In the early morning of Margashirsha Purnima( Full Moon) a Tsunami of apocalyptic proportions arose and the deadly blow of an unprecedented earthquake brought mayhem. Co-incidentally it was 26th December 2004 also. And it is this date only which is now on every tongue in the world. No one is saying that the tide which rises is due to the Full Moon. The gravitational attraction of the Moon was well understood by our ancient Acharyas. This was the month of Margashirsha which also has a great deal of historical significance. The war of Mahabharata was fought in this month of Margashirsha in the bright half on trayodashi tithi in Bharani nakshatra. Two days before the Full Moon. In Bhagwad Geeta, lord Krishna has described the month of Margashirsha as one of his manifestations.

Today science has seen unprecedented growth. Intensive networks of supercomputers have been developed to process data but scientists are saying that an earthquake cannot be predicted. Earthquake is a chance incident. But the amazing progress made by our ancient Acharyas with their prolonged experience and observations and intelligent experimentation is unimaginable for the present day western scientists and mathematicians. Acharya Varahamihira was a contemporary of King Vikramaditya and the greatest of ancient astronomers or Acharyas. In his Magnum Opus Brihat Samhita there is a complete chapter devoted to earthquakes. But our present day business minded astrologers have little use for it. That is why it was ignored. Neither were experiments and research carried out in this direction.

Still the predictions which were made by some of our diligent astrologers will not be easy to believe for you. So this is the prediction.

THE PREDICTION OF EARTHQUAKE

The martanda panchanga of Vikram Samvat 2061 states that, Between the period of 27 November and 26 December there can be great loss of lives and damage in America, China, Japan, a Muslim nation or in the Northern or Southern portion of India due to some natural disaster like major earthquake and oceanic disaster.

The date of writing of this article by Pt. Indushekhar Sharma in Shri Martanda Panchanga was 19 september 2003 on the day when the rishi panchami was celebrated. It is to be especially noted that Vikram Samvat 2061 started on 21 March 2004. this panchanga had hit the market in October November 2003. this confirms that the prediction was maded at least 15 months in advance.

In this same panchanga under the results for the Margashirsha month it is stated, in this month there is a combination indicating loss of lives and damage in America, Japan, China or some Muslim country due to earthquake and oceanic disaster or other such natural calamity. Scorpio placed Mars is making conjunction with retrograde Mercury. On 16 December Mercury is rising in retrograde position. Some great natural disaster may wreak havoc.

Shri Mahavir Panchanga, Kashi published by Pt. Rameshwar Nath Ojha states, Five Saturdays and Five Sundays falling in the Month of Margashirsha and the positions on Amavasya indicate a natural disaster which can cause heavy damage. Earthquake, landslide, explosion or other terrorist activities may take place.

We have only quoted two panchangas. There are any number of panchangas published in Hindi, Bangla, gujarati and other languages. Probably this kind of prediction may have also been made in them.

We do not claim infallibility for the predictions of these astrologers or panchangas. Neither is this that most of the predictions turn out to be accurate. Neither do we advice our readers to resign themselves to fate and make any less efforts in the required direction.

Our attention was suddenly attracted by a news published in the Hindu of 27 November 2004. on 26 November 2004 there occurred an earthquake in Indonesia in which 17 people were killed. Approximately 130 people were injured and more than 300 buildings were destroyed. It was a Kartika Purnima (Full Moon) on the 26 November 2004.

The point we would like to impress on the mind of our readers is that there is a great need for scientific research and experimentation and modernization of astrology. Unfortunately we neglect our heritage and act like a copycat. Instead of original thought and research we are dancing to the borrowed tunes of western knowledge.

In our ancient scriptures and especially in the sayings of Ghagha Bhaddari in Hindi it is stated that the animals and birds and marine creatures have a foreknowledge of earthquakes and other natural disturbances and they escape to safer places in advance. In the event of this earthquake this conception was confirmed. In the heavily damaged parts of Sri Lanka there is no evidence of dead animals and birds. One wild life protection officer even expressed his amazement at the fact that when there are usually 200 elephants, leopards, and other wild animals in the wildlife park no dead animals were found. These scientists said that there must be a sixth sense with these animals, which gives them an inkling of the coming disaster. If man only learns from knowledge given in heritage.

This meteorological or weather department of ours which has every possible facility at its avail complete with high tech equipment and sophisticated laboratories have their predictions regularly published in the newspaper columns and broadcast on Doordarshan and other channels with the widest possible coverage but these usually turn out to be wrong. Still they are labeled as scientists and crores of Rupees are spent every year on this department. Whereas astrology is labeled as merely a superstition and ignored.

The work of Varahamihira and other ancient astronomers and astrologers needs to be taken forward with the help of development of innovative technology.

NOTE: THIS ARTICLE HAS ALREADY BEEN PUBLISHED IN "AMRIT KUMBH" (Astrological Magzine of Astrological Research Centre) JOURNAL IN JAN.- MARCH 2005 ISSUE.

by Pt. Sunil Sharma

DIRECTOR, ASTROLOGICAL RESEARCH CENTRE