1 Ruling Planets, a near-mathematical model of the phenomenon of Synchronicity in Astrology ------ Dr.

. Satya Prakash Choudhary Ruling Planets is a very important concept, in fact one of the corner stones of KP that attracted me to test KP more. This concept is almost like a mathematical application of the phenomenon of Synchronicity. In my studies into the phenomenon of Synchronicity, this is the peak of a practical near-mathematical model of Synchronicity. Simply put ruling planets are the planets which rule over the particular moment of judgement (in the case of horary/Prasna), birth (in the case of natal chart), or whatever the issue maybe. They are the strongest determinants of the moment. According to Krishnamurti they are: Lagna star lord Lagna lord Moon star lord Moon sign lord and Weekday lord Later his students also added the Lagna sublord and Moon sublord. In practice the ascendant sublord works very well. I use the Moon sublord as a contender only if it is already among the first six ruling planets, only to eliminate the weaker ones, if too many planets appear in the list of ruling planets. If Rahu or Ketu occupy a sign whose lord (ruler) owns another sign, and if that planet happens to be a ruling planet, the node should also be taken as a ruling planet. These planets determine the outcome of anything. Let us look at the rationale of Ruling planets. Isnt it a common experience even for a beginner that quite often when he sits to study a chart the prasna lagna is the same as the birth lagna of the client? Isnt it even more common that the Prasna chart itself reflects accurately the current picture as well as the natal chart? This has indeed been noticed even by Western (tropical) astrologers who have come up with what they call the Consultation chart. The exact moment when an astrologer or even the client genuinely has the urge to look into a question is very important in Prasna. Why? Buddhi Karmaanusaarini. The mind follows the Karmas (see my article on Synchronicity for a fuller understanding). Most astrologers will agree that in principle it is possible to predict based on the Consultation chart. But the dispute would arise about why only the above said planets are selected. The idea of selecting certain planets as the determinants based on some criteria is not really that new either. In my own studies I have come across this a couple of times. The best instance is that of sage Satyacharyas Jataka Satyachaareeyam also known as Satya Jataka. In Adhyaya 1, slokas 7 to 14, the sage gives the four determinants of any chart based on whose strength and disposition he judges the chart straightaway. A simplified version of the same is given here. I am not going into the details of the usage here. It should be pointed out that this wonderful book is the forerunner of the great Nadi classic Dhruva nadi. In fact the principles enunciated here along with the Nadiamshas forms the subject matter of a class of Nadi literature in the form of Dhruva and Satya Samhita Nadis. The determinants of any moment according to the sage are:

Birth lagna (ascendant) lord Moon or lagna nakshatra lord (whichever is stronger) Moon sign lord Navamsa (D-9 or hindu ninth harmonic) lagna lord Lord of the rashi (in the rashi chart) occupied by the Navamsa lagna lord

It will be seen that Krishnamurthis Ruling planets are quite similar. Instead of taking the nakshatra lord of either the lagna or moon based on whichever is stronger, he takes BOTH. He also takes both the Lagna lord and Moonsign lord. He has no place for the Navamsa lord, but introduces the Weekday lord. Let me hasten to add that the above comparision is MINE. Krishnamurthi himself doesnt tell where he got the idea of Ruling planets from. But other astrologers who interacted with him, suggest that he got the idea from his researches on prenatal epoch, that certain ruling planets of the prenatal epoch, become ruling planets at the birth time, and also dominate the individuals life. More on this in another article some other time. I have over the years slightly modified the version for myself. But I will first represent the RP faithfully as they are used by KP. After drawing a list of the ruling planets we can eliminate some as follows. 1. Planets deposited in the nakshatra of a retrograde planet have to be rejected. But planets which are retrograde pose no problem, ONLY those IN THE CONSTELLATION of a retrograde planet will be rejected. A word of caution. This rule has to be used very sparingly. It is not applicable in birth time rectification. 1. If any RP is in the sub of planet detrimental to a house by being a significator of the 8th or 12th house to the relevant house whose matter we are judging, even that planet will be eliminated. Of course this is with reference to the horary chart according to KP only. Beginners to KP dont have to worry about the last rule since I will give a simple example without a Prashna chart. Moreover this rule has is relevant only with an actual prashna chart. Planets in conjunction or aspect to the ruling planets can also jump into the list. This is true especially if the planet is sitting in the ruling lagna itself. Such a planet if strong, is a very good contender. But even this is in keeping with the known concepts of conventional vedic astrology. Judging this part of when such an extra planet should be included or not is the only difficult area. Sometimes (not very common though) a planet in the constellation of a retrograde planet can still work. Dont worry about all that. Even without such modifications (they are only 3 to 4) you will still get it right enough number of times and very accurately sometimes even in the beginning. This will give you faith to work on this concept more. With practice one can come correct 80-90%of the time. There are other guidelines which help an astrologer in judging the strength of the ruling planets. Such guidelines can be evolved after practicing it more. By then one starts feeling their pulse. Three points are to be remembered. 1. The fructification of the event will occur only when the transiting planet transits a point in the zodiac ruled by these planets. If the result is expected on the same day, the lagna will transit this point. If it is in days, move the Moon to this point, if it is expected to happen in months, move Sun, and finally if it is expected in years, Jupiter will transit a

3 point in the zodiac whose sign lord, nakshatra lord and sublord are ruled by the ruling planets. 2. Even if you have three strongest ruling planets, you have 3 points in the zodiac ruled by the three planets. If the ascendant at judgement is a movable sign, the earliest one may be preferred. If it is fixed, the last point. 3. In judging the strength of the ruling planets the following will be helpful most of the time. They are stronger in the descending order. Asc nak lord> Asc sign lord >Moon nak lord> Moon sign lord>Weekday lord The RP can be used in many ways. I will mention a few here. 1. Birth rectification: The ruling planets of the moment you sit to judge the chart (in case of any doubt about the accuracy of birth time) will be same as the birth time ruling planets. In case of doubt about the degree of lagna, it will be the degree ruled by RP. The birth lagna lord, lagna nakshatra lord and sublord will be indicated by the RP. Often the dasha or antardasha lord will also come up. This can be used with traditional astrology too. 2. In conjunction with the Prashna chart, when we have too many significators for an event, the significators which are also the ruling planets are to be clinched. Remember that prashna method will have to be that of KP. 3. Fast predictions can be given just based on the Ruling planets directly. I will illustrate one such case here. Can be used with traditional astrology too. No need of KP as long as you have the table of 249 subs. Most programs give the nakshatra and sublords of every planet including the lagna in the details. Let me now give an actual example now. I used to teach Vedic astrology classes in the University of Sydney during the weekends. These classes were arranged by a student who was working in the Aeronautical Engineering dept in the same University. After some months of regular traditional Vedic astrology classes, I took the lesson on the Ruling planets since they can be used even without much knowledge of KP. I did some examples from my case files, but decided to do more LIVE examples as and when the opportunity arose. The next week on Nov7th 2000, Alan, a student of the same classes, called up. While I was on the phone with him, my sister from USA called me on the mobile. I told Alan to call back after 10 minutes. But the conversation with my sister lasted for more than one hour since we ended up discussing a medical case, about a patient known to both of us. Later I realized that Alan would have probably tried during that one hour a couple of times. So I called him on his phone. But the answering machine was on. I thought that he would be with a client of his or something. So I left a message on his machine. Someone suggested that I should do the Ruling planet and predict when Alan would call back. I noted the time. It was 10:57 am. The place Wollongong, New South Wales. Daylight saving one hour. The Lagna was 5 degrees 34 minutes Capricorn (I used KP ayanamsa). Moon was in Cancer 15 degrees 1 minute and the weekday Tuesday. So the Ruling planets are: Saturn (lagna lord) Sun (lagna nakshatra lord) Mercury (Lagna sublord)

4 Saturn (Moon sign lord) Jupiter (moon nakshatra lord) Mars (Weekday lord) Are any of the planets in the nakshatra of a retrograde planet? Sun in Jupiters nakshatra as well as Moon in Saturns nakshatra are to be eliminated. Saturn, Mars and Mercury are left. Saturn is a very strong significator as it appears twice. Rahu can be added to the list since it is in the sign of Mercury(Gemini). So the final list has Saturn, Mars, Mercury and Rahu. Let us see how many points are ruled by these planets. First consider the Signlord and Nakshatra lord.

