The Astronomical Observatories of Jai Singh c20.s1: B.—Astrology

The Astronomical Observatories of Jai Singh c20.s1

Language: English

B.—Astrology

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The instruments, both brass and masonry, were sometimes used for astrological purposes, and in some cases were graduated specifically for such purposes. The following notes and the accompanying tables are concerned only with such astrological matters¹ as are exhibited by the instruments, and relate to :—

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¹ We are not here concerned with the fact that the fundamental assumptions in connexion with astrology are false. Ptolemy assumed influences emanating from celestial bodies, which tended to make the nature of the subject affected similar to the agent. The Arabs considered the heavenly bodies rather as indicators than agents. Neither of these assumptions is warranted by any combination of observation and reasoning; both were the result of false ideas, that have been long since discarded, except by the un-learned.

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(1) The ascendant or rising sign.
(2) Houses (*Domus Cœli*).
(3) Trigons or Triplicities and their Regents.
(4) Terms or Limits.
(5) Decans and Faces.
(6) Planetary Domiciles.
(7) Septenaries, Nonenaries, Duodenaries.

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The Ascendant, or ‘horoscope,’ is the point of the ecliptic rising to the horizon at the given moment. Its determination is the first and most important astrological problem. By means of the Jai Prakāś (page 37), or the Kapāla, the ascendant could be determined by inspection. On the Jai Prakāś the shadow of the intersection of the cross wires shows, not only the position of the sun, but also the sign that is on the meridian, from which the rising sign could be deduced; while the Kapāla shews the rising sign itself.

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On the astrolabe, the position of the sun on the ecliptic (its longitude), and its position for the day (its altitude) being known, the only operation required is to turn the ‘ankabūt (aranea), so that the part of the ecliptic in which the sun is, lies on the proper altitude circle (almucantarat), and then the rising sign, or the point of the ecliptic on the horizon, can be at once read off.

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On the ‘Jaipur B’ astrolabe is given a table of the times of rising of the signs (see p. 23), from which the ascendant, etc., could be calculated, if the position of the sun were known, for any of the given latitudes.

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The ecliptic was divided into 12 equal divisions, or signs of the zodiac, which, owing to the obliquity, took different times to rise and set. This problem of ascensions (‘Ἀναφοραί) became of great importance, because it affected the position of the four ‘centres.’ (1) The ‘horoscope’ or ‘ascendant.’ (2) Superior culmination. (3) The descendant. (4) Inferior culmination. These, in consequence of the variable time of the risings and settings of the signs, are not at intervals of right angles, as the early ‘Egyptian’ astrologers assumed.

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This problem of the ‘anaphorai, is most interesting historically. Hypsicles and Hipparchus (second century B.C.) studied it and Ptolemy gave the correct solution. Paulus of Alexandria (third century of our era) animadverted on the erroneous methods² employed and exhibited the ‘anaphorai according to Ptolemy.

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² E.g., by Manilius. See Delambre, Vol. I, p. 253.

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The following incorrect table ¹ from Petosiris, for the first and second climates, may be compared with that given on page 23:—

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¹ From Bouché-Leclercq's *Astrologie Grecque*, p. 269.

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| | RISING. | SETTING. |
| | 1st Climate. | 2nd Climate. | 1st Climate. | 2nd Climate. |
| | ° ' h. m. s. | ° h. m. | ° ' | ° | |
| Aries . . . . . | 21 40 = 1 26 40 | 20 = 1 20 | 38 20 | 40 | Pisces. |
| Taurus . . . . | 25 0 = 1 40 0 | 24 = 1 36 | 35 0 | 36 | Aquarius. |
| Gemini . . . . | 28 20 = 1 53 20 | 28 = 1 52 | 31 40 | 32 | Capricornus. |
| Cancer . . . . | 31 40 = 2 6 40 | 32 = 2 8 | 28 20 | 28 | Sagittarius. |
| Leo . . . . . | 35 0 = 2 20 0 | 36 = 2 24 | 25 0 | 24 | Scorpio. |
| Virgo . . . . | 38 20 = 2 33 20 | 40 = 2 40 | 21 40 | 20 | Libra. |
| TOTAL . . | 180 0 = 12 0 0 | 180 = 12 0 | 180 0 | 180 | |

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The table for the second climate is reproduced in the *Brihaj jātaka* ² of Varāha Mihira (c. A.D. 550), and is therefore of considerable historical interest. Varāha Mihira lived at Ujjain, which the Hindus placed at the middle of the second climate.³ The *Sūrya Siddhānta* (iii, 42 f.) gives the correct rule for determining the times of rising (*Udayāsavas*) of the signs, but gives 24° as the obliquity.

