The Starting of the Epoch is 13/04/1899, the Karana Arambha.

The sidereal positions of

planets are given at the time of the Epoch ( at the Sunrise Time at Trivandrum, Kerala,
India ). The computations are based on Vedic Astronomy ( Siddhanta ) & Vedic
Mathematics.
The Sidereal Positions of planets
Planet
Sun
Moon
Moon's Apogee
North Node
Mars
Mercury
Jupiter
Venus
Saturn

Sign
11
0
3
8
4
5
6
8
7

Degree Mins
28
33
29
40
12
39
10
38
13
45
11
38
13
47
19
49
25
20

Secs
50
21
15
45
4
31
42
11
11

Tatpara ( Micro Seconds )

44
1
19
40
40
41
7
32
35

M = Mean Anomaly of the planet;

A = Aphelion of the Planet ;
L = Mean Longitude of the Planet;
e = orbital eccentricity;
mjv = orbital eccentricity in seconds;
Sheegra Kendra = The Angle between the Planet & the Sun;
Sheegroccha = Perihelion;
Mandoccha = Aphelion;
Sheeghra Phala = The Angle between the Planet and the Sun as viewed from a geocentric
perspective;
Oja = Odd;
Yugma = Even;
Manda Kendra = Mean Anomaly;
Sheeghra Kendra Ardha = A/2, half of Sheegra Kendra;
Kranti Vritta = Ecliptic;
Vikshepa Vritta = Auxiliary Circle;
Kshithija = Celestial Horizon;
Bha Chakra = Zodiac;
Vishuvat Vritta = Celestial Equator;
Khagoleeya Dhruva Rekha = Celestial Meridien;
Vishu Vat Bhoga = Right Ascension( R A );
Meshadi = The First Point of Aries;
Thuladi = The First Point of Libra;
Karkyadi = The First Point of Cancer;
Makaradi = The First Point of Capricorn;
Theta = True Longitude of the planet;

v = True Anomaly;
Manda Karna = Radius Vector, distance of the planet from the Sun;
Sheeghra Karna = Distance of the planet from the earth;
Ravi Manda Karna = Sun's distance;
Nathamsa = Altitude of the Planet;
Digamsa = Azimuth. Bhaga, Kala,
Vikala = Deg, Mins, Secs;
Madhyama Manda Karna = Semi Major Axis;
Patha = Node;
Thidhi - D or Day or Lunar Day, the first Lunar Day being the Moon within 12 degrees of
the Sun;
Vara - Day of the Week;
Bhujajya = Sin;
Kotijya = Cos;
Sparsajya = Tan;
Sparsachapa= Atan;
Bhujachapa = Asin;
Kotichapa = Acos;
Pranakalanthara= Difference between Tropical Longitudes and R A;
Kala Hora = Planetary Hours;
Hora = Hour;
Chara Jya = Sin C;
Manda Jya = Sin M;
Parinathi Jya = Sin h;
Guru Sani Karsha - Perturbations of Jupiter and Saturn;
Chandra Karsha - Perturbations of the Moon;
Chathurdasa Jya Samskaras - 14 trignometric corrections to the Moon;
Vikshepa - Celestial Latitude;
Kranti - Declination;
Dhruva = R A ;
Sphuta = Celestial Longitude;
Indra - Uranus;
Varuna = Neptune;
Rudra = Pluto;
Kala = Phobos;
Mrityu = Deimos;
Gulika = Titan;
Yamakandaka = Ganymede;
Vipatendu = Mean Longitude of the Moon - Node of the Moon ;
Manda Karna - heliocentric distance;
Sheegra Karna - geocentric distance of the planet
The Three Methods of Vedic Astronomy & Mathematics
1) Zodiacal Longitudes - The First Method is to compute the longitudes of the planets
along the Ecliptic ( Kranti Vritta ). Western astronomers have accepted 0 degree Aries as

