Niryana or Sayana? Which Ayanamsha to use?

#pushyanakshatra #ayanamsha #lahiriayanamsha

Ayanamsha ( Sayana, Pushya or chitra) ?
The Vernal equinox at inception was believed to be the first point of Aries in the sky where the sun is 180° away from the chitra Nakshatra or Spica( 180° refers to the Spica ). This is the reference point for the starting of Aries 0°. Hence this is called Sidereal ( reference to a star). But in actuality, the earth also wobbles around its own axis , so when the Sun returns again to the first point of Aries ,there lies a timeline difference of earth and Sun with respect to Spica, the Sun shifts westward in the zodiac every year and in 72 years it is like 1° it shifts westward( which is around 23° 30' like that now).
The westerners however consider the Sun returns to the first point of Aries ( which is actually shifting every year) as the base of all their calculations. It is called the Sayana system ( Ayanamasha).
In our case, we take the Sky as the pallet and the exact 180° point from the Chitra Nakshatra as the first point of Aries . Hence we are successfully locating the exact point of the sky wherever it was eternal at the start as the transit path of the planets in the Ravi Marg( ecliptic) and do the festival based on the scriptures Mahurtams. Hence our Ayanamasha doesn't consider the actual shifting but the original marker position of the First point of Aries. So it's Nirayana or no movement Ayanamasha.
Bharatiya jyotish is based on the effects of the movement of the planets in the Nakshatras (27) which makes the entire band in the sky of 360°( a band of 9° up and down like a belt connected one after the other to make the 360° of Ravi marg) called ecliptic. This band or zodiac of 360° is further divided into 12 parts or signs called Rashis . Hence only in Niryana system ,the Rashi tallys with the Nakshatras as per the description in the Siddhantas. This is important to us as our rituals muhurtams like Marraige ,Puja and festivals throughout the country are based on the SPECIFIC Nakshatras,Months and the Ayana of Uttarayan and dakhinayan. Hence the correct Mahurtam is achieved based on the scriptures of Jyotishaa ,ONLY in Nirayana.
However when we try to understand the seasons and Ritus, it is certainly based on the actual entry of Sun in VE. Hence Sayana is appropriate.
So personally , I support the Lahiri Ayanamasha , however for predicting rains , I will consider the Sayana system.

Nmoshkar
Som Shankar Banerjee
Revatiraa