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² The rule reads: "The numbers five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten, each multiplied by four, are respectively the measurements of the first six signs from Mesha (Aries); and these reversed become the *lagna mānas* of the last six signs." (i, 19.)

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³ The Hindus placed Ujjain on the tropic of Cancer, i.e., latitude 23° 51' 15" according to Ptolemy.

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**Houses.**—The astrological houses (*Domus cœli*) must not be confused with the planetary domiciles. The system of twelve houses was not altogether accepted by Ptolemy, but since the date of Sextus Empiricus (3rd century of the present era) it has been in universal use.⁴ In plate V and figure 17 the twelve houses are shown. The boundary lines pass through the intersection (*H*) of the horizon and meridian, and cut the equator at equal intervals of thirty degrees. The points at which these boundary lines cut the ecliptic are termed the cusps (*Cuspides domorum*), and four of these are at once seen (*E*, *t*, *W* and *A* in plate V), but to find the others is a mathematical problem of some little difficulty, and occupied the attention of al-Battānī, Regiomontanus, Jean-Antoine Magini (1556-1617) and others. According to Delambre (p. 501), the Arabs divide the south-east quadrant of the equator (*S.E.* in plate V) into spaces each equivalent to two temporal day hours, and the next quadrant (*E.N.*) into corresponding spaces of night hours.⁵ Campanus and Gazulus divide the prime vertical (*EZW*), instead of the equator, into equal divisions, and so on.

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⁴ Manilius (first century B.C.) had employed a scheme of eight houses.

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⁵ But see figure 17 which does not support this practice.

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**Trigons or Triplicities.**—The Greek astrologers tried almost every possible combination of the signs of zodiac. The signs being represented by equal spaces on the circumference of the circle, pairs were associated by parallel lines (*Antiscia* of Firmicus, etc.), by diameters, by squares, by hexagons, and by triangles, inscribed in the circle.

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The triangular aspect was considered the most beneficial, and Ptolemy gives as the reason for this, that the trigon unites signs of the same sex,⁶ but Bouché-Leclercq suggests as the motif the part that the triad played in oriental religions.

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⁶ The sex of the signs is determined by the Pythagorean view of numbers, which shows the odd numbers as masculine and the even as feminine. The signs are alternately masculine and feminine, starting with Aries, which is masculine. *L'Astrologie Grecque*, p. 154.

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The trigons or triplicities are sets of three signs that are 120 degrees apart. The trigons in order are—

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The Lords or Regents of the trigons are given on several astrolabes (p. 23). The origin of the arrangement is obscure, but, according to Geminus, the orientation is determined by the direction of the wind when the moon occupies one of the signs of the trigons, etc., etc.

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The regents ¹ are—

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¹ According to Dorothea of Sidon, Ptolemy gives Mars for Saturn in i, (a).

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| | (a) | (b) | (c) |
| (i) | Saturn . . . | Sun . . . | Jupiter. . |
| (ii) | Venus . . . | Moon . . . | Mars. |
| (iii) | Mercury . . | Saturn . . | Jupiter. |
| (iv) | Moon . . . | Mars . . . | Venus. |

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The tables on the astrolabes correspond to these principles, but add other information. The table of trigons on ‘Jaipur A’ is given on p. 23; the corresponding table on ‘Herāt C’ is seen in figure 12. In both of these tables the trigons are classified in order as (i) Fiery, (ii) Earthy, (iii) Airy and (iv) Watery.²

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² According to Albirūni (ii, 220) the Hindus do not refer the *aspectus trigoni* to the elements.

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Terms or Limits (ὅρια).—Fractions of each sign of 30 degrees are distributed among the five planets, and the amount allotted to each planet determines the quantity of its influence. The planets are arranged in an order, which varies for each sign; but the order never forms an intelligible series, and the determining causes of the scheme are not understood.³ The system followed on all the astrolabes examined is that known to Dorothea of Sidon, Firmicus and Paulus Alexandrinus.⁴ It did not satisfy Ptolemy, who tried to introduce a rational order, but failed; and the Egyptian system is the only one generally recognised.

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³ The *Brihaj-jātaka* (i, 7) seems to aim at a systematic arrangement, but the text is not at all clear.

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⁴ Bouché-Leclercq, p. 206f.

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It is curious that some astrologers tried to explain the numbers as the times of rising of the respective planets, but Ptolemy pointed out that these depend upon the latitude of the observer, etc.; Demophilus said the numbers represented the periods of revolution of the planets; some say the number allotted to each planet represents the number of years of life, that it can impart to the individual born under its influence, etc.

