ASTROLOGY IS THE EYES OF VEDAS

A Study Submitted to

1st DOCTORIAL COMMITTEE

In partial fulfillment for the PhD Astrology programme
Under Guidance of
Prof. Dr. Sri Prathiyangira Swamy,
HOD. Dept of Astrology
&
Prof. Dr. Sundarjee. Phd (Astrology)
Research Supervisor

VISTAS
(Vels Institute of Science Technology & Advanced Studies)
Submitted by

S.VENKATESH
UP18G9962028
12-12-2018
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I sincerely thank the department of Astrology,

Sastra University for providing me an opportunity to pursue PhD. in Astrology.
I would like to express gratitude to my Guru
Prof.Dr.Sri Prathiyangira Swamy,
HOD. Dept of Astrology,
VELS University, Chennai.

Guided by
Prof. Dr.Sundarjee. Phd. (Astrology)
Research Supervisor of VELS University, Chennai.
For their kind guidance, advice and motivation in this project work successfully

S Venkatesh
UP18G9962028
Astrology is considered as eyes of Vedas. It helps one to choose the correct path in order to utilise full
potential of life. Astrology helps one knowing the self. It guides one with what to do and when 9 Planetary
positions in an astrological Zodiac chart are the manifestation of our previous life Karma (actions) and our
desires in that life at the time of leaving body. We are all here to experience certain situations and events to
evolve towards salvation (Moksha). Those situations are based on our previous life actions and desires. How
one act in particular situation depends upon the nature (Sanskaar) that is acquired from past lives, association
that one select in past and this life. By knowing the self, one may transcend the reactions to an extent. Vedic
Astrology guides one to use the situation in one’s own favour through simple remedies. Remedies are
generally based on metaphysical techniques, prayers, simple yoga techniques which not only help one in life
results in inner awakening.

There are 4 main styles of Vedic Astrology:

1. Parashar astrology (base of Vedic astrology)

2. Gemini astrology (a very profound style of astrology)

3. Nadi astrology (based on nakshatra lords and their placements, a very profound style of astrology)

4. Bhrigu astrology (A very profound style of astrology that does not require even basic details like date, time
and place of birth)

An astrologer who is expert in any of the above can help one with solutions. With the blessing of Gurus and
sages, astrologer Devneet Lamba can analyse Astrological chart from all four styles of Vedic astrology for
deeper and better solution. One style compliments another as vedic texts are connected to each other.

The Vedas and Vedic Astrology

The term Vedic comes from the word Veda, which literally means knowledge. True knowledge is said to be
transcendental, and the real experience of "the Veda" can only be directly perceived by the enlightened mind.
Out of compassion for mankind, however, ancient seers composed four sets of hymns called the Vedas, which
are expressions of various aspects of knowledge such asphilosophy, yoga, meditation, healing, and other
sciences. They are designed to help humanity in the quest for happiness, peace and fulfillment.

Vedic astrology is the astrology of India. It is said to have been intuitively perceived thousands of years ago by
the same ancient mystics who developed the various techniques of meditation and yoga for which India is so
well known.It is called jyotish, which means “the lord of light,” because it is used to illuminate life, providing
both practical and spiritual insight. Jyotish, which technically is a Vedanga or limb of the Vedas, is considered
to be "the eye of the Veda", the science which helps one see the life path. It is the mother of all other
sciences.
According to Prashna Marga, a great classic of Vedic Astrology, the proper study of this science leads one to
"the acquisition of wealth, karmic merit, salvation, respect and fame.

The old Jyotish texts of India clearly explain how the five elements (Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth) create
all that is in existence in this world through the agency of the grahas, or the 9 planets of astrology as we call
them in English. As an example, Venus represents the water element of nourishment, and so Venus
represents good food, or the touch of a loved one, or a vehicle. All of these are things that help support us,
nourish us, and make things more comfortable for us as we go down the path of our life. So the old books
would relate the wife to Venus. This is a very simple example. The fun part is that many modern things now
exist that were not around when our foundational texts were written, and so it is the task of the modern
jyotishi to find out what planets and what elements will correlate to all the various people, places, and things
in this world.

I imagine that if the shastras were written in a more modern time, they may have included different types of
music and what planets they relate to. There are so many new and modern forms of music to have come
about and most certainly would relate to the various planets and their admixtures.

