Question

I am going to help Das make more videos on Jyotish. 

For that, I will need your help.

I need ideas, questions, suggestions on subjects or topics for these videos. 

Please comment below with your suggestions.

Please refrain from questions regarding your own chart or specific placements. These will be rejected. 

These suggestions MUST be regarding something that can help many and not just one person. 

Thank you for your help!

Astrologers

(This is an old writing)
Lately I've been programming hard, like I got that update out, and it's working fine for many people by the way, and now I'm writing a large implementation of the Degrees of the Planets in the Varga charts. So anyway, I don't always read everything. But it seems we're discussing what makes an astrologer and is it the 1st lord in the 12th.
So this inspired me to write this about what I know about what makes an astrologer by chart:
We can understand things going from the outside towards the inside.
Outwardly we know a real astrologer must be able to actually understand and perceive the sweeping effects of nearly invisible complex systems of universal controls which they perceive both scientifically as planetary orbits, and spiritually as the unfoldment of divine will.
On top of having a thus demonstrated powerfully complex and energized mind, this person must also have strong courage because Jyotish will take you to the land of death, rebirth, spiritual meaningfulness, embarrassing and revealing realizations about the often pathetic state of many souls, and other nerve jolting experiential realms, mostly mentally based.
"Wide perception and nerves of steal". Guts actually.
So often we will find that persons who are top notch in this field and it's allied fields may have one intense planet combined with enough Mars to mobilize them into action. One thing is for sure, you cannot do anything in life without energy to do it. Jyotish takes nerve-mind energy in large gulps and swallows.
The one intense planet thing means that the Panch Mahapurus Yogas principle is always point one. Anyone with one really well placed planet could be involved with Jyotish in the sense that it could give the energy required in one of Jyotish's areas of life such as intuition, awareness, psychology, event prediction, the counselor, and so on. Each of these requires the presence of one strong planet to cause or activate them fully into a significant state of existance in reality. In other words, you cannot find a seer who has no good placements. They would not be a seer if that were true. You will find the "seeing" placement, and it shall be strong.
About Mercury: Mercury is the swiftness of the message. This is the primeval nature of this planet. It is not a settled character. It is young, active, and most of all very able to carry information regardless of content, from one place to another, negotiate the connections to be made at all ports, construct all bridges, gather all documents and publish all reports. Non-committed in terms of content, but very committed in terms of handling and transmission.
So an astrologers Mercury should be not under the influence of Saturn in the sense that Saturn will slow down the speed of the transmitted messages in the intellect, thus making study harder, communications slower, and all matters of thought more difficult. This is one idea. So sometimes it is expressed that having Mercury in the 6th from Saturn in the chart is good in the sense that this is where Saturn has the least aspectual strength, thus is at it's lowest point of control over Mercury, thus lowest ability to impead the swiftness of all Mercurial matters.
Furthermore, Mercury should have high Ashtaka Varga bindus, such as 4 or more. And of course higher shad balas and other strength systems are desireable.
The thing about Mercury in the fouth from lagna or Moon derives from the concept that the King is the 10th house and his ministers the 4th house, and thus Mercury in the 4th somewhat leans towards saying that the native is intelligent enough to have their intelligence used here in this way, in advising to the King.
Astrologers used to always work for the kings and had these kinds of placements. Actually, this nowadays represents serving the people in general, but usually the "paying powerful". What it really indicates to me is simply that one will tend to use their intelligence being an important under worker especially in areas of information and communications or dialogs of some sort, but under to something rather established and strong, usually.
It also indicates that "knowledge is dear" as "Mercury in 4th" naturally speaks this signification. That is of course good since astrology is a science so fundamental that it is practically dispersed by corollary study to every nook and cranny of the possible mental world. Whoa. It's big.
So, that's some of the Mercury stuff. But that's not the whole picture by any means really.
Someone could get into astrology because they have a big teaching Jupiter.
Someone could get into astrology because their Ketu forces psychic perception onto them.
Someone could get into astrology because their Saturn is so strong that for them astrology becomes an amusing lovely black toy of absolute proof of the blackness of the material lie. Whoa.
Rahu can easily take one into astrology since His is the world of the enchanting, the magical, the maya, the trick, the cheat, the surprise, the gamble, the smoke and mirrors, the mysterious, strange and uncontrollable, all of which things are felt at times by the clients, the astrologers, the onlookers of Jyotish. Is this mystical managerie of numbers, charts, wheels and lists of points from a foreign place a super seeing science? Rahu, Rahu. Rahu makes one extremely sensitive, as if walking in a war zone lifelong, like walking in a foreign open marketplace where nobody speaks your language, but everything is beautiful, but anything terrible could happen at any moment. Sensitized, Rahu can take one beyond astrology to ultra sensitivity, or isanity, when it is placed in a very intense way in a chart.
Certain nakshatras and Gods are associated more strongly with Jyotish and where their significations appear strongly in a chart and supported elsewise then we can see their effect.
For example, the Satabhish nakshatra is said to be one which is promoting of the astrology line, along with it's other research oriented significations.
My practical experience with many astrologers charts is that many have Mercury in the 4th, that is common, either from Lagna or Moon.
I find that sensitive, caring and spiritual people, and folks committed to foreign cultures such as those who implement Vedic ways in the West actively and take all the hardship associated with that willingly, these kinds of good hearted people are often nodally influenced. Either Moon or Lagna or these Lords or a group of planets, something in their chart which is significant and telling, is nodally conjoined.
The nodes give exoticness and foreigness, deep and mysterious, awesome and attractive. The nodes are the belly dancers of the planets so to speak. Nobody can not look, it's too exotic and sexual to not look. This effect the nodes give. If a person is currently involved with Jyotish in the West, they may be of this type as you do have to be somewhat of a Merlin or Gypsie outcaste type to pull it off since really, most people will think you're into something totally dumb and useless. It's alienating. You have to have a deeper reason for your belief, and you do, and that is some nodal thing in your chart. Some connection to the foreign.
Naturally early Aries with the placement of the Asvini nakshatra is a good place to have something significant since these brothers are very much supportive of investigations into the Vedic allied sciences.
The "voodoo" placements are supportive of Jyotish, such as Debilitated Moons, or 8th house placements, Scorpionic placements, and so on.
There must be somehow light, enough light for the brain to function, the person cannot be a doofus. Remember, air signs help to bring brilliance to the mind (Moon and Mercury placements in Air Signs) because they raise it up high in the air where it can see, receive messages, floating above the material impediments, speak down on everything else, get a clear signal, travel quickly or swiftly. Ahh.....
Ketu and Rahu are like big antennas too however, and can provide an "upline" to God even from a deep cave. Get that? There's your telephone line out if you're buried deep. They are always anti the Gods, ready to do something really intense to the established order of the signs and planets. They're armed and dangerous, as are the less effective but highly malefic outer planets three.
So enough light. Let the light shine. We need some serious Golden or Greenish or whatever color the Mercury and Moon are shining within, light shining on the workbench of the natives inner mind space for them to read the Journals of Jyotish is required. My light is a little blue with Moon in Kumb.
But there must be some acceptance of external control. Solar and radiant people, with no dark side, no afflictions, and not nodal, they are not going to be under anything. They are carefree and materialistically simple minded people, whether powerful or not, rich or poor, those without faith in any higher controls and no interest in same could never love astrology.
So there has to be some respect in the chart seen for religion, for higher orders, the 9th house, the Jupiter, the first/nine connections, or similar stuff. Sometimes however this is replaced with what apparently is a replacement for this purpose, and that is namely 8th house affected matters, since this Lord has the capability to "freak and compel" people into interest in the occult. Their relationship is more one generated by ghastliness, hence they can go very deep, and be very nice about it, but at the same time sometims seem almost resigned to it all, which can scare others who are not so interested in the deep dark depths.
Jupiter in the second causes one to speak with authority and tends towards, if he's otherwise allowed by the chart, speaking about religious matters, matters of higher wisdome, guidance, truth. He's noble. Then there are various lordship placements that are favorable and unfavorable for this pursuit.
In this way, everything combines and in all subsystems of the scienc there are placements better for a thing and those worse for a given matter in life like Jyotish. It's a matter of seeing how many stack up.
Like in my case:
Jupiter in the 9th in Sag: Good for religion
Lord of 10th in 9th: Gives up rise for higher purposes
Moon in Satabhish: Good for research/science
Satabhish pada 2: apparently supportive of astrology by text
Asc in Asvini: Good for these areas
Lord of 5th in 2nd: Speaking from the intelligence
Lord of 12th from 6th in 2nd: Speaks about stopping problems
Venus in the first: Lives with brahmins
Jupiter in the 9th: Believes in pilgrimages
Mercury in 6th from Saturn: The intellect is more free to move
Mercury high in AV bindus:
Saturn conjoins the midheaven: Won't get an easy rise in life
Moon conjoins Ketu: Will be an outcaste
Rahu 7th from Moon: Will partner with strange people, will associate mentally with foreign elements and persons.
Moon conjoins Ketu: Thinks of very lofty matters like philosophy or if the chart is overall stupid, then lofty imaginary nonsense.
and so on.
My point is, you see many things and allow them to stack up.
Some things are special too. Like I have a special Jupiter, at 9-5-40 Sag, it's in 7 oif it's own/exalt. signs in the Vargas, it's in Mridu Shastiamsha, in the first in Navamsa in Gemini. It aspects my ascendent off only by 2 degrees, and it is off by one degree only in it's aspect on my Navamsa lagna which is at 10-54 Gemini. Parts of this Jupiter placement are parts of the predictions given for Tri Kala Gya yoga in Ramans book. So that's supportive of Jyotish big time. It's also mentioned- the Jupiter in Mridu Sastiamsha in Jataka Tattwa as being indicative of one who is utterly following his Guru.
So this is true, I've always been a very staunch follower and faithful Aries type boy behind my Gurus, to this day, and on into the future as far as I can see and feel.
So that is supportive of Jyotish, because when you see my chart, you have to see the connection the Moon has to foreignors, and lonliness to the max. So put that together, into foreign stuff and lonely. OK, so he lives in the wrong country.
Then, this like totally unstoppable ninth house. OK, so he's in to the really strong and Jupiterian religious thing. Yep. Then, Saturn is there in the 9th- OK, so we know now that the religion is old. OK. Pinned it. The guy is into the old religions of India and into those foreign ways and stuff and is therefore lonely where he lives, but goal oriented to be a renunciate and ascetic.
That's all there. So such a person would be open to astrology right?
So it's a matter of combining things.
I gotta go do something else, Aries away, zoom zoom zoom....
Peace and Superior Experiences of Illumination,

