What is the difference between Sayana and Nirayana?

: Quite a few people seem to be

groping in darkness about the real difference in the two types of zodiacs Nirayana and Sayana
sidereal and tropical. Even scholars sometimes flounder about the real difference. The best
way, therefore, is to explain it with an illustration: Let us take the case of Makara Sankranti and
Uttarayana of 1996. According to Lahiri Paksha i.e. those who have been told that Lahiri
Ayanamsha whatever that may mean gives the best predictive results and who even
believe in that gospel, (a) -Makara Sankranti was on January 15, 1996 whereas according to
some of these Lahiriwalas Uttarayana was on December 21, 1995 but (b) according to other
Lahiriwalas it was on January 15, 1996 itself. (c) Here also according to an overseas Nirayana
Bhakta Makara Sankranti is alright on January 15, 1996 but Uttarayana should have been on
neither December 21, 1995 nor January 15, 1996 but on February 13, 1996 since according to
him it must coincide with Nirayana Kumbha Sankranti! 2) According to Surya Sidhanta-Wallahs
both these religious festivals took place simultaneously on January 15, 1996; 3) According to Dr.
B. V. Raman and Ramanawallas, Makara Sankranti should have been celebrated on January 13,
1996 (though he also has given January 15, 1996 as Makara Sankranti in his AM of January
1996) but Uttarayana could be either on December 21, 1995 or January 13, 1996 or even on
January 15, 1996! 3) According to Cyril Fagan Ayanamshawallas, Makara Sankranti should have
been on January 16, 1996 but Uttarayana could be on December 21, 1995 or January 16, 1996.
There are quite a few other Ayanamshawallas like Kharegat Ayanamsha, Krishnamurti
Ayanamsha, Chhayarka Ayanamsha and so on and so forth. From these plethora of different
dates of a religious festival like Makara Sankranti and Uttarayana, it can thus be deduced that
whereas the starting point of the tropical zodiac on the ecliptic is the Vernal Equinoctial point
today----when days and nights are equal---and it was the same thousands of years back, but it is
these days 23d 48' further from it according to Lahiriwalas whereas it was about 55 degrees
behind in Lord Krishnas time i.e. 3000 BC according to them. Same is the case with other
festivals etc like Vasanta Panchami, New Year's Day etc. etc. as per these Ayanamshawallas.
Now in a democratic country like India, freedom of expression has been guaranteed by
several statutes of the Constitution so there is no bar on their propagating any Ayanamsha but
what is quizzically ironical is that of late all of these different Ayanamshawallas have started
establishing a direct link with Brahmaji the Creator by dint of their Ayanamshas and each of them
is staking a claim to the effect that his Ayanamsha is the real Vedic one. Though they are neither
sure nor clear about the meaning of these and the real starting points of these Ayanamshas, yet
they are sure that theirs is the Ayanamsha given in the Vedas hence every one of them calls
his Ayanamsha "the Vedic Ayanamsha" and therefore his system of astrology as Vedic astrology.
This is what we have to examine in this article.
Is Vedic astronomy, phenomenon of seasons and predictive astrology Nirayana or Sayana
i.e. sidereal or tropical?
Another reason for presenting Hindu astrology by the name of Vedic Astrology is said
to be that certain Western countries felt that Vedic name would attract more readership
practitionersthan the word Hindu in those countries. It is a laudable effort in itself and we
should be really proud of it that we are propagating Vedic astrology but is it really nothing but
unadulterated Vedic astrology that we are propagating and not the name-sake Vedic astrology
BECAUSEhere is the BOMB-SHELLpure and unadulterated real Vedic Astronomy and
Astrology is NOTHING BUT SAYANA TROPICALno Ayanamsha whatsoever whether
Lahiri or Ramana or Krishnamurti or Sarkariand if any system of predictive astrology can claim
to have its roots in the Vedas it is none but SECONDARY PROGRESSIONSa True Solar Day
after birth corresponds exactly to one successive Tropical Year of life from that moment onwards.
We in India, because of our ignorance, stubbornness and false pride, shun it by dubbing it as
Western and therefore inferior to our system. In other words, what we are doing is refusing to
accept our legitimate child as our own because somehow we have got off the right track and
started feeling that it was an alien system.
What are the proofs? You scream and rightly so because it is not an easy thing to declog
our brains from the untruths that have been dinned into our ears otherwise for centuries.
Surya Sidhanta had absolutely no knowledge about Precession of Equinoxes:
First
astronomy once again:

As on date the one and only divine work of astronomy in India from which all the latter
astronomical works sidhantas have taken inspiration is the Surya Sidhanta and we have
clung to a supposedly Nirayana, i.e. sidereal zodiac only because this astronomical work of so
called Surya Bhagwan has given Nirayana Bhaganas-Hkx.k number of revolutions around the
sun/earth but the question we have to ask ourselves (because we dare not ask Surya
Bhagvan !) is whether it was really the Nirayana BhaganHkx.k the Surya Sidhanta was giving
or is it only erroneously that we presume it to be so only because these data are somewhat
nearer to Nirayana sidereal than to Sayana i.e. tropical co-ordinates. To decide this issue it
has to be proved beyond reasonable doubt, that the original (imaginary) Surya Bhagvan knew
the difference between the two zodiacs because only then can it be said that he could have
prescribed Sayana co-ordinates /kzqokWad as superior to Nirayana ones or vice-versa. Then
how do we do so? The only way is to dive deep into the S.S. itselfthe version we have with us
today. Let us hasten to do so.
There are at the most four or five Shlokas - verses in the entire S.S about
Ayanamsha. These read as follow:
s

f=ka'kRR;k ;qxHs kkuka pa izkd~ ifjyEcrs

A rq.q kkn~HkwfnuSHkZkn~ |qx.kkn~;nokI;rs kk
rksfL=k?uk n'kkIrka'kk foKs;kv;ukfHk/kk%A rRlaLd`rkn~ xzgkr~ kafUrPNk;k pjnykfnde~ kk
LQqVa n`DrqY;rka xPNsn;us fo"kqo};s A izkd~ pe~ pfyrs ghus Nk;kdZkr~ dj.kkxrs kk
varjka'kSjFkko`R; i'pkPNs"kSLrFkkf/kds A ,oa
fo"kqorks Nk;k Lons'ks ;k fnuk/kZtAA
nf{k.kksRrjjs[kk;k lk r=k fo"kqoRizHkk kk 9 & 12 'yksd( f=kiz'ukf/kdkj AA
This is how Rev. Ebenzer Burgess has translated these verses in his The Surya
Sidhanta page 114 : In an age (Yuga) the circle of the asterisms (bha) falls back eastward
thirty score of revolutions. Of the result obtained after multiplying the sum of days (dyugana) by
this number, and dividing by the number of natural days in an age, take the part which determines
the sine, multiply it by three, and divide by ten; thus are found the degrees called those of
precession (ayana). From the longitude of a planet, as corrected by these are to be calculated the
declination, shadow, ascensional difference (Charadala) etc. The circle as thus corrected,
accords with its observed place at the solstice (ayana) and at either equinox; it has moved
eastward, when the longitude of the sun, as obtained by calculation, is less than that derived from
the shadow, by the number of degrees of the difference; then turning back, it has moved
Westward by the amount of difference when the calculated longitude is greater.
Like several other scholars, according to Burgess also, as excepting these few Shlokas
there is no mention whatsoever of such an important phenomenon as Precession of Equinoxes
anywhere else in the entire SS and even these few verses if applied literally for finding
Ayanamsha (and thus Sayana longitudes) will give utterly incorrect and incosistent results, these
are after-thoughts i.e. interpolations in the original SS. I fully agree with him because as you
must have deduced from the above translation : (1) the maximum Ayanamsha at any point of time
right from the dawn of the creation can never exceed 27 degrees and (2) presently this
Ayanamsha of SS (about 22d-25` as on date) has to be subtracted from the Nirayana longitudes
instead of adding it to the same. Similarly, (3) according to this statement, the equinoxes are
oscillating like a pendulum first to the east and then to the west and not receding uniformly and
(4) the rate of such oscillation is 54 arc-seconds per year as against about 50".3. But as all
these STATEMENTS ARE NOTHING BUT ASTRONOMICAL UNTRUTHS it is better to take
these as later interpolations rather than attribute such inaccurate astronomical knowledge to
Surya Bhagwan since even according to Dr. B.V. Ramans Notable Horoscopes Lord
Krishna was born with an Ayanamsha of + 50 degrees (thus more than 27 ) and even as per his
A.M. Zeta Piscium is East of the Equinox contrary to its being West as per the SS whereas his
Ayanamsha also is to be subtracted from the Sayana to make the longitudes Nirayana and not
the other way round as advocated by the SS!
Dr. Raman usually complains in his AM that foreigners interpret our ancient works with a
biassed and prejudiced mind by imputing such meanings to these works as were never intended
by the original Shastrakaras, and sometimes it may be really so, (though as we shall see in this
article, of late some foreign writers stretch these interpretations to ridiculously absurd
connotations to prove some point of view which may never have been intended in the original

work of the Rishis. Now, therefore, let us see what our own commentators and translators have
to say: Mahamahopadhyaya Pt. Sudhakar Dwivedi, a cent per cent unadulterated Hindu
Brahmin of Varanasi writing about 1900 A.D. has this to say in his Sudha Varshini Sanskrit
commentary on the S.S. on page 106:

