https://www.vedicastronomy.net/stars_appendix.htm
#PurvaBhadrapada #precession #nakshatra
#Vedic #Astronomy
Gargya Rishi! Nakshatrani Devata! Trishtup-Bhurik Chandaha!
Chitrani sakam divi rochanani sarisrupani bhuvanejavani
turmisham sumatimichaamaano ahaani geerbhi saparyami nakam!1!
suhavamagne krittika rohini chaastu bhadram mrigashirah Sham aardhrah !
punarvasu soonruta chaaru pushyo Bhaanur aslesha ayanam magha mey !2!
punyam poorva Phalguni chottra hasta schittra shiva swaati sukho mey astu!
raadhe vishaakhe suhav anooradha jyeshta sunakshatramarishta moolam !3!
annam poorva raasataam aashadha oorja devy uttaraa aavahantu!
abhijinma raasataam punyameva shravanah shravishtaah kurvatam supushtim!4!
Aa mey maha chatabhishagam vareeya Aa mey dvaya proshtapadaa susharma!
Aa reyvato chashvayujow bhagam ma Aa mey rayim Bharanya aavahantu!5!
This Sookta dedicated to Nakshatra's was recorded (Drashtaara) by Gargya #Rishi. The Sookta describes both astronomical and astrological elements. Twenty eight Nakshatras are identified starting with #Krittika and reference is made to Ayanam occurring in Maghaa. A nakshatra Abhijit is shown between Uttarashadha and Shravana. Its use has been discontinued in the Jyotishya with only twenty seven identified currently. The authenticity of the Athrarvana texts is well accepted, by the very reverence shown towards precise learning. Hundreds of generations of Shrotreeya's have carried veda's down to us in its original language using oral traditions of Krama, Pada, Jatha, and Ghana Paatha so that distortions are nonexistent. Two major astronomical time markers are evident and implicit in the Sooktha. They are,
- Rishi Gargya starts the list of twenty seven nakshatra's starting with Krittika. Choice of Krittika as the first of twenty-seven is very significant. In contrast Jyotishya Shaastra uses Ashwini as the first star. The choice of first Nakshatra must correspond to a logically first day of a solar year, which dictates the weather cycles. Which is the year’s first day? Astronomically speaking, the spring Equinox day in Northern Hemisphere temperate zone is a logical one. It heralds the arrival of the spring, in temperate zone of northern hemisphere of the earth. Vasantha ritu, the spring has always been considered as beginning of a year from Rig-vedic times. Hence, the first observation implicit in Rishi Gargya's sooktha is that on spring Equinox day, Sun was at Krittika Nakshatra. Figure 13 shows Sun location on March 21, 2400 BC from Load Star Pro. The Sun is on equator and is pointing to Krittika nakshatra.