A Brief History of Jyotish (The history of Vedic astrology is very long, intricate and full of controversy, for now we give this concise over view, if Krsna wills it I will write something more substantial in the future.) Vedic culture is extremely ancient, at least 5000 years old by conservative estimate. (For more information on the antiquity of Vedic culture please see Puranic Time and the Archeological Record in PDF format: English, German.) Vedic culture has its own unique theology, philosophy, arts, sciences, and literature which exists to this present day. Vedic astrology is an integral part of this culture and has been practiced since time immemorial. The Vedas have six supplementary appendixes known as the Vedangas, limbs of the Vedas. One of these is the Jyotish Vedanga--Vedic astronomy and astrology. For thousands of years many Rsis (sages) maintained the tradition of Vedic astrology on a parallel track with the Vedas. Portions of these have been extracted at various times and put into the Jyotish Vedanga.
Transcript
A Brief History of Jyotish(The history of Vedic astrology is very long, intricate and full of controversy, for now we give this concise over view, if Krsna wills it I will write something more substantial in the future.)
Vedic culture is extremely ancient, at least 5000 years old by conservative estimate. (For more information on the antiquity of Vedic culture please see Puranic Time and the Archeological Record in PDF format: English, German.) Vedic culture has its own unique theology, philosophy, arts, sciences, and literature which exists to this present day. Vedic astrology is an integral part of this culture and has been practiced since time immemorial. The Vedas have six supplementary appendixes known as the Vedangas, limbs of the Vedas. One of these is the Jyotish Vedanga--Vedic astronomy and astrology. For thousands of years many Rsis (sages) maintained the tradition of Vedic astrology on a parallel track with the Vedas. Portions of these have been extracted at various times and put into the Jyotish Vedanga.
Many Rsis such as Vashistha, Bhrgu, and Garga were masters of astrology and taught it to their disciples in the Guru parampara (disciplic succession). Before the beginning of the present age, Kali-yuga, which began in 3102 B.C., Parasara Rsi milked the essence of the various schools of Vedic astrology present at his time and distilled it into his text known as the Brhad Parasara Hora Sastra. Parasara Rsi spoke this text to his disciple Maitreya Rsi, and Maitreya taught it to his disciples and it was passed in this way through the ages. Thus, the basic school of Vedic astrology practiced in India is called the Parasara school of astrology. Parasara was among the last of the Rsis (great sages)
of the Vedic age. After him it was humans who preserved the line of Vedic astrology. Notable amongst them was Satyacarya and in particular Varaha Mihira who wrote several important texts on astrology. After them several other texts were composed which are also considered "classics" of Vedic astrology, such as Saravali, Jataka Parijata, Sarvartha Cintamani, and Horasara. All of these texts follow Parasara in their teachings.
There are six main branches of Vedic astrology:
Gola -- positional astronomy
Ganita -- mathematical diagnostic tools for analyzing the results of Gola
Jataka -- natal astrology
Prasna -- answering specific questions based upon the time the question is asked
Muhurta -- selecting an auspicious time to start something
Nimitta -- omens and portents.
There are also many sub-branches. The sages following Parasara have written texts on all branches.
From India, Vedic astrology spread to the Persians, and from the Persians to the Babylonians, and from them to the Greeks,
Romans, and Egyptians. With the rise of Islam the Arabs learned astrology from both the Greek Hellenistic astrologers on one side (the West) and Vedic astrology from India on the other side (the East).
In the West astrology has had its difficulties. Periods of time when it was in favor, and times when it was politically out of favor. During the Dark Ages it practically disappeared from Europe and reappeared during the Renaissance. It disappeared during the so-called "Age of Reason" in the 1600s only to reappear again in the last 120 or so years. This fractured history of Western astrology has not helped the continuity of learning or building up of experience over the ages. Consequently Western astrology is fraught with many lacunae; blank spots, missing parts, and discontinuities. By contrast, Vedic astrology has an unbroken tradition over 5000 years long. And, its practitioners reap the benefits of such a long unbroken tradition such as a large body of classical literature whose content is understood by its practitioners.
In ancient India and even up to modern times, astrology was taught to students in schools and universities. Recently the Indian government has again instituted a policy of teaching Jyotish in universities and colleges.
Prashna
One of the most useful and dynamic branches of Vedic astrology is Prashna, which literally means question. This is called Horary Astrology in the West. We again remind you of the metaphor of photography, in which a Natal chart reading is like using a wide-angle lens. One gets the full view, but it seems far away, and one
cannot see all the details. To get more detail one could zoom in and look at a smaller segment of time, say, the duration of a planetary major period or, even smaller, the planetary sub-period, or perhaps a year or six months. The real close-up shot or microscopic view would be to focus just on one question for a specific period of time. This is prashna.
Imagine parents of a traditional Indian household, who meet a particularly qualified girl who perchance is the perfect match for their son. But they don't want to make any commitment just yet or reveal their intentions; thus they certainly don't want to jeopardize their interests by directly asking for the girl's birth particulars. What to do? After suitably pondering the situation, they would ask a Vedic astrologer the question: What will be the result for my son if he marries girl X? The Vedic astrologer notes the time the question is asked, calculates the chart, analyzes it, and then gives a scientific answer.
How does it work? The conception of a question is the thought which enters one's mind. Pondering, worrying, and brooding over it is the gestation period. And asking is the birth of the question. You might be surprised to learn how accurately a trained astrologer is able to zero in on the correct answer.
Of course prasna is not limited to romantic ponderings, but can be applied to almost any situation wherein humans have questions. It is the perfect tool for making strategic and tactical decisions.
