Geometry of Circannual Rhythms

K. Chandra Hari1

Abstract

Present paper is an attempt to invite the attention of the modern biological world onto the possibility
of a specific geometry prevailing for the biorhythms arising out of luni-solar phenomena. Work has
its genesis in the ancient Indian Tāntric wisdom that postulated a sidereal luni-solar calendar and
Zodiac along with eclipse related observances in their effort to realize mysterious psycho-physical
potentialities. The most outstanding aspect of this prehistoric conception is that it names the Zodiac
or fixed stellar frame of reference in terms of the Nodes of lunar orbit and the reference star chosen
Mūla or λ-Scorpii is located close to the galactic center. This astronomical conception had as its
basis the symbolic equivalence with the Tāntric body described in terms of the “six wheels” of the
cerebro-spinal axis, which may be identified with the autonomic nervous system and the associated
endocrine glands, which display different endogenous rhythms. Paper attempts to raise a specific
question: Can there be a specific geometry (apart from the light-dark cycle and seasons) such as
that of the Tāntric Zodiac for any of the biorhythms apparent in the human body? The tāntric
observances related to eclipses also requires investigation as to their role in the biorhythms
associated with human body.

Ι. Introduction

The biological rhythms arising out of geophysical factors are:

12.4 hours Tidal Circa Tidal

24 hours Daily Circadian

14.8 days - Circa Semi lunar

29 days Monthly Circa Lunar

365 days Yearly Circannual

As is well known these rhythms have their genesis in the Earth’s spin, revolution round the sun and
the superimposed revolution of the Moon round the Earth. Circadian, Circa Lunar and Annual
rhythms have different stages distinguishable in terms of light, lunar phases and seasons. These
three cycles are incoherent to each other and are apparently distinct environmental rhythms that
exercise their impact over the biosphere. In both vertebrates and mammals these rhythms have
been under study for quite some time now in respect of their durations guiding the formation of
endogenous biological clocks and clock genes. An altogether different side of the problem is –
whether these rhythms in their influence on human beings have a specific spatial geometry
against the stellar/galactic background? As for example, considering the circannual rhythms
which we describe as the year, can there be a specific beginning and end points for the cycle in its
relation to the human body?

In the language of mathematics/geometry, is it possible to identify a zero point for the solar
annual rhythm in terms of its impact over the human body?

An overview of the chronobiological literature suggests that the topic is new to the field and studies
have not taken place in terms of a sidereal frame of reference for the apparent revolution of Sun

1
B-204, Parth Avenue, Chandkheda, Ahmedabad-5. chandrahari@hotmail.com

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around the earth against the background of stars. But clues regarding the possibility of a specific
sidereal geometry for the circannual rhythms is apparent in the ancient science of Tantra that
stipulated a sidereal or fixed Zodiac based calendar for Tantric observances to kindle the mystic
power of Kundalini in human beings. Present paper is an attempt to invite the attention of modern
biologists to the tantric way of life that relied upon many cosmic rhythms such as that of the eclipses
in manipulating the tantric body described in terms of the “six occult wheels” (autonomic nervous
system?) for gaining supernatural control over body functions. Those who may think of the tantric
pursuit as irrelevant to modern biology may kindly have a look at the following words of A.L.
Basham2:
“The chief vein of the body, known as susumna runs through the spinal column. Along it at
different points are six “ wheels” or concentrations of psychic energy. At the top of the vein
susumna within the skull, is sahasrāra, a specially powerful psychic center symbolically referred to
as a lotus. In the lowest “wheel”, behind the genitals, is the Kundalinī, the “Serpent power”,
generally in a quiescent state. By yogic practices the Kundalinī is awakened, rises through the
vein susumna, passes through all the six “wheels” of psychic force, and unites with the topmost
sahasrāra. By awakening and raising his kundalinī the yogi gains spiritual power, and by uniting it
with Sahasrāra he wins salvation. The awakened Kundalinī gives to the yogi superhuman power
and knowledge, and many yogis have practiced yoga rather for this than for salvation. Some adepts
of this form of yoga have developed powers which cannot fully be accounted for by European
medical science and which cannot be explained away as subjective but the physiological basis of
laya - and hatha -yoga is certainly false; there is no kundalinī, susumna or sahasrāra. The
ancient mystical physiology of India needs further study, not only by professional Indologists, but by
open-minded biologists and psychologists, who may reveal the true secret of the yogi. For whatever
we may think about his spiritual claims there is no doubt that the advanced yogi can hold his breath
for very long periods without suffering injury, can control the rhythm of his own heart-beats, can
withstand extremes of heat and cold, can remain healthy on a starvation diet, and, despite his
austere and frugal life and his remarkable physical contortions, which would ruin the system of any
ordinary man, can often survive to a very advanced age with full use of his faculties”. (emphasis by
present author)

