Conjuring

New Parchment 13th July copy

To Dr Raman With Love

SeriesNadi Astrology

Part 1ByDr. B.V. RamanSA Typing Volunteer: Manish Gour=Taken from The
Astrological Magazine: Vol 66 No 10Special Thanks: AIAC, ChicagoSummary
of a lecture delivered by the Raman Saheb at the Astrological Lodge,
London,on 25-9-1970
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen:
When I received a letter of invitation from my esteemed friend and
yourworthy President Mr. Ronald C Davison to address the well
knownAstrological Lodge of London I was not only gratified but a bit
embarrassedalso because Britain and India having had a close historical
relationship for nearly twocenturies and having parted as good friends, it
would in a sense mean renewing old tiesof friendship and understanding;
and embarrassed because Mr. Davison left the subjectof the talk to my
choosing. However, it was not difficult for me to overcome this
initialembarrassment because I could easily decide that the subject to be
dealt with should bethe one that should not only be novel but also instructive
to the members and Icould notthink of a more appropriate theme than Nadi
astrology, a subject in which I havebeenmaking investigations for over
twenty years I must also seek your indulgence inadvancefor having to use a
number of Sanskrit terms, for which no suitable English wordcapableof
conveying the spirit of the original could be thought of, even though I shalltry
mybest to give the nearest corresponding words in EnglishBefore I take up
the subject-matter proper, I think I must tell you

and I am suremost of you already know

certain distinctive features of Hindu Astrology and its

philosophy. Hindu astrology does not endorse the theory of absolute fatalism.
Astrologyand the doctrine of Karma are intimately connected. According to
Hindu philosophicalwork, man is a combination of a physical body, the mind
and the self-conscious self oratman which is spiritually present. It is the
individual

s Karma or actions done in past orprevious lives that determine his present
life. There are two main categories ofKarma.viz., sanchita (accumulative) and

prarabdha (operative). The present course of life isindicated by the

prarabdha or operative Karma, I.e., deeds or actions whose seedhas
already sprung up and whose machinery has been set in motion towards
their fruition inthe present life. The sanchita or Accumulative Karma pertains
to actions that are stilllying latent like seeds stocked up in a granary for
fruition in future lives. The horoscopeIndicates our past Karma, the
parabadha or operative portion of our Karma beingourdestiny in this life and
that astrological predictions are tendencies of natureon their waytowards
fulfillment or manifestation and that to some extent we can either strengthen
orweaken their momentum in the direction desired by suitable remedial
measures.New Parchment 13th July copyThe celebrated ancient astrologer
Varahamihira whose works are still consideredauthoritative, points out that
astrology reveal the lines along which the destiny ofindividuals would be
unfolded.The first and the most important of the distinctive features of Hindu
astrologyisthat it is based on the so called fixed or sidereal zodiac This is
divided into12 parts calledthe signs of the zodiac or 27 equal parts or
asterisms or Nakshatras of 13 20

each. Thefitting of the first point of the zodiac - the end of the constellation
Revati which someidentify with the modern Zeta Piscium

so as to make it the same for all time is an important feature of Hindu

astrology and this shows a fundamental difference from theEuropean system
of reckoning in which all longitudes are measured by arcs of the ecliptic the
origin being the equinoctial point at the time of observation. Thisdoes
not=mean that precession was not known to the Hindus. The very Sanskrit
terms Sayanaand Nirayana

to distinguish between the two zodiacs

mean, with precession andwithout precession. In fact the precession of the

equinoxes was discovered by our Sageslong before anything about it was
known to any other nation. In actual practice,it is thearcs of 13 20

measured from the 1st point of stellar Aries that are really important
forastrological purposes. They of course bear the names of the brightest
stars or Yogatarasof the star-clusters that lie on or near about the arcs
concerned.In India astrology continues to occupy a very important place
socially and