Capricorn 23deg 20min to 30 deg is ruled by Saturn (sign lord) and Mars (nakshatra lord). Similiarly Aquarius 0deg to 6deg 40 min as well as 6deg 40 min to 20deg also. Then Aries is ruled by Mars. But Saturn or Mercury or Rahu dont have any nakshatras in this sign. Gemini ruled by Mercury can be considered. Gemini 0deg to 6deg 40min ruled by Merc and Mars Gemini 6deg 40 min to 20 deg ruled by Merc and Rahu. Similiarly you get points in Virgo and Scorpio.

We have an option between Capricorn, Aquarius, Gemini, Virgo or Scorpio. Since our Ascendant was Capricorn a movable sign, we should prefer the earlier signs. The earliest point will be that ruled by Saturn(sign lord) Mars (nak lord). It will happen either in Capricorn or Aquarius. In Capricorn ruling planet subs can be either those of Rahu or Mars. In Aquarius it can be only Mercury since no other ruling planet has a sub in Aq in Mars nakshatra. We have already used Mars. Moreover it is not a very strong contender. Mercury the Asc sublord is the strongest of all the three. So we will clinch Saturn sign Mars Nakshatra Mercury Sub. It is 0deg to 1deg 53 min 20 sec of Aquarius. When can I expect Alan to call back? After a year? Or a month? No. Commonsense tells me that he will call me back he will call back within 24hours on the same day. So we have to see the transit of the lagna in this point of the zodiac. The lagna will be in this point from 12hrs 57 min to 12 hrs 59 min for Wollongong the place of judgement where I will receive his call. So I noted it on a paper and continued my discussion with the other person. It was 12.57. The other person was getting excited. Would Alan call back according to the predicted time? Right at 12.59 the phone rang. I picked it up. Sure enough it was Alan. I asked him the time on his watch. It was either 12.58 or 12.59. I explained the example to him in 5 minutes. Next week I repeated it as an example in the class. Another student wanted to know the birth time of a lady whose chart she was doing. The person gave a range of 2 hours as she didnt know exactly. But she promised to verify from her mother and the birth certificate. Two different ascendants would rise in this range of 2 hours. So in the class the student asked me what degree would be rising. After checking the ruling planets I gave Libra sign, particular nakshatra and sub. Later when the lady got the information from her birth certificate it turned out to be just 5minutes different from what I arrived at. Needless to say we agreed that what we calculated was correct. Often birth certificates could be wrong by that much. Another instance. A group of students and faculty in a college in Vishakhapatnam were trying to learn some concepts in astrology. During the break time, they were trying the

5 readings given by an Indian commercial software program, how reasonably accurate the program was. They put up a chart and started reading the results for the lagna. According to it, the person would be tall since it was a Gemini ascendant. But the man was actually short. Since the ascendant was in the last 5 degrees someone suggested that the birth time could be wrong. I walked in just then. They approached me for a clarification. It was 15:45, August 29th 2001, at Vishakhapatnam. I drew a list of ruling planets immediately. Ascendant: Capricorn 01 deg 47 min Saturn (sign lord), Sun (asc nak lord) Jupiter (asc sublord) Moon sign: Sagittarius 23 deg 24 min Jupiter (sign lord), Venus (moon nak lord), Saturn (moon sublord) Mercury (Weekday lord for Wednesday) Venus was in the 7th aspecting the Ascendant (Parasari aspects vedic style) So the Ruling planets were: Jupiter (Asc sublord & Moon signlord) > Venus (aspecting lagna & also Moon nakshatra lord) > Saturn (Asc signlord & Moon sub) > Sun > Mercury With this information let us look at the question. If there was any mistake in the ascendant, since it was in the last 5 degrees, the other option would be only Cancer. But Moon doesnt figure in our RP list. Mercury the day lord can be the ascendant lord. Having ruled out Moon, could Venus be the ascendant lord since Taurus is close to Gemini? Not really, because that requires a shift in birth time by almost more than 1.5 hours. A variation of a few minutes, say 10 at the most is acceptable in such cases, since according to him, his parents couldnt be off the mark so badly especially being believers in astrology. Now can we go closer to the degree of the ascendant? Since Jupiter was our first choice, it could be Punarvasu nakshatra (ruled by Jupiter) in Gemini. Within this it could be Venus sub (first preference) or Saturn sub (second). I decided to go for Venus sub. It is Gemini 26 deg 33 min 20 sec to 28 deg 46 min 40 sec. I then asked them what degree they got using the birth time as it is. It was Gemini 27 deg 28 minutes. It happens to be the same sub as what I had arrived at independently. Let me point out that the physical description of a person is not based just on the lagna. Other influences on the ascendant and its lord also have to be seen. As for KP, the starlord of the ascendant sublord holds the key to the characteristics of a person. Needless to say the physical description based on the lagna alone is bound to fail very often. In case of doubt between two subs, one should actually verify the results of both sublords and then choose. While the ruling planets are a great help in rectification, the rectified time should again be verified by trying to predict a few things from the chart using either the sublords of various cusps or the divisional charts. I prefer to use the sublords first, and then look into the disional charts as a further verification. I will give one more example. A few months back, I was talking to Mr. Keven Barett, the founder of the OZCVA. Also present were Mr.Ray Webb, editor of a tropical astrology magazine, and two other friends. After sometime, Lynda Hill, the author of a book on the degrees of the zodiac and sabian symbols, joined us. Ray Webb remarked that she had changed the energy and atmosphere with her arrival. She did seem to have. This was the first time I met her. I was wondering what her ascendant was. I mentally tried to calculate the ascendant for a horary chart for that moment. It could probably be Sagittarius. Since I was not sure, and also because I had to leave immediately. After some days while I was discussing something with Ada Cumming, a businesswoman and wonderful patron of astrology, at her home cum office, Lynda Hill dropped in. After a few minutes of interaction, again there arose a desire in my mind to know her ascendant. Immediately I calculated the RPs since I had a laptop with me this time. It was 15:59

