The hoax called Vedic Rashichakra and Vedic astrology!

Almost everybody is surprised as to why there are no Rashis (astrological signs) in the Vedas. It is really an interesting (even an intriguing!) question as to why our Rishis did not actually “discover” or “invent” a Rashichakra --- either sayana or so called nirayana! This question has vast ramifications especially since “Vedic astrology” is being proposed to be introduced in Indian universities as a core subject and any predictive astrology, whether “Vedic” or “non-Vedic” (even “anti-Vedic”!) is meaningless and useless without Rashis (astrological signs)! We must therefore analyse this vexatious question thoroughly.

Let us put it this way. There are innumerable references to “nakshatras” i.e. constellations (and not asterisms) in the Vedas. We also find the names of Madhu etc. months starting with the Vernal Equinox (Vishuvan) in the Vedas. There are, however, no “Rashis” (“signs”) like Mesha, Vrisha etc.---whether sayana or so called nirayana--- in them. So why did the Rishis not name those months as Mesha etc. rashis simultaneously as is done these days, at least by Western astronomers, who follow a seasonal year/calendar, just like the Vedic Rishis did, and name those months as Aries, Taurus etc.? Believe me, however, our Rishis were geniuses not to have “invented” or “discovered” a Rashichakra - either Sayana or so-called nirayana! And there is absolutely no reason to be ashamed about their being geniuses, whatever our “Vedic Jyotishis” may say ! Let me explain it in a detailed manner and with examples:

First of all, we must put the records straight here. No real astronomer the world over indicates any names of Rashis like Aries (Mesha) etc. If you take any ephemeris or almanac published by any observatory of the globe, you will not find the names of Rashis therein. Longitudes of planets etc. are given in Right Ascension and Declination or in degrees, minutes and seconds of arc, ranging from zero to 360 degrees in all the ephemeredes of international observatories including the Indian Astronomical Ephemeris published by Positional Astronomy Centre, Calcutta. Therefore, it is only astrologers who are “affixing” the names like Mesha etc. to the so-called Rashis. Thus, at least on this count, our Vedic Rishis were on an equal--if not a higher-- pedestal with today’s astronomers!

As per Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s ORION, a solar year is said to have started in the early (Rig-)Vedic period from Uttarayana—Winter Solstice. It was also the start of the Vedic month Tapah. Now let us suppose that the Vedic Rishis had superimposed any Rashi on that Tapah month, the question arises as to what type of a Rashichakra it could have been i.e. what could have been the nomenclature of those Rashis and what could be their “characteristics”. Let us presume them to be Mesha, Vrishaba etc. as are prevalent these days. But then we have to understand the real meaning of these Rashis first. In fact, they are just Sanskrit equivalents of the Greek names of constellations like Aries, Taurus etc. Therefore, another set of questions arises as to whether those Rashis should have been related to the constellations of similar names in any way or not.

Uttarayana vis-à-vis Makar Sankranti and the Precession of Equinoxes:To solve the mystery of the “missing Rashis in the Vedas”, we have to understand

the phenomenon of Precession of Equinoxes first. We shall therefore try to explain it in as non-technical a manner as possible.

We know that the “Mother Earth” has an equator---an imaginary line equidistant from its north and south poles thus dividing the earth into two equal hemispheres. We calculate terrestrial latitudes of places North or South from the same. When we project this very equator to heavens, it becomes a Great Circle called Celestial Equator. It can also be said thus that the Celestial Equator is parallel to the terrestrial Equator. Instead of geographical latitudes, we measure declinations of planets etc. from that equator. There is also another Great Circle known as ecliptic, the actual path of revolution of the earth and planets around the sun. From it are measured the latitudes North or South of planets. As the Earth/Sun keep on always travelling via the “centre” of the Ecliptic that is why the earth’s latitude is always zero for all practical purposes.

These two “circles”, the Celestial Equator and Ecliptic, are neither concentric nor at right angles to one another. On the other hand, Ecliptic is inclined to the Equator at

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an angle of about 23°.5. This is known as Obliquity of the Ecliptic. It is directly responsible for the declination of planets since as we know by now, declination is another name of distance of planets or luminaries etc. north or south from the equator. For the earth/sun, whose latitude is zero, it cannot exceed the maximum obliquity of the Ecliptic. For other planets, with latitudes (distance above or below the ecliptic) more or less than zero, declinations can be more than the maximum obliquity of the ecliptic.

The Celestial Equator cuts the Ecliptic at two points and every year the sun (actually the earth) joins this point on two occasions. They are known as Vernal and Autumn Equinoxes --- when the days and nights are equal throughout the world. The earth is not a complete sphere but a spheroid with the polar axis being shorter than the equatorial axis by about 43 kms. (27 miles). Therefore, because of the gravitational effects of the sun and planets, especially the Moon, on the earth, which keep on pulling on its equatorial bulge, earth has a “different” equator every year. Since it is that very equator that becomes celestial equator when projected to the heavens, we can say that it is actually a “different” Equator that cuts the ecliptic at a different point every year. The “movement” of the ecliptic is very slow – about 47 arc-seconds a century. Thus every year there is a new “Vernal” and “Autumnal” Equinox. The best way to understand Precession is to explain it with a diagram:

In the above diagram, the circle Eq1 is the equator on the first of January 1, 2003.

Let us say it cut the ecliptic, when the sun (actually the earth) also joined it, on the point V1. The date was March 22, 2003. The sun had then a longitude of zero degrees, latitude of zero degrees and declination as well Right Ascension of zero degrees. It was thus the Vernal Equinox of 2003. This is also known as the First point of Aries. From this point the longitudes and Right Ascension of planets etc. are measured. At the end of the year, however, the Equator Eq1 will have undergone a “metamorphosis” because of the gravitational effects and it then becomes Eq.2, the “new equator”. It will cut the ecliptic at a different point and when the sun (actually the earth) also joins that point it will be the Vernal Equinox of 2004, around March 21, 2004, named V2. We can thus say that Equinox V1 has precessed to the position V2 during one year. This is what is meant by Precession of Equinoxes. It has to be noted here that all the observatories the world over

Ecliptic

OE

V1 Eq1 Eq 2 V2

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will measure the longitudes and Right Ascension of planets for the year 2004 from this new Vernal Equinox i.e. the First Point of Aries. Similarly, declinations North or South for 2004 will be measured from the new Equator i.e. V2.

Precession and Solstices:We know that there are two more cardinal points in the phenomenon of seasons. They are formed when the sun (the earth) during its sojourn through the Ecliptic reaches a point which is at the maximum distance of north from the Equator. The sun has the maximum declination of North (whereas the earth has the maximum declination of South) then and it starts “coming down” and “turning” to south (and the earth towards North). That is why it is known as Dakshinayana viz. Summer Solstice when the day is the longest in northern hemisphere---around June 22 these days. Similarly, when the sun reaches the point on the ecliptic which has the maximum southern distance from the Equator (and the earth the maximum Northern Declination), it comes as if to a “halt” momentarily and starts going to North (and the earth towards South). it is known as Uttarayana --- Winter Solstice, when the day is the shortest---December 22 this year. When we say the Equinoxes are precessing, it is actually as if the whole Equator is precessing and therefore, even the Winter and Summer Solstices also are precessing. Our Vedic Rishis had made the month of Madhav start from Vernal Equinox and the month of Tapah from the Winter Solstice and so on since they had linked the months to seasons. We can thus say that the months Madhu, Madhava etc. also are precessing since all of them are linked to the four cardinal points viz. the two equinoxes and solstices.

The rate of precession in 2000 BC was about 49”.31, in 1 AD it was about 49”.84 and presently it is about 50”.28 per year. Thus the point V1 will have precessed to V2 by about 50.28 seconds of arc between 2003 and 2004. As we can judge from the diagram, when the sun (actually the earth) reaches V2, it will have to travel a distance of about 50”.28 less than if the VE1 had remained “fixed”, like a “Fixed Star”. The sun travels about one degree (3600 seconds of arc) in a day i.e. 24X60 = 1440 minutes. It means the distance of the precession of 50.28 seconds of arc will be covered in a lesser time of about (1440/3600)X50.28 = 20.11 minutes approximately than the “fixed” equinox. That is why we say that the tropical year – distance covered by the sun/earth from one Vernal Equinox to another Vernal Equinox – is shorter than the sidereal year – distance covered by the sun from a Fixed Star to the same star again---by about 20 minutes. A simple mathematical calculation tells us that at the present rate of precession, it will be about 71.6 years when one degree of precession will be the difference whereas in 2000 BC it would have taken about 72.89 years for a degree of precession. We can thus safely say that on an average, during the last few thousand years, the Equinoxes and solstices etc. precessed at an average rate of about 1 degree every 72 years. Constellations vis-à-vis Precession:

The precession of equinoxes/solstices is always vis-à-vis the constellational belt, i.e. against the background of a particular constellation at a particular point of time. For example, when we want to find out the position of the Vernal Equinox or Winter Solstice etc. say at the time of Shatapatha Brahmana, which was about 3000 BC, we cannot just pin it against a void! We must have some “area”-–some canvas---where and against which we can position/locate it! e.g., when we want to “find” Delhi, we have to say, “It is in India, which is a part of Asia”! Similarly, to find the position of the Vernal Equinox etc. astronomers have taken the background Constellations as the canvass. Thus when Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak said in his “Orion” that in 3000 BC the Vernal Equinox was in the Constellation of Krittikas, he was talking of those very Constellations. Constellations as per modern astronomy:

There are actually about 88 Constellations as per modern astronomy out of which thirteen (fourteen including Ceti i.e. Cetus meaning a “Whale”) are the major ones of the zodiac i.e. the constellational belt “hovering” around the ecliptic. These constellations were given their names because of their resemblance to some particular figure e.g. when Lokamanya Tilak referred to ORION as the “Hunter” it was only because it had resembled that figure in the hoary past and does so even today to some extent. Similarly, Aries resembled a ram; Taurus a bull and so on. Though these days most of these “Bulls” and “Rams” have lost their resemblance with their original nomenclatures, however, they are still known by those very names. And that is absurd, to say the least! Out of the 13/14

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prominent constellations, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces are the twelve constellations that comprised the zodiac initially as per the Chaldean, later Greek and still later Western astrologers. They called them “signs”. Hindu astrologers know these very “signs” by the names of twelve Rashis viz. Mesha, Vrishab, Mithun, Karkat, Simha, Kanya, Tula, Vrischik, Dhanu, Makar, Kumbha and Mina respectively in that order. In fact, “Hindu” names of Rashis are just the equivalents of their Chaldean/Greek names. There is also a thirteenth constellation of the zodiac by the name of Ophiuchus and a fourteenth by the name of Cetus, but these are neither recognized by Western nor by Eastern astrologers.

We must have some “coordinates” to measure the “distances” or “longitudes” of these constellations as well. There are no starting or ending demarcation lines described in the Vedas for these constellations. e.g. they do not tell us as to when “Apbharni” ends and “Krittikas” start or vice-versa. However, International Astronomical Union has given the boundaries of these constellations in Right Ascension and Declination etc. as per the Vernal Equinox of 1930, which are naturally slightly different from the ones given earlier as per 1875 equinox. These revised boundaries, when translated to the Vernal Equinox of 2004 AD, lead to their longitudes as given in the last but one column of the below table.

Indian Institute of Astrophysics has this to say in its website about the IAU list of constellations, “The definitive list of 88 constellations was established in 1930, under the authority of the International Astronomical Union. Its rectilinear constellation boundaries preserve the traditional arrangements of naked eye stars. The standard boundaries define an unambiguous constellation for each star.

‘Nevertheless, it has to be admitted that the constellations that we have today, are neither logical nor convenient. The largest constellation Hydra covers 1303 square degrees of the sky; the smallest, Cruz, only 68 square degrees. Centaurus includes 49 stars above the fifth magnitude, while Mensa does not have even one. However, the patterns are now well established that it is unlikely that they will be altered.”

A Brief History of Constellationsunambiguous constellation for each star.Constellations of the Ecliptic / Signs of the Zodiacconstellation deg Time (Days) enter astrological Vernal Eq.Aries 24.6 25 18 Apr 21 Mar 1865 BCTaurus 36.8 37 14 May 20 Apr 4539 BCOrion (1) 18-20 JunGemini 27.7 28 21 Jun 21 MaySolstice 21 JunCancer 20.1 20 20 Jul 22 JunLeo 35.7 36 10 Aug 23 JulSextans (2) 3 SepVirgo 44.1 45 16 Sep 23 Augequinox 22 SepLibra 23.1 23 31 Oct 23 SepScorpio 6.4 6 23 Nov 24 Oct 9876 ADOphiuchus 18.9 19 29 Nov 8598 ADSagittarius 33.4 34 17 Dec 22 Nov 6271 ADsolstice 21 DecCapricornus 28.1 29 19 Jan 22 Dec 4312 ADAquarius 23.8 24 16 Feb 20 Jan 2597 ADPisces 37.2 38 12 Mar 19 Feb 68 BC

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equinox 20 MarCetus (3) 27 Mar

Table showing the starting dates of Vedic months vis-à-vis Surya Siddhnta, Lahiri, Raman, Cyril Fagan, Grahalaghava, Revati & “O. C. Ayanmsha” as compared to actual constellationsS. N.

Vedic month

Season Sankr-anti

Eng nam

Vedic/ S.Sidh

Lahiri date

Raman date

Fagan date

GrahaLagh

Tilak/ Revti

OC-Ay. Date

ConstellationalLongitude Date

1 Madhav Vasant Mesh Arie Mar 21 Apr 14 Apr 12 Apr 15 Apr 15 Apr10 Apr 19 31.0 Apr 212 Shukra Grishm Vrish Tau Apr 20 May 15 May 13 May16 May 16 May11 May 20 53.5 May 153 Shuchi Grishm Mithu Ge May 21 Jun 15 Jun 14 Jun 16 Jun 16 Jun 11 Jun 21 90.0 Jun 224 Nabhah Varsha Karka Can Jun 22 Jul 17 July 15 Jul 18 Jul 17 Jul 12 Jul 22 117.5 July 215 Nabhas Varsha Simha Leo July 23 Aug 17 Aug 15 Aug18 Aug18 Aug13 Aug 22 136.5 Aug 106 Isha Sharat Kanya Vir Aug 23 Sep 17 Sep 15 Sep 18 Sep18 Sep13 Sep 22 172.0 Sep 157 Urja Sharat Tula Libr Sep 23 Oct 17 Oct 16 Oct 18 Oct 18 Oct13 Oct 23 217.5 Oct 308 Sahas Hemant Vrisch Sco Oct 24 Nov 16 Nov 15 Nov17 Nov17 Nov12 Nov 22 239.5 Nov 229 Ophiuchus (Serpent Bearer) It has not been accounted for in any Rashichakra 248.0 Dec 110 Sahasy Hemant Dhanu Sagi Nov 22 Dec 16 Dec15 Dec 17 Dec 17 Dec 12 Dec 21 266.5 Dec 1911 Tapah Shishir Makar Cap Dec 22 Jan 14 Jan 13 Jan 15 Jan 15 Jan 10 Jan 19 299.0 Jan 2012 Tapas Shishir Kumb Aqu Jan 20 Feb 13 Feb 11 Feb 14 Feb 14 Feb 9 Feb 18 326.0 Feb 1513 Madhu Vasant Mina Pis Feb 19 Mar 15 Mar 13 Mar 15 Mar 15 Mar 11 Mar 20 357.5 Mar 18

(We have not included Cetus deliberately since it is not very prominent yet!)Even a cursory glance at the above table shows that the constellations are of

irregular dimensions instead of being of say 30 or 40 degrees each. But then we must not forget that these constellations are “line of sight effects” --- they are not of the actual shape of a ram or bull! They are just like clouds assuming the shapes of a bull or a ram etc. instead of actually becoming a bull or ram etc.! The only difference is that the clouds assuming those shapes are transitory phenomena whereas the constellations look like those resemblances for a long time. Even if the constellations had been in actual shapes of “rams” and “bulls” and “crabs” and “scales” etc., it would have been “unwise” for us to presume that they would have been of equal size! As we know, “a pitcher (Aquarius)” cannot be equal in size (nor in weight, for that matter!) to a “bull” (Taurus), nor can a “Crab” (Cancer) be equal to a “Virgin” (Virgo), least of all can a “Scorpion” (Scorpio) be equal to an “Archer” (Sagittarius) and so on. Similarly, to say that “Scales” (Libra) are equal to “Crocodile/Goat” (Capricorn) would be “silly” on our part, and I am sure that is the last “adjective” anyone would like to reserve for himself/herself! In fact, Mother Nature does not like symmetry at all since may be that is a sign of “stagnation”. E.g. years – whether tropical or sidereal or anomalistic or Eclipse or synodic are never a whole number of days – nay even hours--- they are always in fractions!Same is the case with lunar months whether sidereal or synodic or anomalistic—they also have a fraction of days---nay even hours! For that matter, hardly two days in a year have actual 24 mean solar hours---when the days and nights are equal---since all other days are either less or more than 24 hours! Similarly, no season has complete 60 or 90 days – some have more and others less. Even the mean daily motion of none of the planets, least of all the Moon, is a whole number of degrees, nay even seconds of arc! It is in fractions of arc-seconds!