The following list is a small sample of the thousands of questions I have been asked in the course of my practice. I have chosen them to show the wide variety and almost endless application that is limited only by one's own imagination and personal experiences:
Which of the following three places, A, B, or C, is the best place to sink a well?
My daughter is missing. Is she all right? When will she return?
Who murdered the victim; what can you tell me about the murderer?
What shall be the result for me if I move to Los Angeles next month?
Should I file a legal suit against X?
Should I hire X as my lawyer?
Will the IRS come after me?
Should I hire X as my building contractor in my real-estate development project?
Should I go into partnership with X?
Will Y country attack X country?
Will X win the election?
My health isn't good. The doctor recommended some treatment; should I do it?
I have lost my wedding ring; will I recover it?
What is the sex of my unborn child?
Should I take [spiritual] initiation from X?
Should I purchase the land in India?
What will be the result for me if I marry X?
Many people have heard of prasna and its power; but unfortunately they cannot always take advantage of it for two reasons:
Prashna is very difficult to perform, and it requires extensive special training. Even an astrologer capable to adequately read a natal chart will not be able to do a prashna chart properly unless trained to do so, because there are special rules in prashna that are not applicable to natal astrology, and vice versa.
The person fails to ask the question properly. Even a properly trained astrologer will not be able to answer an ill-conceived question.
In the first case, the seeker should carefully ascertain if the astrologer he is dealing with has had any special training in prasna. If he has not had this special training yet is consulted, the results could be disastrous. I know of one case in which a woman asked a well regarded West coast astrologer the question: "Should I approach the man I am interested in?" The untrained (in Prasna) astrologer told her yes. But it was likely the worst mistake of her life; it led to a major scandal, forcing her to leave town in a rush, hurriedly giving away all her possessions. The astrologer was untrained in prasna, so he did not charge her much; but it turned out to be a very costly consultation indeed. It cost her thousands of dollar plus the complete ruination of her reputation. The pity was that when she showed me the prasna chart, it was obvious that she should not have gone forward.
The second case simply requires some basic training on the part of the seeker as to how to ask a prasna.
How to Ask a Prashna
I have done literally thousands of prasnas since 1981 and the results are amazingly accurate (I have a 95+% success rate), provided the seeker follows a few simple rules when asking a question. The importance of correctly formulating a question
cannot be overstated. In ancient Greece, the Oracle of Delphi was famous for giving accurate answers. But sometimes the answers were so enigmatic that no one could understand them, the reason being that the question itself was unclear.The astrological texts also state that the questions of certain persons should not be entertained:
One who asks in a casual or nonchalant manner
One who uses abusive language while asking
One who is a heretic or atheist
One who comes empty-handed
One who is proceeding on a journey
One who is answering the calls of nature
One who asks questions at dusk
For formulating a question to get a clear unambiguous answer, consider the following guidelines:
Pray to God that He will reveal His answer to you through the astrologer.
Keep your mind clear, and meditate on your question. If your mind is confused and you are thinking of many different questions at once, then the chart will reflect your nebulous state of mind and be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to answer. This can be likened to a woman who gives birth to five or six children at one time; the survival of any of them is doubtful.
Ask only one question at a time. If you have other questions, keep your mind clear and ask them only after you have received an answer to your first question.
Don't ask more than three questions in one day. (Brghu Muni says that it is best to approach the astrologer with only one question, of an auspicious nature.)
It is necessary to formulate a clear, truthful question in one's mind, getting right down to fundamentals and leaving out irrelevant details which can be added later if necessary, possibly by asking further questions. Decide exactly what it is that you wish to know. The clearer the question, the clearer the answer will be. A vague or ambiguous question will be reflected in the prashna chart, and it will be impossible to answer.
Always write down your question before asking the astrologer. This forces you to think clearly and concisely. The question should be formulated into one sentence--not a novel.
Don't ask convoluted questions. Keep them as straightforward as possible.
Don't ask open ended questions like "what should I do with my life?" Or, "what type of work should I do?" There are literally tens of thousands of possible answers to these types of questions. Though some ideas might be gleened from the prasna these type of questions would be much better investigated in a natal chart reading. You could however ask a strategic question like "Should I go back to school?" Or, "should I become a lawyer?" These are focused close ended questions that are relatively easy for a trained astrologer to answer via prasna. Remember prasna is for a microscopic view whereas Natal chart reading are for the panoramic view of your life. Use the right tool for the right job.
Ambiguous, "either/or" questions must be avoided; otherwise, one cannot know which part of the question has been answered. Better to divide into two or more questions and ask them at separate intervals, as mentioned above.
Similar to the "either/or" question is the "if/then" question; it also must be avoided. However "if/when?" is ok.
To avoid confounding the meaning of an answer, one should be careful to ask questions in the positive, rather than the negative, attitude. For example:
Correct way:
Question: "Should I visit Mr. X?"
If the configuration of the chart is positive, then the answer will be yes--otherwise it would be no.
Incorrect way:
Question: "Should I remain at home and not visit Mr. X?"
If the configuration of the prasna chart is positive, does it mean that you should stay at home? Or does it perhaps mean that you should actually go to visit Mr. X? Which is correct? Or if the configuration were negative, does it mean that you should not visit him? Or does it perhaps mean that you should not remain at home? Which is correct?
An example of a convoluted question that would be impossible to answer is as follows: "Should I get into the herbal import business? If not, then should I get into real estate, or move back to England?"
