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7/29/2019 The 18 Family and 8 Family Traditions of Astrology

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The 18 family and 8 family traditions of astrology

Written by Sreenadh OG

Tuesday, 15 September 2009 18:05 - Last Updated Tuesday, 07 September 2010 09:23

As all of you may know the name of Jaimini as a Jyotisastra pravartaka (propagators of ancient

indian astrological wisdom) is not available in any of the popular lists of Jyotisastra pravartakas.

Many used to wonder why the name of Jaimini is not mentioned in any of those lists, if Jaimini isan ancient sage who wrote books on astrology. This write-up is an effort to answer this

question.

It is wrong to say that the name of Jaimini is not mentioned in any of the lists; but it would be

rather correct to state that, Jaiminis name is not mentioned in any of the lists that refer to the 18

families of propagators of astrology. Jaimini is not part of the non-vedic 18 family tradition of

astrology, but of the vedic 8 family tradition of astrology. But when I say so, I am supposed to

provide some references as well, regarding the 8 family tradition and also about the familiesincluded on that list. Here it goes -

Chamatkara Chintamani is a texts that builds up and provides the results for planets in all the 12

houses based on the ancient 18 family tradition of astrology. But while speaking about the

propagators of astrology Chamatkara Chintamani states Vadantashta deemantamanye

muneendraH (Sloka 63.) [It is told that there are 8 other sages as well (popular as propagators

of astrology)]. This statement kindles our curiosity. From the wording other sages it is evident

that the author of Chamatkara Chintamani does not consider himself as a follower of this 8sages (or 8 family) tradition. But the question is who are these 8 ancient sages, the kula

acharyas of 8 families who contributed to astrology? The following quote answers our curiosity

Atreyaschasmarathyopi choudulomeeti samjitaH

Karshnalini tathacharyaH kasakrintana eva cha

Jaimini Badari Badarayanascha muneeswaraH

Ete chashtau samakhyata jyotiH sastra vidhayakaH

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[Atreya, Asmarathya, Audulomi, Karshnalini (Karsnajini), Kasakrintana (Kasakrtsna), Jaimini,

Badari, Badarayana (Parasari) - these 8 sages are known as teachers provides us with the

rules regarding astrology (they too are the propagators of astrology)]

This is interesting! These 8 names are not popular in current astrology, and possibly this is

the only list available that mentions the names of Jaimini as an ancient propagator of

astrology . The

system propagated by the Badarayana mentioned above is the one popular with the name

Parasari now a days and is the base of BPHS. Among those mentioned above Parasari and

Jaimini systems are popular

today, but we have no news about the astrological contribution of

Atreya, Asmarathya, Audulomi, Karshnalini (Karsnajini), Kasakrintana (Kasakrtsna) and Badari

mentioned in the above list. It is interesting to note that this 8 family teacher list is primarily

available in Brahma Sutras written by Badrayana. They are all Vedic ritual teachers and

reformists. Is it possible that the above quote and list is a made up one where after taking the

list of 8 vedic scholars mentioned Brahma Sutra someone added the word jyotiH sastra

vidhayakaH into it? Till we know more about the authenticity of the above quote this doubt

too should be kept alive. (I got the above sloka from a Malayalam commentary to Phaladeepika

as quoted by Brahmasri Cheruvalli Narayanan Nambootiri, and he does not give any reference

regarding where this quote is taken from). But as of now, let us assume that the above quote is

authentic and that it points to an ancient astrological tradition an alternate school of thought.

None of the popular ancient astrological classics mentions their names or refers to their

astrological contribution! Why? The answer to this question possibly lies in the fact that most

of the astrological classics available today is a continuation of one or other of 18 family tradition

and not of the not much known 8 family tradition. Let us have a brief understanding about both

these traditions.

18 family agama (non-vedic) tradition

The ancient indian astrology mainly depends on the teachings of 18 families possibly of

non-vedic or early vedic stream. Skanda, Vasishta, Kausika, Surya, Sounaka, Manu,

Chayavana, Yavana, Brigu, Garga are all among these 18 ancient masters of astrology. Not

only the available ancient texts and quotes of these 18 acharyas and their followers, but alsoeven the medieval scholars like Mihira (Brihat Jataka 6 th century), Balabhadra (Hora Ratna),

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Acharya Narasimha (Hora Sara 16 th

century), Kalyana Varma (Saravali 10th

century), Bhattolpala (commentary of Brihat Jataka 9th

century), Talakkulattu Govinda Bhattatiri (Dasadhyayi commentary of Brihat Jataka 15th

century), Kaikulangara (Hridyapatha commentary of Brihat Jataka 19th

century), Ballala Sena (Adbhuta Sagara 12th

century) are all texts that belong to this tradition initiated by this ancient 18 families. But please

note that the Jaimini sutra text available today, the Tajik jyotisha texts, the lal kitab texts, the

Ramala Jyotish texts and the current BPHS with too much Jaimini methods interpolation DOES

NOT belong to this tradition (but of course many of ancient methods and info that is not part ofJaimini system present in current BPHS does belong to this tradition).

