FAQs regarding Easter

Q - How is the date of Easter computed?

A- It is the First Sunday after the Equinoctial Full Moon.

Q- Is it a coincidence that the Equinoctial Full Moon fell on Vishu Day, on
Apr 15th.

A - Easter is always proximate to Vishu.

Q - Has Easter anything to do with the Old Pagan Festival of Vernal Equinox?

A - It has.

The Day of Ishtar was celebrated by the Romans centred around the Vernal
Equinox. The Old Pagan Festival of Spring Equinox. Ishtar became Easter.

It is to be noted that with the help of Indian Astronomy and Maths, the
Western scholars computed the date of Easter, along with loxodromes,
latitudes and longitudes,using the sine tables of Aryabhata and Madhava.
Christopher Clavius, who initiated the Gregorian Calendrical Reforms, learnt
Astronomy and Maths from Pedro Nunes, a Jewish astronomer. Matteo Ricci was
sent to India for this purpose !

Here is an informative article by Royce Carlson about Easter at
http://www.eastrovedica.com/html/paganoriginsofeaster.asp  

FAQs regarding Computation of Planetary Longitudes !

Q - What is the Western method ?

A- The Western method is to find out the Mean Anomaly of the planet, then the true Anomaly and the add to it the Argument of Perihelion to get Theta ( Theta = v + w ). The next step is to reduce it to Cartesian coordinates, x, y and z and then the last step is to reduce it to Spherical coordinates, r, theta and phi.

Q - What is the Indian Method ?

A - The Indian method is to reduce the planet first to the Heliocentric Coordinate System, Manda Kriya, then reduce it to the Ecliptic Coordinate System, Parinathi Kriya and then reduce it to the Geocentric Coordinate System. Sheegra Kriya.

Q - If both methods are different, why some say Indians plagiarised from the Greeks ?

A - Such talk is all rot and nonsense.

Q - What are the elements involved in the Western method ?

A - In Western Astronomy, we have six orbital elements

Mean Anomaly, m
Argument of Perihelion, w
Eccentricity, e
Ascending Node, N
Inclination, i, inclinent of orbit
Semi Major Axis, a

Q- The elements involved in the Indian Method ?

A - The Nine Orbital Elements of the Indian School of Astronomy and Maths, from which planetary longitudes are computed.

Mean longitude of Planet, Graha Madhyama , M
Daily Motion of the Mean Longitude, Madhyama Dina Gathi, Md
Aphelion, Mandoccha, Ap
Daily Motion of Aphelion, Mandoccha Dina Gathi, Apd
Ascending Node, Patha, N
Daily Motion of Ascending Node, Patha Dina Gathi, Nd
Heliocentric Distance, Manda Karna, radius vector, mndk
Maximum Latitude, L, Parama Vikshepa
Eccentricity, Chyuthi,e

Q - What about the dates of the astronomers who computed first ?

A - Parameswara - 15th century C E
Nilakanta - 16th
Kepler - 17th
Laplace - 18th

Dear readers, it is clear from this data who computed planetary longitudes first !

More info about Computation of Longitudes at

http://astrognosis.com/

What is Philosophy ?

Q - What is Philosophy ?

A - It is Dialectics, the Science of Logic. It is the completion of Science
in the synthesis of Wisdom.

Q - What is the difference between Science and Philosophy ?

A - Science is organised Knowledge.
Wisdom is organised Life.

Q - How many sciences constitute Western Philosophy ?

A - Seven sciences. They are

Ontoloy - The Science of Being.
Epistemology - The Science of Knowledge
Axiology - The Science of Values
Aesthetics - The Science of Beauty
Ethics - The Science of Character
Logic - The Science of the regulative principles of Thought
& Politics - The Science of the State

Q - How many sciences constitute Indian Philosophy?

A - Eighteen sciences.

Q - Are they all interrelated ?

A - Yes, the Law of Epistemic Correlation states that all branches of
Knowledge are interrelated.

Q - What are these 18 sciences ?

A - They are

1) The Science of Being as Being, Vedanta Saastra
2) The Science of Cosmic Union, Yoga Saastra

More info about the Eighteen sciences at
http://www.eastrovedica.com/

Happy Akshaya Triteeya !

Today is a glorious day, the Day of the Third Lunation, in the Bright Fortnight, in the lunar month of Vaishaka, known as Akshaya Thritheeya.

Akshaya Thritheeya = Vaishakha Sukhla Thritheeya.

A T is celebrated with feasts and fasts. People generally take a dip in the Ganges. Charity is performed by donating rice, umbrellas, butter and money to the needy. Akshaya means inexhaustible and any Punya or divine merit done on this day will come back thousandfold.

So let us donate, let us be givers, so that the Punya done comes back a thousandfold times to us and may that Punya pave the way for Self Actualisation.

Thou, Eternal Witness !

Bridal Mysticism needs no proof
As if Ultimate Verity needs proof!
Without Consciousness I cannot exist
Without Self, how can I exist ?

It is Thou who inspirest
Who is the illuminator
The inner Director
Without thy directions
I would have gone astray !
But in Thy mercy
Thou hast ordained well !
Seeing that I move not
To the wrong path !
Thou, who art the Eternal Witness
Everlasting, eternal,
Emotionless, lord of all,
Existing as Pure Witness
With and without Maya
The eternal Triad being
Thy holographic projections !

Chatayam Njattuvela !

In Kerala, the hot season has begun. The sidereal month of Aquarius or Kumbha started on 13th Feb and Kerala is about to reel under a heat wave. Last year the death from sunstrokes was > 100 !

On 19th, Chathayam or Sathabhisha Njattuvela started and so we are ready for a hot phase. Kumbha Choodu and Meena Choodu are famous, as the earth becomes scorched due to lack of rains.

Some summer rains can come, but they cannot sustain ! Till Edava Pathi or the Half of Taurus, we cannot expect major rains ! So a very hot season indicated till Vrishabha or Taurus !

Kerala Tourism to net more than 24 K cr this year !

This year, Kerala Tourism, will net in more than 24000 crores. Responsible Tourism, the Government calls it.

Much investment is needed in infrastructure, if India is to make it up to the level of advanced countries. As such, the 6.4% growth of Indian Tourism and the 8% growth of Kerala Tourism seems to be average.