the First Point of the Tropical Zodiac and Vedic astronomers have accepted 0 degree Beta
Arietis ( Aswini ) as the First Point of the Sidereal Zodiac. Extending 9 degrees to either
side of the Ecliptic is the Great Circle of Light, the Zodiac.
2) Celestial Equatorial Longitudes - The Second Method is to compute the longitudes
along the Celestial Equator ( Vishuvat Vritta ). The Starting Point is 0 degree Aries. The
longitudes thus obtained is called the Right Ascension ( R A ) of Planets.
3)Celestial Horizontal Longitudes - The Third Method is to compute longitudes along the
Celestial Horizon. The Eastern Celestial Horizon, the intersecting point between the
Ecliptic and the Celestial Horizon, is called the Ascendant ( Udaya Lagna ). 180 degrees
opposite to that point is called the Western Celestial Horizon ( Astha Lagna ). The highest
point on the Celestial Horizon is called the Zenith ( Madhya Lagna or MC ) and the
lowest point, the Nadir ( Patala Lagna or IC ). The Original Point of the Celestial Horizon
is the Northern Point on the Celestial Horizon.
The Vedic Method is Longitude corrected thrice, though 3 major trignometric corrections
called
Manda Kriya ( Reduction to True Anomaly )
Parinathi Kriya ( Reduction to Ecliptic )
& Sheeghra Kriya ( Reduction to Geocentric Coordinates ).
Reduction to the Heliocentric Coordinate System
I . Reduction to True Anomaly ( Manda Kriya )
After finding the Mean Longitude of the Planet, the Mean Anomaly of the Planet is
calculated as per the formula
Mean Anomaly = Mean Longitude - Aphelion ( M = L - A )
The Manda Jya Vikalakal ( mjv , eccentricity in seconds ) is computed as per the formula
mjv = R (2 e - 1/4 e^3 + 5/95 e^5 ) Sin A + R (5/4 e^2 - 11/24 e^2 + 17/192 e^2 ) Sin 2 A
+ R ( 13/12 e^3 - 43/64 e^5 ) Sin 3 A + R ( 103/ 96 e^4 - 451 / 480 e ^5 ) Sin 4 A + R
( 1097/960 e ^5 ) Sin 5 A + R (1228/960 e ^6 ) Sin 6 A
A = Mean Anomaly of the Planet + 6 Signs or M + 180. R is 206265 seconds
This value MJV is deducted or added to M, the Mean Anomaly of the Planet to get the
True Anomaly of the planet, v
v = M + or - mjv
If the Mean Anomaly ( Manda Kendra ) is greater than 6 Signs, it is added and if it is less
than 6 Signs ( 180 degrees ), it is subtracted.
The Radius Vector ( Manda Karna ) is computed using the formula
Manda Karna = a ( 1+ 1/2 e^2 ) - e ( 1- 3/8 e^2) Cos A - 1/2 e^2 ( 1- 2/3 e^2 ) Cos 2 A 3/8 e^3 Cos 3 A - 1/3 e^4 Cos 4 A )

where a is the semi major axis ( Madhyama Manda Karna ) of the planet. Semi Major
Axis is the average distance of the planet expressed in AU. The Sun's a is 1 AU or 149
million kilometres from the earth. It is to be noted that at 90 degrees the Manda Karna of
the planet equals Semi Major Axis because Cos 90 = 0.
Reduction to the Ecliptic Coordinate System
II. Reduction to the Ecliptic ( Parinathi Kriya )
The Ascending Node of the planet is deducted to get the Y, the planet minus the Node.
Y = True Anomaly of the Planet - Node of the planet
First the latitude of the planet is computed as per the formula
Sin l = Sin L Sin Y
where l is the latitude of the planet, Y is the Longitude of the planet after deducting the
Node and L is the maximum latitude of the planet
The mean longitude of the planet after Manda Kriya is reduced to the Ecliptic Coordinate
System . The formula used is
Sin h = ( 1-Cos L Sin Y Cos Y /cos l )
where the l is the latitude of the planet, Y is the Longitude of the planet after deducting
the Node and L is the maximum latitude of the planet and h is the Parinathi Phalam, the
factor which is to be added or subtracted to the True Anomaly. ( This is also the formula
used for computing the Sun's Pranakalanthara which is the difference between Tropical
longitudes and Right Ascension ).
The first 3 Signs are Odd ( Oja ), the next 3 Signs are Even ( Yugma ), the next 3 Signs
are Odd ( Oja ) and the next 3 signs are Even ( Yugma ).
The Parinathi Phalam is added if the Signs are Yugma and subtracted if it is Oja to True
Anomaly to get the Ecliptic degree.
Ecliptic Degree = True Anomaly + or - Parinathi Phalam
The Heliocentric distance or Manda Karna ( Kranthi Vritheeya Manda Karna ) is
computed as per the formula
Kranthi Vritheeya Manda Karna = Vikshepa Vritheeya Manda Karna * cos l
Reduction to the Geocentric Coordinate System

