History of the Vedas:
Jyotisha. Jyotisha (Sanskrit: ज्योतिष, IAST: Jyotiṣa)
The Vedas are Indian writings that are the oldest to humanity. Veda means “knowledge”. There are four Vedas and they are the exposition of pure spiritual knowledge.
· Rik Veda
· Sama Veda
· Yajur Veda
· Atharva Veda
The age is unknown, but it has been passed on as an oral tradition for thousands of years; rumors say around 50,000 years. They are the oldest known form of written down astrology; we now know that it may come from Babylon. The new research shows that the Vedas came from the Aryans of Babylon and when they moved south into India and came into contact with the people known as the Dravidians they combined their knowledge of the stars. The astrologers of the Babylonians were the Chaldeans. The functional names of the Vedas are collections of six sciences called “vedangas”:
· Siksa: the science of Sanskrit sounds-nose
· Kalpa: the science of Vedic rituals-head
· Vyakarana: the science of Sanskrit grammar-mouth
· Nirukta: the science of Sanskrit etymology and meaning of words-ears
· Chanda: the science of the rules of chanting the Veda-feet
· Jyotisa: the science of astrology-eyes
Jyotisha corresponds to the eyes of the Vedas, because it helps people to see ahead in time. Jyot=”light”; “ish”=God= Jyotisha. Jyotisha (Sanskrit: ज्योतिष, IAST: Jyotiṣa). There are six branches of Jyotisha:
· Gola: Positional astronomy; the movements of the celestial bodies.
· Ganita: the mathematical diagnostics of Gola.
· Jataka: Natal Astrology or, rashi, birth, chart analysis.
· Prashna: Horary Astrology; answers the question the moment it is asked.
· Muhurta: Electional Astrology; selects the best time to do certain activities.
· Nimitta: deals with omens indicating upcoming events.
The Difference Between Western and Vedic Astrology:
Here are some major differences between the two systems:
1) The zodiac signs, or Rashi Signs, don’t match up due to the “Ayanamsha”, which is the zodiac calculation method based on the tilt, or axis, of the planet, which results in the precession of the equinoxes.
2) Western uses the tropical zodiac, which aligns with the seasons, and has nothing to do with the stars.
3) Vedic uses the sidereal zodiac, or the “astronomer’s zodiac”, and uses the actual positions of the stars.
4) The difference between the two is the ayanamsha, and it can be calculated differently. I use the Lahiri.
5) Vedic is a lunar based system, while Western is a solar. Therefore, in Vedic your Moon sign is the most important, not the Sun sign.
6) Vedic uses the lunar mansions, or the nakshatras. These are 2.5 parts of each rashi sign, and correspond to the constellations.
7) Predictive techniques: Dasha and ashtakavarga are used by Vedic, but not Western.
8) Drishti: “to see, or glance”; these are the Vedic aspects of the planets. They are different than in Western.
9) Yogas, or planetary combinations, are different in Vedic than Western.
10) Grahas, “to grasp”; in Vedic these are the planets, and they have consciousness; the planets are enlightened beings, not just rocks or balls of gas in the sky.
11) Vedic only uses visible planets; the outer planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, and the comets such as Chiron, are not used. I do Neo-Vedic Astrology, so I use the outer planets.
12) The nodes of the Moon are used differently in Vedic: the north node is called Rahu, and the south node is called Ketu.
13) Vargas: these are divisional/harmonic charts in Vedic, where each house is opened up, and there are 60.
14) Upaya/Graha Shanti-Remedial Astrology: Vedic prescribes different treatments for afflicted planets.
15) Kundali: this is the graphic chart that Vedic uses; it is not in the circular pattern like in Western, but in geometric shapes, the North and South Indian chart styles.
Sources Cited:
1) Learn Jyotisha YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TehjqWAg0oc.
2) Patry, Joni. “Eastern Astrology for Western Minds”. Galactic Center Publishing. Dallas, TX. 2004.
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