So naturally, Nature does not believe in making exceptions --- at least in the case of making constellations of equal size! Even if she had obliged us by doing so, then the constellations of the zodiac would have to be divided into at least twenty eight parts as that is the number of asterisms/nakshatras that can be said to have been “recognized” by the Vedas---and their actual longitudes are much different from the “nakshatras” that we are aware of. Similarly, even for “astrological purposes” there are at least thirteen---instead of twelve--- prominent “constellations” (Rashis) since they include Ophiuchus also (It has been translated as “Nagadhari” --- Serpent Bearer---in India! Thus the zodiac---including the 360° ecliptic---would have to be divided into at least thirteen equal parts and not twelve! It is therefore clear that astrologers have divided the zodiac into twelve (instead of thirteen, by excluding Ophiuchus) equal divisions for their computational ease just as “Hindu astrologers” divided it into 27 (instead of 28, by excluding Abhijit) nakshatra divisions of equal lengths! It makes no difference to Mother

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Nature as to what nomenclature we give to those twelve equal divisions i.e., Rashis (Signs) or 27 divisions of nakshatras---whether they are the same as given to constellations or different, because those divisions are man-made!

The average rate of Precession:Astronomically, Vernal Equinox is actually the earth’s node, just as we have got

nodes of all the other planets. We are however more familiar only with the Lunar nodes, known as Rahu (North Node) and Kethu (South Node) in Indian astrology/astronomy. These nodes have always a retrograde motion and that is why we find them entering a Rashi which is previous to the one from which they exit. Same is the case with Equinoxes etc. They regress into previous constellations instead of advancing into the next one.

Astronomical calculations tell us that the Vernal Equinox (First Point of Aries) is these days taking place about 29°.5 away from the rim of the Constellation Aries. As an alternative we can say that Aries Constellation --- the starting point ---is 29°.5 away from the Vernal Equinox of today---it means virtually the same thing. It ranges from 29°.5 to 53°.5. We know that the rate of precession is about 1° per 72 years. Hence it would have taken 72X29.5 =2124 years for the Vernal Equinox to have regressed from the Constellation Aries to the present position. The current year 2003 minus 2124=-121. It means that the VE left the Constellation Aries in about 122 BC. Since the rate of precession does not remain constant and since the Ecliptic also undergoes some digression, the actual date of conjunction of Vernal Equinox with the First Point of Aries has been worked out by astronomers to be 68 BC. (Jean Meeus – Morsels of Astronomy, published by Willman-Bell, USA. Page No.304) It was the last year when the VE was conjunct Aries constellation---hence its name as the First Point of Aries and it entered Pisces then. It should have been changed ages back, but somehow it has not been!

We know (from the above Table) that the constellation Aries ranges between 29.°5 and 53°.5. Thus if we want to find out as to when the Vernal Equinox had entered that constellation, we can say that it was 53°.5X72=3852 years earlier from today i.e. 2003 minus 3852 = -1849 i.e. 1850 BC. Jean Meeus has given the actual date of that entry as 1865 BC.

When did the “Vedic” and “Anti-Vedic” zodiacs coincide? And what is the “only correct (OC)” Ayanamsha?

We often hear “Vedic astrologers” talking about the “two zodiacs” “having coincided some time in the past”. As we have seen in our other articles and as is evident from the present discussion, it is clear that there is but one zodiac. What these astrologers are actually trying to say is that they want to find out as to when the First Point of Aries was actually conjunct the first point of Constellation Aries. It was thus actually neither 285 AD (Lahiri), nor 390 AD (Raman) nor 444 Shaka (Grahalaghava) nor 496 Shaka (Revati Paksha/Tilak Panchang) etc but 68 BC. As these “Vedic astrologers” call the so called nirayana zodiac as the “Vedic zodiac” it means all other zodiacs are “non-Vedic i.e. anti-Vedic”. They can thus claim that the “two zodiacs i.e. Vedic and anti Vedic zodiacs coincided in 68 BC”.

Precession since then till January 1, 2000 AD has been 29° 0’ 13”.2. As it is this very precession of “the First Point of Aries” viz. Vernal Equinox from the “Aries” Constellation that these “Vedic Astrologers” call Ayanamsha, they must adopt this as the only Correct Ayanamsha (OC) --- though actually there is no Ayanamsha whatsoever!

Surprisingly, a cursory glance at the table will also reveal that the seasonal i.e. Vedic months are behind by almost exactly one month from even the so called sidereal zodiac months if we take the actual astronomical so called ayanamsha of the First Point of Aries!

Solstices vis-à-vis Constellations:Since the Winter Solstice is always behind the VE by 90°, we can say that it (WS)

was then (in 68 BC) taking place in 29.5 minus 90 =-60°.5 i.e. 299°.5. The constellation of Sagittarius ends i.e. starts in the reverse order from 300°. It would have thus taken about 36 years prior to 68 BC for the WS to have entered that constellation. It should have remained in Capricorn till about 68+36=104 BC. It (WS) had actually left that

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constellation in 131 BC when it entered Sagittarius. It will remain there for about (300 minus 267 = 33 X72=) 2376 years from 131 BC., that is till about 2245 AD. Actually, it will leave Sagittarius constellation in 2269 AD, when it will enter Ophiuchus, a constellation without any equivalent in astrology!

“Fortuitous circumstances” of matching of constellations with signs!Autumn (September) Equinox is always 180 degrees ahead (or behind!) of Vernal

Equinox. In 68 BC it was therefore in 29°.5+180°=209°.5. Libra ranges from 174°.5 to 218°. It had left that Constellation in 730 BC and entered Virgo where it will remain till about 2439 AD when it will enter Leo. Similarly Summer Solstice was then (in 68 BC) having a longitude of (29°.5 + 90°=) 119°.5 and was in Cancer and almost on the verge of entering Gemini, which it did in 11 BC. It is thus clear that in about first century BC/AD, both the solstices and the Vernal equinox were fortuitously in the constellations of respective signs. That is why Jean Meeus has said on page 303 of his “Mathematical Astronomy Morsels”, “Two thousand years ago the constellations and signs did match approximately, but in fact exact coincidence can never occur. The reason is obvious. While by definition each sign is 30 degrees long, the actual constellations occupy different lengths along the ecliptic….Thus it is clear that no exact instant can be quoted when signs and constellations would have coincided”.

When will the “Aquarian Age” start? We hear a lot these days about Aquarian Age being just to start. What does it actually mean? We know the Vernal Equinox is passing through Pisces constellation from 68 BC. Pisces Constellation ranges from 350°.5 to 29°.5. It will remain in that constellation for (29°.5 minus 350.5=-321 which is equal to 360 minus 321 i.e. 39X72=) 2808 years from 68 BC or 2741 AD. However, as per precise astronomical calculations, the Vernal Equinox will enter the constellation of Aquarius in 2597 AD. (Jean Meeus Mathematical Morsels of Astronomy page 304). That is exactly when the Aquarian Age will begin.

Rashis, Nakshatras and constellations:Subhash Kak, in his article “Babylonian and Indian Astronomy --- Early

Connections” has said on page 5 “nakshatras stand for stars, asterisms and segments of ecliptic”. Further, he has listed on page 6 of the same article, twenty-eight Vedic nakshatras (including Abhijit) starting from Krittika and ending at Apabharni. On the same page he says, ”…each nakshatra corresponding to 13 1/3°”. Let us analyse the veracity of all these statements in the light of other asseverations made by Subhash Kak himself in that very article.

According to him, “Krittika is the Pleiades”. As we know, Pleiades is actually a “cluster” of the Greek constellation Taurus known as Vrishab Rashi in India. As we have seen in the above Table and also in our article on nakshatras, this (Taurus) constellation itself ranges from 53°.5 to 91° which means it has a span of 37°.5. In spite of the same, Pleiades cluster has an apparent dimension of 110 arc-minutes -- less than 2 degrees! So how can Krittika nakshatra have a span of 13° 20’ if it is just another name of Pleiades! On the same page he says Alpha Orionis is the star of Ardra nakshatra but whether nirayana or sayana, this star does not fall in that nakshtra at all as we have seen in our article on “nakshatras”. He has listed Alpha and Beta Geminorum as the stars of the next nakshatra viz. Punarvasu but the distance of these stars and Alpha Orionis is more than 24° instead of 13°-20’!

To make the confusion worst confounded he has himself associated just one star with Jyeshtha but as many as six stars in Magha! It is going to be a really overpopulated affair with so many stars in one nakshatra of 13°-20’ and very sparse population of another nakshatra which is populated by just one star!

Some “important stars” of the equal division listed by Subhash Kak are also “unequal”! We give below the details of stars listed by him as “mileposts” of the nakshatra divisions. Surprisingly, very few, if any, of these stars “fit” into the respective nakshatra division.

It has also to be noted that all the star-names given by Subhahs Kak have Greek alphabets since there is no Star Catalogue of Indian origin of yore!

Positions of Stars vis-à-vis nakshatra divisions as on July 2, 1985

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No Nakshatras with their longitudes and also their respective Rashis

Junction Star Star name Star name Star nameSayana & Lahiri longitude

Sayana & Lahiri longitude

Sayana / Lahiri longitude

Sayana /Lahiri longitude

1 Krittika (26-40 to 40-00 Eta Tauri 59-56 Though Subhash Kak has listed the entire cluster of

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Mesha 26-40 to Vri 10-00 36-08 2 Rohini (40-0 to 53-20 Alpha Tau 69-44

Vrisha 10-00 to 23-20 45-563 Mrig. (53-20 to 66-40 Lam.Orion 83-39

Vrisha 23-30 to Mith 6-40 59-514 Ardra (66-40 to 80-00 Al.Orion 88-42 The distance between Alpha Orionis and the next star

Alpha Geminorium is 22°! Mithuna 6-40 to 20-00 (Mrig.) 64-545 Punarvasu (80-0 to 93-20 Al. Gemi 110-11 Be. Gem 113-09

Mithu 20-00 to Kark 3-00 86-23 89-226 Pushya(93-20 to106-40 Beta Can 124-12 Ga Cancr 127-29 DelCan128-40 Al Can133-35

Karkat 3-00 to 16-40 100-24 103-41 104-52 109-477 Ashle(106-40 to 120-00 Ep.Hydra 132-17 Zeta Hy. 134-39 DeltaHy138-15

Karka 16-40 to Simha 0-0 108-30 110-51 114-278 Magha (120-0 to133-20 Ep.Leon140-39 Zeta Leo.147-30 EtaLeo 147-51 Al.Leon149-46

Simha 00-00 to 13-20 Ashl/Karka 116-51 123-43 124-03 125-589 P.Phal (133-20 to 146-40 De.Leonis161-15 Theta Leo163-22

Simh13-20 to 26-40 137-28 139-3410 U.Phal(146-40 to160-0 93Leoni168-55 Be.Leonis171-33

Simha26-40to Kanya10-0 (P.Phal)145-07 147-4611 Hasta (160-0 to173-20 Ga. Corvi 190-40 Ep.Corvi 191-36 De.Cor 193-23 BeCor197-18

Kanya 10-0 to 23-20 166-52 167-49 169-36 (Chitra) 173-3112 Chitra (173-20 to186-40 Al.Virgi.203-47 Ironically, the main pillar of Chitrawallas has regressed to Kanya from Tula!

What a tragedy for them!Kanya 23-20 to Tula 6-40 179-5913 Swati (186-40 to200-0 Al.Booti204-10

Tula 6-40 to 20-00 (Chitra)180-2314 Visha(200-0to213-20 Al.Librae 225-01 Beta Lib 229-19 SigmaLi230-37

Tula 20-0 to Vrischik 3-20 201-14 205-31 206-4915 Anura(213-20 to226-40 De Scorp 242-31 Pi Scorpii 242-53 Beta Sc243-08

Vrischik 3-20 to 16-40 218-43 219-05 219-2016 Jyeshth(226-40 to240-0 Alp Sco 249-42

Vrisc. 16-40 to Dhanu 0-0 (Anuradha)225-5417 Mula (240-0 to253-20 Ep. Scorpii 255-16 Nu.Scorpi263-57 La.Scor264-31

Dhanu 00-00 to 13-20 (Vri/Jyesh) 231-29 240-09 240-4418 P Ash(253-20 to266-40 De.Sagi.274-31 Ep. Sagit 275-01

Dhanu 13-20 to 26-40 (Mula) 250-43 251-1319 U Ash(266-40 to280-0 Sigma Sa. 282-19 Zeta Sag.i. 283-23 No star in

U.AshadaDhan 26-40 to Makar10-0 (P.Ashada) 258-32 (P.Ashada) 259-36AA Abhijit(Vega/Alpha Lyrae) Al. Lyrae 285-15 Ironically, Subhash Kak says “This (Abhijit) name refers to a satisfactory

completion of the system of nakshatras”!(P.Ashada) 261-2820 Shrona(280-0 to 293-20 Al.Aquillae 301-43 Gama Aqu. 300-53 Beta Aqu.302-22 No star in

ShronaMakar 10-00 to 23-20 (U. Ashada)277-55 (U.Ashada) 277-05 (U.Asha)278-3421 Shravi(293-20 to 306-40) Be.Delphini 316-17 Alpha Del317-19 Delt Del 318-3 Ga Del.319-18

Makar23-20to Kumb 6-40 (Shrona) 292-29 293-31 294-16 295-3122 Shatabih(306-40to320-0 Lam.Aqua341-31 The distance between Beta Delphini and Lambda Aquarii is

more than 25 degrees!Kumba 6-40 to 20-00 317-4323 Proshtha.(320-0to 333-20 Al.Pegasi 353-25 Beta Pegasi359-18

Kumba 20-0 to Mina 3-20 329-38 (Shatabish) 335-3124 U.Prosh (333-20to346-40 Gama Pegasi 9-6 Alpha Andromda 014-14

Revati 350-27Mina 3-20 to 16-40 345-1825 Revati(346-40to360-00 Eta Piscium 26-46 Kak has also shown Alpha Piscium instead of Zeta Piscium as a star of Revati

but it is not listed in Indian Astro. Ephem.Mina 16-40 to Mesha 0-0 (Ashvini) 2-5826 Ashvayujau (0-0 to 13-20 BetaArietis33-54 Alpha Arietis 37-36

Mesha 00-00 to 13-20 10-07 (Bharani) 13-4827 Bharani (13-20 to26-40 35 Arietis 46-52 41 Arietis 48-08 Subhash Kak has also listed 39

Arieitis that is not in IAOMesha 13-20 to 26-40 23-05 24-21

Abhijit nakshatra cannot be wished away:To crown it all, Subhash Kak has clubbed Abhijit with Uttara Ashadha, though he

has said it in the same commentary, “The star (of Abhijit) is Vega, the brilliant Alpha Lyrae. This is the star that does not occur in the lists which have only 27 nakshatras in it”. However, the star of Uttara Ashadha has been listed as Alpha Sagittarii. These two

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stars fall in two different so called nakshatra divisions of 13° - 20’ each whether Sayana or so called nirayana!

It is also clear that just to fit in the nakshatras into only twenty-seven divisions, he is simply trying to wish away the inconvenient twenty-eighth division, though he has said on page 10 of the same article, “Maitrayani and Kathaka Samhitas and Atharvaveda contain lists with the 28 nakshatras”. And these are certainly Vedic texts! So we have in fact twenty-eight Vedic nakshatras instead of twenty-seven, however hard we try to obliterate Abhijit from our memory!

“Suryaprajnyapti” – the main astronomical work for making Jainese calendars, is a work of about 3rd century BC, and follows the same system of five year yuga as the Vedanga Jyotisha. However, this work also gives 28 nakshatras none equal with the other and the nakshatra-division started with Abhijit, unlike Krittika as in the Vedanga Jyotisha.

All the Sidhantas list twenty-eight nakshatra divisions:Surya Sidhanta VIII/2-4 lists twenty-eight nakshatras including Abhijit; so does

Brahmasphuta Sidhanta, Lallatantra and even the world famous Sidhanta Shiromani of Bhaskaracharya of 12th century AD lists twenty-eight nakshatras as per XVI/1-6. Our “neither-so-good nor-so-old” rather the worst culprit for spreading the “nirayana mayhem”, viz. Grahalaghava as per XI/1-2 also lists twenty-eight nakshatras!

