Anomaly in birth chart of Sri Rama? Kindly clarify

Question

Valmiki says Rama was born on a Shukla Navami. Distance between Sun and Moon is > 96 deg. He also says Sun is exalted which is in Mesha Rashi( 0 to 30 deg). The he says Moon is in Punarvasu Nakshatra which ends at 93.20 deg from beginning of Aries. So Navami and Punarvasu cannot happen as per the method our Jyotish calculations are done today. Is Valmiki wrong or the way we do jyotish math wrong. I would kindly call upon the jyotish experts on this site to throw some light on this.

Added the exact shlokas from Bala Kaanda chapter 18 below with translation given at valmikiramayan.net

ततो यज्ञे समाप्ते तु ऋतूनां षट्समत्ययु:।

ततश्च द्वादशे मासे चैत्रे नावमिके तिथौ।।1.18.8।।

नक्षत्रेऽदितिदैवत्ये स्वोच्चसंस्थेषु पञ्चसु।

ग्रहेषु कर्कटे लग्ने वाक्पताविन्दुना सह।।1.18.9।।

प्रोद्यमाने जगन्नाथं सर्वलोकनमस्कृतम्।

कौसल्याऽजनयद्रामं सर्वलक्षणसंयुतम्।।1.18.10।।

विष्णोरर्धं महाभागं पुत्रमैक्ष्वाकुवर्धनम्।

तत: then, यज्ञे when sacrifice, समाप्ते was completed, ऋतूनाम् of seasons, षट् six, समत्ययु: were spent, तत: then, द्वादशे मासे in twelfth month, चैत्रे in Chaitra month, नावमिके तिथौ on the nineth day of the rising Moon, अदितिदैवत्ये presided by Aditi as devata, नक्षत्रे when the star (Punarvasu)was in ascendent, पञ्चसु ग्रहेषु and the five planets (Sun, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and Venus), स्वोच्चसंस्थेषु in their own exalted houses, कर्कटे लग्ने in Karkata Lagna, वाक्पतौ when Brihaspati, इन्दुना सह along with Moon, प्रोद्यमाने was rising, कौसल्या Kausalya, जगन्नाथम् lord of the entire universe, सर्वलोकनमस्कृतम् bowed to by all the worlds, सर्वलक्षणसंयुतम् adorned with all the characteristics, विष्णो: Vishnu's, अर्धम् facet, महाभागम् highly fortunate, ऐक्ष्वाकुवर्धनम् perpetuating the Ikshvaku race, रामम् Rama, पुत्रम् as his son, अजनयत् gave birth .

Six seasons (one year) passed after the completion of the sacrifice. In the twelfth month of Chaitra on the ninth day (of the bright fortnight), with Aditi as presiding deity when the star Punarvasu was in the ascendent and the five planets Sun, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and Venus, were exalted in their own house in karkata lagna, when Brihaspati was in conjunction with the Moon, Kausalya gave birth to a son: a facet of Visnu, Lord of the entire universe who received obeisance from all the worlds and was adorned with all auspicious signs, the venerable one to perpetuate the Ikshvaku race.

Answer 1

Some points of view shared from a video of reputed Astrologer KN Rao.

Lets begin with the slokas that you quoted.

ततो यज्ञे समाप्ते तु ऋतूनाम् षट् समत्ययुः | ततः च द्वादशे मासे चैत्रे नावमिके तिथौ || १-१८-८

नक्क्षत्रे अदिति दैवत्ये स्व उच्छ संस्थेषु पंचसु | ग्रहेषु कर्कटे लग्ने वाक्पता इंदुना सह || १-१८-९

प्रोद्यमाने जगन्नाथम् सर्व लोक नमस्कृतम् | कौसल्या अजनयत् रामम् सर्व लक्षण संयुतम् || १-१८-१०

विष्णोः अर्धम् महाभागम् पुत्रम् ऐक्ष्वाकु नंदनम् | लोहिताक्षम् महाबाहुम् रक्त ओष्टम् दुंदुभि स्वनम् || १-१८-११

From the literal meaning of the above slokas, what is observed is -

Bhagavan descended in Chaitra Month, Navami Thithi, Punarvasu Nakshatra, 5 planets in exalted or rashis owned by them (many interpret this as 5 planets in their exalted rashis), Moon with Jupiter in Cancer. The rest do not give astrological points.

