On Horoscope and Date of Birth of Sri Ram

I have collected following versions of horoscope and date of birth of Sri Ram from various 
sources :-

1.      Photographed from horoscope. This version is almost identical in every horoscope :

                                              

Horoscope of Sri Ram and Sri Krishan

2. KK Pathak in his article ‘An Appraisal Of Pancha Mahapurusha Yoga’ Astrological Magazine, Jan 1997, p. 21 writes “My observations are based on Valmiki Ramayana, Raghuvamsham and Uttara Ramacharitra” and gives following horoscope :

In his another article ‘Astrological Clues to Male and Female Progeny’ in Astrological Magazine, Sept 1997 issue, p 769 mentions that “According to Valmiki Ramayana, Sri Ram was born on Chaitra Sukla Navami in the 4^th part of Punarvasu in Cancer Rasi and Cancer Lagna at mid-day. . . The Sun was in Aries; Mercury was in Taurus; the Moon and Jupiter were in Cancer; Saturn was retrograde in Libra; Mars was in Capricorn; Venus and Rahu were in Pisces; and Ketu was in Virgo.”

3. Dr S R N Murthy, in his article ‘Some Astrological Aspects of Valmiki Ramayana’ Astrological Magazine, Aug 1996, p. 674 writes :

 

“Reference to Valmiki Ramayana: tretayuga, Vaivaswata Manvantra when there was still some 30,000 yrs to elapse. Born in Karkataka (Cancer) lagna on Wednesday, 9th day of bright half of the chaitra month of the cyclic year Vilambi in Punarvasu star, the balance of Jupiter dasa at birth being about 4yrs” and offers this horoscope.

4. Dr. Bangalore Sureshwara refers to Prof. Suryanarain Rao--the doyen of Vedic Astrology--in his article ‘Reflections on Ramayana’ Astrological Magazine, Jan 1995, p. 40 regarding date of birth of Sri Ram as 11^th February, 4433 BC, Ayodhya 10:47:48 am Monday.

 “Some appear to be erroneous when they consider Mercury in Aries.” P. 39.

On page 40 he personally holds that “The Vedic theological and scriptural information has clearly indicated that Sri Vishnu’s incarnation as Sri Rama was very much earlier than that of Sri Krishna. That is, Lord Rama’s birth may have taken place at least many-many thousands of years prior to Lord Krishna’s birth” and on p. 39 agrees with Dr. BV Raman’s inference that Lord Krishna’s birth took place on 19^th July 3228 BC.

5. Dr. Bangalore Sureshwara in ‘Reflections on Ramayana’ Astrological Magazine, Jan 1995, p. 42 discusses yet another small variation on above :

“Mercury sandwiched between Sun & Ketu”.

“Mercury not in exaltation” Astrological Magazine, Jan 1995, p. 42

 

6. Sudarshan Singh “Chakra”, Bhagvatta Lila Ank, Kalyan, p. 121-125.

“Karak lagan, chaitra, shukla, navami, Tuesday, madhumass, Madhya tithi of shukla paksha Rikta. Third pad of Punarvasu nakshatra.

7. Sanjay Rath in his book ‘Vedic Remedies in Astrology’ published by Sagar Publications, on p. 67, illustrates following horoscope of Sri Ram :

 

8. Yet another version from internet site by Kulbhushan Singhal , Mumbai. Acccording to him Shri Ram was born at least 5.00 lac years earlier and this is the version of horoscope :

 

 

9. Even I came across a kundli where from I noted down this horoscope of Sri Ram, where Sun is placed in Leo in 2^nd house, but it seems it was a serious copying mistake. Incidentally I actually came across this version again in the book 'Brihad Ravan Samhita'  by Tantrik Bahal, the photo of which is as under :

 

In book 'Brihad Ravan Samhita' by Tantrik Bahal

Summing up, the variation in the date of birth and horoscope is huge ranging from ±2,165,000 BC to 4400 BC : 

