Part 5.2 - Jyotiḥśāstra in the Varāha Period

i. Rāśis, Weekdays and Planets

Rāśis, Weekdays and Planets mark their existence in this period.^[1] Rāśis and especially Planets occur with astrological significance related to the Jātaka branch, the Planets though mentioned earlier in the Vedavedāṅga period hardly convey any Astrology.

ii. Growth of Siddhāntas

The Saṃhitās of Garga, Parāśara and a few of the ancient Siddhāntas existed prior to this period yet a clear development related to a distinct branching of Jyotiḥśāstra is evident specifically in this period.

The Gaṇita branch of Jyotiḥśāstra shows a steady growth in this period beginning form the initial five Siddhāntas to the most distinguished Siddhāntas of Aryabhaṭṭa (476 AD), Brahmagupta upto Bhāskarācarya (1124 A.D.) later to which Jyotiḥśāstra wholly centered around Astrology out of which it had originally sprung.

iii. Decline of Saṃhitā Branch

The importance of Saṃhitā Skandha gradually declined after Sripati (960 AD) though its Muhūrta branch became popular after 1300 A.D. with the introduction of Tājika branch of Arabic influence which is prevalent till date.

iv. Horā Branch Integrated with Greek Astrology

The Horā branch integrated with Greek terminology of Horoscopy appear in this period though the views of the Yavanas are frequently contrasted. The conception of the Houses of Greek Astrology, appear as bhāvas in the Indian Counterpart in the sense of being or becoming or the innate disposition^[2] of an individual and his future in accordance with that. Also expressive in terms of past actions of man is Horāśāstra providing a vision of the actions of past lives of an individual thereby throwing a focus on the journey of the Jīvātman.

Opinions differ as to placing either Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa or Varāha at the midpoint of the developmental history of Jyotiḥśāstra though both can be termed as milestones of the journey of Jyotiṣa. The text of the Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa being the first of the extant texts on Jyotiṣa display the practical utility of the subject as also exhibits its indigenous structure. While Varāha’s texts exist on all the three branches of Jyotiḥśāstra along with commentaries of Utpala, they give an access to the predecessors of the subject also on one hand reveal the pure Indian nature of Jyotiṣa whereas on the other presents its admixture with the Greek elements.

In terms of the correlation, the Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa is a proof of the times when the future of an individual was to be achieved by performing ritual actions on specific times guarantying one such a future and promoting self effort. Whereas the texts of Varāha show a bifurcated development displaying Jyotiṣa as a window to the past actions of men and thereby the vision of future tendencies and actions connected with auspicious times for rectifications and saṃskāra rites.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Weekdays were derived by Indians from the Chaldeans or the Greeks, between 100 BC to 100 AD. History of Dharmaśāstra, V. 1, p. 679,681.

[2]:

Apte, V.S. 403; also as spread /stretch, as cosmic man spread similarly bhāva of individual.