Sunday, March 30, 2014

Radha and Krishna two divisions of this entire universe....



So true one cannot think of Radha without Lord Krishna but strange to note that even the most sacred book of Krishna, the Bhagavat Puran, does not mention Radha. May be because anyway the said book compiled around in 10th century in South India is written by humans and human being has its limitations though he may be an expert in the field of religion and spirituality. In spiritual science, may be Radha is of no use; only Lord Krushna or God is important. The aim of every person, in Sanatana Dharma, is to attain moksha. 

But again the union between Lord Krishna and Radha is one divine. Radha was the daughter of Vrishbhanu, a rich villager. In Garg Samhita, Brahma performs marriage of Radha and Krishna. Radha was a real person and not the creation of any poet. In Goloka, Radha was cursed by Dama, Krishna's friend, that she will be separated from Krishna for one hundred years when they come to earth. Lord Krishna approved this curse and so it became effective. Radha also cursed Dama to be born as an Asura on earth. Lord Krishna partly approved this also by making a part of Dama as an Asura. When that Asura was sent by Kamsa to kill Krishna, the Lord killed the Asura and his spirit entered the body of Dama who was present there as a friend of Krishna. The love play (prem leela) of Krishna in Braj was to fullfill the promise the Lord had given in Treta Yuga to fulfill the desire of many persons, including Rishis of Dandakaranya, to get the Lord as their Husband in Dwapara Yuga. Lord Krishna was only fulfilling that promise for which he arranged the Raas when He indulged in love play with eligible gopis only by appearing individually with each gopi for her total satisfaction. The idea that God (Krishna) loves all with equal intensity was visually expressed by making the women dance in a circle, each one equidistant from Krishna who stood playing the flute.

Despite this, across India, Radha is always Krishna’s beloved, never his wife. His wives are Rukmini and Satyabhama. Radha’s relationship is different in nature when compared to Sita’s relationship with Ram. While Ram is the model husband and Sita is the model wife ,Krishna and Radha represent the great lovers who were destined never to unite. Perhaps that is why, except in religious orders of the Gangetic planes that follow the svakiya tradition, Radha is never enshrined in some temple.

Scriptures say that worldly responsibilities force Krishna to leave the village of cowherds and go to Mathura and thence to Dwaraka and Kurukshetra. He has to sacrifice the land of pleasure, vilasa bhumi, for the land of duty, karma bhumi. He has to rescue a world which was descending into anarchy – where women such as Draupadi are being gambled away by their husbands. Radha has to be given up. After leaving her, Krishna never plays the flute for Radha was his inspiration. The later Krishna never danced or made music. He is no more the cowherd; he was the charioteer riding into battle.

Radha and Krishna were two halves of the whole. She was the material world; he was the spiritual soul. She was the supreme woman, he was the supreme man. They were Goddess and God whose union gave birth to the universe. The world was seen as Radha, born of Krishna’s delight. She was Krishna’s shakti or power, one who could never be separated from him. 

And yet, some of the biggest Krishna temples in India do not enshrine the image of Radha. In Puri, Orissa, Krishna is enshrined with his sister, Subhadra, and his brother Balaram. In Udupi, Karnataka, and Guruvayoor, Kerala, and Nathdvara, Rajasthan, Krishna stands alone as a cowherd boy. In Pandharpur, Maharashtra, and Dwarka, Gujarat, he stands alone with the temple of his wife Rukmini nearby.  Even the most sacred book of Krishna, the Bhagavat Puran, does not mention Radha. To understand this, we have to look at the historical development of Krishna worship in India.

It is difficult for many people to accept that religious ideas have a history of their own. The earliest tales of Krishna, found in the Mahabharat, compiled between 300 BC and 300 AD, only refer to, but do not describe, his early life in the village of cowherds. Later around 400 AD, the Harivamsa was added as an appendix to the Mahabharata. This described in detail Krishna’s life in Gokul including his dalliances with milkmaids. But there was no mention of Radha or any particular milkmaid. The women were a collective with whom Krishna danced and sported. The mood was joyful and carnival like. In the Bhagvata Purana, compiled around 10th century in South India, where the idea of devotion to God visualized as Krishna was elaborated, Krishna disappears when the milkmaids become possessive and seek exclusive attention. The idea that God (Krishna) loves all with equal intensity was visually expressed by making the women dance in a circle, each one equidistant from Krishna who stood playing the flute in the centre.

In the 5th century, the Tamil epic, Shilapadikaram, refers to one Nal-Pinnai who was the beloved of Mal (the local name for Krishna). Scholars believe that she represents an early form of Radha. This idea of a favorite milkmaid gradually spread to the North and reached its climax with the composition of the Gita Govinda, a Sanskrit song written by Jayadeva in the 12th century AD where the passion of the cowherd god and his milkmaid beloved was celebrated in a language and style that took all of India by storm.