Going House to House

Just as the 12 houses rule different parts of life, for example, the 2nd house is wealth, the 3rd house is younger brothers and sisters, the 4th house is mother and real estate and so on, similarly, these same houses from each house, rule these same things for the house in question.

For example, the 4th house is real estate and, therefore, the 4th house from any house is the real estate of that house. The 9th house is religion and also the spiritual master or priest or guru, therefore, the 12th house which is 4th from the 9th, rules the real estate of the spiritual master or guru.

Let's use a couple tables to make this point. Here's a single word or concept for each of the 12 houses in a chart. These are not the only or even the best or main descriptions of the houses, but let's work with these in our example:

1-Overall life

2-Money

3-Younger siblings

4-Vehicles

5-Intelligence

6-Debts

7-Spouse

8-Worries

9-Religion

10-Career

11-Friends

12-Donations

Now, taking these concepts given above, let's apply them to the houses COUNTED FROM the 4th house, and see how we can read much about "mother" from our own chart:

4- Mother's Overall life

5- Mother's Money

6- Mother's Younger siblings

7- Mother's Vehicles

8- Mother's Intelligence

9- Mother's Debts

10- Mother's Spouse

11- Mother's Worries

12- Mother's Religion

1- Mother's Career

2- Mother's Friends

3- Mother's Donations

Simple and clear right? And you can and should do this from each and every house. These are the "compound" or "secondary" things that houses stand for. If you know how to read a chart in this way, you can comment on almost anything a person asks about. You can usually describe their immediate family members quite accurately. I have had experiences in talking to people about their charts, using this system, where I was able to accurately guess the nature of their immediate relatives rather accurately.

The 12th house rules loss, and therefore, the 12th house from any house is the loss of that house. For example the 7th house rules marriage and any other types of partnerships. Therefore the 6th house which is 12th from the 7th rules over loss of the partner or loss of the spouse. One way to know some of the good and bad things governed by a house is to judge the house that is 12 from it and that it is 12th from.

For example, take the 9th house which rules fortune, religion or Dharma, the father, the spiritual master and guru, and God's grace. The 9th house is 12th from the 10th house. This means that the house of Dharma or religion is the house of loss to our house of career, profession and position. Does this make sense? Does religion or Dharma drain away the energy of our career?

According to the Vedic system of philosophy, yes it does. The truth is that the creation itself is set up in such a way to say yes to this important question. The Vedic house system reflects the utter truth surrounding us on all sides. The answer is automatically yes and so you can further deduce that until you understand that "religion" drains "position" you have not understood either these words, or the real nature of these houses.

The 10th house rules not only career, but mainly it rules rise and status in material life. It rules standing up tall and straight and getting some position, some fame, some power in this material life. The 9th house is definitely detrimental to this because it is the aim of real dharma or real religion to end our pride in this our material lives, to bring us to a point where we see ourselves as servants of God, humble, dependent, and so forth. This is definitely contrary to a rise in power and position in this material life.

To even want to be powerful in this material life means to identify ourselves as our material body. Vedic religion comes and tells us as it's first lesson that we are not this body and thus immediately deals a pretty serious blow to our material ego. To make progress in spiritual life, one begins by understanding that they are not the body. This very first lesson is detrimental to the 10th house, or the house of "pratishta" (material position).

Later, as we progress in spiritual life, our material ego is replaced with a spiritual ego. The 9th house, the house of true fortune and grace from above, can easily replace and give more to us than anything that we can hope to receive from the 10th house.

So, to continue with the "12th house" relationship examples:

The first house is 12th from the 2nd, meaning that our body drains away our money, and indeed, paying for our bodies shelter, food and medical bills, are some serious wealth drainers- so the 1st house (our body) is a serious cause of loss (12th) to our wealth (2nd).

The 2nd house is 12th from the 3rd house. The 2nd house rules, amongst other things, our family members and the 3rd house amongst other things rules courage. Therefore, it would not be incorrect to say that our family drains away our courage. Indeed, it is often said that a great person is not recognized in their own land. Perhaps this is because of another saying, "familiarity breeds contempt." The people who know us best all our lives are the ones who are most likely to put us down and tell us we won't achieve something. Often our own family members work to our great detriment in life. So in this way, the 2nd house is 12th from the 3rd house showing that according to nature and reality, family often drains us of courage. Due to their attachment for us also, they often don't want to see us venture out to "take on" life. Rather, they want us to stay home (in the 2nd house), and thus they drain away our courage.