6 hrs, July 5th 2001, at Sydney. Ascendant: 07 deg 11 min Sagittarius Jupiter (sign lord) Ketu (asc nak lord) and Rahu (asc sublord) Moon sign: 15 deg 09 min Sagittarius Jupiter- Venus- Venus Weekday lord: Jupiter. Moreover Jupiter was one of the planets aspecting lagna (Jupiter, Rahu, Sun were aspecting the ascendant from the 7th while Ketu and Moon were in the ascendant). With Jupiter appearing 4 times and both the ruling ascendant and moon sign being Sagittarius, it was almost impossible that her natal ascendant could be anything other than Sagittarius. But just to rule out the possibility, let us consider Pisces too which is ruled by Jupiter. Next to Jupiter, Venus, Rahu and Ketu , and Sun are other ruling planets in the list. But none of them have a nakshatra in Pisces. So it was certain that her natal ascendant was Sagittarius. I worked it out in a few minutes and kept it aside. I then asked her for her birth details. Then I showed her what I had calculated. Needless to say she had Sagittarius rising in her natal chart. Sometimes it is a good idea to see the navamsa lagna. Quite often, either the moon in the Prasna rasi chart, or the ascendant in the Prasna D-9, directly reflect the birth lagna in question. Let me bring another experience that is not very uncommon. Sometimes you dont find the actual lagna sign lord in the ruling planets. But this is only in cases where the lagna sign is not in doubt. But in all cases where the lagna sign itself is doubtful, the sign lord finds a place in the ruling planets. The ruling planets are like angels for an astrologer. They help in clearing the actual doubt. They also help in predicting very accurately quite often. They almost always help to refine a prediction arrived at through other methods. There is a saying that the planets whisper into the ears of a good astrologer. If that could be true, ruling planets come close to that. The use of ruling planets is not restricted to the few types of cases mentioned here by me. As the sage Satyacharya opined, the determinants of a chart (ruling planets in this methodology) are most important to judge a chart. Snapshot predictions can be given based on them. Another common use for ruling planets is in matching charts. In KP, for any event three houses are to be judged. One is the primary house while the other two are secondary but quite important. For marriage, we should look to houses 2,7,11. The 7th (kalathra sthana) is the primary one which signifies *partnership and *legal bondage. The 2nd stands for increase in family (kutumba sthana refers to family in general without reference to any particular relation while other houses refer specifically to a particular relation) which marriage brings by the addition of the new member. The 11th is for pleasure and permanent or lasting friendship. Venus the natural significator of marriage is also reckoned as important especially if it is related to *any of the above three houses. Additionally planets conjoined with or aspecting the above significators or houses. What about divorce or separation? Since 12th house negates or represents loss or dissolution, houses that are12th to 2,7,11 are to be judged. So 1st (12th to 2nd), 6th (12th to 7th), and 10th (12th to 11th) are judged for divorce. While the 6th can bring about separation (temporary or permanent), the 1st and 10th speak of a more permanent separation, especially the 10th since it represents loss/end of a permanent or

7 lasting friendship. The 10th house, which represents career, is a very enigmatic house. On one hand it can give rise/growth in career (it is one of the upachaya houses). Simultaneously as a maraka for both the mother and father, it could be bad for the parents. It can also spell serious trouble for the married life in the form of separation or divorce. And yet as the karmasthana, it can represent the ultimate blossoming of karma. Career affords one a chance to liquidate karma by living out ones personal dharma (svadharma). That is why the highest manifestation of Ketu in the 10th is self-realisation (remember Ketu in 10th in ideal conditions can give self-realisation as in the case of Sri Ramakrishna). Find out the ruling planets of the husband. If in the wifes chart, they are the significators of 2,7,11 without at the same time being the significators of 1,6,10, then the marriage will be stable (also vice versa). If the ruling planets of one person are the significators of 1,6,10 as well as 2,7,11, the marriage is unstable, and the married life replete with many unhappy moments, separations, quarrels etc and possibly even divorce, depending upon other factors. If the ruling planets of one person are very strong significators of 1,6,10 only and do not signify anything positive, the match is to be definitely avoided or will fall through naturally. Of course one can study the navamsas of both against each other, apart from the rashis or the Upapadas. But here I am using only the ruling planets. When you use this method the significators are judged KP style using Placidus houses and nakshatras. Let me also add that the Navamsa lagna lords could also be included in the ruling planet list following sage Satyacharyas method of finding out the four determinants because this context specifically relates to marriage, for which Navamsa is a key divisional chart. Look at the following charts sent by someone. A lady born on Feb 6th 1972 at 04:45 hrs, 75E47, 31N01, IST, was married to a gentleman born on Nov 13th 1972 at 14:00 hrs (questionable time), 76E25, 30N20. Time zone is 05:30 hrs. The ruling planets of the husband are (I am not taking the lagna sublord since we are not sure of the birth time): Rahu (lagna nak lord) Saturn (lagna lord as well as moon rashi lord) Moon (moon nakshatra lord as well as weekday lord). In the wifes chart, Rahu is a strong significator of both 1 and 10, while Moon is also a moderate significator of the 10th. Saturn seems to be OK. But with a majority of the ruling planets being significators of houses representing seperation and divorce, the marriage cannot be stable. They got married on Feb 7th 1998 and got divorced April 9th 2001. Now a word on compatibility. Both Seshadri Iyer and Krishnamurthi were of the belief that more than a case of Porutham, it is essentially Praptham that determined marriages. There may be a million people compatible to you on the earth. But you may not even meet them in your life. But the few who share a strong rnanubandhana (the binding of karmic debt) with you, will come into your life irrespective of compatibility. The karma shared by a couple may be sweet or bitter. Yet they have to live their karma. Then why do we do compatibility or matching of charts? One reason could be to assess the strengths and weaknesses, so that one knows the general direction, and also to be better prepared to tackle the situation. Again it is more about how one reacts, the mental poise rather than any radical changes by self- efforts. The quality of married life is largely dependant on the natal chart itself. Within the boundaries determined by our Prarabdha, we can stretch the rope of karma that binds us, a little bit. Remember the cow? We are neither totally bound by destiny nor are we totally free. We have limited freedom like a

8 cow that has been tied to a post in a field with a rope. It can move freely, but only within the limits of the field. We have limited freedom depending upon how much we can stretch our Karma. In passing it should be mentioned at the cost of repetition that the query has to be genuine. It is equally important to be very clear about the question. These rules are part of any prashna. Some clients change the question within that 5 minutes. After asking, Will I pass the examination? while the astrologer is analysing they change it to I am worried that I may fail. Do you think I will fail? It goes without saying that with the same chart, the answer to both the questions can be different. Clear questions get clear answers. An astrologer has to very clearly note at the outset the EXACT way in which the question was asked. KP READER 6 is quite good to learn KP style of conducting a prashna. But no book is enough because unless you know where to look for for a particular prashna, which houses signify the matter, even if you are experienced you will still go wrong. No book gives all kinds of prashnas. Dont offer predictions for Prashnas based on loose knowledge of where to look for. In KP everything is precise, almost like a formula. Either you are accurate when you get it right or you get it wrong because you didnt get your formula right. No beating round the bush. A few reminders. 1. In KP house cusps are calculated using Placidus method. 2. Subs play the key role 3. Ascendant is fixed by a Number that the client gives. 4. Ruling planet ascendant is DIFFERENT from the Arudha lagna (the ascendant ascertained with the number) 5. Buddhi Karmaanusaarini. The client WILL give a number that fits well with his karmic patterns. NEVER doubt this. The mind follows the karmas. All minds are connected. Whoever gives the number is at some level connected to the Universal Intelligence. There is no element of chance in this. 6. A particular Prashna (query) is done only once unless you are doing another Prashna to Zoom in. Finally let me caution the reader about a few important considerations. 1. Planets in the sub of retrogrades need not be rejected for any Prasna including rectification. 2. Planets in the nakshatra of a retrograde are eliminated from the list of RP only for regular prasnas, but not in rectification cases. As such retrogression, is a misleading concept in KP as it was originally used in RPs. It may be rejected prima facie. Experience on hundreds of Prasna charts has convinced me of this. Moreover, retrogression as used in KP is a partial, very minimal application of the theory of planetary speeds in Jyotish. Both Brighu and Parasara mention 6-8 types of planetary motion. I will deal with this in another article. It is another wonderful topic for an astrologer, though grossly neglected. Many astrologers are not even aware of how to use them. 3. One need not worry about eliminating the unwanted RPs for timing of the event or finding the arc in the zodiac(sub), since often some of them get eliminated automatically simply because they cannot figure in the analysis. A multiple or composite approach can also be helpful in this regard. 4. KP as taught by Krishnamurti is not infallible. For that matter KP, Iyers NTP etc, none of them are infallible including the classical works. One has to be open minded and work hard. Krishnamurti himself wanted his students to be open and research minded so that

