vaidik granthon tatha vedang jyotish ka adhyayan karne se spasht hota hai ki bharat men nakshatra gyan apne utkarsh par raha hai. isi karan nakshatra gyan tatha nakshatra vidya ka arth ‘jyotish’ mana jane laga. jyotish ka prachlit arth hua vah shastra jismen jyoti ka adhyayan ho. vastav men jyotish nakshatra adharit vigyan hi hai. jyotish ke tinon skandhon-ganit, falit tatha sannihta par nakshatron ka varchasva hai. vaidik kal men kal nirnay nakshatron ke madhyam se kiya jata tha. vartaman men falit jyotish men kisi jatak ka shubhashubh gyat karne ke lie grahon ki mahadshaon, antar tatha pratyantar dashaon ka adhyayan kiya jata hai. anek prakar ki dashaon men nakshatra dasha paddhati pradhan mani jati hai. bahuprachlit evan svikrit vinshotri dasha, ashtottari dasha, kal chakra dasha, yogini dasha adi dashaen nakshatra par adharit hi hain.
muhurt prakrnon men anek karyon ke shubhashubh parinam tatha muhurt ka adhar nakshatron par hi adharit hai. vivah melapak ki paddhati chahe uttar bhartiya ho, ya dakshin bhartiya, donon hi men nakshatra adharit melapak ka varchasva hai. uttar bharat men prachlit vivah melapak ke 36 gunon men se 21 gunon ke ninarya ka adhar nakshatra hi hai. vrat evan upvas ka nirnay nakshatra par nirbhar karta hai. trailokya dipak, sarvatobhadra chakra ka adhar nakshatra hai. vedon men nakshatron ka varnan hua hai. parantu sab sthalon par nakshatra shabd ka arth ajakal ke prachlit arth men hi hua ho, aisa nahin hai. rigved sahinta tatha atharvaved sanhita men nakshatra shabd ka arth taron ke sandarbh men bhi hua hai.
riksanhita men (7.5.35) chandrama ke marg men ane vale taron tatha nakshatron ke lie ek hi shabd ka upyog hua hai. parantu taittariya sanhita men nakshatron evan taron men antar kiya gaya hai. taittariya sanhita ke anusar ‘nakshatrani rup tarka asthini’, arthat nakshatra rup tatha taren asthiyana hai. taittariya brahman 1.5.2 men nakshatron ko paribhashit karte hue bataya gaya hai ki ‘ samudra ke saman vistar vale akash ko jin tarak naukaon ke madhyam se ham par karte hain, ve tare hain. in taron ke adhar par jo yagya prayog kiye jate hain, unke lok kshat nahin hote. isi se unhen nakshatra kahte hain.
nakshatra divya jyoti devtaon ke mandir hain. jis prakar prithvi par ghar, nivas, athva kisi sthal ki pahchan ke lie vishisht chitra adi ki sahayta li jati hai, usi prakar ashva mukh adi chitron ki sahayta se ashvini adi devtaon ke shuddh nakshatron ki pahchan ho jati hai. is lie nakshatron ka nam chitra bhi hai. taittariya brahman men nakshatra shabd ki vyutpatti is prakar di gayi hai: prabahurva agre kshatranyatepuah. teshamindrah kshatranyadat .. n va imani kshatranyabhuvanniti . tannakshatranana nakshatratvam .. arthat jo kshat nahin hai, vahi nakshatra hai. nirukt men nakshatra shabd ke lie kaha gaya hai ‘ nakshatrani nakshatergatikarman.’ taittariya brahman men 1.5.2 men kaha gaya hai ki ‘ is lok ke punyatma us lok men nakshatra ho jate hanai. nakshatra devtaon ke grah hain. jo yah janta hai, vah grahi hota hai. yah jo prithvi ka chitra hai, vah hi nakshatra hai.