Next, the 3rd house is 12th from the 4th house. The 4th house amongst other things rules mother and the 3rd house amongst other things rules younger siblings. Is it true that younger siblings drain away the energy of our mother. Yes, indeed, especially in relation to us. As soon as there is born a younger brother or sister, the mother's attention turns to them and away from us. Often times we find the child who was the youngest baby beating up on the new baby because the new baby is responsible for taking away the mother's affection. So in this way, our third house is inimical to our fourth house.

Next the 4th house is 12th to the 5th house. The 5th house amongst other things rules romance and the 4th as already mentioned, mother. Is our mother often inimical to our romance? Indeed. We are least comfortable displaying our romance in front of our mother, and often our mothers are not exactly immediately friendly towards those who we pick to be romantic with.

Next, the 5th house is 12th to the 6th house. Amongst other things, the 5th house rules winning at the lottery and the 6th house rules debts, therefore, it is easy to understand that if we win at the lottery, we can cure all our debt problems. So, the 5th house which is a money house, puts an end to the 6th house, the house of debts.

The 6th house is 12th to the 7th house. The 7th house rules the other people in our life, our partners, our spouses mainly. The 6th house ruling enemies, diseases and debts is naturally 12th to the 7th house. In modern life there is a saying, "Until debt do we part" as a replacement to "Until death do we part," because, indeed, it is often debt that drives marriages crazy and ultimately to the brink of divorce. So our debts (6th) are one of the worst things we can bring to our partner, and therefore, our 6th house has a very negative effect on our 7th house affairs.

The 7th house is 12th to the 8th house. The 8th house rules the base of the spine, the genital and the seat of mysticism or the kundalini chakra, the lower chakra. The 7th house ruling the spouse drains away the energy of the 8th house, because the spouse offers us unlimited sex life which drains away the vital source of energy which is seated within the 8th house. It is said that the 8th house rules mysticism. This is referring to the mystic processes of yoga such as Kundalini Yoga. Most of the Yoga systems of India, especially the serious mystic processes, all assume the position of brahmachari or celibacy because of the great need for the seminal energy regardless of the practitioners gender, in order to begin and sustain the mental concentration required for these yogic processes.

The 8th house also rules longevity and the 7th house which amongst other things governs our love life, drains away our vital energy decreasing our life span. This is the opinion of the Ayurvedic and other Vedic scriptures that deal with the energies within the body. This does not mean that Vedic wisdom is anti-sex life exactly, but there is a price for every action. If you want one thing, you have to give up those things opposed to it. For 8th house style Kundalini Yogic processes, retention of the sexual energy is essential.

The 8th house rules independent endeavor to achieve mystic power. It is 12th to the 9th house. The 9th house rules the receiving of power through the process of grace, revelation, or in other words, gifts from God. Therefore, the 9th house rules really very pure religion because of its basis being dependence upon the supreme power, whereas the 8th house rules our own individual, empirical endeavor to achieve mystic power through yoga and other difficult processes. So, since the 8th house rules the approach to mystic power which is opposed to simply receiving grace from God, it is, therefore, 12th from the 9th.

Also, on another level, the 9th house represents father. The 8th house, therefore, represents loss of father. Therefore, if we find the 9th lord in the 8th house in a chart, it is often found that the person lost their father.

As mentioned earlier, the 9th house is 12th to the 10th house and indeed, true religion attempts to end our pride of existence in this material world. It is said that pratishta, which means the attainment of position, name and fame in this world, is one of the main enemies of the real spiritual seeker. So, when our 10th house comes under the control of our 9th house, it becomes purified. If the 10th house and it's lord are stronger than the 9th house and its lord, then our attempt to gain position and status in this life will be stronger than our spirituality.

The 10th house is 12th to the 11th house. The 10th house rules the attainment of position, status and eminence and our career. The 11th house is called labha stana which means the house of desire. It rules friends, because we all desire to be with our friends. It also rules hopes, wishes and dreams that we have. It also rules gains, so it is the house of the material incoming current- the house of desire.

How is it that the 10th house then is 12th to the 11th house? Don't we work in order to fulfill desires? Indeed, the 11th is 2nd from the 10th, meaning it is the place where the money of the career is stored. So we work in order to fulfill the 11th house. But how is it that the 10th drains away the 11th? It is because when we want to go to attain status and eminence, we must leave the comfortable place of our lolly-gagging dreams and hanging-out. We must stand up and work and go away from our friends. Simply have desires (11th) is not the way to actually attain your goals (10th). It takes work (10th) and people who are simply wanting to hang out with their dreams and wishes never seem to actually get to work. Therefore, for judging if someone will actually do what they want, see if the 10th lord (doing) is stronger than the 11th lord (wanting). In general, those planets which are hanging out in the eleventh house represent departments of life (the houses they lord) which will always be "in a state of want" (11th), or in other words, "unfulfilled", indicating a lot of unfulfilled dreams or desires in life- not a truly happy or successful way to live.

The 11th house is 12th from the 12th house. As mentioned, the 11th house is the house of desire and gains. The 12th house is the natural house of losses. So, naturally, getting our desires fulfilled is the opposite of losing out. Fulfillment of gain is the opposite of fulfillment of loss. Picture in your mind "Rudolph the red nosed reindeer". When they didn't let him into any more reindeer games he was experiencing the 12th house energy- losses and disappointments. Later, when he became appreciated and loved by one and all for being the "guiding light" on Santa's sleigh, he was experiencing a large dose of "satisfaction", or 11th house energy. Often, what people "want" is not actually "good for them", if judging from the perspective of their bodily health or spiritual growth. The eleventh house can be a killer in that it can drag us down the path of slothful indulgence.

Lastly we come to the 12th house, which is the house of loss for the 1st house, which is our overall life. So, the 12th house is the "overall" house of loss- not governing a particular type of loss, but rather, his signature is often required in a chart to "seal the deal" regarding other losses.  

Ketu

Someone wrote to me:

You metion Ketu is in the "ecstasy of the touch of the deadly but liberating Sudarshan Chakra of Vishnu." Does this mean Ketu is similar to being void like, yet can really only come alive so to speak by the heart attributes of (God ) Vishnu?

My thoughts:

Vishnu is God, and all good, and his personal weapon used when he is here in this realm is the Sudarshan Chakra, which is the wheel of time so to speak, but it's a disc weapon hurled from the forefinger of Vishnu, and he is always pictured holding it up in the air on his right hand. He protects the good with this, and kills the bad.

When we are here, we are attached to our current bodies, and their sense objects, even though we know for sure we will be kicked out of our entire accumulated situation here at death. Still, we are attached emotionally to this life we are currently in. So death is not welcome.

When one is killed by the Disc of Vishnu, one gets full liberation to the Spiritual World. This is because God is all good. So getting killed by Him has to also be all good. Plus, he says so over and over everywhere in the scriptures where the subject arises.

So Ketu is dieing and getting liberation, so simultaneously he weaps, in a sense, for the loss of the old life, and steps through the door, to the new bliss he is given. This transition period is Ketus energy. Ketu is putting this always on everything- the rainbow of mental transition from one life to the next. So in Ketu dashas, especially if the native has Ketu with Moon or in First house, there will be a loss of identity and individuality while you transition into the new consciousness. It is a rebirth.