9 they could take KP forward. I respect and love all the great minds that have researched and advanced jyotish, but no one has monopoly over the truth. Each method has its own advantage. Undoubtedly Ruling planets, is a step forward in Jyotish, but not the ultimate. It is for us to work more and make it better. Many a time I have rectified charts with the help of ruling planets. Many times I had anticipated the Birth lagna and nakshatra even before calculating the birth chart. When it was calculated the client or student would be surprised that it was exactly the same. Let me add that I am not boasting of my abilities here. I am just writing about how reliable the ruling planets are. I am nobody. Occasionally every astrologer has to go wrong. Nobody is infallible. But the astrologer has to answer himself before giving a prediction. Has he been intellectually honest? Has he learnt the best techniques with no prejudices? Has he been open minded enough? Has he done his job sincerely? If he has, he should give the prediction boldly without any attachment to the result. It generally will come true. Ruling planets is one of those very few techniques, which give more confidence to the astrologer by increasing the precision and accuracy. For those who are new to this technique, one last word. The judgement of finding the correct 3 significators will come from applying the principles and analyzing the results. After 3 months of regular and sincere study, anyone can come 80 of the time accurate. In fact to the precise moment at times. Sometimes we may be wrong in our judgement of the sublord. We are still around the time. We learn from experience. Still even the best astrologer can be wrong sometimes. Whats there to complain about this? Are we playing God? We are just insignificant tiny beings trying to fathom the unfathomable. The enigma of Karma will not reveal itself to any of us in its entirety, especially to us who are still bound by ignorance. If we know what Karma is, we are no more part of this rat race, this cycle of births and deaths. In fact the knower does not exist anymore. All distinction between the knower and known ceases. Sarvam khalvidam Brahma. Remember that like in Prashna (horary) the urge has to be genuine, not to just test the theory. It will work in all genuine cases when you are doing a chart seriously. Please try this method sincerely without any bias for a few weeks at least before forming any opinions. This is a very brief introduction to the RP. It is just the tip of the iceberg. I am sharing my experience here. I have tried many methods in the past 13 years. This is one among what works. I have also given Satyacharyas theory for comparison if any diehard traditionalist wants to use a similar idea. Even if one doesnt use KP subs, still the ruling planets can be used with considerable accuracy, at least in rectification methods. Many traditional astrologers ignore or decry KP because they feel that it has broken the bindings of tradition. My sincere request to such astrologers is to try KP with an open mind. Then they can form their opinions. But if one is already biased and then reads a book, nothing will appeal to such a person. Anything that binds us is against Truth. Truth has to be liberating, not binding. Tradition has its role to play. But if it becomes an obstacle to truth, it is no more divine. Wasnt Sri Ramakrishna advised to cut the vision of Kali with the sword of discrimination by Tota Puri? We should have a healthy respect for the sages and their teachings. A lot of their teachings are lost now. But if we hope to reclaim even a part of it, we should be open to the truth in any form. Trying more methods in the light of what the sages taught is what we should do. May the truth set us free.

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Karma-The Eternal Mystery (part 1) ------ Dr. Satya Prakash Choudhary As I grew up I started wondering about the purpose of life. Life brought with its myriad experiences, the inevitable experience of suffering too. Why do we suffer? Why are we born? Such questions plagued my mind for a long time. The sacred books and the wise men gave me a glimpse of the theory of karma and transmigration of the soul. It seemed very logical, yet I could not accept it fully till I started studying Jyotisha or Hindu Astrology. It took me years of hard work, some experience and sincere thinking to appreciate the subtleties. When I started seeing the patterns in the horoscope manifesting in actual life, I had to accept the theory of Karma. Slowly it was no more a belief, but a truth. Karma means not only action, but also the result of an action. Whatever we are going through at the moment is the result of previous actions, not just of this life, but many lives. In short Karma is the sum total of our actions both in this life and in the preceding ones. Nothing happens by accident or chance actions . Everything happens in regular order, the past, present and the future being interconnected and interdependent. Cause is Effect concealed, and Effect is Cause revealed! Now that brings us to the question of rebirth. Books written by Ian Stevenson, Hiroshi Motoyama, Raymond Moody and many other interesting cases suggest that there is compelling evidence for rebirth. Every good astrologer himself is proof of Karma and rebirth! Let us examine the theory of Karma and rebirth according to Sanatana Dharma . You will not cease to exist after death. It is the physical body that dies. The astral body ( sukshma or linga sarira ) and causal body ( karana sarira) continue forth. The causal body has all your Karmas stored in it as seeds, seeds that result in rebirth. As long as man has not exhausted all his Karmas , he has to be born again. All our actions and thoughts become the seeds for our future lives. Karma is at the root of this cycle of births and deaths. Again and again Karma makes us take birth. Countless times have we been born and countless times have we died. Very many wombs have we passed through. This is the Hindu view. The Buddhist view is different in its approach to reincarnation and the self though it shares a lot with the Hindu view as far as Karma is concerned. Rnanubandha In each life, we have mother, father, brothers, sisters, spouse, children and so on. We are born in a family as a result of undischarged debts of past lives. Constantly we are creating accounts, debiting and crediting. We are creating Karmic debts with all those with whom we interact. The Karmic debts ( rna ) lead to bondage or attachment ( bandha ). These Karmic attachments pull us into the wheel of existence again and again.Rnanubandha (the bond that results from Karmic debts) is at the root of repeated lives. Karma leads to rna and rna leads to Karma . It works both ways. If you have given something to somebody in some life, the memory is stored in your causal body. That

11 person will be your debtor in this birth. If you have taken in the past, it will be taken from you in some birth. If you have given in the past it will come back to you later. The causal body stores the memory of all of one's rnanubandhas of countless births. Till all the karma stored in the causal body is burnt away or exhausted, there is no liberation from rebirth. Human life is nothing but a memory of rnanubandha , the story of the countless karmas that we make, and live through. Every relationship reflects some rnanubandha . The people with whom we have very strong rnanubandha become our parents, spouse, children and co-borns in this life. In most relationships it is our rna that ensures a complementary fit, just like a lock and key. The citta (unconscious mind) holds these emotional memories or subliminal impressions that drive one to act or seek. They are more like vague impressions rather than clear memories. The memory of Karmic debts may be sweet or bitter. Sweet memories of karmic debts lead to a 'happy' relationship and bitter memories to an 'unhappy' relationship. In reality most of the karmic debts are mixed, a mixture of sweet and bitter memories. That is why most relationships are of a mixed nature. I will try to explain briefly two kinds of relationships that are most significant: parent/child and love/marriage relationships.