"Shyamasundara's calculations are rarely, if ever, wrong." Indradyumna Swami, Diary of a Traveling Preacher; Volume 5, Chapter 3
"I have derived great benefit and help from your readings and advice over the years and I hope to continue to do so. Astrology is a great science and I think you have mastered it." Sriman Hari Sauri Prabhu
The above example uses the "either/or", "if/then," and negative attitude. It should be divided into a series of questions, beginning first with, "Should I get into the herbal import business?" Depending upon the answer, the person would then ask the next question. In any case, one should not jumble so many questions into one.
Do not ask the exact same question within a three-month period (to the same astrologer); allow time to act. Sometimes people don't like the answer they get, so they keep asking the same question hoping that they'll get a better answer. Or they are impatiently waiting for results to arrive. This is actually disrespectful to God. Don't forget that we are doing divination, that is, approaching God for our answer through the astrologer. (It can also be very irritating to the astrologer.)
If your mind is set upon getting only a certain answer, then you should wait before asking the question. In other words, if you want only a "yes" and not a "no" to a question, then you are not really prepared to receive the mercy of God via the astrologer's reply. You must realize that which ever answer He gives (through the astrologer) is in your best interest, even a "no." If you are attached to receiving only one answer, then you are not really open to divine guidance. And the answer which you want could actually lead you to disaster.
Don’t assume something will happen and then ask "when will X happen?" For certain events in life like getting a job or especially marriage people just assume that it will happen so they innocently ask the ask the prasna: “when will X happen?” But that is a false assumption, it may never happen. Instead of asking “when will I get married?” You should instead ask: “Will I get married?” If the answer looks positive we can then consider
when it might occur. Obviously if you are not destined to get married or win the lottery or become a Hollywood actor then “when will it happen?” becomes absurd. So keep that in mind. Don’t assume something will happen when you ask a prasna.
Some questions may have options which appear to be like multiple questions but are actually only one question. Suppose a person wanted to move to a different location and had several different options in mind. The questioner should try to narrow his choices as far as possible, with the understanding that he is allowed up to three (3) options. Then he should write on paper: Should I move to 'A', 'B', or 'C' (where A, B, and C represent the names of the places he is considering)? When asking the astrologer, he needn't even reveal the actual names of the places, as long as he knows what they mean. But this method of using options can be used only when A, B, and C represent the same category of entity (in this case, locations). If the seeker has more than three options, then he will have to ask more than once in order to cover all the options.
You don't have to directly name an object or person you can just call it or them "X" to maintain confidentiality.
With these simple pointers, you now know how to ask questions properly in order to get a clear answer: perfect questions, perfect answers. If you still have a doubt or something is not clear please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to assist you.
Example of Prashna
Before we leave the subject of prasna, I would like to give an example from my files as to how it is used. In December of 1988, I received an urgent call from a friend. His mother-in-law had just
been rushed to the hospital to undergo emergency surgery for diabetes related problems. The woman, an aged, traditional Indian lady, would not sign the consent forms until I was consulted and had given approval. I had noted the time of the call, so with that I began my calculations. My conclusion was that her condition was serious but not life-threatening. My client then conveyed this report to his wife and mother-in-law. But soon after, I received another call from my client: "Are you sure? The condition is very serious, and my wife is doubtful." To alleviate her anxiety, I called the hospital emergency room to ask the wife why she was doubtful. She answered that the doctors had privately told her that her mother had less than a 5% chance of survival; naturally she had trouble reconciling this with my assurance that the surgery would be successful. I looked at my calculations again and saw no indication of death. So I told her, "If your mother dies during or because of the surgery, I will not be able to explain it astrologically. If that happens, I will give up the practice of astrology." I was serious. My conviction was so firm that the wife's mother then signed the consent forms and underwent surgery. Later that day when I came back to my apartment, I found a message on my answering machine: "Shyama, you don't have to give up astrology, my mother survived and is doing fine."
This is a popular article and has been published several times. It first appeared in an anthology of Astrology called Lessons in Hindu Astrology (1997). It then appeared in Diamond Fire Journal (1997) and again appeared in the Indian Vedic Astrology monthly magazine Express Star Teller (May 1999).
On the morning of July 23, 1982 I found myself outside a Durga temple on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, South India. I was gathered with six of the most learned astrologers of the area, including my teacher Krishnan Potti, an author (in Malayalam) of over a dozen books on astrology, to do Ashtamangala Deva Prashna.
The setting was lush with many fruit-bearing coconut and banana trees as well as the heady and intoxicating aroma of Champaka and Jasmine flowers. Incense wafted in the breeze outside as everyone in attendance: the temple managers, brahmanas (priest caste), pujaris (temple priests), and local congregation waited for the astrologers to begin the Ashtamangala Deva Prashna (hence forth ADP), a specialty of what could be called the Kerala school of astrology. Ashtamangala refers to two things: first of all it refers to a method of numerology which will be referred to later on; secondly it refers to eight (ashtha) auspicious (mangala) items that are used in this type of divination. These items are: ghee lamps (brass lamps with a wick in clarified butter), mirror, gold, milk, yogurt, fruits, book, and white cloth. Deva Prashna is a special kind of Prashna (Prashna--question, horary astrology) specifically dealing with temple matters. Both are explained in that encyclopedic treatise Prashna Marga "the path of horary astrology." However, as I was soon to discover, successful ADP required more than knowledge of these two subjects. Success depended on a thorough knowledge of all the principles of Prashna Marga, plus a high degree of
intelligence, great powers of observation, and keen intuition stemming from spiritual practices and an austere, pure godly lifestyle. Because the subject of Prashna was a temple and the presiding devata (deity), only the very best astrologers were called upon to conduct the Prashna. By having several scholarly astrologers present it was expected that mistakes would be minimized, and that what one astrologer might miss another would pick up on.
