Hindu critiques of astrology / jyotiSa

[Klaus Karttunen]

Greetings,
I don't have the text in my office for checking, but long ago I have 
made the following note:

Mahābhārata 3, 200, 21 We find many that were born under the same 
stars, and on the same lucky days, yet how dissimilar are their rewards 
in the junctures of their pre­vious deeds.

Klaus

On Apr 13, 2007, at 7:26 AM, Ashok Aklujkar wrote:

> Tim,
>
> I recall two verses from widely separated sources:
>
> Kau.tilya, Artha-;saastra 9.4.26:
> nak.satram atip.rcchantam baalam artho 'tivartate /
> artho hy arthasya nak.satra.m ki.m kari.syanti taarakaa.h //
>
> Niilaka.n.tha-diik.sita, Kali-vi.dambana?
> aayu.h-pra;sne diirgham aayur vaacya.m mauhuurtikair janai.h /
> jiivanto bahu manyante. m.rtaa.h prak.syanti ka.m puna.h //
>
>
> P.V. Kane, History of Dharma;saastra, vol. 5.1 p. 528 etc. will also be
> useful. The index at the end of his vol. 5.2 lists much under 
> "astrology."
>
>
> ashok aklujkar
>
>
>> From: "Timothy C. Cahill" <tccahill at LOYNO.EDU>
>> Reply-To: Indology <INDOLOGY at liverpool.ac.uk>
>> Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2007 22:26:19 -0500
>> To: <INDOLOGY at liverpool.ac.uk>
>> Subject: Hindu critiques of astrology / jyotiSa
>>
>> Greetings!
>>      One of my students is interested in researching Hindu 
>> perspectives on
>> astrology. He is especially concerned with finding critiques of 
>> astrology,
>> astrologers or astronomy.  We've assembled a basic set of readings 
>> that
>> will allow him to learn the basics of Indian astronomy/astrology, but 
>> I'm
>> not confident that those sources (by D. Pingree, M. Yano, Defouw &
>> Svoboda, D. Knipe, et al) will provide 'insider' perspectives 
>> critical of
>> astrology. About the only thing I could think of was Stietencron's 
>> article
>> ("Religious Configurations in Pre-Muslim India...) in the 
>> *Representing
>> Hinduism* volume, where Somasambhu gives them brief mention.  C.
>> Minkowski's "The Pandit as Public Intellectual" is also on the reading
>> list, and a colleague has pointed me to an article by Judy Pugh in
>> Contributions to Indian Sociology. However, I feel that I've yet to 
>> supply
>> my student with a source that documents the type of critique that we 
>> get
>> from someone like Martin Luther in Europe.
>>
>>      This seems like an excellent topic, but I'm a bit stymied! Any 
>> help
>> would be much appreciated!  (And apologies for the cross-posting.)
>>
>> best,
>> Tim Cahill
>>
Klaus Karttunen, Ph.D.
Professor of South Asian and Indoeuropean Studies
Institute for Asian and African Studies
PL 59 (Unioninkatu 38 B)
00014 University of Helsinki, FINLAND

Tel +358-(0)9-191 22674
  Fax +358-(0)9-191 22094
  Email Klaus.Karttunen at helsinki.fi