Parent /Child Relationship This relationship is the most important. This is the easiest way to discharge our karmic debts toward one another. Some possible ways in which it works: A person whom you have helped in some life is born as a child, takes good care of you in the present life and discharges his/her debt. A person to whom you owe a lot in some life may be born as your son or daughter and take back what you owe. Such a child makes you spend heavily on her/him. A person whom you cheated ruthlessly in a previous life is born as your child and gives you a lot of suffering, takes your money and goes away. An enemy of some life is born as a son/daughter in this life, in which case, he/she behaves like an enemy, hates you and causes a lot of suffering to you. The spouse, the parents, siblings, friends, servants, all are born in a particular place-time together as a result of rnanubandha .

Romantic Relationships/Marriage Two people can be mutually attracted to one another only if there was some relationship between them in some previous life. When you meet a person to whom you were related in a previous life, the stored impressions/memories or rnanubandha stir up your emotions and you may start "feeling" for the person. Every longstanding relationship leads to certain deep impressions. Any act when done repeatedly can become a habit. Every habit leaves an impression. These impressions are the samskaras that are more like an inclination. The very strong ones are the vasanas , which compel us to act or seek again. But if we have no more debt ( rna ) with the other person, it just remains a fleeting thought, an inclination or an impulse only.

12 Sometimes even though the karmic debt is discharged, the old samskaras (the subliminal impressions of past acts) can generate an irresistible inner urge to enter into a relationship. We eventually end up creating a fresh account, a further karmic debt that is not advisable. But if there is undischarged karmic debt, it results in a relationship naturally. When the karmic accounts are settled, once there is no more debt, the relationship ends. But if the rnanubandha is very strong, it results in a long-standing relationship like marriage. This is the cause of every relationship, how it is born and how it ends. But nothing is permanent. No karmic debt can be everlasting. Eventually it has to end when the debt is discharged, when the account is balanced. In this impermanent world change is the law of life. Countless wombs have we passed through. Innumerable mothers, fathers, spouses and children have we been with. It is hard to interact with another being who has not been a parent, brother, sister, spouse, child, friend or associate in some other life. But when a karmic debt is over, the attachment might still be there. We still cling on. When rna (debt) is over, the relationship has to end, butanubandha (emotional bondage or emotional attachment) might still make us cling to the person. Like the fan that turns for a while even after the power supply has been switched off, the attachment doesn't die for some time. Once the rna is over, nothing can sustain the relationship. Hence any further remnants of emotional attachment (anubandha ) are bound to produce only suffering and misery. In some cases, one of the two people involved grows out of the relationship once the rna (debt) is discharged. But the other refuses to move on, due to emotional attachment ( anubandha ). The second person suffers tremendously because any further attachment leads to misery and suffering only. Sometimes there is bitterness also after separation. This bitterness can sow the seeds for future karma ! When the karmic debts are over, when a couple has to part ways, as far as possible, it should be done with the least negative feelings. They should part in an amicable way to avoid further seeds of new karma . Easier said than done.

The karma that brings two people together into marriage can also be of many types. I will mention a few below: Bitter enemies can be born as husband and wife and always fight, criticize, deceive one another, block the other's progress and make each others' lives miserable. Two people who have created negative karma between them come back as man and wife and lead a life of suffering together, fighting with one another. Two people who have created both positive and negative karma between them come back as man and wife and have a mixed life causing both happiness and unhappiness to one another. Two people who have created positive karma between them in previous lives come back as man and wife and lead a relatively happy life helping and supporting each other. One who has taken a lot in some life has to give in the present life. In such a case, one of them will always be giving (money, love, care, etc.) and the other receiving. Two souls who are evolving spiritually come as husband and wife, help each other in

13 their evolution and benefit one another. This is the purpose of marriage. A couple who has been husband and wife may come back as husband and wife again if their rnanubandha is very strong. If the rnanubandha is very strong and their destinies (lives) are so strongly interlinked, usually both die almost at the same time. If one dies first, generally the other also dies within a few hours or days or weeks. The souls are so strongly identified with one another that towards the end of a successful married life, they behave as if they are one. Sometimes (rarely) a very highly evolved being or soul, or spirit or even an avatar (an incarnation of a deity) is born as two people to accomplish a mission. After the accomplishment of the mission, they merge back into one. Though very rare, such a divine couple can take birth at times. Such a high soul may be born as two separate individuals as husband and wife, brothers, guru and disciple, etc. Thus the anubandha (emotional bond) between husband and wife or between any two people can take many forms. The patterns of rna and karma are myriad, exceedingly intricate and perplexing. It is because ofrnanubanda that you are a child to your parents, spouse to your spouse and parent to your child. A broader understanding of the concept of 'rna' at a cosmic level unravels the interdependence of all life. Whosoever or whatsoever comes to you, comes because of some rna. So a wise person treats every living being with kindness. As a famous Indian saint remarked, "Without rnanubandha no creature comes to you. God will be certainly pleased if you give water to the thirsty, bread to the hungry and clothes to the naked. Be kind and considerate to all creatures. " More on Rna in another chapter. Let us now return back to Karma . As already stated the patterns of karma are myriad, exceedingly intricate and perplexing. It is very difficult to understand because karma is an eternal mystery that defies all description. Yet we can try to understand what little we could with the guiding 'light' of spiritual wisdom. Kinds of Karma i. Sanchita Karma or Total Accumulated Karma This is the vast store of accumulated Karmas of all past lives (as a human being only). In other words this is the reserve of karma that one has accumulated over many lifetimes but which is not specifically active in this lifetime. Sanchita Karma may be indirectly seen in a man as his character, his tendencies, aptitudes, inclinations and desires. These inclinations are referred to as Samskaras which are akin to the 'unconscious mind' in psychoanalysis. The stronger samskaras that are very compelling are referred to as the vasanas . Prarabdha or Fructifying Karma It would be impossible as well as overwhelming to encounter all the results of past thoughts, actions and karmic entanglements in one lifetime. Hence only a portion of our past karma can be dealt with in one lifetime. All ofSanchita karma will not be experienced at one time. Only that portion which has 'become ripe' for experiencing in this life time is Prarabdha . That portion of our active Karmas allocated to us in this life, is called Prarabdha karma . Thus Prarabdha is considered fate or destiny and is active karma which must be met in the present lifetime. This basic destiny pattern is considered to be unalterable. It is the fruit of our past actions that are being reaped in this life. The

14 natal horoscope reveals Prarabdha only. Anyone who is familiar with the accuracy and insights provided by astrology cannot deny that the natal birth chart reveals the fundamental pattern of life at least in symbolic language. Kriyaman or Current Karma This is the fresh karma that we do in this life. It is the karma we are now making in this very lifetime. This is the area that man has freedom to determine the course of action. This determines our future lives. This is where the concept of free will comes. The horary chart reflects both the active prarabdha brought forth from past karmas as well as the kriyaman karma of this life. In other words the prasna (horary) chart is the latest karmic bank statement with regard to the query! Agami Karma or Future Karma or Potential Karma The karma that is coming, in other words, new actions that you contemplate as a result of your thoughts, the way you envision the future, is Agami Karma . Today's plans when executed could become a reality one day.Agami is the power of intent. Planning is Agami while execution is Kriyaman . Thus Agami (intent and planning) leads to Kriyaman (freshly executed actions of the present) which becomes Sanchita (accumulated) to later surface as Prarabdha (destiny). Thus Sanchita karma manifests in two ways - firstly, as Prarabdha or the so called destiny, and secondly, as theSamskaras or character or unconscious tendencies.