;qxs ,dfLeu~egk;qxs Hkkuka u{k=kk.kka pa Hkoy;feR;FkZ% ;}kHkkuka lIrfoa'kR;a'kkuka pdze~ A;L; Hkze.ka nksyk:ie~ izkd~ i'pkr~
lIrfoa'kfr Hkkx i;ZUra Hkofr rPpfeR;FkZ%l`"Vkns% kfUr o`Rr ukM+h o`Rr lEikr% lIrfoa'kR;a'kku~ izkd~ rr% iqu% ijkoR;Z
LoLFkkuekxR; rr% if'pea lIrfoa'kR;a'kku~ xRok iquLrLekr~ ijkoR;Z
It appears Rev. Burgess has, as if, translated this very commentary into English so at least in
this case no prejudice can be imputed. To clarify any doubts further, a very authentic Hindi
translation viz. Vigyan Bashya by the late Mahavir Prasad Srivastava, published by Dr. Ratna
Kumari Svadhyaya Sansthan, Allahabad, page 230 has this to say:
,d ;qx esa u{k++=k p 600 ckj iwoZ dh vksj yksyd dh Hkkafr vkanksyu djrk gS----------i.e. in one Age the circle of asterisms oscillates (first) to East (and then to the west) 600
times........ However, as Mr. Srivastava was translating this work as late as 1940 A.D. he had to
find some way out to save the SS from the embarrassment it would be facing because the
astronomical discoveries even on that date i.e. more than half-a-century back were quite
contrary to these contentsso with his tongue in cheek the translator-cum-commentator says,
The Ayanamsha as on date as per the SS is 21d-37' so we shall have to wait for a few more
centuries to see whether it really exceeds 27 degrees as per the latest astronomical discoveries,
or the equinoxes start swinging backas proclaimed by the SS. But, as he also could not
find any explanation for the SS declaring the equinoxes receding towards West these days
instead of the East, he had to admit on page 233, It appears that the Acharya (it is clear that
even he, the translator, is quite sure that the SS has not been narrated by the sun god but by
some Acharyasome scholar!) has taken the starting point of Ashvini oscillating initially
towards the west of equinoxes, it should be these days also in the west when actually it is in the
east. It is therefore clear that there has been some confusion in the original text! He says
further, Whatever has been said in the S.S. about Ayana Chalanaoscillation of equinoxes
has also been repeated in Soma, Romaka, Shakalya Brahma and Laghu Vasishtha Sidhanta.
There is a lot of confusion among the ancient Acharyas about the Precession of Equinoxes.As
to why the equinoxes precess, no reason whatsoever has been given in any of the astronomical
works of ancient India. In his Sanskrit commentary on the SS, Ranganatha Mishra has given the
will of God as the reason behind this phenomenon.
It is thus absolutely clear that the original S.S. has not acknowledged this phenomenon
anywhere for if you remove these few verses as quoted above from the existing S.S. you will not
find anything missing in the entire work because these are so unrelated, disjointed and
disoriented that they make absolutely no sense what-so-ever hence these are nothing but
interpolations of a later stage; since if we insist on these verses belonging to the original S.S. we
will be making ourselves a laughing stock because it is tantamount to ascribing inaccurate
knowledge of this important phenomenon to sun god.
As a further proof of the same argument let us turn to verses 1 and 2 of Patadhikara
(Chapter XI) :

,dk;u xrkS L;krka lw;kZpUnzelkS ;nk A r|qrkS e.M+ys kUR;ksLrqY;Ros oS/k`rkfHak/k% A 1 A

foijhrk;uxrkS pUnzkdkSZ kfUrfyfIrdk% A lekLrnkO;rhikrks Hkx.kk/kZ r;ks;ZqrkS A 2 A
Rev. Burgess has translated these verses as, When the sun and the moon are upon the same
side of either solstice, and when the sum of their longitudes being a circle, (and when) they are of
equal declination, it is called Vaidhriti. When the moon and sun are upon opposite sides of either
solstice and their minutes of declination are the same, it is Vyatipata, the sum of their longitudes
being half a circle. Now not only in these two verses but even in the entire chapter, nay in the
entire work, there is no reference to Ayanamsha (except for the few verses quoted above)
though if the Acharya had been talking about a Nirayana zodiac he would certainly have laid
clear instructions that Ayanamsha is to be added to (or subtracted from) these longitudes for
working out declinations and thus Vyatipata and Vaidhriti because it is only from Sayana
(tropical ) longitudes that declinations can be calculated, but on the other hand he has just
indicated in sixth Shloka further:

HkkLdjsU}ksHkZpk/kZkof/k laLFk;ks% A n`d~rYq ; lkf/krka'kkfn ;qDr;ks% LokoiekS A 6 Aa

.....when the longitudes of the sun and moon being increased by the degrees etc. found for the
coincidence of the solstice with its observed place, are together nearly a circle or nearly a half
circle, calculate the corresponding declinations.
Now if we really calculate the Ayanamsha as per S.S. this is what it will come to
according to the same commentator i.e. Mahamahopadhyaya Pt . Sudhakar Dwivedi as per his
commentary of the much vaunted and talked about Varahamihras Panchasidhantika (said to be
a summary of five great Sidhantas); Shlokas 58 to 60:

vdZUs nq;ksxa pa oS/k`reqDra n'k{kZlfgrs"kq A ;fn pdzs O;rhikrks osyk e`X;k xrSHZkkxS%A58A
vk'ys"kk)Zknklh|nkfuo`fr% fdyks".kfdj.kL;A ;qDre;uaarnklhr~ lkaizre;ua iquoZlqr%A59A
foijhrk;u;krks ;nkdZdk"Bka'kf'klfo{ksi%A Hkofr rnk O;rhikrksfnud`PNf'k;ksxpdzk)ZAs 60A
n'k{kZlfgrs"kq ;fn jfo 'kf'k ;ksxks jkf'k "kVda Hkofr rnk oS/k`reqDresoa l ,o ;ksxks n'k{kZlfgrs"kq ;fn pa }kn'kleLrnk
O;rhikrks Hkofr A rrks xrSHkkZxSoyZs k le;% e`X;k fopk;Z%A ijUrq ;nk m".kfdj.kL; josjRq rjknk'ys"kk)Zknso fuo`frjklhr~ rnSok;ua
;qDra iwoksDZ ra ikr y{k.ka p izkphuS% lehphueqDra lkEizra orZekudkys rq iquoZlqr mRrje;ua fuo`Rra HkofrA ;|fi v=kiquoZlfq jfr
insu rPpj.kKkua u Hkofr rFkkfi vkpk;Z izfrikfnr lafgrk opusu iquoZlq insu iquoZlks% ikn =k;eso xzkg~;e~A ,oe~ rLekr~
dkykr~ ;nk foijhrk;uHkkxks foijhrk;uka'kks Hkofr A 'kf'k jO;kse/Z ;s {ksi'p vdZ dk"Bka'kle% ijedzkfUrleLrnk fnud`PNf'k;ksx
pdzk)Zs O;rhikrks Hkofr A v=kksiifRr% A ;nk lk;ujfo 'kf'k;ksxks Hkk)Za Hkofr rnk O;frikrks ;nk l ,o ;ksxpdza rnk
oS/k`frfjfr izkphukukalEiznk;%A ;nk'ys"kk)Zkn~ nf{k.kk;u izof` Rrjklhr~ rnk;uka'k% & 23 va 20 dA rrks jfo 'kf'k ;ksxk/kZ U;kl% &
jfo% u% 23va&20d lk;u jfo%A pUnz% u% 23va 20 d lk;u pUnz% vu;ks;ksxZ % 46va 40dA vr% lk;u Hkksxks jfo
pUnz ;ksx% u% 46v 40 d vkpk;Zus k;u xfr KkukHkkoknsrnqDre~A
It means that you had to
subtract 46d 40' of Ayanamsha 23d 20' for sun and 23d 20' for moon. - when actually it was
to be added to the Nirayana planets. However, as everybody knows, Varahamihira is said to
have existed around 500 A.D. and though he is himself silent about the precession or oscillation
of equinoxes but his Panchasidhantika is a divine work for the Vedic astrologers of today.
Even the Sarkari Ayanamsha at the time of Varahamihira was hardly 2 degrees. One does not
have to be an Astronomer Royal to visualize as to what degree of inaccuracy it will result in
calculating the tropical, Sayana, longitudes and then declinations and the most dreaded
phenomena of Vaidhriti-Vyatipata! As such, according to this interpretation, the SS Ayanamsha
on Jan. 1, 1994 was 22d 25' but then to convert Surya Sidhanta sidereal longitudes to tropical
you had to subtract the Ayanamsha from the same which means as the sidereal longitude of sun
as on that date was 16d 34' of Sagittarius the tropical longitudes would be less by the
Ayanamsha i.e. it would then come to 24d 9' of Scorpio when actually it was 10d 3' of Capricorn.
Now you can judge for yourself as to if anybody with a sane mind will accept this interpretation of
Ayanamsha and the phenomenon of precession of the SS! Thank God, the commentator has
himself realized the quandary these interpretations are putting us in and that is why he also had
to say that the reason behind advocating such wrong methods by the SS etc. is that ancient
Acharyas had no idea about Ayanamsha!
It is thus clear that the Acharya of the S.S. was talking about the one and only zodiac
Sayana (as he did not know anything about the Nirayana one) but as he had wronglydue to
certain limitations that we shall discuss latertaken the duration of the year as 365d 6h 12m
36.56s he had, at a later stage, found these (Sayana) longitudes varying from the observed
ones on Vernal/Autumn Equinox and hence advised to rely more on the observed longitudes
rather than on the calculated ones, whereas these days calculated positions of heavenly bodies
are the most accurate as the actual positions are supposed to have existed actually several light
years ago/away. It is only the translators and commentators who have injected the
wrods:n`d~rqY;su fof/kuk *izkd~pdza pfyra ghus* bR;kfnuk iwoksZfnr izdkjs.k lkf/krk va'kkn;k
v;uka'kk% i.e. as referred to in Chapter III Shlokas 9-11, "the Ayanamsha has thus to be worked
out and adjusted".
Nirayana Panchangakars also feel Ayanamsha verses of the SS are interpolations:
Nirayana Panchangakaras also feel Ayanamsha verses of the SS as interpolations:
A Hindi Panchanga known as Shri Martanda Panchangam is being published for the
last about seventy-five years. This is what its editor Dr. Shakti Dhar Sharma, M. Sc., Ph.D.