The type of ecstasy given by being liberated by being killed by Vishnu is that of Vaikuntha. The soul must go through the Viraj river on the way out of the material world. So some time is spent lamenting, then the rainbow changes and the soul begins to perceive the new light that awaits them, and they are moved forward forcefully by event, and then they begin to realize that they are being lovingly held. The feelings get better. A swim through a river is taken. It washes off all identification with all your past lives. You feel the dropping off of layers of ego and misidentification. It is the Supreme Cleansing process.

On the other side of the Viraj, you come out a spiritual being, and you are taken on a plane through many realms until you arrive at yours. When you get there, you will remember that this is your home, and you will know everything. That is Vaisnava liberation.

Ketu is the moment of death in this world and the transition to new awarenesses. The type of awareness Ketu can give will depend on the sign, and the usual things we look at. Ketu is a loss point to sum it up. A death and rebirth point. At least it increases awareness of those things, and often does some killing in the house it resides. Close to the Moon it brings these matters to the mind repeatedly throughout the life. It gives visions, sensitivities, awarenesses, extremely wide scope and awarenesses.

Because of this nature of His, when in the first house it causes the being itself to experience wideness in life, and therefore lack of identity is the result. The person finds it hard to be firm on anything because they are so very sensitive to impulses. They feel other people very accutely, and all input affects them. They are like walking antennas or antenni, whatever. They pick up everything. If you hold onto their foreheads, you can hear radio stations......(I'm kidding).

So they naturally come into contact with weirdos, that is, Rahu in the 7th, because those weirdos are walking around looking for someone sensitive enough to understand them. It takes a Ketu to like a Rahu, I always say.... (I have Ketu with Moon, Bernadette has Rahu with Moon, so I'm talking about me too here, so if anybodys leaving because they're offended, I'm going too....)

Ketu is the moment of awareness that you don't care anymore because there's no use in caring anyway. It's guaranteed to be over. When He realized that His head was no longer connected to Him, Ketu's identity became separated from Rahu's. At this moment, the intense feeling of inevitability, the moment of death, the most sure event to prove to us that we are not the boss here, is the moment when we flash on all that we will no longer know and see and be with. It is the moment we flash and feel loss, then realize it's absolutely futile to look back, and at that moment the blurry goodness of the blurry light that lies ahead begins to warm your emerging new spiritually confident conscious self at that moment with warm light, and off you go, if you're ready.

Ketu is the moment that the heart stops beating. The quietness at that moment is louder than life actually. It is the sudden missing heartbeat that you thought you couldn't hear usually, that suddenly you realize is no longer there, and after about 2 seconds of that, you meet Ketu in your mind. You are either ready or not. You will be where Ketu was as the disk left the exit side of the throat of Rahu. We will all be there at one moment soon enough.

Ketu dasha, and a nicely placed Ketu, will make the native peep into awareness of Ketu in advance. Such a person accepts predeterminism, and if gifted can side by side accept the appearance of free will as the intent of God for the learning process of the misidentified souls.

Such a detached person, caring neither for defense of either side of this dilemna, accepting that either way there is a flow coming at them called "the environment" which is of it's own nature and whims, not under the control of my emotions. Therefore, the detached and released Ketu realized person becomes then a viewer of the flow with a positive attitude and cooperation. Where divinity is served, they flow, where not, they flow away, they follow the light, not caring for life and death here, because they've accepted it already.

Ketu is the door to liberation. Proper placement and dasha etc will make one realize liberating experiences.

It is the payment they get for how badly Ketu messed up their lives (if it's close to lagna or moon I guarantee you it does some of that).

Thanks,

das

Outter Planets and Jyotish

Hello Everyone,

I am very busy these days and not able to read the posts. Sorry. I did notice that the outer planets were being discussed with some passion.

I just want to say that for those of us who have received the Vedas from our Predecessor Guru's in the Noble Original Way hold them in the original way, to this day, and this means that for us, these matters are solved in the pages themselves rather easily.

I just want to inject into the disucussion the beauty of surrender to the scriptures themselves. All such questions become so beautifully answered as to leave one with peace and satisfaction. At least in this way it has it's compelling draw upon our open minds.

For us, who know that Parasara lived, and that his son Vyas was the father of Pandu, and that the Gods were the fathers of the Pandavas, and that the Gita was spoken, the Bhagavatam written, as they themselves say they were.

The scriptures unanimously agree that the original complete knowledge was imparted unto Lord Brahma from Vishnu, Brahma being Aja, the unborn, because he appeared on the Lotus from the Naval of Vishnu. Brahma created the worlds from the power and instructions of Vishnu, and the Vedic knowledge began then, and has been transmitted down through time. History has added to the original now, creating the Puranas, and many other allied and necessary scriptures appeared. With a real Guru one learns all these things in a firm and committed way, with faith.

Therefore, the system of Universal Oneness built into the Universe by Lord Brahma under Vishnu, which involves and includes the fact that the external ball forms of certain demigods would conincide with the unfolding of predetermined events on Earth is a creation of God, and has always existed. The knowledge of this has been Brahma's from day one of his awareness granted by God, and has been passed down since then, just as scripture says.

No man could ever invent or realize this much great truth with human eyes and cognition. The seed of this knowledge has always existed, just as scripture says.

Regarding the outer planets, of course they were known, because the creator knows what he created. The Sages will know if the higher Gandharvas and Higher Gods tell them about them, otherwise they will not know about them.

Why would the Vedic Gods and Powers that Be ignore our beloved Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Chiron?

I cannot be sure. But I am trained in Vedic thought by the best of the best, so give my opinion a consideration:

In Vedic literatures, the authors and speakers are Gods, Demigods, and Sages generally, or at least persons of high order back in Vedic times. The scriptures are mostly spotless and awesome expressions of the potential for real human greatness and dharma.

But there is a custom or culture to the speaking, which is "Vedic Style Etiquette". Often the enemy is pointed out in discussion in a sideways manor. There is a certain style to how they thought and referrenced adversaries or opponents. One of the chief ways is to humiliate by ignoring the greatness of...

I have noticed that minor demons are tended to be ignored in Vedic scriptures. I think that our forefathers in Vedic times, chose to ignore the outer planets because of a few reasons: Their effects are weaker, and that they are purely malefic in nature according to our good Gurus and Guardians.

One of the cardinal rules of Orthodox Vaisnava Hinduism which I was taught is simply that you do not change the scriptures, ever. Not only that, but you always try to "transparently" represent what has come through scripture and spoken from parental disciplic leaders in previous ages.

Therefore, when it comes to this point of using or not using the outer planets, it is in my heart this way: Since our good forefathers chose to not use them, we feel that there is meaning in this omission, and in honor of them we follow their lead without question. We assume their decision is good for us. Just because we can discover, track, tabulate effects, etc., for them, does not mean we should.

Feeling in this heart way, is the way of the Vaisnava. It is humble and simplistic, but very much in line with the mood you will find being taught by the example of the great devotees in the Ramayana, Gita, Bhagavat, etc.

I repeat, there is no question of the outer planets being "unknown" to the source persons of Jyotish because the source person is God, and Brahma, who is like God to us, being the creator of this whole creation.

This is the real original "Hindu" view. This is expected from the students of Jyotish, according to Sage Parasara and every other normal real "Hindu", according to any reading of the original books, AS THEY ARE, in their original wording.

Thanks so much if you actually read this far. In any case, peace to you. In any case, may you be successful in remembering your Dharma,

Humbly

Das Goravani

No Return Ticket

Material Life.

Press Escape.

Krishna Bhakti.

Press Enter.

Do not press Return.

The reason I defend Veda so harshly, is that, it is all good.

What does that mean? It means NO ONE is in danger near to it. It protects

everyone.