Jayadeva was born in a village near Puri, Orissa, which is renowned for the grand temple complex of Jagannath, lord of the world, a local form of Krishna. Research has shown that he was involved with Padmavati, a temple dancer or devadasi and perhaps even married her. His work was inspired by both his personal experience and his religious beliefs. Each of Jayadeva’s song is composed of eight couplets known as Ashtapadis. 24 Ashtapadis make a chapter and 12 chapters make up the entire work. In it Krishna is identified as the supreme divine being – a radical shift from earlier scriptures where Krishna is one of the many incarnations of Vishnu. The book uses extremely ornamented language to describe in intimate details Radha’s passion. As one moves from verse to verse, one is transported from the physical realm into the spiritual realm. The erotic longing becomes the cry of the soul for union with the divine. Such an approach was revolutionary; it fired the imagination of the priests and dancers who made it part of the temple ritual. Being a major Vaishnava religious centre, hundreds of pilgrims from all over India poured into Puri. Day and night, they heard the priests sing Jayadeva’s song of Radha’s love for Krishna and the devadasis depict her yearning for her beloved in graceful dance steps. Before long they were mouthing the lyrics and taking it back to their villages. In less than a century, Gita Govinda transformed from a temporal parochial literary work into a pan-Indian sacred scripture. It completely revitalized Vaishanvism in the subcontinent and catalyzed the rise of the bhakti or devotional movement in India.

Before Jayadeva, love and eroticism revolved around Kama, god of lust, and his consort Rati, goddess of erotics, who were eulogized by poets such as Kalidasa and scholars such as Vatsyayana. With the rise of monastic orders such as Buddhism and Jainism, Kama was demonized into Mara, who had to be conquered by those seeking enlightenment. In the Puranas, stories were told of how Kama was burnt alive when Shiva, the supreme ascetic, opened his third eye. All things sensual came to be seen as fetters that blocked one’s spiritual growth. But Jayadeva changed all that. Through his song he made sensuality and romantic emotion the vehicle of the highest level of spirituality. His Krishna was a reformed Kama. His Radha was a reformed Rati. He turned kama or lust into prema or romance. Krishna’s love for Radha and Radha’s love for Krishna were expressed in physical terms but they communicated a profound mystical experience.

The centuries before the Gita Govinda had seen the collapse of Buddhist orders and an increased stranglehold of Brahminism based on caste hierarchy and ritualism. God was visualized either as an ascetic (Shiva) or a king (Vishnu). With the arrival of Islam from the 8th centuryAD, the exalted status given to ascetics and kings took a beating. Cities were razed to the ground. Poets and artists took shelter in the rural hinterland and there discovered the simple ideologies of the village folk based on love and devotion. It is in this environment that poets such as Jayadeva were inspired to shape God as a simple cowherd, accessible through the simplest of emotions, stripped of complex scholarly erudition.

Inspired by Jayadeva, in the 14th and 15th century, poets such as Vidypati and Chandidas further elaborated the relationship of Radha and Krishna. It was always described as turbulent shifting between separation and union, jealousy and surrender.  In a rather bold move, these poets saw Radha as a married woman who broke all social norms to be with Krishna. Some folk narratives of this period suggested that she was Krishna’s aunt, married to his maternal uncle. Some said she was older, a mature woman while he was a boy. Even in the Gita Govinda, Radha’s union with Krishna always take place in secret. There is constantly reference to the threat of social disgrace. By making the relationship illicit and clandestine, the poets heightened the emotional quotient of the relationship. It was seen as true love that transcended custom and law. Devotees came to realize that Radha was the symbol of all those who were ‘married’ to social responsibilities, seeking liberation and union with their true love, God, who is Krishna.

Jayadeva's Gita Gobinda is many times considered full of lust. Buts its on how we look at things. The divine union between Radha and Krishna cannot be simply explained in words.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Relationship between the Almighty (Supersoul) and the Soul....

Like how the sun illuminates all this universe, so does the living entity (soul) within the body, illuminates the entire body by consciousness. That soul which always remains in association with the supersoul within the body and such a body which performs actions in consciousness of the supersoul (The Almighty), always remains free from anxieties, dualities, stress and is also disconnected with the three material modes of material nature - the  modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. To such an individual, happiness and distress, honor and dishonor, desirable and undesirable, praise and blame, friend and enemy, everything is same. And one of the means of reaching the supersoul is meditation. Because as it is, the supersoul although present everywhere is also present within the body along with the soul, but because being completely embodied in this city of nine gates (body), the soul is unable to experience this reality. Hence its better to perform all our actions in consciousness of the supreme lord (the supersoul), actions will be performed anyway, even this temporary material body cannot be even maintained without performing actions but those actions in the mode of supreme consciousness will keep the soul in association with the supersoul thus enabling the individual to transcend the three modes of nature and remain in 'self' and in supreme lord all the time.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

As I decide to 'desire', I give birth to 'distress'..