All the real scholars also vouch for an unequal nakshatra division in the Vedas:In his magnificent work on nakshatras vis-à-vis the Vedas, viz “The Orion – or

Researches into the Antiquity of the Vedas”, Lokamanya Tilak has this to say on page 26, “The Vedic observations could not again be such as need any minute or detailed arithmetical operations. I shall therefore adopt for the present the simplest possible method of calculation---a method which may be easily understood and followed by any one, who can watch and observe the stars after the manner of the ancient priest. We shall assume that the zodiac was divided into 27 parts, not by compass but by means of the leading stars, which Prof. Max Muller rightly calls the milestones of the heavens. The Vedic priest, who ascertained the motion of the sun by observing with his unaided eye the nearest visible star, cannot be supposed to have followed a different method in making other celestial observations; and if so, we cannot assume that he was capable of recognizing and using for the purposes of observation any artificial divisions of the ecliptic on a mathematical principle, such as those which would result from the division of 360° of the zodiac into 27 equal parts, each part thus extending over 13° 20’ of the ecliptic. …When we therefore find it stated in the Vedic works that the sun was in the Krittika, it is more probable that the fixed asterism, and not the beginning of the artificial portion of the zodiac, was intended.”

Similarly, the main “pillar” of nirayana confusion viz. late N. C. Lahiri is very emphatic on page Xi of his Foreword to Popular Hindu Astronomy by Kali Nath Mukherji (1969- Calcutta) when he says, “In India the ecliptic stars were divided into 28 divisions even in the Vedic times. These are known as nakshatra divisions or lunar mansions. As these clusters of stars do not cover equal lengths of the ecliptic the original divisions were naturally of unequal length. We get a description of this unequal division in the work of Bhaskaracharya, who has stated that it was introduced by early sages (those like Garga)”.

Historical proofs also list twenty-eight and unequal nakshatra divisionsBesides, this is what Alberuni’s India says on page 89 of part II, “For Brahmagupta

says in the Uttara-Khandakhadyaka…’The measure of some stations exceeds the measure of the mean daily motion of the moon by one half. Accordingly their measure is 19° 45’ 52” 18”’. These are six stations, viz. Rohini, Punarvasu, Uttaraphalguni, Visakha, Utarshadha, Uttarabhadrapada. These together occupy the space of 118° 35’ 13” 48”’. Further six stations are short ones, each of them occupying less than the mean daily motion of the moon by one half. Accordingly, their measure is 6° 35’ 17” 26”’. These are Bharni, Ardra, Ashlesha, Svati, Jyeshtha, Satabhishaj. They together occupy the space of 39° 31’ 4” 36”’. Of the remaining fifteen stations, each occupies as much as the mean daily motion. Accordingly, it occupies the space of 13° 10’ 34” 52”’. They

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together occupy the space of 197° 38’ 43”. These three groups of stations together occupy the space of 355° 45’ 41” 24”’, the remainder of the complete circle is 4° 14’ 18” 36”’, and this is the space of Abhijit, the falling Eagle”. Not surprisingly, it is the same duration of nakshatras that has been given by N C Lahiri in his Preface to “Popular Hindu Astronomy”

In fact, this is thus the measure that had been advocated by Garga etc. Rishis in the hoary past and it had been reiterated by Bhaskaracharya as well. Here is the genesis: As per the Surya Sidhanta etc. the daily mean motion of the Moon is 13° 10’ 34” 52”’ i.e. 13° 10’ 34”.8666 which is almost equal to the daily mean motion of the Moon as per modern astronomy. Thus our Vedic Rishis were more akin to modern real astronomers than to today’s so called “Vedic astronomers” and like the real astronomers of today, they also had therefore envisaged an unequal division of the “constellations/lunar mansions”. It is only our overzealous “Vedic astrologers” who want us to close our eyes to the real facts and just go by the jugglery they are keeping before us!

Puranas also list an unequal division of 28 nakshatras:There are legends galore in the Puranas that the Moon spent more time

with “Rohini” i.e. Alpha Tauri than with other “wives” i.e. constellations. They complained to their father Daksha Prajapati who tried to persuade the Moon to spend equal time with all his wives. When the Moon did not pay heed to the admonishments of his father-in-law, the latter cursed him to wane permanently. However, on the pleadings of the other wives and the Moon promising to spend equal time with all the “wives”, the Moon was given a reprieve and the curse was ameliorated to waxing and waning!

It means clearly that the earlier constellations – nakshatra/rashi – divisions were of unequal length as otherwise there was absolutely no reason of the Moon “tarrying” in one constellation longer than in others---but later all of them were “made” of an equal length!

Vishnudharmottarapurana, which was held in great reverence in India as per Alberuni for deciding proper muhurtas etc. for its activities, and which is like an “agama” i.e. a “Veda” as per Bhaskaracharya, lists twenty eight nakshatras (including Abhijit) in Part III- Adhyaya 68, Shloka 6 and then again in Adhyaya 104 Shloka 87 of the same Part. There are other instances from other Puranas also.

So if someone is trying to “eliminate” the Abhijit constellation, he is just trying to achieve the impossible, which “wise men” never do!

Even equal divisions would have given unequal durations of nakshatras: Anyone knowing a bit of real astronomy (as compared to so called Vedic

astronomy, which is in fact pseudo-astronomy and therefore “Kaliyugi astronomy”!) will be surprised on the eagerness of these “Vedic astrologers” and “Vedic astronomers” to make each nakshatra division of 13°-20’, since even then the Moon would have to spend unequal time in all those “equal divisions”. We have seen that the average mean motion of Moon is 13.1763521472222 degrees which means it would cover 13° 20’ of each of the 27 nakshatras in 24 hrs 17m 9.357 s if its True Motion also remained the same. (It is to be noted here that even on the basis of daily mean motion, no nakshatra is covered in exactly one day of 24hours – what a “tragedy” for these “equal divisions nirayana Vedic scholars”!) However, as can be seen from any panchanga including the nirayana bible viz. Lahiri Panchanga for any year, this is not the case. E.g. even the geocentric Ardra nakshatra on June 2, 2003, ranged from 4-4 am to 6-6 am of June 3 i.e. 26 hrs 2 minutes but the same nakshatra prevailed from 14-29 on January 16 to 15-5 of January 17 i.e. 25hrs and 36 minutes only! Similar is the case with all the other nakshatras! The reasons is simple. The mean motion of any planet is an imaginary one, whereas the True motion is the actual one, which is almost always different from the Mean Motion and which keeps on changing depending on its distance from the Earth/Sun. For the information of these “Vedic astronomers” it must be mentioned here that the True Motion of the Moon varies from 11° 46’ to 15° 23’! (Another “tragedy” for Kaliyugi astrologers and astronomers, who would like everything to be “equal”!)

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“Ineffective Stars” in spite of the “best efforts” of “Vedic astronomers and astrlogers”! Because astronomically (whether Sidhantic or modern) and even astrologically (whether sayana or so called nirayana) zodiac is a belt extending 9° on either side of the ecliptic, we have seen in our separate article on Nakshatras that more than fifty per cent of these “prominent stars” known as “mileposts” have latitudes more than nine degrees north or south. Evidently, all this exercise of “Subhash Kak, Vamadeva, Parashara & Co.” is futile since if these stars are beyond the limits of zodiac how can they affect the “zodiacal clients”!

To sum up, contrary to all the Vedas and sidhantas etc., even if we take only 27 nakshatra divisions into account, these are not equal to one another nor are their stars equidistant either in longitude or latitude! Besides, most of these stars are of almost insignificant magnitudes and at distances quite far away, and with latitudes beyond the “range” of zodiac which means most of them could not have been seen by the naked eye. Fallacious theories of some scholars: Subhash Kak, on page 10 of his article “Babylonian and Indian Astronomy” has said , “There were two kinds of year in use. In one, the year was measured from one winter solstice to another; in the other, it was measured from one vernal equinox to another. Obviously, these years were solar and related to the seasons (tropical)”. However, he states further on the same page, “The year was divided into 12 months which were defined with respect to the nakshatras, and with respect to the movements of the moon.

“The Taittiriya Smhita (TS) (4.4.11) gives a list of solar months: Madhu, Madhava (Vasanta, Spring), Shukra, Shuchi (Grishma, Summer), Nabha, Nabhasya (Varsha, Rains), Isha and Urja (Sharad, autumn), Sahas and Sahasya (Hemanta , Winter) and Tapa and Tapasya (Shishir, Deep Winter)”.

Evidently, these months also are seasonal. In other words, Subhash Kak confirms himself that both the solar year and the solar months in the Vedas are seasonal and hence tropical! Further, on page 15 he has confirmed again that as per the Rigveda 1.25.8, Atharvaveda 1.3.3.8 and Taittriya Samhita 1.4.14 there are references to intercalary months, that is excess (13) lunar months in comparison to a solar year of 12 months. He says further on the same page that these intercalary months were named as samsarpa and amhaspati as per Taittiriya Samhita 1.4.14. Clearly, lunar months are also related to the seasonal i.e. tropical year and months as per the Vedas!

Then on page 18 he also confirms that as per Kaushitaki Brahman 19.3, Winter Solstice took place in the new moon of Magha (month), but as per Shatapatha Brahmana 2.1.2.3 it took place in the midpoint of Shravishtha (Danishtha) segment whereas the Summer Solstice was at the beginning of Magha (nakshatra). But as per the Vedanga (Yajur) Jyotisha 6-8, Winter Solstice was taking place in the beginning (and not midpoint) of Shravishtha and the Summer Solstice was taking place in the midpoint of Ashlesha (as against the beginning of Magha at the time of Maitrayani Brahmana Upanishada)!

In fact, on page 9 of the same article Subhash Kak has himself given a beautiful presentation of the different epochs when the Spring Equinox and Winter Solstice fell in the midpoints of different “nakshatras” of the so called equal division, and these are:No Nakshatras with their longitudes in

different Rashis (as per the so called sidereal zodiac of Subhash Kak besides “Vedic astrologers”)

Deity W.Solsti (so called Makar Sankranti)

Spring Equi (so called Mesha Sankranti)

Vedic month of V.Equi or W.Solsti

Actual Vedic lunar month

Subhash Kak’s Lunar month

1 Krittika (Mesha 26-40 to Vris10 Agni 2000 BC Madhav Vaishak Jyeshth 2 Rohini (Vrisha 10-0 to 23-20 Prajapati 3000 BC Madhav Vaishak Jyeshth3 Mrig. (Vrisha 23-20 to Mith 6-40 Soma 4000 BC Madhav Vaishak Jyeshth4 Ardra (Mithun 6-40 to 20-00 Rudra 5000 BC Madhav Vaishak Ashadh5 Punarvasu (Mi 20-0 to Kark 3-20 Aditi 6000 BC Madhav Vaishak Ashadh17 Mula (Dhanu 0-0 to 13-20 Pitarah 2000 AD Tapas Magha Paush18 Pu Asha (Dhanu13-20 to26-40 Apah 1000 AD Tapas Magha Paush19 Ut Asha (Dha26-40to Makar10-0 Vishvedev 0 AD Tapas Magha Pau/Ma20 Shrona (Makar10-0 to 23-20) Vishnnu 1000 BC Tapas Magha Magha21 Shravishth(Ma23-20 to Kumb6-40 Vasavah 2000 BC Tapas Magha Phalgun22 Shatabihishak(Kumb 6-40 to 20-0 Indra 3000 BC Tapas Magha Phalgun23 Proshth.(Kumb 20-0 to Mina 3-20 Aja Ekpad 4000 BC Tapas Magha Phalgun

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24 Uttarashad (Mina 3-20 to 16-40 Ahirbudhn 5000 BC 2000 AD Tap /Madh Mag/Vai Chai / Jye25 Revati (Min16-40 to Mesh 00-00 Pushan 6000 BC 1000 AD Tap/ Madh Mag/Vai Chai / Jye26 Ashvayujau (Mesha 0-0 to 13-20 Ashvinau 7000 BC 0 AD Tap/ Madh Mag/Vai Vai/Vai27 Apabharani (Mesha13-20to26-40 Yama 1000 BC Madhav Vaishak Jyeshth

(I have given in brackets the names of Rashis and their degrees that these nakshatras of equal division are supposed to cover these days. I have also added the names of the Vedic months that coincide with the Spring Equinox and/or Winter Solstice. The last column indicates the lunar months that would be prevailing as per Subhash Kak besides “Vedic astrologers” as these months are being linked to so called sidereal zodiac).

Uttarayana i.e. Winter Solstice (“Makar Sankranti”!) in Mesha Rashi, and Chaitra in Magha! Vishuvan i.e. Vernal Equinox, (“Mesha Sankranti”) in Karka Rashi and Ashadha in Vaishakha! Autumn Equinox (“Tula Sankranti”) in Makar Rashi and Dakshinayana i.e. Summer Solstice (“Karka Sankranti)” in Tula Rashi---madness without method!

Let us see the implications of all this “scholarly thesis”! Messrs “Subhash Kak, Vamadeva, Parashara & Co.” want us to believe that as per our Vedic Rishis, in 2000 BC “Mesha Sankranti” was taking place in Kritiika in Mesha Rashi but it was lunar Jyeshtha instead of the actual lunar Vaishakha! Prior to that, in 3000 BC the same “Mesha Sankranti” took place in Rohini in Mithuna Rashi but it was still the same lunar Jyeshtha instead of the real lunar Vaishakha! In 4000 BC “Mesha Sankranti” was in Mrigashara in Mithuna Rashi and still real Vaishakha was falling in Jyeshtha! Still earlier, in 5000 BC it was in Ardra nakshatra in Mithuna Rashi but the actual lunar Vaishakha was then in lunar Ashadha! To crown it all, thus, according to Kak himself, in 6000 BC “Mesha Sankranti” took place in Punarvasu nakshatra in Karkat Rashi --- in other words, the Spring Equinox coincided with the Summer Solstice – though in the meantime all these months had been actually known as Madhava as per all the Vedas since they are seasonal months! And as per all the shastras (besides, of course the real phenomenon of seasons!) the real lunar month was Vaishakha but like “Vedic astrologers” Messrs Subhash Kak & Company would be “enjoying” the “dog days” of Ashadha!!! Phew! What a scholarly presumption! What is all the more surprising is that these days, according to Subhash Kak himself, “Mesha Sankranti” is taking place in Uttarashada nakshatra in Mina Rashi, but still the Vedic name of the month is “Madhav” and therefore Vaishakha! Similarly, the Winter Solstice i.e. “Makar Sankranti” is taking place these days in Dhanu Rashi, though it is still named “Tapah” as per all the Vedas!

We have also seen that though in the Vedic period (Shatapatha Brahmana) the Vernal Equinox was located against the background of the Krittikas, the solar year began with the month of Madhava. If the Vedic Rishis had “invented/discovered” some nomenclature for this Rashchakra, it would have been Mesha rashi etc. since the months were seasonal i.e. tropical. However, if they had also related those rashis to nakshatras, it would have been Kritika, where the VE was located/starting then. In other words, Mesha Rashi would have started with Krittika nakshatra if actual constellation/nakshatras had to be taken into account. However, Subhash Kak wants us to believe that it was also the start of the month of Vaishakha and the sun was at the end of Asvini though in Vrishabha Rashi. His exact words on page 12 are, “The choice made in Figure 1, where Vaishakha begins with the sun in the ending segment of Asvini and the moon at the mid point of Svati is the most likely assignment as it bunches the Ashadhas and the Phalgunis in the right months, with the Prosthapadas three fourths correct and Shrona half-correct…..at worst we get a sequence of rashis which is out of step by one.”! In fact, Subhash Kak is quite off the mark here also because in 6000 BC, his “sequence of rashis is out of step” by three then instead of one. Thus he is prevaricating! Then on page 13 in his commentary to Figure 1, he says, “The 27-fold division of the ecliptic. The first rashi is Vrisha with the corresponding month of Vaishakha”.

As we have seen, Kak has himself confirmed that Vedic years are seasonal and their months are named as Madhu, Madhava etc. starting with Vasanta Sampat or Vernal Equinox (Madhav)! As per the Vedanga Jyotisha, Lunar New Year started with the New Moon immediately after the Winter Solstice – and it was known as Magha (lunar month), whereas the first New Moon after the Summer Solstice was known as Shravana (lunar month)! That itself means that in the later years, if at all the Rashis had been “invented”

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by our Vedic Rishis, when the year started with the VE instead of the Winter Solstice, the first month was no doubt Vaishakha, but the sun would still have been in Mesha and not Vrisha, though it was in Krittika constellation! The same mantra of Yajur Jyotisha also confirms that the sun was in so called “Tula” though it was in “Shravishtha” i.e. Dhanishtha! Simiarly, Subhash Kak has also confirmed that intercalary months were related to seasonal months as per the Vedas! How come he has just “forgotten” all these statements himself and made Vaishakha start with the sun in Krititka and therefore Vrishabha! As he has shown it himself, Vernal Equinox was taking place in Krittika, which means it was Mesha and not Vrisha Sankranti that was taking place in Krittas, if at all our Vedic Rishis had “invented” or “discovered” astrological Rashis then!

