from an Interview
with K.N. Rao
Question: Having practiced astrology for so many years and
now teaching this subject successfully, in your opinion, how
much of mathematical skills does one require to learn/practice
astrology? In this context, what has been the impact of computers
on the practice of astrology?
KNR: Fundamentally, the calculations required to do most
of the basic astrological predictions are of simple arithmetic
nature. Most people in India are very good at simple arithmetic
regardless of their level of education. This is generally
enough to learn some of the basic calculations for casting
a horoscope etc. In fact most students of astrology here in
India can do these calculations mentally. A little bit of
knowledge of basic astronomy is also helpful in practicing
astrology, and more so if one wants to pursue advanced research
in the subject.
At Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (the largest astrology school in
the world), we insist that every student should have hands-on
experience of doing astrological calculations. I am a strong
believer in the fact that manual/mental calculations help
you better visualize and develop instincts for practicing
astrology. I am generally wary of depending exclusively on
Jyotish software programs in the market. A faulty component
for an intricate calculation in a software program can have
disastrous consequences on the correctness and quality of
the prediction. These faults in the software are a common
occurrence even to this date. The bottom line is that the
responsibility for the prediction lies squarely on the shoulders
of the astrologer and I feel every astrologer should take
that duty very seriously. Further, a total dependency on computers
is never advisable. Unfortunately, astrology software programs
have helped mushroom a new breed of “half-baked”
astrologers.
Despite my reservations regarding use of astrology software
programs, the availability of computers is very helpful and
a great time-saver for a serious astrologer. If I have access
to a Jyotish program that I have verified as dependable, I
use it right away. If not, I do some manual calculations to
check its accuracy repeatedly and on an ongoing basis. Mostly
the basic horoscopes generated by these software programs
are accurate, but the supplementary features, such as less-used
Dasha systems or Ashtakavargas etc., are often faulty or simply
wrong. So we should keep these limitations always at the back
of our mind when using Jyotish software programs. That is
one of the reasons, as I said earlier, complete dependence
on computers is very dangerous!
Sri K.N. Rao
reprinted with permission
Copyright 2006. Vaughn Paul
Manley. All Rights Reserved.
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