Jyotish’s affiliation to science cannot be
underestimated since the very base of it
lies in the
rigorous knowledge of spherical
astronomy (gola) and astronomical
calculations (ganita). There are different systems of
horoscope calculations. For example, one
of the major divisions in zodiacal measurement is the difference between the
tropical zodiac (utilized by Western
astrologers) and the sidereal zodiac (utilized by Eastern astrologers). Despite the differences in
systems, however, the calculations of astronomical
data are strictly objective. That objectivity allowed computerization of the complex astronomical and mathematical
calculations that had to be done manually in antiquity. Today, anyone who has an access to
a computer can obtain a basic astrological program, downloading it for free from the
internet, or buying a more complex version from a specialized vendor. However, access to
the calculations, no matter how accurate, does not provide one with the correct
understanding of an astrological chart. The technical calculations are only a preliminary
step that leads to the more complex aspect of jyotish astrology – interpretation. Just as there are different systems of
calculation, there are different styles of interpretation. The chief styles of jyotish
are: Nadi jyotish, Parashari jyotish, Jaimini jyotish, Tantric jyotish, and Tajika jyotish; each style retains its
distinctive character and capabilities,
though they have repeatedly influenced each other over the centuries. variety
of approaches leads to differences and sometimes even to contradictions between
chart interpretations. However, the
intricacy and inconsistency of interpretations cannot be solely ascribed to the differences in
astrological styles. It is not rare to encounter contradictory predictions made by astrologers
from the same astrological school. The reason
may be that as in any other branch of knowledge there are knowledgeable people and there are others who simply imitate
expertise in order to gain a profit. The true reason, however, according to tradition, lies
much deeper.
The source
of interpretations’ inconsistency is rooted in myth. As we should see
further,
myth plays a central role in Hindu culture, and many important phenomena such as cosmological data, archetypal material,
cultural and social taboos, medical information,
and spiritual and mystical matters were elucidated by it. According to one of the astrological myths, in ancient times
the divine couple Śiva and Pārvatī, inflamed great curiosity among people. Since their
relationship was charged with volcanic passion, knowing its details was very entertaining. At
that time, the all seeing eye of jyotish was so powerful that with its help, astrologers
were able to perceive all the intimate details of the divine couple’s daily life. For amusement,
people would come to the astrologers to hear
those details. When Śiva discovered that astrologers had brazenly intruded into
his personal life, he became furious and
cursed all the astrologers. Since then, Śiva’s wrath has not permitted astrologers to interpret
horoscopes identically and agree with each other on astrological interpretations. Their ability
to obtain omniscience with the help of jyotish was lost forever. With
or without considering Śiva’s curse it is easy to see how
astrological combinations may lead to
contradictory interpretations and how different astrologers looking at the same chart may give polar
opposite interpretations. For example, it is not unusual to find six planetary indications for
prosperity and another six for poverty in the same chart. In this situation, the
astrologer’s ability to look beyond the mere calculations is called forth; intuition or divine insight
is vital for the correct interpretation. Genuine astrologers have to use rational methods and
intuitive powers to complement one another, and only those who become adept at both these
approaches to divination can ever become fit receptacles for the Jyotir Vidya (the
“Lore of Light”). develops divine intuition is devotion. Therefore, it would be
wrong to limit jyotish to a strictly
scientific domain, ignoring an essential part of mastery in interpretation
that, as we shall see, is very tightly
connected to devotion. Without denying the scientific aspect of
jyotish astrology, I will illuminate another
very important aspect of it – devotion.
Like many other divinatory Hindu practices,
jyotish astrology is immersed in religion, and by overlooking that fact, we
fail to perceive the full picture of
jyotish. By exploring the close links between jyotish astrology and Hindu religious practice, I
argue that attending to those connections is a more holistic way to perceive jyotish
astrology. This approach does not limit the jyotish system solely to an intellectual domain; it
allows space for religious and mystical experiences.
Examining philosophical and methodological aspects of this ancient divinatory practice, I will show that it is
impossible to fully understand the jyotish astrological system without considering its
connection to devotion.
Purpose and Scope
The
intention of this study is to focus exclusively on the connection between jyotish astrology and devotion in its theory
and practice. I analyze that connection on two levels: textual and ritual. The textual level
is addressed through presentations of texts dedicated to planetary deities, whereas the
ritual level is presented through descriptions of devotional performances conducted by
astrologers and their clientele. Textual references to the planetary deities are
scattered throughout the immense corpus of Indian literature, beginning with the first
references in the Rg Veda , where Savitar, the most important of the early aspects of the Sun God
is invoked by the Gayatrī hymn (Rg Veda 7 3:62:10),
16 and
continuing through Brāhmanas , Upanisads , Purānas , and great epics
of
Rāmāyana and Mahābhārata.