Studies in India
This was not my first ADP. On my previous stay of 18 months, in 1977-78, I had begun my study of astrology in Hyderabad and was then asked to take it up as my full-time service to my Guru. I had first began to study Prasna in this, my second, sojourn in India (1980-83). I had been studying Jataka (natal astrology) in Calcutta with Harihar Majumder, a leading, elderly, scholar and the author of Hindu Science of the Future (as well as many books in Bengali). I strongly desired to become a well rounded astrologer and I knew from my studies that there were six limbs to astrology, not just Jataka, but unfortunately I had found no astrologers in North India who knew Prashna. I knew, from my reading, that Prasna and other branches of astrology were well preserved in South India. Thus after I finished my studies with my teacher and gave him his dakshina (donation for teaching me) I headed south to Bangalore in May of 1981 armed with a letter of introduction from Y. Keshava Menon (president of the Calcutta astrological association and regular contributor to The Astrological Magazine) to Dr. B.V. Raman.
I had just read Dr. Raman's translation of Prashna Marga and I hoped that he would be able to guide me to a good teacher of
this art. Dr. Raman kindly consented to see me but threw a wet blanket on my dreams by telling me that it would be practically impossible for me to find a good teacher of Prashna. "Good scholars of astrology are rare," he said, "of these, those that could teach were rarer still; and of these, those who had time to teach a neophyte like me were even more rare. And out of all of these astrologers one who could speak English was the rarest of them all."
I was undaunted and determined to prove him wrong but I soon found that he had not spoken lightly. Eventually, after many months of tireless searching and meeting countless astrologers I finally found two sources for in-depth knowledge of Prashna-a family of Jain astrologers in Bangalore headed by the late B.G. Sasikantha Jain, who practiced Bhrgu Prasna (though Jain in name they had all converted to Vaisnavism). And the late Krishnan Potti the scholar of Prashna Marga. Convincing Sasikantha Jain to teach me took me over 10 months, but that's another story. And while Krishnan Potti readily agreed to teach me there was a little problem, actually two-he lived in a very beautiful, but rather remote, hilly area, outside of Thiruvananthapuram with no access by bus or taxi; and he didn't speak English.
The first problem I solved by learning to drive a motor-cycle. A simple feat you may think but considering that there are practically no enforceable traffic laws in India and that road obstacles include, but are not limited to: chickens, hogs, dogs, camels, asses, goats, cows, buffaloes and the occasional elephant (and their dung, chicken dung is no problem but I once ran into a soccer-ball sized lump of elephant dung, at twilight, at about 30 mph, it was like hitting a big lump of grease, I'm lucky to be alive), what to speak of throngs of people, buses, lorries (big trucks), cars, plus terrible road conditions, etc. Going for my
astrology lessons meant to take my life in my own hands and I would fervently pray to Lord Nrsimhadeva (half-man, half-lion avatara of Lord Krsna) for protection.
The second problem was a bit more tricky. Krishnan Potti didn't speak English and I didn't know Malayalam, the language of Kerala. However, though no Sanskrit scholar, I had a rather large Sanskrit vocabulary from studying Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam and other Vedic literatures; ayurveda, and of course my in-depth study of astrology in India. I found that as long as we spoke in Sanskrit about astrology I could readily follow what was being said and thus I passed more than a year studying with Krishnan Potti.
Though he lived in a remote area away from the city he had a steady stream of people who would show up for his advice. I wasn't his only student, he had several including a policeman, but I was special because I was a foreigner who had come so far, had taken up the Vedic lifestyle and was struggling so hard to learn astrology. We handled all kinds of Prashnas but ADPs were special because these Prasnas necessitated that several scholarly astrologers gather at a venue away from their normal place of practice. Aside from this, ADPs required the use of nimitta (omens) and other special procedures that we shall presently describe. Because the ADPs involved many persons aside from my astrology guru the discussions were all in Malayalam, thus I arranged for a translator to accompany me for this day long affair, for I knew it would take up the whole morning and most of the afternoon with a break for lunch.
Countless experiences like this destroyed in my mind the mechanistic world view of modern science and permanently established the Vedic, God-centered, world view of Krsna Consciousness.
What follows is directly from my notes of that day (I urge all students of Prashna to keep notes and records of all Prasnas they do, I still keep notes). It would be impossible for me to include everything that was said and done in the (approximately) seven hour period necessary to conduct the Ashtamangala Deva Prashna, however we hope that the reader will be able to appreciate the mystical nature of the experience which, even for many students of Vedic astrology, will seem to border on magical. Countless experiences like this destroyed in my mind the mechanistic world view of modern science and permanently established the Vedic, God-centered, world view of Krsna Consciousness. As astrologers we are sometimes bound up in thinking that everything revolves around symbols drawn on a piece of paper. Or that the planets somehow act on an individual. This limiting paradigm is shattered when we realize that everything in existence is a message from Sri Krsna if we only knew how to read them. The grahas (specific planets used in divination) are only part of a larger language. An astrologer must always keep his eyes and ears open and be prepared to read everything that is happening during a crucial moment such as a Prashna.
The Prashna Begins
Observing Nimitta (Omens)
To begin the Ashtamangala Deva Prashna the astrologers first prepared a small, clean area of land and tidied it up and then covered it with a layer of raw rice. The questioners were asked to adorn it with a ghee lamp, white flowers and other ornaments as well as offerings such as Tambula (Pan leaves and Betel nut) that the congregation of the temple offered. They then performed puja (worship) with devotion on all the articles that would be
used in the process of divination and invoked Lord Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead for His blessings. They then meditated on their istadevatas (personal patron deity, Lord Krsna or one of His avataras like Narasimhadeva or Lord Rama) for the ability to predict correctly.