(Nuclear Physics) has to say on pages 42-3 of his 1988-89 Panchanga, Thus the principle of
oscillation of equinoxes adumbrated in the SS gets negated by the SS itself. This verse of SS
about the Ayanamsha is a later interpolation. There are several proofs from the SS itself against
this phenomenon. This interpolation has been done after Brahmagupta i.e. 7th century A.D.
Besides, several other astronomers like Munjal etc. do not agree with the theory of oscillation of
equinoxes of the SS. They accept the equinoctial point to be moving in a complete revolution of
360 degrees. It also means the same thing that whatever co-ordinates have been given in the
SS are actually tropical because the Acharya had no knowledge about the Ayanamsha.
We have also received a letter from Shri Bhola Dutt Mahtolia of Rudrapur who publishes
Devbhoomi Panchangam (Nirayana, of course!) stating that these verses about Ayanamsha
are interpolations because shloka 8 gives the method for finding shadow and gnomon etc. and
then verse 12 continues that in the like manner, the equatorial shadow...is obtained thus
proving conclusively that these ayanamsha verses are afterthoughts. Logically, this is quite
plausible because there is an undercurrent of continuity between verses 8 and 12 meaning
thereby that verses 9 to 11 must therefore be ignored.
What is the need of other sidhantas? If we believe that the SS is a divine work that had been
existing from the very dawn of creation, one wonders what was the need and use of other
Sidhantas like Paitamaha Sidhanta, Vasishtha Sidhanta etc. etc. If they existed prior to the SS
then the latter is junior to them in seniority and if they have been compiled at a later stage it
means that even the Acharyas prior to Varahamihira were not happy with the SS nor had they
any faith in its coordinates as otherwise there would have been no need for them to prepare new
Sidhantas. Anyway, now that we have these half a dozen Sidhantas, let us try to see the validity
of the most important among them vis-a-vis Ayanamsha.
Even "Nirayana" commentators of the sidhantas are perplexed at linking sidereal years to
divine days/nights:
That naturally compels us to consider thoroughly further the kind of year
the S.S. is talking about. We find the following verses in the Madhyamadhikar:

ukMh 'k"Vkrq uk{k=kegksjk=kaa izdhfrZre~ A rfR=ak'krk HkosUekl% lkouks vdkZns ;S% Le`r%A12A
,sUnoSfLrfFkfHk% r}RladzkUR;k lkSj mP;rs A eklS}Zkn'kfHkoZ"kaZ fnO;a rng mP;rs A 13A
lqjklqjk.kkeU;ksU;egksjk=akfoi;Z;kr~ A "kV~"kf"V lxq.ka fnO;a o"kZeklqjeso p A14A

Sixty nadis make a sidereal day and night, of thirty of such sidereal days is
composed a month, a civil (Savana ) month consists of as many sunrises, a lunar month of as
many lunar days (Tithis), a solar (saura) month is determined by the entrance of the sun into a
sign of the zodiac. Twelve (such) months make a year. This is called a day of the gods. The day
and night of the gods and of demons are mutually opposed to one another. Six times sixty of
them are a year of the gods, and likewise of the demons
Now even if you scrutinize these lines with a tooth comb there is not
a single
reference to a sidereal i.e., Nakshatra year in these Shlokasthough there are references to
sidereal days and sidereal months. On the other hand, a (solar) day has just been said to last
from one sunrise to another and a solar month has just been described as lasting from one
Sankranti to another i.e. from the suns transit from one Rashi (sign) to anotherand twelve
such months comprising a year. This very year has been said to comprise one day and night of
gods and demons respectively. Now it is evident as daylight that if the Acharya had a sidereal
year in mind he would definitely have segregated it from a Sayana oneinstead of clubbing it
with the day and night of gods and/or demons! This clubbing of Nirayana year with the day and
night of gods does not look plausible to our Varanasi scholar Mahamahopadhyaya Pt. Sudhakar
Dwivedi either for this is what he has to say on page 8 of his Sudhavarshini commentary :

}kn'kfHkeZklS% lksjso"Z kZa lkSjo"kZa Hkofr rnso fnO;egks nsokuka fnueqP;rs A xksy ;qDR;k ukM+hkfUr e.MylEikrLFkks jfo;Zkork dkysu
iquLrr~lEikresfr rnso fnO;a fnua Hkorhfr A b;a fnO; fnuifjHkk"kk Ro;uka'kxR;Kkur% iwokZpk;ZSjDq rkA HkkLdjkpk;suZa kfi
[kspxHkksxks vdZ o"ZkZa izfn"Ve~ |qjk=akp nsokuka rnso &&bR;usu fuj;u lkSjo"kZrYq ;eso nsoklqjk.kkegksjk=ka HkzkfUrr% dfFkrfefr
lq/khfHkHkZ'` ka fofpUR;fefr A meaning that Twelve solar months make a solar year, and it is the same
year which comprises a day (and night) of the gods. As per hemisphere theory the time taken by
the sun to cover the distance from vernal equinox to the same equinox again is known as a year
of the men and even Bhaskara has said the same thing that the time taken by the sun to cover
all the twelve signs is a solar year and that very year comprises the day and night of the gods.

Accordingly, it is only out of ignorance of Ayanamsha that these Acharyas of yore have clubbed a
Nirayana year with a year of the gods and/or demonsthe wise should think (sic!) over it.
It is a moot point whether it is the Acharyas of yore who have betrayed their ignorance
or it is the modern interpreters and translators who are doing so, because the Acharyas had given
the measurements of a year actually on tropical basis but it is only the modern translators who
have made it sidereal.
As if anticipating that the mortals of Kaliyuga with their limited knowledge will try to twist
the meaning of the solar year (Saura Varsha)
used by him in his treatise, the Acharya of the
S.S. has screamed from the house tops the uses and purpose of the same later in Manadhyaya
(Chapter XIV) Shloka 3:

lkSj.s k |qfu'kkksekZua "kM'khfr eq[kkfu p A v;ua fo"kqoPpSo lakUrs% iq.; dkyrk A 3 A

By solar (Saura) time are determined the measure of the day and night, the Shadashitimukhas,
the solstice (Ayana), the equinox (Vishuvat) and the propitious period of the suns entrance into a
sign (Sankranti).
The Acharya must really be feeling aghast at the nonsense we are making of his
verses!
To hammer the same thing that he had nothing but a tropical year and Sankranti in his
mind in this whole treatise, he says further in the same Adhyaya Shlokas 7 to 10:

HkpukHka fo"kqon~ f}r;a lelw=kxe~ A

v;uf}r;a pSo prlz% izfFkrkLrq rk%A7A
rnUrjs"kq ladzkfUr f}r;a f}r;a iqu%A
uSjUr;kZr~ rq ladzkUrsK;Zs e~ fo".kqinh};e~A8A
HkkuksedZ jlzkUrs% "k.eklk mRrjk;.k~ A dD;ZknsLrq rFkSso L;kr~ "k.eklk nf+{k.kk;ue~A9A
f}jkf'kukFkk_roLrrksfi f'kf'kjkn;% A es"kkn;k }kn'kSrs eklSLrSjso oRlj% A10A

Meaning that: In the midst of the zodiac (bhachakra) are the two equinoxes (Vishuvat), situated
upon the same diameter (Samasutraga) and likewise the two solstices
(Ayanas); these
four are well known. Between these are, in each case, two entrances (Sankrantis) into
Capricorn, (from the beginning of which) six months are his northern progress (Uttarayana) , so
likewise, from the beginning of Cancer, six months are his Southern progress (Dakshinayana).
Thence also are reckoned the seasons (Ritu) the cool season (Shishir) and the next each
prevailing through two signs. These twelve (Rashis) commencing with Aries (Mesha) are the
months; of them is made up the year.
Surya Sidhanta and Panchasidhantika are talking of tropical and not sidereal solstices and
equinoxes:
Now if the Acharya had been talking about Nirayana Sankrantis i.e., Nirayana
Rashisor a Nirayana year, he certainly would have not linked them to the Ritusseasonsand
solstices and equinoxes! For if he has consciously done so i.e. linked Nirayana Samkrantis with
the solstices and equinoxesit means he did not know even a b c of astronomy and the earlier
we consign the works by such ignorant Acharyas to dustbin, the better for our Vedic culture it
will be!.
But the Acharya knows what he is talking about for this is what he has to say in Bhugol
Adhyaya:

es"kknkS rq lnk o`f)jqnxqRrjrksvf/kdk A

rqyknkS |qfu'kksokZea {k;o`}kS r;ksjHq ks A
v;ukUrsfoykseus nsoklqjfoHkkx;ks% A
rnUrjs vfi "k"B~;Urs {k;o`)kS vgfuZ'kks%

nsoka'ks p {kik gkfufoZijhra rFkklqjAs 57A

ns'kkfUr o'kkfUuR;a rf}Kkua iqjksfnre~A58A
ukMh'k"Vk ld`ngfuZ'kkI;fLeu~ ld`r~ A61A
A ijrks foijhrks v;a Hkxksy% ifjorZrs A62A

During the half revolution beginning with Aries, there is always an excess of day to the north, in
the hemisphere of the godsgreater according to distance northand a corresponding
deficiency of the night, In the hemisphere of the demons, the reverse. In the half revolution
beginning with Libra both the deficiency and excess of day and night in the two hemispheres are
the opposite of this; the method of determining them, which is always dependent upon situation
(desha) and declination, has been before explained.
There occurs once, at the end of the suns half revolution from solstice to solstice, a day
of sixty nadis, and a night of the same length mutually opposed to one another, in the two
hemispheres of the gods and of the demons. In the intermediate region, the deficiency and

excess of day and night are within the limit of sixty nadis beyond this sphere of asterisms (bha)
revolves perversely.
As any reader with a sound mind and even a trifling knowledge of geography taught at
primary school level about the phenomenon of seasons knows, it is only around March 21 every
year that the length of days in the northern hemisphere starts increasing (and that of the nights
decreasing) whereas around September 20 every year the length of nights starts increasing (and
the length of days decreasing) and in the same order the day being the shortest around
December 21 and longest around June 21.
And it is only Sayana Aries (Mesha), Cancer
(Karkata) , Libra (Tula) and Capricorn (Makara) Sankrantis that start around these daysand
not Nirayana because these are the Equinoctial and solstitial points!
The same fact has been reiterated by the much talked about Panchasidhantika of our
beloved (original) Varahamihira :

edjknkS xq.k ;qDrks] es"kknkS frfFk;qDrks josfnZol%A ddZVkfn"kq lRlq p;fL=kdk% 'koZjhekue~AA
ddZVkfn"kq HkqDra f}xq.ka e/;afnuh HkosPNk;k A edjkfn"kq okI;so]a fdapkfLeUeaMykPNks/;aAA
And this is how Mahamahopadhyaya Pt. Sudhakar Dwivedi has interpreted it:

**bnkuha fnuekuekgA edjknkfofrA edjknkS fnus fnus HkwLoxZfr frfFkfer ,duoiapdS fer% 1951 f=kfHkfL=kfHk% iyS;ZqrLrnk
fnuekua Hkosnsoa ddZVknkS rnso 'koZjhekua jkf=kekua HkofrA v=kksiifRr%A vofUrdk;ka edjknkS ijedYifnuekua iykReda Hkqou
iapdS fer izdYI; rr% izfrfnua iy=k;L; o`f)% ifjdfYirk fnuekus A vFk edjknkS ;n~fnuekua rnso ddZVknkS
'koZjhekueqfnrekpk;Z.s ksfr loZa fujo|e~A iapfl)kfUrdk 33@8] 34@9
In a nutshell it means that On Makara Samkranti the day is the shortest about
thirteen ghatikas - 1951 palas - and from that day onwards there is an increase of three Palas
everyday. Whatever is the duration of a day at Makara Samkranti is the duration of night at the
time of Karka Samkranti i.e. day is the longest then. If all these are Nirayana Samkrantis, pray,
what are the Sayana Samkrantis then? And is the day ever shortest on any other day excepting
Makara Samkranti - Sayana, of course?
Though we talk authoritatively about Varahamihira, who holds the Surya Sidhanta as
the most accurate Sidhanta Li"Vrjks lkfo=k% as on that date; we also say that Varahamihira was
aware of the precession of equinoxes but even he in the very first chapter of his
Panchasidhantika, verses 61-63 has this to say:

es"k rqyknkS fo"kqor~"kM'khfreq[ka rqykfnHkkxs"kqA'kM'khfreq[ks"kq jos% fir`fnolk ;s vo'ks"kk% L;q%A

mnx;ua edjknko`ro% f'kf'kjkn;'p lw;Zo'kkr~Af}Hkoudyklekua nf{k.ke;u'p ddZVkr~AA
which, again, in a nutshell means, when the sun is in Mesha and Tula these are the equinoctial
points and Uttarayana starts with Makara Samkranti
together with Shishir season and
Dakshinayana with Karka Sankranti .
Now for the sake of argument (to satisfy some die-hard fundamentalists!) if the
Acharya had been talking about a Nirayana zodiac then to work out the Sayana Mesha
Samkranti, we shall have to subtract further 23 degrees (as per the example method of finding
out Ayanamsha as given in the Panchasidhantika) from Nirayana Mesha Samkranti which falls
around April 13 these days. That means on that date the Surya Sidhanta tropical sun should be 0
i.e. 360 minus 23 degree = 337 degrees so the Vernal Equinox would have been then around
May 7 instead of March 21 when actually such Nirayana Panchangas as are based on Surya
Sidhanta show Vernal Equinox also around April 14. Evidently such Panchangakaras have no
faith in the Surya Sidhanta either and they just want heads I win and tails you lose when actually
those panchangs have neither head nor tail so there is hardly any question of losing or gaining
anything excepting their ignorance!And as again even a dull student of geography should
know, days never start increasing from February 26! Certainly, the Acharya of the S.S. did
know that much of geography as not to contradict the hard reality and try to make the
impossible possibleas is being done
by some of our traditional
Panchangakara
Acharyas these days. WE ARE THUS GOING NEITHER BY THE S.S., NOR BY MODERN
ASTRONOMY, NOR BY ANY NIRAYANA OR SAYANA SYSTEM ACTUALLYwe ARE
ONLY GOING BY our CONFUSED AND MUDDLED IMAGINATION AND INTERPRETATION
because as we have seen above the SS proclaims very boldly

HkkuksedZ jladzkUrs% "k.eklk mRrjk;.k~A dD;ZknsLrq rFkSso L;kr~ "k.eklk nf+{k.kk;ue~A9A

f}jkf'kukFkk_roLrrksfi f'kf'kjkn;% A

es"kkn;k }kn'kSrs eklSLrSjso oRlj% A10A

.....two entrances (Samkrantis) into Capricorn, (from the beginning of which) six months are his
northern progress (Uttarayana) , so likewise, from the beginning of Cancer, six months are his
Southern progress (Dakshinayana). Thence also are reckoned the seasons (Ritu) the cool
season (Shishir) and the next each prevailing through two signs. These twelve (Rashis)
commencing with Aries (Mesha) are the months; of them is made up the year.
To interpret SS Meshadi signs as sidereal is to betray ones own ignorance: In verses 17
to 19 of Triprashnadhikar the method of arriving at the longitudinal position of the sun by dint of its
declination has been explained thus:

ijekieT;kIrpkia es"kkfnxs jfoA dDZ;knkS izks > pk/kkZRrqyknkS Hkk/kZl;a qreA

e`xknkS izks > Hkx.kkr~ e?;kUgkdksZLQqVks Hkosr]~ ]]A
(Take) the difference of the latitude of the place of observation and the suns meridian zenithdistance in degrees (nata-bhagas), if their direction be the same, or their sum; if their direction be
different, is the suns declination: if the sine of this latter be multiplied by radius and divided by the
sine of greatest declination, the result, converted to arc, will be the suns longitude, if he is in the
quadrant commencing with Aries. If in that commencing with Cancer, subtract from a half-circle,
if in that commencing with Libra, add a half-circle; if in that commencing with Capricorn, subtract
from a circle: the result, in each case, is the true (Sphuta) longitude of the sun at mid-day...
Now howsoever hard you try, whatever Sanskrit dictionary you take recourse to, there is
no indication even in the least about any sidereal (Nirayana) zodiac in all these verses and that
should also be so because the longitudes thus obtained will actually be tropical and the
Sidhantakar should have made it very clear that Ayanamsha is to be either subtracted from or
added to these longitudes for making them sidereal as these would otherwise differ from the SS
longitudes which are supposed to be sidereal. AS he has not done it anywhere it is clear that he
was not aware of any demon like Nirayana longitudes...this is the creation of the modern Vedic
astrologers and translators and interpreters.
Similar is the situation with verses 41 to 44 of Triprashnadhikar for obtaining the rising moments
of Meshadi signs. These verses are:

f=kHk|qd.kkZ/kZx.q kk% Lokgksjk=kk/kZHkkftrk%AA41AA

eknsdf}f=kHkT;kLrPpkikfu i`Fkd~ i`Fkd~ A Lok/kksvs /k%izfo'kks/;kFk es"kkYyadksn;klo%AA42AA
[kkxk"V;kss vFkZxkss vxSdk''kj=;adfgeka'ko% A Lons'kpj[k.Mksuk HkoUrh"Vksn;klo%AA43AA
O;Lrk O;Lrs"kqrkLrSLRrS% ddZVk|loLLe`rk% A O;qRdze.s k 'kMSosrs HkoUrh"VkLrqykn;% AA44AA
Upon a given day, the distance of three bases, at noon, in the forenoon, and in the afternoon,
being laid off, from the point of intersection of the lines drawn between them by means of two
fish-figures (Matsya), and with a radius touching the three points, is described the path of the
shadow..multiply the day-radius of the three signs, and divide by their own respective day-radii, in
succession, the sines of one, of two, and of three signs; the quotients, converted into arc, being
subtracted, each from the one following, give, beginning with Aries, the times of rising
(udayasavas) at Lanka; Namely sixteen hundred and seventy, seventeen hundred and ninetyfive, and nineteen hundred and thirty-five respirations. And these, diminished each by its portion
of ascensional difference (Charakhanda), as calculated for a given place, are the times of rising
at that place...
These verses explain the method of calculating the times of rising of diffeent signs of the
ecliptic. But what is surprising is that the Acharya has not indicated anywhere that the duration of
the rising signs thus calculated is Sayana and for converting them to Nirayana adjustments for
relevant Ayanamsha have to be made! Or could it be that while giving these rashimanas the
Acharya was unaware of any ghost like Ayanamsha and therefore there was no question of
axorcism of such a ghost because it is only the modern Vedic astrologers on whom this ghost is
having full control and unless it is exorcised immediately it will make the entire Hindu community
subject to such epileptic bouts time and again!
Aryabhata, Brahmagupta and Lalla also were unaware of the precession of equinoxes:
Prof. P.C. Sengupta, in his introduction to Burgess English translation of the SS has said on

page xxxvi The rules for finding the total ayanamsha, is regarded as an interpolation in the
modern Surya Sidhanta by many critics. ...We do not find any rule for calculating the precessional
change in Aryabhatiya, the Brahmasphuta Sidhanta (628 A.D.) , the Sishyadhivridhida (748 A.D.).
These rules are undoubtedly of later origin.. When I read these lines I went through all the three
works thoroughly myself again and did not find any reference to such important phenomena at all
in any of these works. It goes without saying that if these great scholars of Sidhantic astronomy
had even an inkling about this phenomenon they would certainly have commented upon it. It is
therefore self-evident that this Oscillation of equinoxes is an interpolation of a period after
seventh century A.D.
Even "Sdihanta Shiromani" correlates Rashi-chakra to a tropical year: As late as 11th
century A.D. the world famous Bhaskaracharya also was unaware of any Nirayana ghost as is
evident from the 45th verse of Spashta Adhika -of his "Sidhanta Shiromani":

f; rqyk/kj laeiwoZrks ;uyoksRFkfnuSfoZ"kqofuaAA edjddZVlaerks;ua-----AA45AA

"When the sun enters Mesha and Tula, Vishuva takes place whereas in Makara and Karkata,
Ayanas take place"
I HOPE THESE PROOFS ARE SUFFICENT FROM THE SIDHANTAS!
The zodiac of the SS is acceptable only if it agrees with that of the Vedas, otherwise not:
Here you can raise a million dollar question: The Manusmriti says that if there is a conflict
between the Vedas and the Smritisthe principles enunciated in the Vedas have to be given
preference to over and above that of Smritis. Now, even if the S.S. has been narrated by the sun
god himself, it is, after all a Smriti and not the Shruti so If it agrees with the Vedas, well and
good, if not, then this is what the Manu says in Adhyaya 12, Shlokas 95-96 of the Manusmriti;

;k osnckg~;k Le`r;ks ;k'pdk'pu dqn"` V;%AloZkLrk fu"Qyk izRs ; reksfu"Bk% fg rk% Le`rk%A95A
mRiR;ars P;oars p ;kU;rksU;kfu dkfufpr~ A rkU;oZkd~ dkfydr;k fu"QykU;u`rkfu p A96 A
Any Smriti or any point of view contradictory to the Vedas all such things are to be termed
malicious, fruitless and merged in darkness and ignorance. These just appear and disappear
with the passage of time as these are all baselessfalse.
Therefore objection can be raised that even if the Surya Sidhanta is advocating a tropical zodiac
it is immaterial since as Vedic astrologers we accept only what the Vedas say. Therefore if it
agrees with the Vedas well and good otherwise we should throw it into the wastepaper basket as
per Manus dictum.
The Vedas refer only to tropical ritus, ayanas and therefore months:
As we have explained in our 1994 panchanga, all the Vedas, without exception, are
having expression of nothing but sayana rashichakra, Ritu chakra and years. There is no place
whatsoever for, nor any mention of, any Nirayana Rashi chakra or a year, though there maybe
lunar years also. Let us recapitulate it once again:
Rigvedi Brahmins recite Rik-Jyotisham like the Rigveda itself and hold a similar
reverence for the same. It has 36 verses in all. There is also a similar work known by Vedanga
Jyotisha of Lagadha which is known as Yajush Jyotisham by some followers. Both these books
have thirty-one verses which are quite identical and the first two verses in both these books read
as follows:

iaplaoRlje;a ;qxk/;{ka iztkifre~ A fnuRoZ;ueklkaxa iz.kE; f'kjlk 'kqfp%AA

iz.kE; f'kjlk dkyefHkok| ljLorhe~! dkyKkua izo{kkfe yx/kL; egkReu%AA
After having purified myself and after paying obeisance to Prajapati who presides over the fiveyear cycle of days, months, seasons and solstices and after bowing to goddess Saraswati, I
proceed to describe the knowledge of Time as propounded by Mahatma Lagadha
In this verse days, months, seasons and solstices have been declared as the limbs of
Time. Now let us hear the definitions of these time frames also in the words of the same Vedic
seer:

/keZof` )jikaizLFk% {kikzkl mnXxrkSAA nf{k.ksrkS foi;ZLrkS "k.eqgRw ;Z;usu rqAA

When the sun is in Uttarayana the day increase by 4/61 nadis per day and the night diminishes
in a similar proportion. The position at Dakshinayana is contrary to the same. There is thus a
total increase or decrease of six Muhurtas in one Ayana.
He further says in 22nd verse:

;nqRrjL;k;urks;uaL;kPNs"ka rq ;n~nf{k.krks;uL;AArnsd"k"V~;kf}xq.ka foHkDra l}kn'ka L;kn~fnolizek.ke~AA

Multiply by two the number of days elapsed since Uttarayana or the number of days left in the
completion of Ayana after Dakshinayana has started; divide the product by 61 and then add 12 to
the outcome. The result is the duration of the day in Muhurtas.
Even a geography student of fifth class should be able to decide as to what types of
months, seasons and solstices have been described in these verses whether tropical or
sidereal!
Normally, these explanations of Rikjyotisham should suffice to remove any cobwebs
from our minds and convince us that it is only due to our ignorance that we have been calling an
imaginary sidereal zodiac as Vedic and thus made a fool of ourselves, but because our minds
are so clogged with this wrong proposition over the last several centuries that it is not that easy
to unclog it with just such a small number of proofs. We shall therefore have to adduce several
other Vedic proofs for the same. So let us do that:
Vedas are replete with innumerable proofs for tropical months and seasons:
The very
first Mantra of Rigveda Samhita, distributed by Lal Bahadur Sahstri Vidyapeeth, Katwaria Sarai,
New Delhi, reads thus:
vfXuehGsiwjksfgraa ;KL;nsoe`fRote~A gksrkja jRu/kkree~AThis is how the editorscommentatorshave
translated it: vge~ nsokuke~ iqjksfgre~ iwtkdeZ.kks nkrkja nhif;rkja |ksrf;rkja ok] _rkS _rkS ;tUre~] - I worship
Agni....who invites the gods in every Ritu...
And what are these Ritus? This is what the Yajurveda has to say :

Ek/kq'p ek/ko'p oklfUrdko`rw 'kq'p 'kqfppxz"S eko`rw uHk'p uHkL;'p okf"kZdko`rw+ bZ'k'pkst'Z p 'kkjnko`rAw
lg'p lg~;'p gSefUrdko`rw ri'p riL;'p 'kSf'kjko`rw A
ewy ;tqonsZ lafgrk i`"B 139@40 cukjl fgUnw fo'ofo|ky; laLdj.k
*Madhu and Madhava are the months of Vasanta ritu, Shukra and Shuchi the months of
Grishma...Nabhas and Nabhasya the months of Varsha. Isha and Urja comprise Sharad Ritu.
Saha and Sahasya the months of Hemanta. Tapas and Tapasya the months of Shishir Ritu.
Even a semi-literate "Vedic Jyotishi" should understand from the connotations of the
months themselves as to how appropriately they have been appended to the respective seasons
- Madhu and Madhav - honey and its derivatives are beautiful names for Vasant - spring (when
according to the Nirayana topsy-turvy Panchangakaras of today together with their omniscient
Nirayana predictive astrologers the Vedic seers should have been enjoying spring sometime in
winter) Shukra and Shuchi - the synonyms of holiness and piousness comprise the
summer - because one usually takes more baths during summer than in any other season,
besides maintaining other forms of holiness. Nabha and Nabhasya - sky and sky-related-aspects
are very apt names for rains because it is in this season that one looks towards skies more often
than naught for trying to assess the onset of rains. Isha and Urja - both are the forms of energy
and power are very much related to the interim period of rains and autumn when one tries to
conserve as much of energy as possible and simultaneously expends more energy than in any
other season. Saha and Sahasya - both meaning to bear - to forbear are the names for
autumn when the trees wither and the earth starts looking deserted.. leading to the overall
sapping of vitality . Tapas and Tapasya - penance in one form or the other - are very aptly
related to winter - as it is the only season when in cold climes everything came to a standstill
(there being no supersonic jets then) so it was the most appropriate time for penance - whereas
Nirayana Pnachangas would like the Vedic seers to practise penance in spring the way they
are putting the cart before the horse by linking the seasons also to the so called Nirayana
Samkrantis. Similarly, Shatapatha Brahmana 2/1/3 says:

l ;=kksnxkorZrs A nso"s kq rfgZ HkofrA ;=k nf{k.korZrs fir`"kq rfgZ Hkofr**

When the sun travels in Northern direction i.e. when the sun is in Uttarayana he resides among
the gods then and when he is in southern direction i.e. Dakshinayana he resides among the
manes then.

rLekfnR;% "k.eklks nf{k.ksufS r 'kMqRrjs.kA rS- la- 6 - 5- 3

As such the sun is in southern direction Dakshinayana for six months and in northern
direction Uttarayana for six months Taittiriya Samhita 6-5-3
Surya Sidhanta also has the real Vedic i.e. tropical zodiac etc.
If we go into the depth of the SS we find that it holds the Vedas in the highest esteem. It
has been said in Bhugoladhyaya verse 18:
_p;ks vL; e.Mya lkekU;qlzk ewfrZ;tZfwa "k pA =k;he;ks v;a Hkxoku~ dkykRek dkyf}Hkq% A18A
He the soul and Creator of Time is comprised of the Vedas; the Richas (Rigveda) are His disk;
the Samas (Samaveda) his beams; the Yajus (The Yajurveda) His, the Exalted ones, form.
To make ourselves absolutely sure let us see once again how the S.S. explains and
defines these phenomena of Vishuvat and ayanas i.e. vernal equinox and winter solstice etc.
vis-a-vis that of the Vedas.

HkkuksedZ jlakUrs% "k.eklk mRrjk;.ke~ A dDZ;knsLrq rFkSo L;kr~ "k.eklk nf{k.kk;ue~AA

f}jkf'k ukFkk _roLrrksfi f'kf'kjkn;% A es"kkn;ks }kn'kSrs eklkLrSjso oRlj% AA

From the suns entrance (samkranti) into Capricorn, six months are his northern progress
(Uttarayan), so likewise, from the beginning of Cancer, six months are his southern progress
(Dakshinayana). Thence also are reckoned the seasons (ritu), the cool season (Shishir) and the
rest, each prevailing through two signs. These twelve, commencing with Aries, are the months;
of them is made up the year. (All you have to do here is to substitute the names of Rashis viz.
Mesha, Vrisha etc. from the S.S. for Madhu, Madhava etc. in the earlier Vedic mantras or viceversa and you will not be able to differentiate whether you are reading the Vedas or the SS!).
Consequently, the Acharya would not be advocating a system contrary to the Vedas.
On the other hand, the S.S. has as if written a commentary on the Vedic Astronomy; which as
every tyro even in only predictive astrology should know, is nothing but Sayana system.
Then, rest assured, there are several other astronomical similarities apart from the ones
illustrated above, between the Vedas and the S.S and these will be discussed in detail further
shortly.
Even modern sidereal astronomers agree that the Vedic zodiac was tropical: We have
already proved above that the ancient Hindu astronomers were dealing with a tropical zodiac.
Now let us see what the modern sidereal astronomers have to say. While analyzing the
Beginning date of Kali Era this is what Com. S.K. Chaterjee (Retd.) has to say on page 541 of
June 1995 issue of the Astrological Magazine, When Aryabhata was talking about Kali era
whose epoch was as remote as 3600 years earlier than his 23rd birthday, he might have in his
mind an era of a calendar similar to early Vedic calendar whose year comprising of months
Madhu, Madhaba etc. was equinoctial i.e., tropical in character and started from Spring Equinox.
Further, it is not unlikely that the day with which he linked his birthday in 499 AD with the years of
Kali calendar, was a spring equinox day of that year which occurred, as mentioned earlier, on 20
March, the sun being on the Vernal Equinoctial point after sunset on 19 March. (Though
astronomers are neither sidereal nor tropical, they just keep the scientific facts before the public
at large yet we have to say sidereal astronomer here because the siderealists call anyone
disagreeing with their pet theories as atheist, ignorant etc. etc. unless they are convinced that
he is also on the same plane of thinking as the siderealists!).
So we must judge for ourselves as to how we siderealists can call Vedic astrology as
Nirayana when even the Nirayana astronomers say that the Vedic seers were following a
tropical zodiac!
Following a sidereal zodiac has innumerable disadvantages and minus points:
Furthermore, the Vedas are quite unambiguous that there are (only) twelve Adityas (suns) , each
sun presiding over each month. These have been named:

fo".kq%( 'kks( v;Zek( /kkrk( Ro"Vk( iw"kk( fooLoku( lfork( fe=k%( o#.k%( va'kks( Hkx%A

