Jyotisa
Jyotisha or Jyotishya (from Sanskrit ', from ' “light, heavenly body" and ''ish'' - from Isvara or God) is the traditional Hindu system of astrology, also known as Hindu astrology, Indian astrology and more recently Vedic astrology. It is one ...
. It is also termed as
sidereal astrology
'' Sidereal'' and ''tropical'' are terms used to describe two different definitions of a year, applied in sidereal solar calendars or tropical solar calendars. In astrology, they refer to two different systems of ecliptic coordinates used to di ...
, written by Kalidasa. However, it is unknown whether the Kalidasa who wrote this work is the same
Kalidasa
Kālidāsa (''fl.'' 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on the Vedas, the Rāmāyaṇa, the Mahābhārata and ...
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
.
History
The text was first printed in the
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
, Turushka, Sukkani,
Rahu
Rāhu (Sanskrit: राहु, 16px, ☊) is one of the nine major celestial bodies (navagraha) in Hindu texts and the king of meteors. It represents the ascension of the moon in its precessional orbit around the earth, also referred as the ...
Kala, and other things show that he came after the sixteenth century. His use of the words Udyoga, got job, mud-cleaning, Smarta, Nadi and Vinadi, Sarasa-sallapa (a peculiar Telugu expression), Tyajya Kala and others prove that he is South Indian. His opposition to the marriage with the daughter of the maternal uncle references to the usages in the South in the states of
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
and
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
.
These and other factors convince us that the author belongs to a time after the 16th or the 17th century.
There is a Shankara Vijaya attributed to Madhava Vidyaranya, but the next clearly states that the author was condensing the work of Vyasachala (17th century) and that he was called Abhinava Kalidasa. Possibly the author of Uttara Kalamrita is the same one.
The Uttara Kalamrita contains a wealth of astrological principles which are derived from earlier works on astrology namely
Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra
The Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (Sanskrit: बृहत् पराशर होरा शास्त्र; IAST: '; abbreviated to BPHS) is the most comprehensive extant Śāstra on Vedic natal astrology, in particular the Horā branch (p ...
,
Brihat Jataka
''Brihat Jataka'' or ''Brihat Jatakam'' or ''Brihajjatakam'' (Sanskrit: बृहज्जातकम्), is one of the five principal texts written by Varāhamihira, the other four being ''Panchasiddhantika'', ''Brihat Samhita'', ''Laghu Jataka ...
&
Phaladeepika
''Phaladeepika'' is a treatise on Hindu astrology written by Mantreswara. The text is written in lyrical Sanskrit verse comprises 865 '' sloka''s and 28 chapters. It is one of the more significant works on Hindu astrology, along with Bṛhat Pa ...
.http://www.kepler.edu/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=194&Itemid=107 Contemporary forms of Vedic Astrology
Key Highlights of Uttara Kalamrita
1. Detailed information regarding the how to perform
nakshatra
Nakshatra ( sa, नक्षत्रम्, translit=Nakṣatram) is the term for lunar mansion in Hindu astrology and Indian Astronomy. A nakshatra is one of 27 (sometimes also 28) sectors along the ecliptic. Their names are related to a ...
rectification, how to calculate the position of
Mandi
Mandi may refer to:
Places
* Mandı, Azerbaijan
India
* Mandi, Jammu and Kashmir, a town on the Mandi River in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir
* Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a city in Himachal Pradesh
** Mandi State, former princely sta ...
and Gullika, the situation of the place of birth of the native, the position of lamp when the child was born, the position and location of father of the child.
2. Information on Natural and Functional relationship of planets, knowledge of Kendras and Trikonas, Details on Retrograde planets, exaltation and debilitation of planets, calculation of Shadbala.
3. Ways of calculation of longevity of a person. Mathematical formulae anshayu, lagnayu, knowing the past, present and future using deshkran, Ayurdaya using planetary yogas, yogas for short life, long life.
4. Description of various yogas including
Raja yoga
''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The title has a long history in history of South Asia, South Asia and History of ...
s, Viparita Raja yogas, fructification and cancellation of Raja Yogas, Finding benefic and malefic planets, Yogakaraka planets etc. All in all an excellent chapter to study basic astrology principles.
5. Excellent list of significators of houses, planets.
6. Detailed descriptions of Dasha and its significance. Results of various planetary dasha with little known rules. How to time events using dasha and
transit
Transit may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film
* ''Transit'' (1979 film), a 1979 Israeli film
* ''Transit'' (2005 film), a film produced by MTV and Staying-Alive about four people in countries in the world
* ''Transit'' (2006 film), a 2006 ...
.
7. How to calculate ishta lagna, nashta jataka details, prashna lagna and answering queries of users on lost articles.
8.
Nakshatra
Nakshatra ( sa, नक्षत्रम्, translit=Nakṣatram) is the term for lunar mansion in Hindu astrology and Indian Astronomy. A nakshatra is one of 27 (sometimes also 28) sectors along the ecliptic. Their names are related to a ...
results,
Muhurta
Muhūrta ( sa, मुहूर्त, translit=muhūrtaṃ) is a Hindu unit of measurement for time along with nimiṣa, kāṣṭhā, and kalā in the Hindu calendar.
In the Brāhmaṇas, ''muhūrta'' denotes a division of time: 1/30 of a day, ...
for various karmas.
9. Details on Karma Kanda, Process to be followed for marriage etc.
Significators
Uttara Kalamrita stands out as a vedic astrology reference book because of an exhaustive list of significators. No other reference on vedic astrology provides such an exhaustive collection.
The Significators are listed in Chapter 5.
# Significators of the twelve houses (bhavas)
# Significators of Planets (
Graha
Navagraha are nine heavenly bodies and deities that influence human life on Earth according to Hinduism and Hindu astrology. The term is derived from ''nava'' ( sa, नव "nine") and ''graha'' ( sa, ग्रह "planet, seizing, laying hold of, ...
Dainya yoga
Dainya yogas, along with ''Khala yogas'', Mantreswara in his Phaladeepika (vide verses VI.32-34) states, are inauspicious planetary combinations. Those born with Dainya yogas emerge as fools i.e. not intelligent, they insult and speak ill of ot ...