ΙΙ. Ancient Indian Tāntric Calendar

The tāntric calendar is based on a mathematical projection of the “Yogic biorhythms” on to the
apparent solar and lunar orbits and the fixed stellar frame of reference so obtained is named after
the Nodes of Solar and Lunar orbit which implies the tapping of a celestial rhythm inherent in the
eclipses. In other words the impact of celestial rhythms over a yogic body suggested a specific
geometry to the circannual rhythms – i.e., it suggested a specific sidereal luni-solar calendar having
the star Mûla (λ-Scorpii) as reference. Tāntric sidereal zodiac had its signs relative to this stellar
reference that became famous as Mûladharam (Mûla, the fiducial) and on the Yogic body it marked
the position of genitals and bottom of the cerebro-spinal axis. In legends this supreme secret got
personified as Mahakala or Great Time and it got scripted into ancient traditions as genital worship
of time. As such the ancient Indian calendar had its New Year beginning coinciding with the solar
transit over Mûla and such new years achieved great importance when it coincided with the new
moon and other quadrangular positions of Moon relative to Sun. Typical examples of such positions
can be found in AD 1971,1990, 2009 or in 1969, 1984, 1944, 1925etc3. When ever the solar transit
2
Basham, AL., The Wonder That Was India,
3
Date Sun Sidereal Sun Moon Sidereal MoonPrecession Arc
Thursday, 16 December 1971, 19:36 UT 264012’ 2400 252054’ 228042’ 24012’
Sunday, 16 December 1990, 16:40 UT 264028’ 2400 259012’ 234044’ 24028’

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over Mûla coincided with the eclipses such epochs had greater significance to the tantric cults and
this is reflected in the personification of the lunar nodes as the serpent of time adorned by Mahakala
– a cryptic synonym of Mûla star. Similar luni-solar phenomena and New Year coinciding with the
solar transit into Kanya got personified as Mahakali and thus ancient India had two systems of
sidereal calendar the remnants of which can be found in the prevailing celebrations of Deepavali and
Durgashtami or Kalashtami.

India today has a way of life carrying the signatures of the old Ages where Tantra or Saivāgama had
its sway over the society and most of the ancient Indian sciences had their origin in the tāntric
paradigm of life. One of the hallmarks of this ancient civilization as can be gleaned from ancient
literature that have survived the onslaught of time had been an obsession with time as to worship it
as a Great God – Mahakala of the ancient Tantra, as mentioned above a personification of the
stellar reference (Star Mūla) of the computation of time vis-à-vis the marker of the New Year.
According to the modern Christian calendar Sun transits over this point around 16th of December
which is nearly 43 solar days before the Dipavali celebrations of 2002 and this difference is a
consequence of the loss of the true rationale of the festival as well as the luni-solar calendar.
Deepavali originally had its rationale from the new moon and the first tithi of the bright half that
coincided with the solar transit over Mūla, which marked the New Year epoch of the worshippers of
Lord Siva and sidereal luni-solar calendar. In calendar terms Mārgasīrsha sukla-pratipada coinciding
with the solar transit over Mūla was the original Indian New Year, which is described in purānic
literature as Bali-pratipada, in the name of the Great King of Asuras viz., Mahābali who ruled over
0
the region surrounding the Narmada in 0 present day Gujarat state of India. Star Mūla also received
personification as Kāla – the lord of death, described also as Yama in the terminology of Yoga. End
of the year on Kārttika Krishna 30 and New Year of Mārgasīrsha sukla-pratipada marked the Solar
transit over the Mūlādhāra of Kālapurusha – the seat of the occult power “Jyoti” (light) or
“Mahākundalini” of the Universe. It is this basic astro-tāntric rationale that led to the celebration of
the New Year by lighting lamps.

From the above discussion it is apparent that the sidereal zodiac was conceived in pursuance of the
Yogic feel of the geometry of circannual rhythms of luni-solar phenomena including the eclipses and
this discovery lies at the bottom of the doctrines of Saivāgama as is evident from the following
cultural remnants.

1. Siva or Time personified receives the appellation Gangādhara and this is a pointer towards
the year beginning or year marker situated at the point where Akāsagangā cuts the ecliptic.

2. While doing pradakshina in a Siva temple there is injunction against the crossing of Ganga,
which is at 2/3rds (should have been if not today) of the periphery.