“Makara Sankranti” in “Mesha Rashi”!Now about Winter Solstice. As per the Vedanga Jyotisha, the lunar New Year

started with the first New Moon after Winter Solstice. We have just seen that the WS has entered Sagittarius constellation in 131 BC. We can say that it had to cover 28° of Capricorn Constellation, plus 24° of Aquarius Constellation plus 30° of Pisces constellation (Total 82°) to have entered Sagittarius constellation since it left Aries Constellation. Since the rate of Precession is about 1° per 72 years, it must have taken it 82 X 72 = 5804 years prior to 131 BC to have left Aries constellation! It is thus proved mathematically that instead of the Vernal Equinox it was the Winter solstice—Uttarayana---the shortest day of the year----that was taking place in “Aries” or “Mesha” Rashi in 6000 BC. This is what Subhash Kak has himself confirmed as per the above Table. It means automatically that Tapah month also started in “Aries” then. Now if we suppose that Vedic Rishis had superimposed any Rashi on that Tapah month, the same question arises as to what type of a Rashichakra it was i.e. what was the nomenclature of those Rashis and what were their “characteristics”. If we presume them to be Mesha, Vrishaba etc.–the same names as are prevalent these days---then another set of questions arises as to whether these were related to the constellations of similar names in any way or not. If they were related to the constellations it could be nothing but an anachronism since Uttarayana was then taking place in Aries! That means in about exactly 6000 BC “Makar Sankranti” was taking place in “Mesha” Rashi and then we would have to call Uttarayana not by the name of Makar Sankranti but Mesha Sankranti! As a corollary to the same assumption, though it would have been Vedic Tapah and lunar Magha then as per all the Vedas and Shastras, but Messrs “Subhash Kak, Vamadeva, Parashara & Co”. would like us to have “enjoyed” Chaitra then! What an irony!

Similarly, by doing some back calculations, we have seen on page 115 of our “Shri Krishen Universal Ephemeris & Panchazng” for 2001, Uttarayana was taking place in Capricornus constellation from about 2500 BC to 131 BC! The same “Makar Sankranti” is taking place these days in Sagittarius Constellation! Thus if in spite of such anachronisms the Vedic Seers had named Uttarayana as Makar Sankranti and linked it to constellations, then we would have to say that in 6000 BC though “Makar Sankranti” was linked to Aries even then our Vedic Rishis called it Makar i.e. Capricorn! Later on, though, after a gap of about 3500 years, it was in “Capricorn” constellation for 2500 years it was still called “Makar Sankranti” and nowadays when “Makar Sankranti” falls in Sagittarius, our Vedic Rishis still call it “Makar Sankranti”.

Similarly, Summer Solstice (Dakshinayana) is said to have passed from Leo into Cancer in 1459 BC (Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, page 304). From that date till 6000 BC means 3541 years. At the rate of one degree per 71.5 years, it would have covered 3541/71.5 = 50° (approximately). This accounts for 26° of Leo + (a part of 44° of Virgo) it would have to cover. Thus Karka Sankranti was taking place in 6000 BC in Kanya Rashi and in about 7000 BC it would have been taking place in Tula Rashi! It would thus have created a conundrum of impossible magnitude from which even our real Vedic Rishis would not have been able to extricate us! Consequently, whatever jargon we might have used, we could never have been able to link Makar Sankranti to any Constellation permanently if our Vedic Rishis had linked it to Uttarayana.

“Rashis” (Astrological signs) not related to constellations! If, on the other hand, we presume that though the Vedic Rishis did

“invent/discover” a Rashichakra but did not link it to the Constellations, then the

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question arises as to what was it linked to. The next best alternative would have been to link it to seasons. It means they would have named it something like Shishir Rashi instead of Makara Rashi. But then that also is a fallacy since it would just be a synonym of Tapah and that would make hardly any difference. There was no fun or need to name it after some constellation like Makar Rashi if it was not to be linked to that constellation permanently. We have therefore to delink “Makara Rashi” from Constellations as well as seasons. But that is exactly what the “sidereal i.e. nirayana” trap is! As we have seen, on the one hand, nirayana can never be linked to seasons since to say that nirayana Makara Sankranti and Uttarayana took place simultaneously in 6000 BC will be the greatest absurdity as Lahiri Ayanamsha in 6000 BC was about 86°! Thus though the real Vedic “Makar Sankranti” would have taken place on February 4, 6000 BC (TDT) but the “almighty” Lahiri “Makar Sankranti” would have taken place on November 10, 5999 BC (TDT). These “Rashis” cannot be linked to constellations either since Constellations are of unequal divisions of irregular dimensions! It would therefore have been tantamount to making a still more gibberish mockery of the Rishis by saying something like: “(We know that) Makara Sankranti is neither linked to any season nor to any constellation but as our ‘Vedic Rishis had just gone honkers’ they named it as ‘Makara Sankranti’ though it took place in ‘Mesha’ i.e. ‘Aries’ in 6000 BC, then in Pisces and Aquarius till about 2500 BC, then in Capricorn till 131 BC and is taking place in Sagittarius at present but still we call it “Makar Sankranti”!!

Only “Rashtriya Panchanga” and “Vedic Astrologers” can create such hilarious situations! It would have been a hilarious situation that only our Rashtriya Panchanga and other Panchanga copyists of that ilk (besides, of course “Vedic astrologers”!) can create! It has been explained on page 84 of my “Shri Krishen Universal Ephemeris & Panchang” for 2001, under the heading “How many times does the sun enter the same ‘Vedic’ sign? In other words, how many times can there be a solar Sankranti (ingress of the sun) into the same Rashi in one month?” and I quote, “While talking of Rashtriya Panchanga, let us take it for the year 2000-2001. We find on the very first page of Chaitra ‘Vedic Madhav (Mesha)” from March 21 since the sun had entered it on March 20, 2000 at 13hrs. 5mts. It means that the details being given in that page are for the month that is known as ‘Madhav’ in the Vedas. As the word Mesha is in brackets it also means that it is the month when the sun is in Mesha as per the same Vedas (though actually there are no rashis in the Vedas!). Then on April 12 we find ‘Saura Vaishakha’ 26-31 which means that the sun has entered Mesha then! Then on April 13 we find ‘sun enters Mesha at 17-22’! An interesting question arises here. If the sun is in “Vedic Mesha” at the very start of the Shaka new year viz. Chaitra then the Sankranti of the sun into the same Vedic sign thrice in the same Shaka month is just not possible. It is clear that the other two are imaginary Sankrantis then. Since the other two are not Vedic, they are non-Vedic. In other words, they are anti-Vedic and we are made to celebrate Kumbha Mela on the same anti-Vedic Makar Sankrantis!

Besides, as explained on page 108 of my ephemeris for 1999, Vernal Equinox in 6001 BC took place on May 10 and in 10001 BC it took place on June 10, which is just earlier by ten days when the Summer Solstice is taking place these days! A simple mathematical calculation tells us that Winter Solstice took place earlier by 90° i.e. about 92 days (or about 273 days later) i.e. around February 13 in 6001 BC and about March 13 in 10001/10000 BC!

“Rashtriya Panchanga” in 6300 BC:Example is better than precept, is an old axiom! Let us therefore demonstrate

this “hilarious situation” with practical examples. Let us suppose that our “Calendar Makers to the Nation” viz. the “great” India Meteorological Department, New Delhi, and “greater still” The Positional Astronomy Centre, Calcutta, working under the “august” Ministry of Science (sic!) and Technology, Govt. of India, were “publishing” a “Rashtriya Panchanga” in 6300 BC also. Since the National Year is supposed to start from the day of Vernal Equinox, it would have then started on May 13, 6304 BC (TDT), as that was the day of Vernal Equinox then. They would thus have printed on the first page of their most “scientific dissertation” viz Rashtriya Panchanga for that year “Shaka -6382, Month of Vaishakha : 30 days; Vedic month Madhav, (Mesha); Vasanta Ritu: 2nd month;

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Uttarayana; Uttara Gola; sun in Mina, enters Mesha at h26-28 on May 12, 6304 BC; Ayanamsa on 1st Vaishakha +90° 0’ 0”. (The National Year is supposed to start from the day of Vernal Equinox, which according to the same Rashtriya Panchanga is another name of Madhava, and that month, according to all the Vedas and Puranas etc. is a synonym of Vaishakha. However, as “Vedic scholars of extra-ordinary calibre”, our “Calendar Makers to the Nation” call it Chaitra as that is the name given to this solar month on every Vernal Equinox day in the Rashtriya Panchanga! But may be, out of sheer “indulgence” to the real Vedic Rishis in 6300 BC, they would have named it Vaishakha, as that is the real definition of the month of Madhava).

Then as usual in their “infinite wisdom” they would have repeated (like they are doing every year these days!) in their “Indian Astronomical Ephemeris” on page 477 ,”For the purpose of calculation of rasis and nakshatras, an initial point which occupies a fixed position (sic!) on the ecliptic has been adopted as the origin for the measurement of longitudes. The position of that initial point will coincide with the vernal equinoctial point of vernal equinox day of 285 A.D. i.e. about 6584 years from today. For the purpose of assigning a precise position to that (yet to be established) initial point, the tropical longitude of that (future) fixed initial point for any day is known as ayanamsha. The longitude of a celestial body measured from that “would be” initial point is known as nirayana longitude”. Similarly, “almighty” Lahriwalas would have penned the following “glorious legend” on page 3 of their “Vedic astrology bible” viz. Lahiri’s Indian Epehemeris, “The ephemeris is based on nirayana or sidereal system of calculation. The basis of the nirayana zodiac is the adoption of 285 AD or 207 Shaka as the zero ayanamsa year. This value is (to be) adopted by “His most exalted Highness” N. C. Lahiri in his Ephemeris from (the coming) 1948 issue i.e. about 8250 years from today. The Calendar Reform Committee (to be) appointed by the Govt. of India in 1952 (will then) recommend adoption of that very value of ayanamsa and later the Govt. of India also (will) adopt this system of ayanamsa in 1953. In view of this, it (will be called) as ‘his most exalted highness’ Lahiri ayanamsa. This value of ayanamsa will then be used in almost all the reformed (thus actually deformed!) panchangas and ephemeris in India as well as in the Indian Astronomical Ephemeris and the Rashtriya Panchangs of the Govt. of India. It is worth mentioning that the date of coincidence of the Sayana and nirayana zodiacs (sic!) on the Vernal Equinox day of 285 AD based on the position of the star Chitra (Alpha Virginis) that will be determined by the “would-be-born” “His most exalted highness”, N. C. Lahiri during his life time. The value will be almost the same as will be derived from the data (that will be then) available from the Astronomniches Rechen Institut of Heidelberg, Germany”. Both these “magnificent” publications viz. Lahiri Ephemeris and the Rashtriya Panchanga would have then published a legend, “All the Vedic rishis are hereby admonished that they better follow this Lahiri Rashichakra right from today that is May 13, 6300 BC as otherwise they will be discarded from all the religious functions, since it will be declared by all the Kaliyugi Jyotishis as Vedic Ayanamsha and if it is not adopted it will affect the sales of Lahiri as well as other ‘dharmic’ panchangas as and when they are published after about eight thousand years!” As the Rashtriya Panchanga is supposed to have “maintained” a “permanent distance of 23° -15’- between the real Vernal Equinox and their own imaginary “Equinox” as on Marhc 21, 1956, then after exactly about 24 days of that phenomenon, the Rashtriya Panchanga would declare, in 6300 BC “Saura Vaishakha -- June 7, 6300 BC”. With the “almighty” Lahiri Ayanamsha being exactly 90° on May 12, 6304 BC, it would have further published under the same date i.e. May 12, 6304 BC, “sun enters Karkata Rashi at hrs 26-26”. Obviously, the month of solar Shravana would have started immediately (with the month of Vaishakha!), since it is supposed to start from the moment the sun enters Karkata!

Similarly, on 13-8-6304 BC the “magnificent” Rashtriya Panchanga would have printed on the top of the page, “Month of Shravana - Vedic month Nabhas (Karkata); Varsha Ritu – 1st month; Dakshinayana: Uttara Gola. Sun in Mithuna, enters Karkata on 13th at hrs 19-47. Ayanamsha on 1st Ashadha: 89° 59’ 52”. Then on the same page under the same date, it would have published, “sun enters Tula at hrs 19-50” which means it would have been the beginning of the month of Kartika (simultaneously with Shrvana!).

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Then again on 8-11-6304 BC it would have printed, “Month of Kartika, Vedic month: Urja (Tula); Sarat Ritu : 2nd month; Dakshinayana: Dakshina Gola. Sun in Kanya, enters Tula at hrs 24-34.” Ayanamsha on 1st Kartika 89°59’ 41”. Then on the same page, under the same date it would have printed “sun enters Makara at hrs 24-37”. In their infinite wisdom it would have said, “Makaradi Snana, Pongal, Makara Sankranti…etc. etc.”. It would have also been the start of the month of Magha (simultaneously with the month of Kartika!)

Then further onwards, for the same year viz. Shaka -6382, but for 6303 BC, it would have said on 7-2-6303 BC, “Month of Magha. Vedic month Taps (Makara); Uttarayana: Dakshina Gola; Sun in Dhanus, enters Makara on 7th at hrs. 20-33. Ayanamsha on 1st Magha :89° 59’ 30”. Further under the same date viz. 7-2-6303 BC., it would have said, Uttarayana”. Then in the same line it would have published sun enters Mesha at hrs 20-45. Then it would have been ‘Meshadi. Vaishakhi. Chadak Puja, Chairoba” It would have also been the start of the month of Vaishakha, obviously (and simultaneously with the start of Magha)!

I hope you have realized the hilarious (tragic!) situation our “Rashtriya Panchanga” and their ilk like Lahiri Ephemeris besides all the Panchanakars of India, apart from the “Vedic astrologers” like “Vamadeva” and “Parashara” and “Vedic astronomers” like Messrs Subhash Kak and Company would have created then! Mesha Sankranti and Karkata Sankranti falling on the same day - nay in the same hour! Karkata Sankranti coinciding with Tula Sankranti! Tula Sankranti and Makara Sankranti being celebrated simultaneously and Makara Sanranti coinciding exactly with Mesha Sankanti! It would have also meant, “Madhava – the Vedic Vaishakha coinciding with Shravana; Vedic Nabhas viz Shravana coinciding with Kartika; Vedic Urja also known as Kartika coinciding with Magha; Vedic Tapas also known as Magha coinciding with Vaishakha! It is not only these four cardinal “months” that would have got juxtaposed with one another, but in fact all the months would have been coinciding with the months that were supposed to fall after ninety days i.e. three months! And still Messrs “Subhas Kak, Vamadev, Parashar & Co.” would like us to believe that at the most “it would be out of step by one”. What a “sensible” statement! Only “Vedic astronomers” are bestowed with such extraordinary “insight” into the real “Vedic Rashichakra”!

“Rashtriya Panchanga” in 6685 AD:The above was the position of the Rashichakra with an “almighty” Lahiri

Ayanamsha of +90°. Now let us have a look at the position when the same ayanamsha will be -90° i.e. in 6685 AD---less than five thousand years from today. For our “Vedic astrologers” and “Vedic astronomers” It will be exactly the reverse of the above. Instead of Lahiri Karkat coinciding with Vedic Mesha, as in 6303 BC, it will be Lahiri Makar that will coincide with the Vedic Mesha on 20-3-6685 AD and instead of Lahiri Tula coinciding with the Vedic Karkat as in 6303 BC, it will be Lahiri Mesha that will coincide with it on18-6-6685. Then again instead of Lahiri Makar coinciding with the Vedic Tula as in 6303 BC, it will be Lahiri Karkat that will coincide with it on18-9-6685 and last of all, instead of Lahiri Mesha coinciding with the Vedic Makar as in 6303 BC, it will be Lahiri Tula that will coincide with it on 20-12-6685. Consequently, instead of Lahiri Shravana, it will be Lahiri Magha that will coincide with Vaishakha! Instead of Lahiri Kartika Lahiri Vaishakha will coincide with Vedic Shravana! In place of Lahiri Magha, Lahiri Shravana will coincide with Vedic Kartika! And finally, not Lahiri Vaishakha but Lahiri Karitka will coincide with the Vedic Magha!

“Fixed Ayanamsha of 23° 15’ 0” as on March 21, 1956!”Then we must also bear in mind that our “Calendar Makers to the nation” i.e.

