Talk:Jyotisha:Empirical Proof

By Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swami

A ray of light pouring through an opening in the roof of a building falls on a particular spot. Normally, we shall not be able to tell where the same ray of light will fall next year. But a prediction can be made with the help of Jyotiṣa. This is how it was done in the olden days. A pearl attached to a thread was hung from the roof. If a man was able to indicate correctly in advance where his shadow would fall on a particular day, he received a reward from the king.

One’s competence in other śāstra-s is established through argument, but in Jyotiṣa, it has to be proved by actual demonstration. You cannot deceive anyone by employing the methods taught by this science. The Sūrya and the Candra are witnesses to what you do.

“Pratyakṣaṃ jyotiṣāṃ śāstram.”