In Brihadarnyaka Upanishada 3/9/5 there is a very clear Prashna - question - from Vidagdha
Shakalya and a more clear reply from Yajnyavalkya (the translation is as per Shankaracharyas
commentary i.e. Shankarabhashya):

dre vkfnR;k bfr }kn'k oS eklk% laoRlj'pSr vkfnR;k ,rsghna loZeknnkuk ;fUr rs ;fnna loZeknnkuk ;fUr rLeknkfnR;k
bfr A c`gnkj.;dksifu"kn 3 & 9 & 5
(Vidagdha Shakalya asks): Who are the Adityas? (Yajnyavalkya replies): Twelve months
(themselves) which are the limbs of
a Samvatsara, a year, are twelve Adityas. (How?)
Because these (very) months through their constant cycles movements go on accepting the
deeds of all the human beings as well as dispensing their results by way of their (humans) life
span etc. and as they (these twelve months) accept while moving that is why they are
known as Adityas and these very Adityas i.e. months have been linked with seasons.
Now if there are also going to be twelve sidereal months of the S.S. Ayanamsha we will
have to create twelve more Adityas to preside over them, making 24 in all. Further, if the
Sarkari Ayanamsha (which is anything but Chitrapaksha!) also is correctas most of the
predictive astrologers and panchangakaras claimtwelve more Adityas will have to be
createdmaking thirty-six in all. Then, how can we exclude Ramana Ayanamsha considering
the list of Accurate predictions based on itas Dr. Raman claims to have made, forty-eight
Adityas will have to be there! But then ignoring Krishnamurti Ayanamsha is also unjust
because as per The Constitution of India we just cannot discriminate against anybody (which
can easily be interpreted as any Ayanamsha by our constitutional experts) on any ground;
especially as the followers of this Ayanamsha claim infallibility in their Prashnas (horaries) so
much so that the exact arrival of a late train or the time of maturing of a trunk call is determined
beforehand to the nearest second accuratelythey sayso at least sixty Adityas have to be
there! Now, how come we have forgotten the much talked about Lahiri Ayanamshait is
different from Sarkari Ayanamshaeven if only by ten seconds of arcso seventy-two Adityas
will have to be there. This is if we ignore completely the Western Ayanamsha of Cyril Fagan,
because may be by virtue of his belonging to a non-Vedic religion that Ayanamsha does not
need twelve more Adityas to preside over those twelve months. However, we will have to take
into account Kharegat Ayanamsha, Revati Paksha Ayanamsha etc. also as otherwise we will
be hauled before a court of law for having discriminated against the minorities and so we may
have to create at least a couple of hundred Adityas!
As per modern astronomy, there
are billions of suns (Adityas) moving around us in the skies waiting for us mortals to allocate them
the rulership over different Ayanamsha months! because the way we are proliferating these
Ayanamshas, there is not much doubt that one day we will need all these Adityas to preside over
their corresponding Ayanamsha months, so let us start scanning for the ones we are going to
choose right now for all these most important and accurate as per their respective followers
Ayanamshas, caring two hoots for the Vedas declaring that there are only twelve Adityas. (Or
as an alternative, every predictive astrologer can interpret it as the Vedas prescribing these
twelve as the overall in charge of his particular cherished Ayanamsha and the other Adityas
working as their subordinates, thus granting freedom to everyone to choose the Ayanamsha that
delivered the goods i.e. accurate predictive results according to him, as this is what one high
ranking predictive astrology pracharya said: To read about Ayanamsha topics is a wastage of
time as I believe only in practical results, i.e. the one resulting in the most accurate predictions.
We shall be discussing his cherished Ayanamsha based predictions later in this write up).
Even the roads of to-and-fro journey to Yamaloka for siderealists are fraught with
doubts galore:
From the above it becomes clear that by insisting on sidereal zodiacs,
siderealists will have to invent a couple of hundred Ayanas also like Ramana Uttarayana and
Dakshinayana, Lahiri Uttarayana and Dakshinayana, Sarkari Uttarayana and Dakshinayana,
Fagan Uttarayana and Dakshinayana, Kharegat Uttarayana and Dakshinayana etc. etc. Now
let us see the "wonderful results of these most accurate wonderful myriad Ayanamshas:
Chhandogya
Upanishad
4/15/4
says:vFk
;nq
pSokfLeaNO;a
dqoZfUr
;fnpukfpZ"kesokfHklaHkoUR;fpZ"kksvgjg~u
vkiw;Zek.ki{kekiw;Zek.ki{kk|ku~
'kqn~~sfr
eklkaLrkUeklsH;% laoRlja laoRljknkfnR;a&&&&and this is what Bhagwan Shankaracharyas
commentary on it has
to say:vkiw;Zek.ki{kk|ku~"k.eklkuqn~~+mRrjkfn'kesfr lfork

rkUeklkuqRrjk;.k nsorka The departed soul goes to the deity presiding over bright lunar half and
thence to the (deity presiding over the) months when the sun goes Uttara i.e. when the sun is
traversing the northern direction Now even if we take it for granted that the God of Death
Yamaraja has marked the different Ayana roads (just as we mark the roads in our country like
Jawaharlal Road, M.K. Gandhi Road etc.) with the names Lahiri Dakshinayana, Ramana
Dakshinayana etc. etc. even then the poor Yamaraja will be confused as to through which path
Ayana he should take the soul of a Ramana Ayanamsha Bhakta because they use
Ramana Ayanamsha for predictive astrology but for Pongal/Makara Sankranti they use Sarkari
Ayanamsha! Similar will be the case with Sarkari Ayanamsha Bhaktas because though they
use Sarkari Ayanamsha for predictive astrology as well as Pongal but they have always a
lurking doubt that Ramana Aynamsha is more accurate because he claims more accurate
predictions as per his Ayanamsha and they feel quite impressed with that success rate
meaning thereby that they are not sure that the Ayanamsha they are following is really Vedic
i.e. correct. Similar is the case with Surya Sidhanta Ayanamsha Bhaktas because they give
eclipses as per modern elements though the lunar and solar longitudes are as per the SS that
means they too have faith in neither. It is evident that Yamaraja will keep all such Bhaktas
moving in the different Ayanamsha Ayanas till the time they make up their minds as to which
Ayanamsha they are really following. Since in 5/10/5 of the same Upanishad it is said
that^^rfLeU;koRlaikreqf"kRok vFkSresok/okua iqufuZorZUrs** after having exhausted their
Karma in those lokas they return to this world via the same ayanas which they had taken for
going from here to the hereafter, it is absolutely clear that all the siderealists will not be able to
return to this earth soon as the Yamaraja will again be confused as to through which Ayana they
should be brought back! Their delayed return to this world will in fact be a blessing in disguise for
the Hindu community as a whole because that will help to eliminate the confusion about these
Ayanamsha Ayanas!
Curiously though Yamaraja will have no such difficulty with the Western astrologers
because they follow only one Ayanamsha----the real Vedic i.e. Zero Ayanamsha!
This fact of departed souls going through Uttarayana/Dakshinayana is found not only in
the Chandogya Upanishad but all other scriptures including the Gita are replete with such
statements.
All the religious scriptures are proclaiming a tropical zodiac:
There are also several other identical words in other scriptures, including the Manava
Dharma Shastra i.e. The Manusmriti :
nSos jkf=k&vg~uh izfoHkkxLr;ks% A vgLr=kksnx;ua jkf=k% L;kn~ nf{k.kk;ue~ A euqLe`fr 1
+++++67
The year of the mortals is a day and night of the gods-Uttarayana being their day and
Dakshinayana their night
Chapter 15 in Vishveshwar Samhita of Shri Shiva Mahapuran (distributed by Lal
Bahadur Shastri Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Delhi,) is full of references to the results of Shivpuja etc.
when the sun and Jupiter are posited in different rashis and this is what verses 8/9 have to say:
rLekn~n'kxq.kaKs;a jfo ladze.kscq/kk%A fo"kqos rn~n'kxq.ke;usr'kLe`re~AA
O wise men! The results are tenfold if the puja is done in solar sankranti and if it is done in
Vishuvas and Ayanas, it is ten times more (than that done in a Sankranti other than that of
Ayanas and Vishuvas). Now whatever corners the Vedic astrologers may try to cut here,
whatever gimmicks they may use, they just cannot insert the words Nirayana in between the
words Sankranti and Vishuvas and/or Ayanas which means that the Shiva Mahapurana as well
was not having any other zodiac Rashichakra than the sayana tropical one. As this
chapter is full of references to the conjunction of sun and Jupiter in various signs, obviously that
conjunction also is in Sayana signs and not any Lahiri or Ramana signs as is presumed by some
Kaliyugi Vamadevas and Varahamihiras.
Similarly, Shrimad Bhagavatam in 5/22/3 as if explaining the same phenomenon of
Sankrantis and Ritus/Ayanas with reference to the context has this to say: ,"k Hkxokukfniq#"kso

lk{kkUukjk;.kks yksdkuka LoLr;s vkRekua =k;he;a deZ fo'kqf) fufeRra dfofHakjfi p osnus ftKkL;ekuks }kn'knk foHkT; "kV~lq

olUrkfn"kq _rq"kq ;Fkksitks"ka _rqx.kku~ ogfrAvFk l ,"k vkRek yksdkuka |koki`fFkO;ksjUrjs.k uHkksoy;L; dkypxrh
}kn'k eklku~HkqDa rs jkf'klaKku laoRljko;oku~A
The self-same First-Purusha Narayana Himself transforms Himself into the three Vedas; into
twelve parts (months) carrying the six seasons of spring etc. (Again) the self-same Narayana
himself, between the two hemispheres of the skies and the earth, identifies himself with the wheel
of time enjoying the twelve months by the names of different Rashis, which are a part of the
year.
Vedic Panchangakars and Vedic Astrologers should be ashamed of themselves for
having committed the whole Hindu community to Adharma and they will not find a place
in the seventh hell if they continue to do so now knowingly:
Shri Bhola Dutt Mahtolia of Rudrapur has also sent the following verses from Shrimad
Bhagvatam 5/21 Gita Press Edition: ;nk es"krqy;ksoZrZrsrnkgksjk=kkf.k lekukfu HkofUr] ;nk o`"kHkkfn"kq iaplq p