India Meteorological Department and Positional Astronomy Centre, have a fixed Ayanamsha as indicated above! And do you know the purpose of the same? Let us hear their “most scientific” explanation of the same (page 477 of Indian Astronomical Ephemeris), “The solar months recommended for the religious calendar such as Saura Vaishakha, Saura Jyaishtha, etc. by the Calendar Reform Committee in 1955 have been reckoned from the moments when the apparent longitude of the Sun equals 23° 15’, 53° 15’ and so on. The calculation for this purpose has thus been done not with a variable ayanamsa as in the case of rasis and nakshatras but with a fixed ayanamsa of 23° 15’.

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These months are shown for purpose of illustration only, but are not used in practice for actual luni-solar adjustment”. If we interpret these “guidelines” in the light of the position of “Rashtriya Panchanga” in 6300 BC and 6685 AD, we will have to start every solar month three times every year --- once when the real Vedic ingress takes place; then when the Lahiri ingress takes place and then in between the two when the “fixed Ayanamsha” ingress takes place which must be after about 24 days of the real Vedic ingress!

“Out of step by six” ----a complete “Shirshasana”!: Subhash Kak had said, “At worst we get a sequence of rashis which is out of step by one”. But we have seen that if in 6300 BC Lahiri Mesha Sankranti coincided with the real Vedic “Karkata Sankranti”, but in 6685 AD Lahiri Tula Sankranti will coincide with the same “Vedic Karkata Sankranti”. In 6300 BC it was “behind by three steps” and in 6685 AD it will be “ahead by three steps”. That means Lahiri Sankrantis virtually turning on their head! These sankrantis will be “out of step by six” from their own “ghosts” since six is the number of rashis between Mesha and Tula Sankanti! In other words, it will be a complete “Shirshasana” --- headlong posture---from the postion that had obtained in 6300 BC!

I wonder why these “eminent Vedic astronomers” do not even do their spade work properly!

Real Vedic Rishis were real geniuses:Thus whichever way we look at it, it is best to let the “Rashis” remain conspicuous

by their absence in the Vedas as otherwise it will land us in such troubles from which even our real Vamadeva and Parashara Rishis will not be able to pull us out since they never talked about any “Rashis”. That is why I had summarized the situation on page 111 of my “Shri Krishen Universal Ephemeris & Panchang” for 2001 in the following words:

“Our Vedic Rishis had a lot of common sense and love for Nature. They did not qualify the month of Vernal Equinox by January or Mesha but Madhav. It was immaterial for them as to when it took place - whether in March or June (supposing that somehow these names did exist then!) They would call it Madhav because of its ‘honey like qualities’. They were equally least bothered about whether it was the same Vernal Equinox that was taking place year after year or whether it was a new (precesed) one --- they could not care less since all their rituals were circumambulating around the seasons and lunar phases! Thus when Maharshi Valmiki or Goswami Tulsidas say it was Chaitra and Madhumas at Rama’s birth, as it had nothing to do with the zodiac, it was the real Madhu and the month of Chaitra related to seasons, which can happen only if the nakshatra (equal) division of 13° 20’ is linked to seasons and thus to Sayana Rashis!”

It boils down to the fact that Constellations are constellations and Rashis are rashis --- the latter, whether sayana or so called nirayana, cannot be juxtaposed with the former. It is this very constellational belt of irregular dimensions comprising thirteen (and not twelve) prominent Constellations that is known as zodiac --- which is neither nirayana nor Sayana---neither “sidereal” (sic!) nor “tropical”.

“Rashi” numbers in the Vedas: Subhash Kak, on page 14 of the same article, has also gone to the length of “proving” that the names of Rashis are directly related to the numbers of months in the Vedas by making fantastic statements like “the ninth month relates to ‘Archer’ i.e. Sagitarius” and so on! Though we have already seen that there is no ghost of Rashis in the Vedas, even presuming that some “Vedic astronomers” have proved “astrological signs” therein, it is surprising as to how they can be related to the numbers of months. E.g. Kak has himself said on page 13 , “Figure 1: …The first Rashi is Vrisha with the corresponding month of Vaishakha” which means then that the 9 th Rashi should have been Capricorn and not Sagittarius. Further he has shown that in about 3000 BC, VE took place in Kritikas and therefore Taurus. The ninth month then would have been the “Goat” (Capricorn) and not the “Archer” (Sagittarius). By the same logic in 6000 BC, as per Subhash Kak himself, since in 6000 BC Vernal Equinox was falling in Punarvasu, it means that Rashichakra would have to be counted from Karka Rashi and the ninth Rashi would have been then Mina and not the so called “Archer” as Kak would

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like us to believe! It is sad that a scholar like Subhash Kak should have missed such contradistinctive quagmires.

“Vedic astrology” and “Vedic astrologers”: Subhash Kak has said on page 318 of his work “Astronomy Across Cultures” published by Kluwer Academic Publishers, London, “Although it is certain that the planets were studied by the Rigvedic people, we do not find a single place in the texts where the names are listed together”. Obviously, the first part of this statement is a surmise whereas the second part is a “Statement of facts”. I would go to the length of stating further that let alone at one place, there is no mention of Budha (Mercury), Mangal (Mars), Shani (Saturn) at all, even if we somehow believe that by Vena planet Shukra (Venus) is meant in the Vedas! (We are here overlooking the fact that Venus is not a Sanskrit name and Vena is a king as per the Puranas who lived the life of a “debauchee” and had to meet with a premature death due to the curse of Brahmins who later churned his body to bring forth a pious king named Prithu!).

Everybody knows that Vedic Rishis were not shy of declaring in unambiguous terms what they perceived and if at all they had desired to “describe” planets they would certainly have done so as they had done about the sun, moon and “Swarbhanu” – lunar nodes. Even Brihaspati (Jupiter) is not referred to as a planet in any of the Vedas but only as the preceptor of gods.

Longitudes of nakshatras in the Vedic times: Aitreya Brahmana, I, 1.2.1 says that Krittikas are the “Mukham” i.e., “face” (or the “mouth”) of nakshatras. Suppose our Vedic Rishis wanted to “measure” the position of this nakshatra. The question arises as to wherefrom was this “face” or “mouth” to be measured! Subhash Kak also says by Kritikas the Vedas meant Pleiades. There is no problem if it was to be measured from the Vernal Equinox as is being done these days. As per the FK5 catalogue of Stars, the actual longitude of Alcyone would then have been 350° 34’ 32” i.e. less by about 9.5 degrees/days from the date of Vernal Equinox as on January 1, 3000 BC. The longitude of Alcyone these days is about 60° -2’. We can see from the above constellational Table that the sun’s sojourn in Taurus constellation starts earlier by about seven degrees/days of its conjunction with Alcyone these days. There being nothing to the contrary on record, we can safely presume that the distance between the starting of Taurus constellation and the Alcyone Star was the same even in 3000 BC. i.e. it was about seven degrees. But then since the Pleiades cluster does not stretch over more than two degrees, it means Krittikas would have included some other prominent cluster also because Shatapatha Brahmana 2/1/2/2 is very clear that “Though other nakshatras have just one, two or three or four nakshatras but these Kritikas have many”. We also see Krittikas being listed as the first nakshatra right from the time of the Yajurveda through Shatapatha Brahmana to Vedanga Jyotisha to Vishnu Purana---which means that right from at least 3000 BC to about 500 BC the Vernal Equinox was falling in this “nakshatra” as otherwise it would not have got such a place of pride. For about 2500 years the precession would have been 2500/71.5=35 degrees whereas the total sweep of the entire Taurus constellation is about 37.5 degrees as per IAU. Surprisingly, we do not see any reference to the VE falling either in Rohini or Bharani in the Vedas, Brahmanas or even the Puranas though these nakshatras also have been listed in the Vedas as well as the Puranas. Besides, sidhantas refer to “Paushanantam to Bhaganam” i.e. Ashvini ---the First Point of Aries. We know that that there are no first or second or even third magnitude Stars in either the modern “Krittikas” i.e. Pleaides nor in Bharani group, nor in Ashvini nakshatra, for that matter. But since all the Vedas eulogize Krittikas, the only reason is that it must have included what is now known as “Rohini” in the equal division because that is the only group which contains several Bright Stars. If we confine ourselves to “Pleaides” only, the VE could not be around “Krittika nakhatra” then for more than 71.5X13.3333=953.3333 i.e. at the most for about a thousand years. The longitude of Krittika nakshatra even in the earlier unequal division of Garga etc. is equal to the daily mean motion of 13° 10’ 35” but that of Rohini nakshatra is one and a half times to that i.e. 19° 15’ 52”. Together these two “nakshatras” thus account for 32° 26’ 27”. We give below the longitudes of all the prominent stars of “Rohini” as on January 1, 3000 B.C and 1300 BC together with their magnitudes etc.

No. 3000 BC 1300 BC Mag distan

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Alcyone Eta Tauri Krittika 139 350° - 35’ 14° - 15’ 2.86 541Aldebaran Alpha Tauri Rohini 168 0° - 37’ 23° - 59’ 0.85 68

BetaOrionis Rigel 194 7° - 35’ 31° - 0’ 0.14 900GamaOrionis Bellatrix 201 11° - 40’ 35° - 10’ 1.64 360

Brahmahrid AlphaAurigae Capella 193 12° - 47’ 36° - 6’ 0.08 42EpsilonOrionis Anilam 210 14° - 7’ 36° - 49’ 1.71 1600

Thus the sun’s sojourn in Krittikas, if their starting point coincided with the starting point of Taurus constellation, would have started earlier by about seven days if the Vernal Equinox was to be taken to the starting point.. In other words, the Equinoctial point would have started being in the constellation of Taurus by about 3000 BC minus (17X72 =) 1224 years which would be about 4200 BC. Subhash Kak says that VE was in Rohini in 3000 BC, presumably on the basis of a so called equal division of nakshatras. However, he has contradicted himself on page 18 by saying that the epoch where it is stated that Krittika never swerve from the east correspond to 2950 BC. Let us see whether it is astronomically feasible. The longitude of Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri) as on Jan 1, 3000 B.C was 0° 33’ 36”. Obviously the VE was almost conjunct that star. Now we cannot have a cake and eat it as well -- either the VE is in Krittikas then or it was in Rohini. The problem arises only when we opt for a so called equal division as otherwise “Rohini” is actually in Taurus constellation!

Kritika (Pleiades) nakshatra does not have any star of such an extraordinary magnitude from which it could be measured! Even Subhash Kak has not listed any prominent star in this “nakshatra” though he has listed stars in Rohini, Ardra etc. However, let us suppose that even our Vedic Rishis measured it from Alcyone, which is the “brightest” star of Pleiades since its visual magnitude is 2.86 whereas all other stars have a visual magnitude of more than 3.5. As we know the more the magnitude of a Star, the more difficult it is to visualize it with the naked eye. So if the Vedic Rishis had started the nakshatra charka from some “visible milepost” instead of the Vernal Equinox, it would have been obviously Alcyone. Thus it would have been the zero point then. If so, then Krittikas started in “Mesha” and not Vrisha! Even if for the sake of argument we agree that the sun was in Vrisha at the time of VE, we cannot forget that in equal division of nakshatras, Krittikas start in Mesha and not Vrisha! So even then the Rashichakra would have started from Mesha, though from the fag end!

When to celebrate Sankrantis?Coming back to the “Rashichakra” -- Western astrologers have de-linked the

Rashis from their namesake constellations and mercifully declared them openly to be tropical and related to seasons. On the other hand, “Vedic astrologers” are deceiving the entire Vedic Hindu community by insisting that Rashis were “invented/discovered” by Vedic Rishis and these are linked to constellations/nakshatras!

Supposing for the sake of argument that there is any “Capricorn” i.e. Makara Rashi in the Vedas, it has to be the constellation Capricornus. But then it has nothing to do with the Rashi of that name whether sayana or nirayana. As explained in the above table, this constellation actually ranges from 300° to 326°.5 as compared to today’s Vernal Equinox and thus these days the sojourn of the sun starts in it from January 21 instead of December 21 (Sayana) or January 14 (Lahiri)! We have seen that Winter Solstice actually regressed from “Capricornus” into Sagittarius in 131 BC. We have also seen as to how it is impossible to link the actual constellations either to sayana or to nirayana Rashis or Nakshatra-chakras. That is why our Vedic Rishis never tried to do the impossible of linking either the Vishuva or the seasons like Vasanta etc. or the months like Madhu, Madhava etc. to them, because they knew that it was an impossible task! All they would say was, “We should get consecrated at the time of Kritikas because they are the most visible and/or the first of the “nakshatras”” i.e. because the “Vishuva” i.e. the Vernal Equinox was falling in that “nakshatra” then.

This is exactly the reasons for my saying that unfortunately, these days we are celebrating our festivals neither as per the constellation belt nor as per the real Vedanga Jyotish! E.g. if we want to correlate our Makar Sankranti these days to the constellation of that name, then we have to celebrate it neither on December 21, 2002 (Uttarayana)

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nor on January 14, 2003 (Lahiri) but on January 21 since it is on that date when the sun will enter that constellation actually! That is why I have been crying hoarse that our “Jyotishis” have denuded us of any sense of real astronomy whether Vedic or modern and in the name of “Vedic astrology” our present “Varahamihiras”, “Vamadevas” and “Parasharas” are cocking a snook on the real Vedic Vamadevas and Parasharas! You can rest assured that they are doing it at their own peril now since the facts are being brought to the notice of a common man and the day is not far off when they will be caught “red-handed” while cheating on the real Vedic Rishis.

Puranas/Sidhantas and the Rashis:You may ask me as to why I keep on repeating then that Makar Sankranti is

another name of Uttarayana! It is a very valid question but if you read my articles in my ephemerides etc. carefully, I have not said anywhere that it is my opinion! I have quoted the Surya Sidhanta and other sidhantas besides the Vishnu Purana, Shrmiad Bhagavata etc. scriptures as saying that “Makar Sankranti and Uttarayana start simultaneously” or “Makar Sankranti is another name of Uttarayana”! I have also indicated it several times that our Puranas have juxtaposed Mesha etc. Rashis with Madhava etc. names of Vedic months and thus blurred the distinction completely --- which means that our sidhantas and Puranas went by only a seasonal Rashichakra --- without bothering to link those Rashis with the constellations of similar names! But right now we are concerned here with the “Vedas and the Rashis” and not “Puranas and the Rashis” since Puranas are definitely of a later date.

Intercalation (Adhika/Kshyaya-masa) can be related only to seasonal and thus tropical months: We have seen that Uttarayana took place on February 7, 6303 BC and Lahiri Makar Sankranti was earlier by about three months i.e. on November 8, 6304 BC. Thus if lunar months were to be pegged to Lahiri Rashis it would have been a lunar Magha and New Year on November 30, 5999 BC (TDT) though it would have been the Vedic month of Urja then! The actual Magha and Lunar New Year as per the Vedanga Jyotisha would have started on February 18, 6000 BC since that would have been the day of the first New Moon after Uttarayana in the month of Tapah. Similarly, any “adhika/kshyaya-masa” could be related only to the real Uttarayana etc. and not to Lahiri or Ramana or Kharegat etc. dozens of (the unborn!) artificial Uttarayanas!

