32.A compendium of astrological information obtained from Indian, Greek, Roman and Persian sources, these Siddhânta (texts) being: Paitāmaha, Romaka, Vāsishṭha, Pauliśa and Sûrya.
PART I
SETTING UP SHOP
Zodiacal belt key: Central horizontal line = ecliptic, large white stars = Yogatârâ, alternating vertical bands = 27 Nakshatras. SE = spring equinox, SS = summer solstice, AE = autumnal equinox and WS = winter solstice. As of 2015 the spring equinox is approximately 9° 16′ Pisces; its closest Yogatârâ is α Pegasi in Purvabhadra Nakshatra.
1
AYANĀṂŚA
A few years back I ran into an old colleague and we got talking amongst other things about Jyotish. Knowing his great enthusiasm for astrology I enquired if he’d come across anything new and exciting. Immediately he began to download a whole barrage of statistics, techniques and other assorted goodies. Pausing briefly, he unexpectedly said the word Ayanāṃśa. Having more than a passing interest I asked him to expand on the topic, intrigued to hear his comments.
He went on to explain that as a longstanding member of a Vedic Astrological Association, he’d recently returned from its annual get-together. The weekend event had been a mixture of lectures by both home-grown and international speakers. The event had also been a chance to stock up on books, CDs, magazines and demos of the latest Jyotish software.
The final afternoon, he explained, had offered back-to-back lectures titled 11th House of Gain or The Question of Ayanāṃśa. Greatly intrigued by the sound of the Ayanāṃśa lecture, my friend had then made his way toward the appropriate lecture hall, only to be mowed down by a mass of charging delegates speeding toward the adjacent lecture. Recovering from this surge of bodies (heading in the opposite direction), he peered nervously into the room, wondering if he was to be the only one crossing its threshold.
Upon entrance he was relieved to see a handful of Ayanāṃśa devotees sprawled along the front row, trying uncomfortably to make the room seem a little more occupied than it was. He then went on to give me a great synopsis of the whole presentation as related by its speaker, saying, ‘I found the whole thing pretty remarkable; it brought up in my mind a great number of misgivings. Toward the close of the discussion I really started to wonder how I’d ever missed its profundity. After all, it is value that determines all end results, yet curiously it hardly seems to get a mention.’
He continued, chuckling, ‘I guess it just goes to show where some folks are with Jyotish, tripping over the fundamentals like Ayanāṃśa to get a profitable seat in the 11th House. Seems to me to be a perfect example of “me-ing” taking precedence over “be-ing”, at least in the world of some Jyotish acolytes.’
1.1 INTRODUCTION TO AYANĀṂŚA
At one time, the Sun’s southward course commenced on his reaching the 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,