Jyothisham, Jathakam, Vedas

 

I gave my views on Jathakams.. in a thread..

Just sharing my views for my own archives..
My comments on the issue

"Jyothisham as a part of the six vedangas..
shiksha
vyakaranam
chandas
kalpam
niruktham
and
jyothisham
originated when study of vedas became standardised..
we can estimate the period to about between 5000 to 2000 years ago. Some place the origin of Vedas as early as ten thousand years ago..
But vedic jyothisham was intended only to fix the calendar for start of study of vedas shastras etc. compulsory holidays called anadhyayams, fixing of months adhimasas , darsha or new moon, poorna or full moon etc and thereby dates for nitya naimittika rituals. (nitya.. obligatory daily rituals.. Naimittika means rituals becoming necessary due to certain happenings )
By the time of mahabharatham (say three thousand years ago) the dates for war coronation and even the planetary location at the time of birth etc were fixed through jyothisha calculations.
The epic Valmikiramayanam records the lagnam, star and panetary positions at the time of birth of Rama.
But comparison of birth rasi chakram and navamshakam for marriage compatibility came into vogue only with adoption of such ideas of probability too to jyothisham in astrological texts that originated within 5 to 6 centuries prior to the current century.
So comparison of horoscopes for marriage is not a part of vedic smartha or tantric or agamic Hinduism. although prasnam, muhurtham etc got interpolated into vedic and agamic rituals much later.
I am not giving any views on the merits of rasi or navamsha studies in deciding marriage compatibility
This is a matter of belief..
Life is gloriously uncertain for all..
No one knows what would happen the next second..
All religious faith, and scripture arose essentially out of our deep anxiety and concerns about the uncertainty of existence.
No two lives are similar..
Shiva and Uma or Sita and Rama are not exactly like me and my wife..
So drawing comparisons have limitations.
Many ideas that have appeared and have been accepted in our socio-religious traditions are not derived from ancient scriptures..
They just happen at some stage of the life of the society and is continued as tradition..
Who can really decide that such traditions are right or wrong..?
Confidence and ease are the foundations for our happy life..
If I or may parents or my children have some faith in jathakam and if any one would feel uneasy beyond endurance if the matching is not done, is it not better to try such matching.. ?
It is the choice of the followers of a religion, members of a caste or social group or even tharavadu or gothram to decide what they should follow..
And even within those groups closely knit nuclear groups have their own traditions and rituals as long as they do not harm others..
Here the individuals can decide..for themselves..
They can choose to follow jathakam or not .. It is their own sweet choice..
But in such matters why should anyone prescribe general rules.. What authority we have to do that?
In our country, the problem of browbeating either people with faith or those who or have lack of faith by the opposing groups.. bullying and trolling people who have varying ideas.. has become the culture..
What happened in Ramayanam or Mahabharatam or between Lakshmi or Vishnu and Shiva or Uma is not relevant at all
Only what happens in the minds of the contracting parties and their immediate relatives would be of consequence..
Let me ask, the learned persons here are making calls for marriage without horoscopes.. and are giving social and sociological interpretations.. If they initiate some such marriages and such marriages fail.. will they take the responsibility for the deviation..?
If opinions are formed, they are not merely for publishing or spoken..
They should be acted upon .
Giving opinions on subjects when such views cannot be acted upon is unbecoming of decent human beings.