jkf'k"kq pjfr rnkgkU;so o/kZUrs gzlfr p ekfl ekL;sddS k ?kfVdk jkf=k"kqAA4AA ;nk o`f'pdkfn"kq iaplq orZrs rnkgksjk=kkf.k
foi;Z;kf.k HkofUrAA5AA ;kon~ nf{k.kk;uegkfu o/kZUrs ;konqnx;ua jk=k;%AA6A This is how a cent per cent Indian, N.
Raghunathan, has translated these verses in his Srimad Bhagavatam published by
Vighneswara Publishing House, Madras: ...the sun goes up and down (the zodiac) at the
appointed time with the accelerated, retarded and even speeds characteristic of the different
seasons, the Uttarayana (northern declination), the Dakshinayana (southern declination) and the
Vaishuvata (equinox); making the days longer, shorter, or equal to the nights as he transits
through Makara and the other zodiacal divisions in succession. Days and nights are equal during
his transit through Aries and Libra; when he moves through the five signs, Taurus and the
following, the days grow longer, while every month the nights become shorter by one ghatika
(twenty-four minutes). Then he moves through the five signs, Scorpio and the rest, then the
lengths of the day and the night are reversed. From Uttarayana to Dakshinayana, the days go on
increasing, while the nights go on lengthening from Dakshinayana to Uttarayana. Evidently,
Vedavyasa is referring to one and only one zodiac Rashichakrathe real Vedic i.e. Sayana
and not any Ramana or Lahiri Rashichakra much less a Lahiri or Ramana Uttarayana or
Dakshinayana since even Ramana Ayanamsha then was +50 degrees!
Similarly, Navaratras are celebrated twice in India. One is named vasanti Navaratra
and the other Sharadiya Navaratra. According to Nirayana Panchangakaras as we shall see
shortly, we should have been celebrating Vasanti Navaratras about 13000 years back around
September 20 and Sharadiya Navaratras around March 21 respectively. In other words, we
must admit that our ancestors were so ignorant and illiterate as compared to the omniscience of
Nirayana Panchangakaras that they could have celebrated Sharadiya Navaratra in Vasanta and
Vasanta Navaratra in Sharatkalam. In Sharadiya Navaratras, however, every Hindu household
recites Durgasaptashati during those days and this is what 12th verse of 12th chapter has to say
'kjr~dkys egkiwtk f;rs ;k p okf"kZdh Goddess Jagadamba Herself after having killed Chanda, Munda
and Mahishasura praises the results of annual Mahapuja that is done in Sharatkala ... Now
however hard the Vedic astrologers and "Vedic Panchangakaras may try, no other meaning
can be ascribed to Sharatkala and annual Mahapuja than the one intended for them.
We have also already explained on pages 10 and 11 of our Shri Krishen Universal
Ephemeris & Panchang
for 1994 that all the Puranas repeat the same assertion that
Samvatsara - a year - comprises Ayanas, Ritus and Rashis which proves beyond any doubt that
they are talking of nothing but a tropical zodiac.
As it has been demonstrated above, now that all the Shaiva, Vaishnava and Shakta
Shastras---scriptures---apart from the Vedas and the Smritis and the Sidhanta Granthas of
astronomy have been following nothing but a Sayana zodiac, It proves without doubt that the so
called Vedic Panchangakaras and Vedic astrologers are making all the Shaivites, Vaishnavas
and Shaktas and Vedantisin short the entire Hindu community celebrate religious fairs
and festivals in accordance with some imaginary Lahiri or Ramana or Kharegat or Revati
Nirayana zodiacs. I am sure that no Panchangakara or predictive astrologer in this land of the
real Vamadevas is so greedy or base that he will continue to lead the entire Hindu community
towadrs Adharma now after having digested the above facts.

Some foreign Nirayana Bhaktas ludicrous attempts to correlate Bhishmas shedding off
his mortal coil with a Sarkari Uttarayana and that also on a Nirayana Kumbha
Sankranti!
As the Vedic Jyotishis make miracles happen as per their convenience, instead of in
due manner and at proper occasions, it is said that lakhs of people see some sort of a Jyoti
every year on Pongal i.e. Makara Sankranti a Nirayana one of course ! What is, however,
intriguing is that it appears only as per Lahiri Ayanamsha, and which, as per Lahiri ephemeris, is
now known as Sarkari Ayanamsha also, neither as per Ramana Ayanamsha nor Bal
Gangadhar Tilaks Aynamsha least of all as per that of Surya Sidhanta never on Sayana
Sankranti when it should actually happen as per all the Vedas, Shastras and even the Surya
Sidhanta. May be the gods in the heavens above also have started using Lahiri Ayanamsha and
Rashtriya Panchangas in Amravati. (They do not have to worry about foreign exchange
regulations since books must be OGL there also! but in any case the RBI should look into it if the
gods there are violating any foreign exchange regulations!)
In the same vein of this Makara Jyoti and Uttarayan following Lahiri-cum-sarkari
Ayanamsha, efforts are being made by some overzealous Nirayana Bhaktas to prove that
Bhishma also died on a Nirayana Lahiri which he calls euphemistically Chitrapaksha
Uttarayana- coinciding with Nirayana Kumbha Samkranti!

ek?kks v;a leuqizkIrks ekl% lkSE;% ;qf/kf"BjA f=kHkkx'ks"k% i{kks;a 'kqDyks HkforqegZfrAA
This is how one of the overseas Nirayna a Bhaktas has interpreted this information of the Mahba harta ,a Anushnas a Parva
126.26 in the Astrological Magazine of March 1995, The month of Makha occurs when the Full
Moon is in Makha, the centre of which is 06-40 Aquarius. A week before the Full Moon the Sun
would have been at 0 Aquarius, or about seven degrees before, the same information as the
Maitrayani Upanishad just quoted and about Maitrayani Upanishad this is what he has to say:
Now these Nakshatra points are exactly equal to 0 degrees Leo on one hand and 0 degrees
Aquarius on the other hand as summer and winter solstices (which occurred around 1800 BC).
In other words, because this Nirayana phenomenon so called Nirayana Uttarayanahas taken
place around 1800 BC, so, according to this gentleman, Bhishma died after 1300 years after
Kaliyuga had started as in the words of the same author in the same article Kaliyuga started
without any doubt in 3102 BC! Obviously, Bhishmas statement that

v"Viapk'kra jk=;% 'k;kuL;k| es xrk%A 'kjs"kq fuf'krkxz"s kq ;Fkk o"kZ'kra rFkkAA

Though I have been lying on this bed of sharp arrows for fifty-eight nights only it appears as
though I have been lying on it for a hundred years should be interpreted as per the same writer
that by each day Bhishma had meant years equal to something like pie i.e. 3.1416 because he
appears to be an expert in fitting in the Rashi and Nakshatra numbers where they should never
exist!----after all how does it matter what the real meaning is these Nirayana bhaktas have
somehow or the other to prove that Nirayana is the only zodiac whatever interpretations they
have to give to scriptures! Poor Bhishma must be turning in his grave sorry, on his pyreon
seeing such insistence on an erroneous and misleading Lahiri Nirayana Makara (in this case not
even Makara but Kumbha) Samkranti and Uttarayana !
It is really baffling from the articles of this gentleman to discern as to what he wants to
prove actually and what he is proving instead! On the one hand he says in the same article that
Kaliyuga definitely started in 3102 B.C. but simultaneously wants to prove that Bhishma died
1300 years after Kaliyuga. Then he states Greek travellers (Megasthenes) with Alexander noted
a tradition of 153 kings and several republics taking Indian history back over 6000 years to 6777
BC for the first king. but in the same breath he is claiming that Maitrayani Upanishad was
propounded only in 1800 B.C. just because there is a reference to Makha and Shravishtha
Nakshatras which are supposed to have had a mean longitude of 0 degrees Leo/Aquarius! In
the same article again he writes that in the Vedas There are two types of solar months ...the first
is tropical which regards the suns travel of 30 degrees from the point of the eqinox....the tropical
Vedic months were seasonal months, with two months of spring, two months of summer, two
months of the rainy season, etc. in the six season calendar of India. Though he correlates the
Vedic tropical signs with equinox (and consequently the solstices)which are nothing but
synonyms of Vishuvas and Ayanasyet he wants Bhishma to have died in some imaginary

Lahiri Nirayana (sidereal) Uttarayana! (However, as we have already seen it is impossible for
him to prove even one per cent that there were two types of zodiacs in the Vedas as a matter
of fact the Vedic astrologers themselves doubt that if there is any mention of any Rashichakra
in the Vedas!Yet he wants everything contrary to the real Vedic sayings just to prove the
unprovable that a Nirayana zodiac also exists! It is really surprising that the Hindu community is
taken for granted to be so illiterate about their own scriptures that any foreigner can interpret
them any way he likes if it suits our Nirayana phantasmagoria because apart from the other
scriptures already quoted by us we also find in:
1.
Mahabharata, Shanti Parva 225/36:

v;ua rL; "k.eklkuqRrja nf{k.ka rFkkA ;su la;kfr yksd"s kq 'khrks".ks fol`tu jfo%AA
the sun has two Ayanas Uttara and Dakshina and while passing through these he creates
cold and heat..Are we supposed to be so ignorant even about the geography of phenomenon of
seasons that by correlating Ayanas with sidereal Sankrantis it would have been Autumn and not
Winter in 3200 BC on a Nirayana Makara Sankranti! Certainly Bhishma was not that insensitive
that he could not differentiate between cold and heat!
2.
At least Bhishma should have known the meaning of these phenomena and whatever
our compulsions may be to make him shed off his mortal coil on a non-Uttarayana day, he would
certainly not oblige us! The same point has been made explicit by Lord Krishna himself in
Anushasana Parva 46.29:

vko`rs HkxoR;dZs l fg yksdku~ xfe";frA Ron~n'kZua egkckgks rLekngZfr dkSjo%AA

O long armed one! When the sun turns back i.e. comes to Uttarayana Bhishma will go to
the heavens but then we are accustomed to deliberately overlooking such inconvenient
passages as do not suit our Nirayana stand! It is in fact highly insulting to our religious scriptures
that we let any Tom, Dick and Harry interpret any verse the way he wants to if he subscribes to
our presumptions - even if those are wrong as otherwise how could we tolerate the following
verses of Mahabharata being ignored in this regard:

fuo`Rr ek=ks Ro;u mRrjs oS fnokdjs 'kkfUrioZ 47@3

O;korZekus HkxoR;qnhpha lw;Zs fn'ka dkyo'kkr~ iziUus-------'kkfUrioZ 51@17

These do not
leave any doubt whatsoever that Bhishma was waiting for the real Uttarayana and not any Lahiri
or Ramana sidereal artificial one.
3.
It appears Vedavyasa was already aware that the Vedic astrologers of Kaliyuga would
leave no stone unturned in trying to fit even the most obvious phenomena like Uttarayana and
Dakshinayana etc. into a Nirayana phantasmagoria UNOBTRUSIVELY through some
OVERSEAS WRITERS, that is why he made it declared unequivocally by Lord Krishna Himself
in Harivamsha Vaishnavadharma-Parva, page 6373 (Gita Press, Gorakhpur edition):
jktUu;u;kse/Z ;s fo"kqoa lEizp{krsA les jkf=k fnua r=k la/;k;ka fo"kqos u`iAA
O king Yudishthira! in between the two Ayanas there are two Vishuvas (i.e. in between the two
solstices there are two equinoxes) when the day and night are equal.
It is, therefore, high time that the Nirayana astrologers wake to the situation lest they
become a puppet in the hands of overseas Nirayana Bhaktas in the garb of propagating the
Vedic astrology far and wide when actually they are cocking a snooker on us.
For the kind information of this overseas Nirayana Bhakta we may clarify here that
though he will have to get the okay of his mentor, Dr. B. V. Raman, to let Bhishma have
postponed his death for 1300 years because according to Dr. Ramans "Notable Horoscopes"
Kaliyuga started actually in 3102 B.C. and most assuredly, even Dr. Raman himself would have
to agree that Bhishma certainly did not shed off his mortal coil after 1300 years of Kaliyuga, but
even if for the sake of argument we agree with this overseas vedic astrologer that Bhishma died
in 1800 B. C. even then he is really proving that he died on a Sayana AND NOT NIRAYANA!
Makar Sankranti. Let us see how: Ayanamsha moves @ 1 degree per 72 years and so about
(1800+1995=) 3795 years back even Sarkari Ayanamsha was 29 degrees plus i.e. to find the
tropical longitudes from Nirayana ones you had to subtract the Ayanamsha from them instead of
adding it to them as is done these days. Consequently, if according to this author it was a
Nirayana Kumbha Sankranti then, it was actually Kumbha 0 degrees minus 30 degrees = Makara
0 degrees a pure tropical Summer solstice!