As I decide to 'desire', I give birth to 'distress', I desire material gains (which are products of material nature) because of  being associated with the material nature at the time of birth in the form of this material body by coming in contact with the three modes of material nature- the mode of goodness, the mode of passion and the mode of ignorance. My this body which is a product of this material nature is called the 'field' and the one who knows the material body is called the knower of the field. The following are together considered in summary to be the field of activity and its interactions (the body): The five elements - (earth, water, fire, air and ether), false ego, intelligence, the unmanifested, the ten senses - (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin, voice, legs, hands, anus and genitals), mind, the five sense objects - (smell, taste, form, touch and sound), desire, hatred, happiness, distress, the aggregate, the life symptoms. Nature is said to be the cause of all material causes and effects, everything moving and non-moving is a produce of this material nature and whereas I (in contact with matter) am the cause of various sufferings and enjoyments in this world. I, in this material nature thus follow the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of material nature, this as I said earlier is due to my association with the material nature and thus I meet with good and evil in ways of life. This means that whatever I see in existence, both moving and non-moving is only a combination of the field of activity and the knower of the field but I, being the knower of the field actually does nothing at all. Thus, only with the vision of eternity I can see that I (the imperishable soul) am transcendental, eternal and beyond the modes of nature and despite contact with the material body, I neither do anything nor am I entangled, but due to my associaton with the matter, I believe myself to be the doer. If only I can transcend the three modes of nature, I can become free from all dualities and anxieties, can remain undisturbed, can regard alike happiness and distress, can be same towards honor and dishonor, desirable and undesirable. And one who intends to transcend the three modes should think of the Lord, become his devotee, worship him and offer homage unto him.

Friday, March 21, 2014

The Process of Karma..

According to Vedic tradition: Ego (Rishi) arises from the mind. The ego desires that which it perceives is lacking (not known). This initiates the process of knowing (Devata) which arises in the intellect. The known (Chandas) is then inventoried in the mind as memory, and it's from these stored memories that the desires of the ego rise again and again.


Rishi, Devata and Chandas: Rishi (I am, ego) is the knower and is ruled by Sun. Devata (intellect) is the process of knowing and is ruled by Mercury. Chandas (mind) is the known and is ruled by Moon.


Rishi is the knower or ego of the jiva. Each one of us senses this knower aspect of ourselves. It is that aspect that we identify as our Self. Rishi is a viewpoint of the universe that is uniquely personal, like a window through which an individual perceives the world.


Devata is the intellect or faculty of discrimination which connects the knower with the known, and completes the circuit that gives rise to knowledge.


Chandas: In the self-referral process of knowing, rishi becomes devata and devata becomes chandas and chandas is the new knowledge, which is the new rishi. The new rishi is different from the original rishi because of the assimilation of the knowledge.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra..


The Transcendental vibration established by the chanting of the Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare, is the sublime method for reviving our transcendental consciousness. As living spiritual souls, we are originally Krishna Conscious entities, but due to our association with matte from time immemorial, our consiousness is now adulterated by the material atmosphere. The material atmosphere, in which we are now living is called "maya". or illusion. Maya means that which is not, and what is this illusion?. The illusion that we are all trying to be lords of material nature, while actually on the contrary we are under the grip of her stringent laws. When the servant automatically tries to imitate the all powerful master, he is said to be in illusion. We are trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in her complexities, therefore although we are engaged in hard struggle to conquer nature, we are ever more dependent on her. This illusionary struggle against material nature can be stopped at once by revival of our eternal Krishna Consciousness.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare is the Transcendental process for reviving this original, pure conciousness. By chanting this transcendental vibration, we can cleanse away all misgivings within our hearts. The basic principle of all such misgivings is the false consciousness that I the lord of all I survey.

Krishna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind. This consciousness is the original , natural energy of the living entity, when we hear this transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived. This simplest method of meditation is recommended for this age. By practical experience also, one can percieve that by chanting this maha mantra, or the great chanting for deliverance, one can at once feel a transcendental ecstasy coming through from the spiritual stratum. In the material concepts of the life we are busy in the matter of sense gratification as we were in the lower, animal stage. A little elevated from this status of sense gratification, one is engaged in mental speculation for the purpose of getting out of the material clutches. When one is further intelligent enough, one tries to find the supreme cause of all the causes- within and without.

The word "Hare" is the form of addressing the energy of the Lord, and the words Krishna and Ram are the forms of addressing the Lord himself. Both Krishna and Ram means the supreme pleasure.

No other means of spiritual realization is as effective in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy as the chanting of the maha-mantra :Hare krishna Kare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram, Ram Ram Hare Hare.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Exalted Saturn and the shadow planet Rahu currently in zodiac sign Libra


Both Rahu and Saturn are currently transiting Libra, which is Saturn’s exaltation position and a rather powerful position for it. Saturn is the slowest moving planet and takes 2.5 years to transit a sign; Rahu takes 1.5 years for each of its transits. It is well known that Rahu acts like Saturn. Rahu can do well in Libra, since it is a sign that can bring worldly desires and Rahu loves the material realms. The nodes in general, since they are just shadow planets, take on the flavor of the planet they are closest to in proximity; they are very chameleon-like. So in essence, we have a double Saturn effect happening in Libra. However, these two planets express themselves very differently.

So how is this Rahu/Saturn in Libra combinations going to effect us for the next 1.5 years? Will the conjunction of Rahu and Saturn in Libra bring positivity or calamity?

Saturn

Saturn is a planet of renunciation, hard work, routine, asceticism, old age, the cycles and rhythms of life, also related with Oil, Iron and steel etc. Obey Saturn’s disciplined guidelines, and you will be in alignment, but disobey the Laws of Nature and he will make you miserable. Perhaps this is why Libra is such a good position for him. Libra, after all, rules over balance, legal and political ideals and business markets, which we could call the Laws of Nature. Think: every action has a reaction.

