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/discuss/displaydiscussion.cgi?did=4120
www.dsexls.com/astrology-where-can-you-learn-more-about-astrology.html
www.dycden.dk/12_links.htm
www.earthportals.com/Portal_Messenger/sacredtime20124.html
www.experiencefestival.com/a/New_Age_Spirituality/id/22245 (New Age article attributed to Henry Makow PhD :)
www.experiencefestival.com/news/
www.experiencefestival.com/religious_traditions
www.faithfreedom.org/forum/ (several)
www.findthelinks.com/Religion/hare_krishna.htm
www.forum.hr/showthread.php?t=42009&page=5
forum.iskcondesiretree.info/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=649&sid=966bd96903633de642de2540970be660
forums.riverofenlightenment.com/index.php
free.pages.at/hadersdorf/FWD/ram/li.htm (links verbatim)
www.freewebs.com/balakrishnanmuniapan/06__Muniapan%20(Ramayana).pdf
www.freewebs.com/karthikram/indiaexclusive.htm
www.gaudiyadiscussions.com/ (several)
www.gaudiya-repercussions.com/ (several)
gauranga.blog.cz/ (several)
www.geocities.com/suci123/bhakti/bhaktilinks1.htm
www.gitamrta.org/
globalwarmingprayer.wordpress.com/files/2007/01/campus-day-of-prayer-islam.doc
www.godlikeproductions.com/bbs/reply.php?messageid=555300&page=6"e=8506374
www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message314230/pg2
www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message555300/pg6
www.golden-wheel.net/hinddir.html
goloka.free.fr/links.html
groups.yahoo.com/group/nimainitai/message/1824
groups.yahoo.com/group/raganuga/auth?check=G&done=http%3A%2F%2Fgroups%2Eyahoo%2Ecom%2Fgroup%2Fraganuga%2Fmessage%2F98
groups.yahoo.com/group/saibabanews/message/4862
www.guardioes.com/links.htm
guestbooks.pathfinder.gr/read/devotees?pass=&page=3
www.h4all.org/Resources.html
www.hansadutta.com/links.php
www.hanuancutei.com/forum/content-page/774/Reincarnari-Credeti-Sau-Nu/page/16/
harekrishnainfo.blogspot.com/2007/10/official-sites_16.html
www.harekrishnagoteborg.com/englishedition/index3english.html
www.harekrishnagoteborg.com/lankar_globalt.html
harekrishna.startbewijs.nl
harekrishnawomen.wordpress.com/hare-krishna-links/
harekrishnaworldnews.blogspot.com
harekrsna.cz/cvs/_links
harekrsna.cz/cvs/2007/odkazy
www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/04-07/editorials1448.htm (BVP)
www.harekrsna.org/pada/isklinks.htm
forum.hari-katha.org several
www.hari-katha.org/links/eng.htm
www.harmonic.estranky.cz/clanky/dharmakarmasamsaravesmirnaspravedlnostvedazivotpozivoteputovanidusereinkarnace.html (dharma verbatim)
hem.passagen.se/mrmagoo/nyfiken/harekrishna/bhakti.html
www.hfb.org.uk/Default.aspx?sID=791&lID=0
hindoe.startpagina.nl/
www.hinduforum.org/Default.aspx?sID=791&lID=0
hinduism.about.com/od/basics/a/goldenage.htm
www.hindujagruti.org/external-links/
www.hindulinks.org/Dharma_and_Philosophy/Vaishnavism/more3.html
www.hindunet.com.au/vaisnavism.html
www.hinduwebsite.com/general/sanskrit.asp
www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduismgenlinks2.htm
www.hinduwisdom.info/FirstIndologists.htm
www.hinduwisdom.info/links.htm
www.hknet.org.nz/DDB2.html
www.hknet.org.nz/death-dying.html (verbatim)
www.hknet.org.nz/index-books.htm
www.hknet.org.nz/janmastami-whoisKrishna.html
www.hknet.org.nz/kaliyuga.html (BVP)
www.hknet.org.nz/Newsletter122.html and further all
www.hknet.org.nz/Newsletter-Shastra198.html
www.hknet.org.nz
www.hknet.org.nz/VWHAmericas.html
www.hknet.org.nz/VWH-Vedic-Jurasic.html
hledani.gnosis9.net/autori.php?kto=aut&cislo=24
hledani.gnosis9.net/view.php?cisloclanku=2006090019
hledani.gnosis9.net/view.php?cisloclanku=2006090021
hledani.gnosis9.net/view.php?cisloclanku=2006110015
hledani.gnosis9.net/view.php?cisloclanku=2006110017
hledani.gnosis9.net/view.php?cisloclanku=2006120002
www.htmlgear.tripod.com/guest/control.guest?u=guypolturak&a=view&i=1001&r=
www.indiabook.com/page/20967.html
www.indiabook.com/Society_and_Culture/Religion/Hinduism/more3.html
www.indiadivine.org/audarya/hare-krishna-forum/363420-little-analysis.html (article verbatim and several others)
www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1234090&TPN=7
www.indostan.ru/forum/2_1281_0.html
www.infobankofindia.com/Chalisaf
interactive.zogby.com/fuse/messageview.cfm?catid=21&threadid=10414
interactive.zogby.com/fuse/messageview.cfm?catid=25&threadid=8373
interactive.zogby.com/fuse/messageview.cfm?catid=27&threadid=7451
www.interfaith.org/forum/proofs-for-existence-of-god-3131-2.html?vbseourl=proofs-for-existence-of-god-3131-2.html
www.iskconagartala.org/links.html (links verbatim)
www.iskconbbsr.org/other_links.asp
iskcondc.org/2010/02/07/
iskcondc.org/links/
iskcondc.org/shri-krishna-janamashtami/
www.iskcondesiretree.net/profiles/blogs/explanation-of-incarnations-of (article verbatim)
www.iskcondesiretree.net/profiles/blogs/kaliyuga-first-10000-years (BVP)
www.iskcondesiretree.net/profiles/blogs/process-of-dying (article verbatim)
iskconeducation.org/index.php?p=article&g=48
iskconvaranasi.blogspot.com/
in.groups.yahoo.com/group/vedicchants/auth?check=G&done=%2Fgroup%2Fvedicchants%2Fmessage%2F12
www.istagosthi.com/es/messages/354/133388.html?1054476254
www.isvara.org/forumes/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1534
www.ivarta.com/newsletters/nL_030815.htm
janaki.narod.ru/review_txt.html
www.jitrnizeme.cz/koment.php?akce=re&cisloclanku=2006082802&ck=17010
jivatma108.blogspot.com/2009/01/warning-we-all-have-to-die.html (article verbatim)
jivacow.blogspot.com/
www.jointlinepoint.com/links2/spiritandtransformation.html
juancastaneira.multiply.com/journal/item/1403/Contenido_I%20rel=
www.jyotisha.00it.com/Cosmology.htm
www.jyotisha.00it.com/Jyotisha.htm
jyotish.tribe.net/thread/c52cbd59-e75c-4d6c-b827-a3e18a59f393
kalptaru.wordpress.com/2009/07/06/kali-yuga-10000-years-of-golden-age/ (BVP)
kanaiyyadesh.wordpress.com/2006/11/
www.karma-net.com/links24.htm
www.karma-net.com/links252.htm
www.karma-net.com/links258.htm
www.karma-net.com/meditation_resources.htm
www.karma-net.com/yoga_sites.htm
keskustelu.suomi24.fi/node/1271063
keskustelu.suomi24.fi/node/1637807
knowlegdeofgod.blogspot.com (main page, right column)
krishna008.blog.hexun.com/35345407_d.html (Planetarium in Chinese)
www.krishnaclub.com/
www.krishna.com.cn/download/pdf/%E6%BC%AB%E6%B8%B8%E7%A5%9E%E7%A7%98%E7%9A%84%E9%9F%A6%E8%BE%BE%E5%AE%87%E5%AE%99.pdf (Planetarium in Chinese, pdf)
www.krishna.org.ua/old/iskcon/links.html
krisna.lap.hu
krisnuvsvet.wz.cz/links.htm
kunjbiharikrishna.blogspot.com/2009/07/kali-yuga-10000-years-of-golden-age.html (BVP)
leagueofdevotees.blogspot.com/ (many articles verbatim)
www.life-cycles-destiny.com/links/karma-dharma-fate-destiny.html
lofi.forum.physorg.com/symmetrically-structured-spacetime_5203.html
www.mail-archive.com/fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com/msg65490.html
mafuka-summumbonum.blogspot.com/2007/10/mnniskan.html
