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Indian Astronomy or Study of Astrology - Jyothirshasthra

Indian astronomy has a long history stretching from pre-historic to modern times.

Indians or Bharatha Khanda People (Bharatheeya) are known to have studies Astrological events, Astronomy and the corresponding Shastra known as Jyothir-Shastra.

Shastra roughly means collection of knowledge or knowledgeable writings related to a particular field. In this case it is Vedanga Jyothishya Shastram.

Some of the earliest roots of Indian astronomy can be dated to the period of Indus Valley Civilization or earlier. Astronomy later developed as a discipline of Vedanga or one of the "auxiliary disciplines" associated with the study of the Vedas, dating 1500 BCE or older. The oldest known text is the Vedanga Jyotisha, dated to 1400–1200 BCE (with the extant form possibly from 700–600 BCE).

Vedas are known to exist prior to great Hindu epics like Mahabharatha and Ramayana. The Parashara Hors Shasthra was written by Parashara muni/maharshi who was the grandson of Vasista Maharshi - the teacher of Prince Rama.

Vasista's son was Shakthi Maharshi. Shakti's son was Parashara. Since Shakthi died at an early age, Vasista taught basics of Veda,Vedantha,Jyotishya to his grandson parashara. The great Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra - "BPHS" dates back to pre-Mahabharatha dates. BPHS is a classical reference for all Indian Astrologers especially Jyothishya related Scholars.

Parashara lived either before Krishna was born or during while Krishna existed. Vyasa is the son of Parashara. "Vyasa" (also known as Krishna Dwaipayana" Maharshi the author of Mahabharatha clearly mentions about celestial astrological events like solar eclipse,other important planetary alignments visible to anyone present on Bhratha khanda (India) throughout the Mahabharatha epic.

So from all this, it is very clear that Indian Astronomy or related "Jyothir- shastra", existed much before Vasista Maharshi's time.

Otherwise how will Vasista Maharshi teach Hora Shastra (The shastra of timings and planetary movements) to his grand son Parashara?

Parashara Maharshi clearly explains Jyothishya based concepts, timing of events in one's life on the permutation or combinations of Navagrahas (Grahas are not planets which is a wrong translation done by English speaking people, but Graha means celestial astronomical body or the mathematical nodal point).

"Sun,Earth, Moon, Mars,Mercury,Jupiter,Venus,Saturn" are physical objects or Grahas (Not planets!) and Rahu plus Ketu - which are mathematical points of calculation or "Nodes". Rahu is actually the ascending node i.e When Moon moves from South to North in its orbit and crosses Sun's path – the incision point is called Rahuor Dragon's Head. Similarly Ketu is the descending node.

As with other traditions, the original application of astronomy was thus religious.

With passage of time, translation and study of different systems like Greek system also happened during early centuries of Common Era, for example by the Yavanajataka and the Romaka Siddhanta, a Sanskrit translation of a Greek text disseminated from the 2nd century. Yavana Jathaka exclusively looks at Yavana people.

Yavana or Yona refers to a community in Indian texts and history. They are grouped under western countries along with Sindhu, Madra, Kekeya, Gandhara and Kamboja as per the descriptions in the epic Mahabharata. This word has been used in Indian history to refer to Greeks such as those who arrived with Alexander the Great, and Indo-Greeks in the 1st millennium BCE.