What is most baffling, however, is as to how this article has been accepted for publication
by a magazine of the stature of AM because the author is correlating Nirayana Kumbha (and not
even Nirayana Makara) Sankranti with Uttarayana! NO PANCHANGA IN INDIA WHETHER
AS PER THE SS OR GRAHALAGHAVA OR EVEN THE MODERN ASTRONOMY EVER
CORRELATES UTTARAYANA INCLUDING THE SO CALLED NIRAYANA UTTARAYANA
EVER TO A KUMBHA SANKRANTI!
EVEN THE NIRAYANA UTTARAYANAS ARE
CORRELATED TO NIRAYANA MAKARA SANKRANTIS AND NOT TO KUMBHA SANKRANTIS,
AS HAS BEEN DONE BY THIS GENTLEMAN!
It surely must be an oversight on the part of
the editorial board of the AM. If it is a deliberate acceptance of Nirayana Kumbha Sankranti
coinciding with Nirayana Uttarayana it surely means that our Nirayana luminaries as well do
not know even ABC of astronomy and as such they have no right to preside over any Panchanga
Standardization Committee!
And when such overseas authors are bestowed by the modern semi-literate
Varahamihiras honorific titles of Vedic seers like Vamadeva for having propagated such
misleading doctrines in a convincing manner with which the so called Vedic astrologers of India
agree, it is really an insult to the real Vedic Vamadevas and a sure sign of the downfall of the so
called Vedic astrology and astrologers, as warned by the Manusmriti, as we have just seen
above.
Our Nirayana Bhakti betrays our ignorance of our own Dharmashastras: After reading the
article under discussion I was expecting a barrage of letters to the AM against the propagation of
a whimsical theory of Bhishma having died in some Nirayana Uttarayana but till date I have not
seen even a single letter to that effect. Is it so because these Nirayana Bhaktas do not know
them-selves their own Shastras and therefore let anybody befool them by interpreting those
Shastras the way he wants to? Because it is one thing to quote a few verses off the cuff and out
of context from the scriptures during their high pitch sermons - bhashans- to suit their
requirements but an entirely different thing to study them painstakingly and with real reverence
only then can we understand the real meaning of these hidden treasures. OTHERWISE EVEN
PARROTS HAVE TO REPEAT A FEW VERSES TO EARN THEIR LIVELIHOOD!
Our Nirayana Bhakti shows our lack of respect for and knowledge of Sanskrit language as
well: It appears that Prof. Monier Williams, famous for his Sanskrit English dictionary, had a
better knowledge of Hindu astronomy than all the Vedic astrologers put together and his
command over Sanskrit language also was better than any Nirayana scholar because this is how
he has defined these phenomena in his dictionary,
page 179 : Uttarayana: the period of the
suns progress to the north of the equator, the summer solstice Similarly, Dakshinayana: suns
progress south of the equator. Even otherwise also, if you check any vernacular or Sanskrit
dictionary you will find a similar description of Uttarayana and Dakshinayana. The Vedic
astrologers of India must therefore immediately pass a resolution like they are passing about
standardization of Panchangas, to boycott all such dictionaries as go against their cherished
definitions of these phenomena. After all, how can all these dictionary-makers over-rule the
cherished interpretations of these "omniscient Vedic astrologers"!
It is really painful to note that they, in their ignorant ardour for Nirayana zodiac, cannot
understand the simple astronomical definitions of these phenomena when the Sanskrit words
themselves more than anything else explain their meanings fully. e.g., Uttarayana means the
phenomenon when the sun has reached the maximum southern declination by virtue of having a
tropical (not Nirayana for Gods sake!) longitude of 270 degrees and is now starting
northern sojourn hence Uttarayana. It coincides with the day being the shortest in the northern
hemisphere and longest in the southern hemisphere. Similarly, by virtue of having attained a
longitude again tropical and not any Ramana or Lahiri or Fagan Ayanamsha of 90 degrees
it attains the maximum northern declinations and starts its
southern sojournhence
Dakshinayana. The day in the Northern hemisphere is the longest then. In between these two
phenomena when the sun attains 0 degrees longitude around March 21 the day and night are
equal and hence the word Sampat equinox (In Latin equi=equal and nox = night and
hence equinox ) when day and night are equal throughout the world. A similar situation arises

again by virtue of suns longitude (AGAIN TROPICAL, NO RAMANA OR LAHIRI!) of 180 degrees
autumn equinox takes place around September 20 when again day and night are equal!.
So whatever compulsions the Nirayana Bhaktas may haveand irrespective of the
number of overseas mis-interpreters they may employ for this purpose i.e. to make Bhishma shed
off his mortal coil on some Lahiri or Ramana Uttarayana he certainly was not going to oblige
them!
Even Nirayana Panchangas admit Uttarayana etc. on tropical Sankrantis: If you take any
Nirayana Panchanga in any vernacular language whether Hindi, Urdu, Gujratai, Bengali or even
English language, in 99 percent of them you will find Uttarayana Day on the day of Sayana
Makara Sankranti and Dakshinayana on tropical Karkata Sankranti and in between you will find a
clear indication of Jal Vishuva and Vishuva on tropical Tula and Mesha Sankrantis respectively.
No doubt some Panchangas based on Surya Sidhanta are showing Uttarayana on an imaginary
Nirayana Makara Sankranti but then even the Vedic astrologers themselves are crying hoarse
that such Panchangas are absurd. It is therefore really shocking that they want Bhishma to have
died on some imaginary Uttarayana Day just because that would help them in establishing a
Nirayana zodiac for their Vedic Predictive astrology. It is the worst type of sin the Nirayana
Bhaktas are committing.
As we have seen it appears that the SS is the worst culprit in making us correlate
Uttarayana to Nirayana Sankranti but then is it really so or is it only because of our limited
knowledge that we are imputing it to the SS. We shall have therefore to analyze the SS in detail
all the more.
Logically also the SS Ayanas and Ritus are tropical and not sidereal:
If we ponder on the meaning of Manadhyaya (Chapter 14) Shlokas 7 and 8 cited
already, carefully, the S.S. ALSO HAS GIVEN THE NAMES OF TWO SANKRANTIS AS AYANA
SAMKRANTIS AND THAT OF THE OTHER TWO AS VISHUVAT SANKRANTIS. These very
details have been clarified further in the next two Shlokas. Now again for the sake of argument, if
we take it that for determining the Ayanas and Vishuvas i.e. the equinoxes and solstices, we
have, as is claimed to have been laid down in the S.S., to subtract Ayanamsha from the Nirayana
S.S. longitudes (instead of actually adding it to them!) and further correct and update those as per
the observed positions as explained in the S.S. even then those have to be named as Mesha Tula; Makara and Karkata; because that is what the Acharya calls them. Pray! tell me, then
why do we not invent some other names for Nirayana Rashis. AND IF IT IS THE NIRAYANA
RASHIS WE HAVE TO CALL MESHA ETC. WHAT ARE THEN THE NAMES OF SAYANA
RASHIS GIVEN BY THE SS?, BECAUSE THE ACHARYA HAS NOT SAID ANYWHERE
EITHER NIRAYANA OR SAYANA! (Because he never knew Nirayana!) AND IT WAS ONLY ON
THE BASIS OF THESE SAYANA SANKRANTIS THAT LUNAR MONTHS WERE NAMED
MARGHASHEERSHA, PAUSHA ETC. DEPENDING UPON THE ACTUAL NAKSHATRA OF
THE NEW/FULL MOON. THIS IS WHAT IS BEING DONE THESE DAYS ALSO BUT WITH
THE DIFFERENCE THAT WE CONSIDER NIRAYANA SOLAR MONTHS AND IMAGINARY
NAKSHATRA DIVISIONS
instead of sayana months and real mean longitudes of the
Nakshatras.
Do the Vedas refer to Ramana Ritus or Lahiri or Cyril Fagan Ritus?
In every Hindu family at the time of tonsure---mundan---or Yajnyopavita or any other such
religious function Purusha-Sukta of the Yajurveda is recited.
Some Hindu families recite it
daily even otherwise as a religious obligation. One of its hymns reads :
^^nsok ;KerUorA
olUrks vL;klhnkT;e~A xzh"e b/e% 'kj}fo%^^ The gods at the dawn of creation worshipped That
Omniscient Supreme Being through yajnya. Vasanta Ritu i.e. Spring was ghee clarified butter
Grishma i.e. Summer was its fuel whereas Sharat Ritu was oblation in that yajnya. When I
was myself a staunch Nirayana Bhakta I would always wonder as to with which Ritus the gods
arranged that sacrifice ...yajnya...whether by Raman Ritus or Lahiri Ritus or Cyril Fagan Ritus?
The problem is that these Ritus can never fall on the same day much less the same time. So
the poor gods must have arranged a Committee of the Panchangakaras to decide the issue. If

any of the readers knows as to who presided over that Panchanga conference do kindly let me
know!
Similarly, in the Gita in the tenth Adhyaya, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna ^^eklkuka ekxZ'kh"kZkZs fLe
_rwuka dqleq kdj%^^ Among the months I am Margasheersha and among the Ritus I am Vasanta i.e.
Spring Now even if we are convinced that like the Nirayana Vedic astrologers Lord Krishna
also was suffering from some mental imbalance to mistake chilling Winter for Spring (because in
Lord Krishnas time i.e. about 5000 years back, Nirayana Spring would fall around December!)
the question here arises as to with what Nirayana Spring did He identify Himself was it
Ramana Spring or Lahiri Spring or Cyril Fagan Spring? It surely must have been Cyril Fagan
Spring because Dr. Raman had got His birth chart prepared through Cyril Fagan so Lord Krishna
must have visualized it beforehand and to oblige the would be Mlechha Non-Vedic astronomer
He certainly must have identified Himself with Fagan Spring! Dont you agree with me?