www.mandala-veda.hu/main/isvara.php?from=topics_uzenetkuldes&T_id=7&T_Message_re_id=5212
www.mandala-veda.hu/main/isvara.php?from=topics_uzenetkuldes&T_id=7&T_Message_re_id=5213
www.mantraonnet.com/links.html
manudr.tripod.com/Sites.html
www.manyzone.com/resources/asian-astrology.html
marbeldiocese.freeservers.com/philosophy.htm
www.mataji.org/glink.htm
www.mataji.org/shri.htm
www.mcremo.com/links.htm
meditationclub.tribe.net/thread/4725eeb1-fdbd-4890-9630-a8dc09be895d
mgdas.com/tag/brahma-vaivarta-purana/ (BVP)
mira-mare.net/scambiolinks.htm
mozhi.blogspot.com/2004_08_01_mozhi_archive.html
www.mvtindia.com/links.htm
www.mystika.cz/nabozentsvi/hinduismus/hindu-Dharma_karma_samsara.htm (verbatim)
web.archive.org/web/20081201145444/http://namahatta.org/en/node/5542 (VEDA review)
nama-hatta.pl/articles.php?article_id=174 (article translated, no url)
www.nama-hatta.pl/articles.php?article_id=261 (extensive quotes from BVP etc.)
nandagram.blogspot.com/
www.naturalnirvana.com/Vegetarian/Vegetarian-Links/HareKrishna.htm
www.network54.com/Forum/291522/thread/1130527540/last-1130527540/Muslim+Vegetarians
news.iskcon.com/node/2613/2010-03-17/christ_in_the_koran#comments
http://nitaaiyoga.blogspot.com/2008/02/material-and-spiritual-world.html
numerologia.czechian.net/
odpovede.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/knihy-povod-a-historia/#more-52 (article verbatim, beginning, several others)
www.omnirasa.com/krishna/guide/mainstart.html
www.orientalia.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=355
www.orientalia.org/modules.php?name=News&new_topic=10
padasevanam.mediarama.com/rkcforum/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=781
www.paramgatiswami.com/?q=node/4
paranormal-insight.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=2076
www.pariprashnena.com/
www.petemccormack.com/blog/?p=339
pub1.bravenet.com/guestbook/57959051
pub21.bravenet.com/freelink/show.php?usernum=1775821635
pub25.bravenet.com/freelink/show.php?usernum=2066782146&cpv=1
www.putnici.sk/newsread.php?newsid=4021
www.radhagopaljiutempel.com/links.htm
radha.tribe.net/thread/8c62191b-dfdd-4791-b611-351dceb69a86
www.radharaman.net/clanky/karma.php (dharma verbatim - part)
www.radharaman.net/odkazy.php
www.radhe.ch/data/links/fontmenue/links/
www.radhe.ch/index.php?id=213
radhesyama.blig.ig.com.br/
www.radiokrishna.com/cosmologia.htm
www.ramsss.com/bhakti/books/srimad-bhagavatam/
www.ramsss.com/bhakti/links/index.htm
religiouscrossroads.tribe.net/thread/a22ccfc0-fd71-4a21-bf11-d7764595bf99
www.religiousforums.com/forum/hinduism-dir/55326-sufferings-souls-wicked-endure-yama-loka.html
www.religiousresources.org/directory/cat.php?cat_id=81
www.religiousresources.org/directory/redirect.php?listing_id=6576
saiavatar.blogdrive.com/archive/199.html (blog down)
saiavatar.blogdrive.com/archive/cm-1_cy-2005_m-1_d-15_y-2005_o-30.html
saiavatar.blogdrive.com/archive/cm-2_cy-2005_m-11_d-27_y-2004_o-0.html
saiavatar.blogdrive.com/archive/cm-8_cy-2004_m-11_d-21_y-2004_o-0.html
saiavatar.blogdrive.com/archive/o-90.html (BVP)
saibabaexposed.blogspot.com/2005/09/definition-of-avatar.html
www.salagram.net/DDB2.html
www.salagram.net/death-dying.html
www.salagram.net/death-Yamaduttas.html
www.salagram.net/index-articles.htm
www.salagram.net/index-books.htm
www.salagram.net/index-InterFaith.htm
www.salagram.net/index-market.html
www.salagram.net/janmastami-whoisKrishna.html
www.salagram.net/kaliyuga.html
www.salagram.net/Newsletter120.html - Newsletter149.html
www.salagram.net/parishad140.html
www.salagram.net/VWHAmericas.html
www.salagram.net/VWH-Vedic-Jurasic.html (verbatim)
www.sanatandharm.net/forum/message.php?Action=newquotereply&MessageID=822
www.sanatandharm.net/forum/message.php?Action=newquotereply&MessageID=1808
www.sanatandharm.net/forum/message.php?Action=newquotereply&MessageID=3660
sanskritdocuments.org/links_1_index.html
sanskritdocuments.org/links3_scriptures.html
sanskritlinks.blogspot.com
www.sastradana.com/2009/12/how-to-deal-with-christians/comment-page-1/
sastradana.cz/odkazy.php
www.sciforums.com/4-types-of-yoga-t-41117.html
www.sciforums.com/printthread.php?t=41117
www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=41117
www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=58358&page=5
www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?p=1182601
shyamasundaradasa.com/jyotish/resources/jyotish_links.html
www.sikhphilosophy.net/gurmat-vichaar/22251-guru-nanak-never-questioned-the-creator-3.html
simplyvedic.org/Links/link-partners.html (articles verbatim)www.vedicculturalsociety.org/Links/link-partners.html (articles verbatim, same as previous)
sites.google.com/site/vedicknol/hand-picked-books
sivasakti.com/directory/bakti-yoga.html
sivasakti.com/directory/research.html
sivasakti.com/directory/resources.html
sivasakti.com/directory/sacred-texts.html
sivasakti.com/directory/spiritual-links.html
sivasakti.com/directory/vedanta.html
sivasakti.com/directory/yoga.html
www.spiritfind.net/category.pl?Cat=Meditation&%20Dir=SpiritFind
www.spiritfind.net/category.pl?Cat=Spiritual_Paths/Yoga&Dir=SpiritFind
spiritueelhoekje.startbewijs.nl
spirituality.forumup.de/post-890-spirituality.html (BVP quote in German)
www.spiritualityworld.com/pages/downloads.php
srikrishnadas.multiply.com/journal/item/1771/Param_Gati_Swami
www.srimadbhagavatam.org
www.srimadbhagavatam.org/index.ned.html
www.srimadbhagavatam.org/treasury/links.html
www.stephen-knapp.com/links_to_other_websites.htm
sumanspeaks.blogspot.com/
te-in.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=8616317039&topic=11329&post=57180 (verbatim text)
www.templepages.com/links.html
www.templepages.com/viewbook.html
thiruvonum.wordpress.com/2007/10/18/my-favorite-sites/
tiborhercigonja.blogspot.com/
tradition.lf.lv/theme3.htm
truthdisclosed.wordpress.com/ (Planetarium)
twitscope.wordpress.com/2008/07/25/vedic-mathematics-or-vedic-nonsense/
www.vanaprastaashram.org/home/news/deathanddying (article verbatim)
www.tyrabhakti.lt/forumas/topic/banginiai-ir-dinozaurai/page/2
www.tyrabhakti.lt/forumas/topic/mirtis-ir-pragaras/page/2
www.umsonline.org/links/hinduism.html
www.unlimited-resources.com/spirit.html
www.utahkrishnas.org/index.php?option=com_weblinks&view=category&id=90%3Akrishna-links&Itemid=336
vedabase.com/index.php?main=contact&content=links
www.vedicculturalsociety.org/link-partners.html (several articles verbatim)
vedicscience.eu (several links)
www.vedicweb.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=VWLE04
vicd108.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/astronomy-and-prabhupada/
victorian.fortunecity.com/memorial/129/
www.vnn.org/editorials/ET0401/ET05-8508.html
www.vrindavan-dham.com/interim-period.php
www.vrindavan-dham.com/links.php
whispy.com/hinduism-resources.html
whispy.com/life-coaching-resources_2.html
www.wva-vvrs.org/about/poi.htm
yoga.eurasia.bg/forum/index.php?topic=987.msg9892
www.youtube.com/Angada108

