Computing Vedic Planetary Positions- Astronomy & Astrology

The Three Methods of Vedic Astronomy & Mathematics

1) Zodiacal Longitudes - The First Method is to compute the longitudes of the planets along the Ecliptic ( Kranti Vritta ). Western astronomers have accepted 0 degree Aries as the First Point of the Tropical Zodiac and Vedic astronomers have accepted 0 degree Beta Arietis ( Aswini ) as the First Point of the Sidereal Zodiac. Extending 9 degrees to either side of the Ecliptic is the Great Circle of Light, the Zodiac.

2) Celestial Equatorial Longitudes - The Second Method is to compute the longitudes along the Celestial Equator ( Vishuvat Vritta ). The Starting Point is 0 degree Aries. The longitudes thus obtained is called the Right Ascension ( R A ) of Planets.

3)Celestial Horizontal Longitudes - The Third Method is to compute longitudes along the Celestial Horizon. The Eastern Celestial Horizon, the intersecting point between the Ecliptic and the Celestial Horizon, is called the Ascendant ( Udaya Lagna ). 180 degrees opposite to that point is called the Western Celestial Horizon ( Astha Lagna ). The highest point on the Celestial Horizon is called the Zenith ( Madhya Lagna or MC ) and the lowest point, the Nadir ( Patala Lagna or IC ). The Original Point of the Celestial Horizon is the Northern Point on the Celestial Horizon.

The Vedic Method is Longitude corrected thrice, though 3 major trignometric corrections called

Manda Kriya ( Reduction to True Anomaly )

Parinathi Kriya ( Reduction to Ecliptic )

& Sheeghra Kriya ( Reduction to Geocentric Coordinates ).

Reduction to the Heliocentric Coordinate System

I . Reduction to True Anomaly ( Manda Kriya )

After finding the Mean Longitude of the Planet, the Mean Anomaly of the Planet is calculated as per the formula

Mean Anomaly = Mean Longitude - Aphelion ( M = L - A )

The Manda Jya Vikalakal ( mjv , eccentricity in seconds ) is computed as per the formula

mjv = R (2 e - 1/4 e^3 + 5/95 e^5 ) Sin A + R (5/4 e^2 - 11/24 e^2 + 17/192 e^2 ) Sin 2 A + R ( 13/12 e^3 - 43/64 e^5 ) Sin 3 A + R ( 103/ 96 e^4 - 451 / 480 e ^5 ) Sin 4 A + R ( 1097/960 e ^5 ) Sin 5 A + R (1223/960 e ^ 6 ) Sin 6 A

A = Mean Anomaly of the Planet + 6 Signs or M + 180. R is 206265 seconds

This value MJV is deducted or added to M, the Mean Anomaly of the Planet to get the True Anomaly of the planet, v

v = M + or - mjv

If the Mean Anomaly ( Manda Kendra ) is greater than 6 Signs, it is added and if it is less than 6 Signs ( 180 degrees ), it is subtracted.

The Radius Vector ( Manda Karna ) is computed using the formula

Manda Karna = a ( 1+ 1/2 e^2 ) - e ( 1- 3/8 e^2) Cos A - 1/2 e^2 ( 1- 2/3 e^2 ) Cos 2 A - 3/8 e^3 Cos 3 A - 1/3 e^4 Cos 4 A )

where a is the semi major axis ( Madhyama Manda Karna ) of the planet. Semi Major Axis is the average distance of the planet expressed in AU. The Sun's a is 1 AU or 149 million kilometres from the earth. It is to be noted that at 90 degrees the Manda Karna of the planet equals Semi Major Axis because Cos 90 = 0.

Reduction to the Ecliptic Coordinate System

II. Reduction to the Ecliptic ( Parinathi Kriya )

The Ascending Node of the planet is deducted to get the Y, the planet minus the Node.

Y = True Anomaly of the Planet - Node of the planet

First the latitude of the planet is computed as per the formula

Sin l = Sin L Sin Y

where l is the latitude of the planet, Y is the Longitude of the planet after deducting the Node and L is the maximum latitude of the planet

The mean longitude of the planet after Manda Kriya is reduced to the Ecliptic Coordinate System . The formula used is

Sin h = ( 1-Cos L Sin Y Cos Y /cos l )

where the l is the latitude of the planet, Y is the Longitude of the planet after deducting the Node and L is the maximum latitude of the planet and h is the Parinathi Phalam, the factor which is to be added or subtracted to the True Anomaly. ( This is also the formula used for computing the Sun's Pranakalanthara which is the difference between Tropical longitudes and Right Ascension ).

i or Inclination or inclinent of Orbit, is known as Parama Vikshepa, the angular distance of the orbital plane from our plane of reference, the Ecliptic. This is also known as Sara. For Mercury, it is 7 degrees and for Jove it is 1.31 degrees.

The first 3 Signs are Odd ( Oja ), the next 3 Signs are Even ( Yugma ), the next 3 Signs are Odd ( Oja ) and the next 3 signs are Even ( Yugma ).

The Parinathi Phalam is added if the Signs are Yugma and subtracted if it is Oja to True Anomaly to get the Ecliptic degree.