Vedic solar months vis-à-vis lunar months: Subhas Kak has listed on page 11 of his article “Babylonian and Indian astronomy” 12 lunar months and given their presiding deities but then he has started Vaishakha from Bharani nakshatra on page 12 saying that first Rashi is Vrishabha corresponding to Vaishakha! I have given an avalanche of proofs in my earlier ephemerides, especially the 1999 one quoting all the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Itihasas, Smritis and sidhantas that Sayana Mesha is the first solar month and the lunar months are related to these very sayana i.e. seasonal months. Since Subhash Kak has himself given the names of Vedic months as Madhu, Madhav etc. and tried to quote Vishnupurana for Vrisha and not the Mesha Rashi as the first month of Vaishakha, let us quote what we had said on pages 87 and 88 of our ephemeris for 1999,

“This is what Maharshi Prashara has to say in Shri Vishnupurana 2nd Amsha Eighth Adhyaya (verses 27 to 89) Jhfo".kqiqjk.kdqykypØi;ZUrkss Hkzeés"k fnokdj%A djksR;gLrFkk jkf=a foeqapUesfnuha f}tAA27AAv;uL;ksÙkjL;knkS edja ;kfr HkkLdj%A rr% dqEHka p ehua p jk'ks jk';Urja f}tAA28AAf="osrs"oFk Hkqäs"kq rrks oS"kqorha xfre~A iz;kfr lfork dqoZégksjk=a rr% lee~AA29AArrks jkf=% {k;a ;kfr o)Zrs·uqfnua fnue~AA30AA rr'p feFkquL;kUrs ijka dk"Bkeqikxr%A jkf”kaa ddZVda izkI; dq#rs nf{k.kk;ue~AA31AA

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lw;kZs }kn'kfHk% 'kS?z;kUeqgwrSZnZf{k.kk;usA =;ksn'kk)Ze`{kk.kkeg~uk rq pjfr f}tAAeqgwrZSLrkon`{kkf.k uäe"Vkn'kS'pju~AA34AAdqykypØe/;LFkks ;Fkk eUna izliZfrA rFkksnx;us lw;Z% liZrs eUnfoØe%AA35AArLekíh?kZsu dkysu HkwfeeYika rq xPNfrA v"Vkn'keqgwrZa ;nqÙkjk;.k if'pee~AA36AAvgHkZofr rPpkfi pjrs eUnfoØe%AA37AAeUnkg~fu ;fLeé;us 'kh?kzk uäa rnk xfr%A 'kh?kzk fuf'k ;nk pkL; rnk eUnk fnok xfr%AA42AA,dizek.kesoS"k ekxZa ;kfr fnokdj%A vgksjk=s.k ;ks Hkq³~äs leLrk jk'k;ks f}tAA43AA"kMso jk'khu~ ;ks Hkq³~äs jk=koU;k”p "kM~fnokAA44AAjkf'kizek.k tfurk nh?kZgzLokRerk fnusAArFkk fu'kk;ka jk'kkhuka izek.kSyZ?kqnh?kZrkAA45AAfnuknsnhZ?kgzLoRoa rn~HkksxsuSo tk;rsAA mÙkjs izØes 'kh?kzk fuf'k eUnk xfrfnZokAA46AAnf{k.ks Ro;us pSo foijhrk fooLor%AA47AAn'kiapeqgwrZa oS vgoZS"kqora Le`re~AA65AAo)Zrs gzlrs pSokI;;us nf{k.kksÙkjsAAvgLrq xzlrs jkf=a jkf=xzZlfr oklje~AA66AA'kj}lUr;kseZ/;s fo"kqoa rq foHkkO;rsAA rqykes"kxrs HkkukS lejkf=fnua rq rr~AA67AAddZVkofLFkrs HkkukS nf{k.kk;ueqP;rsAA mÙkjk;.keI;qäa edjLFks fnokdjsAA68AAf=a'kUeqgwrZa dfFkregksjk=a rq ;Ue;kAA rkfu iapn'k czãu~ ;}k bR;fHk/kh;rsAA69AAekl% i{k};suksäks }kS eklkS pkdZtko`rq%AA_rq=;a pkI;;ua }s·;us o"kZlafKrsAA70AAlaoRljkn;% iap prqekZl fodfYirk%AA fu'p;% loZdkyL; ;qxfeR;fHk/kh;rsAA71AAlaoRljLrq izFkeks f}rh;% ifjoRlj%AA b}RljLr`rh;Lrq prqFkZ'pkuqoRlj%AAoRlj% iape'pk= dkyks·;a ;qx lafKr%AA72AA;% “osrL;ksÙkj% 'kSy% J`³~xokfufr foJqr%AA =hf.k rL; rq J`³~xkfu ;Sj;a J`³~xokULe`r%AA73AAnf{k.ka pksÙkja pSo e/;a oS"kqora rFkkAA 'kj}lar;kseZ/;s rn~Hkkuq% izfri|rsAAes"kknkS p rqyknkS p eS=ks; fo"kqofRLFkr%AA74AArnk rqY;egksjk=a djksfr frfejkig%AAn'kiapeqgwrZa oS rnsrnqHk;a Le`re~AA75AA

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izFkes ÑfÙkdkHkkxs ;nk HkkLokaLrnk 'k'khAAfo'kk[kkuka prqFkZas·'ks equs fr"BR;la'k;e~AA76AAfo'kk[kkuka ;nk lw;Z'pjR;a'ka r`rh;de~A rnk pUæa fotkuh;kRÑfÙkdkf'kjfl fLFkre~AA77AArnSo fo"kqok[;ks·;a dky% iq.;ksfHk/kh;rsArnk nkukfu ns;kfu nsosH;% iz;rkRefHk%AA78AAczã.ksH;% fir`H;'p eq[kesrÙkq nkuteAAnÙknkuLrq fo"kqos ÑrÑR;ks·fHktk;rsAA79AAriLriL;kS e/kqek/kokS p 'kqØ% 'kqfp'pk;ueqÙkja L;kr~AAuHkksuHkL;kS p b"kLrFkkstZLlg% lgL;kfofr nf{k.ka rr~AA81AA f}rh; va] v0 8

”The whole second Chapter of Second Amsha of Shri Vishu Purana is in fact like a commentary on the Mantras of the Vedas, Upanishads and Brahmana quoted above. It is also a complete 'lesson' on the phenomenon of seasons. In the simplest of terms and plain poetic language and meters it says, 'The sun enters Makara on the day of Uttarayana which is the shortest day in the year and it goes on increasing during the sun’s transit of Kumbha and Mina. Days and nights are equal on Vishuva day when the sun enters Mesha Rashi. After that the duration of the days gets longer than that of the nights and it becomes longest on the day of Dakshinayana when the sun enters Karkata Rashi. Vishuv---Equinoxes----occur in the midst of the Sharad and Vasant Ritus and the days and nights are then equal on the Mesha and Tula Sankranti days of thirty ghatis each. Any charities given during the Ayana and Vishuva Sankrantis viz on the days of transit of the sun into Makara, Mesha, Karkata and Tula yield thousand-fold results. Dakshinayana takes place when the sun is in Karkata and Uttarayana when the sun is in Makara. A five year yuga starts after the Uttarayana in the following manner: Samvatsarah, Parivatsarah, Idvatsarah, Anuvatsarah and Vatsarah. The Uttarayana months of Makara to Mithuna (viz. Makara, Kumbha, Mina, Mesha, Vrisha and Mithuna) are also known respectively as Tapah, Tapasya, Madhu, Madhava, Shukra and Shuchih whereas the Dakshinayana months of Karkata to Dhanu (viz Karkata, Simha, Kanya, Tula, Vrischik and Dhanu) are also known as Nabah, Nabhasya, Isha, Urja, Saha and Sahasya respectively'.

"In verses 43 to 45, we find mention of the sun passing through twelve Rashis in a day of sixty ghatis. It is clearly an explanation of the signs rising on the eastern horizon as these verses mention clearly that the sun takes unequal time to cover these Rashis of equal length i.e. 30º each. There is absolutely no doubt that even these are Tropical and not any Lahiri or Ramana Lagnas!

“Obviously, there could hardly be a worse rebuke to and a better rebuttal of the presumptions of these predictive astrologers (actually frauds) that Parashara Rishi was following and advocating some Lahiri Rashichakra (One of the translators of the so called Brihat Parashara has had the hardihood of making such foolish statements as 'Lahiri Ayanamsha is the first best!').

“Verses 77 to 81 link Krittika Nakshatra to Mesha Rashi and Vernal Equinox and Vishakha Nakshatra and Tula Rashi to Autumn Equinox. It means that the Nakshatra division also was Sayana and strated with the Krittika nakshatra and Tropical sign Aries (Mesha) In those days” just like that of the Surya Siddhanta!Obvioulsy, the Vishnu Purana has more or less replicated the Surya Sidhanta Rashichakra, with the names of Vedic months Madhu, Madhava also being clubbed with those very Sayana rashis, as we shall see shortly!

“REAL VEDIC SEERS WERE CELEBERATING ALL THE FESTIVAL INCLUDING MAHASHIVARATRI AND NAVARATRAS AS PER TROPICAL SOLAR AND SOLI-LUNAR MONTHS AND NOT AS PER SOME LAHIRI OR RAMANA SOLAR OR LUNAR MONTHS:“Vishnu Purana” says further in Eleventh Adhyaya of Second Amsha (verses 3 to 19):

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/kkrk ØrqLFkyk pSo iqyLR;ks oklqfdLrFkkA jFkHk`n~xzke.khgsZfrLrqEcq#'pSo lIre%AA3AA,rs olfUr oS pS=s e/kqekls lnSo fgA eS=s; L;Unus Hkkuks% lIr eklkf/kdkfj.k%AA4AAv;Zek iqyg'pSo jFkkStk% iaqftdLFkykAA izgsfr% dPNohj'p ukjn'p jFks jos%AA5AAek/kos fuolUR;srs 'kqfplaKs fucks/k esAA6AAfe=ks·f=Lr{kdks j{k% ikS#"ks;ks·Fk esudkAA gkgk jFkLou'pSo eS=s;srs olfUr oSAA7AAo#.kks ofl"Bks ukx'p lgtU;k gwgw jFk%AA jFkfp=kLrFkk 'kqØs olUR;k"kk<laKdsAA8AAbUæks fo'okolq% lzksr ,ykiq=LrFkkf³~xjk%AAizEykspk p uHkL;srs lfiZ'pkdssZ olfUr oSAA9AAfooLokuqxzlsu'p Hk`xqjkiwj.kLrFkkAA vuqEykspk 'k³~[kikyks O;k?kzks Hkkæins rFkkAA10AAiw"kk olq#fpokZrks xkSreks·Fk /kuat;%AA lq"ks.kks·U;ks ?k`rkph p olUR;k'o;qts jokSAA11AAfo'okolqHkZj}kt% itZU;SjkorkS rFkkAAfo'okph lsuftPpki% dkfrZds p olfUr oSAA12AAva'kdk’;ir{;kZLrq egkin~eLrFkksoZ'khAAfp=lsuLrFkk fo|qUekxZ'kh"kZs·f/kdkfj.k%AA13AA_rqHkZxLrFkks.kkZ;q% LQwtZ% ddksZVdLrFkkAA vfj"Vusfe'pSokU;k iwoZfpfÙkoZjkIljk%AA14AAikS"kekls olUR;srs lIr HkkLdje.MysAA yksdizdk'kukFkkZ; foizo;kZf/kdkfj.k%%AA15AARo"Vk’p tenfXu'p dEcyks·Fk fryksÙkekAAczãksisrks·Fk _rftn~ /k`rjk"Vªks·Fk lIre%AA16AAek?kekls olUR;srs lIr eS=s; HkkLdjsAAJw;rka pkijs lw;sZ QkYxqus fuolfUr ;sAA17AAfo".kqj'orjks jEHkk lw;ZopkZ’p lR;ftr~AA fo'okfe=LrFkk j{kks ;Kksisrks egkequsAA18AAekls"osrs"kq eS=s; olUR;srs rq lIrdk%AAlforqeZ.Mys czãfUo".kq’kDR;qic`‘afgrk%AA19AAf}rh; va'k v0 11

“In the very first verse i.e. the third verse of the Adhyaya quoted above it has been said “Dhata, Kratu, Pulastya, Vasuki, Rathabrid, Gramani and Tumburu—these seven ‘officer-bearers’ reside always in the chariot of he Sun during the month of Madhu ALSO KNOWN AS CHAITRA”. Then in verse No. 8, similarly, names of ‘office-bearers’ presiding over the month of Shukra have been given but here also its synonym ASHADA has been listed simultaneously. In fact in all the above verses we find that ABSOLUTELY NO DISTINCTION HAS BEEN MADE BETWEEN THE VEDIC NAMES OF SOLAR MONTHS LIKE MADHU, MADHAVA ETC. AND THEIR LUNAR NAMES LIKE CHAITRA, VAISHAKHA ETC”.

Let us give a running translation of verses 77 to 81 of the Tenth Adhyaya and also see their implications with respect to the names of Lunar Months as per the verses of Eleventh Adhyaya. It is “When the sun is in the first part of Krittika then (on the full Moon day) the moon is definitely in the last part of Vishakha and when the Sun is in the

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third quarter of Vishakha the Moon (on the full Moon day) has to be definitely in the first part of Krittika. These are the days of Equinoxes without any doubt”.

We have already seen that as per verse 67 of Chapter 10,”It is Vishuva (Equinox) when the sun is in Mesha or Tula and the days and nights are equal then throughout the globe”. These two months after the equinoctial month have been named as Madhava and Urja in verse number 81, leaving no body in doubt that these are the Vedic months and therefore seasonal and therefore tropical instead of the so called Lahiri or Ramana. Then in Adhyaya 11, verse 3, Madhu has been named as Chaitra. In other words, lunar Chaitra starts immediately after Solar Mina Sankranti and therefore with the Spring Equinox i.e. the month of Mahdava, when the sun is in Mesha, it is Vaishakha and so on as per Vishnupurana. It is, therefore, surprising as to how Subhash Kak has clubbed Vrishabha Sun with lunar Vaishakha on the shoulers of Vishnu Purana, when in an unequivocal manner, Chaitra has been linked to the month of Mahdu and the sun in Mina, and Vaishakha to sun in Mesha, as seen above.

CLEARLY, EVEN THE LUNAR MONTHS HAVE BEEN PEGGED TO SAYANA VEDIC MONTHS IN THE PURANAS.

Now let us see what other Puranas have to say. We shall first of all take the “Shrimad Bhagavata” of Maharshi Vyasa and see as to how we are being compelled by these so called Vedic astrologers and Vedic astronomers to celebrate Janmashtami on some imaginary Lahiri Shravana Krisha Ashtami (Fifth Skanda, adhyaya 21 and 22):;Ue/;xrksHkxokaLrirkEifrLriu~ vkrisu f=yksdha izriR;oHkkl;R;kReHkklk l ,"k mnx;u nf{k.kk;uoS"kqorlaKkfHkekZU|'kS?z;lekukfHkxZfrfHkjkjksg.kkojksg.klekuLFkkus"kq ;FkklouefHki|ekuks edjkfn"kq jkf'k"ogksjk=kkf.k nh?kZgzLolekukkfu fo/kÙksAA3AA;nk es"krqy;ksoZrZrs rnkgksjk=kf.k lekukfu HkofUr ;nk o`"kHkkfn"kq iaplq p jkf'k"kq pjfr rnkgkU;so o/kZUrs gzlfr p ekfl ekL;sdSdk ?kfVdk jkf="kq AA4AA;nk o`f'pdkfn"kq iaplq orZrs rnkgksjk=kkf.k foi;Z;kf.k HkofUrAA5AA ;koíf{k.kk;uegkfu o/kZUrs ;konqnx;ua jk=;%AA5AA iapaeLdU/k & ,dfoa'kksv/;k;%Al ,"k Hkxokukfniq#"k ,o lk{kkékjk;.kks yksdkuka LoLr; vkRekua =;he;a deZfo'kqf) fufeÙka _f"kfHkjfi p osnsu foftKkL;ekuks }k'k/kk foHkT; "kV~lq olUrkfn"o`rq"kq ;Fkksitks"ke`rqx.kku~ fon/kfrAA3AA resrfeg iq#"kL=;~;k fo|;k o.kkZJekpkjkuqiFkkmPpkopS% deZfHkjkEukrS;kZsxforkuS'p J);k ;tUrks·atlk Js;% lef/kxPNfUrAA4AAvFk l ,"k vkRek yksdkuka |koki`fFkO;ksjUrjs.k uHkksoy;L; dkypØxrks }kn'keklkUHkq³~äs jkf'k laKku~ laoRljko;oku~ ekl% i{k};a fnok uäa psfr likn{kZ};eqifn'kfUr ;kork "k"Bea'ka Hkaqthr l oS _rqfjR;qifn';rs laoRljko;o%AA5AA iapeLdU/k & }kfoa'kksv/;k;%A“Surya Bhagvan — the Sun god—energises the whole world by its slow or quick movements vis-a-vis Uttarayana, Dakshinayana and Vishuvas. The days are the shortest on Makara Sankranti-cum-Uttarayana, equal with nights on Mesha Sankranti-cum-

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Vishuva, longest on Karkata Sankranti-cum-Dakshinayana and again equal with nights on Tula Sankranti-cum-Vishuva. The self same Parmatma in the form of sun divides Itself into twelve parts known as Rashis (which are) equal to six seasons of Vasanta etc. of two months each. During the sojourn of one month, the sun covers two and a quarter nakshatras. Each Ritu comprises two months which are one sixth of a Samvatsara”.

