Clarifications about the date and time calculated

Many of my research scholars have been trying to find out the basis of the month/date/time fixed by our ancient people. They are of the opinion that its all fixed based on the planets especially Planet SUN. It is true that movement of SUN is the basis for all of them. 

From SUN rise to SUN set, it is 12 hours and SUN set to SUN rise it is 12 hours (total of 24 hours) and placement of SUN in a constellation is a month. The SUN remains in a constellation approximately for about 30 days. There are 12 constellations and hence 12 months has been arrived per year. As per Hindu tradition from SUN rise to SUN set is the period where GOD controls the globe directly through Solar power. The other period (night) is controlled by evil powers. Though it looks like an illusion, anyone can feel about the same. During day time, it is not difficult at all to visit any place as you like, but not during night time. Great sages used to say that it is GODs powers that make you travel anywhere when HE controls the globe, whereas one is not free enough to travel when evil powers (night time) control the globe.

Now the entire calculations are based on movement of planets and as everyone are aware 7 days of the week represents 7 planets. The movement of planets was assumed some millions of years back and there is no way to find out whether the same are true even today.

But it is not that difficult to watch the movement of SUN and on planet Earth.It travels from line of cancer and capricorn. SUN  takes 6 months from northern border of  tropic of cancer, to the southern most point of Tropic of capricorn. Again from Tropic of capricorn it travels back in 6 months to reach  tropic of cancer. This is how 12 months period takes place. As per Hindu calculations, around 15th of January the planet SUN started movement from tropic of capricorn, whereas as per astronomical data and watching the SUN movement, it is found out that actually it takes place on 21st of December. There is a gap of about 25 days from the original calculations of our great sages.

In India, Hindus celebrate this day of 15th as Makara Sankranthi. It is also celebrated as a day where SUN takes northward movement, meaning it moves from Tropic of capricorn to Tropic of cancer. The meaning is that SUN enters the constellation of capricorn on that day. Now going by astronomical data and also movement of SUN, it is found that  SUN takes northward course from 21st od decmeber itself.

Similarly, as per Hindus, the southward course starts when SUN enters Constellation of cancer ( it is on 15th of July), whereas looking at the actual movement of SUN using astronomical data, it starts southward movement from 21st of June itself. In both the cases, it is true that 25 days are in excess by following the original Almanacs.

This is the reason as to why there are so many variations in most of the calenders. As hindus do not have any scientific method to verify in reality, same old mathematical calculations are adopted. 

Interestingly, during discussions many of my students used to feel that there is definitely lesser timing and it is not 24 hours. They try to substantiate their claim with the following calculations:

1. Out of 365 days normally taken for a year, with SUN movement taking place short of 25 days both ways ( northward/southward ), the number of days per year should be reduced to that extent. By doing so, total number of days reduces to 240 days only per year.  This way, the time reduces to 16 hours only, as against 24 hours. 

2. In addition, they claim, the timings are not uniform for the whole of the year and for it varies every 3 months. This can be seen from the SUN set during Winter and Summer. 

These things require further study and I gave these informations as the topic was discussed often by students.

There is also another point by them as to if Hindu calculations have some variation in reality, then how come eclipses, full moon and new moon calculations are true even today?. For this I would like to clarify that planet Moon is under the gravitational influence of planet earth and therefore it will adopt to changes that takes place to earth. Hence, all these three (eclipses/full moon/new moon) will not change for ever.

In practice also, while casting the charts, most of the times I find that planetary positions do not indicate the true life style of a person. To amplify, when planets in the chart ( cast as per old calculations) indicate very favourable yoga or luck, the person in real suffer very badly. In such cases I used to create of a almanac for that year based on astronomical data and verify the same.  It really works mostly. Here let me clarify that I do not simply follow astronomical movement of planets, but ensure that planetary positions are drawn based on Hindu definitions.

The difference here is in the case of astronomy planets movement are tracked using degree calculations, whereas in Hindu calculations it is based on star and the Pada in which planet is placed. Each pada is about 3.33 degrees. Hence, what happens is in astronomy planet will look as though it is moved out of a particular constellation, but it is not so as per Hindu astrology.

I feel that based on my experience, it is good to take astronomical data and hindu method of planetary positioning will help in getting the proper predictions.