The Zodiac and the Solar System
The zodiac is a broad band or belt in the heavens extending 9 degrees on each side of the eclip-tic. The ecliptic or the path of the Sun passes exactly through the centre of the zodiac longitudinally. It is an imaginary circle of 360 degrees and the ancients divided this zodiac into 12 equal parts of 30 degrees each, each being named after the constellation. Though each of these signs differs considerably from the other, yet there is a sort of continuity through all the twelve. The quality of each sign is not equally spread, but every degree in a sign has its own peculiar qualities. The zodiac, known as the Bhachakra in Sanskrit, revolves on its axis once in a day from east to west.
The planetary orbs, which the ancients recognized as having the most powerful influences on our earth are seven, leaving aside the shadowy planets, Rahu and Ketu, and the so-called newly discovered planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto whose influences Hindu Astrology does not recognize.
As inhabitants of the earth, we are concerned with the influences of these celestial bodies on our planet. All the planets perform the double function of not only revolving on their own axes once in a day (from west to east) but also round the Sun. According to Suryasiddhanta, Saturn is the most distant planet from the earth. Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury and the Moon come next in the order of their distance from the terrestrial globe. Thus we see that the nearest planet to our own orb is the Moon. The velocity of each planet diminishes as its distance from the earth increases.
The Sun moves at the rate of roughly 1 degree of this Circle of Light (zodiac) in one day com-posed of 24 hours or horas, and takes 365 days and 6 hours 10 complete a circuit round the zodiac. The Moon takes the average rate of 4½ ghaties or 1 hour and 48 minutes to traverse through a degree of this space. Mars moves at the average rate of 45 days for 30 degrees or 1½ days per degree. Mercury moves at the average rate of 1½ degrees a day; but on account of his closeness to the Sun and due to the solar influence, he is very unsteady. He completes his average turn in 27 days. He gets into forward and backward motions from the Sun and attains what is called Astam or combustion. He hardly takes a day to move in each degree, but moves on more rapidly for sometime, gets in front of the Sun and then begins to move slowly and goes backwards from the Sun. These two states of combustion, viz., moving forwards and backwards from the position of the Sun, is designated in the Astronomical works as Pragasthambha and Paschadasthamba--Prag indicating to wards the East of the Sun, and Paschad indicating towards the West of the Sun. In these double motions of backwards and forwards, Mercury never gets away more than 28 degrees from either direction from the Sun. Though the time allotted to Jupiter is one year in each sign of 30 degrees, there is also some variation and the Jovian year or Barhaspathyamana will be a little less than 12 years in the 12 signs. Venus moves at the rate of 1 degree per day. Saturn is the slowest moving planet of the lot. He takes 2½ years or 30 months to move in a sign of 30 degrees and thus he takes 1 month to move in a degree. Rahu and Ketu which revolve in the Apasavya order, i.e.. from east to west, take 18 months to travel through each sign of the zodiac.
All the planets, excepting the Sun, the Moon and the shadowy planets Rahu and Ketu, undergo retrogression or vakra and this will be fully explained in a future chapter. This much of the explanation of the solar system seems to be necessary to facilitate comprehension of the astrological terms described in the subsequent articles.
The planetary orbs, which the ancients recognized as having the most powerful influences on our earth are seven, leaving aside the shadowy planets, Rahu and Ketu, and the so-called newly discovered planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto whose influences Hindu Astrology does not recognize.
As inhabitants of the earth, we are concerned with the influences of these celestial bodies on our planet. All the planets perform the double function of not only revolving on their own axes once in a day (from west to east) but also round the Sun. According to Suryasiddhanta, Saturn is the most distant planet from the earth. Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury and the Moon come next in the order of their distance from the terrestrial globe. Thus we see that the nearest planet to our own orb is the Moon. The velocity of each planet diminishes as its distance from the earth increases.
The Sun moves at the rate of roughly 1 degree of this Circle of Light (zodiac) in one day com-posed of 24 hours or horas, and takes 365 days and 6 hours 10 complete a circuit round the zodiac. The Moon takes the average rate of 4½ ghaties or 1 hour and 48 minutes to traverse through a degree of this space. Mars moves at the average rate of 45 days for 30 degrees or 1½ days per degree. Mercury moves at the average rate of 1½ degrees a day; but on account of his closeness to the Sun and due to the solar influence, he is very unsteady. He completes his average turn in 27 days. He gets into forward and backward motions from the Sun and attains what is called Astam or combustion. He hardly takes a day to move in each degree, but moves on more rapidly for sometime, gets in front of the Sun and then begins to move slowly and goes backwards from the Sun. These two states of combustion, viz., moving forwards and backwards from the position of the Sun, is designated in the Astronomical works as Pragasthambha and Paschadasthamba--Prag indicating to wards the East of the Sun, and Paschad indicating towards the West of the Sun. In these double motions of backwards and forwards, Mercury never gets away more than 28 degrees from either direction from the Sun. Though the time allotted to Jupiter is one year in each sign of 30 degrees, there is also some variation and the Jovian year or Barhaspathyamana will be a little less than 12 years in the 12 signs. Venus moves at the rate of 1 degree per day. Saturn is the slowest moving planet of the lot. He takes 2½ years or 30 months to move in a sign of 30 degrees and thus he takes 1 month to move in a degree. Rahu and Ketu which revolve in the Apasavya order, i.e.. from east to west, take 18 months to travel through each sign of the zodiac.
All the planets, excepting the Sun, the Moon and the shadowy planets Rahu and Ketu, undergo retrogression or vakra and this will be fully explained in a future chapter. This much of the explanation of the solar system seems to be necessary to facilitate comprehension of the astrological terms described in the subsequent articles.
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