It has said further in Book 12 Chapter 11---verses 34 to 46:v;Zek iqygk·FkkStk% izgsfr% iaqftdkLFkyhA ukjn% dPNuhj”p u;UR;srs Le ek/koe~AA34AA/kkrk ÑrLFkyh gsrqokZlqdh jFkÑUequsA iqyLR;LrqEcq#fjfr e/kqekla u;UR;ehAA35AAofl"Bks o#.kks jEHkk lg tU;LrFkk gqgq%A 'kqØf'p=Lou'pSo 'kqfpekla u;UR;ehAA36AAbUæks fo’okolq% Jksrk ,yki=LrFkkf³~xjk%A izEykspk jk{klks o;kZs uHkksekla u;UR;ehAA37AAfooLokuqxzlsu'p O;k?kz vklkj.kks Hk`xq%A vuqEykspk 'k³~[kikyks uHkL;k[;a u;UR;ehAA38AAiw"kk /kuat;ks okr% lq"ks.k% lq#fpLrFkkA ?k`rkph xkSre'psfr riksekla u;UR;ehAA39AAØrqoZpkZ Hkj}kt% itZU;% lsuftÙkrFkkA fo'o ,sjkor'pSo riLkk[;a u;UR;ehAA40AAvFkka’kq% d’;iLrk{;Za _+rlsuLrFkksoZ’khA fo|qPN=qeZgk’k³~[k% lgksekla u;UR;ehAA41AAHkx% LQwtksZ·fj’Vusfe:.kZ vk;q”p iape%A ddksZVd% iwoZfpfÙk% iq’;ekla u;UR;ehAA42AARo’Vk _phd ru;% dEcy”p fryksÙkekA czãkisrks·Fk “krftn~ /k`rjk’Vª b”kEHkjk%AA43AAFo’.kqj”orjks jEHkk lw;ZopkZ”p lR;ftr~A fo”okfe=ks e[kkisr ÅtZekla u;UR;ehAA44AA,rk Hkxorks fo’.kksjkfnR;L; foHkwr;%A Lejrka la/;;ksu¤.kka gjUR;agks fnus fnusAA45AAIn these verses the names of deities presiding over various Vedic months like Madhu, Madhava etc. together with other attendant paraphernalia have been listed in the same manner as in the Vishnuprana. What is noteworthy here is that in the 42nd verse the month after Saha is Pushya instead of Sahasya which has been referred to in verse No. 41. It is a clear indication that for Maharshi Vyasa also there was no difference between Mina, Mesha and Madhu, Madhava or Chaitra and Vaishakha respectively. THUS SHRI KRISHNA WAS BORN IN A LUNAR SHRAVANA LINKED TO THE VEDIC I.E. TROPICAL SHUCHI i.e.. KARKA SANKRANTI AND NOT SOME IMAGINARY LAHIRI OR RAMANA SHRVANA KRISHNA ASHTAMI . WHEN THESE “VEDIC ASTROLOGERS” PREPARE LORD KRISHNA’S NATAL CHART ALSO ON THE BASIS OF LAHIR/RAMANA SHRAVANA KRISHNA ASHTAMIS AND “DELINEATE THE RESULTS CORRECTLY”, THEY ARE ONLY MAKING A LAUGHING STOCK OF THEMSELVES ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY ARE CLAIMING THAT THE BIRTH PARTICULARS HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM THESE VERY PURANAS ETC. Similarly, when “Vedic astronomers” like Subhash Kak interpret these Puranas also in an atrocious manner and claim with pride, “At worst, we get a sequence of Rashis which is out of step by one (page 12 of Babylonian and Indian Astronomy)” one has to take their statements not with a “pinch” but “at least a kilogram” of salt!

Vishnudharmotarapurana has correlated categorically the solar Vedic i.e. seasonal months to the lunar months and Mesha etc. Rashis:

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“Alberuni’s India” says that in his time the Vishnudharmotarapurana was held in the highest esteem for deciding festivals etc. Even the “original” i.e. the Adi-Shankaracharya (8th Century AD) has quoted several verses from the same Purana while writing a commentary on Vishnusahsranama Shloka 14 and other works. This Purana has listed in part III, Adhyaya 9 all the twelve Vedic solar months viz Madhu etc. and correlated them with the lunar months in the following manner: Madhu – Chaitra; Madhava – Vaishakha; Shukrah – Jyeshtha; Shuchih – Ashadha; Nabhah – Shravana; Nabhasya – Praushthapada; Isha – Ashvyuja; Urja – Kartika; Sahah – Margasheersha; Sahasyah – Paushah; Maghah – Tapah; Phalgunah – Tapasya. In the next verse of the same chapter, it says, “It is Vishuva when the sun is in Tula and Mesha. From the end of Dhanu (i.e. from the start of Makara) to the end of Mithuna (i.e. the beginning of Karkata) it is Dakshinayana”..and so on.

Rashis in the Ramayana are an interpolation of a much later date: There is a lot of confusion about the birth date/time of Bhagwan Rama since He is said to have been born in “Navmi tithi coincident with Punarvasu nakshatra with the Moon and Jupiter in Karkata”. That can definitely happen but the problem arises when we posit the sun in Aries (Mesha) simultaneously. Let us analyze this situation thoroughly.

As per the Valmiki Ramayana, Balakanda, Canto 18, verses 7 to 10, “Sri Rama was born after six seasons had elapsed since the yagnya was over. It was the month of Chaitra, Shukla Paksha Navmi tithi, and Punarvasu Nakshatra with five planets either exalted or in their own Rashis. He was born in Karkata Lagna with the Moon and Jupiter therein”. Maharshi Valmiki has not said it anywhere that the sun was in Mesha! As we have seen already, Chaitra is also another name of the Vedic month Madhu, the first month of Vasanta Ritu.

Goswami Tulsidas also says the same thing in Balakanda 191 “Navmi tithi madhumas puneeta, shukal paksha abhijit hari preeta”---“It was Madhumasa and Navmi tithi of Shuklapaksha, in Abhijit Muhurta”. He has not said anywhere that the sun was in Mesha.

It is only in the Adhyatma Ramayana 1/3/14-15 that we read “Mesham Poohsani samprapte, pushpavrishtirpapata hai” i.e when the sun was in Mesha….”. However, in the 14th verse of the same chapter it says, “madhumase site paksha navmyam karkate shubhe, punarvasu riksha sahite uchhasthe grahpanchake” i.e. it was shukla paksha (bright lunar half) of the month of Madhu, Karkata lagna, navmi tithi, Moon in punarvasu nakshatra, and five planets either exalted or in their own rashis”.

It is actually an astronomical impossibility that has been created by Adhyatma Ramayana. If the month is Madhu the sun cannot be in Mesha since it is the start of Madhava! However, if we go by the statements of “Vedic astrologers” and presume the Rashis to be so called nirayana, the confusion becomes worst confounded! According to Dr. B. V Rama’s “Notable Horoscopes” Ayanamsha at the time of Shri Krishna’s birth as on July 19, 3228 BC, was +50° 40’. It means that the so called nirayana sankrantis were earlier by about 51 days than their sayana counterparts. Obviously, at the time of Shri Rama’s birth it would have been at least +60° i.e. at the start of the month of Vedic Madhu, the sun would have just entered so called nirayana Makara!

There are now two options: we either presume the entire Adhyatma Ramayana to be a concoction of the worst order or presume the astrological rashis as a later interpolation! Personally, I feel that it is better to choose the lesser of two evils since I find Adhyatma Ramayana full of Vedantic truths that cannot be easily found in a work of absolute fiction! The Rama-Gita in Adhyatma Ramayana is the best example of expounding the Vedanta philosophy. Therefore, such astrological verses are plain interpolations included by some early “Vedic astrologers” just as there are interpolations in the Surya Sidhanta about the verses of Ayanamsha!

Similarly, as yet no astrologer has found the solution to the riddle as to how it could be Navmi tithi, with the moon in Cancer and Punarvasu nakshatra if the sun was in Mesha! For navmi tithi the moon has to be “ahead” by at least 96° from the sun. If the sun is really in Mesha, the moon will be in Karkata, no doubt, but as Punarvasu nakshatra ends just at 3° 20’ of Cancer, it cannot be possible because if the sun is even in zero degrees of Mesha, the moon will have to be in at least sixth degree of Karkata for navmi

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tithi to start! On the other hand, if we take the sun in Mina such a problem gets automatically resolved since with the moon in Karkata, say at two degrees, the sun would have been earlier by 96° i.e. in 26th degree of Mina.Was Shri Rama born with the sun in Karkata or the sun in Mesha?

The Valmiki Ramayana itself has created a lot of confusion further in verses 15 and 16 of the same canto (18) when it states, “Bharata was born in Pushya nakshatra and Mina lagna whereas the twin sons of Sumitra were born in Ashlesha nakshatra when the sun was in Kuleera i.e. Cancer (Karkata) Rashi”. If Shri Rama was born with the sun in Mina (Madhu) or Mesha (exalted) Lakshmana and Shattrugana, who were younger than Rama by just a day-or-two could not have been born with the sun in Karkata. The planetary position, except for the Moon and lagna would virtually have remained the same more or less as that of Shri Rama. E.g. the Moon is the only “planet” that could have changed signs but as Bharata was born in Pushya and Lakshmana and Shatrugna in Ashlesha, even that “fasterst moving planet” was in the same sign as that of Shri Rama viz. Cancer i.e. Karkata because in “equal division of nakshtras”, Simha rashi starts with the end of Ashlesha (and start of Magha) nakshatra! Irnoically, if the sun (besides the Moon) also was in Cancer then it could not have been Shukla Paksha Navmi tithi for Shri Rama but Krishna Paksha Trayodashi or Chatrudashi whereas Lakshmana and Shatrugna must have been born in Krishna Chaturdashi/Amavasya! Besides, the month of Madhu and the Sun in Cancer are just not compatible at all!

Do planets rule the divine incarnations or is it the other way round?As a matter of fact, this astrological speculation about the number of “exalted

plantes in Shri Rama’s horoscope” is meaningless since our shastras are strictly against astroloatory. No scripture has advised us to consult an astrologer for finding out as to how we would fare in our lives. Besides, it may suit the evil designs of “Vedic astrologers” to subjugate even the divine incarnations to planetary suzerainty, but it is against the very grain and ethos of the real Vedic culture to believe in such nonsense. So if there are any indications that planets lorded over the Omnipotent Lord also either in the Ramayana or any Purana etc., they are certainly interpolations of later years.

Thus whichever way we look at it, it is safe to presume such “astrological miracles”as interpolations of a much later date than having been inserted by Maharshi Valmiki himself!

Therefore, the Ramanavmi that we are celebrating these days in the month of Madhava is absolutely wrong since instead of Madhu, it is celebrated in Madhava, both solar and lunar and that is against the letter and spirit of that very Ramayana by which we swear! E.g. we will be asked to celebrate it on 18th of April in 2005, when the month of Madhu will have ended on 21st of March and even that of Madhav will end just after two days of that Ramanavmi!

Non existence of Rashis in the Mahabharata has a lot of significance: The Mahabharata claims, and rightly so, that what is contained in that monumental work may be found in other scriptures also but what is not there is impossible to be found anywhere else! And we must rake our brains as to why there are no Rashis in the Mahabharata when there are references to tithis and nakshatras etc. times without number! Obviously, there were no Rashis prevailing in India at the time of the Mahabharata!

Bhishma died in Magha immediately after Uttarayana! As per the same Mahabharata, Shanti Parva 47/3, Anushasana Parva 167/5-6 and 27-28; Bhishma Pitamaha was waiting for Uttarayana – and not Makara Sankranti! He is very emphatic when he says, “It is now Magha and the sun has already turned towards north”. It could not have been a Lahiri Magha (even Subhash Kak Magha!) since in about 2000 BC the real Uttarayana wouild have taken place in Lahiri Phalguna if not earlier! It is only the Vedanga Jyotisha Magha for which Bhishma was waiting. Obviously, the Bhishma Ashtami we are celebrating is wrong. E.g. in 2005, we will be asked to celebrate this festival on 16th of February when actually Uttarayana will take place on December 21, 2004 and the first Shukla Ashtami after that will be on January 17, 2005.

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This is the type of respect we are showing for our “departed souls”---celebrating even their shradhas on wrong days, thanks to these Kaliyugi Panchanga pandits!

“Sushruta Samhita” of 7th century BC also relates lunar months to seasons: Sushruta, the famous ancient surgen, according to the article “History of Plastic Surgey in India” by the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India, flourished around 6 th/7th century BC. As per footnote on page 50 of “Orion” by B. G. Tilak, Suhsruta has said in Adhyaya 6 of his “Sutrasthana”, “There are twelve months starting with Magha and each season comprising two months starting with Shishira ….”. Thus Tapah-cum-Magha was the first month of the year after Uttarayana, on the Vedanga Jyotisha pattern in sixth century B C also. Even Sushruta has not referred to any Rashis, which means they were conspicuous by their absence even in his time!

Mahashivaratri and Magha: Obviously, the world famous Mahashivaratri will be the first Krishna Trayodashi/Chaturdashi after that Magha Shukla Paksha which follows Uttarayana immediately. By the same logic, Utarayana in 2004 takes place on December 21 and the Shukla Paksha after that starts on January 11, 2005 and Krishna Paksha after that starts on January 26, 2005. Naturally, Magha (Phalguna in Northern India) Krishna Trayodashi at Nishitha (midnight) will fall on February 6, 2005 and Chaturdashi on February 7, 2005 but our “Kaliyugi Panchangamakers” advise us to celebrate it on 7 th/8th

of March, 2005!

Real Vedic scholars (instead of today’s “pseudo scholars”) have related intercalary (lunar) months to seasonal solar months: B. G. Tilak in his “Orion” has made it clear that references to any intercalary months in the Vedas are on the basis of a seasonal year and not some so called Lahiri or Ramana nirayana zodiac.

Same is the case with a Hindi translation of the Rigveda, published by L B Shastri Sanskrit University, New Delhi. The Hindi translation as well as a Sanskrit commentary have been written by Shivnath Ahitagni and Pt. Shankar Dutt Shastri. It was published initially in 1904 i.e. exactly a century back.

There is a mantra 1/25/8 which reads asVeda maso drit vrato dwadshaprajavatah, veda ya upajayate

It has been translated as “Varuna knows the twelve (solar) months and the (intercalary) thirteenth month also”. The commentators have made it clear (exactly a century back) that the thirteenth month is to be calculated as against a seasonal (tropica) year and not the so called nirayana year!Pt. Sudhakar Dwivedi has decried so called sideareal zodiac more than one and a quarter century back: A biography of the famous Hindi poet, Bharatendu Harishchandra, by Babu Shivnandan Sahay has been published by Hindi Samiti, Lucknow. Pt. Sudhakar Dwivedi is well known as a Sanskrit commentator of Panchasidhantika and Surya Sidhanta etc. He has prepared a horoscope of the said poet in the same book. In his preface to that horoscope he has said on page 4, “There is no doubt that planets were calculated on tropical basis in India during the last several centuries and horoscopes also were prepared accordingly. It has been just out of sheer lethargy on the part of our “jyotishis” that they stopped observing the actual longitudes of the sun, moon etc. through gnomon etc. and resorted to some myth called ayanamsha with the result that the so called nirayana rashichakra was invented”. He had written this in 1883 AD, i.e. about 120 ears back! Misinterpretation of Vedic Mantras: Some “Vedic astrologers” say that there are references to “Shani” (Saturn) in the Vedas as there are Mantras like “Shan-nodevir-abhishtay, Apo Bhavantu peetaye; Shamyorabhi sravantu-nah” (Shukla Yajurveda 36/12) becaue the word “Shan” is there. Nothing could be further from the truth since the plain and simple meaning of this Mantra is “Let the gods bestow desired blissful objects on us; Let the waters flowing in all directions shower ‘sham’ – peace on us”.

In the same vein, Sukta I, 154 of the Rigveda is interpreted by some astrologers to mean that this mantra has reference to “fixed signs (Rashis) Taurus, Leo and Aquarius”! What a fantastic statement!

The first Mantra of this Sukta refers to Vishnu’s three strides in which He “measured” the entire universe. The second Mantra says, “Vishnu, residing in mountain

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tops, like a ‘Mrigon Bhimah….” i.e. “like a terrible Mrigah”. This word (“Mrigah”) has been defined by Sir Monier Williams in his “Sanskrit English Dictionary” page 828 as, “a forest animal or a wild beast, game of any kind, (esp) a deer, fawn, gazelle, antelope, stag, musk-deer, R.V., &c. &c”. Thus according to him it means anything but a lion! Even in our day to day conversations, Mriga in Sanskrit or Hindi is known as a “deer”. Kalidasa’s Abhigyan Shakuntalam has a legend attached to it, as king Dushyanta was hunting a “lovely Mriga” (deer) of the Kanva Ashrama when he met Shakuntala! Pandit Shankar Dutt Shastri and Shivnath Ahitagni also have translated it as “a terrible animal” – they have not referred to it as a ‘lion’. However, Sayana Acharya has translated this Mantra as a “….like a terrible lion residing in forests”. It must be noted here that it is a similie with the lion rather than a reference to Vishnu the lion himself! We must also know that lions do not live in mountains but in forests, since they cannot tolerate cold weather on the mountains, especially of northern clime!

The third Mantra says, “Let this prayer/praise reach the highly extolled ‘Vrishna’ who resides on the mountains”. This word “Vrishna” has been translated by Sir William Monier on page 1012 as “…drawn by stallions (as a chariot) RV.; …being among stallions; possessing or bringing great wealth RV”. Shankar Dutt Shastri and Shivnath Ahitagni have translated it as “nar-pashu i.e. half man and half animal” like a “Narasimha”. Sayanacharya has translated it as “one who ‘rains’ –bestows--the desired results”…something akin to Monier’s connotation as “possessing or bringing great wealth”. This word does not have any connotation of a “bull”. Maybe “Vrishna” is being confused with “Vrisha” or “Vrishabha”---a “Bull”. Even if it is agreed that Vishnu has been compared with “Vrishna” which means the bull, it is also a moot point as to whether bulls really reside on mountains rather than plains unless we are talking especially of Nandi the “vehicle” of Lord Shiva!