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The question of ὅρια made discord with the astrologers. "Apollinaris," writes Demophilus, "disagrees with Ptolemy about the distribution of the ὅρια, and they both with Thrasyllus, Petosiris, and other ancient authorities."¹ The complete table of terms is given below (p. 125).

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¹ Bouché-Leclercq, p. 223.

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**Decans and Faces.**—The decans (δέκανοι) are parts of the zodiac, each equal to 10 degrees. Each division of time had its protecting genius, or chronocrator, and the 36 decans are possibly of such, or religious, origin, and correspond to 36 protecting divinities. Hermes Trismegistus speaks of the 36 decans as 'vigilant guardians, inspectors of the universe.'

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The system of decans imposes three kinds of influence: (1) that of the decans themselves, (2) that of the stars that rise at the same time and (3) that of the 'figures' or 'faces' (πρόσωπα).

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The order of the decans, after Firmicus and Paulus Alexandrinus, etc., and on the astrolabes is as follows:—

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It will be noticed that the decans, read vertically, in the above table, are in the order of the days of the week.

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**Planetary Houses.**—The idea that the planets, as divinities, rejoiced in particular positions seems to have come from the East (Babylon ?). The scheme seems to have been evolved by equating the planets, in order, with the signs, starting from the beginning of the calendar year, thus:—

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On the astrolabes (B and E) the arrangement is as follows :—

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| AQUARIUS | . | . | . | 1 Saturn | 5 Mercury | 4 Venus. |
| PISCES | . | . | . | 2 Jupiter | 6 Moon | 3 Mars |
| ARIES | . | . | . | 3 Mars | 6' Sun | 2 Jupiter. |
| TAURUS | . | . | . | 4 Venus | 5 Mercury | 1 Saturn. |
| GEMINI | . | . | . | 5 Mercury | 4 Venus | 1 Saturn. |
| CANCER | . | . | . | 6 Moon | 3 Mars | 2 Jupiter. |
| LEO | . | . | . | 6 Sun | 2 Jupiter | 3 Mars. |
| VIRGO | . | . | . | 5 Mercury | 1 Saturn | 4 Venus. |
| LIBRA | . | . | . | 4 Venus | 1 Saturn | 5 Mercury. |
| SCORPIO | . | . | . | 3 Mars | 2 Jupiter | 6 Moon. |
| SAGITTARIUS | . | . | . | 2 Jupiter | 3 Mars | 6' Sun. |
| CAPRICORNUS | . | . | . | 1 Saturn | 4 Venus | 5 Venus. |

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The *Brihāj Jātaka* (i, 6) says : "Mars, Venus, Mercury, the Moon, the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Saturn, Jupiter, are successively the rulers of the twelve houses, Mesá, Vṛisha, Mithuna, etc., as well as of the Navāṁśas and Dvādaśāṁśas of the houses."

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Septenaries.—These occur only on the Zarqāli instrument and are as follows :—

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The horizontal order, starting with Aquarius, is the standard order¹ of the planets; the vertical order (of the first column) is the order of the planetary domiciles (p. 123).

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¹ The classical (Plato, Aristotle, Eratosthenes, etc.) order was, Moon, Sun (Venus, Mercury), Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. Later, Mercury and Venus were interchanged (Heraclitus), and about the time of Hipparchus the order was made Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn.

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Novenaries.—If the planets be arranged in the domiciliary order, (1) Saturn, (2) Jupiter, (3) Mars, (4) Venus, (5) Mercury, (6) Moon, (6') Sun, in nines for each trigon, starting with Mars, we get the following arrangement :—

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and this is really the arrangement given on the Zarqāli instrument, and it is implied in the *Brihāj jātaka* (i, 6) which says : "The rulers of the nine Navāṁśas of Mesha, Makara, Tulā, Karkaṭa are the same who rule the nine houses beginning with Mesha."

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Duodenaries.—The Zarqālī instrument (E) gives the planets also in twelves for each sign (figure 19). The arrangement is exhibited below: the order is the domiciliary order, both horizontally and vertically.

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SUMMARY OF THE ASTROLOGICAL TABLES THAT OCCUR ON THE INSTRUMENTS EXAMINED.

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SUMMARY OF THE ASTROLOGICAL TABLES THAT OCCUR ON THE INSTRUMENTS EXAMINED—contd.

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The vertical order is that of the days of the week. The order is horizontally the planetary but vertically for the first column of the domiciliary order. The domiciliary order by Trigons is followed. Both horizontally and vertically the order is the domiciliary.

Linked texts (3)

Sūryasiddhānta — Maya, Sanskrit
Bṛhajjātaka — Varāhamihira, Sanskrit
تحقيق ما للهند من مقولة مقبولة في العقل أو مرذولة — Arabic