Directly opposite the Revati/Ashwini juncture lies Chitrā Nakshatra (23° 20’ Virgo – 6° 40’ Libra). Its Yogatârâ Chitrā/α Virginis is given a longitude of 180° (0° Libra) by Sûrya Siddhânta. Situated about 2° below the ecliptic with an impressive 0.9 Mv (magnitude), Chitrā is the 15th brightest in the northern hemisphere.43
Had Chitrā been considered fiducial, it only remained to calculate the coincidence of this Yogatârâ with the autumnal equinox and infer the initial point of the zodiac. This, you might think, neatly wraps up the matter on two counts: first, Chitrā’s rather exacting degree of longitude; and second, having such data endorsed by an esteemed Siddhânta, adding legitimacy to the whole proposal. However, the referral star idea is not without controversy!
Solstices and equinox as of ad 285, Chitrā Yogatârâ (α Virginis) providing the referral point for Chitrāpakṣa Ayanāṃśa.
1.8 CONTROVERSIES
The astronomical classics use a number of techniques to determine the positions of stars and the one favoured in our surviving44 version of Sûrya Siddhânta is known as Dhṛuvaka. This system of measurement we now interpret as polar longitude. Converting this measurement into something akin to a modern reckoning adjusts the longitude of Chitrā/α Virginis to 180° 48′ 48″ (a difference of almost 1°), a discrepancy noted by the CRC45 yet curiously put aside in their final deliberations.
Added to this there is a lack of corroborative evidence within the Indian astronomical tradition of Chitrā serving as referral star for the initial point. There are also the contemporary Siddhântic works such as Brāhma Spuṭa,46 Śiromani47 and Vaṭeśvara48 to be considered, which vary in their longitudinal measurement of Chitrā/α Virginis. These give positions ranging from 179° to 184° 20′,49 yet, unperturbed by all this, on 21 March 1956 following CRC’s recommendations, the Indian government adopted Chitrāpakṣa (an Ayanāṃśa value based upon Chitrā being the referral star for the initial point of the zodiac) on whose positioning as of 22 September AD 285 at 11.18am IST50 inferred the coincidence of the sidereal and tropical zodiacs, that is, 0° Aries.
In defence of this conclusion it may be said that the absolute identity of ζ Piscium as the initial point of the zodiac is not without some doubt but overall there is good historical as well as astronomical reasoning behind its use. First, ζ Piscium rests almost exactly upon the ecliptic and resides at the juncture of Pisces and Aries. Second, Sûrya Siddhânta itself informs us that the initial point is to be found 10′ east of Revati’s Yogatârâ, with no mention of any referral point. Revatipakṣa is not without some traditional astrological credence, having been favoured by south India astrologers prior to the 19th and into the 20th century. Before the emergence of Chitrāpakṣa, Revatipakṣa was one of the more widely accepted Ayanāṃśa in recent Indian history.
One of the main criticisms levelled at Chitrāpakṣa is its lack of Siddhântic support as well as the CRC’s negation of Revatipakṣa, already nominated for just such a purpose in their primary Siddhântic reference. Additionally, use of an Ayanāṃśa based upon Chitrāpakṣa raises the question as to why Sûrya Siddhânta assigns a longitude to Chitrā’s Yogatârâ that contradicts supportive texts. A question mark also hangs over the influence of N.C. Lahiri within the CRC51 and their final decision to adopt Chitrāpakṣa – a decision that to this day is rejected by a number of influential Indian astrologers and researchers.
1.9 AYANĀṂŚA CORRECTION
Forewarning: Adjustment of Ayanāṃśa requires a sense of adventure and experimentation, but mostly an open-mindedness on the part of the astrologer. Armed with these, all corners of the Jyotish toolbox become accessible, even its darkest, dustiest draws!
I imagine readers making it this far without skipping pages are hitting their heads against a wall or starting to appreciate why this subject seldom gets an airing. Some well-meaning astrologers have made it their personal mission to prove one Ayanāṃśa over another; however, such claims become difficult to substantiate or turn out to harbour vested self-interest.
In his 1939 book Hindu Astrology, Shil Ponde offers the following value for Ayanāṃśa: 19° 27′ 00″ as of 12 noon, 9 October 1920 with an annual precession rate of 50.1″. Ponde’s suggested value is actually Revatipakṣa with a slight discrepancy on a date of coincidence,52 but for those wishing to experiment I’ve given its full calculation method below. I should also mention here that Ponde himself did not appear to claim ownership of the value, just endorsed its use.
In Chapter 2, ‘General Theory of Astrology’, of the same book, Ponde suggests an epoch value of AD 522, yet in one Ayanāṃśa calculation mistakenly cites AD 239 as being the most recent epoch of coincidence. He also suggests an annual precessional rate of 50.1″ in his primary calculation yet later amends the value to 50″. These anomalies, though slightly frustrating, should not detract from the overall validity of the calculation. It is highly likely the inconsistencies relate to a historical confusion on the part of the author, or were just publishing oversights.
Ponde’s value was first introduced to me by an astrologer I consider to be a particularly accurate astrologer and after a good number of years of comparison (between it and other popular rivals), I eventually opted for the former.
To date I’ve found this value to be the most reliable, specifically with regard to Varga charts.53 As always, the best course of action appears to be personal trial and error with familiar (intimate) horoscopes where major life events can be cross referenced against the dasha periods, Vargas and transits. Character analysis can be more open to interpretation and so ultimately unreliable. Predictive astrology and the detailed examination of divisional charts is where most gratification of this value is likely to be found.
The following Ayanāṃśa correction is given by Shil Ponde for an epoch of 9 October 1920 at 12.00pm GMT:
1920
–522 (AD 522 – date of sidereal/tropical coincidence)
= 1398
×50.1″ (annual precession value)
= 70039.8 (precession value at birth)
/3600 (converts seconds of arc to degrees of arc)
= 19.4555
(4555)×60 = 273,300
19° 27′ 00″
Note: Software permitting, an easier method of applying Shil Ponde’s calculation (or any alternative value) would be to enter:
Epoch Value: AD 522
Value at Epoch: 0° 0′ 0″
Annual Precession Value: 50.1″
Note: Applying this Ayanāṃśa value (as of J-200054) we arrive at a value of 20° 32′ or 9° 28′ Pisces. Using the comparative Ayanāṃśa