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Hindu Astrology

One of the unique characteristics of Hinduism is that it never throws anything away. There is simply no one to do it! Hinduism has no central authority and so there is no one body that “edits” the tradition. Consequently, astrology is still a vibrant part of the tradition. In the West, with the onset of modern science, astrology became separated from both the mainstream sciences (astronomy) and  the religious tradition. Descartes was an astrologer and so were Copernicus and Galileo. Today you can not find a department of Astrology in any university in the West. This has tended to be the case in other religions as well, but not so in Hinduism. In fact, I have met many Western educated and highly placed Hindus who still hold a deep faith in astrology and regularly visit astrologers for advice on important issues. Astrology is still an important requirement for a Hindu priest. Not a day goes by without members coming to a priest for information on muhurta, birth names, and other kinds of astrological advice. Nava Graha puja is one of the most popular pujas performed by a Hindu priest. Therefore, it is worth while to have a general understanding of Hindu astrology.

Western and Hindu Astrology

Chart

Hindu astrology, also called Vedic astrology, is not the same has Western astrology. In the West most people know their astrological sign and they may even check their horoscope in the newspapers, if only for “entertainment purposes.” But if you think you are an Aries, a Taurus or a Gemini in Western astrology, this is not the case with Hindu astrology. Western astrology is tropical and Hindu astrology is sidereal. Western astrology is based on the orientation of the Earth to the sun, whereas Hindu astrology is based on the actual position of the stars relative to the earth. Understanding this difference is technical and not a matter that needs to be explained here, suffice to say, that the starting point of Western astrology is not the same as the starting point of Hindu astrology. This does not mean that one form is better than the other, it just means they are different and so you cannot compare one with the other. If you are an Aries in Western astrology, in Hindu astrology you may not be the same.

The Workings of Astrology

Astrology works at two levels, one practical and the other symbolic. We already see how various celestial bodies exert unseen forces on terrestrial life and thereby influence the way we act. The best and most obvious example is the influence of the sun and moon on the tides. This is the effect of gravity. Science also shows that a planet, even as far a way as Jupiter, has a considerable gravitational influence, not only on the earth, but throughout the whole solar system. We can also see how the solar wind and storms affect the weather, satellite communications and electrical power grids on earth. Similarly, science shows the existence of unseen cosmic rays and minute particles that constantly bombard the earth from great distances, which even have an effect on genetic mutation. The effect of gravity, solar winds and storms, and particle bombardment indeed determines the way we act on our planet, so if these forces can affect terrestrial life, why not the other planets? Just because Western science has not measured the influence of Mars and Venus and Saturn on the lives of human beings does not mean that such influences are not there. Cosmic particle bombardment was only recently measured, and had someone suggested such bombardments 50 years ago it would have been dismissed as foolish by the same science that now informs us about it. Yet virtually all ancient cultures have noted the influence of the sun and the moon and the planets on the affairs of terrestrial life. They tell us that these bodies exert subtle influences on life that in turn affects the way we think and act. Modern science has just not understood and measured these influences yet. It is not unreasonable, therefore, to accept the working of astrology. This is a practical way to understand how astrology works.

Hinduism, however, speaks of the workings of astrology in an even more subtle way, through the power of symbols. There is a famous hymn from the Rig Veda called the Purusha Sukta, (RV 10.90) which describes the relationship between this universe and God. The sun corresponds to the eye of God, the moon to His mind, space to His navel, the wind to His breathing, the mountains to His bones, and so forth. In fact this universe is the living body of God and all beings are existing within this universal body. Even ourselves, the living beings, are emanations from this God, and along with this physical universe we are parts who have emanated from the whole. This idea of the parts and the whole is especially mentioned in the Upanishads as a deeply mystical relationship. The Ishopanishad refers to this relationship when it describes the Whole as complete (purnam) and from this Whole so many other whole units emanate and yet the Whole remains complete. This is something like if you have a pie and you take a slice away from the whole, the pie does not get smaller. It remains the same, and even though we may take many slices away, the whole pie still remains. But the matter is even more paradoxical, contained within the individual pie slices is the whole pie. The parts contain the whole! A way to think of how this is possible is through an understanding of DNA. Within in a single hair strand, a tiny part of the whole, can be found all the information to make the whole person. The part contains the whole. Another example is a holographic projection. Each photon of light, which is just a part of the whole projection, contains within itself an image of the original whole projection. This relationship between the whole and its parts is viewed as a deep and mysterious relationship, and one that has had profound effects on Hindu culture, not only philosophically and theologically, but also practically in terms of astrology and even Hindu architecture.