First we must know that the Moon rules music overall. So the Moon rules all types of music. (The Moon makes
one a musician as well, and the Sun makes one a singer and rules singing according to Jaimini.) But within that
very very broad spectrum of all the types of music that exist, we can further divide them up by what planets
would rule each branch of music, or each musical genre as they are called. And there will often be a lot of
overlap, but some genres will stick out more as containing much more of a concentration of one planetary
energy. Those are the main ones I included here. The more mixed musical genres I have mainly left out, but
we can always remember that Mercury rules the mixed things. Here is what I have found so far:

SUN:

The Sun seems to rule any traditional nationalistic music that has no exportable appeal but is a part of national
pride. The Sun also seems to rule spiritual, gospels, hymns, and bhajans. The Sun is the singer and Jaimini
directly correlates this to singing the Vedas, and being “filled with inspiration.” So we can imagine that the Sun
rules chanting the Vedas as well, and any sort of inspired spiritual singing such as Kirtan. Likely also Gregorian
chants. would also correlate the Sun to occapella music, is very nationally connected usually, and has a
spiritual quality to.

Moon:

Moon of course rules all music as said above, but particularly the Moon rules instrumental music. The Moon
rules the masses, moving them as it moves the tides of the planet, and therefore the Moon would relate
strongly to associated with the nightlife of the Moon. Perhaps that is why the shiny glittering white Lunar
“disco ball” came to fit so naturally, It was a trendy thing as well, just like the culture pull of the energy.

Mars:

Mars most of its offspring. Some of them may have more Saturn mixed in, but we can definitely seem Rocking
performer, Alternative being mainly martian. Metal could start to bridge into Saturn more as we shall see that
Saturn rules very dark music. as key examples of this transformation. Note this because Mars rules theives,
and stealing, whether for a good or bad reason. So it is interesting that even and many other pioneers of it
have admitted that it was highly influenced

Mercury:

Mercury, being the one most fond of and skilled at wordplay, would of course rule over Other highly lyrical or
verbal based music that doesnt come under the Sun’s influence may also fall under Mercury. Mercury would
of course rule comedic music too, and parody music like Weird Al Yankovich. Mercury also seems to rule over
electronic music. It is interesting how the most deep thinking planet Jupiter is starved by Mercury, as a genre
seems to have a harder time getting out of a superficial place and having more meaningful content. Having a
message other than how great the rapper is doesnt seem to be as important for a song to be successful in this
genre, and there may be an archetypal reason for this. But in general we can see how Jupiter gets a bit starved
in this genre more than others. But Venus, as the great friend of Mercury, seems to do well (wink).

Jupiter:

Jupiter is the planet that rules the Ether element. Or the “Akash”, which is a sanskrit word that means “sky”.
The Akash chakra, as many of you will know, is the throat chakra, related to Sound. Vibration and sound is very
close to Jupiter. As such, Jupiter seems to rule any kind of musical sound, not a particular type of style, but
more about the power and meaning behind the music. So Jupiter relates to deep and soulful music that stirs
the depths of our beings. This is not limited to just one genre. He can relate to any philosophical represents
devotional chants and mantra

Soul is a genre that has the qualities of Jupiter embedded in it. One thing is that Jupiter is not as likely would
be under Guru’s domain.
Venus:

Venus is the main planet of entertainment, and so music that is made primarily for entertainment purposes is
Venusian music. And music designed for dance and sexual appeal. So Venus therefore rules almost all of the
modern popular music being made nowadays. Venus can rule dance, music to name a few. And of course, any
beautiful music with wonderful harmony would be of the Venusian vibration. Music that makes you want to
get up and dance is Venus.

Saturn:

Saturn is the planet of sorrow. Therefore the main category that is most Saturnian to me is the blues. Saturn
also is closely connected to blue color. Blues is just Saturn through and through, I don’t think anyone will
debate that. It also was born out of the struggling black in culture off course Saturn is the one who makes reat
things come out of great suffering.

Of course all dark will mainly have the influence of Shani, so Metal and “Doom metal” (whatever that is) and
all those sorts of things are likely falling under Saturns umbrella, though I actually havent listened to most of
these genres myself. I am just gonna assume they are as dark as they sound. .