The astrologers then called on an official of the temple with little or no knowledge of astrology to come forward. They showed him a Cakra (diagram of the zodiac) as it is drawn in typical South Indian style and ask him to duplicate it on the prepared ground. Using a stick he carefully prepared the diagram by first drawing the Western line, then the Southern line, then Eastern and finally the Northern line. (In Prasna the directions of the diagram are such: the side that has Aries and Taurus is East, Cancer and Leo is South, Libra and Scorpio is West, and Capricorn and Aquarius is North. Western astrologers should also note that in the S. Indian chart format the signs of the zodiac are stationary and the ascendant is drawn into the chart with a slash or letter. This is unlike the Western or North Indian system in which the ascendant is stationary and the signs arranged around it.)
The panditas noted down very carefully the order that he drew them. One stated that because the priest drew the Western line first it was a highly inauspicious omen indicating that diseases (or general harm) would increase. And this was made worse because he had drawn the other lines in a counter clockwise order which indicated many serious obstacles ahead. In general these two things were looked upon as unfavorable omens. They then looked for any irregularities in the way the lines were drawn, that is, if they were thick or thin, broken, etc. But none were observed.
Selecting the Swarna Lagna
The astrologers then called on any young child not conversant with astrology who was recently bathed and well dressed to come forward. The adults pushed a child forward, the astrologers directed the child to worship the ghee lamp and other divinatory paraphernalia with flowers. They then placed in the child's right hand a piece of gold, along with flowers, water, sandal wood paste and aksata-rice mixed with turmeric. The child was then instructed to go around the Cakra (wheel) of the zodiac and then stand near it facing east. In the mean time the questioner, the person who had called this convocation of astrologers, was instructed to be meditating on Lord Krsna to reveal His will. All the astrologers then reflected on the problems of the querist and repeated their mantras for inspiration, and the one astrologer who would do the Ashtamangala was touching his cowry shells. At the end they asked the child to deposit the gold in any one of the signs that had previously been drawn by the priest. The child placed the handful in the square designating Virgo.
It should be noted that the above two processes, that of drawing the Cakra and choosing the Arudha Lagna, would be impossible using the North Indian (or Western) format for drawing a chart. The North Indian format is based on houses not signs. For this and other reasons we recommend to students to strictly use the South Indian format, which evidence suggests is the original Vedic format. There is evidence to suggest that the North Indian format was introduced by Muslim invaders who dominated North India for nearly 800 years.
This Swarna Lagna ( swarna-gold, lagna-ascendant), as it is also known, became the Arudha Lagna for the ADP (represented by the long slash in the diagram). The Arudha Lagna, as we have seen, is chosen through a divinatory omen process directed by the will of Sri Krsna, much in the same way as other well known
methods of divination such as Tarot and the I Ching. There are other ways of finding the Arudha Lagna, such as noting which part of the body the questioner is touching, the first letter of the first sound they make, what spot on the ground (of an imaginary zodiac projected onto the ground) they are standing on when asking the question, etc. The exact time the Swarna lagna was chosen was noted as 8:45 AM, thus the Udaya Lagna, the Lagna based on time, was Leo (short slash in diagram). The planetary positions at the time were fixed and the chart filled in with all the planets includingMandi, who is very significant in Kerala astrology and South India in general, but not much used in the North.
It should also be noted that there are some authors who never use Mandi in their practice of astrology but have put forward academic arguments concerning the proper way of calculating Mandi . Most modern computer programs that I have seen adopt these methods of calculation. However, when I wrote the Jyotish Vedic Astrology program for Matrix Software, (published1988) I used an algorithm that duplicated the methods of Prashna Marga and the Kerala tradition as I saw it practiced. This seemed more logical to me because these astrologers actually use Mandi on a daily basis, Mandi is not an academic abstraction to them.
The exact degree of the Arudha lagna was calculated by noting the degree of the Udaya Lagna. Since the Udaya Lagna was 12LE13 thus the degree of the Arudha Lagna would be 12VI13. Therefore the Arudha navamsa would then be the fourth navamsa corresponding to Cancer. (Navamsa is an arc of 3 degree 20 minutes, one ninth of sign.)
The position of the Swarna Lagna was then examined. The piece of gold was located in the middle of the square designating Virgo, however it was face down, on top of the aksata and flowers, it was also tilted and slanted toward the South. The astrologers declared this to be another bad omen indicative of
death and other evils (if it actually meant death would have to be judged according to the whole picture).
