Sunday, December 26, 2010

A Critique On Sanjay's "A Course on Jaimini Maharshi Upadesha Suras"

Dear friends,


I am copy, pasting a mail given to a person concerned at M/S Sagittarius Publications regarding the book “A Course On Jaimini Maharshi’s Upadesa Sutra”. Of course, I am awaiting a detailed reply which was promised from that person. It’s been a year since I wrote the mail, still I couldn’t receive it. Hence, I am reproducing the mail here, which I believe, contain some useful academic information.



Om Namah Sivaya



Namaste **** ******* ****,



I am Shanmukha and hope this mail finds you happy and contented.



I recently purchased “A Course On Jaimini Maharshi’s Upadesa Sutra” written by Sri Sanjay Rath. I think it is a very well written and neatly edited work by Sri Sanjay. I am sharing my spontaneous response after having a reading of some of the chapters of the work in the following lines. As usual I am writing these lines of academic interest and request you to consider the same.



As pointed out by Sri Sanjay and also reiterated by my Guru, BPHS is very important in understanding Jaimini System. Rather I put it that BPHS is very important in understanding any system of Astrology. Yet, smitten by the beauty of this wonderful Jaimini System, I sometimes tend to ignore the BPHS, which my guru warns me often. We shall not ignore the other resources from other Sanskrit works. Sage Jaimini Upadesa Sutras are not contradicting to BPHS but complementary. As he writes “Horaadayah SiddhaH”, and “Siddhah Ududaye”, which essentially mean that he is writing a system which is complementary to others but not conflicting”. I hope you know a work named “Jaimini Bharata” allegedly written by Sage Jaimini consists of eighteen chapters among which only Aswamedha Parva is available, in which there are many different views expressed by the author from the “Veda Vyasa Maha Bharat”. So, we can’t debate on this though, but can enjoy the beauty of Jaimini Bharata and its unparallel beauty of extolling Sri Krishna. So, considering Sage Jaimini wrote a complementary work on Astrology is not blasphemous, I believe.



I was going through Lesson 14 on Page 271 of the Jaimini Course book. I was really struck with the Commentary by Sanjay on page 272 about the sutra 1.1.26.

परावृत्त्योत्तरेषु १.१.२६


parāvṛttyottareṣu 1.1.26



I totally disgree with the commentary by Sri Sanjay as it is against to the Sanskrit grammer.

पर + आवृत्ति + उत्तरेषु = परावृत्त्योत्तरेषु



पर = different, another

आवृत्ति = return, repetetion

उत्तरेषु = the remaining


The sutra says that a different reckoning from the above shall be followed for the remaining signs.



Where as Sri Sanjay brings in a different view which is not in context. Sage didn’t talk about north because it is clear from Sanskrit that “Shu” suffixes when there is plural. So it is apparent that Sage indicates the remaining six signs, where the different reckoning is to be followed. If Sage would have wanted to mean a starting sign in Uttara (forth house), what about “Vishameshu” in the previous sutra? When Sage clearly indicated about Vishama signs (which are no way connected with the direction of house) in the previous sutra, it is redundant to speak about the Sama signs, since in the “Uttareshu”, it is implied the remaining signs which are nothing but the even signs.



The starting sign phenomena:



Sage was clear about which signs is to be used as a starting sign and indicated as and when required. At first he mentioned the Lagna is ordinarily the starting unless stated otherwise vide the sutra “Mando Jyayan Griheshu ”. Some alterative texts refer it to be “Mando Jyayan Graheshu ” indicating Saturn is strongest which is contrast to the natural strength of planets., (elder brother according to some others). Kindly refer to Darpana Dasa, Atmakaraka Dasa, Chara Paryaya, Sthira Paryaya, Trikona, Drig, Mandooka where the starting sign not necessarily Lagna but can be any other sign according to applicability various source of strengths. Sage clearly indicated respective starting signs, wherever necessary. If not explicitely instructed “Mando Jyayan Griheshu” prevails.



So, the above 1.1.25 and 1.1.26 sutras are not belong to starting sign but the way of reckoning only.



Sri Sanjay indicated a Bengal school of thought, where starting sign differs from Lagna according to that school. This thought has been used by scholars from Andhra Pradesh like Raghava Bhatta and Nrisimha Suri. One may wonder where from these Bengal school and Andhra School used this peculiar starting sign phenomena for male and female nativities. No wonders, it is only from the available Jaimini Sutras. In fact it is one source of strength which was effectively used by Krishna Mishra and Somanatha Mishra. I hope you could find out this sutra. Let me keep it for myself , Hhhhhhh.



In page no 273, there is a mention of Chakras. The forth was given as Akrita Chakra. I am really surprised by this new chakra. I can strongly say that this chakra is not mentioned in any of the available works. Why does Sanjay do this way? Could he bring out any source about this chakra? As it was admitted by him in Narayana dasa book that Ketu and Saturn exceptions were his understanding of the Jaimini sutras (Sanou Chetyeke, ViparItam Ketou), then where comes this new Akrita chakra? Of course as a commentator of Jaimini, he is, indeed, entitled to create that, but I request any Sanskrit commetary authority on this.



I liked his beautiful explanation of Savayava Hora Lagna and its usage, though I don’t agree with him.



Conclusion:



Understanding Sage Jaimini requires a lot. Not only sincerity, guidance from Parampara but also understanding of the Sanskrit language is essential. And also, we shall study the traditions on this system prevailing before our generation. Then only we can reach the level of enjoying the divine honey of the sutra.



Let me narrate an issue which shows the importance of studying Sansrit and Sanskrit commentaries. I heard a famous personality in Astrological circle in Delhi rebuked the people trying to understand Jaimini which the help of Sankrit knowledge as “Sutra Choppers”. That senor astrologer who claims to have done research in Jaimini System more than anybody in the last three thousand (IS it ten thousand, who knows?) fails to understand this sytem. He can not explain why he assigns 10 years to a sign whose lord is in its 7th in a particular dasa system but could churns out a book on this dasa. He seeks the hideout of Vemuri Sastri for such calculation. If he understands the sutra “Sutaste Janma”, he understands why Sri Vemuri did that way.



So, the bottom line is understanding Jaimini Sutras with proper understanding of Sankrit is very essential in addition to other necessary things.



With this I end this mail and hope you enjoyed reading above lines.



Best Regards,

Shanmukha

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