IKS & Astronomy.pptx123456789101112131415

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1. The relationship between Mohenjodaro seals and the concept of the equinox has been a subject of interest among researchers studying the Indus Valley Civilization. Mohenjodaro , one of the prominent urban centers of this civilization, features numerous seals engraved with various symbols, animals, and script. Here’s an overview of the suggested connection: Possible Link Between Seals and Astronomical Knowledge Symbolism and Celestial Themes : Some scholars suggest that certain symbols on the Mohenjodaro seals may have had astronomical or cosmological significance. For example, motifs like the bull or the depiction of figures in ritualistic poses could be linked to seasonal changes, which were crucial for agricultural societies. Agricultural Importance of the Equinox : In ancient agrarian cultures, the equinoxes (days when day and night are of equal length) marked important seasonal transitions, influencing the timing of agricultural activities. The equinoxes could have held ritualistic or ceremonial importance, and it is possible that seals were used in practices or ceremonies aligned with these events. Calendrical System : Although there is no concrete evidence directly connecting the seals to the equinox, some researchers hypothesize that the Indus Valley people may have had a basic understanding of a calendrical system that accounted for the equinoxes. If so, the seals might have reflected or reinforced this knowledge through encoded imagery.

2. Niluralu and Ancient Astronomy The term " Niluralu " is not widely recognized in scholarly literature. However, there might be confusion with or derivations from specific ancient astronomical terms, especially in the context of early observational astronomy or indigenous traditions. Possible Interpretations Indigenous Connections : In some cultures, traditional or indigenous terms have been used to describe celestial phenomena, such as star constellations, lunar cycles, or planetary movements. If " Niluralu " is related to an ancient astronomical tradition or culture, it could refer to specific star patterns, sacred markers, or natural features used for astronomical observations. Cultural Astronomy : Many ancient cultures across the world, including the civilizations of Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and the indigenous peoples of the Americas, had their own systems of astronomical observations. They often linked their observations to practical needs (like agriculture) or to spiritual beliefs, ascribing sacred significance to celestial objects. Relation to Astronomical Practices If " Niluralu " pertains to ancient observatory practices or ritual sites: Ritual Significance : Some cultures aligned structures or monuments with celestial events such as the equinoxes, solstices, or movements of important stars. These alignments reflected an understanding of the sky and were used to track time or conduct ceremonies. Cultural Legacy : The remnants of such practices could be seen in petroglyphs, standing stones, or other forms of early astronomical markers.

3. The 18 sages of Astrology: The 18 sages are the legendary wise-men who paved the way for the development of astrology the way we know it today. They are – Surya, Pitamaha ,  Vyasa, Vasistha , Atri , Parashara , Kapila , Narada , Garga , Marichi , Manu, Angira , Lomasha , Paulasha , Chyavana , Yavana , Bragu , and Shaunaka . Of them, the contributions of Sage Parashara and Sage Garga are especially relevant in contemporary terms. Sage Parashara is the grandchild of Sage Vasistha and the father of Sage Vyasa. He is also called the father of Vedic astrology. Sage Parashara , in  Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra  (expansive Parashara science of prediction), decoded from the Vedas the structure and existence of the cosmos. He depicted how creation took shape and explained in detail the positions of the planets and stars along with their unique characteristics. He also explained about divisions in the Zodiac, which is the Rasi , and also about the Lagna . In exquisite detail, Sage Parashara has expounded the different Rashi features,  yogas  (planetary alignments with each other) and  drishties  (planetary influence on each other). It is a vast text and is recorded in the form of question-answer format. Sage Garga was a warrior-Brahmin. It means he was equally proficient in the knowledge of Vedas and that of weaponry. He compiled the Garga Samhita. In it, in the form of sutras (equations), he recorded the influence of astrological factors on the life of an individual as decoded from the Vedas. These sutras depict how the individual will be impacted by the  placement of the planets and stars  in the cosmic chart.

