Dedicated to: Mr Anders B Johansson Vedic Astrologer Argon Navis Sweden
Shiva Mayam
7.11.2001 3.00 p.m. Chennai – 61
Profile of Shri: Agasthiyar Durai Subburathnam I am pleased to present this significant article about “Profile of Shri: Agasthiyar Durai Subburathnam. – Chief Nadi Astrologer of Sri Koushika Agasthiyar Mahashiva Naadi Jothida Nilayam – No: 36, New State Bank Colony, West Tambarag, Chennai – 600045, Tamilnadu, India”. INTRODUCTION: The Nadi astrology is a valuable gift handed over to us by our intellectual ancestors, rishis of ancient India who discovered and unearthed valuable information even in many fields such as arts, science, medicine, astronomy, palmistry, numerology etc. Evidence of ancient manuscripts like brihat samhits, jathaka, paarijatha etc was obtained. There are several branches in Astrology or horoscope analysis viz. casting and reading of horoscopes, based on the positions of nine planets due to its transition aspects respectively within the twelve houses at the time of birth of a person and thus predictions of individuals’ future is given co-relating such movements across the zodiac between the sky and our beautiful earth. Nadi astrology has two distinct definitions: a) “Nadi” in tamil means “seeking to know natives lives, secrets, truth and reality” b) “Nadi Astrology” also gives explanation of our past, present and future life contents inscribed on a palm leaf. ORIGIN OF NADI ASTROLOGY IN INDIA: The origin of the palm leaves can be traced back approximately 2000 years ago where fate of each individual was written by divine dispensation. Predictions of human beings were inscribed on palm leaves like many other fields like arts, science, medicine of ancient days. Initially they were in Sanskrit. It was recopied before 300-400 years back. In due course such palm leaves were preserved by many tamil kings who gathered all such palm leaves irrespective of the subjects and stored them in big libraries. The rulers of chela kingdom and the Mavatha king sarfojee Maharaja saved or preserved such palm leaves from decaying with age. Driven by their passion for the tamil language they translated them into tamil and preserved them at Saraswathi Mahal inside the Tanjore palace in south India. The king of Tanjore too, a true patron of arts and sciences, preserved such leaves in his palace library. With help of pandits or learned scholars he too translated all the contents from Sanskrit to tamil. The credit goes to such tamil kings who by their interest preserved the leaves which are the repository of the wisdom of ancient rishis. But for their efforts we wouldn’t have been aware of such distinct Nadi predictions. Later, during the British rule, the British were very keen to acquire these leaves which also dealt with herbal cure, alchemy, different types of rasayans, Kayakalpa to increase longevity, different branches of fortune telling etc. In some, the basic rules of the modern scientific inventions were explained. Hence, these valuable contents were readily taken away by the British but left behind some of the astrological leaves to their loyalists. Some bundles of leaves were hence put on auction also. Experts in the field of astrology belonging to a particular caste specialized in astrological analysis, realized its significance and spontaneously bought these leaves and subsequently earned their livelihood through such Nadi readings. Gradually it became a traditional and hereditary profession or occupation for many who adopted such a career. Such palm leaves were thus auctioned from the British by the