III Sheeghra Kriya - Reduction to Geocentric Coordinates

The Sheeghra Anomaly
When the longitude of the Sun is deducted from the Ecliptic Degree thus obtained, we get
the Sheeghra Anomaly, the angle between the Sun and the planet
Sheeghra Anomaly = Heliocentric longitude of planet - Longitude of the Mean Sun.
x, Sheeghra Phalam is the angle formed between the Sun, the planet and the Earth. It is
computed as per the formula
Tan A/2 - x = ( b - a) /( b + a) Tan A/2
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where A is the Sheeghra Kendra, a is the Ravi Manda Karna ( Sun's distance ), b the
Graha Manda Karna ( distance of the planet from the Sun ) and x the Sheeghra Phalam
Arka Sphutoniham Kheda Mandasphuta mihoditham
Sparsajya Sheegrakendrardha Labhda karnathara hatha
Karna Yoga hritha bhooya sparsa chapatmaka kritha
Shoditha sheegrakendrardhal syath phalam sheegrasamjnakam
The Sheeghra Phalam is added if the Signs are greater than 6 and subtracted if the Signs
are less than 6 .
There is another method of computing Sheeghra Karna, the geocentric distance of the
planet. . Sheeghra Karna can be computed by the following formula
c^2 = a^2 +b ^2 + 2 a b Cos A and the Sheegra Phalam can be obtained by
sin x = a Sin A /c for Jupiter, Mars and Saturn &
sin x = b Sin A /c for Mercury and Venus
True Longitude of the Planet = Heliocentric Longitude of the Planet - or + Sheegra
Phalam.
For Mercury and Venus, the computation is slightly different. The Sheeghra Phalam thus
obtained is subtracted from the Sun's longitude if the Signs are more than 6 and added if
the Signs are less than 6.

This method of Longitudes Corrected Thrice is highlighted in Puliyoor's Ganitha Nirnaya

and Bhaskara's Ganitha Adhyaya. Achyuta Pisharody's Sphuta Nirnaya also deals with
the calculations in Indian Astronomy. Other reference books are Maha Bhaskareeya,
Aryabhateeya and Brahma Sphuta Siddhanta.
In Mathematics there are many methods and the Western Method is to find the True
Anomaly of the Planet and to it add the Argument of Perihelion ( Long = v + w ). The
Eccentric Anomaly of the Planet ( an auxiliary angle used in Kepler's equations ) is
computed from the Mean Anomaly and the True Anomaly is computed from it . The
Argument of Perihelion is added to it to get the true longitude. v is the Angle between the
Planet and Perihelion and w is the angle between the Node and Perihelion. The
perturbations of the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn are included in these computations. Some
large perturbations of the Moon, viz the Evection, the Annual Equation, the Variation and
the Parallactic Equation, with the equations of the Center, are all included. While the
Western Method is to give 12 corrections to the Moon's longitude, the Vedic method is to
subject the Mean longitude of the Moon to 16 trignometric corrections. ( 14 reductions
plus Manda Kriya & Parinathi Kriya ).
In essence, the Vedic Mathematical Method is to subject the Mean Longitude of the
Planet to three major trignometric reductions. Also the other planets. Our friend Paul
Schlyter has done a great work in computing the Planetary Positions as per the Western
System. Our congratulations to him. Here we give the Vedic Method as expounded by
Aryabhata, Bhaskara, Brahmagupta and countless other Vedic astronomers in the 18
Siddhantas ( treatises on Astronomy), written 5000 years ago !
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