Post No. 14,747
Date uploaded in London – 10 July 2025
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tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
xxxx
Eleven years ago, I wrote an article in my blogs “Tamils’ Strong Belief in Astrology” (see the attached article). in the 1990s, I wrote that “Days of the week were invented by Tamils” in Tamil magazine Megam published in London. Tiru Gnana Sambandar, who lived 1400 years before our time ,recited in a Tamil verse all the seven days Sunday to Monday. The whole world follows it. Appar, his senior contemporary, also said ‘Ezlu Kizamaikal= Seven Days’ in another Tevaram Tamil verse. Tiru Valluvar, author of Tamil Tirukkural, also said about seven days.
Hindus are the only one community linked all the days to planets; in other languages they are not linked to celestial bodies, but to different gods. Except Sunday, Monday and Saturday, other days are NOT based on planets.
Different encyclopaedias have wrongly written that Yavanajataka, a book on Greek astrology, introduced Zodiac system in India. It can’t be correct because we have references to zodiac signs in Valmiki Ramayana and Sangam Tamil literature.
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Putra Kameshti Yaajna
(From Wikipedia:- The Yavanajātaka (Sanskrit: yavana ‘Greek’ + jātaka ‘nativity‘ = ‘nativity according to the Greeks’), written by Sphujidhvaja, is an ancient text in Indian astrology.
According to David Pingree, it is a later versification of an earlier translation into Sanskrit of a Greek text, thought to have been written around 120 CE in Alexandria,[1] on horoscopy. Based on Pingree’s interpretation and emendations, the original translation, made in 149–150 CE by “Yavanesvara” (“Lord of the Greeks”) under the rule of the Western Kshatrapa king Rudrakarman I, is lost; only a substantial portion of the versification 120 years later by Sphujidhvaja under Rudrasena II has survive)
In the above description one can see doubts and uncertainty about the Greek source.
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Zodiac Astrology in Tevaram
In one of the verses Sambandar says that famine occurs when Saturn enters Makara Raasi (Capricorn Zodiac Sign). Before that , around 300 BCE, Valmiki Ramayana describes the birth stars and the zodiac signs. Valmiki Ramayana is older than 300 BCE.
Varahamihira described the good and evil effects of plantes in many chapters. But Saturn entering Makara Raasi and causing famine or drought is not in Varaha Mihira’s Brhat Jataka. So, Sambandar must have known more astrology than Varahamihira.
Other sources associate drought and faminie with the movement of Jupiter (Guru or Brhaspati). Lot of Sanskrit and Tamil books talk about 12 Year Drought. What they mean is every 12 year drought will occur in one part of India. Varahamihira names all the countries affected by the movement of planets in different chapters.
More over, world’s largest festival Kumbhamela and Tamil Nadu’s famous festival Mahamaham at Kumbakonam tank, are associated with Jupiter entering a particular zodiacal sign.
If these are Greek concepts, neither Tamils nor Valmiki would have sung about it. Because people would not understand such Greek things!!
Sambandar is the first one to recite all the Seven Days in the order we follow it today.
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Here is what Valmiki says about Rama’s birth Chart:
Six seasons after the completion of the (Putra Kameshti Yaga) sacrifice ,in the twelfth month, on the ninth day of the moon of Chaitramas, the star of Punarvasu was in the ascendant and the planets, the Sun, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, and Venus were exalted, whilst those signs of zodiac , such as the Ram, the Fishes, the Ccales, were in auspicious aspects; the Moon and Jupiter being in conjunction with the period called karka.
–Bala Kanda, Valmiki Ramayana.
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So, it is better to dump all the encyclopaedias and trust what Sangam Tamil books and Sanskrit books say.
No culture in the world would steal such foreign ideas and say them to laymen who speak Sanskrit or Tamil.
Above all Hindus are the only one community which celebrates God’s birth days (Ram Navami, Krishna Ashtami) and even common man casts his horoscope until this day
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TEVARAM ABOUT SATURN ENTERING CAPRICORN
The Devas and Asuraas wearing flower garlands started churning the ocean of milk to get nectar. But the deadly poison that foamed on the top of the ocean created a great terror on all, everywhere in the universe including the goblins of Lord Civan. Being the repository of mercy, grace and love, Lord Civan came forward to save one and all in the universe (the entire humanity in the universe) from death. He, therefore, without swallowing the poison, put it in His mouth and positioned it in His throat permanently; His neck therefore is always in dark blue colour, similar to that of sapphire gem. In certain seasons of the year the planet Saturn enters into the tenth zodiac known as Capricorn and stays there for some period. During this period rain bearing clouds could not gather on mountaintop and shower rain. As there was no rainfall in the city, the country got afflicted with famine for want of food materials. Even in such times of draught and famine, the philanthropic and virtuous people of the city in large numbers came forward and helped the people and saved them from the devastating effect of the famine. Lord Civan is happily entempled in this famed city of Thiru-kazhu-malam.