Jyotisha or Astrology It sheds light on life by revealing our karmic patterns. When a soul is born into a family, it is because of the karmic debts with the others in that family. When everything fits synchronously, the situations and the persons fit into the karmic patterns and the soul takes birth. In other words the individual karmic pattern selected for this life has to fit in or correspond to the group (whole) karmic patterns of the family, society, etc. This happens not just by chance, but in accordance with the cosmic order of synchronicity. What relation does the horoscope have to destiny? Do planets dictate our lives? These are often asked questions . The planets do not control our lives. They reflect the cosmic patterns . The universe works in certain natural cyclic patterns. Both the macrocosm and microcosm operate in a similar way. The planets revolve around the sun. The electrons revolve around the nucleus in the atom. 'As above so below'. This is the fundamental law.A man is born at the time when his individual karmic pattern (prarabdha) matches that of the macrocosm, which is the planetary and stellar pattern. What is happening at a macrocosmic level is also happening at a microcosmic level. By this cosmic law of synchronicity, the karmic pattern matches with the planetary pattern. In other words the time of birth is Prarabdha (destiny)! By studying the patterns created by the stellar bodies, we can infer the karmic patterns of the individual, because both are co-extensive. The horoscope thus reveals the Prarabdha karma of an individual. The orders of Synchronicity and Karma are the rationale behind why the indications of the natal horoscope work reasonably well. Yet the

15 order of Synchronicity is a deeper and intriguing phenomenon, one that goes beyond the Causal mechanics of Karma . Synchronicity is 'a-causal' or 'non-causal'. Synchronicity has been dealt with in a separate chapter in this book. Let us return back to Karma , the Law of Cause and Effect now. An intelligent astrologer can analyse to a reasonable extent, the Prarabdha with which a person is born, and based on that, the situations in which the individual may be placed in life at different times. One's prakrti , character, mental make-up and the situations in life are all Prarabdha indicated by the horoscope through the patterns revealed. Hence study of Jyotisha or astrology can shed light on the unknown aspects of life and is very illuminating. Astrology is light on life. Astrology can guide us in our lives by giving hope; by correcting us and most importantly it can be a Sadhana(spiritual practice) by itself when done unselfishly. To the spiritual person, it gives proof of karma , rebirth and the goal of life. Used wisely astrology can guide us and help us in our spiritual ascent. Areas like daiva cikitsa(spiritual healing), muhurta (electional astrology) and even jataka (predictive astrology) can be of immense help in our day to day lives. Herein lies the usefulness of astrology. Limitations of Astrology Astrology has its limitations too. An astrologer cannot literally see every thing. He has access to limited information. First only the Prarabdha is revealed through a horoscope, that too in a veiled manner. Even a very learned astrologer has access only to the 'patterns'. He does not 'see' the story written there. He has to analyse the patterns and infer what it could possibly mean. Often the astrologer ( jyotishi ) comes to crossroads, where two or more interpretations seem equally possible. Each could manifest in many ways. Only the general or specific trend may be understood. But never 'exactly' as it would manifest. The actual event itself may manifest in a manner totally unanticipated by the astrologer. One only needs a little intellectual honesty and some astrological experience to appreciate this. Often the astrologer may misjudge or even be working on wrong information (like wrong birth time)! Even if the astrologer is running a favourable planetary period ( dasa ) himself a interprets it correctly, he should remember that he has access only to the individual's Prarabdha . He is in the dark where a vital area like Kriyaman Karma is concerned. This is the invisible area, where one can make or mar one's destiny. Some of the effects of Kriyaman karma manifest in the future lives while some may manifest in this very lifetime. An astrologer can never know exactly as regards the client's spiritual merit, which could be rapidly declining or growing. Though the predictions can often be uncannily accurate, no astrologer can be hundred percent correct always and therefore should be humble enough in his approach to the divine knowledge of astrology. Nothing teaches more humility as the true practice of astrology does. In spite of these limitations, an honest astrologer can still guide us to a reasonable extent. Finally it should be remembered that Astrology is only a language, albeit a very fine, symbolic and natural language. In our attempt to understand the world around us, there are a few languages that we create/learn. Astrology is one such language, a language of Nature. And Nature can never be unraveled in full, by us mortals. There will be a part that will always remain an enigma. Karma- The Eternal Mystery (part 2)

16 ------ Dr. Satya Prakash Choudhary COUNSEL FROM THE SEERS There are a few ideas that emerge from a sincere study of the ancient texts and the revelations of the seers. Prarabdha cannot be changed by any one. This is destined to happen. No one can avert it. The best way is to accept things as they are and surrender to the Almighty. Prarabdha can affect the body only, not the mind. For instance physical pain is inevitable if one has a physical body, but one need not suffer psychologically. Pain is natural, not suffering. Mental pain is what suffering is. If the mind knows that it has to face a situation involving physical pain, in addition to the physical pain, the mind goes through mental pain too in anticipation of the physical pain, worrying about it. This is like the child who suffers from mental agony three hours ahead of the injection that he knows the doctor will give him. The actual pain of the injection itself will last but for a minute though the child suffers for hours in anticipation of the physical pain. It is most important to make this distinction between pain and suffering since almost all of us suffer more from mental pain than physical pain. If one can cultivate sufficient discrimination, one can avoid unnecessary mental suffering. In other words disasters happen, but mentally one can remain unaffected by adopting a spiritual attitude. Some people take a wrong message from all this. They feel that doing no work, inaction will help them. This is impossible. No human being can ever remain without performing karma. Bound by Prakriti (Nature), man is forced to do karma by the three gunas (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas). Our minds will compel us from within to perform karma. Karma is three fold. First there arises a desire, an impulse within. Then you think of how to attain it. Finally you exert to attain it. Desire, thought and action always go together. So thought itself is subtle karma, the seed of karma. Karma can be done through the mind (thought), speech (words/verbal) and the body (the actual act). These are three threads, which make the rope of karma that binds all men. Hence even if a man is inactive and refrains from action, he may still be doing karma at a thought level. As long as thoughts are there, karma is being done. A man may be acting, but mentally he may not have any sense of agency, in which case karma cannot bind him. This is the essence of the Gita sloka, 'He, who sees action in inaction, and inaction in action, is a yogi' . Seeing, hearing, talking, thinking, all are karmas. We are constantly performing karma through the mind, speech and body in all the three states of dreaming, sleeping and walking. There can be no state in which a man is not performing karma. Instead of running away from action, one should instead, give up all sense of agency, the identification with karma. Can one really go beyond karma? While one may not be able to go beyond karma, one may go beyond the results of karma. To start with let us look at agami karma. A careful perusal of the vast body of Hindu literature gives us three possible alternatives. Agami karma can be destroyed by expiatory rites or Prayaschitta ( Poorva Mimamsa or Ritualistic path), and by removing the idea of agency through Nimitta Bhava ( Bhakti yoga ) and Sakshi Bhava ( Gnana yoga ). In reality each of these alternatives has its own value. But I will discuss the last two here.