Date/period of birth	Reference	Source
Some 2,165,110 years from now backwards	Sri Ram is believed to be born in Treta Yuga. If we refer to the classical calendar of Yuga then some 5110 years of Kaliyuga have already been elapsed. Adding 8,64,000 years of Dwapar Yuga + 12,96,000 years of Treta Yuga we get total 21,65,110 years from now backwards that Sri Ram might have been born.	Classical Yuga period theory
+ 1,700,000 BC	“Mysterious legend called Ramayana, which was supposed to have taken place in tredha yuga (more than 1,700,000 years ago)”.	Ravi Mukkavilli
8,97,102 BC Wednesday 30,000 yrs of Treta + 8,64,000 of Dwapar + 3102 yrs of Kaliyuga before Christ	“Reference to Valmiki Ramayana: tretayuga, Vaivaswata Manvantra when still some 30,000 yrs to elapse.”	Dr S R N Murthy, Astrological Magazine, Aug 1996, p. 674
At least 5.00 lac years earlier	--	Kulbhushan Singhal
4 Dec 7323 BC	Valmiki records the birth of Rama as Chaitra Shuddha Navami (9th), on Punarvasu Nakshatra and five plants were exalted then; Sun in Mesha upto 10 deg., Mars in Capricorn at 28 deg., Jupiter in Cancer at 5 deg., Venus in Pisces at 27 deg. and Saturn in Libra at 20 deg. (Bala Kanda.18/Shloka 8,9).	Dr PV Vartak--“Vastav Ramayan in Marathi” Vedvidnyana, Pune. and “Dating the Ramayana with Valmiki’s clues”—by Saurabh Kwatra.
10 Jan 5114 BC 12.30pm Chaitra Karka lagna in Pushya instead of Punarvasu nakshatra.	“Reference Aaj Tak, news channel, 9.30pm February 2008” (Ram was to be crowned on 5 Jan 5089 BC when instead he was sent for 14 yrs exile).	Bharat Gyan Project, working on Balmiki Ramayan. & Pushkar Bhatnagar with Saroj Bala, Times News Network, Saturday, Nov 08, 2003. Also supported by Satya Sarada Kandula.
17 March, 4439 BC, 11:15 AM Sunday	--	How to Conduct Puja to SriRamachandra, by Dr. A. V. Srinivasan, published byPeriplus Line LLC Box 56, East Glastonbury, CT 06025.
11th February, 4433 BC, 10:47:48  Monday.	--	Prof. Suryanarain Rao, Astrological Magazine, Jan 1995, p. 39-40
4400 BC	--	“Ramayana and Beyond” an online Book.
8th or 7th century BC	"Ram may have been a minor chief who lived in 8th or 7th century BC"	AL Basham--'The Wonder that was India", London 1956, p. 303.

Various software and personal calculations have been made by various researchers to reach at the planetary configuration that was supposed to be present at the time of birth of Sri Ram, but the date reached so should not be contradictory to the ancient writings including Purans. First of all it should be determined that the software used is accurate and should be checked for known dates with panchang of the BC millennium. Mostly astronomical software are developed for the known dates of Western culture where no panchang was used and on that rough basis, like eluding references to solar and lunar eclipses, planetary movements are calculated. Using such software will be disastrous on which most of the calculations have been made for deciding the birth of Sri Ram and Sri Krishan. First of all such software should be verified for known dates that are abundant in Purans and ancient writings (soon I will publish such dates and events, known and verified). To some extent it also results in wrongly dating the history of India. Further any research should be oriented without any prejudices, personal faith and belief. Every event mentioned in scriptural/Puranic/Vedic writings should fit together as in a well managed jigsaw puzzle.

Most of the researchers claim to have ‘Ramayana of Valmiki’ as their primary source of investigation for fixing the date of birth of Sri Ram, but all have reached different conclusions. Very few have worked on both Ramayana and Mahabharata and thus ignored the important connectivity between the two epic periods. Readers are requested to refer to my previous blog “Ram and Krishan were contemporary--March 2011”.