Once you start thinking that the whole is embedded within every part of this creation you can start seeing a relationship between the outer world and the inner world, between the microcosm and the macrocosm. This means that by measuring the outer world, one can grasp an understanding of the inner world. But even more importantly, by influencing the outer world one can influence the inner world. Thus we have the foundations of Hindu astrology. Astrology is a measurement of the outer world that allows an understanding of the inner world. The astrological chart is a snapshot, not only of the universe at a certain time and place, but also a snapshot of the inner life of an individual at a certain time and place. In other words, the planets we see in the heavens above have a corresponding set of “planets” within. There is a Mars above us and a Mars within us. Read the meaning of the Mars on the outside and you get an understanding of the Mars within. Align yourself to the Jupiter without and you align yourself to the Jupiter within.

Later Vedic works like the Puranas expand on these ideas to describe how this gross physical world is an expansion from subtle energy. From our thoughts and desires, manifests our physical existence and from our physical actions our future thoughts and desires are derived. This is, of course, is the idea of karma and how our destiny is shaped by past and future actions. Thus our desires and actions become tied to both universes, the one on the outside and the on the inside.

The Horoscope

The word "horoscope" actually has a Sanskritic basis. “Hora” is a “moment of time” similar to muhurtha, and “scope” comes from the Greek “skopos” meaning to target, and so a horoscope is literally a targeted moment of time. This is what I call a snapshot of time. By focusing on a particular moment in time through the “coordinates” of birth time, birth date and birth place, the horoscope isolates a particular part of the whole that corresponds to a particular individual, and by reading that moment in time, one is able to “read” the individual. This is the basis of astrology. There are two other commonly heard words used by Hindi speakers to refer to the horoscope. They are kundali and janma patri. A kundali is a circle and janma patri is the “birth page.” The horoscope is a circular diagram and so the word kundali is used. It is common to have a person’s horoscope prepared immediately upon birth, hence the birth page. As we noted a horoscope is nothing more than a snapshot of time, which also means that it is a snapshot of the sky. More specifically, it is a symbolic representation of the sky at a particular moment in time. Usually this is the time of one’s birth, but not necessarily so. A horoscope can be prepared for any occasion, the construction of a building, the time of a marriage, the signing of a contract, and so on.

The Zodiac

Under the section, The Making of the Hindu Calendar, we mentioned the solar ecliptic. The sun’s path across the sky from east to west and extending about 10 degrees above and below this ecliptic is known as the band of the zodiac. This 360 degree band is divided into twelve 30 degree segments known as the signs of the zodiac, rashis in Sanskrit. The first sign is Aries, which is then followed by Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, and so on. Both Western and Hindu astrology use these signs of the zodiac in the same order. In Hindu astrology, not only is this system of zodiac signs used, but there is also another way of dividing the zodiac and this is the nakshatras system, which divides the zodiac into twenty-seven 13 1/3 degree segments called nakshatras. This adds another level of interpretation to Hindu astrology that is not found in Western astrology. We will not be discussing this Nakshatra system of interpretation as it goes into more details than necessary here.

When an astrological chart is prepared, Hindu astrology first calculates the astronomical position of nine celestial influences (see Nava Graha) and then places them on a symbolic diagram called a horoscope. In addition to these nine influences, the sign that is rising above the eastern horizon for the time of the event is also calculated and shown on the horoscope. This is called the ascending sign of the zodiac or the lagna in Sanskrit. This ascending sign then becomes the starting point or first house of interpretation for the chart.

Southern Chart

Northern Chart

There are different ways of expressing this “snapshot” of the sky. The most common North Indian method uses a set of diamond shaped boxes to show the various signs of the zodiac and it is read in a counter clockwise direction. The typical South Indian method uses a system of rectangular boxes that is read in a clockwise direction. There is also a Bengali style that is read in a counterclockwise direction. See the illustrations. All these methods do the same thing, namely symbolically show the various celestial influences at a particular moment in time and place, and in their respective signs of the zodiac.

So far as preparing a chart is concerned, the endeavor is simply astronomy, a description or snapshot of the sky. The astrology comes in when we attempt to derive meaning from celestial bodies and their positions in the zodiac. What does it mean to have Mars in Aries or the moon in Leo. What does it mean when Saturn is with Mars in Aries? What does it mean when Jupiter is five zodiac signs after the moon? What does it mean when the sun and Saturn are 180 degrees apart? The answers to these questions constitutes astrology.

Astrology, which involves the analysis of a intricate system of planetary and other relationships and their subsequent interpretations, cannot be adequately described in this short discussion. It is possible, however, to provide a basic understanding of how an astrologer approaches his craft, which can be useful if a person ever goes to to an astrologer to have a horoscope prepared and read.

In Hindu astrology the nine celestial influences that are used for interpretation are: the sun, the moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and the north and south lunar nodes (Rahu and Ketu). There are other influences that are sometimes examined, but they are not important for our purposes. In addition to these 9 celestial influences, an astrologer will also examine the signs of the zodiac where these celestial influences are located, the houses in which they are residing, and certain key relationships between these components. In addition, an astrologer will also calculate the planetary periods (dashas) that are used to determine when events are likely to occur in a particular chart. Each of the celestial bodies, plus the signs of the zodiac and the houses carry symbolic meanings that are used to make an astrological interpretation. Here is a brief description of the symbolic meaning of the celestial bodies, the astrological the signs and the houses of interpretation, which will be useful in understanding how an astrologer makes a reading.

The Nine Celestial Influences

The sun is the soul, the heart, the father, authority, heat, power and ambition.
The moon is the mind, mother, water, coolness, emotions, memory and common sense.
Mars is courage, bravery, sports, competition, maleness, passion, action, war, cuts and burns.
Mercury is intelligence, learning, teaching, speech, expression, communication and writing.
Jupiter is fortune, expansion, wealth, children, religion, philosophy and wisdom.
Venus is marriage, love, romance, luxuries, prosperity, femininity, artistic expression, grace, and beauty.
Saturn is slowness, struggle, discipline, dryness, labor, asceticism, accidents, and chronic disease.
Rahu is material desire, dullness, ignorance, laziness, sleep and addictions and ancestral karma.
Ketu is asceticism, spirituality, psychic ability, ghosts, eccentricity and occultism.