17 All spiritual aspirants aim at either of these attitudes (either Nimitta bhava or Sakshi bhava ), or a combination of both. While the devotee predominantly prefers the 'nimitta bhava', the vedantin prefers the 'sakshi bhava'. In 'nimitta bhava' the sense of agency is removed through adopting an attitude that one is an instrument in the hands of God, while in 'sakshi bhava' the sense of agency is removed by adopting an attitude that one is a silent witness of the actions of the senses and the mind. If you write a check for a hundred thousand dollars and do not sign it, is it valid? No, because your signature is not there. Similarly if you do not put your signature on your actions, they cannot bind you. In other words, you can act, but do not be attached to the result. Do it without any sense of agency, with a Nimitta bhava. Surrendering oneself to God, if one acts without any attachment to the results, Karma does not bind one. The sense of 'I', 'mine' and self-identification are our signature. When you do any karma without your signature, it is not going to bind you. Hence adopting either of the two attitudes advocated by the seers can be of immense help. Both the paths are equally valid. Though the paths seem different, the end is the same- removing the idea of agency. All the saints, who advocated the way of bhakti spoke exclusively of 'nimitta bhava', while gnanis like Ramana Maharshi and JK advocated 'sakshi bhava'. Vivekananda had streaks of both a bhakta as well as a gnani. So one moment we see him crying in front of Kali with the yearning of a devotee and the second moment we hear his clarion call in Upanishadic fashion asking us to "Arise. Awake. And stop not till the goal is reached"! There is no contradiction in all this. As Swami Sivananda reiterated time and again, prarabdha karma too can be greatly modified by entertaining lofty, divine thoughts, and doing virtuous actions. But the ultimate solution that can destroy the entire storehouse of previous karmas (Sanchita) is the most difficult, one that might take many more lives- 'Attaining knowledge of Brahman or the Eternal'. As Swami Sivananda said, 'You have no Bhoga-svatantrya (freedom to determine the result of action) but you have Karma-Svatantrya (freedom to determine the course of action) '. In other words, the only area where we have a choice is the present. Irrespective of the results, one should carry on with his duties, surrendering to the Lord. At times we may not have freedom to determine the results, but we are totally free to determine the course of action. By moving in the right direction according to Dharma, one can alter the course of the future (especially future lives). The situations that we find ourselves in are due to Prarabdha, over which we have no control. But we have freedom as far as our reaction to the situation is concerned. 'What you are now at present is the result of what you thought and did in the past. What you shall be in the future will be the result of what you think and do now'. Hence, destiny is your own doing. You have built it. Only you can undo it. If your actions of hundred lives have resulted in an adverse condition, you can still undo it. But it requires a hundred times more effort to balance the actions of previous lives. Yet, if you want to change your life you always have the freedom to determine the course of action, if not the results.

How does karma actualize? All our karmas are stored in the causal body. When the planetary patterns change, when the time is ripe, synchronously the karmas ripen to fruition; the seeds of karma in the

18 causal body sprout and project into the astral body where they influence the mind. The thoughts stimulate animate the physical body, thus, to act in a manner that is in accordance with the karmic patterns. Thus any undesirable seed of karma spotted in the horoscope can be prevented from actualizing itself at the mind level if one exercises enough control, since the body translates the thoughts into actions. But this is often very difficult. One who gains total mastery over emotions like anger, lust, greed etc is indeed a Yogi.

Intensity of karma Here a very important point has to be kept in mind. Karma can be classified into three types based on intensity. Dridha (Fixed or Strong) Karma Adridha (Not Strong/Non Fixed) Karma Dridha - Adridha (Mixed or Medium strong) Karma As the name suggests the Dridha karmas are very difficult or almost impossible to be changed. Adridha karmas can be easily altered while Dridha - Adridha can be altered through concentrated efforts. Generally Upayes or Pariharas (spiritual remedies) are effective in the 2 nd and 3 rd types. But to change very strong (Dridha) karma, is very difficult, practically almost impossible. Either we encounter obstacles even in implementing the remedies or a life long attempting of the remedies is required! Change can only occur when Agami and Kriyaman Karmas neutralise Prarabdha. Hence, the quality and quantity of effort required to alter destiny (Prarabdha) depends on how strong our previous karmas were. But what we have done can be undone nevertheless. When an astrologer sees a confluence of factors, he predicts confidently for he knows that he is looking at Dridha Karma or Fixed Karma. Apart from Purushartha (Self efforts) there is another very important concept that the scriptures offer - Kripa or Divine Grace. Divine intervention or Grace can always do what human efforts fail to achieve. We are victims of our own action There is no delusion in the vedantin's extortion calling us to take the responsibility on our own shoulders, with emphasis on individual efforts or purushartha. As the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad tells us, "As is a man's will, so is his action; as is his action, so he becomes' (V 4.5). Most often we are victims of our own actions, both conscious and unconscious. What we do everyday determines who or what we are. As long as there is no change of nature from within, even the best astrologer can do nothing. An occasional visit even to the most famous astrologer cannot substitute for a change of life style resulting from a change of consciousness. Expiatory rituals work to some extent. Chanting can be of immense value. But wearing gem stones, engaging the best pundits to do costly yagnyas or even a temporary chanting of stotras cannot be the end in itself. There must be a change of consciousness. And this does not happen overnight. It starts as an inspiration, as an insight. Some bitter experiences and a good astrologer or a spiritual adept can spark off this inspiration. However effecting a change of consciousness is a slow and gradual process, much like evolution. Since it has to start somewhere, it

19 starts with the right resolve. First we must have the 'right will', the true resolve. For this we should assume responsibility for our own karma. And a sincere jyotishi (astrologer) who is firmly grounded in Yoga-Vedanta can, through proper counsel and example, inspire as well as facilitate the individual in making the 'right resolve' .

Factors that determine the outcome of Prarabdha The agama sastra is clear about how one can make the best of one's prarabdha by adopting the right course of action. According to the agamas there are two factors which influence the outcome of Prarabdha. Since jyotisha is firmly rooted in the veda and the agama, I will explain those factors here for the benefit of those interested.

1. Agami & Kriyaman Karma: The thoughts and present efforts can be initiated in the right direction sincerely. A strong current of favorable thoughts combined with sincere efforts can go a long way. Part of this, is seeking spiritual remedies (Pariharas) that the agamas recommend. Choosing favourable time in accordance with the planetary patterns can also augment or maximise the effectiveness of human efforts. Selecting an auspicious muhurta too comes under Kriyaman karma.

1. Kripa or Divine Grace: Divine Grace can intervene and change things. The spiritual remedies are partly aimed at drawing divine grace and partly at awakening the forgotten memory of our true nature, of our identity with the Cosmic. Sadhana of a chosen deity with a mantra ( ishta devata mantra sadhana ), chanting stotras ( stotra parayana ), contemplative reading of sacred myth ( purana katha parayana ), devotional contemplation are all part of the transpersonal psychotherapeutic approach of the Agamas which takes the individual progressively from ignorance and suffering to knowledge of the Self and the cessation of suffering.

