Ayanamsa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on
the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
This article needs attention from an expert on the subject. (February 2009)
This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2008)
This article possibly contains original research. (January 2012)

Path taken by the point of vernal equinox along the ecliptic over the past 6000
years.
Ayanamsa (Sanskrit ayana?sa: ayana "movement" + a?sa "component"), also ayanabhaga
(Sk. bhaga "portion"), is the Sanskrit term in Indian astronomy for the amount of
precession.[1][not in citation given] In astrology, this is the longitudinal
difference between the Tropical (Sayana) and Sidereal (Nirayana) zodiacs.[citation
needed] In astronomy too, this is the difference between the length of a tropical
year (365.2422 rotations of the earth) and a sidereal year (365.2563 rotations)
required to complete one orbit relative to the sun (tropical) or stars (sidereal).
[citation needed]

Overview
Ayanamsa is now defined[by whom?] as the angle by which the sidereal ecliptic
longitude of a celestial body is less than its tropical ecliptic longitude.
Ayanamsa is mostly assumed to be close to 24� today, according to N. C. Lahiri,
23.85� as of 2000. This value would correspond to a coincidence of the sidereal
with the tropical zodiac in or near the year 285 AD, roughly compatible with the
assumption that the tradition of the tropical zodiac as current in Western
astrology was fixed by Ptolemy in the 2nd century.

Graphical Representation of Ayanamsa

Ayanamsa 2017
To be precise, the so-called "Lahiri Ayanamsha" is a misnomer because N. C. Lahiri
borrowed this Chitra-pakshiya Ayanamsha from its inventors, the Ketkar brothers,
who propounded this idea three decades before him, and Lahiri never claimed any
credit for it. But he popularized it due to his influence on Pundit Jawaharlal
Nehru who allowed Lahiri's ideas to dominate in reforming the national calendar of
India. According to this theory, the sidereal position of Spica (alpha-Virginis,
assumed to be the ancient Chitra) should be exactly 180 degrees, as stated in the
Suryasiddhaanta, while both the sidereal and tropical zodiacs should coincide at
the time of zero ayanamsha. Although the Suryasiddhaanta, and other ancient texts,
state that the ayanamsha was zero in 499 AD (Mesha Sankranti), N C Lahiri insisted
on Spica's identification as Chitra and concluded that Spica was the nearest bright
star adjacent to 180 degrees hence, resting on Spica, he concluded that the
tropical position of Spica being zero in 285 AD must be the zero point of Ayanamsha
too.

S.K Kar� Sept 1954

"Actually the current orthodox Panchangas (the Chaitra Panchangas also) or Panjikas
Show Apr 13 or Apr 14 as the beginning of the sidereal Nirayana year. Due to the
accumulated error of about ?3 1/2 degrees in the motion of the sun, i.e. ?3 1/2
days in the calendar date; but if we are to correct the position, the Nirayana
sidereal year should begin on Apr 10 or 11 i.e. a concession of 20 degrees should
be given instead of 23 degrees.

Astrological Magazine, February 1955

"The Calendar Reform Committee has proposed the adoption of 23d 15m 0s as Ayanamsa
in order to avoid opposition from the public. The Chaitra school too has come into
being in order to avoid public opposition. Neither of these, however, is in
conformity with the truth." S.K.Kar on Chitra paksha Ayanamsa

"The followers of Chitra Paksha Ayanamsa have no valid and authoritative document
in their favour for accepting a precessional concession of about 23d 15m for the
present."

Sri Lahiri and Professor Vaidya pointed out that if any change is introduced in the
ayanamsa at this stage, The calendar for Four years so far calculated will require
a thorough revision involving a great amount of labour and time. It was, however,
agreed that if the difference be small such as one or two minutes of arc, the
labour involved in the revision would not be much.

