Frequently Asked Questions
Q - How many people believe in Astrology?
A - One billion.
Q - Is it a science based on Astronomy and Mathematics ?
A - Yes.
Q - What is the subtle difference between Astronomy and Astrology ?
A - Astronomy is the Science of the Heavens.
Astrology is the Wisdom of the Heavens.
Q - What is the difference between Science and Wisdom?
A - Science deals with outer life.
Wisdom deals with inner life.
Q - What is Astrology ?
A - Astrology is the Science of Time.
Q - What is the concept of Time ?
A - The Indian concept of Time stems from the celestial phenomenon of the rotation of the earth round its own axis and movement around the Sun. One constitutes the Celestial Sphere and the other the Ecliptic Sphere.
Q - What is the Western method of computation of planetary longitudes ?
A- The Western method is to find out the Mean Anomaly of the planet, then the true Anomaly and the add to it the Argument of Perihelion to get Theta ( Theta = v + w ). The next step is to reduce it to Cartesian coordinates, x, y and z and then the last step is to reduce it to Spherical coordinates, r, theta and phi.
Q - What is the Indian Method ?
A - The Indian method is to reduce the planet first to the Heliocentric Coordinate System, Manda Kriya, then reduce it to the Ecliptic Coordinate System, Parinathi Kriya and then reduce it to the Geocentric Coordinate System. Sheegra Kriya.
Q - If both methods are different, why some say Indians plagiarised from the Greeks ?
A - Such talk is all rot and nonsense.
Q - What about the dates of the astronomers who computed first ?
A - Parameswara - 15th century Common Era
Nilakanta - 16th
Kepler - 17th
Laplace - 18th
Q - What is the Hindu Solar Year ?
A - When the Sun enters the First Point of the Sidereal Zodiac, Vishu or the Hindu Solar Year begins. Normally it happens on Apr 14.
Q - How is the date of Easter computed?
A- It is the First Sunday after the Equinoctial Full Moon. The First Thursday after the E F M is Monte Thursday and the First Friday after EFM is Good Friday.
Q- Is it a coincidence that the Equinoctial Full Moon fell on Vishu Day, on Apr 15th, in 2014?
A - Easter is always proximate to Vishu.
Q - Has Easter anything to do with the Old Pagan Festival of Vernal Equinox?
A - It has.
The Day of Ishtar was celebrated by the Romans centred around the Vernal Equinox. The Old Pagan Festival of Spring Equinox. Ishtar became Easter.
It is to be noted that with the help of Indian Astronomy and Maths, the Western scholars computed the date of Easter, along with loxodromes, latitudes and longitudes,using the sine tables of Aryabhata and Madhava. Christopher Clavius, who initiated the Gregorian Calendrical Reforms, learnt Astronomy and Maths from Pedro Nunes, a Jewish astronomer. Matteo Ricci was sent to India for this purpose !
Q - What is Hindu Lunar Year?
Hindu Lunar Year is reckoned from Shukla Pratipada, after the Equinoctial New Moon.
Equinox means a day when the day and night are of equal duration. This occurs on Mar 21 and Sep 22, on Spring and Autumnal Equinox days. Normally the diurnal duration and the nocturnal duration are not exactly 12 hours. But on these two days Duration of Day = Duration of Night = 12 hours. Yadha Mesha Thualyo Varthathe thada Ahoratranam Samanani Bhavanti,says Bhagavatha.
Chaitra is the first Lunar Month and Mesha or Medam is the first Solar month.
Chaitra is in other words, the Lunar month, when a solar ingress into Aries or Mesha or Medam takes place. Vishu vakhya ssada Chaitre Jayathe Mesha Sankrama.
Vaishakha is another lunar month which is considered holy, along with Karthika.
Vaishakhe Vrisha Sankranti - Vaishakaha ( starting from Apr 30 ) is the lunar month when a solar ingress into Taurus or Vrishabha takes place.
Karthike Vrischikadhipa - Karthika is that lunar month when a solar ingress into Scorpio or Vrischika takes place.
Karthika is the Hindu Ramazan and like Ramzan, of 41 days duration !
Full Moon means when the Sun is 180 degrees away from the Moon, Pournami.
New Moon means Conjunction of Sun and Moon, Zero Degrees, Amavasya.
Q- Why is Vishu celebrated on Mesha 2, on Apr 15th, in 2014 ?
A- The Surya Sankrama, Solar ingress into sidereal Aries, happened at 0830 AM on 14th. And the practice of seeing the Lord or Vishu Kani cannot be effected when the Sun was in Pisces or Meena !