Whatever you are, whoever you are, so long as you do not harm others, are

protected by Veda.

Veda is revelation- it is non different from God ultimately. It is God to

us.

Parashara Muni Loves You!

Vyasadeva Loves You!

If your hangups are many, your faults many, they still Love You.

They have come to hug you. They have come to lead you. They have come to say

Hello with a big smile on their grand, mustached faces. They are tall. They

are handsome, their voices deep, their eyes sparkle.

They are sad, but happy, aware but withdrawn. They smile and you feel safe,

they speak and you realize. They smell like incense, of the navel of the

wild

deer. To look in their eyes is to feel Ketu personally. They look like

advertisements for the poisitive effects of a perfectly healthy lifestyle.

When they walk on your horizon, in the morning Sun, you cannot decide which

glows more, them or the rising Sun.

You shiver in happiness, when they ask you to come with them on their walk.

You never look back. There is no reason to.

You never go home. Why should you. Is anyone hurt. Of course not. Do you

regret. No.

Are you happy? Of course. What is happening? Everything. Why are you happy?

Because I was made that way. What do you need? Whatever he sends.

Pulsating heart beats are felt, the rhythm of time, of truth, as we sit, and

the time passes, discussing many things, all truths filled in, all things

known, the time here, in the material world, is over for me now.

There is joy in the heart of the bhakta.

We freeze, spellbound. We have found it. Oh my God, it's real, it's here, I

found it, I'm feeling it, why does it pulse like my heart, why does it swim

like the blood in my veigns, why am I feeling bliss, when that bliss is only

made from the sand which I'm surrounded by...

Why can I feel bliss, but am here on Earth, where there is so much

suffering?

Why is it that all of this dissapears into that from which it came...?

When you are happy, why don't you try to remember and go back to your

sadness?

Why when you are sad, do you try to go back to your happiness?

Here you are sad. Go back to your happiness. Once there, you won't come

back.

Veda allows sex. Veda allows drugs. Veda allows Rock n Roll. Veda allows you

to find what you need to find, whatever that is. Veda is not about going to

hell forever, never. Veda is about learning. Do you win. Yes. Will you get

there. Yes. When? It's up to you. Do you have to give everything up? No, you

have to accept EVERYTHING and give up NOTHING.

Are we safe? Yes, death is an apparition of the body, which you are not.

This is reliable fact. You must get used to thinking you are not the body. Then

you will completely overcome fear of death. This is possible now, in the 1999

turn millenium. Anyone can get over the fear of death, but to do so you must

accept complete spiritual thought as real. It takes time to get used to this. There

is say at least a 10 year change over period, even for the fast. Get started.

All that is told by the real Acaryas takes place on THEIR SIDE of reality.

They give instructions how to get there. But don't expect to FEEL like them

until you ARE there. So you have to get started on the journey, for this

reason also.

So it is for these reasons, for the fact that I know that these Munis and

Rsis

are so good for EVERYONE that I am compelled to keep it so positively worded

here on this list.

Mulims! You are safe here. They love the Prophet too! In fact, they

encouraged Gabriel to talk to Him in the First Place. See they are up there. And they

love us.

Oh yes, Christ was their Idea.

Christ is one of them, the good Christ that is, the One we all believe

should exist. Yes, He exists. That's why you wish for it. Because He already does

exist and you miss Him.

Same with all goodness....

What you seek IS !

Oh brother, and sisters, I hear your hearts, right now, this moment, in my

ears, and I hear your organs moving, pushing, churning, and the

yearnings....I

feel them too....we are all alive. We are called to happiness. It will not

come for these bodies. Oh know this. I know this. You know this.

So let us realize we are forever, we are eternal, we are the stars in the

sky,

one with them, shining brightly, let us dance in circles, to the music of

our

heartbeats, dha da dhaa da dhaa, round and round and round......

Caught up in the whirling swimming tears of missing my Lord, I Raghunandan

just somehow try to reach out to you, whoever you are, and embrace you, and

whisper in your ear, I love you, because you are one with me, we are from

the

same batch, and whatever you do, whatever faults you have, I understand, I

have them too. Whatever pain you feel, because of what you've done, I feel

it

too, because I did it too.

Whatever you are, He made you that way. He knows what you are feeling,

because

He knew you would need to understand this about things. He's sorry you

aren't

willing to fully wake up yet, He's sorry He must let you feel you are going

through it yourself. He tried the spoiled route and you didn't take it

properly. Now he's trying the strict route, and He's crying all the while,

because He cannot bear to think of your pain.

But it shall be later, when you are There, that you won't remember this

place

or time. As it happens, it also vanishes forever, this was His promise in

creating this place. With it He created Time and Death, to make sure you

would

not have to feel these things forever.

I'm with you. I'm your brother. Whether you are man or woman, white or

black,

short or tall, it doesn't matter. Whatever your religion. It doesn't matter.

We are all from the same batch of souls, and we're all stuck on the same

ball

at the same time, with the same parameters around us.

This is why I do what I do. Because you exist. Because we exist. Reach out.

Touch yourself. Touch me. I want to eat, so do you. I want to breathe, and

we

share the same air. Let us pick that which falls, reuse that which we've

used,

allow life to exist in the Earth, Air, Sea, and Everywhere. Life goes on

where

there is no killing, and no pollution. The Earth is a clean virgin womb, for

all God's children to share, our mother, the womb of our birth, the uterus

of

our life.....mother dear, so dear to us all, who live in her womb....yes I

honor our mother, for she is our mother for God's sake...yes, God's

sake...he

created Bhumi Prithivi to raise us, she is our mother, He is our father, His

home is our destination, where She lives with him already....

Enter, no return ticket, walk forward, hear it growing, feel the warmth, the

coolness, the perfectness, all is swimming, moving, daning, living, happy,

you

laugh, you jump, you faint, in a flower bed, believe it, be it, enter.

Krishna Bhakti.

Press Enter.

Do not press Return.

raghunandan das goravani

Shukra

In recent centuries, many persons have taken to the path of knowledge of facts, and with a Euro-Centric view as well as a Darwinistic mixed with Christian sense of History, have approached the Ancient Great cultures with a view to fit them into the CDEC view (Christian Darwinistic Influenced Euro Centric View) and to this end they selectively collect and publish facts and archaelogically influenced theories.

Firstly, God can make entire civilizations dissapear completely instantly, so if Krishna wanted that Dwaraka dissapear completely, then we're talking not a single stick or brick remains. And so he did desire it, and so it was done. Goodbye Dwaraka, good luck archaeologists.

Secondly:

When it comes to the Northern Chart etc., I have heard what Martin said about BPHS and it's mention of the Southern Chart. One person I know who is known for being really uptight, fanatical and "strict" told me that "this means that the Southern Chart is the only Bonafide Vedic Chart style". Personally, I think that's mega stretching the law of inference, not Martin, the other guy (unnamed, not on the list).

Anyway, whatever the Arabs had that was any good, their sciences and so forth, whose to say that they didn't take that originally from India long before. There is a book "Forbidden Archaeology" which goes into the things which have been found which contradict the standard view of world history.

I am not an Indio-Fanatic or defender, or a "Return to the Great Vedic India" or whatever....I'm

not.I just don't agree that good things which came from the Arabs sprang forth out of nowhere as I never believe in Darwinistic evolution. Personally I believe more or less as per the Puranas implications that a very great culture centered in India existed in previous times, and that it extended at times out to even other continents on this globe, and that the arts and sciences were incredibly advanced.