WHERE TO PLACE ASTROLOGY From the above points, it becomes clear how a wise person takes astrology. There are two ways: Seek astrological guidance, but don't be totally dependent on it. The astrologer has many limitations. No astrologer has the final say in any matter. Plan intelligently, remembering the astrologer's advice. Any pariharas (remedies) suggested by the astrologer can be adopted as long as they are spiritually oriented and do not involve unnecessary expenditure. Such remedies (as per Parasara the father of Indian astrology) are prayers and chanting of Mantras. Other remedies which involve huge costs are not reliable and are mostly suggested by dishonest astrologers. Accept your Prarabdha and do your duties

20 cheerfully. Know that you cannot escape your Prarabdha. Even Yogis can help you only to postpone it, not avert it! But there is one area where you have total freedom. That is your current karma (Kriyaman). You can determine the course of action. You can bring in an anti-current of thoughts, a current of noble, spiritual thoughts, thoughts guided by Dharma. It is never too late to change the course of action. In the Kriyaman area, do good deeds. Let Dharma guide you. Some times there may be a conflict between free will (Kriyaman) and destiny (Prarbdha). However powerful Prarabdha is, DO NOT DESPAIR . Do your duties cheerfully without being excessively attached to the fruits of your actions. Surrender yourself to God and do your duties with a Nimitta bhava. Great Yogis like Bhisma and Vasishta have placed Purushartha or exertion (free will) above destiny. Do not underestimate the role of Kriyaman Karma, your free will to change the course of action. Advanced people do not need astrology. They accept Prarabdha as God's Will while the ignorant person develops pathological dependence on astrology, starts despairing, lapses into inaction or makes half-hearted attempts. It is perhaps for this reason that reformist thinkers like Swami Vivekananda and Swami Dayananda Saraswati were opposed to astrology. But saints like Sri Ramakrishna who was Swami Vivekananda's guru, spoke positively about astrology because they had the attitude of a bhakta (devotee) and see all this as a 'play of the divine' . It all depends on how we take it. The devotee (bhakta) sees only Prarabdha. The vedantin (gnani) sees only Purushartha. Both are correct for these are two sides of the same coin. The bhaktha (devotee) feels it is all Prarabdha only. Yet there is no fatalism in this. Prarabdha is only Purusharta (efforts born of free will) of previous births. Purushartha combined with Prarabdha brings effects. A man who is sick has to take the medicine (Purushartha) and leave the results to Prarabdha. Through Purushartha, Markandeya conquered death. Vasishta advocates Purushartha to Sri Rama throughout the Yoga Vasishta. We are neither totally bound by destiny nor are we totally free. We have limited freedom like a cow that has been tied to a post in a field with a rope. It can move freely, but only within the limits of the field. We have limited freedom depending upon how much we can stretch our Karma. Ignorance- the root of all misery Human life is a story of the alternating patterns of duality, of happiness and suffering, joy and misery, ups and downs. There is not a single life without this admixture, without this pair of opposites. This is the law of life. Though the Atman is identical to the Brahman who is ever-radiant and blissful, the Jiva (individual) suffers because he is entrapped by the limiting adjuncts (upadhis) of body and mind. The infinite seems to be entrapped by the finite body and mind. Misery is not natural to the Jiva. It comes to experience a state of misery because of its association with a body. So the cause of misery is a body The body (birth) is due to karma (previous actions) Karma arises from attachment and hate, by preference to certain objects and aversion to some. Attachment and hate arise from Egocentricity (sense of 'I' and 'Mine') Egocentricity comes from indiscrimination or lack of discernment.

21 Indiscrimination, from ignorance of your true nature, that you are one with the Brahman

The cessation of suffering The root cause of all suffering and Karma is ignorance. The only way to go beyond this is to bring the light of knowledge. The first step in this direction is to change one's attitude, to retrace one's steps along the same path that we have come. In other words, the only solution is to go back to our cosmic roots, to become one with the Cosmic Consciousness. That is liberation; that is moksha, salvation, whatever you call it. This birth affords us a chance to exhaust our karmic debts, so that we may be free. Jyotisha is the light that reveals this great truth to us so that we may be free. A sincere study of Jyotisha can be a great spiritual education; a Sadhana in itself, for it partly reveals the eternal mysteries of the cosmos to us. It leads us to the unknown through the known. It guides us out through the intricate labyrinth that life is, with its myriad pairs of duality. It shows us the way and ultimately sets us free, by taking us back to our cosmic roots. There is great joy in the knowledge of Jyotisha, provided one is truly grounded in Yoga Vedanta. Jyotisha is a pratyaksha sastra, a practical science, the eye of the Veda. A jyotishi has access to one of the best languages of Nature. Whether we perceive ourselves as helpless victims or witnesses or insignificant specks or rejoice in this grand play, depends on our world view. While the existentialist astrologer has this frustration of being a helpless observer, the jyotishi who is firmly grounded in Yoga Vedanta views it differently. ' Seeing' or 'experiencing' how jyotisha works, is like watching Prakriti (Nature) in Her grandeur. Everything feels like a play. It is inspiring to be part of this grand cosmic play, this play of Consciousness ('Chidvilasa')! Once you really experience astrology this way, life is no more a suffering. There is neither sin nor virtue in being part of this. Neither is knowledge burdensome. You rejoice in everything.

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23 Thus we find that the entire universe both the gross and the subtle has its origin from Shakti, the Cosmic Power or Energy that creates, sustains and eventually withdraws the universe and that the countless universes are only the dust of her feet. Shakti is rooted in and is the active form of the passive unchanging aspect which is known as Consciousness or Shiva. Thus Shiva represents the unmanifest and Shakti, the manifest. Shiva is the formless and Shakti the formed. Shiva is consciousness and Shakti energy, not only in the cosmos as a whole but in each and every individual. The individual consciousness is rooted in and is Shiva, whereas the body and mind are manifestations of Shakti. The roots of Shakti are in Shiva. Just as the power of heat and light is inherent in fire, Shakti also is inherent in Shiva. Though they seem to be different in the ultimate sense, they are one and the same. One is the principle of changelessness and the other is the principle of change. Shakti is change within changelessness and Shiva is changelessness as the root of change. Everything in the world, every object from the tiniest atom to the largest star is a manifestation, an expression of the cosmic power called Shakti. To the Shaivite, she is the consort of Shiva, an inseperable half of ShivaShakti. To the Vaishnavite, she is the wondrous splendour in the heart of Vishnu.

Shakti is everything. All these manifestations have come from the underlying substratum Shiva. Each and everything in the created universe is no more than manifested Consciousness. Consciousness is an inexhaustible source of everything in the universe, yet ever transcending the things that come out of it. From Shiva comes the Universe as a whole and everything individually through the power of Shakti, yet Shiva remains ever the same. Both Shiva and Shakti are one and the same. This is the eternal mystery, the eternal wonder that ever defies description.

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Thus we find that the entire universe both the gross and the subtle has its origin from Shakti, the Cosmic Power or Energy that creates, sustains and eventually withdraws the universe and that the countless universes are only the dust of her feet. Shakti is rooted in and is the active form of the passive unchanging aspect which is known as Consciousness or Shiva. Thus Shiva represents the unmanifest and Shakti, the manifest. Shiva is the formless and Shakti the formed. Shiva is consciousness and Shakti energy, not only in the cosmos as a whole but in each and every individual. The individual consciousness is rooted in and is Shiva, whereas the body and mind are manifestations of Shakti. The roots of Shakti are in Shiva. Just as the power of heat and light is inherent in fire, Shakti also is inherent in Shiva. Though they seem to be different in the ultimate sense, they are one and the same. One is the principle of changelessness and the other is the principle of change. Shakti is change within changelessness and Shiva is changelessness as the root of change. Everything in the world, every object from the tiniest atom to the largest star is a manifestation, an expression of the cosmic power called Shakti. To the Shaivite, she is the consort of Shiva, an inseperable half of ShivaShakti. To the Vaishnavite, she is the wondrous splendour in the heart of Vishnu.

Shakti is everything. All these manifestations have come from the underlying substratum Shiva. Each and everything in the created universe is no more than manifested Consciousness. Consciousness is an inexhaustible source of everything in the universe, yet ever transcending the things that come out of it. From Shiva comes the Universe as a whole and everything individually through the power of Shakti, yet Shiva remains ever the same. Both Shiva and Shakti are one and the same. This is the eternal mystery, the eternal wonder that ever defies description.