Semantic Database Mangement

Topic: "Celestial Tapestry: Constructing an Ontology of Nakshatras and Cultural Cosmology"

Link to the Github repo of the project.

This project is an inspiration from this image that I received in my email recently. It sparked a reflection on the rich cultural heritage and the ancient Vedic astrological systems that remain an integral part of India's living culture.

The above image came with the following description:

"How great is our ‘Sanatan Dharma’, a salute to our sages and hermits.”

There are three circles around this photo:

• ●  The first circle contains the names of the 27 Nakshatras and the plants associated with them.
• ●  The second circle contains the names of the 12 zodiac signs and the plants associated with them.
• ●  The third circle contains the names of the 9 planets and the associated plants, herbs, and trees.
• ●  These are the abodes of those planets, zodiacs, or Nakshatras. If we worship those plants, herbs, and trees, then we receive benefits from the planets, zodiacs, and Nakshatras.The description not only defines the picture but also discusses toward the end different cultural beliefs associated with each entity in the cosmic sphere.

An introduction:

In the land where the Vedas were composed, the concept of 'Nakshatram' was born; here, stars have always been more than just celestial bodies. They are the lexicon of Indian heritage, the markers of festivities, and the silent guides of fate.Nakshatras, known as lunar mansions, track the movement of the Moon around the Earth, with each nakshatra representing approximately one day of the lunar cycle. There are a total of 27 nakshatras. In contrast, the 12 zodiac signs are based on the solar cycle. The 'navagrahas'—'nav' meaning 'nine' and 'graha' meaning 'planet'—comprise the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and the shadow planets Rahu and Ketu, unique to Vedic astrology. Each Nakshatram has unique and overlapping individual characteristics(like an associated element, plant, animal, or first alphabet of the name) that narrate a chapter from an ancient story, imbuing divine influence upon human lives, as described in the sacred texts.Sage Parashara, in Chapter 3 of Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, states: "O Brahmin, listen to the account of the placement of the heavenly bodies. Among the many luminous entities in the skies, some are stars, while others are planets, known as Grahas. Those that remain stationary are the Nakshatras (asterisms)."This project is far more than an academic pursuit; it is a tribute to the timeless wisdom of the ancient sages who mapped the heavens, and it honors the unbroken lineage of Indian culture that continues to find solace and guidance in the stars above.The ontology of 'Celestial Tapestry' seeks to unravel the cosmic code that maps out the intricate relationships between the Nakshatrams and the multifaceted tapestry of Indian culture. In Vedic astrology, the planets move through the zodiac and interact with the Nakshatras. This cosmicdance is foundational to understanding the astrological influences that have been guiding us according to Vedic traditions

Answering basic questions about this dataset:: 1) Does the data exist in any form already?

●  The data on nakshatras exist but in a scattered and unstructured form.

●  It is spread across various ancient texts, astrological treatises, and cultural narratives.

●  This data has not been systematically organized in a way that allows for easy access ordigital analysis.

●  My project aims to bridge this gap by creating a structured, comprehensive ontology.2) What sort of work is left to be done on the data?

●  The core objective of my project is to centralize and digitize this scattered knowledge, constructing an ontology that will serve as a semantic framework for the nakshatras.

●  This includes cataloging each nakshatra's characteristics, mythological stories, and cultural significance, and then establishing relationships between these elements to support complex queries and advanced research.3) What is the source of the data?
Here is a list of some of the earliest source books and authors that mention Nakshatras inthe Indian astrological system, starting from the earliest references:

1. Surya Siddhanta: This ancient astronomical text provides information about the Nakshatras, their positions, and calculations related to them. The exact authorship of this text is uncertain, but it is believed to date back to ancient times.
2. Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra: This classical text on Indian astrology is attributed to Sage Parashara and is a foundational work in Jyotish (Vedic astrology). It discusses Nakshatras extensively and their role in horoscope interpretation.
3. Jataka Parijata, Phaladeepika, Brihat Jataka, Saravali, and Jataka Alankara: These texts collectively enrich the ontology with a variety of astrological interpretations and applications of Nakshatras.

4) What sort of research questions could this dataset help address?

● Semantic Web and Linked Data: Implementing the ontology within a semantic web framework would allow for nakshatras-related data to be linked with other data sets. Forinstance, linking with historical events, cultural texts, and astronomical observations

across the web.
● Enhanced Research and Queries: Researchers could use the ontology to perform

complex queries. For example, one could query the ontology to show all cultural

practices associated with a particular nakshatra, or to find texts that mention it.
● This ontology will serve as a beacon for those navigating the rich waters of cultural astronomy, comparative mythology, historical linguistics, and digital humanities. It will be the vessel that carries the ancient wisdom of the nakshatras into the digital era, making

it accessible to educators, researchers, and curious minds around the globe.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, "Celestial Tapestry" aims to distill Vedic astrology's wisdom into a digital ontology, bridging the gap between celestial phenomena and cultural heritage. This ontology will organize knowledge of Nakshatras within a modern framework, offering new insights into their role in Indian tradition and philosophy.