Analysing the Ashtamangala Number
In the mean time, while the Swarna Lagna was being chosen the head astrologer of the group, Krishnan Potti, did the first part of the Ashtamangala numerology. This requires a little explanation: a major instrument for divination in Kerala are cowry shells which have been specially selected, cleaned, sanctified (generally by chanting of mantras and bathing in the waters of the Ganges or other sacred rivers) and used only for divination. In less complex types of Prashna, that is, other than Deva Prashna, the Arudha lagna is often found by manipulation of the cowries alone. For divination 108 cowries are used. To do the first part of the Ashtamangala the astrologer first touches the cowries while meditating on his mantra and asking for spiritual guidance. Then the astrologer arbitrarily divides the shells into three piles, one to his left, one in front of him and one to the right. After examining the Swarna Lagna Krishnan Potti did the second part of the Ashtamangala by going to each pile of cowries and counting off multiples of eight (asta) and keeping the remainder, if the remainder is zero then let it be eight. You will now have a three digit number in which no digit is greater than eight. The digits represent past, present and future respectfully from left to right. 1=Sun, 2=Mars, 3=Jupiter, 4=Mercury, 5=Venus, 6=Saturn, 7=Moon, 8=Rahu. (This is very simplified, they also represent other things as well.) Odd numbers are considered good, even numbers bad. The Ashtamangala number that was obtained for the Prashna was 8-3-1 ruled by Rahu, Jupiter and the Sun respectfully. Though it seemed clear to me that 8-3-1 indicated that the past was bad, the present and future looked good. However the assembled scholars claimed that this was not actually the case. They said that because the numbers were in a
descending order from left to right and other special circumstances, this indicated that the past was good, the present was bad and the future would be worse. Other parts of the reading seemed to confirm this observation on their part.
Shyamasundara Dasa and his teacher Krishnan Potti in Thiruvananthapuram 1982. On the table in front of them are arrayed some cowrie shells that are used in doing Asthamangala Prashna.
Observing the Flame
After this the ghee lamp was lit and the flame was observed to lean toward the South, this was again declared to be an evil omen. Just then one of the astrologers stated that the deity must have been moved at least twice before being established in the present temple. The temple managers replied that this was true
and wanted to know why he had said that? The astrologer said this was so because he had noted that the ghee lamp had been placed near the worship area but then picked up and moved twice before the Prasna started.
Examining the Tambula
The astrologers then examined the Tambula (Pan leaves) that was offered for worship. These Tambula represent the 12 houses of the Deva Prasna chart and the conditions of these houses can be determined by the condition of the leaves. Before we interpret the meaning of the leaves we will take opportunity to give, in synopsis, the special meaning of the 12 houses in Deva Prashna:
1: Temple building, murti (likeness of the deity ), and divine presence of the deity in the murti.
2: Wealth, income, temple treasures and guardians.
3: The naivedya (offerings made) and servants.
4: All buildings and land connected with the temple as well as temple vehicles.
5: Murti and divine presence (again).
6: Pollution of the temple, enemies and thieves.
7: The people (congregation) and deity ornaments.
8: Divine presence, offerings, servants, and good and evil matters.
9: Nature of the temple authorities and the state of merit and piety.
10: Daily ceremonies (puja), special festivals and devalakas-persons involved in making garlands, and performance of musical entertainment, etc.
11: Piety, merit, prosperity and income.
12: Nature of the priests, expenditure and waste.
In this case since there were only three "Pan leaves" onl the first three houses of the Deva Prasna chart could be examined by this method. The first representing the lagna had marks and cuts thus things have not been good up till now. The second was smaller than the others and had cuts, thus there were financial problems. The third was in much better shape so it declared those who served the temple were capable of doing good.
Tambula Lagna
The number of leaves were now used to determine the Tambula Lagna which is arrived at by the following formula (T x 10 + 1)/7 where T is the number of Tambulas. Since T=3 when we substitute we get a remainder of three which represents Mars in the normal order of planets. (Western astrologers should note that in Vedic astrology the order of planets is Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, Ketu. This is the same as the days of the week.) Since Mars is in Libra this becomes the Tambula Lagna. Mars itself indicates that there have been strife and conflicts, and because it is Mars in Libra they deduced that the deity of the temple was the goddess Kali. Now that the preliminaries were over the readings and predictions based on the planetary positions started.
Predictions Based on the Planetary Positions
Since Rahu ruled over the first Ashtamangala number and he was in the 10th with Venus one astrologer declared that the temple must have been towards the East of the present place in a location occupied by a Naga (special race of serpent gods endowed with mystical powers and often irritable). This was admitted by the temple mangers.
Since Mars had only just transited into Libra one astrologer dared to say that in the past there must have been an accidental fire in the temple. Affirmative was the response. They were now on a roll.
Another astrologer pointed out that Rahu and Venus in the 10th also indicated that someone must have died from poison nearby and the ghost was still lingering in the vicinity. We were told that in the past a child had taken poison and died in the compound.
The Original Question is Revealed
It should be noted that up to this time we were not informed why the ADP was taking place, of course we could surmise there was trouble but had no details. But as the ADP proceeded the details started to come out. At this point the original question of the querist is finally revealed by the astrologers. One astrologer said that because Saturn is in the Arudha Lagna they want to know why has Durga devi (goddess of the material world) left the temple?The people agreed that indeed, this is their question. The reason she has left, the astrologers say, is because the rules of conduct were not properly observed--entry into the temple of impure people such as person's who had a recent death in their family or women during their period, etc.
Since the Arudha Lagna is Virgo it was deduced that the land is owned by the ladies of the family by special arrangement. This was also confirmed to be true.
The astrologers agree that since Mars is the maha-badaka and Jupiter is the samanya-badaka for Virgo (Raman, 1980 pp. 545-547) (badaka means doer of harm, the two different prefixes refer to the great and general doer of harm respectively) are in the 2nd house and since Ketu is in Virgo navamsa, this same Virgo being the Arudha Lagna, then some other person must
have also died. This dead person (along with poisoned child) having no shelter came to this temple and have contaminated the place. The temple managers admit that indeed another person did die, a family member died nearby by a fall from a tree.
Bhadrakali the Dark Side of Durga
The astrologers continue that since Jupiter is the bhadaka conjoined with Mars significator of land, and this same Jupiter is aspecting Venus then the land the temple is on was previously owned and that now a ghost of a fallen brahmana is haunting the place. They also claim that from the symptoms they conclude that Bhadrakali, the ferocious, dark side of Durga, has also manifested and is covering over Durga. The temple managers have to remove Bhadrakali and leave only Durga.
