Jyotiṣārṇava

In a certain kingdom, there resided a brāhmaṇa who possessed extensive knowledge of the śāstras. One day, while he was engaged in performing a puja at a temple, the king summoned him to the palace. The brāhmaṇa was unable to arrive punctually due to his engagement in rituals that must be completed without interruption. This delay incited the king's wrath, leading him to publicly insult the esteemed brāhmaṇa in front of the entire court. The brāhmaṇa resolved to depart from the kingdom, pledging to return solely upon the king's removal from power. In the ensuing years, the king, driven by the apprehension of potential threats, continued to extend his dominion by conquering the smaller kingdoms. Unbeknownst to him, his enemies were within his palace. One night, as the king slept, he and his family were thrown into the dungeons by his own commander. Usurped from his throne, the king's own words led to his tragic downfall. Once spoken, words cannot be retracted. In the era of s...

Can Translations Be Done Using AI? Complexities & Problems In Using AI. Artificial Intelligence has become exceptionally popular today because of the many benefits it offers. It performs tasks within seconds, saving a significant amount of time, and is capable of scanning vast amounts of information on the internet to provide detailed insights; something that would take an ordinary person several days to accomplish. Although AI can mimic certain human actions and reasoning patterns, it remains artificial intelligence. It is not entirely error-free and carries several limitations that must be considered before relying on it. For instance, while translating Sanskrit texts into English, AI often makes mistakes in sandhi-vigraha and samāsa-vigraha, which are crucial for producing accurate translations. Even a small error in vigraha can alter the meaning of a sentence, leading to incorrect interpretations. Moreover, Sanskrit grammar is vast, and its literature is like an endless ocean f...

Bhartṛharī's Nītiśatakam. Part 2. बोद्धारो मत्सरग्रस्ताः प्रभवः स्मयदूषिताः । अबोधोपहताश्चान्ये जीर्णमङ्गे सुभाषितम् ॥ boddhāro matsaragrastāḥ prabhavaḥ smayadūṣitāḥ | abodhopahatāścānye jīrṇamaṅge subhāṣitam || [The knowledgeable are afflicted by envy; the rulers are spoiled by arrogance; and others are stricken by ignorance. Therefore, the beautiful saying is dissolved within the body itself.] The knowledgeable people (scholars) are afflicted by envy. The rulers (those in power) have become arrogant. Other common people are afflicted by ignorance. In such a situation, who should one tell this to? With this helpless thought, the beautiful saying that had reached the lips of the poet, dissolved within the body itself (just where it was). Mahāraja Bhartṛharī began the Vāgyajña (literary sacrifice) of narrating beautiful sayings in the form of the Nītiśatakam. But, whom should he tell this to? There are three types of people in society: the knowledgeable, the rulers, and the common p...

दिक्कालाद्यनवच्छिन्नानन्तचिन्मात्रमूर्तये । स्वानुभूत्येकनामाय नमः शान्ताय तेजसे ॥ Dikkālādyanavacchinnānantacinmātramūrtaye | Svānubhūtyekamānāya namaḥ śāntāya tejase || [Salutations to the peaceful, radiant, Supreme Brahman, whose form is unlimited, indivisible, and pure consciousness; who is not confined by directions, time, or other limits; and for whom self-realization is the only measure (proof).] {Nītiśatakam Verse 1} This verse serves as the traditional Maṅgaḷācaraṇa at the beginning of the Nītīśatakam authored by Mahākavī Bhartṛharī. He offers this salutation to the Supreme Brahman (Parabrahma) and elaborates on its nature through various adjectives: 🍁 Dikkālādya-navacchinna: It is not limited by directions, time (past, present, future), or other things (like place, age, measure, virtue, or vice). We are bound by time: we take birth on a particular day, and a day will inevitably come when we must depart. But the Supreme Brahman transcends time altogether, untouche...

Guru Chandala Yoga is one of the more controversial and widely discussed yogas in Jyotiṣa. For a long period of time it has been used as a tool for fear-mongering to generate good amount of income after creating hypothetical stories of past life and what not! To me this appears to be a marketing gimmick and nothing less than a corrupt practice which maligns the science of Jyotiṣa. In this article, certain aspects of this combination have been discussed with classical references and examples. Image Source: Pinterest Classical Dictums The Candrakalā Nāḍī declares — गुरुचण्डालयोगोऽपि पापकृत्यरतः प्रदः। [Even when the Guru–Caṇḍāla Yoga occurs, the native becomes inclined toward sinful or impure actions.] This dictum refers to the conjunction of Bṛhaspati with Rāhu, a combination known in Jyotiṣa as Guru-Caṇḍāla Yoga. The symbolism behind this union is deeply instructive. Bṛhaspati is the preceptor of the Devas, a Brāhmaṇa by nature, and the embodiment of sattva-guṇa. Whereas, Rāhu symboliz...

