Astrology, Bharat's National Science

Astrology, India's National Science

 

Delivering the first Centenarian Memorial Lecture

on " Astrology, Science and Superstition " ,

organized by the Centenarian Trust at the

jam-packed auditorium of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,

Madras on 4th February 1996, Dr. Raman said that

" many English educated Indians while showing a

high level of intellectual ability are generally

alienated from their own scientific heritage of

which Jyotish or astronomy-cum-astrology forms an

integral part.

 

ASTROLOGY, INDIA'S NATIONAL SCIENCE

 

The Astrological Magazine

May, 1996

 

Delivering the first Centenarian Memorial Lecture

on " Astrology, Science and Superstition " ,

organized by the Centenarian Trust at the

jam-packed auditorium of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,

Madras on 4th February 1996, Dr. Raman said that

" many English educated Indians while showing a

high level of intellectual ability are generally

alienated from their own scientific heritage of

which Jyotisha or astronomy-cum-astrology forms an

integral part. They are not aware, because they

are not taught, or they have not learnt, of the

original contributions made in ancient India to

various branches of knowledge, independent of

Western influence. They naturally suffer from a

sense of inferiority complex; of course there may

be exceptions. "

 

Dr. Raman said that while some of the Western

scientists are more guarded in their criticism of

astrology, it had become a fashion of the day with

some of our own men of science to air flippant and

derogatory views in the name of `scientific

temper', `rationalism', etc. In any case there

could be no excuse for the exploitation of

horoscopes as a cheap sensation in the popular

press and indeed these irresponsible predictions

based usually on inadequate data for their purpose

are condemned by none more strongly than by

serious astrologers themselves.

 

Commending to the dubious critic of astrology that

he should begin consideration of those branches of

the subject that refer to the objective world such

as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods etc.,

and not to experience, Dr. Raman said it was not

at the bar of science that astrology in its very

nature could stand or fall. The charge that the

assumptions of an astrologer were hypothetical

could not be tenable in view of the fact that some

of the fundamental assumptions of the scientists

such as the existence of ether and the issuing

links in the chain of evolution, etc., were purely

hypothetical.

 

Elaborating on some of the theories of astrology,

Dr. Raman observed that the astrologer's

assumptions were demonstrable because it was often

found that a person, say with Mars or Aries on the

ascendant had a notably aggressive personality and

was, generally speaking, independent, active,

energetic, quarrelsome and enterprising while on

the other hand the scientist's assumptions bearing

on the origin of the universe existed in his own

imagination. Argumentum adhoninem would be hurled

against all those who differed from the

scientists. The intelligent public would have a

right to call into question their wild

speculations about which they made much of.

 

The ancient sages revealed that the world was four

dimensional and time was intrinsic to things; and

hence past, present and future existed

simultaneously. The astrological interpretation

of a chart was only the opening of a chapter in

which the writing had been there all the time but

which was shut off from our knowledge till now.

 

Continuing his 90 minute lecture, Dr. Raman

regretted that among today's breed of scientists

in India some had developed a growing infatuation

with `scientific temper' which was to say the

least, rationalizing their irrational prejudice, a

tendency to lean heavily on Western thinking and

not on their own study and investigation into the

claims of astrology. Their pre-occupation with

filling facts to the prevalent theories of the day

had led them into a wild goose chase. For

instance, the scientists had not been able to

outgrow the concept of gravity which itself

remained unexplained.

 

Dr. Raman said that in condemning astrology the

methods used by some of those professing

scientific temper appeared to be rather amusing

and infantile. Their stock of astrological

knowledge appeared to center round a wrong

understanding of Rahukalam and births in Moola

Nakshatra, as if only these two phenomena

constituted the entire range of astrological

knowledge.

 

Dr. Raman asserted that while astrology on the

national level could predict long-range weather,

floods, earthquakes etc., on the individual level

the horoscope can reveal one's mental structure,

likes and dislikes, strong and weak points,

abilities and aptitudes etc., giving scope for

further improvements. It could diagnose disease

and thus supplement medicine. He decried

fortune-telling, the so-called aspect of astrology

which is generously exploited by the news-media

for the sales of their journals. He wished to

know if any seismologist had ever predicted any

earthquake while astrologically there were several

instances of correct earthquake forecasts ? " Is

seismology a science or superstition? " the speaker

wanted an explanation from the critics of

astrology.

 

Dr. Raman said that the majority of Indian

astrologers, ignoring for the time being

astrologers who rushed to the press vying with one

another for cheap publicity, knew the ethics of

their profession and the law of the land. Their

motto was to be sweet as well as truthful --

Satyambrooyat Priyambrooyat. If following this

code, unpalatable events in respect of individuals

and nations were predicted in cautious terms, they

became the target of attack from self-styled

busters of superstition!

 

That Astrology was a science concerning postulated

correlations between perceived movements of

heavenly bodies and perceived events (natural,

physical, psychological, social etc.) on earth.

The forecasts made through Astrology were

indicative or probabilistic rather than so-called

unchangeable `fate'. There were a number of

technique-systems in astrology and a philosophical

basis viz., the theory of Karma. Astrology

required many years of both study and practice

before one could give accurate forecasts based on

horoscopes.

 

Astrologers were not perfect, pointed out Dr.

Raman. There were crooked and incompetent

astrologers to the same extent as engineers,

astronomers, psychologists, politicians etc., no

more and possibly no less.

 

It had to be noted that campaigns against

astrology were unconstitutional infringements on

the freedom of belief of millions of Indian

citizens.

 

Dr. Raman observed that while recently an Indian

astro-physicist took pleasure in denigrating

astrology, it was refreshing to note that a

leading British astro-physicist, Percy Seymour

observing: " The history of science shows us that

scientific theories are constantly being changed

and replaced by others, no matter how permanent

they may seem at a given time.

 

" The scientific evidence that supports some of the

basic concepts of astrology does not require such

an approach to the foundations of present day

science. Thus on the basis of what we know at the

moment we cannot dismiss some of the basic

concepts of astrology, and indeed a few of the

contentions of astrologers are underpinned by

recent advances in scientific research. "

 

Dr. Raman said astrology was the national science

of India and had permeated the entire fabric of

Indian civilisation and culture. It was India's

national attempt at fashioning a working scheme of

scientific humanism, befitting man's kinship with

the stars.

 

In conclusion, Dr. Raman sounded a note of warning

not to be beguiled by the passing show of

technological achievements of the so-called space

age but to retain a sense of values befitting our

culture and civilisation. For man was still man in

spite of all space exploration and it was here

that astrology had its validity and utility.

 

End of article courtesy of THE ASTROLOGICAL

MAGAZINE

 

Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi

http://www.mantra.com/jyotish

Om Shanti

 

 

 

 

 

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