There is a natural correlation to relationships with Saturn in Libra. Relationships are our “other”, our mirror into our self. They require work, time and perseverance- all attributes of Saturn. Libra naturally indicates the seventh house which can be interpreted as our relationship with others, our relationship with life, but ultimately it is the relationship with the self. This is the house of relations, that which we are looking at directly- so in essence, the seventh house becomes our mirror, our looking glass. Libra also has a natural connection to business. Good business practices have everything to do with ones relationship with others and cultivating those interactions. And of course, the 7th house has to do with the spouse, partners in general, which is perhaps the most common indication of this house. The seventh house can also indicate death. This transit of Saturn/Rahu can bring us endings, but take heart, renewal and birth are then inevitable. One more point to be noted exalted saturn definitely will boost oil prices further.

Rahu

Rahu is a worldly non-planet, a shadow “planet”. It is really just a mathematical point connected to the moon that moves in a retrograde direction- against the flow of the other seven planets. Rahu shows insatiable worldly appetite, desires and attitudes. Interestingly, Saturn does not. Saturn is fine with little, he just wants to know that the steady work he has put in is actually rewarded- albeit slowly, and over time. Saturn is not swift, and does nothing quickly. Rahu on the other hand can bring sudden changes, shocks, upheavals, even quick boons.

To complicate matters, even though Rahu acts like Saturn and Saturn is in a positive sign placement, these two planets together indicate storm energy- Rudra energy. Rudra energy is powerful, no denying it. How the storm is used and directed, however, is a crucial strategy. Think of a boat with a sail. The wind is what moves the sailboat, but you must direct this current in order to end up where you want to go! Awareness is the first step to harnessing the power of the storm, then learning how to be still (in the eye of it) rather than becoming it, is important. Then, if one masters this, the power of Rudra and his fierce storm energy can move mountains. Hanuman was an incarnation of Rudra. His power to leap over oceans and mountains was how he rescued Sita. He also had a very strong and powerful heart that he put to very good use.

Libra

Libra, being the natural indicator for relationships, ruled by Venus (planet of love, passion and creativity), as well as natural indicator of the seventh house, indicates that Rahu and Saturn will be helping us cultivate, transform and change our relationships. These are the “others” in our life- whether familial, love, business, friendship, neighbors etc. But as previously stated, the other, is nothing more than the reflection of self. The Self will grow as a result of our interactions and Saturn is a planet of enlightenment, so Self-growth is inevitable here. Regardless of Libra being its sign of exaltation, Saturn likes hard work, suffering, and has a “no pain, no gain” attitude. Though some of these darker tendencies may be mitigated being in a friendly sign, expect some tears, before happy resolutions. After all, Saturn rules grief.

The association that Libra has with Venus will bring heighten the things that Venus rules over. Yes, this means passion, creativity, love and romance. But Venus is also connected to indulgence, whether it be passions with lovers or with sugar, drugs and alcohol. Use this as a cautionary note and be vigilant with diet and spiritual practices during this time period. Libras ruler, Saturn, would prefer you be moving your body, being physically active and breaking a sweat every day. He loves yoga asanas.

Another association of Libra and the seventh house is with the pelvic region and the organs therein. Libra being ruled by Venus further defines the connection to creative life force, the acts of creation and nurturing of creation, as well as reproductive tissues and organs. Venus is connected to ojas (the finest byproduct of proper digestion- all digestion) and therefor correlates to one’s immune system function. Venus is connected to water, and as a result, is life-giving. Venus works with our lower nature and works with instincts and rules over matters of love. (Love is very healing). With Saturn and Rahu in Libra, health issues can arise with the body parts connected to Libra and Venus. This includes the urinary tract, kidneys, uterus, ovaries, testes, prostate, bladder, urethra, groin, semen and ovum. This is a time to take extra precaution with your reproductive organs as there is vulnerability at this time.

Focusing the Storm Energy

Saturn sitting with Rahu, indicates stormy weather in general. Storms mean power, strength, strong energy, but that will need to be harnessed for lasting, positive effects to be achieved. Saturn can give lasting results if you play by his rules, Rahu is more of the instigator, who talks big but fizzles out in the long run. In terms of relationships, they may start off with a bang, look like they will last, then have a messy falling out. For a relationship to work out at this time, both parties will have to be willing to put in the hard work that a lasting relationship requires for long term gains. Again, we will be learning how to use the storm and redirect it for powerful results, or we will get blown around and get tossed by the storm.

The rule with Rahu is often, what he gives, he will take away. Unless you change or transform what he gives you in some way, it won’t last. Now is the time to learn how Saturn wants you to behave while being cautious of Rahu’s rash behavior and insatiable appetite. If you can befriend Saturn, you will have a friend for life and for death. The rewards you are expecting from your efforts (Rahu) will be rewarded when you harmonize your actions with Saturn’s desires. Remember, slow and steady wins the race for Saturn to be happy. Rahu wants it now! How can you work with both of these energies internally in order to find harmony?

