Isn’t it fascinating to imagine that a manuscript made of palm leaves has not only withstood the rigors of nature for thousands of years, but also holds in it information about your past, present and future? Nadi Shastra is a mystical, methodical, and divine form of astrology that is known to have originated in India thousands of years ago. Prevalent in South India, the phrase has its origins from the words ‘nadi’ referring to a unit of time and ‘shastra’ meaning science. Considered as one of the oldest forms of astrology, Nadi Shastra is a part of jyotisham or Indian astrology, which is an ansham or element in the Vedas.
How did Nadi Shastra originate?
Legends state that the divine rishis such as Agastya, Bhrigu, Vyasa were moved by the suffering of mankind. They wanted to give something to enable human beings to lead a better and more fulfilling life. Using their clairvoyance, these rishis compiled information which could help people understand their past, know their present and foresee their future. Shastras such as the Agastya nadi, Bhrigu nadi thus came into existence, offering a wealth of information for seekers. With time, this information was etched on palmyra leaves which were passed on to chosen disciples. Safely preserved for thousands of years by kings and gyanis, these manuscripts could only be read and interpreted by a chosen few, who did so for seekers. In turn, these chosen few passed on the knowledge to their next of kin, who kept the chain of knowledge going and growing.
The material of the manuscripts
While some ancient texts of India have been written on metal plates, cloth, and tree bark as well, palmyra leaves were the popular medium for writing down many texts including the Nadi Shastra. Tamil Nadu is home to many manuscripts, which were stored in libraries called Saraswati bhandaras. Written in the older Devanagari lipi of Sanskrit, and older form of Tamil, Telugu, and Odia, the longevity of the palmyra leaves was assured by treating them with organic materials. The leaves would first be pre-treated before the process of writing on them began. To do so, they would either be boiled with certain natural antiseptics or treated with mud, oils, or other ingredients. After writing on them, they would be treated again with specific oils and be placed between wooden boards to ensure that they did not curl up. Additionally, some would be wrapped in red or yellow cloth. The red color was noted for its repellent properties, while yellow was usually created by using turmeric and thus had germicidal properties. These manuscripts would then be carefully stored in wooden chests or in specially created underground cells, to protect them from the vagaries of changing climate conditions.
Where are these manuscripts now?
Ranging from religion to sciences, alchemy, health and even literature, many great Indian manuscripts were written on palmyra leaves. However, with India constantly under attack by invaders, many of these texts were either destroyed or stolen. As a result, one can find some of these texts scattered across the world, especially in some parts of Europe. The pandits who have devoted their lives to the study of these shastras constantly keep seeking the missing manuscripts even today, to restore their knowledge bank. With the advent of technology, many texts are being digitized as well. It is believed that if all texts of Nadi Shastra are restored, it would be possible to predict the past, present and future for anyone.
How does one get a Nadi Shastra reading?
To get a reading, a seeker needs to first approach a well-versed Nadi Shastra expert. While there are many people who claim expertise, it is important to approach the right person. The proficiency and intuitive capabilities of an expert can play a great role in getting you the right interpretation. The Nadi Shastra reader may take your thumbprint or assess your planetary positions and ask you a few basic questions. They will then look through manuscripts to shortlist the ones relevant to you. Once they identify the manuscript related to your life, among the many that they have, they will usually begin by a narration of your past, along with interesting details about your present, including the struggles you face. They may then suggest solutions to your problems, which may range from reciting mantras, to performing puja or giving daan. Some of these experts also provide you with an audio recording of the reading, enabling you to store it and check with it in the future as well.
While Nadi Shastra is truly a fascinating, mysterious, and methodical astrological science, it has both its set of believers and non-believers. So, while there are many who are in awe of the process, there are others who feel that Nadi Shastra is just another form of mind-reading. With families that have safeguarded the knowledge for thousands of years, to its relatively easier dissemination today using technology, one can only wonder and hope that it will be used responsibly. And whether we agree or disagree about its relevance in these modern times, it is important that we do not dismiss our Akshaya patra of knowledge and constantly seek the truth for ourselves.
The Curse of the Vedic Code is available on Amazon for readers. Click here.
A writer since the age of ten, when her work first got published, Jaya Siva Murty pursued an MBA from Osmania University, Hyderabad. From getting work published in magazines like ‘Times of India’, ‘Savvy’ and Economic Times, she worked for advertising agencies Triton and OTS, worked as a Deputy Editor in a Vizag based magazine called Yo! Vizag and is currently Head Of Communications at Bhagavatula Charitable Trust, an NGO working in rural Andhra. Born and brought up in Lucknow, she studied in Hyderabad, lived in remote tribal and rural villages and finally settled in Visakhapatnam. She is also a member of the prestigious Crafts Council of Andhra Pradesh and Executive Committee member of WICCI. With a debut foray into novella writing with ‘Canvas of Dreams’, that was published by Indireads Publishing, she hopes that she’ll be able to tell many more stories about India and its myriad and vibrant cultural shades.
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