Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2015 8:22 pm
by Kenneth Johnson
And, just for fun, an illustration which shows that the markings on a cobra's hood really do look like the Rhetorius glyph for the Dragon's Head:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: ... bra_33.JPG
Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2015 4:16 pm
by Bill M. Mak
The idea of R?hu and Ketu as Dragon's head and tail does not appear to be Indian as evinced by the way Var?hamihira attributed this view to "some other people" (anye) in B?hatsa?hit?. Certainly there was no such description in the Vedas but later Indians, especially modern Indians tend to conflate everything and label everything "Vedic" without critical references to the source materials.
I think Bouch?-Leclercq's view still worths considering. I am however not sure if he was the first one who proposed the Babylonian origin of the draconic association with eclipses.
Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2016 4:41 pm
by Radu Canahai
Probably one of the oldest Indian astrology reports of lunar nodes as planets (graha) used in predictions is in Puranas, specifically Garuda Purana which date from 4th century (Chapter LX). The english translation is available at archive.org.
Discussion is about a dasha cycle that involve Rahu, and although it is not very clear, it seems to be a nakshatra-based kind of dasha cycle, specifically Ashtottari Dasha.
The text also states that malefic planets (Sun, Mars and Saturn) are auspicious in the 6th house. Also, all the planets are auspicious in 11th house, that seems to be a hellenistic idea.
Re: Yavanajātaka and Vṛddhayavanaj
Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2016 5:06 pm
by Radu Canahai
pankajdubey wrote:billmak wrote:
A sanskrit edition of that Brihad Yavanajataka it is also available for free at Digital Library of India, but it is not Sphujidhvaja's Yavanajataka, but rather a simplified version of Minaraja's Vrddhayavanajataka.
Re: Yavanajātaka and Vṛddhayavanaj
Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2016 5:01 am
by pankajdubey
Radu Canahai wrote:pankajdubey wrote:billmak wrote:
A sanskrit edition of that Brihad Yavanajataka it is also available for free at Digital Library of India, but it is not Sphujidhvaja's Yavanajataka, but rather a simplified version of Minaraja's Vrddhayavanajataka.
Thanks Radu,
Very interesting.
https://issuu.com/saptarishisastrology1 ... ana_jataka
The translator specifically states that this is a work of Sphukidhwaja.
