Abstract
There is difference between science and shastr. Science is exploring and discovering truth while shastra guides towards enlightenment. Shastr explicitly mention about Brahman, its pluralistic, decentralized, and inclusive nature. Western experts have wrong perception about Jyotish is that it is psedo science. Jyotish possesses all the characteristics of Brahman and thus it is shastr. Jyotish is an shastr of knowing self so that someone can utilize himself/herself in achieving moksh. Phalit Jyotish is the branch of jyotish which deals with predicting future events in someone’s life. Article begins with explaining Brahman, its pluralistic, inclusive, and decentralized nature, foundation of Sanatan Dharm on Brahminical theory. Brahman exist in every element of Sanatan Dharm, in metaphoric ideas, in non living stones, in all the living creature. Pluralistic, decentralized, and inclusive nature of Brahman is preserved in Jyotish and thus Jyotish is also Brahman. Thus, Jyotish is shastra of achieving moksh, not science of bringing out truth which need to be verified with logic.
Introduction
तत्रापरा ऋग्वेदो यजुर्वेद: सामवेदो अथर्ववेद: शिक्षा कल्पो व्याकरणं निरुक्तं छन्दों ज्योतिष्मीति। (मु.उ.१.५)
Rigved, Yajurved, Samved, Atharvved, shiksha, kalp, vyakaran, nirukt, chhand, and jyotish are Apara vidya.
Indologist have called on to initiate debate on jyotish and science[1]. In fact jyotish can be more closely related to Sastra than science. Jyotish possesses all the features of Brahman. Pluralistic, decentralized, inclusive features of Brahman are explained using analogy of banyan tree and human body. Sanatan Dharm founded by our great Rushis based on Brahman philosophy explained. Existence of Brahman in all versions of Hinduism explained. Common doubts faced by Sanatanis such as what is Brahman, why Hinduism is called as Sanatan Dharm, why Hindus worship idols, why Hindus should not eat animals, concept of family and society according to Brahman philosophy, Brahman nature of Varn vyavastha of Sanatan Dharm are answered. Horary branch of Jyotish is considered for explanation. Three pillars of Jyotish namely Varg charts, Dasha, and Transit explained. Jyotish’s connection with Brahman philosophy is established.
Analogy
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Consider example of banyan tree[2]. Branches penetrate in to ground and become trunk, supporting further growth of whole banyan tree. After centuries, when branches have penetrated in ground to form another parallel trunks, a single unit comprising trunk, branches, leaves, fruits will possess characteristics of a tree. This unit of a tree will be repeating throughout banyan tree. This repeating is synonymous to reflection of each other and whole banyan tree synonymous to whole ecosystem. Each unit will be called as tree and whole banyan will also be called as tree. What is there on single tree will be there in all other trunks, thus same will be considered exist in whole banyan tree. It will be difficult to identify original trunk. Cutting a single tree unit won’t destroy whole banyan tree and that cut tree unit doesn’t have independent existence. Ecosystem of whole banyan tree need to be uprooted to remove banyan tree. Climbing any of the single trunk or whole banyan tree, it will take above the ground, unlike teakwood (or any other tree) where only one trunk available to climb above ground.
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Consider example of our body. Eyes, tongue, feet, hands are organs of whole body. All organs manifests whole body and are inseparable from whole body. That’s why, according to Ayurved, inspecting tongue or heartbeat or artery or eye will give idea what is going on in whole body because they manifest whole body. Atma exist in eye, hand, leg, whole of human body. Removing eyes, tongue, feet, hands through operation won’t destroy our soul/whole body and that independent eye won’t be called as Atma nor human body will be called as Atma. Whole body can’t be destroy unless all organs destroyed together, destroying individual organ e.g. eyes, hands, legs etc won’t destroy whole body.
