The following is an extract from the concluding chapter of Skanda Hora commentary :
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Ayanamsa
Surya Jataka states अयनांशोनितं सूत (Suta Aruna! Ayanamsa should be deducted) pointing to the fact that it was text written far before the period coinciding of equinox with Meshadi (Rf.HRth) - i.e. far before AD 238. How far we don’t know. Brahma siddhanta also states अयनांश प्रदातव्या (Ayanamsa should be provided) as evident from the Brahma siddhanta quote available to us. (Rf.Mch,HRth).
Srimad Bhagavata points to the subltleness and supremacy of the knowledge of Ayana (and thus of Ayanamsa) in the following lines, and points to the enlightened yogi’s connection to the knowledge of correlation between breath and the zodiac and says that only the only the one having transcendental knowledge would be able to understand it correctly by himself.
ज्योतिषामयनं साक्षाद्यत्तद्ज्ञानमतीन्द्रियं।
प्रणीतं भवता येन पुमान्वेद परावरम्।।
(Srimad Bhagavatam, Ref.JS)
[In astrology the knowledge of Ayana is transcendental in nature cannot be attained through the five senses. O God! Only the man who is chosen by you (having the supreme knowledge) is one who knows everything about it]
Even though the true transcendental experience of such a brahmanda pindanda relation might be possible only for the yogis, and the true theoretical understanding of Ayanamsa only for the Siddhantakaras, the value of Ayanamsa was known to all and calculable to astrologers based on Surya Siddhantic calculations always, and was in regular use from the period of the sages and the texts like Surya Jataka itself. It must be the very reason the astronomical mathamatical scholarship of sage Surya was praised a lot, and the text Surya Jatak written by his student Maya became so popular and well accepted. (this ancient Surya Siddhanta is no more available, what is available to us today in that name is a modern rendering of the same).
Vasishta Samhita points to the importance of arriving at accurate sidereal longitude of lagna in the following lines -
शास्त्रोक्तमार्गेण सुलग्नकालं स्फुटं समानीय जलादियन्त्रैः।
सलभ्य तं मंड्गलसूक्ष्मकालं संलोकयेत्तत्र मिथोर्ध्वदृष्टिः॥
(Vasishta Samhita, Rf.Mch)
[As told in Siddhantic (mathematical astronomical) texts, the correct lagna longitude (and correct sidereal longitude of all other planets) should be calculated based on the exact time of birth, arrived at with the help of instruments to measure time (such as water clock in ancient times and watch in modern times). After getting the exact time of birth, derive the correct sidereal longitude (of lagna as well as planets) for that time]
Similar advice is given in Kasyapa Hora too (Rf.Mch) in the following words -
एवं गुणगणन् वीक्ष्य लग्नं निश्चित्य यत्नतः।
सिद्धान्तोक्तेन मार्गेण लग्नकालं प्रसाधयेत्॥
(Kashyapa Hora, Rf.Mch)
[After checking the qualities of time and after deriving the exact time of birth with the help of clock etc, following the guidance told by the mathematical astronomical texts calculate the lagna longitude]
Thus the final answer is that, Ayanamsa should be used. What Ayanamsa should be used? No need to doubt. If we want to follow the sages, then we should use the Suryasiddhantic theory based Ayanamsa updated for the modern times.
Let us remember that the reconstruction of the concepts of Suryasiddhanta should be done based on the following texts -
Sl
Text
Description
1
Ancient Surya Siddhanta
This text is already lost and unavailable.
2
Ayaartharatra siddhanta
A text Aryabhata wrote based on Ancient Surya siddhanta. This text is lost and is unavailable
3
Surya Siddhanta included in Pancha Siddhantika of Mihira
This is a rendering of ancient Surya siddhanta also based on Aryaartharathra siddhanta of Aryabhata done by Varaha Mihira
4
Aryabhateeya of Aryabhata
This is a text based on ancient Surya Siddhanta written during the later half of 5th century AD
5
Modern Surya Siddhanta
This is the modified version of ancient Surya Siddhanta now a days available with the name Surya Siddhanta itself. It contains more contents of the ancient Surya Siddhanta compared to the texts of Mihira and Aryabhata mentioned above. But it should also be remembered that it a version of the Ancient Surya Siddhant modified possibly around AD 1000 or so taking AD.522 or so as base year says some scholars. It is not known who modified the anceint surya siddhanta based on new base values.
A notable point is that the Ayanamsa derives from Surya siddhanta by a scholar named Chandrahari includes the rhythmic connections between the human body and zodiac mentioned above and can be calculated based on the following formula -
Ayanamsa for the year (Y) = ((Y-238) * 120 deg) / 8586 Degrees = (Y-238)/71.55 degrees.
where Y is the year for which the Ayanamsa needs to be calculated, AD 238 is the zero Ayanamsa year, 8586 is a number based on Yuga numbers, and 71.55 possibly indicates the human body heart beat rhythm.
A point that I observe in the back drop of the available Uruk/Babylon temple horoscopes (of the period BC 500 and later) unearthed and available as archaeological records is that - Uruk/Babylon horoscopes are based on Galaxy centric Ayanamsa, and as per Hari’s argument the Surya Siddhantic Ayanamsa is based on Mula Star (which is a star very near to Galaxy center). Thus as per Indian astrology it seems clearly logical to base ourselves on Surya Siddhanta based calculations and sage quotes on hora skandha of astrology while dealing with natal horoscopes.
penned by Sri Rahul Gupta Kanpur