The Signs of the Zodiac

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and is ruled by Mars and so has many of the qualities of this planet. Aries is action, impulse, independence, force, self-expression and competition.
Taurus is the next sign and is ruled by Venus. Taurus is the earth, feelings, stability, conservation, relationships and partnerships.
Gemini is ruled by Mercury. Gemini is energy, nervousness, restlessness, intellect, language, artistic ability, and communications.
Cancer is ruled by the moon, which is mind and the mother. Cancer is openness, friendship, sympathy, care, nurturing, emotions, family and the home.
Leo is ruled by the sun and therefore stands for heat, order, harmony, and central control. Leo is ambition, power will, pride, show and drama.
Virgo is ruled by Mercury. Virgo stands for intellect, command of language, nervousness and sensitivity. Virgo is also detail and precision.
Libra is ruled by Venus. Libra is leadership, power, command of ideas and idealism. Libra is reform, revolution, prophets, and even fanaticism.
Scorpio is ruled by Mars. Scorpio is secretive, sensual, sexual and eccentric. Scorpio is both physical and mental, and so stands for martial force as well as psychic force.
Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter and stands for grace, beneficence, completion and harmony. Sagittarius is expansion, morality, justice, philosophy and religion.
Capricorn is ruled by Saturn and therefore signifies hard work, perseverance, tenacity and accomplishment. Capricorn is also power, order and organization.
Aquarius is also ruled by Saturn and tends to exhibit the dark side of Saturn. Aquarius is deviation, occultism, eccentricity, but also includes sacrifice, humanitarianism, ingenuity and faith.
Pisces is ruled by Jupiter. Pisces stands for emotion, expansion, intuition, liberation and imagination. Pisces is also dependance and conservatism.

The Houses

There are 12 houses of interpretation. The first house is always determined by the place of the rising sign, the second house follows after that, and so on. Each of the houses have the following symbolic importance:

The first house is the house of life purpose and physical existence. It indicates the self, the ego, character, appearance, the head and general well being.
The second house is money, wealth, self expression, knowledge, speech, family and imagination.
The third house shows courage, bravery, efforts, adventures, brothers and sisters, enthusiasm and motivations.
The fourth house shows mother, the heart, land, buildings, comforts, vehicles, happiness and ancestral property.
The fifth house is children, intelligence, learning, destiny, government, investment, romance, and charity.
The sixth house shows health, illness, enemies, litigation, obstacles, subordinates and employees.
The seventh house is the spouse, married life, relationships, partners, and  foreign residence.
The eighth house is longevity, death, wills and inheritance, legacy, taxes, occult matters, secrets and sex.
The Ninth house is father, fortune, solutions, religion, philosophy, faith, worship, wisdom and long journeys.
The ten house shows career, fame, worldly power, professional activities, honors, and life purpose.
The eleventh house shows gains, wealth, opportunities, major goals and desires,
The twelfth house is expenditure, loss, insanity, imprisonment, final salvation, the state after death, secret sexual pleasures, and life in remote places.

Planetary periods

Chart

Hindu astrologers have observed that life has certain “moods” or “phases,” which are governed by the nine celestial influences. In Sanskrit these planetary periods are called periods (dashas). Every life has a sun period, a moon period, a Mars period, a Jupiter period, and so on. These periods last for different time lengths. A sun period always lasts for six years, a moon period for ten years, a Mars period for seven years, a Venus period for twenty years, etc., so that the total number of years for all the planetary periods is 120 years. Why the length of each planetary period varies and how these planetary periods are determined is a technical matter that goes beyond the scope of this discussion, suffice to say that each chart will have these different planetary periods. The value in knowing the planetary periods is to understand when, for example, the influence of the sun will be strongest in the person’s life and therefore to know when sun related influences are most likely to occur. The same for the moon and Mars, and all the other planets. This helps in prediction. You might compare the idea of planetary periods to music. For a certain time a song may be in the key of C, then the song changes to the key of D minor, and then to another key. During the “C period” the music will have a certain sound and mood, but when it changes to D minor the music exhibits a different sound and mood. In this way a life will go through its different planetary periods and during each period will have a certain tone and mood, so to speak. Planetary periods are also divided into smaller sub-periods and then even into sub-sub-periods. This gives the astrologer even more ability to make predictions. The matter of planetary periods is complex, but at least to know in a general way about these periods will help a person understand how an astrologer reads a chart.

Interpretation

How astrologers derive meaning from these symbols is logical and easy to understand. What would it mean, for example, if Mars, the planet of conflict and war, was in the fourth house of home along with the moon, the planet of mother and mind? This would suggest troubles with mother, troubles in the home and disturbances of the mind. Instead of Mars what would it mean if Jupiter was in the fourth house along with the moon? This would suggest prosperity in the home, happiness with mother, and peace in the mind. What would it mean if Saturn and Mars, the planets of struggle and conflict, were together in the 10th house of career? This would suggest conflict, delay, and struggles, yet the drive to success in one’s career. And what if Mars was in the seventh house of marriage? This would suggest war and conflict within the marriage and perhaps even divorce. And what if the moon or Jupiter, positive influences, were in the seventh house instead of Mars. This would be good for marriage and suggests happiness and children. These examples are simple and straight forward, but life is more complicated that this. What would it mean, therefore, if the moon and Jupiter were in the seventh house of marriage along with Saturn or Mars? In this case we have good influences mixed with evil influences. Would this mean some good and some bad effects? But how much good and how much evil? And when would the good occur and when would the evil occur? Would the marriage even survive? Would a second marriage also have these mixed effects? Now the matter becomes complicated and only the careful and experienced analysis of a trained astrologer can sort these influences out and make an informed opinion about the marriage. Astrologers have many mathematical systems to measure the strengths of these influences and to determine the times in life when these influences, both positive and negative, will be in force. Even though more detail on this topic goes beyond the scope of this discussion, the reader, at least, has an idea of how an astrologer approaches his craft. There is a lot of learning that goes into a sound astrological interpretation.

Gems and Pujas

Once a chart has been analyzed and a reading given, it is common to find both negative and positive influences within a chart. Even a “good” planet may bestow negative results and a “bad” planet can bestow positive results under the right conditions, and so a client may want a way to diminish these negative effects or even increase the positive influences. In Hinduism there are many ways that this can be done, but the two most common ways are through the wearing of gems or the performance of puja. The idea behind the wearing of gems is as follows. Every planetary influence has both a positive and negative side. The moon, for example, is generally a positive influence, but it also has a negative side, dark emotions and insanity. Mars is generally not a positive influence. It is war and conflict, but it is also courage and strength–good qualities. So even Mars has a positive side. In general, planets that are strongly positioned in a chart bestow their positive side and planets that are weakly positioned bestow their negative side. Each planet is also associated with a certain gem stone (and even a metal and a color, etc.) Jupiter is yellow sapphire, the Moon is white pearl, Mercury is green emerald, Mars is red coral, and so forth. By wearing the gem of a particular planet one increases the power of that planet and thereby brings out the positive qualities of that planet. If the moon is weak in a chart, one could increase the power of the moon by wearing a pearl. A yellow sapphire would increase the strength of Jupiter; an emerald would increase the effect of mercury; a diamond would do the same for venus, etc. The gem would also be put on at a time when the influence of the respective planet is highest. For example, a pearl, for the moon, would first be put on during a Monday, the moon’s day. A diamond would be put on for Venus on Friday. In this way, you can often get a good indication of a person’s astrological condition by noticing the kinds of rings they wear. People will often wear multiple rings for various astrological reasons.

