Karmic Astrology鈥攁 Study
by Sunita Anant Chavan | 2017 | 68,707 words
This page relates 鈥楥orrelation of Jyotisha and Karma in the Brahmana Period鈥� of the study on Karmic Astrology and its presentation in Vedic and the later Sanskrit literature. Astrology (in Sanskrit: Jyotish-shastra) is based upon perceptive natural phenomenon of cosmic light forms while the Concept of Karman basically means 鈥渁ction according to Vedic injunction鈥� such as the performance of meritorious sacrificial work.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 2.4 - Correlation of Jyoti峁 and Karma in the Br膩hma峁嘺 Period
i. Practice of Rituals
The practice of rituals is an obligation in the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉. It carries the sense of Vrata.[1] Vrata necessitated natural and moral order which equated with the correct order of sacrifices in the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉. The correlation chiefly comes in sense of connection of proper time and sacrifices. Present sacrificial or ritual actions resulted in future rewards extending to after life was also an aspect of the correlation. Long life was considered necessary for performance of rituals, the more the offerings made in present life, longer would be the stay in next world (艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 X.1.5.4)
叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉 explain the connection of the rite with the heavenly body or else the time and its reward. The insertion of Pravargya rite after a Soma sacrifice, which unites the gods with a new body for the sacrificer,[2] or Dar艣ap奴r峁嘺m膩se峁ａ弓i performed by the gods to compel the Asuras to give up the half month of the waning Moon[3] are instances of the explanatory nature of 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉 in connection with the correlation. Ritual actions performed for rectifying the parvans of 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈 is also a chief illustration. Sacrifices mainly depended on the phases of Moon[4], the 础诲丑颈尘腻蝉补[5] is connected with 艢un膩s墨r墨ya sacrifice.[6] Deities are affiliated to years[7] and are associated with the 颁腻迟耻谤尘腻蝉测补蝉. Certain seasons were deemed proper for 础驳苍测腻诲丑腻苍补. 艢耻办谤补 finds mention in connection with 础驳苍颈峁ａ弓辞尘补.[8] Occasionally a deity finds mention in connection with a certain offering in a rite made at a certain time. (艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 1.7.3.3.). Vasanta already declared as the first of the seasons (罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 1.1.2.6.) is appropriated for the consecration of the sacred fires for a specific caste.(艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 II.1.3.1-5.).
ii. 狈补办峁迟谤补 and Ritual Actions
狈补办峁迟谤补 in the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉 are of ritualistic significance. Several rites and sacrifices were performed on particular 狈补办峁迟谤补, Yoga or specific time.[9] 狈补办峁迟谤补 were chiefly connected with rites as 础驳苍测腻诲丑腻苍补 (艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 II.1.2.),[10] with negations on certain 狈补办峁迟谤补 (罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 1.1.2.8.).[11] 狈补办峁迟谤补s were connected with actions for fulfillment of certain desires.[12] Certain individual acts were prescribed on specific 狈补办峁迟谤补s.[13] Also birth on a specific 狈补办峁迟谤补 for instance 惭奴濒补 was considered favourable (罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 3.1.2.).[14] 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 III.1.refers to a Nak峁tre峁ａ弓i concerned with offerings to 狈补办峁迟谤补s and their deities.[15]
iii. Mythological Connection of 狈补办峁迟谤补s and Actions
The mythological character of the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉 associate 狈补办峁迟谤补s with actions performed on them in the past. Thereby Punarvasu is the 狈补办峁迟谤补 on which gods performed sacrifice for re-establishment (罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 1.1.2), or 闯测别峁ａ弓丑腻 on which the demon 闯测别峁ａ弓丑补 was killed (罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 1.5.2). Also the 狈补办峁迟谤补s 搁辞丑颈峁嚹� and 惭峁沢补 are referred with 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈 depicting a star picture.[16] A myth of Soma carried by an eagle (Aitareya-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 3.25) is also detailed in the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉
iv. 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈 equated with Yaj帽a
The construction of the form of 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈 as a representation of the cosmos and arrangement of sacrificial actions on various time divisions displayed as the body parts of the cosmic 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈 is the prime aspect of the correlation in the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉, 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈 equates with cosmic time and order brought forth by the heavenly light bodies and through the medium of sacrifice he has a centralized form of the desires and immortality.[17]
On the ordered 鈥榯imed form鈥� of 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈 comes the order of sacrifices. 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈 is identified with 厂补峁僾补迟蝉补谤补 (year).[18] Sacrificial actions are arranged on the parvans of 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈, Agnihotra on the two joints of 础丑辞谤腻迟谤补, Paur峁噄m膩sesti and Dar艣e峁ａ弓i on 笔补耻谤峁嘺尘腻蝉颈 and 础尘腻惫腻蝉测补 and C膩turm膩syaj帽a on the 峁歵耻蝉补苍诲丑颈蝉 (艢at. Br膩.1.6.3). Actions are also arranged on the joints of the five divisions of the day.[19] Sacrificial actions on the divisions of time are said to rearrange or rectify the parvans of Pr膩j膩pati, working on the idea of the exhaustion of Pr膩j膩pati on creation and his renewal by sacrifices. The renewal or reconstruction of Pr膩j膩pati is brought about in a ritual form in the shape of a fire altar equating Pr膩j膩pati with the sacrifice.