atah ashubh nam vale nakshatron men koi karya n to praranbh karna chahie aur n hi samapt karna chahie. ashubh nam vale nakshatron men karya karna papkarak dinon men karya karne ke saman doshpurn hai. aj bhi muhurt granthon men ashubh nam vale nakshatron men karya karne ka nishedh hai. rigved jyotish men kaha gaya hai: nakshatradevta eta etabhiryagyakarmani . yajmanasya shastragyaernam nakshatrajan smritam .. arthat shastron ke vachnanusar yagya karm men nakshatron ke devtaon ke dvara yajman ka nakshatra nam rakha jana chahie. taittariya shruti men nakshatron se sanbandhit vishyon ka vistrit tatha vipul varnan hua hai. is shruti men sab nakshatron ke nam tatha unke devtaon ke nam bhi bataye gaye hain. nakshatron ke namon ki vyutpati batayi gai hai. taittariya sanhita ke anuvak 4.4.10 men sabhi nakshatron ke nam diye gaye hain. taittariya brahman men tin sthalon par sab nakshatron ke nam tatha unke devtaon ke nam bataye gaye hain. nakshatron ki vyutpati ke vishay men taittariya brahman 1 . 1. 2 men tatha 1.5.2 men vistrit ullekh diya gaya hai.
isi brahman ke 1.5.2.2 men nakshatriya prajapti ki kalpana ki gayi hai. iske anusar nakshatra prajapti men hast nakshatra uska hath, chitra nakshatra uska sir, svati hriday, vishakha ke do tare donon janghaen tatha anuradha khare rahne ka sthan hai. nakshatron ki sthiti ki yah paribhasha vastav men nakshatron men samahit taron ke vishay men gyan karane ka madhyam hai. isse yah jana ja sakta haie ki kis nakshatra punj men kitne tare vidyaman hain. vedon men 27 nakshatron ke atirikt bhi kuch anya taron ka ullekh milta hai. s. 1.24.10 men ‘ ami yaksha nihitas uchcha naktandadrishe kuhchiddiveyu’ ke madhyam se kaha gaya hai ki akash ke uchch kshetron men sthit riksh rat men dikhai dete hain aur din men kahin anyatra chale jate hai. prachin kal men saptarshiyon ka ullekh riksh ke rup men kiya gaya hai. sasnkrit men riksh ka arth bhalu bhi hota hai.
jyotish granthon tatha shastron men taron ke vishisht samunh ko nakshatra kaha gaya hai. nakshatra ki vyakhya karte hue bataya gaya hai ki ‘ n ksharatiti nakshatrah’, arthat jiska ksharan n hota ho, vah nakshatra hai. atharvaved 19.7 ki richa ‘ chitrani sakankrikri; men 28 nakshatron ka ullekh hai. taittariya shruti men do sthanon par abhijit nakshatra ka nam aya hai. yajurved ke ek mantra men 27 nakshatron ka ullekh hai. in ullekhon se bhram utpann hona svabhavik hai ki nakshatra 27 mane jaen athva 28. aj bhi falit jyotish men 27 nakshatra mane jate hai,n parantu muhurt adi vishyon men, abhijit sahit, 28 nakshatra grahan karne ka sanpraday bhi prachlit hai. samanyatah sukshm nakshatra ka man kranati vritt ka 27 van bhag, arthat 800 kala hai.
adhunik yug men bhi yah man svikrit hai. parantu prachin kal men ek aur paddhati prachlit thi. usmen kuch nakshatron ko ardhabhog kuch ko sam bhog, arthat ek bhog tatha kuch ko adhyardh arthat rerh bhog ka mana jata tha. brahmagupt tatha bhaskaracharya ne maharshi garg ke sandarbh se iska ullekh karte hue kaha hai ki gargadadik rishiyon ne faladesh ke lie yah paddhati apnayi thi. is paddhati ke anusar bharni, adrra, ashlesha, svati, jyeshtha, shatbhisha, ye 6 nakshatra ardh bhog tatha rohini, punarvasu, tinon uttara tatha vishakha, ye 6 nakshatra adhyardh bhog tatha shesh nakshatra sam bhog mane gaye hain.
