By Professor Alex Hankey
As a Professor researching the connections between modern science and the ancient Vedic sciences, my interest has focused on both traditional sciences that concern this article – and several others like Yoga and Vedanta. While working at S-VYASA Yoga University, south of Bengaluru, I was fortunate to have brilliant PhD students in Ayurveda and Jyotisha who made important discoveries in both subjects. My Ayurveda student, Dr Purnima Datey, runs four Ayurveda Herbal Juice Clinics (Rasahara Kendra) in the south eastern section of the city of Bhopal, adjacent to the new AIMS Hospital; while my Jyotisha Student, Dr Rameshrao N., is a senior veterinary scientist who gives free Jyotisha consultations every weekday evening in his brother’s office in north-west Bengaluru.
Ayurveda
Dr Purnima Datey is the niece of one of the most illustrious Vaidyas (Ayurveda Doctors) in the city of Pune. She grew up with Ayurveda in her blood and bones, as it were. She started practice about 2008 like this. Her husband contracted a severe infection in his foot that failed to respond to doctor’s treatment and resulted in a large lesion, boils and blood poisoning. When the consultant said that the foot would have to be removed if it continued for another two weeks, Purnima said that she would heal the foot and leg with natural medicine therapies including hot mud to extract toxins, lifestyle and herbal juices. In 12 to 13 days there was no sign of the infection, though the skin discolouration took longer to go away. The word spread and soon friends and family, and their friends and families were taking her treatments.
Dr Datey opened her first centre which proved successful, another followed. Her Rasahara Kendra clinics grew slowly and steadily. Her remarkable abilities led her to design a special study of her treatments for tendencies to diabetes, which proved highly successful. She has also been able to show that not keeping to Ayurvedic lifestyle recommendations gives rise to increased incidence of disease – rather the way consuming alcohol of tobacco do. Poor lifestyle is a ‘risk-factor’ for disease similar to smoking or drinking to excess. These things show that Ayurveda’s ancient wisdom is well-founded. Scientists want every single statement tested, and that will take a long time to complete. But the many successful tests of Ayurveda herbs, treatments and principles (Padartha) show that in good hands Ayurveda is trustworthy.
Jyotisha
Dr Rameshrao’s research covered several different areas: first, in December 2007, he started an experiment which showed that times, at which vaccination is given may be critically affected by Jyotisha conditions. When given with a strong auspicious Guru (Jupiter) in Lagna (rising sign), it is far more successful than when inauspicious Sani (Saturn) is so placed. The experiment was repeated in 2008 obtaining similar results, and with the addition of the highly inauspicious time of Rahukala, which completely blocked the vaccination success.
In a second series of experiments beginning in 2011, he showed that one could designate the Muhurtha, starting time, for a microbial growth experiment by time of infection of the main growth flask. A series of vaccine production experiments obtained consistent results. Guru, Jupiter, supports the growth of cells, while Rahu, the north node of the moon’s orbit, opposes. For viruses, the opposite is true: Rahu supports their propagation in cell hosts, while Guru opposes it. In addition, the moon, Chandra, when strong supported the life of cells.
The main experiments were carried out by the vaccine production institute at Bangalore Veterinary College in north Bangalore, while two independent producers of avian vaccines volunteered to do another two experiments. Some experiments on days of solar eclipses in 2012 produced results consistent with these experiments, showing that, as Jyotisha predicts, times when a solar eclipse is touching the face of the earth are even more inauspicious than Rahukalaa.
All these experiments have been described in the book, The Science of Medical Astrology: the Experimental Proof of Jyotisha. Another PhD student has confirmed Rameshrao’s main conclusions, using a different measure, the maximum growth rate of a well-known bacterium.
Other completely different proofs that Jyotisha really is valid have been given by Canadian Jyotisha expert, Jeffrey Abrahamson, who received the title Kavindra Rishi for his expertise. In a publicly televised challenge by a sceptic, he scored extremely highly reading twelve birth charts, ten given to him on the spot, and two that he had been given the evening before. This series of experiments establishes the validity of Jyotisha beyond all reasonable doubt. One western doctor who promotes both is David Frawley, whose book, Ayurvedic Astrology: Self-healing Through the Stars, has proved very popular around the world.
Ayurveda an Jyotisha
These two Vedic sciences are popular throughout South Asia. Well established in ancient times their validity is newly proved in hundreds of experiments by scientists in many parts of the world. The first is relatively easily proved, and its advantages over modern medicine quite clear; deaths due to medical intervention are extremely low compared to modern medicine, where iatrogenic disease is a leading cause of morbidity. Jyotisha may be more challenging to establish, but that has begun to be accomplished.
As a result of Dr Rameshrao’s experiments, I began to formulate the theoretical astrophysics behind astrology. It depends on recent advances in understanding the way cells control their function. That takes in unusual conditions allowing them to be influenced by the sun, moon and planets. Both these ancient sciences are subject to extensive research programs making them better understood. Both can be used to greatly improve life. Both are relevant today.
