Albert Einstein firmly believed that the universe cannot be chaotic. Every aspect of it, biotic as well as abiotic, exists in harmony. Similar belief led many leading physicists to interpret every universal phenomenon in mathematical terms. It has also been observed that many natural developments occur as per definite mathematical precision.
Monsoon prediction has long been a touchy and sticky issue in India. The Department of Meteorology uses all the internationally approved parameters, as well as cutting edge technology. In spite of this, predictions have been highly inaccurate in recent years. With 70% population living solely on land income, monsoon prediction assumes immense importance in the agricultural life of this country.
In ancient India, scientific and spiritual activity were often one and the same thing or at least easily interchangeable with each other. Due to this, many of the great sages or spiritual leaders were also great explorers and innovators. For the same reason Astronomy, Mathematics, and Astrology were often studied together.
The classical Hindu Almanac, commonly known as Panchang always incorporates all three sciences. It thus provides very varied information, ranging from religious significance of each day and auspicious timings to perform various rituals, to exact positions of planets and constellations in the night sky each night. Panchang also accurately calculates the times of the Moon’s rise and set.
The same Panchang gives calculations that enable learned people to predict bi-weekly average rainfall. The Hindu year is a lunar year, with every fourth year having thirteen months to adjust with earth’s natural year. Various stars, planets and constellations in the sky are divided into 27 parts, called the Nakshatras. Every Nakshatra cannot be located easily like a zodiac sign, because it is a part of the sky as seen only from a particular point on earth. As the moon enters each Nakshatra (similar to the moon entering a particular zodiac sign), the same conditions prevail at that time of the year. Of the 27 Nakshatras, nine are during the monsoon season, and are called the Monsoon Nakshatras.
Three parameters need to be considered while predicting the bi-weekly rainfall for each Nakshatra, and they are:
1. Opposing Energies which rule the climate during the period of a particular nakshatra namely male, female, neutral.
2. The Mythical Vehicle attributed to each Nakshatra (Out of 12 vehicles about 7 are rain vehicles)
3. The combination of both the Energies and the Vehicle
The basic rules for dealing with the Energy part of the equation are as follows. The combination of Male Energy as the prominent as well as the secondary source produces average or below-average rainfall. Same when Female Energy occupies both the prominent and the secondary positions. Either Male or Female Energy in the prominent position with its opposite in secondary, produces spectacular results. And an appearance of Neutral Energy in any position gives most counterproductive results often leading to famine.
Let us consider the last four monsoons in India to verify how far these methods prove correct. As per weatherman’s data these four years were:
2003 Good Monsoon
2004 Average
2005 Overall verdict average in spite of 26th July cloudburst
2006 Heavy rains leading to floods all over the country
The combination of the three parameters for the above years was:
2003 Combination of dual energies Male and Female: In 05 Nakshatras out of 09
Rainmaking vehicle presiding in: In 07 Nakshatras out of 09
Fertile combination of M and F energy and rain vehicle: in 03 Nakshatras out of 09
Leading to a good monsoon
2004 Combination of dual energies Male and Female :In 04 Nakshatras out of 09
Rainmaking vehicle presiding in : In 05 Nakshatras out of 09
Fertile combination of M and F energy and rain vehicle: in 03 Nakshatras out of 09
Leading to Average Monsoon
2005 Combination of dual energies Male and Female :In 02 Nakshatras out of 09
Rainmaking vehicle presiding in : In 07 Nakshatras out of 09
Fertile combination of M and F energy and rain vehicle: in 02 Nakshatras out of 09
Leading to an Average Monsoon
2006 Combination of dual energies Male and Female :In 05 Nakshatras out of 09
Rainmaking vehicle presiding in : In 08 Nakshatras out of 09
Fertile combination of M and F energy and rain vehicle: in 05 Nakshatras out of 09
Leading to heavy rains with floods allover the country
Over last decade the monsoons have become more and more erratic. In spite of using the 16 parameter model for long term rain prediction, the forecasts are going exceedingly haywire. In 2006 the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Central Research Institute for Dry-land Agriculture (CRIDA) of Hyderabad, have undertaken a pilot project of verifying and correlating predictions based on these ancient methods. CRIDA director Mr. Y.S. Ramakrishna says that two important treatises by Sage Varahamihira give us exact details of how these calculations are done and the principles used in formulating predictions. The two works are called “Brihatsamhita” and “Panchasiddhantika”.
In addition, according to Mr. S.K. Mishra, who published a research paper on the same subject in 2002 in the Asian Agricultural history journal, with V.K. Dubey and R.C. Pandey, the methods described in these books are in no way less scientific and are as good as any modern statistical methods.
Modern-day compartmentalization of spirituality and science has led us to ignore the wisdom of our ancestors. But the ancient combined approach of spiritual as well as scientific, can still very much help us explore and conserve our world today.
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