This article contains the Sanskrit Subhāṣita collected and translated by me. I developed an interest in learning Sanskrit when I was in 7th standard and since then I have tried to collect several Subhāṣita-s. These verses that are a treasure trove of knowledge and wisdom; have been taken from different sources which are also mentioned for the reference of sincere seekers. Image Source: Pinterest. भार्यानुकूला तनयाश्च वश्याः । लक्ष्मीः स्थिरा नित्यमरोगता च । भक्तिः शिवे धर्मपरा च बुद्धिः । एतत्तु लभ्यं बहुपूर्वपुण्यैः ॥ [A wife who is compatible, children who are obedient, wealth that is stable, constant good health, devotion to Lord Śiva, and an intellect inclined toward righteousness — These are obtained only through great merit accumulated from previous lives.] {Sajjanapaddhatiḥ} वृश्चिकस्य विषं पुच्छे दंष्ट्रायां भुजगस्य च ।  शीर्षे विषं मक्षिकायाः दुर्जनस्य मुखे विषम् ॥ [The scorpion's poison is in its tail, the serpent's in its fangs, the fly's poison is in...

Mr. L. Sarma came and sat next to me. This morning he could not recognise me, though I was only about three feet from him. So I was advising him to undergo an operation for his  cataract. He said that he had been able to retard the development of this disease and that, if he could do so in the future also, he  would rather manage for the rest of his life with partial eyesight than risk an operation. Then I told him it all depended on what  further lease of life he had and in this connection I asked what the reading of his horoscope in this matter was. Thus we talked about astrology and I asked Bhagavan for his view on astrology.  He said, “It is all right . Why not? If one accepts the theory of karma,  one will have to accept the theory of astrology and horoscope also.” After this, Sarma, Dr. Syed, G. Subba Rao and myself talked about the science of astrology and whether there was any use or sense in knowing our future and so on; and  then Mr. S...

Samartha Rāmadāsa Svāmī's father Sūryājī Panta was a great devotee of Sūrya Deva. Sūryājī Panta started doing Upāsana of Sūrya Deva at the age of 12. He would not eat food unless and until his daily Upāsana was completed. Sūryājī Panta's ‘tapa’ resulted in Sūrya Deva manifesting before him on Ratha Saptamī in Śaka 1525.  Sūrya Deva bestowed his blessings upon Sūryājī Panta and Rānubāi, granting them two sons — one being an incarnation of Sūrya Deva himself and the other an incarnation of Māruti. Sūrya Deva informed Sūryājī Panta that Śri Rāma would manifest in front of him on the auspicious occasion of Śri Rāma Navamī, and then He disappeared. As promised, Śri Rāma incarnated before Sūryājī Panta and blessed him.  In Śaka 1527, Śreṣṭha Gangādhara Svāmī Mahārāja (Aṃśa of Sūrya Deva) were born, and in Śaka 1530, Nārāyana (Aṃśa of Māruti), who would later be known as Samartha Rāmadāsa Svāmī was born.

The ancient writings of Jyotisha can be divided into three distinct categories based on their authors: Deva Hora, Rishi Hora, and Acharya Hora. The Devas are credited with the creation of this sacred discipline of Jyotisha, while the Rishis acquired this knowledge from the Devas and adapted it for the people of Kaliyuga. The Acharyas distilled the core principles from these various texts into a more accessible format, facilitating easier comprehension for the general populace. Below is a table listing the founders of the different schools of Hora Skandha. Schools System Originators Vedic Tropical Brahma Tantric Sidereal Shiva Arsha Sidereal Skanda Jain Sidereal Brahma According to the Kashyapa Samhita, there are eighteen proponents of Jyotisha. While some fragments of their writings exist today, they are not comprehensive. सूर्यः पितामहो व्यासो वसिष्ठोऽत्रिः पराशरः। कश्यपो नारदो गर्गो मरीचिर्मनुरंगिराः ॥ लोमशः पौलिशचैव च्यवनो यवनो भृगुः। शौनकोऽष्टादशश्चैते ज्योतिः शास्त्रप्रवर्तकाः ॥ ...