So, the only way the conflict you mentioned is possible is by going by Lunar months and not by solar months. WHich means, Sun, in the lunar month of Chaitra, is placed in Meena rashi. KN Rao clarifies this.

Also, a study of the how the year's fruits are judged in any panchanga (Raja, Mantri, Sasyadhipati, Rasadhipati, Nirasadipati etc.) i ahve come to believe that ancient India followed lunar calender rather than the solar one many follow today in the south India. A simple example is that the Raja of the year is determined by the vasara pathi on chaitra pratipada or the lord of the day on which the chaitra pratipada (first lunar day of the lunar year) falls.

The Narada Samhita, chapter 3, sloka 5 also refers the various types of years (solar, lunar etc and states that lunar years can be used to describe years and months (the theory that validates the mundane horoscope made for the year).

Now, this pushes the placement of sun away from exaltation / and its own rashi. But the positions of Guru, Shani, Mars, Venus and Moon still fulfill the requirement that at least 5 planets are there in their own rashi or exalted positions.

Additionally, i recommend you to go through the video, the narada Samhita Chapter 3 and the means how the year's planetary positions are calculated and furnished in the Panchanga.

Answer 2

Though I posted this question originally, after many years of research I have come to the conclusion that Vālmikī has given the correct description and modern way of calculating Pañcāṅga is flawed. I have the following reasons to prove my point based on my study of astronomy both modern and Vaidika origin.

1. The notion that planets/stars position must be measured along the ecliptic is flawed because the ecliptic is not a stable frame of reference and the Sun's maximum latitude varies every year North or South of the equator. No astronomer in the history of this planet has measured the position of the stars with respect to the ecliptic because it is practically not possible. When one is standing on earth all positions of planets are recorded w.r.t to the rotation of Earth around its axis with respect to the stars. Sūrya Siddhānta position is with respect to the equator and the co-ordinates are polar longitude (Dhruva) and polar latitude (Vikṣepa). Modern astronomers measure the position of the various stars with reference to a International Common Reference Frame (ICRF) and the reference point is located on the equator.

2. Another misunderstanding of modern Pañcāṅga kartās is about the word Sāyana and Nirayana. Mahar̥ṣi Pārāśara states that we should use Bhavrathiya (Sāyana) for all visible effects like eclipses and we should use Bhāvimbya (Nirayana) for all invisible effects like timing events in human life. Since the word Ayana is used as a suffix to define a path with direction in words like Uttarāyaṇa and Dakshināyaṇa, my interpretation is that Sāyana is a 3 dimensional coordinate system ( Dhruva, Vikṣepa, Distance) and Nirayana is a unidimensional co-ordinate system ( only Dhruva ). So if we take Srī Rāma's chart the tithi which is a visible effect must be calculated with Sāyana 3 dimensional co-ordinates and the Nakṣatra Devatās who are obviously invicible must be calculated using Nirayana system.

In order to conclusively prove my point I developed the Dhruva Pañcāṅga software which is hosted at www.meroho.com and will provide data from 7000BCE to 3000CE using NASA ephemeris and long term precession algorithms. If one registers to this website they can see the Birth chart of Śrī Rāmā. Subscribers to the website can see the chart of the Mahābhāratha war also as given by Mahar̥ṣi Vyāsa and also study the basis of the Dhruva Pañcāṅga.

So the Rāmāyaṇā and the Mahābhāratha are no longer a matter of faith but a matter of fact. Hope the Dhruva Pañcāṅga bring peace and prosperity to one an all.