In the news, we have been hearing high profile cases of sexual calamities like instances of rape and disastrous relationships surrounded by darkness. The woman gang raped in India and the Somalian woman raped by government guards are just a few examples. These are also indications of Rahu and Saturn in Libra. As a society, the collective consciousness will be using this time to re-examine our relationship to sex and violence, healthy and unhealthy relationships and the dark shadows that create turmoil and deceit. The storm energy is creating turbulence, and Rahu is leading the pack. The Indian legal system and Somalian governments are both being scrutinized internationally, examined and evaluated by the global community. Perhaps change can come with this new awareness.

Mind Your Storm. All we have to do is stay alert, be willing to listen, and make the necessary changes when the messages come. No doubt Rahu will be giving us a few flashy worldly boons along the way as well. Enjoy them while they last.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Ascendant Sign in a horoscope is most important...



True personality and nature of an individual can be known from the ascendant sign in the first house of the birth chart, If its Aries (no.1) the person is physically active, if not generally active but surely as and when physical action is required such a person would be right there performing his task, normally good in sports On the negative side can be of angry nature. If the ascendent sign is Taurus (no.2), the person is of generally middle height but with large sign bone structure and somewhat stubborn also and of generally angry nature, also practical, intelligent, also can be dominating nature. If the ascendent sign is Gemini (no.3), such an individual is mentally active, also seems to have good talking power, possibly knows various languages, intelligent, likes to socialize, on negative side may not faithful. If ascendant sign is Cancer (no.4), person is definitely emotional, prefers to stay more
indoors than outdoors, normally has few friends, is close to his/her mother, also can be studious, likes reading, on negative side can be too emotional and sensitive, can have tendency to slip into depressed mind frame. If ascendant sign is Leo (no.5) such an individual has a big heart, takes interest in variety of things, has a good group of friends, likes to socialize, on negative side can burst into anger, egoistic, dominating. If the ascendant sign is Virgo (no.6), such an individual normally is always concerned about future, is also mentally active, intelligent, practical but is also pessimistic to some extent, also such an individual has quarreling nature. If the ascendant is Libra (no.7), the individual likes to socialize, likes shopping, likes to party, but is also capable to strike a balance between being practical and a party animal. Has good judging power. On negative side may not be able to keep hold on his checks and balances. If the ascendant is Scorpio (no.8), such an individual is a deep thinker, very passionate, inclined towards spirituality, philosophy, psychic things. But is also a hard worker and again to an extent of angry nature. If the ascendant sign is Sagittarius (no.9), such an individual loves to socialize, normally has many friends, is also inclined towards spirituality, religious practices, loves freedom, on negative side can be egoistic. If the ascendant sign is Capricorn (no.10), such an individual is very much practical, clever, down to earth, first comes duty and then everything else, on the negative side can at times become stubborn and look at the negative side of life. Fault finding can be in his nature. If the ascendant is aquarius (no.11), the person likes to socialize, normally optimistic, inclined towards spirituality and psychic things,loves to talk, prefers to go with the flow, but also takes interest in variety of things particularly music and art, on the negative side is not so practical and may end up trusting wrong people. If the ascendant sign is Pisces (no.12), such a person is generally optimistic, likes to meet everyone with a positive attitude, is also emotional, romantic, can be found to mentally very active, on the negative side has tendancy to slip into depressed frame of mind. 

But again to mention that placement of different planets in the horoscope also influences the nature of person but majorly the ascendent sign describes how the person is in eyes of others. And the placement of moon describes the mental state, the qualities will be again same as mentioned above as per the zodiac sign but the mental side will be more known to the person himself and less to the outside world, but the ascendant sign can clearly show to the rest of the world how the person is.

Now further, there are certain planets which are exalted in some signs and debilitated in some, Sun is exalted in aries and debilitated in libra, moon is exalted in taurus and debilitated in scorpio, mars is exalted in capricorn and debilitated in cancer, mercury is exalted in virgo and debilitated in pisces, Jupiter is exalted in cancer and debilitated in capricorn, venus is exalted in pisces and debilitated in virgo, saturn is exalted in libra and debilitated in aries. This also shows to an extent that If ascendant is aries (no.1), sun if not in libra and placed anywhere else will generally give only good result to such an individual, If ascendant is taurus and moon if not placed in scorpio and placed anywhere else will give only good results, if ascendant is capricorn and if mars is not placed in cancer it will generally overall give only good results, if ascendant is virgo and if mercury is not placed in pisces and placed anywhere else will give only good results overall, if ascendant is cancer and if jupiter is not placed in capricorn and placed anywhere else will give only good results, if ascendant is pisces and if venus is not placed in virgo but anywhere else will generally give good results overall.


Tuesday, March 11, 2014

En-caged In This Cosmic Manifestation...