v. Yaj帽a and the relation of Time
Sacrifices being arranged on the order of times, the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉 establish a relation between ordered sacrificial activity and the motion of time. The importance of action is already established in the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉 in the form of ritual actions where they show an inevitable connection with specific time. The effect of sacrifices performed in present are obtained at some distant point of future. 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 X. 4.4.9 mentions the effect to be obtained in next life after separation from the present body. This indicates that ritual action worked on its own simultaneously time becomes a witness to connect the present act with the future result. Also present ritual work with passage of time results in future making of man on the quality of his action[20] which is made prime, time being a secondary function.
vi. Sacrifices and the course of Nature
Sacrifices were considered all in all, being equated to a magical technique to produce results also they were regarded as the one鈥檚 able to change the course of nature. For instance, the fire sacrifice in the morning was connected with the rising of Sun (艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 II.3.1.5.). The fathers, by their hymns, gave rise to the dawn is an early idea being pursued later. The Ai峁璦reya Br膩hma峁嘺[21] mentions Ekavi峁兣浤乭a performed on the 痴颈峁惫补迟 the day in the mid of the sacrificial session. (罢腻峁囜笉测补 Br膩hma峁嘺 13.4.16.) by the aid of which the gods raised 膧诲颈迟测补 to the heaven. Div膩kirtya 蝉腻尘补 sung on the 痴颈峁惫补迟 was also said to remove the darkness caused by 厂惫补谤产丑腻苍耻 (罢腻峁囜笉测补 Br膩. hmana).[22] The performance of Agnihotra prior to Sunrise and after Sunset retained the good deeds in the next world and helped avoidance of rebirth. (艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 II.3.3.8-12). Sacrifices were believed to change the course of natural events on their performance though the knowledge about days and nights (础丑辞谤腻迟谤补) was supposed to make a person sinless.[23]
vii. Divinations and Actions
艢腻苍迟颈 rites for certain happenings occur in the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉. Dreams were delivered to Trita 膧ptya (艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 1.2.32,3.). The use of 础辫腻尘腻谤驳补 plant to wipe away bad dreams is also suggested in 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 XIII.8.4.4. Countermeasures for dreams also find mention in the Samvidh膩na Br膩hma峁嘺 1.8.7-8.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[...] 艢膩峁卥h膩yana-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 VI. 6.
[2]:
Aitareya-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 I. 22.14, Kau峁� Br膩 VIII. 3-7.
[3]:
艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 I. 7.2.22; 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 I.5.6.3,4.
[4]:
罢腻峁囜笉测补 Br膩. 14.12.9, 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 11.2.7.3, Gopatha-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 5.23, 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 1.6.8.3
[6]:
Kau峁taki-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 V. 8.
[7]:
[...] 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 I. 4.10.1.
[8]:
艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 4.2.1.1, 1.2.1.3, 5.1.4.2.
[9]:
罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 1.1.4.8, 1.7.10.1, 1.5.10.7, 1.5.2.7, 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 2.1.2.18, 10.4.4.2.
[10]:
艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 2.1.2.
[11]:
Bh膩rat墨ya Jyoti峁艣膩stra p. 38,39.
[12]:
[13]:
[...] 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 I. 8.4. Also 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 1.5.2.; 1.1.2., 1.8.4.
[15]:
罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 III.1.
[16]:
Aitareya-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 13.9 and 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 1.1.10. Also Aitareya-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 3.33 for an Astronomical Significance. 130
[17]:
[...] Kau峁taki-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 XIII.1
[18]:
[...] 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 3.10.1 g峁僤脣ga Ed 膩Omn{V& 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 1.6.3.
[19]:
艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 1.6.3. Bh膩rat墨ya Jyoti峁艣膩stra p. 49.
[21]:
[22]:
罢腻峁囜笉测补 Br膩hma峁嘺 IV. 6.3-13; IV. 7.1.
[23]:
Dikshit asserts the connection of 闯测辞迟颈岣ヅ浤乻迟谤补 and 痴别诲腻苍迟补 in this statement. Bh膩rat墨ya Jyoti峁艣膩stra p. 69.