Astrology is essentially the science of forecasting or figuring out how stars and planets affect people. It goes by Jyotisa or Jyotish Shastra in India. Many Indians have made a career out of this area with success.
When Rishi Lagadha assembled the Vedānga-Jyotiṣa based on Vedas, Indian astrology became clearly apparent. Probably the first mathematical scripture is this one. Shashi Lagadha Many people give Rishi credit for developing a methodical approach to date computation.
In each Yuga, he assumed, there are five Varshas (saṃvatsara, parivatsaraḥ, idāvatsara, idvatsara & Vatsar) and two Aynas, six ṛtuḥs, and twelve months.
Not only has astrology been used in India but also all around the world. Indeed, Mr. J.P. Morgan is credited with saying, “Millionaires don’t use Astrology, Billionaires do!” To the unaware, J.P. Morgan is a well-known American investor and financier who controlled corporate finance. As of 2023, his bank is the biggest in the world and the biggest in the US by market value.
There are twelve houses, twelve rasis, and nine planets in Indian astrology. A function of all of this in various permutations and combinations is all that the astrological system is.
We shall discuss the nine planets that we have in Indian astrology in this post together with their traits.
Six Planets:
Sun (Surya): Denotes ego, leadership, authority, and vitality.
It controls self-expression, willpower, and confidence, hence forming one’s identity and feeling of purpose.
Moon (Chandra): Shows feelings, intuition, and instincts for caring. Sensitivity and flexibility are fostered via its effects on mood, imagination, and subconscious habits.
- Mercury, or Buddh: Rules intelligence, communication, and adaptability. Related to learning, flexibility, and critical thinking, it affects how one interprets ideas and absorbs information.
Venus, also known as Shukra, stands for harmony, beauty, and love. It affects social elegance, enjoyment, romance, and aesthetics as well as creative tendencies.
- Mars (Mangal): Manifests courage, desire, and vitality.Driving ambition and competitive spirit, it controls assertiveness, resolve, and physical energy.
Jupiter, or the Guru: Denotes knowledge, development, and expansion.
It encourages optimism, giving, and spiritual development and is connected to luck, plenty, and greater knowledge.
Saturn, or Shani, is a symbol of adulthood, duty, and discipline.
Teaching patience, resilience, and responsibility, it controls structure, endurance, and karmic lessons.
Rahu: Stands for illusion, infatuation, and desire. It affects desires, materialism, and earthly goals; it also makes people restless and lead to unorthodox routes.
Ketu: Denotes spirituality, separation, and release. It promotes reflection and the release from material attachments and rules enlightenment, intuition, and renunciation.
The remaining astrological components—the 12 houses and 12 Rashis—will be covered in the following post.
Notably, the scientific community has disapproved of astrology, believing it to be unfit to explain the cosmos. Though it is now considered a pseudoscience, astrology is nevertheless regarded as one of the sciences in contemporary India.