Many western people believe that David Pingree proved that Vedic Astrology came from Greece, without critically looking at why. Below, based on the Yavana Jataka notes of David Pingree, is a comparison of techniques found in the Sanskrit Yavana Jataka and other Greek/Latin Astrological Literature. The large amount of common Indian techniques in the Yavana Jataka not found anywhere in Greek or Latin sources does not prove anything came from Greece, but instead that Greece was a much later recipient of Classical Astrology from Babylonians, Egyptians and India. The final argument that there are some Greek words in Indian texts, written at a time period when Greek was an international language and there was a large thriving Indo-Greek Kingdom in Afganistan does not prove Vedic culture sourced material from the Greeks over their Babylonian neighbors. The facts reveal themselves when you study the chart below which is based on Pingree's own notes to Yavana Jataka.
Principle | Yavanajataka ( and others) | Greeks |
12 sign zodiac | X | X |
Zodiac associated with body parts | X | X |
Zodiac associated with physical locations | X | Limited/a few fragments |
Solar/Lunar halves of Zodiac | X | X |
Odd signs masculine/ Even signs feminine | X | X |
Basic horā delination of first half odd signs = solar / even =lunar,etc. | X | N/A |
Common Lordship of signs ( i.e. Aries/Mars, Taurus/Venus,etc.) | X | X |
60th division of sign /saura | X | Only in Manilius |
Hora using lord of sign and 11th there from it. (D2) | X | N/A |
Drekanna (D3) | X | X |
Saptāmśa (D7) | X | N/A |
Dvādaśamśa (D12) | X | ? |
Navāmśa (D9) | X | N/A |
Trimśāmśa (5 parts of a sign) | X | N/A (some comparable calculations though) |
Moveable, fixed,dual signs | X | X |
Relating signs to various categories including town,marsh, forest, quadraped, human, insect, and other variations. | X | X |
Importance of sign designations such as kednra,panaphara, and apoklimas | X | X |
Upachaya places | X | N/A |
Exaltation points of planets | X (nearly all agree) | X – (much variance across texts) |
Vargottama | X | N/A |
Mulatrikona | X | N/A – ( some minimal associations) |
Back/Head/Both rising for signs | X | N/A – only descriptions of literal constellation position seen |
Aspects on 7th, 5-9,4-8,3-10 | X | X – (use 7, 4-10,5-9, and 3-11) |
Planets associated with directions | X | X |
Basic 12 house meanings
|
X | X |
Placements of exaltation, own house, etc. | X | X ( some differences - no mulatrikona, friends, enemy house, etc.) |
Human, quadraped, insect signs | X | N/A |
Night/day signs/kālabala) | X | X (not clear how it is used and more limited forms) |
ceṣṭābala | X | X (more limited uses) |
digbāla | X | N/A |
Strength of moon based on thitis | X | N/A |
Various signs/placements associated with early, mid, late life | X | N/A |
Temporary/natural friendships and combined influence | X | X |
Benefic/maleifc planets | X | X |
Associating planets with elements | X | N/A |
Planets related to “humors” ( phlegm/kapha,etc.) | X | X |
Planets related to gunas ( sattva,etc.) | X | N/A |
Sex of planets | X | X |
Roya Court ( king, queen,etc.) | X | X |
Planets and Caste | X | N/A |
Planets and Colors | X | X ( much more variance here across authors) |
Planets/family memebrs | X | X |
Basic planetary descriptions and karaka associations | X | X |
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