Vedic Astrology and the tran-Saturnian Planets introduction

Shyamasundara (das)

Dear Maharaja and Prabhus,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

For a long I have been silent in presenting articles or answering questions, except the recent stuff about poison and such. The reason for my silence was my recent move, plus my work load. I had started posting things on the forum about a month ago but then I found out no one was seeing it because of various computer glitches. Hope they are all worked out for now and we can have some smooth sailing.

I will start this off by re-posting the beginning of a series of articles on the trans-Saturnian planets (Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto). This article is going to be published in the January 1998 special annual issue of the "The Astrological Magazine." Gayatri Devi Vasudeva, the associate editor of the magazine and daughter of Dr. BV Raman told me that her father very much like the article and said "you are in tune with father's own views." My original title for the article was "Vedic Astrology and the trans-Saturnian Planets" but Dr. Raman changed it to "The Fallacy of the trans-Saturnian Planets."

I hope you enjoy it.

Your humble servant

Shyamasundara Dasa

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Vedic Astrology and the Trans-Saturnian Planets

by Shyamasundara Dasa, c 1997

The following article is an excerpt from a work in progress.

Abstract: Now that Vedic astrology has become popular in the West many Western trained astrologers are attempting to fuse the two systems or introduce Western concepts such as the trans-Saturnian planets into the Vedic system. Over the years some Indian astrologers have also attempted to introduce these planets into Vedic astrology. Such attemps are destructive to the internal philosophical consistency and logical structure of Vedic astrology. In addition it undermines the effectiveness of Jyotisha while revealing a lack of understanding of the philosophical foundations of Vedic astrology, and the history of how trans-Saturnian planets were introduced. And finally this practice demonstrates a general disrespect for the guru-parampara. If this erosion of Vedic astrology were to continue, then Jyotisha would find itself in the same confused state that Western Astrology is in today, culminating in loss of accuracy, loss of respectability and ultimately the destruction of Jyotisha as a Vedic discipline.

GRAHA VERSUS PLANET

There is a fundamental difference between the Vedic concept of graha and the Western use of Planets in astrology. Graha, by definition, is anything which has the power to seize, grasp or influence. In this case "seizing or influencing the destinies of men in a supernatural manner."*1* The word for planet on the other hand is translated as loka in Sanskrit. Not all grahas are lokas, nor are all lokas grahas. In English, this means that the class of entities or objects which have divinatory significance includes planets, but not all planets have divinatory significance. (We are reminded however that while certain planets may be grahas, in a divinatory sense, they are not causal agents. They do not cause anything to happen. But as mantic grahas they do have the power to be used in a divinatory language to explain the will of God. Just as omens do not cause anything but are divine signs.)

In Vedic Astrology the ten major grahas are: The Ascendent, Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu (North Node of the Moon) and Ketu (South Node of the Moon). Of these ten grahas the Ascendent, Rahu and Ketu are not lokas or planets but rather mathematical points calculated by the astrologer. Though not planets they are of great significance. Vedic astrology also has numerous upa-grahas (minor grahas) and kala-velas (sensitive points in time). Of these up-grahas and kala-velas, Mandi is considered most important and is especially used in Kerala. Mandi is definitely not a planet in the Western sense, but it is a graha.

Vedic Astrology is a limb of the Vedas and was revealed to Rishis from a higher source. Ultimately, Jyotisha is revealed knowledge coming from Lord Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus, the traditional assignments of grahas is not trivial, meaningless or haphazard. We also note the Vedic distinction between the classification of graha (divinatory agent) and loka (planet).

Western Astrology entirely lacks the concept of graha; they are left only with planets. As a consequence, they assume that simply because something is floating "out there," whether it be a planet like Neptune, or Ganymede (a moon of Jupiter) or asteroids like Athena; in all cases they should be incorporated into the chart. We suggest that such an attitude creates an incomprehensible hodge-podge which further erodes the axiomatic basis of their school of astrology. (What about comets and meteors? While Vedic astrology doesn't use asteriods in delineations, it does recognize and use comets and meteors, especially in Mundane astrology and nimitta.)

*1* Williams, p. 372.

PLEASE NOTE: References for footnotes at end of series.

End of part 1

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