In India there is said to exist and ancient book of astrology that contains information about the past, present, and future lives of millions of people. Known as the Book of Bhrigu, or Bhrigu Samhita, it is believed to give the soul horoscope of anyone who is destined to find it. Written in Sanskrit, some claim that the Book is the physical counterpart of the Akashic Records – an astral library spoken of in esoteric circles that allegedly holds the records of all humanity’s “lives”. THE LEGEND Legend states that it was originally written on palm leaves thousands of years ago by Maharishi Bhrigu, a great sage who assisted Brahma with the Creation of the universe. He intended the book to provide a livelihood for future generations of Brahmins, as only they had the knowledge and training to locate the correct horoscopes on behalf of seekers. The book survived in parts; copied through the ages onto new leaves. But waves of invaders and foreign rule at various times in India’s history meant that it was broken up into parts with no known complete version existing today. THE BOOK TODAY The most famous manuscript that currently exists is in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, and is 400 – 500 years old. It had been discovered (or re-discovered) in 1923 by Des Raj, the grandfather of the current family of astrologers/librarians who preside over it. Others are rumored to exist in Dehli, Meerut, Poona, and Benares, but their age is hard to establish since information on them is sparse. What makes the Book of Bhrigu unique in terms of astrology is that only those who are destined to consult it can find it. While birthdate and place are factors, the most important element in finding a person’s horoscope in the book is the date and time of their arrival to the consultation. Though scholarly information regarding the Book of Bhrigu is next to non-existent, due in part to the Brahmin families who own parts of the book being unwilling to allow anyone to study it, there are records of people consulting it and walking away astounded at its insight and accuracy. As such, its veracity is attested to by an impressive list of famous Indians, and even some Westerners. The most publicized encounter with the Book in modern times comes from a 1982 article in Fate magazine, written by David Christopher Lane, Ph.D, Professor of Philosophy and Sociology at Mt. San Antonio College, California. While conducting research on the Radhasaomi Movement in 1978 he heard about the Book, and was invited to consult it by a trusted friend, Swami Yogeshwar Ananda Saraswati, and a local scholar. When they arrived at the “library”, located amid the back streets of Hoshiarpur, Lane saw that the Book consisted of two large bundles of leaves. The astrologers/librarians drew his chart based on birthdate/place and the date and time of his arrival at the library. After 15-20 minutes they found his horoscope-leaf. The first lines read: “A young man has come from a far-off land across the sea. His name is David Lane and he has come with a pandit [Hindu scholar] and a swami. The young man is here to study dharma (religion) and meet with holy men and saints.” This presents another interested facet of the Book – that it is precise enough to give names. This has prompted some, such as Vedic scholar Dr. Jai Narayan Sharma, to claim it is a fraud since there are no astrological theories that predicts an individual’s name. Of course, this presumes we are privy to all information and astrological theories from all time. SKEPTICISM At this point, he was asked to pay the equivalent of $20 to remove a sin from a previous life. Although Lane says that he wasn’t pressured, he later uses this as an argument to express his skepticism of the document. This is despite claiming complete trust in his friend Swami Yogeshwar and the scholar he went with; who, in his own words had “…unremitting belief in the book's validity, which they claim resulted from their own experiences with its awesome accuracy…”. However if it were a fraud, as Lane suspects, the logistics and coordinated dishonesty involved to set up a scheme to swindle him out of $20 would have been monumental. Two years later, in 1980, Lane discussed the Book with a Swedish astrologer, Anders Johannsen. Johannsen told Lane that he had consulted it 7 times himself and found it to be authentic and the most accurate astrological treatise he had encountered. IMPLICATIONS If the Book of Bhrigu is authentic, then the implications are astounding. Certainly, supernatural powers have been attributed to yogis throughout the ages, but the Book would argue strongly in favor of not only reincarnation, but also the existence of, and the ability of people (at least in the distant past), to access other dimensions (e.g. the astral realm). Anyone going in search of the Book of Bhrigu today would be well advised that countless frauds have sprung up to prey on well-intentioned tourists. It is best to bring along someone who can translate Sanskrit in order to at least confirm that what the “astrologer” is saying is accurate. It’s true that many have tried and failed to consult the Book. But to those who are successful, astonishment and wonder await. SOURCES “Bhrigu Samhita.” Encyclopedia.com, updated February 11 2020, www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bhrigu-samhita.
“History of Bhrigu Samita.” bhrigusamhita.co.in/history.htm Lane, David. “Ancient Astrology: An Adventure with the Bhrigu Samhita in India.” Integral World, April 2013, www.integralworld.net/lane51.html Tarkovsky, Sacha. “The Book of Bhrigu - See Your Past Present & Future.” Ezinearticles.com, November 28 2006, https://ezinearticles.com/?The-Book-of-Bhrigu---See-Your-Past-Present-and-Future&id=370939. Vinayak, Ramesh. “Punjab: The Bhrigus thrive on 500-year-old copy of 'Bhrigu Samhita' to draw crowds.” India Today, July 31st 1993, www.indiatoday.in/magazine/offtrack/story/19930731-punjabbhrigus-thrive-on-500-year-old-copy-of-bhrigu-samhita-to-draw-crowds-811330-1993-07-31.
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