Birth Time: Factors causing error

Dear Friends,

As an astrologer, our accuracy of prediction higly depends on the accuracy of calculations and birth data. we usually come across statements like "my birth data is absolutely correct" or "I am sure of my birth time".

But the fact is that about 90% of charts need some rectification. It may be some seconds, but some times even some seconds can make big differences. Astrologers using Divisional charts are most sensitive to the error in birth times.

Since last few weeks I was listing some important and some unseen (or we should say ignored) causes which cause error in charts due to birth time differences.

I had tried to list some important and common causes, Some may be left. I hope you will add those missing here

1) Definition of birth time

2) Coordinates

3) Ayanamasya

4) Time zone and distance from time zone line

5) Error in clocks

6) Source of Birth time

1) Definition of Birth time:

Most important of all the causes is that we are not sure what is the time that should be termed as "birth time". Means, Labour is a long process. Process start when the head comes out and ends when baby takes first breath. Sometimes it can span to few mintues. and few minutes is a very long period when it comes to accuracy in birth charts.

There are following four different definitions of birth time. And people who support these different definitions give very genuine reason for the support of same.

a) When head comes out

b) when whole body comes out

c) when umblical cord is cut

d) when baby takes first breath.

There is another thought that in all four definitions are viable in different yugas and in Kaliyuga 4th definition is applicable. But honestly no one knows what is actually applicable.

Time difference between When a head comes out and when baby takes first breath can be upto many minutes. In prolonged labour, In cesarean section, In Induced labour this time period is highly varaible. Sometimes baby doesnot cry (or take breath) for two or three minutes after birth. Some times it may be many minutes and the breath is maintained by Ambu bag or similar medical devices till baby start breathing on self.

So, this factor is highly uncertain that at what stage of labour, does the "birth time" should be recorded.

2) coordinates

Coordinates are another major source of error. Any error in coordinates, will obviously lead to error. This error is minimal in case of small towns. But this error can be big in case of big cities and small villages.

In case of small villages, like mine, coordinates are not available in Softwares. Even in google map it may not be possible to derive actual coordinates as these villages are not shown in google maps at lower altitude especially villages which are some Kms away from main road.

In such cases we usually use coordinates of nearest city. But nearest city can be as far as 30Kms in most of the cases and it will make a big difference in calculations when it comes to divisional charts.

In case of big cities like Ludhiana, Delhi, Kanpur any many many more cities, centre of city is taken as coordinate in softwares. But Ludhiana is about 40 Kms wide. So a person born at periphery of city will obviously have different coordinates when it comes to accuracy.

3) Ayanamasya

Ayanamasya is another important factor in error in charts. Lahiri Ayanamsya is the standard ayanamasya used all over India and is supported by govt of India. But reality is that it actually fluctuated aroung the 180` axis of Chitra nakshatra. It means that every day the ayanamasya is actually changing every day. so the start of zodiac is actually fluctuating, but softwares do not take this considerations in calculations. So some scholars advice to use fixed ayanamasya like Jagannath ayanamasya.

In case we are using Lahiri ayanamasya, it is quite likely that some error will be there.

Not in case of Lahiri ayanamsya alone there are a number of ayanamasya thoughts available and all show difference with each other.

And above all, no one surely know what ayanamasya is actually correct. Although every one give genuine views in support of his opinion.

4) Time zone and distance from time zone line

Indian Standard Time is calculated on the basis of 82.5° E longitude, which is just west of the town of Mirzapur, near Allahabad in the state of Uttar Pradesh. And in case of India, The country's east–west distance of more than 2,000 km (1,200 mi) covers over 28 degrees of longitude, resulting in the sun rising and setting almost two hours earlier on India's eastern border than in the Rann of Kutch in the far west.

Means, the timezone we use in India is based on the about middle of India, the more we move away from the points from where the time zone is observed (82.5` E) more will be the error in charts.

5) Error in clocks

We now a day use highly accurate clocks to measure time. But error do not comes from clock. But error comes from where clock's time is matched or in process of matching clock time.

We now a days use TV to match our clocks, in earlier time radio was used for the purpose. And we all know how serious we are really in matching clocks. In case of analogue wathces which have minute hands, error of one minute (in fact more) is very very possible when we match the clocks unless we take the second's hand at 12 and minute at the sharp point like 9 or 10 or 3. Still after some time say one year or so clock will error in approximate one minute due to technical reasons.

Even in case of digital watches, matching upto seconds is quite difficult task.

This is when we use TV to match and we can assume what was the situation when people matched there clocks with a radio.

In short, most of us do not match our clocks very accurately with actual source of time. And this 'most' include hospitals also. Being a doctor I know that clocks in most of the labour rooms are incorrect and no one actually bother to make it very sharp as they are the least used clocks in the hospitals.

6) Who recorded the time?

Even if we use a highly calibrated watch to record the time and we assume that all the factors stated above are negligible, still it is quite difficult to be too accurate in recording birth time, unltill and unless you have a special person to do this in labour room with a highly calibrated digital watch to record the time.

Actually process of labour is so delicate that during those 15-30 minutes all the attention of doctors, attendents and nurses are on the process of labour. They want to ensure that the process completes without any complication or a problem. There is nothing else in the mind of doctors/nurses except the mother and child.

Usually, time is recorded after the process is completed and baby cries. Then nurses usually guess the time of birth and it is a commonly heard sentence at that time "he took birth 5 minutes ago not 10 minutes ago" then the next sentence will be "okay let's take the average and substract 7 1/2 minutes from recorded time".

These are the most common factors which affect the charts. So it is necessary to rectify the lagna and/or ensure that the lagna used is correct.

Any doubt/query is welcome

Kind Regards

Atul