That Vishu brings in climate change, relief from the scorching heat of Kumbha and Meena, Aquarius and Pisces, was proved on Apr 14th when it rained torrentially in the afternoon and at night !
Q - Whar are the three Hindu Zero Points of the Zodiac ?
A - The Tropical Zero Point, Zero Degree Aries, Sayana Meshadi
The Sidereal Zero Point, Zero Degree Sidereal Aries, Nirayana Meshadi
The Luni Solar Zero Point, Chaitradi
Q - How are these three Hindu Zero Points used in computation ?
A - The Sidereal Solar Year is computed from the Sidereal Zero Point, the Lunar Year from
the Luni Solar Zero Point and the Tropical Solar Year from the Tropical Zero
Point.
Q - Is Astrology related to Astronomy and Mathematics?
A - Yes it is. It is based on these two sciences.
Q - Why there is calumny against Astrology ?
A - The base of calumny is ignorance.
Q - What is the function of Astrology ?
A - It is a Light in Darkness, Thamaseeya Deepah. It is a science which was revealed to the Seer Poets in higher states of Consciousness.
Q - What is Natal Astrology?
A - It is the analysis of the map of the heavens at the time of birth.
Q - What is Horary Astrology ?
A - It is the analysis of the map of the heavens at the time of query.
Q - What is Electional Astrology ?
A - It is the analysis of the map of the heavens at the time of the Event.
Q - What about Remedial Astrology ?
A - Astrology is based on the Grand Law of Causation, the Law of Cause and Effect, the Universal Law of Karma. All sufferings are caused by transgressions of universal laws. There are two types of Karma. positive and negative.
Know that which ye sow ye reap ! See yonder fields,
The Sesamum was sesamum, the Corn was corn
The Silence and the Darkness knew
So is a man's Fate born !
(Light of Asia)
For negative Karma, we advocate divine remedial measures like Fasting Therapy, Mantra Therapy, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga et al. This will save the client both psychologically and spiritually. Thath Shanti Oushadha Dhyana Japa Homarchanadhibhi.
Q- Why is in India Siddhanta, Samhita and Hora ( Astronomy, Maths and Astrology ) inseparable ?
A - In India, many sciences are inseparable. This is the Law of Epistemic Correlation, that all branches of knowledge are inter related. Astronomy is the Science of the Heavens, Astrology is the Wisdom of the Heavens and Mathematics, the science of magnitude !
Q - What is the rationale behind Medical Astrology ?
A- Medical Astrology is that branch of Astrology dealing with Health. The 12 Signs of the Zodiac are linked to the Twelve Limbs of the body. The Ascendant rules the Head and the 12th House, the Feet. Medical Astrology, if incorporated in Astrology Software, can be of immense help in relieving patients' of their misery.
Q - Is Astrology a sister science to Ayurveda ?
A - Yes. Since the Zodiacal Signs represent the Five Elements ( Ether , Fire, Air, Earth & Water ), the ancient astrological savants assigned everything in the Universe to a planetary ruler, and considered all as the manifestation of the Elemental Five and their respective qualities - hot and dry, cold and dry, hot and humid , cold and humid. Jupiter rules "Kapha" and the Sun "Pitta' ( the three humors of Ayurveda ). These elements were understood in a physical & metaphysical sense, as per the principle " As Above, So Below ". Many body constitutions are defined in Ayurveda. The Phlegmatic ( predominance of Kapha), the Bilious ( preponderance of Pitta ) & the Windy ( predominance of Vata ). There are 4 types of Body Constitution in Western Holistic Medicine - Sanguine, Phlegmatic, Choleric and Melancholic. Medical Astrology here becomes Ayurvedic Astrology, analysing the human body made of Vata, Pitta and Kapha and the seven gross tissue elements, all ruled by the Nine Revolving Heavens.
Q - Are the Seven Planets related to the Three Humours of Ayurveda ?
A - Yes. Here is the correspondence.
Jupiter Kapha
Sun Pita
Moon Vata & Kapha
Mars
Pitta
Mercury Pitta, Vata & Kapha
Venus Vata & Kapha
Saturn Vata
Q - What is the intuitively revealed Original Verse or Pramana about this correspondence between the Triune Humours and the Seven Revolving Heavens?
Vatham Pittayutham Karothi Dinakrith
Vatm Kapham Sheetagu
Pittam Bhoomi Sutha, Tadha Sasisutha
Vatam cha Pittam Kapham
Jeevau Vata Kaphau Sithaanila Kaphau
Vatam cha Pittam Shanee
Poorne Indu sthithi rasi natha Kathitham
Poornam Kapham Thoyabhe.
Compiled By Govind Kumar