In the 5th canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam it describes how once some rogues kidnapped the pure devotee and avadhuta Jada Bharata for the purpose of sacrificing him to the demi-goddess Kali. However, because Jada Bharata was a pure
devotee of the Supreme Lord Krsna, Kali would not tolerate that such a devotee of the Lord should be killed. Instead she and her yakshini associates took choppers and killed those who harm the devotee of Lord Krsna Who is also the Supreme worshippable object of Srimati Kali devi and her consort Lord Siva.
Image copyright: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust -- www.Krishna.com
After examining all the houses of the Deva Prashna the astrologers concluded that because of Ketu in the 4th and 4th lord Jupiter afflicted, the temple should be reconstructed. They conclude that some theft has taken place. And that the decorations in the temple are non-existent. And that the affliction to 10th and 12th house indicate much improvement necessary in regards to the priestly functioning in the temple. They also recommend on the basis of the condition of the 8th house that they should make special offering and worship to pacify the deity.
Remediation
Several questions are asked regarding what exactly should be done to pacify the deity and remove Bhadrakali. Suggestions for remedies were proposed. To determine if a proposed suggestion would work the astrologers would consult the cowries for an answer. After posing the question and the proposed solution Krishnan Potti would meditate and then take a handful of cowries to determine the answer - technically called daivahitam - finding out the divine will. In this way for several hours various strategies were tried to find a solution to the temple's problems. This is a very important point. Nowadays people are pushing various methods of remedial measures such as wearing of jewels or performing various sacrifices, but how do you know if it will work? Many of the remedial measures touted these days are
quite expensive and usually only benefit the astrologer who sells the jewel or gets commissions on sales, etc. Before embarking on a remedial measure you must find out via Prasna if it will actually work.
Read mead more about remedial measures.
As we have seen from this one example the system of Vedic Prasna as preserved in Kerala is a very powerful method. To master it requires a lot of hard work, training and above all faith in Sri Krsna. Great faith is necessary because we are conditioned to think in a mechanistic way, we must go beyond that and understand that from a spiritual perspective everything in conscious and is being controlled by God. The process of divination allows us to carry on a dialog with God through animate or apparently inanimate objects or chance occurrences. This dialog can only be accomplished if we train and purify our intelligence, mind and senses, through study of appropriate texts; as well as a sattvika (mode of goodness), brahminical and pure lifestyle based on the teachings of the Vedas.
References:
Bhat, Ramakrishna, M., 1992, Essentials of Horary Astrology or Prasnapadavi, Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
This deals with strategies for dealing with problems that we face because of our bad karma. Vedic astrology is not only useful for telling us when we can expect rough times but also it can tell us how to neutralize them. By examining the horoscope the astrologer can find out which remedial measure is suitable for the situation at hand. In order to confirm that a recommended solution will actually work the astrologer uses traditional astrological techniques that guarantee the success of the method (if carried out properly).
Prioritize your problems and only ask for one remedial measure at a time.
The Jyotish prescriptions come in the form of:
observing certain vows
chanting of mantras
giving in charity
performing certain rituals
wearing of talismans, etc.
These days it has become popular to recommend some jewel as a remedial measure. While it is true that the Vedic scriptures do speak of the power of gems, they are not traditionally recommended as a remedial measure. Many jewels are very
expensive costing thousands of dollars yet the astrologer who recommends it cannot guarantee that it will work. Our system is different, we examine the horoscope or the time the request was made, it may suggest certain remedial measures that will work, we then use astrological methods (called Daivahiham) to see if it will actually work. In this way we know before hand that the prescription we are giving will be successful if performed properly. Thus, whatever expense the client must bear will not be in vain. We only prescribe remedial measures, we do not sell them nor do we get any commissions from them as is the case of those dealing with gems or, more recently with some groups who are mass marketing "yajnas" as a business. In some cases, there is no expense involved for the client other than the investment of some time and energy.
The following is a letter that I got from a client, a German real estate broker, on February 10th, 2000. This man was having very serious problems with the German equivalent of the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). He asked me to find some remedial measure to help remedy the situation. After studying his chart and doing the appropriate meditation and applying special Jyotish techniques (Daivahitam) I determined that in his case (it is not the same for everyone) he needed to have a particular Homa performed. A homa is a special fire sacrifice accompanied by the chanting of various mantras (also called a yajna) which is done to invoke divine protection. It could be described as a formalised prayer to the Lord. As I said I only make the prescription I do not perform the sacrifices, etc., nor do I make any commission. He asked me who could perform such a sacrifice. Performing such sacrifices is not a matter of business as has recently become fashionable in some circles. Therefore, the person(s) who perform it should not be mercenary minded. I said that he could
get in contact with the chief priests at a certain temple in South India. I gave him the phone number and the priest he should contact. This family of priests have been in charge of taking care of the deity in that temple for over 500 years. They are very pure hearted. They are also very diligent and sincere in the performance of the yajnas what to speak of expert, they have all been trained up to do this since they were young boys of 10-11 years of age. My client had the homa performed, in his case it didn't take long for him to see the result (your milage may vary). This is what he wrote:
Dear Shyama,
Today in the night our yajnas were completed. (It takes 2-3 days to complete.) This morning when I went to our post-mailbox I saw a big letter from the IRS. I was really shocked went into the house and took a place before our altar praying to the Deities that they please protect me from the attacks of the IRS. I opened the letter and was surprised. They sent back our tax papers with the commentary that all is o.k. and that they will pay us 5000 US$ back. That was a great load off my mind because this was one my main problems since 1997. I think it is a very good omen regarding the powerful influence of the yajna.