3. Over the zodiac Mūla marked the expiry of life – death – a reflection of the year ending. The
Zodiacal symbolism may be further expressed as:

Wednesday, 16 December 2009,13:40 UT 264044’ 2400 265030’ 240046’ 24044’

0 0 0 0
Tuesday, 16 December 1969, 07:15 UT 264 10’ 240 357 22’ 333 12’ 24010’
Friday, 15 December 1944, 14:35 UT 263031’ 239042’ 263031’ 239042’ 23049’
0 0 0 0
Tuesday, 15 December 1925, 19:05 263 19’ 239 46’ 263 19’ 239 46’ 23033
0 0 0 0
Tuesday, 16 December 1986, 07:04UT 264 01’ 239 37’ 264 01’ 59 37’ 24024’
Saturday, 16 December 1967, 23:21UT 264019’ 240011’ 84019’ 60011’ 24008’

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 0
240

• 2400: Death Point on Zodiac: Mūlādhāram: Kālalingam: Mahākāla and Mahākāli, Yama.

• “Jyoti” of Jyotihsāstra is in fact the flame of Kundalini – Jyotihsastra, the science of Kundalini in
terms of celestial lights and their rhythms

• 2400 and the Mūla star also signify the abode of all spirituality and the source of Kundalini –
Man’s transcendence of disease and death as Yogi, Pasupati, Mrtyunjaya.

• The Deepavli legends such as that of Narakāsura arose out of the identification of the Kārttika
Krishna 30 with Mūla star as lord of death Yama or Narakāsura meaning the Asura of the
netherworld where Yama is seated. The portrayal of Narakasura as the son of Earth point
towards a distant epoch of 4137 BC when the equator was coinciding with Mūla.

• Evidences supporting the antiquity of the worship of Mūla star as Siva include the worship of
time as genitals and astronomical interpretation of Sivas iconography that survived the eons of
time.

• It is worth noting that at Prāg- Jyotishpura or Kāmākhya – in the city of Narakāsura – Devi is
worshipped as genitals installed on the banks of Akāsa Ganga and at the Navagraha temple all
the nine Grahas are worshipped as Linga.

• As is the case with the Navagraha worship of Pragjyotishapura, in Kālahasti the serpent of time
Rāhu or the Rāhu-Sikhi Chakra is worshipped as Linga.

ΙΙΙ. Astronomical Factors Involved in this Geometry

It will be interesting to note that the star Mūla or λ-Scorpii is placed near the galactic center and as
such the above described geometry of the circannual rhythm may be the result of the orientation of
the galaxy with respect to the luni-solar-geo space. Seasonal phenomena in fact take place relative
to the direction of the earth’s axis in space (Dhruva in Indian mythology) and this direction is
undergoing slow variation around the ecliptic axis (Vishnu in Indian mythology) to complete the
precession cycle of nearly 25920 years. In terms of ecliptic longitudes, the Galactic center is at
242015’ [β=(-5032’)] and the Galactic North Pole is at 155026’ [β= - 29049’] with reference to
Mūlādhāram defined to be at 2400. It is apparent that the tāntric calendar is reflective of the
geometry of galaxy as the annual rhythm is about a fixed star having no proper motion placed close
to the galactic center. A fixed frame of reference can be seen with the ecliptic poles also around
which the earth’s axis cuts a cone.

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Seasonal phenomena takes place without a fixed reference and may vary from place to place as we
see between north and south hemispheres. But the circannual rhythm implicit in the ancient Indian
tantric calendar is universal and is specific to the human body and had also implications in Ayurveda
in the matter of collection, preparation and administration of medicines. This is further evident from
the fact that the sidereal sign or Rāsi Dhanu that began the New Year received personification as
Dhanvantari or Vaideesvara, Siva’s incarnation as Physician with the elixir of immortality.

Apart from the year beginning and end the Tāntric Zodiac presents the 12 solar transits in to the 30-
degree signs conceived with reference to Mūla as being significant in the lives of a human being.
Sidereal and synodic revolutions of the Moon too are utilized in conjunction with solar movement in
the Yogic processes.

ΙV. Human Physiology in Tantra

Tantra is very specific in its choice of the cerebro-spinal axis alone as constituting the abode of the
Yogic power Kundalini. Even though the abstract terminology of Tantra (Shadchakras or the Six
wheels) defies comprehension, in modern times the researchers have identified the abode of
Kundalini as the autonomic nervous system the two branches viz., sympathetic and parasympathetic
of which (Ida & Pingala or Sun & Moon) sandwiches the central nervous system (Sushumna)4. The
autonomic components form plexuses where they cross each other and these nerve centers in turn
control the endocrine organs. Tantra stipulates the existence of six wheels about which the following
identification may be made based on modern researches in chronobiology and endocrinology.

