Jyotisha

In its most general usage, the word
jyotisha refers to astrology. The word
itself is derived from jyotis (“light,” and
by extension the heavenly bodies) and is
concerned with the movement of the
celestial bodies, their varying configurations, and the divisions of time that are
derived from them. This attention to the
heavens is a very old cultural concern,
for jyotisha is one of the six Vedangas,
the auxiliary branches of knowledge
connected with the sacred scriptures
known as the Vedas. As one of the
Vedangas, jyotisha was concerned with
identifying appropriate days and times
to perform Vedic sacrifices.
Even in modern times, many traditional Hindus take astrology very seriously, based on the assumption that the
results of one’s previous karma lead one
to be born at a particular moment. One’s
natal horoscope, or the positioning of
the celestial bodies at the time of birth,
thus provides a karmic “itinerary” indicating where one has been and what one
might expect in the future. People frequently consider astrology when making important decisions, particularly in
arranging marriages—to determine the
couple’s compatibility, to see whether
any trouble is lurking ahead, and to
arrange an auspicious or lucky time for
the ceremony itself. In the same way,
some Hindus will consult an astrologer
before beginning any important undertaking, to be sure that the work will
begin at an auspicious time and will
therefore be more likely to succeed.
The basic principles of Indian astrology are very similar to those of Western
astrology. The zodiac signs are nearly
identical. However, the two systems
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Jyotir Math
have a different method for determining
each sign’s starting point, causing some
discrepancies between the two systems.
Aside from the sun, moon, and five visible planets in Western astrology, Indian
astrology has two additional planets,
Rahu and Ketu, which are both considered inauspicious and malevolent. In
addition to the twelve signs of the solar
zodiac, Indian astrology also has a lunar
zodiac with twenty-seven “lunar mansions” (nakshatras), each of which has
particular qualities. Although at the
most basic level astrological reckoning
is fairly simple, it can quickly become
highly complex and is thus generally left
to professional astrologers. This is still a
viable profession throughout much of
India, since the generally accepted
belief that some times are auspicious
and others inauspicious means that
ordinary people will hire specialists to
keep them informed of these times.
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Jyotisha