The idea behind an astrological puja is as follows. If it is determined that Mars is a enemy in a particular chart, in other words, Mars exerts a negative influence, then a puja for Mars could be performed. During the puja, symbolically Mars is invited and treated as a guest and shown all respect and honor by being bathed, fed and given gifts, etc. In other words, one way to neutralize an enemy is to make him your friend. The idea behind a puja is to invite your enemy over for a “visit” and make him your friend by honoring him food and gifts and thereby decreasing his negative influence over you. The appropriate gem, a red coral in the case of Mars, may also be put on during the Mars puja. And of course, the puja would be performed on a Tuesday, Mar’s day.  These kinds of astrological pujas are called Nava Graha pujas and they are commonly performed within Hinduism. By far the most commonly performed astrological pujas are for Saturn, Mars and Rahu, the three most “cruel” of celestial influences.

The Uses of Astrology

Hindu astrology is a vast subject and in these short pages I have tried to explain in simple terms the basic workings of astrology, how an astrologer makes an interpretation and some of the techniques that astrologers use to affect positive change. In the hands of an experienced astrologer, astrology can be a powerful tool for good. It can give insights into one’s character, into one’s strengths and weaknesses, and into the subtle forces around us, but like any tool it must be used with discretion and caution, and it has limitations. An immature astrologer can cause havoc in the minds of parents by telling them of a child’s future diseases, divorce and even premature death. On the other hand, an astrologer can see hidden talents and encourage parents to cultivate these strengths within their child. An astrological chart can be used to understand the basic psychology of a couple and thereby help a troubled relationship. It can give a partner insight and strategies in dealing with a difficult relationship. But astrology can also lead to dependency, and to a situation where a person avoids taking responsibility for one’s life. So like most things in life it has positive and negative aspects. It is to the credit of Hinduism that it has managed to keep within its fold an ancient discipline such as astrology. As the world continues to develop and move ahead it is good that there are traditions like Hinduism that preserve and even keep thriving one of the oldest of all human pursuits.

Astronomy

Pancanga–The Hindu Almanac
(DRAFT)

"Time creates the sky and the earth. Time creates that past and the future. By Time the sun burns, through Time all beings exist, in Time the eyes see. Time is the lord of all."

This verse from the Atharva-veda (19.54) expresses the importance of time in Hindu culture. In India time is conceived as an unending flow that moves in great cycles. The Matsya Purana speaks of the waters of time. (See: Heinrisch Zimmer, Myths ans Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization Bollingen Series, Princeton University Press, p. 27) Sometimes those waters move in a peaceful way, sometime they move in great and chaotic torrents. So it is with time. The movements of the sun and the moon, and the other celestial bodies are the indication of this flow of time. The Bhagavata Purana describes how the passage of the sun across the atoms on this earth creates the reckoning of time. The record of time is the pancanga wherein the movements of these celestial bodies are precisely recorded. No religious festival, family event, or even a civic affair is performed without first consulting the pancanga to know the favorable movement of this flow of time.

The Sanskrit word "pancanga" is made of two parts: panca and anga. Panca means five and anga means a limb or part. Thus the pancanga is a document made of five parts. These five parts are the tithi (lunar day), the vara (day of the week), the naksatra (lunar mansion), the yoga (luni-solar day) and the karana (half lunar day).

In order to understand these terms it is important to know how astronomers measure the sky. Just as a road map uses miles or kilometers to show distance between cities, so a celestial sky map uses degrees to show apparent distance between celestial objects. Keeping in mind that there are 360 degrees in a circle, it is easy to measure approximate degrees in the sky. Just raise your hand to the sky, and at arm's length, use your hand to measure the degrees in the sky. See the accompaning illustration that shows how the hand can be used to measure degrees in the sky.

At arm's length, for example, the width of the end of the little finger is almost one degree across. Check to see that the moon is about half a little finger in width and therefore can be estimated to be about a half a degree wide. This system is reasonably accurate for men, women and children, since people with smaller hands tend to have shorter arms. Astronomers have used this hand technique for thousands of years to make approximate measurements of the sky. To see how this system can be used to measure a common constellation see the illustration of the sapta-rsi (big dipper) and the star dhruva (polaris) to measure the degrees of separation.

SaptaRishi

As we begin to discuss the five elements of the Hindu almanac it is important to recognize the importance of the moon in Hindu culture. The basic calendar is primarily a lunar calendar. The lunar day, called a tithi, is all important in selecting a favorable time to begin a certain task. A person's name is often derived from the lunar position in the heavens called a naksatra. The reason for this is simple. In Hindu astrology the moon rules the mind.

Tithi (Lunar Phase)

The first element of the Hindu pancanga is the tithi or lunar phase. This is perhaps the single most important element of the pancanga. It is the building block for the lunar month. Simply stated a tithi is a measurement of 12 degrees of longitudinal separation between the sun and the moon. Another way to put it is to say that a tithi is the daily phase of the moon. For example, at new moon (amavasya) the sun and the moon are separated by zero degrees. We can say they overlap. As they begin to separate the first tithi begins when the sun and the moon have separated by 12 degrees. The moon is now a tiny almost imperceptable sliver. The second tithi begins when they are separated by 24 degrees. The sliver is slightly larger. The third tithi begins when they have separated by 36 degrees. The digit of the moon is new clearly visible. And so it goes until the sun and moon have separated by 180 degrees. This tithi is called full moon, purnima. These first 15 tithis or phases of the moon make up the waxing phases of the moon which in Sanskrit this is called the sukla-paksa. This is the bright side of the lunar month. After purnima, full moon, the tithi begins again counting from one as the longitudanal separation between the sun and the moon decreases back to zero. This is called the waning phase of the moon or in Sanskrit, the krsna-paksa or dark side of the lunar month. At certain times of the month when the sun and moon can both be seen in the sky at the same time you can estimate the tithi by using the hand method to measure the longitudinal separation between the sun and the moon.

The tithis are sequentially numbered from both the points of the new moon as well as the full moon. See the accompaning illustration. In this way, the sukla-paksa, begining with the new moon (amavasya), is followed by the first tithi, then the second tithi, the third tithi and so on up to the 14th tithi. There is no 15th tithi. Instead, this tithi is called full moon (purnima). After the full moon, the waning phase (krsna-paksa) again begins with the first tithi, the second tithi, the third tithi and so on up to the fourteenth tithi followed by the full moon. Afterwards the cycle repeats itself. In this way thirty tithis make up a lunar month, which is known as a masa. Some parts of India begin the month from the full moon whereas other parts begin the month from the new moon. Today, the lunar calendar is still in use throughout the world for Hindu religious purposes.