Personally, I think Krishna took alot of India with him when he left in preparation for Kali Yuga. I believe that when He said in Bhagavatam that Dwarkaka would be swallowed by the Sea, personally I think He meant "total bye bye", not a brick remaining, including possibly not under the ocean near modern Dwaraka, I mean, I think he "unmanifested" it completely.

Many things that came from Arabs in recent ages are beautiful and good, and wherever they mix and mesh perfectly with Vedic culture, then those things are Vedic, no matter what their origin, and besides, you have to suspect that all ancient things are of Vedic origins anyway, unless you can only see back a few thousand years.

It is the job of some of the Demigods to put and keep us in illusion. They are capable of removing all traces of bones and buildings etc., from Earth, just by wishing it. Do you think they are going to leave traces of ancient cultures just laying around on Earth which would prove to the modern foolish people of Kali Yuga that they are not the center of their world as they so think they are?

No way.

"The illusion must remain intact". This is the slogan in some offices up in the heavens. They can do it, and they do, and they have the will and divine mandate to do so.

However, Krishna also comes from time to time to reveal the real truth, and for those who have the ears for it, it's very welcome information.

The northern chart looks Arabic, whereas the Yantra looks Vedic, but the Southern seems completely utilitarian, easy, quick, direct. Vedic things are usually very beautiful where possible, and although symmetrical, uneven. I am thinking that for those who used to have to do the kind of math that planetary calcualations, shad bala, etc., are, for the human to do manually, well, in old times, the people with this kind of training and ability, would likely have very prominent Mercuries, and such persons are more into facts than beauty, and thus they could care less about the look of the chart, except that it be highly functional and to the point for the kind of astrology they did.

When I first wrote my program, I used only the Yantra, that's the Star of David inside a circle, like on the cover of David Frawleys book. Well, I immediately found out that beauty and Vedic things weren't being used in the astrology books or by the Jyotishis around, and so I had to add these other, much uglier chart types, which indeed I had seen in the books, but I figured everyone would switch to Yantra as soon as I offered it.

Wrong.

Interesting that charts are being drawn in ugly box like forms when indeed the Universe is roundish by orbital patterns of the Grahas, and there are no clean lines visible anywhere in space. Sounds like Human limitations stepping in to me.

Personally I think that the most natural representation of the heavens in the Wheel where houses remain fixed but the signs and planets move, because that is our viewing situation here on Earth. Our immediate viewing situation is that the houses are always in the exact same places 24/7, and the signs and Grahas constantly move around us fully each day, 24/7.

So I prefer Northern because it works like this too- fixed houses, movable everything else. Chakrapani once showed me the reading superiority of Southern over Northern for certain types of Prashna and other uses where the nature of the signs was highly important, in which case you can immediately always see the Mutable signs on the corners of the southern chart, the movable signs one in from the corners, etc., but I still don't like it, especially since I never really do any prashna or such things- I am mostly just interested in human's charts, and then only in the main stuff, mainly the Rashi, and all that it tells me, which is so much I have to hide.

So hail to the pragmatic Westerners for their Wheels, but boo for losing track of where the zodiac is.

Astrology with it's complex science attracts often strong Mercuries, and these folks are satisfied with reading Courier font, because their pleasure comes not from looks and art and such, but rather from the symphony of facts that sings in their minds. They get off on when the equation balances, not the music they played while studying it. Therefore, they are truly the carriers of sciences down through the ages. They tend to write the books, and keep the schools going.

However, they are often the beasts that remove the beauty from everything too. I remember I had a music teacher in music college who was the only true blue "Musicologist" I ever met- knew music inside out, even taught it at UC Santa Cruz where I went, but he did not play music at all. He was a very dry character. Kindof amazing. In the midst of all these Venus-eyed flower children strumming guitars and learning Jazz, was this uptight non musical music professor. This is archetypical of strong Mercury- all Gyan, no Beauty.

Vedic life requires both for full manifestation- not necessarily in one person, but both in general. We are moving towards light and beauty, not dry ugly algebra homework. We want to be where our thoughts create things, not where our slide rules and computers are needed.

So Gyan is never included in our dreams. Did you ever notice that? Very few people dream about doing hard brain work as a pleasure, though I realize, even personally, that often in this life, brain achievements and hard brain work do pay well in terms of self esteem and so on.

So we must look to the humanity of it all to know the origins of these things. India has absorbed very well. Never rejecting of foreignors, it takes good from here and there, and also sometimes the bad, like MTV.

I think for example, that Tablas, that famous "Indian" drum, are indeed Arabic. Is this true dear Pundits? I have heard such.

Funny, since I heard that, I can't listen to Ali Akbar whomever type music anymore...because with the Beauty of Arabic design came to India the sword too, and the thousands of dead Brahmins and bloody Brahmin threads, the destruction of temples including our beloved Vrndavan, and so forth.

Personally if possible, charts should be beautiful, colorful and thereby somewhat representative of the true beauty of this whole wonderful creation made by the all beautiful Supreme Lord.

It is our misfortune that makes us to work with things which are black and white, with lines and squares or triangles and other such gross symbology.

It's easier to program gross things.

I have to also say, that overall Southern is much easier to program because of it's straight up and down nature- and see, if the most advanced computing device which represents therefore the culmination of Mercurial activity on Earth LIKES the SOUTHERN better, then that shows exactly where this yantra emanates from. Whereas, I bet if you took a poll of who uses which style, you'd find that those with strong Mercuries tend to go Southern, and those with more Rainbow in their chart tend to go Northern or Wheel. Just a guess.

Enough typing, I hope I didn't offend Budha's children on the list today. You know me, I can never shut up about Budha and Kanya. Oh brother. Tell me when it gets old.

Tithis

Humble greetings.

Thanks for asking me about the whys and wherefors regarding Tithis, or Vedic Lunar Days. I will give a brief explanation of them which should clear things up greatly.

Tithis are Lunar Days. They do not correspond at all to Solar Days. They have nothing to do with the days we experience by the rising and setting suns in our various cities. Our current Western calendar is based on solar days. We are used to thinking in this way.

The Moon however does not always rise at night, nor day, nor any time. Actually, the Lunar cycles are much more complex than that. The Sun takes much of our attention because it is so essential for life's operations. And it is so bright, you can't ignore it.

The Moon is the opposite, we can fully ignore it, and hardly know where it is ever, unless it makes a bit of a showing as a full Moon or something, then we notice it's beauty. That's about it.

But the Moon does have cycles which are very exact, and with modern astronomy we know exactly where it's going to be at all times. In fact, this has been known for a long time- thousands of years- more or less with rough accuracy.

So it is possible to correlate the steady movements of the Sun through the degrees of the zodiac over the year it takes for us to circle it, and simultaneously we can track the exact degrees of the Moons apparent movement through the Zodiac over that same year, and we can track their relationship.

In fact, since the zodiac is a 360 degree circle, and we circle the Sun once a year, therefore we say that "the sun moves through the zodiac in a year" or "takes a year".

Well, the Moon circles really fast around the earth, and when we look at it, we see it is "in a certain sign" all the time too, just like the sun, and so we can watch the Moon "move through the Zodiac too" but it only takes about 27 days to go all the way around, and has been doing this, for apparently thousands of years as we've been watching it.

So, the Moon "rips ahead" of the Sun over and over throughout the year. If you chart the too together, the Moon goes all the way around every month, catching up to the Sun and passing it over and over every 27 days.

If we want a lunar month, we can take that 27 days or so that it is, and divide it into 30 sections, and 360 divided by 30 is 12, so this mean that every time the Moon gets 12 degrees ahead of the Sun as it rips ahead around the zodiac, it has moved one lunar day out of it's 30 "day" lunar month.