The fifth Mantra says, “May I attain that abode of Vishnu where the god-loving men enjoy, since He (Vishnu) alone is the real ‘bandhu’…”. This word “bandhu” means, according to Monier Williams,(page 721) “relation i.e. relative, kindred, kinship (RV.)”. In other words, it means anything but a “friend”. Shankar Dutt Shastri and Shivnath Ahitagni have translated it as “bandhav”—a close relative. Sayanacharya has translated it as “bandhubhuto hitakaro” which means “a well wisher like a very close relative”. In our day to day prayers we repeat very often, “Tvam eva mata cha pita tvam eva, tvam eva bandhuh cha sakha tvam eva” “O Almighty, You are my mother, my father, my ‘bandhu’ i.e. kindred and my ‘sakha’ i.e. a ‘friend’. In other words, Sanskrit language differentiates between a “sakha” – a friend and a “bandhu” i.e. “(close) kin”. You can say a “bandhu is a bandhu and a sakha is a sakha---a friend is a friend; a kindred is a kindred”

Aurobindo, one of the greatest yogis of modern times, is said to have translated these three words “Mrigah”, “Vrishnah” and “Bandhuh” as LION, BULL and FRIEND respectively. Obviously, he must have given a running translation instead of a word for word one, which the “rashi-linkers” are trying to do! Aurbodindo could never have even imagined, in spite of his being a Yogi, that after his death his interpretation would be linked to a non-existent, so called ”fixed Rashichakra” by his disciples.

Presuming for a moment that by “Bandhu” a friend is meant, but what does that have to do with the astrological sign Aquarius that is supposed to mean a “pitcher”? One can understand the connection between the lion and Simha rashi, or between the Bull and Vrisha rashi but what on earth has a “friend” to do with a “pitcher” i.e. Kumbha Rashi. It is worthwhile to indicate here that a “pitcher is a pitcher and a friend is a friend”! Surprisingly, these three are supposed to refer to “fixed signs” but ironically neither the “lion” nor the “bull” and least of all the “friend” are “fixed”. So they do not have any “common characteristics” with the “fixed rashis” which they are supposed to represent in the Vedas. Then even Aurobindo himself has not stated anywhere that the “bull” and the “lion” and the “bandhu” were the three measuring “mileposts” for Vishnu! On ther other hand all the translators and interpreters are unanimous that these are the likenesses of Vishnu – a lion, a bull and a “bandhu”! So why misinterpret them to suit some one’s fancy? That is not service but disservice to the Hindu community as a whole, which has already been bogged down by so many misinterpretations about the so called Rashichakra!Tapasya and Rashichakra!

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To say that some “seer” has visualized this interpretation of some astrological signs (Rashis) during meditation is to give licence to every one to claim having visualized his or her wishful thinking in meditation! In fact, charlatans claim that they have intuition! I may equally claim that during “meditation I visualized that some people were trying to play pranks with us by claiming to have visualized a link between the “astrological rashis” and Vedic Mantras!

“Meditation” is a dangerous tool. There is a joke in Kashmiri. A thug went to the son of a deceased rich man and claimed that his father had visited him (the thug) in the dreams and asked him to claim some “munificence” from his son. The son informed him that his father had visited him (the son) also in the dream and warned him that so-and-so would claim to have visited him in a dream and stake a claim to some munificence! The thug retorted, “Your father is a liar---he told me something in my dreams and has told you exactly an opposite thing in your dreams”. So these “meditations” are like “dreams”---even hallucinations and may inform someone exactly of the opposite meaning to the reality! Better beware!

“Astrological Ages”:When these astrologers say that they are waiting with a baited breath for the

Aquarian Age, what they mean is that the Vernal Equinox will regress into that Constellation and not the “Rashi” of that name! It is actually an astronomical phenomenon. It will take place exactly in the year 2597 AD. Similarly, when it is said that the “First Point of Aries” regressed into Pisces, they mean the Constellation Pisces and not the Rashi of a similar name – whether sayana or so called nirayana! Western astrologers have delinked the Rashis from their namesake constellations and mercifully declared them openly to be tropical and related to seasons. On the other hand, “Vedic astrologers” are clinging to non existing myths.

Besides, astronomically, it is not only the Vernal Equinox that has to be “explained/evaluated/co-related” then while precessing from one constellation to the other but even the Autumn Equinox as well as both the Solstices. We cannot overlook the fact that there was a time in hoary past when Winter Solstice was supposed to be the beginning of the new solar year in India as per the Vedanga Jyotisha and even as per Sushruta Samhita, as seen already. Equally important is the fact that Autumn Equinox is the “Spring Equinox” and Summer Solstice the “Winter Solstice” of Southern regions. The only thing we have to remember is that in such cases the actual divisions of constellations, and not the artificial nakshatras or Rashichakras, are taken into accout by astronomers. Instead of concentrating just on the VE, on the other hand, astronomers try to integrate such precessional regressions of the four cardinal points over the last several millennia with the evolutionary cycle.

The zodiac and the signs: Links between the names of constellations and astrological signs:

Here also an interesting question arises as to why did astrologers “bestow” such names of equal divisions to unequal constellations! In this regard we quote the actual words verbatim from pages 192-194 of the Report of the Calendar Reform Committee, under the heading The zodiac and the signs

“The early astronomers must have found that the sun’s path in the heavens was almost fixed, while that of the moon, and of the planets, which acquired for astrological reasons great importance from about 1200 BC, strayed some degrees to the north and south of the ecliptic.

‘In case of the moon the deviation from the ecliptic was found to be not much greater than 5 degrees, but some of the planets strayed much more; in the case of Venus, her perpendicular distance from the ecliptic rises as high as 8 degrees. So a belt was imagined straying about 9° north and 9° south of the ecliptic, in which the planets would always remain in course of their movement. This belt came to be known as the ‘Zodiac’.

‘The complete cycle of this belt was divided into 12 equal sectors each of 30° and each sector called a ‘Sign’. The signs started with one of the points of intersection of the ecliptic and the equator, and the first sign was called ‘Aries’ after the constellation of

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stars within it. The names of the succeeding signs are given in Table No.8 on the next page, in which:

The first column gives the beginning and ending of the signs, the vernal equinoctial point being taken as the origin.

The second column gives the international names which are in Latin with the symbols used to denote the signs.

The third column gives their English equivalents.The fourth column gives the Greek names. They are synonymous with the

international names.The fifth column gives a set of alternative names for the signs given by

Varahamihira.The sixth column gives the Indian names.The seventh column gives the Babylonian names.

Table 8 --- Zodiacal Signs Different names of zodiacal signs1 2 3 4 5 6 7Signs from to

Latin name

English equival.

Greek name

Varaha-Mihira

Indian name

Babylonian names&meaning

0 - 30 Aries Ram Krios Kriya Mesha Ku / Iku (Ram) 30 - 60 Taurus Bull Tauros Taburi Vrishabha Te-te (Bull) 60 - 90 Gemini Twins Didumoi Jituma Mithuna Masmasu(Twins) 90 -120 Cancer Crab Karsinos Kulira Karkata Nangaru (Crab)120-150 Leo Lion Leon Leya Simha Aru (Lion)150-180 Virgo Virgin Partheno

sPathona Kanya Ki (Virgin)

180-210 Libra Balance Zugos Juka Tula Nuru (Scales)210-240 Scorpio Scorpion Scorpios Karupa Vrischika Akrabu(Scorpion240-270 Sagittarius Archer Tozeutes Tauksika Dhanuh Pa (Archer)270-300 Capricorn Goat Ligoxeros Akokara Makara Sahu (Goat)300-330 Aquarius Water

BearerGdroxoos Hrdroga Kumbha Gu (Water carrier)

330-360 Pisces Fish Ichthues Antyabhya

Mina Zib (Fish)

It can be easily inferred from the (above) Table that the names are of Babylonian origin, but their exact significance is not always known. ….

It is seen that Varahamihira’s alternative names given in column (5) are simply the Greek names corrupted in course of transmission and as adopted for Sanskrit; with the exception of the name for Scorpion, which is given as ‘Kaurpa’. This has phonetic analogy with the corresponding Babylonian sign names Akrabu for Scorpion. The purely Sanskrit names given in column (6) are all translations of Greek names with the exceptions of:

(3) Twin which become Mithuna or ‘Amorous Couple’.(9) the Archer, which becomes the ‘Bow’,(10) the Goat, which becomes the ‘Crocodile’(11) Water bearer, which becomes the ‘Waterpot’.Some of them appear to have been translations of Babylonian names.The Babylonian names, as interpreted by F. K. Ginzel (in his book—published in

1906--Handbuch der Mathematischen und Technischen Chronologie, Bd. I. Leipzig) are given in the seventh column, with their meanings.

It is thus seen that the names of the zodiacal signs are originally of Babylonian origin. They were taken over almost without change by the Greeks, and subsequently by the Romans, and the Hindus, from Graeco-Chaldean astrology…..

“These signs were taken up by almost all nations in the centuries before the Christian era on account of the significance attached to them by astrologers. In Greece, they were first supposed to have been introduced by the early Greek astronomer Cleostratos, an astronomer who observed about 532 BC in the island of Tenedos off the Hellespont who introduced the designation ‘Zodiac’ to describe the belt of stars about the ecliptic. The twelve ‘Zodiacal Signs’ are not known in older ritualistic Indian literature

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like the Brahmanas. They appear to have come to India in the wake of the Macedonian Greeks or of nations like the Sakas who were intermediaries for transmission of Greek culture to India…..

“The hesitation of medieval astronomers in accepting precession can be easily understood. Most of them earned their livelihood by practising the ‘Astrological Cult’ which was reared on the basis that the signs of the zodiac are fixed, and coincident with certain star-groups; but this assumption crumbles to the ground if precession is accepted. But as historical records now show, though astronomers had clearly recognised that the initial point should be the point of intersection of the equator and the ecliptic, there was no unanimity even amongst ancient astronomers of different ages regarding the locationof this point in the heavens because it was not occupied by any prominent star at any epoch and the ancients were unaware of the importance of its motion”

Rashichakra was imported into India from Babylon via the Greeks:We have seen that the so called Mesha etc. Rashichakra cannot be linked to any so called sidereal i.e. constellational zodiac. So the only alternative left for the Vedic Rishis was to have “invented” or discovered” a Rashichakra linked to the seasonal months! Let us try to understand as to how sheepish our Vedic Rishis would have looked today if they had really done so! We know that the first month of the Vasanta Season is known as Madhu and the month of Vernal Equinox as Madhav as per the Vedas. Let us suppose that these months were also named Mina and Mesha by our Vedic Rishis! But then Mina means a “Fish” and Mesha a “Ram” in Sanskrit and the question arises as to why they would have named the months like that? Even our “extraordinarily intelligent Vedic astronomers” cannot discern any resemblance between the Spring season and “Fishes” or “Rams”!! Similarly, according to our “Vedic astronomers” like Subhas Kak they had named Shukra as Vrisha (a Bull!) and Shuchi as Mithuna i.e. ”an amorous couple”! We know that these two months are of “Grishma” i.e Summer --- hardly having any resemblance to either a “Bull” or “an amorous couple”. By the same logic why should they have named Summer Solstice --- Nabhah -- as Karkata since it does not at all look like a “Crab” nor does the month of Nabhasya (rains) resemble at all a Simha - a “Lion!”. Simlarly, the month of Isha of Sharad Ritu has no resemblance to a Kanya – ” a Virgin”. The second month of Sharad Ritu viz. Urja---the Autumn Equinox--- is the only month – rather the only day when it can be said to resemble a Tula -“Scales” since the day and night are equal then throughout the globe! The month of Sahas of Hemant Ritu has nothing to do with “Vrishchika” – “A Scorpion” unless it is to get a sting in our hands by trying to erect a Rashichakra! The month of Sahasya is supposed to have been named Dhanu – a bow or an Archer! The most ironic part of it is that the months of Tapa and Tapasya – the latter also being the Winter Solstice – are supposed to resemble “Makar” and Kumbha” “a goat”– when actually Makar means a Crocodile and Kumbha a Pitcher! Unfortunately for these “Vedic astronomers” our Vedic Rishis did not invent any such Racshichakra with such fantastic names, and that is what is bothering them and that is why they are hell-bent to “prove” that they did do so -- which actually proves the ignorance of these “Vedic astronomers” and of course, Kaliyugi Jyotishis” who call themselves Vedic Jyotishis.

We have thus proved conclusively that the Vedic Rishis did not either “invent” or “discover” a Rashichakra named Mesha etc. Rashis because they were not that “illiterate” to have done so and make a fool of themselves. It is only our “modern Vedic astronomers” besides “Vedic astrologers” who are ascribing a Rashichakra to our Vedic Rishis! It eludes one’s imagination as to why they are hell-bent to make a laughing stock of our “Vedic Rishis” by way of ascribing to the Rishis an invention” which they never did just to belittle the claim that the Rashichakra with the nomenclature of Mesha (Ram) etc. rashis was invented by Babylonians! If we are the real followers of our Vedic Rishis, even if they had “invented” such a Rashichakra, we should have tried to undermine that “invention” since it brings hardly any credit to anyone to ascribe a discovery to our exalted Rishis which would have made a mess of everything!

“Vedic astrologers/astronomers” in a Catch-22 situation: The real tragedy with “Kaliyugi Jyotishis” is that they were already making a fool of the general public by

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making “correct predictions” in the name of “Hindu astrology”. However, “under the guidance of” some avaricious “overseas Vamadevas” out of sheer greed to mint more and more money they tried to ride the tiger of “Vedic astrology” with the pious hope that they would be able to somehow befool the common man. They succeeded to a great extent but unfortunately for them, they have been caught on the wrong foot ultimately. Out of sheer frustration they are now trying to rope in some real scholars also to “prove” that not only the so called nirayna Rashichakra (that is the actual meaning of sidereal zodiac according to these Kaliyugi Jyotishis) but even predictive astrology and even the Chaldean names of Mesha, Vrishabha etc. did exist in the Vedas! Fie on such “Vamadevas”, “Parasharas” and “Varahamihiras” who are a slur on the name of all those whose namesakes they are trying to be. Also fie on those “scholars” who, Just out of fear of losing their crumbs which these “Vamadevas” throw on them, try to wag their tails like street-dogs by changing their stances just at the drop of hat! “Vedic astrology” --- the greatest hoax being played on an unsuspecting gullible Hindu majority: We have seen that there are not --- in fact there cannot be --- any Rashis – astrological signs --- in the Vedas. There are no planets like Mercury, Mars and Saturn – much less Uranus, Neptune and Pluto in the Vedas. Obviously, predictive astrology, whether “Vedic” or “anti-Vedic” -- is based on these very “cornerstones” viz. rashis and planets! And both are absent in the Vedas! So long live “Vedic astrology” sans the Rashis and planets!

“Vedic astrology” has no legs to stand upon:Now that we have seen that there are no “Rashis” – not even Sayana, not to

speak of so called Nirayana --- in the Vedas, obviously “Vedic Astrology” has no legs to stand upon as no “Vedic Astrologer” has as yet claimed to be able to make successful predictions without resorting to the Rashis in the birth chart or any other chart for that matter! Therefore, if any “Vedic scholar” prophesises the existence of not only Rashis and that also “Nirayana” besides “Astrology (Jyotish)” in the Vedas, he is either not a Vedic scholar at all or he is just kowtowing the line of swarming “Vedic Astrologers” out of ulterior motives. Fie on such scholars and their scholarship!

Rashis have to be Sayana: If at all we have to live with Mesha, Vrishabha etc. Rashis, we must choose the lesser of two evils, viz. a Sayana Rashi-chakra and de-link it completely from the constellational belt as is done by “Western astrologers”. It is better to admit that it is a Chaldean “discovery/invention” and we are using it only because everybody else is using it, instead of ascribing it to our Vedic Rishis. If at all we have to link the so called nakshatra division of 27 nakshatras, it is better to link it to these very seasonal rashis as was done in the time of Alberuni (Please see page 99 of my Shri Krishen Universal Ephemeris for 2001). For that matter, even Vishnudharmotara has done the same thing, i.e. linked the nakshatras to Sayana Rashis which have been made inseparable from Ayanas and Vishuvas etc. Acharya Abhinavgupta has linked the Rashis to seasons and cardinal points and his commentator Jayaratha has explicitly explained the same thing vide his commentary on Tantraloka --

Om Tat Sat Brahmarpanam Astu

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