One of the greatest points of confusion between Hindu festival dates and the modern solar calendar is that the solar day begins at midnight whereas the lunar tithi can begin at anytime of the solar day. For practical purposes, however, the tithi that is current at sunrise is taken as the prevailing tithi for the day. This means that if a tithi begins just after sunrise and ends before the sunrise of the next day, it is eliminated.This is possible because the tithi can last between 19 to 26 hours due to the changing speed of the earth and moon in their obits. On average a tithi lasts for only 0.95 of a solar day. When this occurs a break in the numerical ordering of the days takes place. These factors cause a lot of confusion between the lunar Hindu calendar and the modern solar calendar.

From an astrological perspective the various tithis are considered either auspicious or inauspicious for different events. In general the sukla-paksa (bright side) is considered condusive to growth, increase and properity and would be selected for such occasions as weddings, moving into new homes or starting businesses, etc. The moon's krsna-paksa (dark side) is considered less favorable. In addition the 8th and 14th tithis, amavasya, as well as the 1st tithi of the sukla-paksa are generally considered inuaspicious. There are of course exceptions to this rule, the most notable of which are the various post funerary rites (sraddhas) that prefer the lunar dark phases. See the article "Hindu Funeral Rites and Ancestor Worship."

Vara (The Day of the Week)

The second element of the Hindu pancanga is the day, vara. In Sanskrit the days of the week are clearly named after seven major astrological influences:

Sunday, the sun, ravi-vara

Monday, the moon, soma-vara

Tuesday, Mars, mangala-vara

Wednesday, Mercury, budha-vara

Thursday, Jupiter, guru-vara

Friday, Venus sukra-vara

Saturday, Saturn, sani-vara

You can still see this astrological influence in the English names, Sunday, Monday and Saturday for the sun, the moon and Saturn respectively. If you examine the French and Spanish words for the days of the week you will see an even greater connection. Astrologically these days are named after these celestial bodies because the influence of that celestial body is said to be prominent on that day. For example, Tuesday, being ruled by Mars, the planet of war, would be a good date to enter into a battle, but not a good day to get married or move into a new home!

Naksatra (Lunar Mansion)

The third element of the pancanga is naksatra. The best way to understand naksatra is to observe the moon some evening. Notice the moon's position in relation to the background of stars. The next evening, at the same time and in the same location, again observe the moon's position in relation to the background of stars. You will see that it has moved consideralably. Use the raised hand technique to estimate how many degrees the moon has moved. The moon has moved somewhere between 10 and 15 degrees. In fact the moon has moved 13 degrees and 20 minutes. The region of the sky that has been displaced by the moon's eastward movement in one day is called a naksatra. In English this known as a lunar mansion. There are 27 such lunar mansions in the 360 degrees the moon travels in one lunar month ( 13.3 x 27 = ~360). In the Hindu Almanac each of these lunar mansions is named after a star or group of stars in each region of the sky.

The naksatra is very important in Hindu culture. At the time of birth a person's horoscope is made and one of the most important items to be known is the naksatra. Many elements of a person's character is thought to be determined by the naksatra. (Remember that the moon stands for the mind in Hindu astrology.) In many regions of India a person's name is based on the naksatra. Perhaps the first syllable of the name is derived from the naksatra. At the time of a puja or religious ceremony a priest will ask for the naksatra of the person performing the religious service so that it can be recited in the opening statement of the puja called a sankalpa. At the time of marriage considerations the naksatras of the both the bride and groom may be compared to check for pschological compatability.

The following is a list of the 27 naksatras along with their western astronomical designations. Note that in some cases it is difficult to determine exactly which western star name corresponds to the naksatras.

1. Asvinialpha arietis (Hamal)

2. Bharani41 arietis

3. KrttikaPleiades

4. Rohini–alpha tauri (Aldebaran)

5. Mrgasirsa–lambda orionis (Bellatrix)

6. Ardraalpha orionis (Betelgeuse)

7. Punarvasubeta geminorum (Castor)

8. Pusyadelta canceri (area of M44 Beehive cluster)

9. Aslesaalpha canceri (sometimes taken as the Hydra or Alphard)

10. Maghaalpha leonis (Regulus)

11. Purvaphalgunidelta leonis (lion's hind)

12. Uttara-phalgunibeta leonis (Denebola)

13. Hastagamma or delta corvi (Corvus)

14. Citraalpha virginis (Spica)

15. Svatialpha bootis (Arcturus)

16. Visakhaalpha libra

17. Anuradhadelta scorpionis

18. Jyesthaalpha scorpionis (Antares)

19. Mulalambda scorpionis (near the globular cluster Shaula)

20. Purvasadhadelta sagittarii

21. Uttarasadha–sigma sagittarii (teapot)

22. Sravanaalpha aquilae (Altair)

23. Dhanisthaalpha delphini (Delphinis)

24. Satabhisalambda aqurii (Fomalhaut)

25. Purva-bhadrapada–alpha pegasi (Markab)

26. Uttara-bhadrapadagamma pegasi

27. Revatidelta piscium

(To this group of 27 naksatras, one more naksatra known as abhit is sometimes added. Abhit includes the region of Vega in the constelation of Lyra. This is not on the path of the sun (solar eclipic) as are the other naksatras and so can be ignored.)

This system of 27 naksatra was the original Hindu way of dividing the 360 degrees of the solar ecliptic. The system of the twelve signs of the zodiac, in Sanskrit called rasi, was a later addition to Hindu astronomy.

Yoga (The Luni-solar Day)

The yoga (luni-solar day) is the period during which the combined longitudinal motion of the sun and moon amounts to 13 degrees and 20 minutes. Like the naksatras there are 27 yogas.

Karana (Half Tithi)

The final aspect of the pancanga is karana which is calculated to be 6 degrees of longitudinal separation between the sun and moon. In other words the karana is half a tihi. There are two karanas in each tithi. In total there are eleven karanas that rotate through the 30 tithis that make up the lunar month.

Both a karana and a yoga are similar to a tithi in the sense that they are all a measure of the relationship between the sun and moon. Recall that a tithi was 12 degrees of longitudinal separation between the sun and moon, the yoga is the combined longitudinal motion of the sun and the moon. Here the karana is half the tithi. In Hindu astrology the sun and the moon are both perceived to have a great effect on life, and their motions are precisely calculated.

In addition to these five part of the traditional Hindu calendar the follow other elements may be added.

Masa (Month)

The Hindu year contains twelve lunar months named after the naksatra in which the moon is full:

Caitra (March - April) (citra-naksatra)

Vaisakha (April - May) (visakha-naksatra)

Jyaistha (May - June) (jyestha-naksatra)

Asadha (June - July) (purvasadha-naksatra)

Sravana (July - August) (sravana-naksatra)

Bhadrapada (August - September) (purva-bhadrapada-naksatra)

Asvina (September - October) (asvini-naksatra)

Karttika (October - November) (krttika-naksatra)

Margasirsa or Agrahayana (November - December) (mrgasirsa-naksatra)

Pausa (December - January) (pusya-naksatra)

Magha (January - February) (magha-naksatra) and

Phalguna (February - March) (phalguna-naksatra).