4. The earliest astronomical text—named Vedānga Jyotiṣa details several astronomical attributes generally applied for timing social and religious events. The Vedānga Jyotiṣa also details astronomical calculations, calendrical studies, and establishes rules for empirical observation. Since the texts written by 1200 BCE were largely religious compositions the Vedānga Jyotiṣa has connections with Indian astrology and details several important aspects of the time and seasons, including lunar months, solar months, and their adjustment by a lunar leap month of Adhimāsa . Ṛtús are also described as yugāṃśas (or parts of the yuga , i.e. conjunction cycle). 'Twenty-seven constellations, eclipses, seven planets, and twelve signs of the zodiac were also known at that time

5. Aryabhata Aryabhata is still renowned for his proficiency in mathematics, physics, astronomy as well as astrology. He lived between 473 CE and 550 CE. He is said to have been a native of Pataliputra (Patna). It is also argued that he originally belonged to Ashmaka in Kerala before moving to Kusumapura which is modern-day Patna. But despite discrepancies about his native place, it is known that he received education from Nalanda University. He formulated the sine table and calculated sacred ratios including ‘pi’. His works were far more advanced than the hi-tech science of today. Unfortunately, most have been destroyed over the hundreds of years of invasions. The Aryabhata- Siddhanta , which is a collection of his works compiled by Varahamihiria and other later mathematicians, is one of the few to have survived. It deals with planets, stars and their movement in space. He described how shadows of Earth and the Moon caused ‘Rahu to swallow the Sun’ and resulted in an eclipse. He was first to find out that planets didn’t shine by themselves and instead reflected the light of the Sun. He calculated the time for one Earth year and also derived the years of other planets. He found out that the stars were more like the Sun. Aryabhata’s works were translated into Arabic and Greek. The ground on which modern science stands today was laid by Aryabhata. He was the first to translate Astrology from the language of faith to the language of science. Unlike Galileo, or much of modern scientists, Aryabhata’s intention was not to destroy faith; he laid out the reason behind them. India’s first satellite was named Aryabhata to honour his legacy in the field of astronomy and astrology. 

6. Varahamihira   Varahamihiria was the contemporary of Aryabhata. He lived between 499 CE and 587 CE in Ujjain. Ujjain was the hub of education, arts and culture at that time. He studied astrology under his father Adityadasa who studied the Sun. A young Varahamihiria met Aryabhata during his visit to Kusumapura . This meeting inspired him to take up the field of religious science pioneered by Aryabhata, as his career. His works in the field saw him being placed on the same pedestal as Aryabhata. At his peak, his popularity rivalled that of Aryabhata, the famous Vedic astrologer. However, they were no rivals in science. Varahamihiria backed Aryabhata’s thesis that planets were not luminous bodies and only reflected the Sun’s light. He improved upon Aryabhata’s works on trigonometry and sine tables. He also made contributions of his own. He was the first person to understand the science of attraction that held the planetary system together. He called it  guru- tva - akarshana  (the attraction of guru). Today we call it gravity. His famous works include  Pancha Siddhanta  (compilations of five earlier siddhantas or sacred concepts that are now lost) and  Brihat Samhita  (literally, the big compilation, which details on, among other things,  gemstones ). He has also written vastly on astrology. Among them,  Brihat Jataka  is considered one of the five main treatises on horoscopy.

7. Brahmagupta   Bhrahmagupta the Vedic astrologer, took the efforts by Aryabhata and Varahamihiria to the next level. It was he who laid the foundation for the mathematical concepts behind astrology and its implementation in day-to-day life. Brahmaputra is believed to have lived between 598 CE and 668 CE. He was born in Bhinmal , located in North-West India in the present-day state of Rajasthan. His father, Jisnugupta , was an astrologer. He was a top-grade scientist at the Ujjain astronomical observatory. While the zero (0) was originally conceptualized by Aryabhata, it was Brahmagupta who truly defined it. He visualized ‘0’ as being everything and nothing at the same time. It laid the basis of the modern numerical system. Contrary to his predecessors Aryabhata and Varahamihiria , Brahmagupta preferred a geocentric view of the universe. Brahmagupta’s calculations were premised on Earth positioned stationary at the centre of the planetary system. He has compiled two astrological texts namely  Brahma- sphuta - siddhanta  and  Khandakhadyaka . In  Brahma- sphuta - siddhanta  he introduced the concept of negative numbers or those values which exist as debt and that of linear and quadratic equations. This is in addition to his concept of ‘0’. In  Khandakhadyaka  he laid out ground rules for longitudes to predict the placement of cosmic bodies at a given time. He explores risings and settings, eclipses and equinoxes, and  conjunctions of planets . His works explained the erratic behaviors of Lord Planets in their movement across the horoscope chart using mathematical equations. Like his predecessors, many of his works were translated into Arabic and then into Greek and spread throughout the then Vedic world. Brahmagupta was an orthodox person who preferred to keep science rooted in the sacred texts, hence, his insistence on a geocentric universe and using divine beings in place of planets and stars. With Brahmagupta , the task of explaining  astrology  in the language of science started by Aryabhata was more or less fulfilled.