I take birth with a new material body, I sleep, I wake up, I perform actions, I get the result of my actions, I meet with good and evil, I again sleep. In this cycle of taking birth, sleeping, waking up, performing actions, facing the consequences good or bad and again back to sleep, every second I am aging, getting closer to death to again take birth. I realize that only deep within me I may find the answers to this mysterious process. Different religious texts, scriptures may not have the real content explaining the mystery behind this process. It seems like a cage from which there is no escape. But I intend to find the escape route. Route that transforms me from a temporary material body into an eternal living entity, away from all kinds of dualities. In the process of understanding all this, I somehow realize that I and other living entities across this cosmic manifestation are one and same and its like I am being expanded everywhere in different material identities, the reason behind this expansion could be two - (a) I preferred independence even from God, the supreme personality and wanted to experience a world away from him hence I am away from him unable to experience his real self, but as I and he are actually one and of same nature and content, I equally have the power to expand like him. (b) Because I am conditioned by coming in contact with this  material world's three modes of nature ie.mode of goodness, passion and ignorance, I am able to expand but in a conditioned material body only. My, way out of this material manifestation could be by transcending my karmic actions and still perform them in a way that they don't give any fruitive results thus I would not have to face any consequences under the laws of material nature.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Dharma, The Super Soul, The Individual Soul and Different types of Living worlds, Five Different types of bodies.Three types of birth

Dharma means the duty. The duty of purifying soul is dharma. Dharma teaches us the art of living and helps us to get real happiness and attain salvation.Non violence, self control, penance and sacrifice are the virtues of dharma. Forgiveness, contentiment, simplicity and politeness are the four gates of dharma. Right knowledge, right faith and right conduct are the three jewels of dharma. Practicing dharma in every day life is essential just as body needs energy in all its activities. Life is enriched by dharma, keeping merciful view at micro level is the essence of dharma.

Lets go further, there are four types of Living entities, (a) Living entities in hellish worlds, (b) In animal kingdom, (c) On earthly planets in form of humans and (d) The demigods in heavenly planets.
Hellish world is attained due to meat eating, eating eggs, going for abortion, killing living entities who have five senses (ears, eyes, nose, tongue and skin), too much materialistic person, drinking liquor, criminal practices etc. The living entities who are born in the animal kingdom are because of committing fraud, speaking lie to deceive someone, one who intentionally keeps incorrect weights and measurements, misrepresentation of things intentionally etc. Living entities who take birth in form of humans on earthly planets is when they live simple, they are humble, without envy or pride, merciful etc. And the some living entities take birth among gods and goddesses as demigods on heavenly planets because of their certain behavior in their past life like accepting ascetic state, attachment to austerity, performing strict penance for no materialistic benefits, performs sacrifices and is ready to bear pain without any reaction of happiness or unhappiness.

The living creature or the living entities take birth in hellish worlds, animal kingdom, earthly planets, heavenly planets etc in three different ways, the human beings, animals, birds etc take birth in mothers womb, in jain religion this is known as "garbhaj", the creatures who are born on its own due to external factors (without any union of male and female), in the environment, by left out eatables,or stool or urine or dirt of bodies are known as "samurchhim", these type of creatures have bodies from one sense to four senses. The demigods, gods, goddesses take birth on a bed of flowers in heavenly planets, Living beings in the hellish worlds are born directly in a pot, the birth of demigods, gods, goddesses and the type of birth in hellish worlds in a pot is called as "Oopapat" as per Jain philosophy, so basically there are three types of births : Garbajh, Sammurchhim and Oopapat.

The individual soul whirls through these four different types of worlds ie.hellish, animal, earthly and heavenly, struggling hard but the final destination is to get out of this cycle and attain "moksha", to live eternally with the super soul but as the individual embodied soul is en-caged in a body made of flesh and bones, it goes through material pleasures and pains in different walks of life influenced by the three modes of material nature ie.mode of goodness, ignorance and passion because these three are the core of material worlds and at the time of birth the living beings are conditioned by these three modes and perform their actions under there influence. But the individual living entity who knows about this philosophy regarding the material world and its three modes and its actions and interactions try's to transcend the three modes and still perform actions without any dualities or anxieties, with no  thought of gain or loss, victory or defeat, performs actions only as a matter of duty.

The device or means through which a living entity performs actions is called a "body". According to Sanskrit scriptures - that which starts destroying itself since its inception (birth), depreciating every moment, ever changing and drifting towards the end (death) is called a "body". There are five different types of bodies: (a) Body made up of blood, bones, flesh etc and which wears out and gets destroyed. (b) 2nd types are the ones with a characteristic of self-discharge who has a capability of making numerous bodies, who can make different appearances from its one body, Hellish beings and Demigods, gods, goddesses have such bodies, (c) As per jain theory this third type of body are obtained by only certain sadhus when they are able to reach Tirthankar. (d) The fourth type of body is the one which gives spiritual brighness to the humanly bodies and Demigods, gods and goddesses. (e) The fifth type of body is made up of all auspicious and inauspicious karmic actions performed by all worldly living entities and it is attached to all.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Know your Ascendent sign in your birth chart and accordingly Role of different planets and zodiac signs and current planet positions..