So I just defined a system of days and a way of telling when they start and end.

When the Moon moves 12 more degrees ahead of the Sun, starting from the point of exact conjunction when they meet every 27 days, then we say the next lunar day begins.

So, since it takes like less than 24 hours, well, if the two planets are conjunct by Gods choice at 2 AM on Wednesday, well then when that occurs, your clock may say 2 AM, but on the other side of the world, that FIRST TITHI of that month begins the previous or next day at a different CLOCK TIME for them.

You see, the Lunar calendar is tied to TWO PLANETS interactions, and these take place WHEN THEY WANT and have nothing to do with what day it is where.

Our current calendar is particularly centered around our reality- our SOLAR DAY and night and SOLAR YEAR and so on.....a lunar calendar takes much more astronomy, math, calculation, astrology and overall intelligence to relate to...but it is much more representative of REPEATING PLANETARY patterns than the rather blunt and dumb solar calendar.

The Solar Calendar is like "the calendar for the masses" and the "luni-solar or Vedic is more for real Brahmins, who are simplly more intelligent and trained".

But the world uses the solar of course, and that's fine.

So, tithis actually start for the whole world at the exact same moment, but that is on a different day and time on different parts of the country or earth because we all have our clocks set relative to our sunlight day.

Then there's "which day is it" so we have invented the international dateline which runs down the Pac. Ocean, and starts the new day in places like Australia- so that's why-

In relation to the Earth as a whole, the SUN and MOON CONJUNCTION event in the great sky, which happens every 27 days and starts the new lunar month off, takes place for all of us at the exact same moment (taking Geocentric calculations as usually do).

So then we relate that to local clocks for the benefit of the local clock staring person who wents to know "when it happens for them" so they can follow the changes or whatever.

So since "Ekadashi" is actually when the Moon is inbetween 120 and 132 degrees ahead of the Sun, and again at 300 and 312 degrees, therefore these angles actually begin and end roundly 22 hours apart, they last that long, roughly one lunar day, and they start and stop in space at totally odd times in relation to any particular day on earth.

So that is why they fall at different clock times in different cities, and this is why Panchangs or Vedic calendars which give the start and stop times of these events must be calculated and printed for a locality, or be written down in Greenwich time or some such standard time frame to be translated by the reader upon need.

Whether or not these calendars and their related Muhurtha knowledge and so on have any value at all, and whether this endevour has any real benefits to the calendar reader is a matter of faith and experience at this time in history it seems as it is a "science" relegated to Hindus and their followers in the West, who don't currently enjoy a vast base of proof for their beliefs other than personal experiences, though voluminous and convincing, remain somehow human, spiritual and not "materiallistically scientifically convincing", and so hence, the application of these things and faith in them has not developed in the West to a great extent since that culture adopts only what increases personal material benefit or what is proven to them by "scientists" of their own rank and file, and not Hindus, for example. It was only a few years that David Carradine had to be put in a TV series instead of Bruce Lee because Lee "looked too oriental" and might offend the general American TV viewers. That was only 20 some odd years ago. We've come some ways, but not far enough, to overcome our prejudices as a whole society, towards "Hindu's" as being some kindof lepper, begger, poverty aboriginal tribal natives of some conquerable category...

The reason Ekadashi sometimes falls on Dwadashi is as follows:

Remember this point: A tithi is less than 24 hours by a few hours.

New point to learn: Sunrise occurs at your location each day. The Vedas say: Whatever TITHI IS RUNNING at your local Sunrise- that is the tithi you will say is running that day as you live your solar day.

So if "Ekadashi" is running when the sun rises, even if it ends 5 minutes later than the sunrise, still, you will say "Ekadashi is today" all day there in that place.

Fine. This is how you know when it's Ekadashi.

You will notice that every once in a while, the cycle gets such that Ekadashi begins RIGHT AFTER SUNRISE and ENDS BEFORE THE NEXT.

So that month there WOULD BE NO EKADASHI for your city.

That would be a "lost tithi". That happens.

However, it is not allowed to happen for Ekadashi since Veda says Ekadashi is the Tithi set aside for worship of Vishnu. So that cannot be lost, ever, in Vedic culture, as Vishnu is God.

So, therefore, it is followed on Dwadashi, the next day. So when it is a "Dwadashi" type Ekadashi, you can know that actually Ekadashi ran the previous day, from just after sunrise to just before sunrise on Dwadashi for your town, and you would be correct.

Lord Caitanya personally approved this system of decision on this matter and ISKCON knows that, and tries to follow it. Same with Gaudiya Math.

There are other minor rules, for certain appearance days which fall on or around Ekadashis. These details I do not have handy. They involve Varahas appearance day if I remember correctly and maybe certain other rules.

There are more rules to the Panchang- all very scientifically based and interesting. The lunar-solar or Vedic calendar has two forms mainly, one that uses the Full Moons and the other the New Moons as the startings of the Months, and there are inserted months, called Adhik Maas, which need to calculated, so it is all rather complex. Made more so by the fact that it is based on accurate astronomy, and hence to create one one must be fairly adept at astronomy, have source books or software for planetary positions, and run all the calculations to calculate the various parts of the panchang, and so on.

ISKCON has a place I believe in Sweden, where they produce calendars for all their temples worldwide localized to the various locals for the devotees to use.

My program does this, but does not list the holy days yet- but I plan to add them someday.

Mahadwadashi means "Great Dwadashi" and as far as I know it is simply the name for the Dwadashi where Ekadashi is honored- "regular dwadashi" or the "12th lunar day" is called "Great 12th lunar day" when it gets to carry the Ekadashi celebrations because Ekadashi was "lost" that month as previously described.

You can give this to whomever could benefit or change it and post it, whatever,

In service,

Raghunandan das

Das Goravani

TRUST

Ranjan Wrote: One question -- whenever you have the time to respond. How does jyotish fit into such a religious ideological framework? What would be the utility of jyotish amidst detachment and such admirably complete trust in the personal God?

Das: There is predetermination to some degree, which can be read in Jyotish, and then there is the appearance to us of free will. Although we are in God and being handled by God, we feel as if free and we feel the good and bad results of actions. So we are to trust and know the former, but fight to be the best we can be in sacrifice, service, dharma, devotion, etc., according to our propensities and nature, which is our varna.

So we have Jyotish from Vishnu. We see it works. It is hard to be "always right" with it prediction-wise, but in terms of seeing the general personality and life trends of people it's quite accurate to us. The utility of this is in navigation and understanding. The first thing Jyotish does is help you to understand yourself, your varna, your propensities and tendencies. This aids the bhakti sadhaka in accepting what God has made in himself (in the bhakta himself that is).

Once the bhakta is learning Jyotish and finding himself, he can eventually use the tool to then understand others, their natures and fortunes. This creates compassion more. Jyotish removes the personal responsibility we can place on others- it becomes hard for the bhakta jyotishi to fault anyone for anything because of seeing that they are helplessly acting under the modes of nature just as is said by the Lord in the Gita.

Thirdly then, the well seeing Vaisnava Jyotishi can then help people by advising them on their decisions in life with the aid of the eye of Jyotish. We all know that a Jyotishi can often greatly help the heart of another person. However, I think that Jyotish help comes not in the form of dodge and avoid, but accept and appreciate the meaningfulness.

