Reference of Nirayana Zodiac in Maitrayana Brahmaya Upanishad

[Guest guest]

Dear Finn ji,

I have the collection of Upanishads - I will refer to it. But not

sure whether I have " Maitrayana Brahmaya Upanishad " in that

collection. There is one " Maitrayani Upanishad " and one " Maitreyi

Upanishad " . I don't know whether you are referring to " Maitrayani

Upanishad " . I am not good enough in my awareness about the vedic

literature – further the name of the Upanishad you quoted confused me;

possibly it is due to the name with which the same upanishad is

mentioned in differnet places in india, or may be simply due to my

ignorance. I will cross check my collection first, and will let you know.

Any way please mail me the copy you have. My mail id is

sreesog_at_. If the attachement is big (i.e. more than 10 MB)

then please mail it to sreesog_at_gmail.com as well.

Note: Many upanishads are downloadable from

http://www.gatewayforindia.com/upanishad/upanishads.htm

I am adding the link to tis unique page in links section as well.

Love and Hugs,

Sreenadh

 

, " Finn Wandahl "

<finn.wandahl wrote:

>

> Dear Sreenadh,

>

> Unfortunately I cannot help you there, but being one of the 11 major

> upanishads the " Maitrayana Brahmaya Upanishad " should not be too

> difficult to find in its original sanskrit version.

>

> However, if you are interested I can email you the version that I have

> got, but for that I would need your email address.

>

> :-)

>

> Finn

>

>

> , " Sreenadh "

> <sreesog@> wrote:

> >

> > Dear Finn ji & Kaul ji,

> > ==>

> > I believe the Maitrayana Brahmaya Upanishad (verse 6.14) gives the

> > earliest description of the Nirayana zodiac. Please read the following

> > quotation:

> > " And then there (are the months) one by one, belonging to the year,

> > each consisting of nine-fourths of asterisms (two asterisms and a

> > quarter being the twelfth part of the passage of the sun through the

> > twenty-seven Nakshatras), each determined by the sun moving together

> > with the asterisms. "

> > <==

> > Can any of you provide me the exact quote in Sanskrit? It seems to

> > be very interesting information and quote. Thanks to Finn ji for

> > providing this info.

> > Love and Hugs,

> > Sreenadh

> >

> > , " Finn Wandahl "

> > <finn.wandahl@> wrote:

> > >

> > > Dear Avtar Krishen Kaul,

> > >

> > > >>...like S. B. Dikshit and others, I was clubbing so called Sayana

> > > Rashis with nakshatras, thinking that that was what was done in the

> > > past!...<<

> > >

> > > Please correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Professor David Pingree

> > > also make the mistake of clubbing the Sayana Rashis with the

> > > Nakshatras? I seem to remember that he did exactly that.

> > >

> > > In my opinion the astronomical descriptions from the Vedic

period only

> > > only make sense if we consider the fact that they had two different

> > > zodiacs, 1) A day-time zodiac based on the Solar movement, i.e. the

> > > Sayana zodiac, for calendar making and agricultural purposes. In

> > > addition to this they had a Night-time zodiac, i.e. 2) the Nirayana

> > > zodiac, for the Nakshatras and recording the movements of the

Moon and

> > > planets.

> > >

> > > According to Vedanga Jyotisha by Lagadha the very purpose of Jyotish

> > > is to find out the right timings for the worships and rituals.

Lagadha

> > > has mentioned certain Nakshatras to be consider as inauspicious for

> > > rituals. It does however seem likely that both Sayana and Nirayana

> > > were used in connection to the timing of rituals, depending upon the

> > > circumstances and the kinds of rituals.

> > >

> > > It makes sense to realize the fact that Ayana and Ritus were

based on

> > > Sayana, since it is based on the equinox-points. But certain

> > > astrological classics like Horaratnam of Balabhadra makes the claim

> > > that this should be based on Nirayana, which seems absurd. There are

> > > actually a number of astronomical flaws like that in Horaratnam.

 

> > >

> > > Anyway, from an astrological point of view it is perhaps more

> > > interesting to find out how and when the Nirayana zodiac

originated. I

> > > believe the Maitrayana Brahmaya Upanishad (verse 6.14) gives the

> > > earliest description of the Nirayana zodiac. Please read the

following

> > > quotation:

> > >

> > > >>...And thus it has been said elsewhere: Food is the cause of all

> > > this, time of food, and the sun is the cause of time. The (visible)

> > > form of time is the year, consisting of twelve months, made up of

> > > Nimeshas (twinklings) and other measures. Of the year one half (when

> > > the sun moves northward) belongs to Agni, the other to Varuna (when

> > > the sun moves southward). That which belongs to Agni begins with the

> > > asterism of Magha and ends with half of the asterism of Sravishtha,

> > > the sun stepping down northward. That which belongs to Soma (instead

> > > of Varuna) begins with the asterism (of Aslesha), sacred to the

> > > Serpents, and ends with half of the asterism of Sravishtha, the sun

> > > stepping up southward. And then there (are the months) one by one,

> > > belonging to the year, each consisting of nine-fourths of asterisms

> > > (two asterisms and a quarter being the twelfth part of the

passage of

> > > the sun through the twenty-seven Nakshatras), each determined by the

> > > sun moving together with the asterisms. Because time is

imperceptible

> > > by sense, therefore this (the progress of the stin, & c.) is its

> > > evidence, and by it alone is time proved to exist...<<

> > >

> > > Very friendly,

> > > Finn Wandahl

> > >

> >

>