It is important to understand these two examples. Salient features of these ecosystems are –
- an ecosystem is composed of different organs,
- all organs are reflection of each other,
- all organs are inseparable from each other,
- all organs manifest same whole ecosystem,
- whatever organ is followed, it will lead to same objective,
- what is there in individual organs is present on whole ecosystem,
- elimination of individual organ won’t destroy whole ecosystem,
- there is no central authority to represent individual organ, rather all have characteristic of central authority.
Remember these features, it will help in understanding Brahman.
Brahman
There is no Hindu who has not heard Brahm tatv or Shiv tatv in his/her lifetime. Advait call Brahm or Shiv as Brahman. Analogy of banyan tree or human body will help in understanding Brahman. According to Shiv Mahapuran there was only Shiv tatv in beginning and this Tatv created universe. Later on, other tatvs, Gunas, Rasas, non living, living etc created by this Shiv Tatv followed by Purush, Prakruti through its Ardhnarishvar svarup. All of them manifest same whole Shiv, all of them are reflection of each other, and are inseparable part of whole Shiv because all are creation of Shiv. Shiv exist in god and goddesses, male and female. It exist in stones and animals and that’s why Shivling, idols, animals are worshiped. Individual worship of gods or goddesses will unite soul to same whole Shiv. This process of uniting with Shiv is known as attaining Moksh; an ultimate objective of any Soul. Gnan is creation of this Shiv and thus Gnanyog is one of the pathway of moksh. Deities are creation of this Shiv that’s why Bhaktiyog is one of the pathway of moksh. Meditation is the process in which you try to directly unite with Shiv that’s why Rajyog is one of the pathway of moksh, family members are creation of Shiv that’s why Sevayog/Karmyog is one of the pathway of Moksh. You may follow any pathway, it will lead you to attain moksh. There is neither central god, nor common pathway, nor uniform belief. This pluralistic and decentralized form, of pathways to moksh and Brahman, (i.e. all other things came out of Brahman, all are reflection of each other, thus manifesting same Brahman, and native may attain moksh by following any pathway) is hallmark of Sanatan Dharm.
Brahman Theory of Sanatan Dharm
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Greatest achievement of our Rushis was to entwine this hallmarked pluralistic and decentralised Brahman concept in customary and ritualistic structure called as Sanatan Dharm. It is best example of how an idea/concept is turned in to perpetual, nondestructive, self energised, self correcting society. It carries long history of changes and in its current form called as Hinduism.
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There is a story in Shiv Mahapuran. Shiv asked Vishnu and Brahma to find extreme ends of a Shivling. Brahma went upward and Vishnu downward. Brahma convinced Kevda to testify to Shiv that he did reach and saw Shivling’s top end. Story ends with Shiv cursing Kevda that it will never adore Shivling and to Brahma that his status will be lower than Vishnu. As Shivling, which manifest Shiv/Brahman, is anadi, anant, so the Hinduism is. This story defined anadi (without origin), kalatit (timeless), anant (endless) nature of Brahman: A Sanatan nature. That’s why Dharm founded on Brahman philosophy called Sanatan Dharm because, as Brahman is Sanatan so the Dharm is also Sanatan.
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Literature, music, dance, rituals, Varnas etc are analogous to individual trunks and Hinduisms is analogous to whole banyan tree. Literature, music, dance, rituals, varnas are inseparable from Hinduism, are reflection of each other, manifest same whole Hinduism. When destruction of individual trunk won’t destroy whole banyan tree so destruction of either literature, music, dance, ritual, varnas won’t destroy whole Hinduism. This is the reason why Hinduism has survived so many invasion.
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As in banyan tree, after some time you won’t find original trunk and how far this ecosystem will spread, same way you will never find origin of Sanatan Dharm. It will be perpetuating, eliminating hurdles, accommodating changes, self correcting, self energising such as banyan tree grows stronger. You will never know its origin, you will never know where it is expanding. It represent as anadi, kalatit, and anant nature of Brahman and Hinduism.
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Muslim invaders destroyed temples, burnt scriptures, converted some people, destroyed universities, but they were reflected parts of whole Hinduism not whole Hinduism itself. Hinduism existing in pluralistic form is the reason of its survival. That is why it is said a single surviving Hindu has capacity to revive entire Hinduism because that survived fraction is Hinduism itself.