I met a lady. I saw her chart. I told her watch for aids. So she went and got tested. She already had it she discovered. I then could see that is a few years Saturn would be transitting her 8th, which can be a part of a death yoga. So now should I recommend yagyas to Sani to avoid death? Rather, I talk about God and Bhakti since Bhakti is the only real solution for the mind which truly perceives the quandry and problems posed for the living being by death. Why discuss anything else? A Vaisnava Jyotishi reveals Gods hand without trying to take the power out of that hand. By helping another Vaisnava see Gods plan for them in a general way, they are helping the person to surrender. Surrender is KEY in Vaisnavism. The Jyotishis always show the future somewhat, but the Vaisnava Jyotishi then does NOT speak in terms of DODGE IT, but speaks in terms of HONOR IT. There may still be some attempt at helping a person with an energy, a ring, some advices on what to accept and what to avoid, but the mood is still one of surrender and awe for the all powerful Lord.

So firstly it increases awareness of oneself and ones karma, varna etc., which helps one immensely to find direction in a life of devotion. Then it helps one have compassion on others, then it helps one to help others. You have to remember that Bhakti creates a good feeling inside us. In the end, most often thats all we want- to feel good. So it is actually sublime super medicine for general purposes of living.

However it is also true that many advanced Vaisnavas care not for Jyotish. My Guru was one such person. His Guru was another, and so on. The most advanced Vaisnavas in our line tend to leave it away. They are not against it, nor do they say that it does not work, but when one is really secure in devotion and surrender, they care not for prediction at all, nor do they need any help reading others. When you enter into total devotion, the mind and senses become extra aware of the motivations of others, because you yourself have left the arena of worldly based action. Ours Gurus showed this capability and it's well known to be an attribute of saints.

I myself am rather detached from concern over Jyotish. I am interested in it mainly for general personality reading alone and occasionally the dashas and what they give.

For example, normally I just want to know the general person-map the Rasi is giving. This is all I need to get a general idea of what a person is like and how they will probably understand and relate to me and so on. I find this a useful tool in life. The need for dashas arises when there is some strong pain demanding attention- for example, "when will my suffering end" and so on. Then the Jyotishi can, without lyeing, pretending, speculating or misleading, give the person some idea of the clock of their allotted fortunes and misfortunes.

I believe that Jyotish should be learned by the Brahminical, as is exactly said in the beginnings and endings of the best of the classics. I believe they, the real ones, know how to use it and where. I do not think it is meant to be applied much in disturbing anyones life. I think Jyotishis should keep things general and after revealing general information, advise the person to engage in Bhakti. Because true, there is no need for a soul to become petrified about anything, or to get energized to try to work hard to change their karma. That is the Vaisnava thinking.

If someone is attacking in war, we will run or fight. We will not stand there like trees and think "I will or will not be killed, based on predetermined will of God". No, we have to go on acting in life. But that kind of necessary action is different from taking action to change one's perceived and hated karma by yagya and other forms of religious activity. Rather, just be devoted to God in life and expect His mercy but also accept that their will be suffering.

I trust that Jyotish works, that is one of my trusts in God. I trust that God's plan for each person seen in their chart is what they need to learn from. I trust that suffering is a teaching tool used by God to teach us. I trust that He'll be there for His devotees. I trust that there's a happy ending to the long life of the Jiva.

I could go on an on. I guarantee you as far as I am able with my heart and mind and all my honesty, that there is room for using Jyotish in a Vaisnava life, which does not conflict with the path of surrender and devotion, and does not imply going against the feelings of complete trust in God.

I can also say that according to the histories, which I personally believe, Parashara was a Vaisnava as was His son Vyas. Ultimately Vyas wrote the Bhagavatam, which is such a great Vaisnava scripture. Parashara speaks of the Vishnu forms as the ultimate deities of the planets in the BPHS.

Ranjan wrote: Does Lord Krishna ever mention about Jyotish or jyotish-related factors anywhere? What are His instructions regarding Jyotish? Should His followers study it or get involved in jyotish-related activities at all?

Das: To be honest, the inferred instruction is much weightier than the direct on this matter. Allow me to explain: Krishna speaks constantly of the Gunas in the Bhagavad Gita. It is very clear so much so that quotes regarding it would seem redundant- that the living beings are moving under the control of the modes of material nature.

Then, it is implied everywhere in Sastra that the planets portend the fortunes and misfortunes of beings. The Nakshatras and Jyotish are mentioned in the Bhagavatam, as is the Jyotishi.

The point is, if you read Mahabharat, Bhagavatam, Gita, and other Upanishads and so on, you clearly understand that Jyotish is part of the Brahminical sciences, or those things which the Brahmins study and use. You also get a clear picture of how Brahmins and Gurus should act. You further see how sparingly they use their knowledge- only at key moments when it can do good and so on. There is much not said by Brahmins to the other types of persons because of the damage knowledge does when misused.

By the way, by Brahmin I mean exclusively "Brahmin by actual qualifications, regardless of birth status's of any type". I do not mean "modern caste-ism".

It is understood and implied everywhere that the leaders of society should be good hearted and religious persons (Brahmins) and that the Kshatriyas should follow them (administrators/government/military/police etc). It is further implied that Brahmins know how to read the heavens and know who is who. This is referred to everywhere, that they knew, and it is inferred that Parashara knows, and that Vyas knows- this is demonstrated throughout the Mahabharat and Bhagavatam, and in the Bhagavatam, Vyas says that book is his most mature work.

The philosophy of the Bhagavatam goes back and forth between the two perceptions of our reality- namely, the predeterminism of it, and the proper use of free will in surrender and devotion. So the burden of being a brahmin is seeing that people can do little to rise above their assigned karmas, and yet, your duty remains to continue to teach and encourage bhakti nontheless. Other persons do not have this burden. They do not see the truth as clearly as the real seers, who are the real Brahmins.

Krishna says in the Gita that His compiled the Vedas, (implying he directly is Vyasadeva in a sense), that Krishna Himself knows the Vedas, and that by all the Vedas, He is to be known.

So knowing the Vedas is the last stage of progress for the Jiva soul in this realm. After properly knowing the Vedas, one is liberated because one will know Krishna. Jyotish is that disturbing element in our sleep of illusion which comes along and shows us what is really going on here, and has been going on with us for a very long time. It is our portal through the illusion of free will. This helps cause surrender.

The human intellect and heart motivations can rise to a point of wilful feelings which are above and beyond the reach of material nature. The human can perceive intense devotion to God. This is the role of human life in Gods plan. To come to this point. Jyotish is a part of the learning process given in the beginning by God. When a Guru sees a young person is qualified for the final home stretch, many things are taught to them, and Jyotish can certainly be one of them, and it seems to be intended to be such by the creator who also gave it. Proper chanting, Sanskrit, Ayurveda are also good, as are more general trainings such as sadhana, regularity, control, strength, selflessness, service, humility, etc.

Study of the Vedas is recommended by Krishna, yes. The Vedas contain Jyotish as Vedangas. Jyotish is not Vedanta, rather, it is a side science as is medicine. In Vedic understanding, study of Medicine is considered lower than religion and philosophy again because like Jyotish, it is of the existences we experience here directly, and not of the solution to the problem of being here and having to die.

The Muhurtha section of Jyotish can be used by a Vaisnava I suppose, but only if they were doing it in a mood of service- "to increase my service to my Lord, to be better, more efficient and so on, I am moving at the times when the lower Gods are on my side so to speak". This can be done. However, in honest speaking, I think most Vaisnavas would prefer to move in eager service to the Lord, using all their best effort, and just accept the result as His decision. So Muhurtha type uses of Jyotish may or may not appeal to the Vaisnava.

humbly

Raghu

Das Goravani