The crux of the tāntric system as is evident from the terminology is “Ājna Cakra” or the
“Wheel of Command” that may be identified as equivalent to the Pineal gland (thought to be
vestigial till recent times) in which rests the control of the different biological rhythms.
Occupying the center of the brain, it controls the endocrine system through the pituitary and
hypothalamus. Pineal achieves the regulation of circadian rhythm through the
diurnal/nocturnal production of neurohormones such as serotonin / melatonin having many
different modes of action and bearing on the human mood circuits. Melatonin5 production is
controlled by hypothalamic suprachiasmic nucleus (SCN) based on the feedback from other
endocrine glands which may be identified with the other wheels of Tantra.

The light sensitivity of the pineal gland has given it the name “third eye” – a concept that lies
at the very foundation of Tantra, in the portrayal of Mahādeva. Apart from the control over
biological clocks, PG is supposed to regulate metabolism and also the endocrine glands.

An examination of the location and functioning of thyroid enables us to identify the same as
Visuddhi Cakra located in the throat. Thyroxine6 regulates the metabolic rate of the body and
neurochemically it’s under the inhibitory control of the pineal gland with a feedback control as
well. Many of the related hormones are found to exhibit circadian rhythms that call for
appropriates timings in hormone therapy.
4
Satyananda, Saraswati, (1972) 1.The Pineal Gland (Ajna Chakra) 2.Kundalini Yoga Bihar School of Yoga,
Bihar, India.
5
Melatonin functions to cause control over physical functions such as pulse rate, circadian rhythm, metabolic
rate and is supposed to cause relaxation and enhanced duration of life – in short it meets all that the Yogis
tend to achieve.
6
Thyroxine controls the pace of body machine - an overactive thyroid means that the heart beats fast, one
becomes thin, sexual desire increases, and the mind works overtime.

5

Anāhata Cakra may be identified as Thymus acting in conjunction with pituitary that produces
prolactin as indicated by Serena Roney – Dougal7. Thymus exercising control over the
immune system is influenced by the neuro-endocrine system under the control of the pineal.

Manipūra Cakra is identified with Adrenals consisting of Cortex and Medulla – Cortex
releases many stress/anxiety/metabolism/activity/controlling hormones on a rhythmic light-
dark cycle linked with hormones from the pituitary and the hypothalamus. Medulla produces
adrenaline that deals with short-term reactions to stress and management of glucose.

Svādhishtāna and Mūlādhāra, the lower wheels are related to the Gonadal steroids, pituitary
gonadotrophins etc., that have a bearing upon the functioning of generative organs. These
have been found to be under the control of pineal gland via melatonin, which show rhythmic
variation during menstrual cycle.

In the functioning of all these glands, chronobiology looks at only the light-dark and seasonal
rhythms and not any other specific geometry possible. Tāntric calendar suggests otherwise – a
specific geometry linked to the galactic structure as influencing the psycho-physical rhythms
(endogenous rhythm/ SCN circadian pacemaker) of the human body. It’s worth remembering here
that one of the most antique and exact discoveries of an astronomical phenomenon is the periodicity
of eclipses apparent in the metonic or Saros cycle. Does this 19-year rhythm of the eclipses mean
anything to a human body?

V. Conclusions

It is well known that all ancient civilizations had a pre-occupation with calendar phenomena and the
cultural ruins of India, Babylon and Egypt attests the gigantic efforts gone into the making of a
scientific calendar. Among all such efforts, the Tāntric calendar is special and is based on a physical
rationale that strikes a symbolic equivalence between the Zodiac and the Tāntric body. Present
author has made an effort here in to place the tāntric idea of a circannual rhythm to the attention of
modern biologists so that it becomes a topic for modern investigations. Tāntric system suggests
different rhythms of Sun and Moon operating upon the two components of the autonomic nervous
system while the system as a whole responds in some mysterious way to the luni-solar rhythm
apparent in the phenomenon of eclipses. The fact that the two invisible geometrical points where the
orbits meet – the Nodes of the lunar orbit – was selected as of cardinal importance is evident from
the name Rāhu –Sikhi Cakra and this alone attests the scientific spirit and realization involved in the
formulation of Tāntric Calendar and Zodiac.
8
All biological clocks are adaptations to life on a rotating world: William Schwartz

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this
emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.
Albert Einstein

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On A Possible Psychophysiology Of The Yogic Cakra System html
“… I am suggesting that the pineal gland is the physical aspect of ajna chakra; the thyroid of vishuddhi; the
breasts of anahata; the adrenals of manipura; and the gonads of swadhistana and muladhara. These
endocrine glands are all positioned at the traditional points of the chakras, and their functions are remarkably
equivalent to the traditional descriptions of the chakra functions. I am therefore proposing that the endocrine
system is the physiological aspect of the yogic spiritual tradition of the chakras, and that the autonomic
nervous system can be equated with the yogic nadis”.
8
Professor of Neurology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School

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