Different parts of India start the year during different months. In general the year begins either in the vernal month of Caitra or in the autumnal month of Karttika.

Rtu (Season)

Traditionally India has six seasons (rtu), each comprised of two months. The six seasons are:

Vasanta (spring, March to May)

Grisma (summer, May to July)

Varsa (rainy, July to September)

Sarad (autumn, September to November)

Hemanta (winter, November to January) and

Sisira (cool, January to March)

Another aspect of the lunar calendar is that its twelve months based on the lunar days (tithis) contain about 354 days. So just as every 4th year on the solar calendar must add an extra day to make up for the discrepancy in the earth's orbit around the sun, so every 30 months the lunar calendar must add an extra month. This leap-month (adika-masa) is generally inserted after the months of Asadha or Sravana and is called either a second Asadha or Sravana. Thus every second or third year contains 13 months. This of course contributes considerably to differences between the lunar and solar calendars. The consequences of these differences makes it hard to reconcile the dates from one calendar to the other without intricate calculations.

Hindu Months and Time Eras

The Hindu Months

In Hindu astrology, as in Western astrology, the zodiac is divided into twelve signs (rasis). Each of the twelve signs is in thirty degree segment of the full zodiac. In addition to the twelve signs, the Hindu zodiac is further divided into twenty-seven naksatras or lunar mansions. Each naksatra is a thirteen degree and twenty minute segment of the zodiac. Specifically, a naksatra is the number of degrees the moon travels across the sky in a twenty-four hour period. The degrees of the twenty-seven naksatras when totaled together equal the three hundred and sixty degrees of the entire zodiac. The names of the Indian months originated from the names of the naksatras where purnima (the full moon) always takes place. Of the twenty-seven naksatras only twelve of them have full moons.
The names of the Hindu months with their corresponding Western periods are as follows:

Naksatra

Hindu Month

Western Month

Visakha
Vaisakha
April-May

Jyestha
Jyaistha
May-June

Purva-asadha
Asadha
June-July

Sravana
Sravana
July-August

Purva-bhadrapada
Bhadra
August-September

Asvini
Asvina
September-October

Krttika
Kartika
October-November

Ardha
Agrahayana
November-December

Pusya
Pausa
December-January

Magha
Magha
January-February

Uttara-phalguni
Phalguna

February-March

Citra
Caitra
March-April

Hindu Time Eras

India has many time eras. In general there are two kinds of eras: those named after prominent religious leaders and those named after kings. In addition, there are two annual time periods that mark the beginning of an era: the month of Caitra (March-April) and the month of Karttika (October-November). In the north the custom is to begin each year with Caitra (March-April) and each month with the full moon. But in the south and in Gujarat the years begin with Karttika (October-November) and the months with the new moon. The two most important eras are the Sakabda and the Samvat.
The Sakabda or Salivahana era (AD 78), now used throughout India, is the most important of all. It has been used not only in many Indian inscriptions but also in ancient Sanskrit inscriptions in Indochina and Indonesia. The reformed calendar promulgated by the Indian government from 1957 is reckoned by this era. It is variously alleged to have been founded by the Hindu king Salivahana. To reduce Saka dates to dates AD, 78 must be added for a date within the period ending with the day equivalent to December 31 and 79 for a later date.
The Samvat or Vikrama era (58 BC) is said in the Jain book Kalakacaryakatha to have been founded after a victory of King Vikramaditya over the Sakas. But some scholars credit the Scytho-Parthian ruler Azes with the foundation of this era. It is sometimes called the Malava era because Vikramaditya ruled over the Malava country, but it was not confined to this region, being widespread throughout India. The years reckoned in this era are generally indicated with the word vikramasamvat, or simple samvat. To reduce Vikrama dates to dates AD, 57 must be subtracted from the former for dates before January 1 and 56 for dates after.
The Bengali era is also known as the Laksmana era (AD 1119) said to have been founded by the king Laksmanasena of Bengal and still used throughout Bengal and preserved until modern times. To convert Bengali era to AD, 593 years must be added. The Caitanya era starts from the appearance of Caitanya Mahaprabhu in 1486. To convert the Caitanya era to dates AD add 1486 years to the Caitanya date. The Caitanya dating system is only in use by Caitanya Vaisnavas.

HIndu dates are usually given in the order: month, paksa and tithi, thus Caitra, sukla 7 means the seventh day from the new moon of the month of Caitra.

Rahu and Ketu–The Invisible Planets

Why do Hindus believe that the mythological demons Rahu and Ketu cause solar eclipses?

In Hindu mythology there is a wonderful story that describes how the gods and the demons once formed an alliance to produce a nectar that could give them immortality. This is the story of the churning of the milk-ocean and the descent of Lord Visnu as the Kurma avatara, the divine tortoise. When the nectar that was churned from this ocean was being served to the gods, a demon, disguised as a god, sat between the Sun and the Moon in an attempt to procure the nectar. When he was detected by the Sun and the Moon, Lord Visnu immediately severed his head from his body. Unfortunately, it was not fast enough, for the demon had already tasted a small quantity of the nectar and had become immortal. Ever since, this demon is said to wreak vengeance on the Sun and Moon whenever they come near. The head of this great demon is known as Rahu and his tail is known as Ketu.

In Hindu astrology Rahu and Ketu are known as two invisible planets. They are enemies of the Sun and the Moon, who at certain times of the year (during conjunction or opposition) swallow the Sun or the Moon causing either a solar or a lunar eclipse. In Sanskrit this is known as grahanam or seizing.
What perhaps sounds like a childish story is a powerful metaphor for what actually happens when an eclipse takes place. Rahu and Ketu are the astronomical points in the sky respectively called the north and south lunar nodes.
To the observer on earth, the paths of the sun and the moon appear to be two great circles projected on the celestial sphere (see the diagram). The sun’s path, the solar ecliptic, makes a complete revolution in one year. At the same time, the moon’s circular path is completed in about one month. Every month the moon will overtake the sun which moves more slowly. This is called new moon or in Sanskrit, amavasya. Usually the moon’s path passes above or below the sun’s path and no eclipse occurs. But, periodically the moon overtakes the sun at the place where their paths intersect. This causes the sun or the moon to be hidden from the earth’s view and is thus called a solar or lunar eclipse. These places of intersection are the north and south lunar nodes, or as they are referred to in Hindu mythology, Rahu and Ketu. Therefore, in the symbolic language of mythology, Rahu and Ketu are said to “swallow up” the Sun and the Moon. The ancient Hindu observers of the sky were aware of the cause of the solar and lunar eclipses and so described the process in the language of metaphor.