"If Sri N.C Lahiri Ayanamsa is correct, then why did Sri N.C Lahiri agree to change
one or two minutes of Arc in his Ayanamsa? Why did he mention about Labour and
recalculation of Panchangas?"

The sidereal ecliptic longitude of a celestial body is its longitude on the

ecliptic defined with respect to the "fixed" stars.
The tropical ecliptic longitude of a celestial body is its longitude on the
ecliptic defined with respect to the vernal equinox point.
Since the vernal equinox point precesses westwards at a rate of about 50".29 per
year (the rate has been accelerating) with respect to the fixed stars, the
longitude of a fixed body defined with respect to it will increase slowly. On the
other hand, since the stars "do not move" (this ignores the effect of proper
motion) the longitude of a fixed body defined with respect to them will never
change.

Traditional Vedic astrology (Jyotisha) uses a system of sidereal longitude. When

the practitioners of these schools of astrology use modern astronomical
calculations to determine the position of celestial bodies, they need to take into
account the difference caused by the different reference point used in specifying
the longitude, and this they call the ayanamsa.[citation needed]

Some orthodox schools of Vedic astrology reject modern astronomy and still base
their computations upon traditional texts and treatises, mostly following the Surya
Siddhanta or treatises based on it. They use ayanamsa according to Surya Siddhanta,
[2] in which ayanamsa rises from 0� to +27� during 1800 years, then decreases to 0�
and further to -27�, thereafter rising again, thus oscillating within a range of
�27� instead of cyclically moving in a circle as modern concept of ayanamsa
suggests.

Manjula advocated a cyclical concept of ayanamsa, but it could not gain currency
among almanac makers. In West Theon (ca. 4th century AD) was the earliest known
advocate of Surya Siddhantic type of ayanamsa (although Theon said trepidation
varied within a range of �8� only : Surya Siddhantic trepidation was deduced by
multiplying 90� with 0.3, Theon multiplied 27� again with 0.3 to get 8� ). This
oscillating type of ayanamsa, known as trepidation, was a favourite of Indian, Arab
and European astrologers and astronomers till the time of Copernicus. Modern
science does not support the idea of trepidation or oscillating ayanamsa. 490 AD is
regarded as the zero date of this type of ayanamsa according to Surya Siddhanta,
Aryabhatiya and other ancient treatises. Thus the present value of traditional
ayanamsa is nearly +22.64�, which is less than modern the value of about +24�.

After 2299 AD, the traditional ayanamsa will start decreasing from the maximum
value of +27�, while modern value will keep on increasing. Equations of sunrise and
ascendant (lagna) need accurate value of ayanamsa, upon which all important
components of religious almanac and horoscopes are based in India.
The ayanamsha describes the increasing gap between the tropical and sidereal
zodiacs. The ayanamsa, changes continually through the Precession of the Equinoxes
at the rate of approximately 50" a year, is currently about 24� (Lahiri).

Western Astrologers Fagan and Bradley computed it at 24 degrees in 1950; however,

there are various values in use in India. While the general consensus among Western
siderealists is that the star Alcyon represents the first point of Aries,
differences arise because of the indefinite ancient boundaries of the constellation
of Aries. Indian definition of astrological signs is not based on constellations
but on equal angular division of sky, which makes it difficult to define signs in
terms of stars and constellations. This is the source of controversy about
ayanamsha and because of this there exists many ayanamsas such as Lahiri,
Krishnamurthy, Raman, Yukteswar, True Chitra Paksha, True Pushya Paksha, and etc.
As a conclusion this is the major weakness of Indian Sidereal Astrology whereby
some Indian astrologers failed multiple times in giving an accurate prediction
because no ayanamsas are accurate.[citation needed]

References
Monier-Williams, 'm. (in astron.) the amount of precession'
burgess, Ebenezer (1858). The Surya Siddhantha, a Textbook of Hindu Astronomy.
American Oriental Society. Chapter 3, Verse 9-12.
External links
Ayanamsa definitions at Best Knowns