garg ne bhog ka man 800 kala tatha brahmagupt ne chandra madhya din gati arthat 790 kala 35 vikla mana hai. isi lie brahm siddhant men abhijit nakshatra le kar chakra kala ki purti ke lie uska man 4 ansh 14 kala 15 vikla diya hai. (21600- 27g 790/ 35 tra 4 ansh 14 kala 15 vikla). narad ne is paddhati ke anusar ardh bhog nakshatron ka kalatmak man 15 muhurt, arthat 30 ghati, sam bhog vale nakshatron ka man 30 muhurt tatha adhyardh nakshatron ka kalatmak man 45 muhurt likha hai. yadi nakshatron ke madhya man se ganna ki jae, to yah ganit thik ata hai. nakshatron ke sam, madhya tatha adhyardh man aj bhi prachlit hain.
rajnaitik tatha vyaparik bhavishyavaniyon men surya sankranti ka vishesh mahatva hota hai. surya sankranti jis nakshatra men ho, usi ke adhar par 15, 30, ya 45 ghati ki sankrati mani jati hai. isi ke adhar par subhiksh, athva durbhiksh ka nirnay hota hai. iska mul yahi paddhati hai. aisa pratit hota hai ki nakshatron ke taron ka antar saman n hone ke karan hi nakshatron ke bhog kal men antar ki dharna prachlit hui hogi. unme se kuch nakshatron ke nam unke shubhashubh fal ke anusar hi par gaye. udaharan ke liye jyeshth, athva varishth ko marne vali jyeshthaghni, jismen saikron chikitsakon ki sahayta li jae, vah shatbhishak, ya shatbhisha, jiska fal rudan ho vah revti adi. yah fal vashishth sanhita ke adhar par hai, jis men kaha gaya hai:
shatbhishji bhaishajyan karyet. paushndhinye masaikan rogpiranam’ bhartiya puranon tatha dharm ganrathon men sthan sthan par di gayi kathaen us samay ki khagoliya sthiti ka varnan hai, ise ek bar nahin kai bar siddh kiya ja chuka hai. mahabharat men varnit yayati, arjun adi ke sadeh svarg gaman ke pransang isi prakar ke hain. aitrey brahman men rohini, mrig tatha mrig vyadh ki katha, rohini prajapti ki katha in tathyon ki pushti karti hai. bharat men nakshatra jyotish ke atyadhik prachar tatha prasar se prayah hi yah mana jata hai ki bhartiya jyotish men rashiyon ka prabhav varah mihir ke samay se aya.
prayah hi is mat ki pushti ke lie mahabharat ka udaharan diya jata hai, kyonki mahabharat men jyotish ki charcha anek sthanon par hai. yugon ka ullekh mahabharat men hai. varsh ke barah mas, adhimas, dakshinayan ,uttarayan ka varnan bhi mahabharat men milta hai. grahan ka ullekh milta hai. grahan purnima - amavasya ko hota hai, iska bhi varnan milta hai. yadi nahin milta to saptah ke dinon ka ullekh nahin milta. yog, karan, rashiyon ke nam nahin milte. tithiyon tatha parva ki ganna surya evan chandra ki sthiti ke anusar ki jane ke praman milte hain.
is adhar ko le kar vidvanon ka mat hai ki varah mihir ne yavno ke prabhav se bhartiya jyotish men rashiyon ka samavesh kiya. ukt vaktavya ke praman men brihajjatak adhyay 1 ke shlok 8 ka sadanrbh liya jata hai, jismen rashiyon ke yavan namon ka ullekh hai. hamare matanusar yah mantavya niradhar hai. sanskrit ke adi kavi valmiki ki rachna ‘ ramayn’ ka kal mahabharat purva ka hai. valmiki ramayan bal kand sarg 18 ke shlok 8-10 men bhagvan shri ram ke janm samay ki grah sthiti ka varnan karte hue spasht rup se kark lagn ke vishay men kaha hai ‘graheshu karkatake lagne’.
atah nirvivadit rup se bharat men prachin kal se hi rashiyon ka prachalan siddh hota hai. rashiyon se nakshatron ke man sukshm hain. atah arsh rishiyon ne nakshatron par adharit jyotish ko rashi jyotish se adhik mahatvapurn mana. yahi tathya puranon tatha sanhitaon men parilakshit hota hai.