Current Planet Positions as on 9th march 2014:

Sun is in Aquarius-  lot of action, power, freedom, political happenings, justified decisions etc

Moon is in Taurus - Exalted moon giving lot of emotional support and a stable / balanced mind etc

Mars is in Libra -  Mars in the enemy's den, plane crashes, accidents, natural disastors, possible terror strikes, financial instablity etc

Mercury and Venus are in Capricorn - Celebrations, party time, diamonds, jewellery, shop till you drop, hotels, travel time etc

Jupiter is in Gemini - Spiritual practices on a rise, Boost to IT industry, Study time, Religious practices on a rise etc

Saturn is in Libra - Exalted Saturn can increase oil prices, rise in real estate, Iron, steel , manufacturing industries to do better.etc
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Different planets give good results in different houses and signs:

Sun in the 1st, 10th house and in aries, leo signs gives good results

Moon in the 1st, 4th, 7th house and in Taurus, gives good results

Mars in  the 1st, 5th, 9th,10th house and in signs of capricorn, aries, scorpio, leo gives good results

Mercury in 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th house and in sign of gemini, virgo, aries, libra, capricorn, leo, libra gives good results.

Jupiter in the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 9th, 10th, 11th house and in sign of pisces, sagitarius, cancer, leo, gives good results

Venus in the 2nd, 4th, 7th, 10th, 12 house and in sign of pisces, capricorn, libra, taurus, gemini, aquarius gives good results

Saturn in the 2nd, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th house and in the sign of gemini, libra, capricorn, aquarius, pisces gives good results

Rahu in 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 10th house gives good results

Ketu in 9th, 12th gives good results
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First know your Ascendent sign in 1st house in your birth chart, for example if it shows Aries (no.1), Cancer(no.4), Leo (no.5), Sagitarius (no.9), Pisces (no.12)  high chances that planet mars, sun , jupiter may give you good results , good support in your life, but it also depends on there actual position in your birth chart, this is just a general idea. If Ascendent is Taurus(no.2), mercury (no.3), virgo (no.6), libra (no.7), capricorn (no.10), aquarius (no.11), Pisces (no.12) sign, then planets moon, venus, saturn, mercury may give you good support. For Pisces (no.12) generally mercury doest not give nice results but it still depends on the position of all these planets in your birth chart/horoscope.


There are certain planets which are exalted in certain signs and debilitated also in some signs, hence know your ascendent sign first and then you will atleast know that the planet that is exalted according to your ascendent will generally give only positive results and in the sign of debilitation will generally give bad results, irrespective of its position in your birth chart. For example if your ascendent is cancer (no.4), it means jupiter is the planet which is exalted in this sign of cancer hence jupiter will generally not give any bad results to this person having cancer ascendent, this is a generalized way of looking at your birth chart, but still can be useful to atleast understand which planets are supporting us and which ones are in opposition. As jupiter is always exalted in the sign of
cancer, it try's to support the person in connection with all that is associated with jupiter sign, ie. studies, profession, spirituality, truthfulness, commanding position, Information technology, they get support from elders in the family, etc. The sign of debilitation for jupiter is sign of capricorn, hence genrally which ever house capricorn is in, a cancerian will face difficulties in things related with that house.  But as said if other planets are placed in clear opposition in the birth chart, it may effect above jupiter related things and not give the desired results, but still because of the sign of exaltation, jupiter still will try to always look at a cancer ascendent person positively. Similarly now for example if the ascendent is capricorn (no.10), in such a case planet mars will mostly give good results because mars is exalted in the sign of capricorn and will give unfavourable results in the sign of cancer which is his sign of debilitation, it means things associated with planet mars like sports, physical strength, command, lot of action, my, police, arms, ammunition, friends, younger brothers, copper, engineering, fire works, blood, etc, in all such things the person with ascendent capricorn will get positive results, and in which ever house of a capricorn ascendent, sign no,4 (cancer) is placed, in connection with that house the capricorn ascendent will generally face opposition or may be not desired results. But now further for example if a person with a cancer ascendent has mars also placed in his sign of capricorn then obviously he will get positive results from mars also, similarly if a capricorn ascendent has jupiter placed in the sign of cancer in his birth chart then such a person will get good results from jupiter also.



Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Living Entities different modes and different characteristics..


Mode of Ignorance....
General Characteristics :
Foolishness, madness, illusion, inertia, indolence and sleep

Destination after death:
The hellish world and the animal kingdom

Objects of Worship:
Ghosts and Spirits

Food:
Tasteless, stale, putrid, decomposed, unclean, cooked more than three hours before being eaten, remnants of the meals of others, meat, fish, eggs and liquor.

Sacrifice:
Performed faithlessly in defiance of scriptural injunctions and with no spiritual food distributed, no hymns chanted and no remunerations made to the priests.

Austerity:
Performed foolishly by means of self torture or to destroy or injure others.

Charity:
Performed at an improper time and place, to an unworthy person like a gambler or drunkardor without respect.


Mode of passion....
General Characteristics :
Unlimited, uncontrollable desires and longing, intense endeavor and activities.

Destination after death:
Association of fruitive workers on earthly planets.

Objects of worship:
Demons, powerful men and self proclaimed imitation gods.

Food:
Too bitter, sour, salty, pungent, rich, dry or hot, causes pain, distress and disease.

Sacrifice:
Performed proudly for the sake of some material end or benefit.

Austerity:
Performed to gain respect, honor and reverence, brings only unstable, temporary results.

Charity:
Performed to get something in return with a desire for fruitive results or in a grudging mood.