You should have received an email from xyz about remedial measures for her. She is a girl-friend of my wife. I hope you are well.
For more client comments regarding remedial measures.
Caveat
If a person faithfully performs the recommended atonement they should begin to feel relief from the pressure they are experiencing.
However, there is one thing that must be remembered and that is that I only recommend the remedial measure, I do not do them for you and have no control on the results. Remedial measures are of basically three types:
1) those done by the person themselves such as--fasting, reading sastra, or performing a vrata.
2) those performed by others on the person's behalf because it requires expertise such as -- performance of special yajnas
3) a combination of 2 & 3
If one of the parties is not sincere or makes mistakes or is not faithful in the performance, then the desired effect will be diminished or not occur at all.
Suppose a person is sick and they go to a doctor who tells them to abstain from certain foods, get more rest, and take certain medicine 3 times daily with milk. If they follow his prescription religiously they will get the benefit after some time but if they only take the medicine every 2nd day and do not follow the diet carefully, etc. In other words if they do not follow the directions carefully they cannot expect to get the result. Then if the result is not manifesting who is to blame? How then can a doctor guarantee the result if so many things are out of his control?
In the same way I have no control of what people do after they come to me. I have tried my best to find a solution for their problem, but now the rest is up to them.
It should also be remembered that you cannot bribe God. He doesn't need our paltry offerings and prayers. But if done in a humble mood of love and devotion He may accept them. So the mood in which your remedial measures are performed are all important.
Please note:
In very rare cases no remedies can be found.
I have mentioned several times above I only make a prescription hence you will only get a prescription for a remedial measure. No charts, readings or anything else; just a prescription.
Usually one should only resort to remedial measures after trying more conventional means. Exceptions would be the case of serious legal or medical cases were you do not have the time or money to try all the possible alternatives.
If a homa is required that is an extra expense to be discussed between you and the priest doing it for you. I am not involved.
Dear Shyamsundara,
After long time Prabhu, I have to write you a letter. I don’t know if You remember me ( You prescribed me ...)
After practicing those remedies as much I was able to, now I see very strong results which I feel by Lords mercy. Huge change occurred inside and outside me. I fell like I lost big burden from my chest, and I can function without fear. I am immeasurably
thankful for Your mercy, and time to find solution for me. From my heart I wish to encourage You that your mission of helping people change their life is working, if I may say so bringing awareness of God in their lives.
It is hard to explain how I fell, I realized something that I strive for almost 2 years, I change so much that I finally started to see God's beauty and love, and mercy all around us, tears come to my eyes when I write this...
I don’t wont to take much more of your time, I just wonted to share my experience
My wife and I have been married for almost 2 years and after the first 3 months, things have been horrible.
My wife did not get along with my parents or siblings at all, and, if anything, would work to create problems with them! She would constantly create issues with them, swear at them, and behave completely like a spoiled teenager!!
Fortunately, I had consulted Shyamasundara Dasa, and through his recommended prayers, we have all finally found peace! It took about a month after the prayers were completed for things to improve, but now my wife gets along with everyone in my family once more. She has even apologized to everyone in my family for her behaviour! Now she is busy buying presents for everyone to show them that she truly means them no harm. Also, she wants my parents to move in with us now, and also wishes to help my sister pay for her wedding! This is in stark contrast to the behaviour of my wife before the prayers!
Thank-you for all your help Shyamasundara Dasa -- you were definitely worth the consultation!
Rishi D
The following letter from Czech Republic is from a young man who suffered from crippling headaches.
Dear Vaisnavis, who make this site for helping Vaisnavas,please accept my humble obeisances.
I just want to mention a nice opportunity how to help devotees in distress searching for a cure.
For several years I suffered from almost suicidal pains in my head and tried different doctors and therapies, ate many chemical pills but nothing helped. Then I tried to search for the cause through astrology and I found the website of Shyamasundara Prabhu, disciple of Srila Prabhupada (www.shyamasudaradasa.com). One of his services is finding remedies and he recommended me several things with the end result that those pains are gone. It worked.
I think other devotees should also learn about this alternative. Wishing you all success in devotional service,
Your servant,
Bhakta Martin, Czech Republic
This text didn't post to Vaisnava Care but instead was posted to Dandavats.com at the following URL http://www.dandavats.com/?p=2863
After seeing this text I inquired if Bhakta Martin was indeed cured and received this reply from the person he does email through:
"After long time in diseased condition his body is still weak, but he says that the disease is practically gone and he doesn't need to take any chemical medicine. He has performed two homas. Actually after some time he stopped chanting those [prescribed] mantras, but after reading your story [quoted above] about an Indian man living in Canada - his wife did not get along with his parents, Martin started to continue."
This last comment is very interesting and important. It shows that the remedies work if followed with faith otherwise not or only partial result. It also suggests that a repeat of the remedy can speed up results.
You will find that sometimes I have suggested to avoid using materials pertaining to the planet(s) related. Do not take them
always literal, that is not needed. But, try to link your activities and what sort of materials and other goods you use, when you run a particular Dasha period. You will surprisingly note that most of the times these items relate to the planet this way or that way, either for their natural significations or for their lordships. So, if you have a very bad Sun period in the past, try to remember if you have used any Sun sort of goods in that period or did any Sun sort of negative activities, such as being too authoritative on people. And then, avoiding such stuff again will be a powerful remedial measure for you!
