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.