Mode of Goodness....
General Characteristics: 
Relative purity, illumination, happiness and freedom from reactions, conducive to real knowledge.

Destination after death; 
The heavenly planets.

Objects of worship:
The demigods and the impersonal conception of god.

Food:
Increases longevity, purifies ones existence, gives strength, health, happiness and satisfaction, nourishing sweet, juicy, fattening and palatable, milk products, grains, sugar, fruit and vegetables.

Sacrifice: 
Performed as a duty, according to scriptural regulations and with no expectation of reward.

Austerity:
Performed with faith and without desires for ones material benefits, cleanliness, simplicity, celibacy, nonviolence, offering respect to demigods, spiritual masters and superiors like mother and father. Speaking beneficially, truthfully, and inoffensively, and with reference to vedic authorities, serenity, gravity, self control, purity of thought, detaching the mind from sense gratification.

Charity: 
Performed as a duty in proper time and place, to a worthy person and with no expectation of material returns.
 

Monday, March 3, 2014

Teachings of Lord Krishna..

  •  As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.
  • The Vedas compare the soul and the Super soul to two friendly birds sitting on the same tree. One of the birds (the individual atomic soul) is eating the fruit of the tree, and the other bird (Krishna) is simply watching his friend.
  • While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises. From anger delusion, and from delusion bewilderment of memory.
  • The supreme science was thus recieved through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.
  • Although Lord Shri Krishna is unborn and his transcendental body never deteriorates, and although he is the Lord of all living entities, he still appears in every millennium in his original transcendental form.
  • According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created but Lord Shri Krishna is yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.
  • And of all yogis, the one with great faith who always abides in Lord Shri Krishna, thinks of Lord Shri Krishna and renders transcendental loving service to the Lord, he is the most intimately united with the Lord in Yoga and is the highest of all.
  • Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, who are lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons do not surrender unto Lord Shri Krishna.
  • Lord Krishna is the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from him. The wise who perfectly know this engage in his devotional service and worship the Lord with all their hearts.
  • Those who fix their minds on Lord Krishna's personal form and are always engaged in worshiping him with great and transcendental faith are considered by Lord Shri Krishna to be the most perfect.
  • Food prepared for more than three hours before being eaten, food that is tasteless, decomposed and putrid and food consisting of remman ts and untouchable things is dear to those in the mode of darkness.


Sunday, March 2, 2014

The Yoga Of The Supreme Personality Of Godhead..



The splendor of the sun, which dissipates the darkness of this whole world, comes from Me. And the splendor of the moon and the splendor of fire are also from Me. I enter into each planet, and by my energy they stay in orbit. I become the moon and thereby supply the juice of life to all vegetables. I am the fire of digestion in the bodies of all living entities and I join with the air of life, outgoing and incoming to digest the four kinds of foodstuff. I am seated in everyone's heart and from me comes remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedanta and I am the knower of the Vedas. There are two classes of beings, the fallible and the infallible. In the material world every living entity is fallible, and in the spiritual world every living entity is called infallible. I have entered these three worlds and I am maintaining them. Because I am transcendental, beyond both the fallible and the infallible, and because I am the greatest, I am celebrated both in the world and in the vedas as the supreme person. Whoever knows me as the Supreme personality without doubting, is the knower of everything. He therefore engages in full devotional service to Me. - Lord Shri Krishna

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Living Beings Are Of Only Two Types... The Divine And The Demonaic



Divine Beings:

"Qualities of divine beings are fearlessness, purification of ones existence, cultivation o spiritual knowledge, charity, self control, performance of sacrifice, study of the vedas, austerity, non-violence, truthfulness, freedom from anger, renunciation, tranquility, aversion to fault finding, compassion for all living entities, freedom from covetousness, gentleness, modesty, steady determination, vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, cleanliness, freedom from envy and from the passion for honor - These transcendental qualities belong to men endowed with divine nature. These transcendental qualities are conducive to liberation" - Lord Shri Krishna  

Demoniac Beings:

"Those who are demoniac do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done, neither cleanliness nor proper behavior nor truth is found in them. The say this world is unreal, with no foundation, no God in control. They say it is produced of sex desire and has no cause other than lust.Following such conclusions, the demoniac are lost to themselves and have no intelligence and are engaged in unbeneficial, horrible works meant to destroy the world. They believe that to gratify the senses is the prime necessity of human civilization. Thus until the end of life their anxiety is immeasurable. Bound by a network of hundreds of thousands of desires and absorbed in lust and anger, they secure money for sense gratification. Thus perplexed by various anxieties and bound by a network of illusions, they become too strongly attached to sense enjoyment and fall down into hell. Deluded by wealth and false prestige, they sometimes proudly perform sacrifices in name only. And such demoniac beings many times also blaspheme against the religion. To such beings, I perpetually cast into the ocean of material existence into various demoniac specifies of life, attaining repeated births, such persons can never approach Me. Gradually they sink down to the lowest abominable type of existence. There are three gates leading to hell - lust, anger and greed, demoniac being are engaged in them but divine beings try to give these up and perform acts conducive to self realization and thus gradually attains the supreme destination. The demoniac being discard scriptural injunctions and act according to his own whims, attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination." - Lord Shri Krishna