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User:Rudrasharman/Notes/Jyotisha and Astrology

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My thinking, in a nutshell, is that

  1. "Jyotisha" actually needs disambiguation, as its meaning has changed over time; and
  2. it is not being disambiguated correctly at present.

The correct view, IMO, is that astrology is a later accretion of meaning on the term: it started out (viz vedanga, etc) as a term for astronomy (mainly for calendars). Omens, divination, horoscopy and other such classically astrological matters were not at issue. Consequently making "jyotisha" the base name of an article on astrology is misconceived, because the older astronomy/calendar oriented stuff obviously can't do without the term, while at the same time clearly does not need the astrology-laden cruft by association.

Cutting across this is that,

  1. In modern usage, jyotisha does mean astrology just about exclusively. Nowadays, and since medieval times, a "jyotishi" is definitely an astrologer, not an astronomer.
  2. Even among the ancients, one can discern "astrological" concerns (such as the idea of auspicious dates).

But the fact remains that Indian astrology proper is a post-vedic Mesopotamian/Greek import, thoroughly adapted over time.

So the basic problem is to find a correct balance between the continuity of the term and the change in meaning. A very good example of this issue is the Vedanga page, which necessarily deals with "Jyotisha" in the old sense only, but where the "obvious" wikilinking of Jyotisha leads to material on "jyotisha" in the new sense only. (The unwary are thus very easily led to conclude that Vedic Jyotisha was astrological, i.e horoscopic, the one "fact" that is not true.) (Note: I have since modified the wikilink at Vedanga, using a pipe to point to the safer and more accurate Vedanga Jyotisha instead.)

We also need to untangle a whole bunch of related terms. None of these fit well into the current organization of articles centered on jyotisha as astrology only.

Possible fixes[edit]

(Straw proposals here)

Data points[edit]

  • Monier-Williams. (Here, use H-K notation: "jyotiSa") Nothing about astrology:
jyotiSa m. an astronomer Buddh. L. ; the sun Gal. ; a particular magical formula for exorcising the evil spirits supposed to possess weapons R. i , 30 , 6 ; n. (g. %{ukthA7di}) the science of the movements of the heavenly bodies and divisions of time dependant thereon , short tract for fixing the days and hours of the Vedic sacrifices (one of the 6 kinds of Veda7n3ga texts) A1p. Mun2d2Up. i , 1 , 5 MBh. xiif. &c. ; (%{A}) f. N. of a river Vishn2. lxxxv , 33.
jyotiHzAstra n. = %{-tir-vidyA} VarBr2S. i , 8 f. ; cvi , 4 S3a1rn3gP.
jyotirvid mfn. = %{-tiS-kR4t} TS. i , 4 , 34 , 1 ; knowing the stars , (m.) an astronomer , Ya1jn. 1 , 332 Romakas. Katha1s. liv ; %{-AbharaNa} n. N. of wk. on astron.
jyotirvidyA f. astronomy Buddh. L.
  • Compare above with these
horA f. (fr. Gk. $) an hour (the 24th part of an &394495[1306 ,2] Aho-ra1tra) VarBr2S. Ma1rkP. ; the half of a zodiacal sign Var. ; horoscope or horoscopy ib. &c.
horAzAstra n. horoscopy , astrological science (also as N. of wk.) ; %{-sAra} m. n. %{-sudhA-nidhi} , m. ; %{-trA7rNava-sAra} m. n. N. of wks.

Pingree[edit]

Various terms found in his jyotiḥśāstra fascicle. (Moved here)

Links[edit]

Vedic astrology[edit]

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