Instead of focusing on one particular branch of the Vedic writings, I am going to present the most
popular mythological stories. I address the ritual level through the description of everyday
devotional practices, as well as the deeper analyses of the Navagraha Homa ritual, that is
performed publicly and on special occasions. I
broaden the scope of my work to include a wider range of Hindu beliefs such as karma, reincarnation, ritual, and bhakti only
because they are closely related to the present
study. Understanding of this thesis does not presuppose an understanding of jyotish astrology in its technical aspect.
Thus, I find it unnecessary to include a discussion of the
technical framework of Hindu astrology. Before moving to the discussion of
methodology, it is necessary to clarify the definitions of constantly repeated terms, such
as, “devotion” and “divination.” As many other terms, “devotion” can have more than one
meaning. In the Hindu context, the best way
to discuss devotion is through the concept of bhakti. The term bhakti is derived from the Sanskrit root bhaj, which means “to
participate,” “to share,” “to worship,” “to be devoted to,” and “to love”. When the term
is used with persons it expresses a personal
relationship characterized by love. When the term is used within a religious context it conveys a sense of choosing,
worshiping, and adoring a deity. One of the most recent and comprehensible
introductory text on jyotish astrology is Light of Life. the history of the term, we find that during
the Vedic period bhakti refers to participation in a rite, especially with sharing the
sacrificial remains among participants. In the Rg Veda the original conception of
bhakti suggests a materialistic exchange between the worshipers and gods, in the sense that deities
were worshiped for personal gain, or to obtain
worldly rewords. Bhakti in jyotish is also tightly connected to ritual, but it
also incorporates the later meaning
introduced in Śvetāśvatāra Upanisad (6.23) where for
the first time the term implies the love of god. In
jyotish this love is a communion of mind and heart that is expressed in ritualistic
actions, and that help to align oneself with the intelligence and grace of planetary deities
who provide clarity in discrimination and bestow knowledge. Within
the context of jyotish, bhakti as a religious practice (sādhana) is expressed on two levels: (1) devotional practices of
astrologers expressed through daily rituals, worship of Ist a Devat ā (a personal
deity), and performances of sacrifice (homa); (2) remedial measures (upāyas) performed by both
astrologers and clientele to propitiate the planetary deities in order to receive their
grace in return. Both levels anticipate bhakti as a means to a goal – liberation from being
negatively affected by the planets in astrological work and personal life. The second central term – divination – is also
complex, and since its nature reaches
beyond the limits of objective empirical stratum, requires special attention. Divination literally means “pertaining to the
gods;” the sanskritic etymology of this word goes back to the term daiva which means
“coming from the gods,” or “divine Olson, The Many Colors of Hinduism: Gansten succinctly presents the chronology of
this term’s usage in relation to
jyotish: Daiva ‘divine,’ a Sanskrit
cognate of divinatio, appears in the
Chāndogya Upanisad [one of the oldest Upanisads that was composed between 600 to 300 BCE]
as a branch of learning – ‘soothsaying’
or ‘the science of portents’ – together
with such disciplines as mathematics, theology, astronomy, etc. Several of these bear a close
relationship to Vedic religious praxis –
not least the astronomy, which also contained
a fair measure of astral divination, though of a less elaborate variety than the horoscopic
astrology later imported from the
Hellenistic world. In the later language especially, daiva generally means ‘fate,
destiny,’ and the epithet daivajña
‘knower of fate’ is used of diviners, particularly
astrologers.
Although divination literally means
“pertaining to the gods” or to the divine, in jyotish the term “divination” is not necessary limited
to those forms of prophesy in which a personal
deity is believed to communicate through human agents. Through the research of jyotish texts and interviews of practicing
astrologers, I was able to detect three levels of divination in jyotish. The first level is
based on purely mechanical applications of the astrological rules for casting and
interpreting of the horoscopes. On this level, there is no direct connection to the supernatural powers,
and the astrologer utilizes strictly intellectual
capacities. The second level requires special alignment of the astrologer’s mind, since the interpretations are acquired
through tapping into the impersonal field of knowledge that helps to decode the impersonal
patterns of reality. Finally, the third level presumes the communication with planetary gods
who bestow knowledge and wisdom.
While the first two levels of divination are
valid and widely used by astrologers, I would
argue that in the traditional jyotish context at least, divination is viewed in
close relation to communication with the
planetary gods. The building of that
communication or connection to the
higher realm of gods, in jyotish is established through the devotion that is expressed in rituals. The present
study, then, examines the divinatory system of jyotish in its connection to devotion,
particularly as evinced in certain Sanskrit texts as well as the performance of rituals.
Krishnarpanamastu.
