Because of the movement in earths precession, the starting point of the tropical zodiac changes slowly (with respect

to fixed stars). Tropical (sayana) zodiac is analogous to measuring the positions of trees and buildings sitting in a slowly moving bus. Sidereal (nirayana) zodiac, on the other hand, considers a fixed zodiac. It considers the motion of the tropical zodiac (bus in our analogy) and makes an adjustment accordingly. We use the sidereal zodiac in Vedic astrology. The difference between the tropical zodiac and the sidereal zodiac is of great importance. What modern ephemeris gives us is the tropical positions of planets. To convert these positions, we have to subtract the difference between the two zodiacs. This difference varies with time. As earths precession changes every year, the difference between the tropical zodiac and the sidereal zodiac changes. This difference is called ayanamsa (sidereal difference). There are many opinions on the correct value of ayanamsa, because nobody knows exactly which star is supposed to be the starting point of the real zodiac. We will use Chitrapaksha/Lahiri ayanamsa in this book, which is accepted by most Vedic astrologers of India. http://astroveda.wikidot.com/ayanamsa However, it doesnt explain how complex these understandings can be. Precession is based on the wobble of the earth about its axis at approximately 23.4, which represents the difference between the Sidereal zodiac Eastern astrologers including Vedic/Jyotish astrologers

use and the Tropical zodiac Western astrologers use. However, in the following, youll see that this figure of 23.4 varies slightly since the annual movement varies not only by what the paragraph above says but apparently according to who is doing the calculations. http://www.saravali.de/articles/ayanamsa.html And there is another page youll want to explore for its especially in depth explanation of ayanamsa. Its broken down well and offers graphics as well to show the differences: -----------------------------------------------------The ayanamsa is defined as the angle by which the sidereal ecliptic longitude of a celestial body is less than its tropical ecliptic longitude. The ayanamsa is mostly assumed to be close to be 24 today, according to N. C. Lahiri 23.85 as of 2000. This value would correspond to a coincidence of the sidereal with the tropical zodiac in or near the year 293 AD, roughly compatible with the assumption that the tradition of the tropical zodiac as current in Western astrology was fixed by Ptolemy in the 3rd century. The sidereal ecliptic longitude of a celestial body is its longitude on the ecliptic defined with respect to the "fixed" stars. The tropical ecliptic longitude of a celestial body is its longitude on the ecliptic defined with respect to the vernal equinox point. Since the vernal equinox point precesses westwards at a rate of about

50".29 per year (the rate has been accelerating) with respect to the fixed stars, the longitude of a fixed body defined with respect to it will increase slowly. On the other hand, since the stars "do not move" (this ignores the effect of proper motion) the longitude of a fixed body defined with respect to them will never change. Traditional Vedic astrology (Jyotisha) uses a system of sidereal longitude. When the practitioners of these schools of astrology use modern astronomical calculations to determine the position of celestial bodies, they need to take into account the difference caused by the different reference point used in specifying the longitude, and this they call the ayanamsa. But all orthodox schools of Vedic astrology reject modern astronomy and still base their computations upon traditional texts and treatises, mostly following the Surya Siddhanta or treatises based on it. They use ayanmsa according to Surya Siddhnta, in which ayanmsa rises from 0 to +27 during 1800 years, then decreases to 0 and further to -27, thereafter rising again, thus oscillating within a rage of 27 instead of cyclically moving in a circle as modern concept of ayanmsa suggests. Manjula advocated a cyclical concept of ayanmsa, but it could not gain currency among almanac makers. In West Theon (ca. 4th century AD) was the earliest known advocate of Surya Siddhntic type of ayanmsa (although Theon said trepidation varied within a rage of 8 only :

Surya Siddhntic trepidation was deduced by multiplying 90 with 0.3, Theon multiplied 27 again with 0.3 to get 8 ). This oscillating type of ayanmsa, known as trepidation, was a favourite of Indian, Arab and European astrologers and astronomers till the time of Copernicus. Modern science does not support the idea of trepidation or oscillating ayanmsa. 499 AD is regarded as the zero date of this type of ayanmsa according to Surya Siddhnta, Aryabhatiya and other ancient treatises. Thus the present value of traditional ayanmsa is nearly +22.64, which is less than modern the value of about +24. After 2299 AD, the traditional ayanmsa will start decreasing from the maximum value of +27, while modern value will keep on increasing. Equations of sunrise and ascendant (lagna) need accurate value of ayanmsa, upon which all important components of religious almanac and horoscopes are based in India. The ayanamsha describes the increasing gap between the tropical and sidereal zodiacs. The ayanamsa, changes continually through the Precession of the Equinoxes at the rate of approximately 50" a year, is currently about 24. Western Astrologers Fagan and Bradley computed it at 24 degrees in 1950; however, there are various values in use in India. While the general consensus is that the star Alcyon represents the first point of Aries, differences arise because of the indefinite ancient boundaries of the constellation of Aries.

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