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MY OLD ARTICLE
Tamil’s Strong Belief in Astrology
Written by London Swaminathan
Post No. 1082; 3rd June 2014.
Sangam Tamil literature in its 2389 poems sung by 461 poets give us voluminous information about their beliefs in supernatural and paranormal things. All these poets lived in the first three centuries of modern era. They believed in different types of predictions. Though they have some specialised techniques to read the future of any person, most of them are same like North India. This not only debunks the Aryan – Dravidian Racist theory, but also belies the atheist propaganda about an ancient rationalist Tamil society.
Tamil literature has got encyclopaedic information on astrology. For want of space, I give below some of the popular beliefs: this is not an exhaustive list.
The oldest Tamil book Tolkappiam mentions that the Royal umbrella and the Royal sword should be moved in the direction of travel on an auspicious day. Tamil weddings took place on the day of Rohini’s (Star Aldebaran) alignment with the moon (Agam 86 and 136). What Tolkappiar said nearly 2000 years ago is still followed by the Hindus. If they book plane tickets for some auspicious functions such as weddings abroad and the travel date is not auspicious, they simply move their luggage to the next door or a neighbour or do a Puja at an auspicious time .
I have written an article about Rohini star and the Tamil weddings. The references are at the end of this post.
Meteor
Meteors: Kudalur Kizar (Puram 229) described the effect of a meteor he and his colleagues saw in the sky. They predicted that the Chera King Mantharan Ceral Irumporai would die in seven days time and it came true.
Venus
The connection between Venus and Rain are seen in many of the Sangam verses:– Puram 117 by Kapilar, Puram. 35,41,384, 385,386, 388, 390, 398; Maduraikanchi Lines 106-109; Pattinappalai 1and 2. Depending upon the movement or position of the planet they predicted floods and drought. This is a new field for research. Modern scientists or astronomers have not yet found any link between rain and Venus. But Tamil and Sanskrit books are very clear about this link. Future research would prove that the Hindus are the first to discover this link.
Zodiac stamps from Maldives.
Zodiac signs
Lot of people suspected Greek influence in Indian astronomy. For instance the 12 zodiac signs did not exist in Indian astrology before the Greek occupation of North West India, they say. Hindus divided the path of moon in the sky into 27 constellations from the Vedic days. But ‘’Nedunal Vadai’’ (lines 160–161 ) sung by Nakkirar and Pura. 229 by Kudalur Kizar mention Mesha Rasi (Aries).
I doubt about Hindus borrowing these signs from the Greek. If we believe that Nakkirar and other 460 Sangam poets lived in the first three centuries of modern era, the Greek knowledge would not have spread that fast to Tamil Nadu from the North Western corners of India or Tamil’s direct contacts with the Yavanas. It will take hundreds of years to absorb foreign ideas and use them in popular poetry. Sometimes people start using certain terms in certain ages. This doesn’t mean that they learnt it late from other sources. Lord Ganesh is not mentioned by any Sangam poet or Manikkavasagar. Inspite of their knowledge about Lord Siva, the word SIVA was not used by any of the Sangam poets. So I will take all these as trends in literature.
27 Stars
Amazing thing about the Tamil astronomy is that they have lot of pure Tamil names for 27 stars in the sky, even during Sangam period. Star Anuradha is called Mudapanaiyam (stunted Palmyra tree) and Punarvasu a Kadaikulam (Pond). We don’t know why they named the stars so. But we know the same star clusters are seen by different cultures as different shapes. For instance, what we see as Saptarishi Mandalam (seven sages) is seen as Ursa Major (Great Bear) by the Greeks. Other cultures described it as a kite, a chariot etc.
Tamils must have observed the stars from very early times which is known from the way they named the star clusters/ constellations. At the same time they did not hesitate to use the Sanskrit words in Tamilized form as well. Kudalur Kizar in Puram.229 used the words Panguni (falguna), Uusi (Udichyai for North in Sanskrit), Paasi (Prachyai for East) etc.
Like their northern counterparts Tamils also worshipped the Saptarishi/Seven Stars, Arundhati (alcor)and Pole Star. All these are referred to in Sangam poems.