Ecliptic Degree = True Anomaly + or - Parinathi Phalam

The Heliocentric distance or Manda Karna ( Kranthi Vritheeya Manda Karna ) is computed as per the formula

Kranthi Vritheeya Manda Karna = Vikshepa Vritheeya Manda Karna * cos l

Reduction to the Geocentric Coordinate System

III Sheeghra Kriya - Reduction to Geocentric Coordinates

The Sheeghra Anomaly

When the longitude of the Sun is deducted from the Ecliptic Degree thus obtained, we get the Sheeghra Anomaly, the angle between the Sun and the planet

Sheeghra Anomaly = Heliocentric longitude of planet - Longitude of the Mean Sun.

x, Sheeghra Phalam is the angle formed between the Sun, the planet and the Earth. It is computed as per the formula

Tan A/2 - x = ( b - a) /( b + a) Tan A/2

Your Ad Here

where A is the Sheeghra Kendra, a is the Ravi Manda Karna ( Sun's distance ), b the Graha Manda Karna ( distance of the planet from the Sun ) and x the Sheeghra Phalam

Arka Sphutoniham Kheda Mandasphuta mihoditham

Sparsajya Sheegrakendrardha Labhda karnathara hatha

Karna Yoga hritha bhooya sparsa chapatmaka kritha

Shoditha sheegrakendrardhal syath phalam sheegrasamjnakam

The Sheeghra Phalam is added if the Signs are greater than 6 and subtracted if the Signs are less than 6 .

There is another method of computing Sheeghra Karna, the geocentric distance of the planet. . Sheeghra Karna can be computed by the following formula

c^2 = a^2 +b ^2 + 2 a b Cos A and the Sheegra Phalam can be obtained by

sin x = a Sin A /c for Jupiter, Mars and Saturn &

sin x = b Sin A /c for Mercury and Venus

True Longitude of the Planet = Heliocentric Longitude of the Planet - or + Sheegra Phalam.

If the Mandaphalam is m and p is Parinathi Phalam and s is Sheegra Phalam, then

Truelong = Meanlong + or - m + or - p + or - s

For Mercury and Venus, the computation is slightly different. The Sheeghra Phalam thus obtained is subtracted from the Sun's longitude if the Signs are more than 6 and added if the Signs are less than 6.

This method of Longitudes Corrected Thrice is highlighted in Puliyoor's Ganitha Nirnaya and Bhaskara's Ganitha Adhyaya. Achyuta Pisharody's Sphuta Nirnaya also deals with the calculations in Indian Astronomy. Other reference books are Maha Bhaskareeya, Aryabhateeya and Brahma Sphuta Siddhanta.

In Mathematics there are many methods and the Western Method is to find the True Anomaly of the Planet and to it add the Argument of Perihelion ( Long = v + w ). The Eccentric Anomaly of the Planet ( an auxiliary angle used in Kepler's equations ) is computed from the Mean Anomaly and the True Anomaly is computed from it . The Argument of Perihelion is added to it to get the true longitude. v is the Angle between the Planet and Perihelion and w is the angle between the Node and Perihelion. The perturbations of the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn are included in these computations. Some large perturbations of the Moon, viz the Evection, the Annual Equation, the Variation and the Parallactic Equation, with the equations of the Center, are all included. While the Western Method is to give 12 corrections to the Moon's longitude, the Vedic method is to subject the Mean longitude of the Moon to 16 trignometric corrections. ( 14 reductions plus Manda Kriya & Parinathi Kriya ).

In essence, the Vedic Mathematical Method is to subject the Mean Longitude of the Planet to three major trignometric reductions. Also the other planets. Our friend Paul Schlyter has done a great work in computing the Planetary Positions as per the Western System. Our congratulations to him. Here we give the Vedic Method as expounded by Aryabhata, Bhaskara, Brahmagupta and countless other Vedic astronomers in the 18 Siddhantas ( treatises on Astronomy), written 5000 years ago !

Article by G Kumar, astrologer, writer and programmer of http://www.astrologiavedica.com/ . Highly experienced with many correct predictions to his credit, he does professional natal charts http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/vedichoroscope.htm To subscribe to his Free highly informative ezine, Z Files,click here. mailto:info@eastrovedica.com?subject=subscribeZF

Astrology Software

We feel that the Indian Method of computing planetary positions is easier than the Western. No Keplerian obfuscation, no Laplacian or Lagrangian hassles. It will take 3/4 years to study Laplace's "Celestial Mechanics "or Lagranges's "Analytical Mechanics". Why worry about Spherical Astronomy and Trignometry when our world class ( accurate to the second ) Zodiac Software is there ?

All Divisional charts, longitudes of planets and their satellites, the periods and sub-periods of planets, the birth constellation, the dispositors of planets, their stellar dispositors, the strength of houses and their lords, the Sixfold Source of Planetary strength - all these are computed by our world class software. Now we have incorporated Electional & Horary Astrology. Our software is a massive one, made up of 500 program files! Wealth Potential is signified by Wealth Ascendant or Dhana Lagna, which is computed by our software. We have developed Astro Software even for the Stock Market, considering technical and fundamental factors !

We have incorporated the latest findings in our Sw from our 17 years of Research & Development. Also Remedial Astrology.

The Sixfold Strength Method. Based on the Sixfold Strength, the strengths of planets are given. Planets require certain minimum Shashtiamsas ( 1/60 ). If they dont get that, they are weak.

The Zodiacal Number Method. If Negativity is more in certain House, the experience of that House will be null and void. This is measured numerically.

Wealth Potential is given by the Wealth Analysis Method. The Dhana Lagna is calculated and the native's Wealth Potential is given numerically.

Sun	11	28	33	50	44
Moon	0	29	40	21	1
Moon's Apogee	3	12	39	15	19
North Node	8	10	38	45	40
Mars	4	13	45	4	40
Mercury	5	11	38	31	41
Jupiter	6	13	47	42	7
Venus	8	19	49	11	32
Saturn	7	25	20	11	55