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State sponsored faiths such as Buddhism, Jainism and other isms came and wither away but Hinduism is still standing tall because of its pluralistic, decentralized, accommodativeness, unharming, ecological approach.
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Moksh can be achieved through following either of path. This is why dancing, singing, playing music are form of Bhakti leading to moksh because they are forms of Brahman. Devdasis actually practiced Moksh through dance and submission. Thus, Devdasis were Yogis. But unfortunately, due to corrupt practices, they were turned in to sex work. Above all, British with their colonial mindset, termed Devdasi as oppression of women.
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Brahman balances between Dev and Danav. Good and evil both are inseparable from each other, both manifest Brahman because creation of Brahman. They are complement of each other and hence balance between both should be maintained. Sometime Dev dominates sometime Danav dominates but none has permanent reign. This is called inclusivism which means either of both don’t have independent existence, both are complement and necessary for balance in nature.
Jyotish
It is out of the scope of human to find when time begun. As Brahman is anadi, kalatit, and anant, so the time is. Planets are moving since time immemorial. As we can’t physically see Brahman but can infer its presence, so we can’t see time but we can infer its presence through planetary motion e.g. Sun dial was used to measure time in ancient time. Particular combination of planetary placement is unique in this infinite time space. A Jiv may have done some karm in previous birth. Current birth at particular planetary placement is result of karm done in previous life. Chart showing such planetary positions is known as Kundli. Jyotish is a shastr used to decode karmic message hidden inside kundli. Thus, Kundli is a code book and Jyotish is a technique resembling how to decode karmic message entwined in planetary placement at birth. Kundli analysis rests on three principles; varg charts, dasha, and gochar. Parashari, Jaimini, Chandrakala Naadi, Sukra Naadi, Brugu Naadi, Saptarishi Naadi, Krushnamurty Paddhati(KP) etc are various methods to analyze varg charts. Vinshottari, Char, Sthir, Nakshatra, Astottari, Yogini, Kalchakra etc are available dashas. Previous birth karm are captured in Kundli while karm accumulated after birth until this moment in time are manifested through Gochar.
Planets, signs, and constellations are assigned with some significance and characteristics. Signs and constellations are fixed while planets are moving. Each sign signifies particular attribute of personality e.g. impulsive, stubborn, fickle, fluctuating, pride, analytical, judgmental, secretive, spirituality, organizing, altruism, sympathy. Similarly, constellations are assigned with particular personality attribute. Planet having particular characteristic, placed in particular sign, will beget particular personality to native. This interpretation will help native to understand who he/she is, his/her positive and negative points, his her strength and weakness. In Phalit Jyotish (predictive astrology), celestial sphere divided in twelve equal divisions known as houses. Each house signifies particular physical event e.g. physique, wealth, sibling, property, progeny, diseases, marriage, death, administration, employment, gain, loss. A particular sign and planet placed in particular house will help native to understand what material event is going to happen in his/her life. Dasha and gochar will help native to predict when event will trigger.
Conclusion
It is pluralistic because different methods such as Palmistry, Numerology, Parashari, Jaimini, Naadi, KP, Vinshottari, Char, Kalchakra etc are available. It is decentralized because none of the literature prescribe a single technique authoritative in Jyotish. All are equally capable. Whatever technique is followed, ultimate objective of all the techniques is to understand native for better personal spiritual enlightenment. All these features are similar to Brahman explaned above: Brahman exist in multiple forms, there is no central Brahman, whether Gnayyog, Rajyog, Bhaktiyog, Karmyog, whatever path native follow, it leads native to Moksh. Jyotish possesses all the features of Brahman thus it is Shastr, an intrinsic feature of Sanatan Dharm.
Reference
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https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGQElwzyJxtyIVCL6jZnIkpT0Vk8MDJJP.
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Malhotra, Rajiv “Indra’s Net”, Harper and Collins.