New Delhi
By Anushka Singhal (views expressed are solely of the author)
Astrology is the eye of window. It is an all-encompassing science – science of science because it deals with the influence of planets on man and his entire world.
Astrology is divided in three branches –
- Ganita (Siddhanta) – It is also called astronomy now, the calculation of the moment of planets. It is used for predicting the influence of planets on man and his world.
- Samhita (Mundane) – It is the branch of astrology dealing with country, it’s people, government, government’s policies, country’s health and finance, nation war, climate, resources, show those rare and strange events which other cannot anticipate or foresee.
- Hora (individual) – Most popular branch of astrology as it deals with prediction about individuals, their happiness and unhappiness their achievements and failure, their hopes and despairs as well as every other facet of life.
Apart from above three categories, with the development of astrology, two more branches are added to its folds, namely Shakuna (Omen) and Prashana (question) making it Skandha Pancha –
- Siddhanta
- Hora
- Samhita
- Parshana
- Shakuna
Implementation of Astrology
The study of astrology is utilized in –
- Future Planning –
i. Education & Career – It guides parents in the upbringing of children, guiding students to choose the vocation best suited to their inclination and then guiding them in the proper advancement of their career.
ii. Profession – Astrology pinpoint the time when a man will be first paid by guiding his/her inclination of his career and indicating about the lean period and the period of rise.
iii. Marriage – Its ability to do reliable planning for a blissful conjugal life and this is great gift to the mankind by our sage who propounded this amazing science.
- Enriching Life – There is a popular couplet
“दुःख में सुमिरन सब करे सुख में करै न कोय।
जो सुख में सुमिरन करे दुःख काहे को होय ॥”
“In anguish everyone prays to Him,
in joy does none
To One who prays in happiness,
how can sorrow come”
Astrology picks out the good and bad period for a native, the native can with the right manner utilise the knowledge of it. Invest in spirituality when the good is going so you have enough saving when the good gets bad. In other word an ideal prayer of a man to god could be
“O god give me the wisdom to change what I can and courage to bear what I cannot change.”
It is the astrologer’s domain to be able to discern what can be change and what cannot be.
SIGNS, CONSTELLATIONS, PLANETS
“The whole universe moves at the will of its creator, but it moves under the controlling influences of faith. It is not free” – Mahabharata II 57 . 04
Signs, Constellations and Planets are the part of Astronomy as well as Astrology. Before going ahead lets precisely discuss about Astronomy and Astrology.
Astronomy & Astrology
Astronomy is the study of objects and phenomena beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Astrology uses the position of these celestial bodies called stars and planets for their effect on us.
Both are inseparable as astrology is based on astronomy.
Please note Hindu or Vedic astrology follows the Nirayana System and western astrology follows Sayana System.
Hindu astrology consider solar system with reference to its constituents, the planets known as grahas and twenty seven stars Nakshatras or Constellation. The stars (nakshatras or asterisms) have no movement. Planets move through the nakshatra’s in the zodiac (Bhachakra).
Planets do not have the same meaning in astronomy and astrology.
Moon in astronomy reflects light from the Sun but in astrology it has been given the same rank as that of the Sun.
Rahu/Ketu, nodal points in astronomy but in astrology these are known as shadowy planets, remain exactly 180 degrees apart from each other.
CONSTELLATIONS
Zodiac of 360 degrees has 27 Nakshatras or fixed stars, further divided in 4 parts known as Padas or Charn. These Constellations or Nakshatras are important as
• Parashari Dasha System is based on position of the Moon at the time of birth in particular Nakshatra.
• Must for Muhurata or choosing an auspicious moments
• Janam Nakshatra is used in Predictive Astrology (Nakshatra at the time of birth)
Please note out of these 27 Nakshatras, 6 Nakshatras are inauspicious Nakshatras and are known as Gandmool Nakshatras.
These are –
• Ashlesha
• Magha
• Jyestha
• Moola
• Revati
• Ashvini
Proper remedies are needed to be taken if a child is born in these Nakshatras.
The name of Nakshatras and their lords are given in the table below. Each planet is given the lordship of 3 Nakshatras.
Sign & their Planets
The Zodiac is also divided into 12 parts measuring 30 degrees each known as Rashi/Sign. These 12 Rashis are owned by Planets. The name of these twelve Rashis or signs, their lord , and their symbols are given in the table below –
NOTE – No sign is allotted to Rahu/Ketu, though some learned astrologers treats Virgo as sign of Rahu
Signs, Planets and Constellations play the most important role in the Horoscope of a Jataka (native). They are the basic pillar on which astrology is based. In my upcoming articles, I will discuss about the characteristics of Signs, Planets and Nakshatra in details.
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You can reachout to the author on anushka.singal@gmail.com
Author is a jyotish Acharya degree holder from BVB,New Delhi