Eclipse
Eclipse: Though ancient Hindus knew very well that the eclipses are caused by the shadows of earth and moon, they told the laymen a story about a snake devouring the sun and the moon. Tamils also reflected this Puranic story in their ancient verses. (Puram 260, Agam 114 & 313. They have calculated the days of eclipse well in advance.
Bird signs
Details are in the verses of Puram. 204, 124, 68,41.
I have given the details in my four posts : 1)Etruscan- Hindu Tamil Link, 2)Kapinjala Bird Mystery in Rig Veda, 3)OWLS: Are they Good or Bad Omens? 4)Can Birds Predict Your Future? See the links at the bottom of this article.
Lizards
The sound made by the lizards served as omens for the Tamils. Kavan mullai putanar says,” the lizard on the Kalli tree makes its characteristic tickling sound and is taken as predicting the events to the wayfarers (Agam 151). Another poet says that the travellers paused a while hearing the tickling sound of the lizard (Agam 387). Even wild animals followed lizard sounds! A boar was just about to enter a millet field, but it went back on hearing the tickling sound of the lizard (Agam 186).
More references:–Agam 9, 151, 289, 387; Narrinai 98, 169,3 33, 9.
Comets
Comets: Like any ancient community Tamils were also afraid of the comets. They used the Sanskrit word ( Dhuma ketu) and Tamil word (Pukai Kodi) for it. Reference: Puram 117. Also in post- Sangam Tamil epic Manimekalai 6-64, 7-74, Silappadikaram 10-102.
Extinct Astrology
Virichi (Mullaippaattu 6-11,Pura 280), Unnam (Pathirrupathu 7th decad), Dark Bird Karik Kuruvi, Kurathi, Veri Atal are special techniques used by the Tamils to find about good and bad that is going to happen. The techniques are almost extinct now.
Virichi is hearing good or auspicious words before embarking on a task. Maravars sought Virichi before entering another country to ‘capture’ the cattle. This was the first step in waging a war. Tolkappiar also mentioned it.
Unnam is a tree. If it is very green it is considered positive and good. If it is wilted it is no good.
Veri Aatal is asking about the impending wedding of a daughter from a fortune teller. Sometimes the girls who had clandestine love affair were laughing at their mothers secretly about the futility of the task.
Stamps from Japan.
Nadi Jothidam
No reference of Nadi Jothidam is available in Sangam Literature: But it is prevalent from the olden days. It is about giving predictions with the help of old palm leaf manuscripts in which already one’s life predictions are written by the sages in verse form. Please read my article What India could teach the NASA scientists? (Link is at the end of this post).
There are many more beliefs about sneezing, twitching of eyes, blossoming of the Venkai trees, dreams etc.
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My earlier posts related to this topic
Post No.1062.OWLS: Are they Good or Bad Omens? 24-5-14
Post No.1065.ஆந்தைகள் அலறல்: நல்ல சகுனமா? கெட்ட சகுனமா? பகுதி-1(26-5-14)
Post No.1067. ஆந்தைகள் அலறல்: நல்ல சகுனமா? கெட்ட சகுனமா? பகுதி-2(27-5-14)
1058.Ode to Skylark:Shelley,Kalidasa and Vedic poet Grtsamada 22/5
1059.ரிக்வேதத்தில் ஒரு பறவைப் பாட்டு23-5-14
1060.Kapinjala Bird Mystery in Rig Veda 23-5-14
1061. வேதத்தில் கபிஞ்ஜலா பறவை மர்மம்! 24-5-14
1054.Why did Sangam Tamils marry on Rohini star?20/5
1055.ரோகிணி நட்சத்திர மர்மம்: தமிழர்கள் திருமணம் நடத்தியது ஏன்?21-5-14
1003. வெள்ளி கிரகம்—மழை தொடர்பு பற்றி உபநிஷத்! 26th April, 2014.
967.What Hindus know that Scientists don’t know, 9-4-14
Can Birds Predict your Future? (July 22, 2012)
Tamil Astrology :Rope Trick for Predictions (Feb.27, 2013)
What India could teach NASA Scientists? (May 5, 2014)
1021.நாடி ஜோதிட ரகசியங்கள்: நாஸா விஞ்ஞானிகள் கவனிக்க, 5-5-14
Hindus Future Predictions- Part 1 (May 20, 2012)
Etruscan- Hindu/Tamil Link (July 28, 2012)
Do our Dreams have Meaning? (29 December 2011)
புறநானூற்றில் சூரிய கிரஹணம் (2 9 December 2011)
Posted 3rd June 2014 by Swaminathan
(all these were written before 2014; later I have added scores of articles on the subject)
–subham—
Tags- Zodiac, who invented, Hindus, Valmiki, Sangam Tamil books
Tamil and Vedas 