8 family nigama (vedic) tradition

But then we find a possibly later day stream of the teachings of 8 families possibly of vedic or

later vedic stream. Among them only the astrological teachings of Jaimini and Badarayana(Parasari) are popular as of now possibly the version of astrological teaching introduced by

some vedic reformists of the 8 family order. Let us see who they are - Atreya, Asmarathya, Au

dulomi

,

Karsnajini

,

Kasakrtsna

,

Jaimini

,Badari

,

Parasari

(Badarayana). Karmandi-bhiksu and Alekhana etc are other personalities mentioned along with

them. They were all reformists and ritual teachers but of non-conventional vedic order. The

absence of early commentaries for the texts written by the above masters indicate that these

texts might be of much later origin possibly between 10th

to 17

th

century texts written by some notable individuals from the above family order. Let us

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remember that the first commentary that refers to Jaimini Sutra named Phala Ratnamala by

Krishna Mishra (1050-1070) and Kalpalatha by his son Somanath Mishra appeared only in 11th

century AD. From texts like Jaimin Sutra, Badarayana sutras etc we may assume that the texts

by the above 8 masters are generally written in a sutra style and are devoid of any reference totheir place, period of creation etc depicting a confusing and made-up nature in general. Their

woks can be better treated as efforts of later day Vedic ritualists to adopt and improve upon the

non-vedic astrological foundation in a vedic way. Since there is no evidence that the scholars of

the above 8 families who lived during the ancient vedic period talked much on astrology

anywhere (in Brahmanas, Aranyakas, discussions on Brahma sutra, Meemamsa texts etc) it is

doubtful that the astrological literature ascribed to these families belongs to the vedic past. Most

possibly (as indicated by the absence of commentaries to their astrological texts, or references

to them or their astrological texts in ancient astrological classics) it can concluded that the

astrological texts ascribed to these families must have been created by later day scholars of

these families in their effort to create the vedic (nigama) version of the non-vedic (agama)branch of knowledge astrology; an effort by the 8 vedic families to counter or extend the

foundation provided by the ancient 18 family tradition. Possibly the astrological texts ascribed to

this 8 ancient vedic families do not belong to the ancient vedic past but originated only after or

around 10th

century AD it seems.

Till more evidence surfaces in favor or against the ancient 8 family origin and association ofastrological Jaimini, Badarayana etc, it can only be assumed that, may be it was all part of an

effort by the 10th century vedic brahmins to accept and assimilate this ancient agama branch of

knowledge into their knowledge base, after seeming the revival that happened to astrology after

Meenaraja and Sphujidwaja (3 rd Century Tantirc Yamala followers?), Vararuchi

(4 th century north indian scholar who got

settled in Kerala), Mihira (6 th century indian

settled Iranian of Avanti who learned astrology from Srilanka?), Aryabhata (5th

century Kerala Jain scholar) etc who adopted and developed this ancient Aganama branch of

knowledge that was adored by Agama Tantric tradition of Skanda hora, Brihat Prajapatya,Brahma Yamala, Adi yamala etc. But instead of integrating and adopting the then existing

astrology with the Vedic astrology as mentioned in Atharva parisishta, Atharva Vedanga

Jyotisha etc, the 8 family tradition seems to have taken the path of extending and introducing

new innovative methods of interpretation such as Chara karakas, Rasi drishti, Argala,

Numerous dasas and so on just as done by the innovators behind the Prashna branch of

astrology happening nearly the same time in Kerala started by Vararuchi of 4th

century AD that extended upto the creation of texts such as Prshna Marga in 16th

century AD. The South Indian Prashna stream and this 8 family stream seems to have much incommon especially considering the fact that both of them mostly use and depend upon

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secondary methodologies derived based upon the foundation system provided by the 18 family

traditions.

Those who are interested in this information bit can build upon this pointer and strengthen their

foundation I hope that the followers of 8 family traditions (such as Jaimini and Parasari

systems) will utilize this information and build upon it further.

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