Jyotish. Andrew Mason

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СКАЧАТЬ middle of Aslesha (the ninth lunar constellation) and its northward course on its reaching the beginning of Dhanistha the twenty-third constellation (the Delphin of European Astronomers). This must have been the case as we find it recorded in ancient books.

      Brihat Saṃhitā by Varāhamihira

      In this chapter I have tried to distil the salient points of Ayanāṃśa into a greatly simplified form that hopefully enlightens the reader to the ‘rhino in the room’, draped with a lace tablecloth.

      As the following is a bit technical, the reader is urged to ponder the diagrams and accompanying text – but above all remain calm. If the points discussed do not resonate immediately, simply return to this chapter at regular intervals and reacquaint yourself with its various concepts. Some of the topics discussed may at times appear contradictory, complex and even detrimental to the precepts of astrology; however, during compilation I felt I should provide a balanced appraisal wherever possible.

      All of the following sections are therefore best considered pieces of an elaborate puzzle that float individually or, when taken in totality, lock neatly together, helping one to become cognisant of the subject’s importance.

1.2 LET THE GAMES BEGIN

      Many Vedic and some western sidereal astrologers are first confronted with the word Ayanāṃśa upon installation of their newly acquired software, momentarily hesitating as to which option they should click next. In some cases this rather troublesome decision is made for you by the software as it neatly and unobtrusively instals its default values. The default and most endorsed Ayanāmśa for most Vedic Astrology software is that proposed by the Indian Calendar Reform Committee or CRC, called Chitrāpaksha/Lahiri Ayanāṃśa with an epoch value of 23° 15′ and an annual precessionary rate of 50.28 (as of 1 January 1950). Although some software allows for a little tinkering, by and large the Ayanāṃśa edit facility is far less likely to suffer from excess wear and tear.

      So what is all this Ayanāṃśa business, and why have I dedicated a whole chapter to this subject? Well, Ayanāṃśa is a fundamental cornerstone, if not one of the most historically interesting aspects of Vedic Astrology, and as such I felt a little space should be afforded it.

One tentative translation of Ayanāṃśa1 might be ‘a measurement’ (amsha) of the solstices (ayana) or the value that marks the difference between the solar (tropical) zodiac and the sidereal2 (starry) zodiac.

      At first glance it seems best to just ‘go with the flow’ using default settings, but once you’ve disengaged your autopilot and asked yourself why the default is the default, Pandora’s Box pops open and the fun begins.

      Many, in truth, turn back long before reaching this point, and in fairness this is understandable as the initial allure of astrology, that is, its planets, signs and houses, is far more attractive than the gearwheels and cogs that hide unseen within the mechanism.

      Additionally, you may also find that Ayanāṃśa values are one of the most incendiary topics amongst Jyotishi – but, if nothing else, are a useful barometer with which to gauge the liberality of your astrological company.

      Some astrologers, like my colleague at the start of this chapter, feel quite comfortable about raising their misgivings over popular Ayanāṃśa values – while others refrain from any experimentation, feeling content with endorsed values. There are those who feel that the whole issue has been satisfactorily resolved and that any further experimentation is ill-advised or, worse, folly. As one astrological colleague related to me after installing newly acquired software: ‘I found Ayanāṃśa editing pretty restrictive – in fact, borderline impossible.’ Somewhat perturbed, he contacted the programmer to vent his frustrations only to be told: ‘Adjustment of Ayanāṃśa is superfluous and anyone wishing to do so is probably on an ego trip.’ Of course, the reply was framed in a polite manner.

      A well-respected astrologer I discussed this issue with told me he’d personally known a number of astro-colleagues who’d spend a decent amount of time tinkering with different values – and while modern authors afforded little space to the subject in their books, there of course remained deep interest in the subject.

      Whatever your particular take on this issue, the following attempts to present a number of components that constitute the Ayanāṃśa paradox, with our first visit paid to the solar zodiac and lunar Nakshatras.

1.3 RĀSHICAKRA, NAKSHATRAS AND YOGATÂRÂ

      Again Brahmā, of subdued passions, divided a circle invented by himself into 12 equal parts naming it the Rasi-vritta and the same circle into 27 parts, naming it the Nakshatra-vritta.

      Sûrya Siddhântikâ

The zodiac or Rāshicakra comprises twelve signs called Rashis, these being Mesha (Aries), Vrishaba (Taurus), Mithuna (Gemini), Karkata (Cancer), Simha (Leo), Kanya (Virgo), Tula (Libra), Vrishchika (Scorpio), Dhanus (Sagittarius), Makara (Capricorn), Kumbha (Aquarius) and Meena (Pisces). To each, 30° of the heavens is allotted and so divided.3 Calculation of any horoscope requires the establishment of 0° from which to construct a snapshot upon the heavens. This it seems was best achieved by the employment of convenient (if not irregular) stellar markers, that is, the stars.

Aries traditionally is taken to be the first sign of the zodiac and as such became the pivotal point about which the remainder of the signs were evenly sequenced. During a solar or tropical year4 the Sun roughly traverses one zodiacal sign in a period of about 30 days, hence its apparent dominion over the zodiac.

Coexisting, yet completely separate from the solar zodiac, there resides an additional twenty-seventh division of the heavens named Nakshatras (see Chapter 25; sometimes called the lunar mansions5). One Nakshatra roughly equates to the daily passage of the Moon along its sidereal orbit. This passage is approximately twenty-seven lunar days,6 hence its dominion over Bhacakra or the lunar zodiac.

The junctures (or portions) of Nakshatra are marked by certain stars called Yogatârâ,7 which confusingly bear the same name as the Nakshatra within which they reside. For example, Ashwini Nakshatra extends from 0° to 13° 20′ Aries and is marked by the Yogatârâ Ashwini, also known as β Arietis (Sheratan). This star resides close to 13° therein. As stars are randomly spaced and Nakshatra portions precise, it is virtually impossible to have all stars fall evenly within their allotted boundaries.

Ideally, the apportioning of junction stars should fall to a bright star/s well within the lunar orbit; in practice; however, this is not the case as a number of Yogatârâ stray far from the lunar orbit. Additionally, a number of these stars are of a magniītude8 that is not easily discerned and call into question their suitability as Yogatârâ (see the Appendix).

The zodiacal belt comprises the twelve major constellations that find themselves close to the ecliptic (the Sun’s apparent yearly course for Earthbound spectators). As solar ecliptic and lunar orbit are not so distant from one another (about +/–5°) a significant number of Yogatârâ used to identify Nakshatra divisions naturally find themselves attached to the familiar twelve zodiacal constellations. This is clearly reflected in ancient astronomical texts, which declare the start of Ashwini Nakshatra to correspond to 0° Aries.СКАЧАТЬ