Vedic Perspective Astrology History Class Outline
Part 1: Vedas: Understanding traditional texts
Science of Light volume 1, chapter 2 (basic introduction to Vedic corpus)
[start section] Vedic Parashara Rgveda 1.65-73 Praises to Agni [ English | Sanskrit ]
Getting the view: Metonymy and an article that relates to this topic
Rgveda 1.164: The Great Wheel of Time
Rgveda 7.103 Frog Hymn with prayer of the seasonal 12 months
Rgveda 10.78 to Purusha suktam 10.90 (with special attention to 10.85): The cosmic-person and https://manasataramgini.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/macranthropy-and-the-sambandha-s-between-microcosm-and-macrocosm/macranthropy
I recommend reading more than one translation for best insight: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rvi10.htm
Read part I. of the PDF Vena save the last paragraph of section one till later- read the verses and contemplate what they mean- write your thoughts, then read the last paragraph and see how this changes your thoughts of what each verse means.
Rgveda 1.24 Varuna and his relationship to the constellations
The biomorphic sky, anaDvaan suukta, Rgveda 10.50 Path of Fire,
The 8 and 12 Aditya and the evolution of 8 into ten signs
Rgveda 5.40 Rishi Atri frees the Sun from Eclipse (Svarbhanu)
ashmanvatI: Precession,
Navagraha Suktam Mantras
Rgveda 1.50 (13 verses for Suurya- each month plus an adhika masa)
[see also 7.62 utsuurya (Sankranti) mantra]
Rgveda 1.91 Moon Remedy (1.92 is really beautiful too)
Rgveda 3.62.6 Brihaspati Gayatri
Atharvaveda: Kala Sukta, Purnima sukta, amavasya sukta, Pratipad sukta
9.10 (Atharvaveda repeat of RV I.164)
10.2 Purusha and Ka (10.2.22-33 specifically)
[extra if want 11.8]
Entire kaNDa 14 which is a repeat of wedding of Suurya and Soma
[completion of section] Rgveda 10.9 Worship of the sacred waters (Apas) and prayers for forgiving our mistakes
Part 2: Brahmanas
Brahmanas: The monthly and seasonal rituals
Vedanga Jyotisha first third
Vedanga Jyotisha second third
Vedanga Jyotisha final third
Indus Valley archeology
Babylonian research (history of Indus Valley and Mesopotamian interaction and similarities)
History of Alexander the Great, Pre-Alexander Greek divination, the global community in Hellenistic times, Bactria
Part 3: Transition to the Common Era
Siddhantas- surya siddhanta, vashishta siddhanta
Vishnu Purana,
Jaimini compared to Parashara
Jaimini Mimamsa Sutras: Take notes on the purpose and nature of this text of Jaimini. When we see the relationship between the BPHS and Jaimini Upadesha Sutras, what is the similarity?
Greek Astrology: Manilius, Ptolemy,
See influence of Plato and Aristotle
Yavana Jataka: an Indo-Greek text (possibly Bactrian)
Part 4: Core Traditional Horoscopic Astrology Texts
Varahamihira: Brihat Jataka, Brihat Samhita
Comparison to Greek and Babylonian predecessors and implications of Babylonian material in India but not in Greece in the 5th century
Varahamihira lineage: Hora Sara, Jataka Parijata,
Arabic Astrology: Abu Mashar
Tajika Astrology: Talk by Dr Martin Gansten
Medieval European astrology: Ibn Abraham (focus on his Greek-Hindu comparisons), Ficoni
Later texts: Prashna Marga, Jataka Tattva
Nāḍī Jyotiṣa: Chandra Kala Nadi, Brighu Nadi