Project Report

Aim: "Celestial Tapestry" aims to distill Vedic astrology's wisdom into a digital ontology, bridging the gap between celestial phenomena and cultural heritage. The ontology's primary purpose is to organize knowledge related to Nakshatras, their associated Planets, and the Zodiac’s placement within the Cosmic Sphere or Brahmaand.

Why Nakshara?

"Nakshatra" originates from Sanskrit and is widely used in Vedic astrology and Hindu astronomy. It is derived from "Naksha," meaning "map" or "chart," signifying a celestial map or chart of the sky. The second part, "Tra," means "to protect" or "to guard," suggesting the protective and guiding influence of stars and celestial bodies.

The term "Nakshatra" is often associated with the concept of being "indestructible" or "unchanging" due to the static and enduring nature of these star constellations. The Moon's transit through the 27 Nakshatras in Vedic astrology involves traveling through each Nakshatra approximately in one night, thereby completing the cycle in about 27 days. Each Nakshatra spans 13 degrees and 20 minutes of the ecliptic, with the entire zodiac circle being 360 degrees. Furthermore, each Nakshatra is divided into four quarters or 'Padas', each measuring 3 degrees and 20 minutes. Thus, the Moon spends about one day in each Nakshatra, moving through all four Padas during this period. This cycle reflects the Moon's influence on daily life and personal characteristics as per Hindu astrological beliefs. This static quality makes Nakshatras essential reference points in Vedic astrology for tracking celestial body positions and dividing the zodiac into distinct segments. It is important to note that Zodiac signs are based on the solar cycle, while nakshatras are based on the lunar cycle.

In Vedic astrology, a planet's influence is determined by its position in a zodiac sign and a Nakshatra within that sign. For example, if Jupiter is in Scorpio, it adopts Scorpio's traits like intensity and transformation. If Jupiter is specifically in the Anuradha Nakshatra within Scorpio, it also gains Anuradha's qualities like cooperation and dedication. This layered positioning shapes the astrological interpretation.

Therefore, Nakshatras are considered an integral part of Vedic astrology, serving as celestial markers with enduring qualities, guiding astrological interpretations and predictions.

Three descriptive images from simple to complex depicting layered positioning of Planets, Zodiacs, and Nakshatras:

PROCESS OF ONTOLOGY MAKING:

Research goals

The goal of the dataset was to create a structured ontology of how the layering positions of 9 Planets, 12 Zodiacs, and 27 Nakshatra influence astrological reading. Each Nakshatra has a unique set of characteristics, and so do the Zodiac and Planets. In this ontology, more focus was placed on Nakshtara, with some important characteristic information for the other two as well.

Data modeling decisions

This ontology is an original creation, as there was no existing ontology for this topic available on the internet. The data modeling decisions started from the initial placement of first classes, till the end when I had to remove certain classes because of unreliable information or due to controversy about the placement of specific characteristics to each nakshtra. I have specifically chosen a few characteristics of Nakshatra, that depict various important segments of inferring traits of a person belonging to a specific class.

The ontology is modeled from the starting point being the Celestial Sphere which consists of all these entities:

Celestial_Sphere _Brahmaand -(name having the English name first and Sanskrit names later, this being followed for the entire ontology)

• ●  The understanding of the overlapping structure, of the three main classes and their linking with object properties was extremely difficult.
• ●  I had to remove many classes as well as object properties over and again on revision due to many gaps and a lack of information to validate the structure.
• ●  The choice of only representing a few properties and leaving others was also a conscious and well-thought-out decision so that ontology retains its basic structure and still conveys different facets involved in Vedic astrological interpretations..What would be the best way to share this data with the public?There are different platforms for Vedic astrology but I found almost all of them inadequate of one or other information and some were even ill-informed. This data set needs to be integrated with authentic information as well as visualizations with a more scientific rigor along with metaphysical explanations from ancient texts in the form of an application or website with a strong user interface.Resources:
  To begin with:Find your Nakshatra, this is the link to the website that can guide anyone to know their Nakshatra and see if it fits in with them:https://www.drikpanchang.com/utilities/horoscope/hindu-birthstar-calculator.htmlSome other important websites are:
• ●  Vedic Astrology from a Data Science Perspective: https://aimlastrology.in/2020/06/e017/
• ●  Hora Ratnam- The book that helped create a base for this project.https://archive.org/details/Book11.HoraRatnam10NoOCR/page/n45/mode/2up
• ●  Jataka Parijata Vol I Of II By V Subrahmanya Sastri