Rahu/Ketu:

Rahu and Ketu dont rule any particular genre but Rahu will make any genre more technologically centered,
and more innovative. It will be less acoustic and natural sounding and more electronic and overly produced.
More avant-garde. Most of the garbage pop music you hear nowadays would be a mixture of Moon and Rahu,
an unpleasant combination. (That is actually a placement that gets people involved or interested in hypnotism
amongst other things. And it is interesting how there has been enormous amounts of money invested in
researching what type of ways to make pop music get stuck in peoples heads more easily, therefore making
them want to buy that song or that album more. It seems to have an unpleasantly hypnotic quality to it. When
you are in the grocery store you can hear 30 seconds of one of those songs and it can be in your head for
hours after.)

Ketu would do the opposite and make one’s music more introverted, more myopic, more acoustic and “raw”
and underproduced. Often times when a musician first puts out an album, before he is famous, this album is
often underproduced and more raw sounding, and this is usually the person’s best album because it is their
most Ketu album. It is there most heartfelt and sincere album. Then of course they get famous and Rahu
muddies up their inner vision and they cannot seem to get back to that previous sound no matter how nice of
a guitar they have now…That is one way we can see the Rahu and Ketu influence on music and musicians.

Conclusion:

The Grahas put their mark on all things in this world, we only need to be perceptive enough to see it. its many
genres are no exception. This is all from my own insights and observations and I may adjust these over time.
This is only what I have found to be true so far.
Astrological Origins of the Clock
astrological synchronicities, Clocks and Astrology, Clocks in Ancient Times, kala,ketu, time, Uncategorized

Let us think about the old-fashioned clock for a moment. A clock is a device that tells time in a very simple
manner, with one arrow that steadily moves around a circle and points to the hour of the day. Another longer
arrow points out the minutes accrued within that hour of the day. It is a thing that is beautiful in its simplicity
and practicality while also having a symbolic value. The clock could really count to any number, but it happens
to count to 12. It is made a certain way. The way in which the clock is designed clearly implies that it was
designed by Astrologers, as it works within their unique system of units and measurements. We have 12 hours
set up in the day, and 60 minutes within each hour. Further, there are 60 seconds within each minute. This is
how it has come to be in modern times.

The clock just happens to have two main arrows or “hands”, just like how we have two main lights or markers
in the sky, the Sun and Moon. The shorter and slower moving hand is the one that indicates the hour of the
day. The longer hand indicates the minute of the hour, and together they tell the current time. The shorter
hand is like a symbol for the Sun, and the longer hand is like the Moon. The Moon moves around the entire
zodiac of twelve signs in the time it takes the Sun to move through one. This is just like how the longer hand
moves through all the numbers in the time it takes the shorter hand to move through one, indicating an hour
has passed. We also can see how it is 12 hours we are working with and the zodiac is comprised of 12 signs.

So to an Astrologer, a clock actually happens to look just like a mini zodiac with only the Sun and Moon being
charted. And since Astrologers were the first people to be in charge of telling time, it is very obvious that this
idea of keeping track of time must have come from Astrologers of ancient times.

Another point that really seems to solidify this is that the other main number on the clock is 60. And the fact
that we use a base 60 system to keep time is very revealing. Why not 100? Who decided to have 60 minutes
and not 100 in an hour? Who decided to make there be 2 sets of 12 hours in a day? I do not know but it is
worthwhile to consider this. Vedic Astrology is very clear about using a base 60 system. All planetary aspects
are calculated within a point system of 0 to 60 still to this day. In fact, most agree that the most important text
on Vedic astrology we have now is the ancient Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra. In this text, the sage Parashara
is very clear to instruct that using this base 60 point system of measuring planetary aspects (Graha Sputa
Drishti) is actually the ancient way of doing it. So he says that this is the ancient way of doing it. So it appears
that astrologers have been using a base 60 for a very long time. Now when we know this, looking back at the
clock, it is no surprise that it has a 60 point system embedded in it as well. (Vedic culture also had six seasons
instead of 4, and each season would essentially consist of 60 degrees of a circle. This was referred to in the Rig
Veda as the six-spoked wheel of time.)

Also, did you notice how that text is called the “Hora Shastra”? That sounds like the word “hour” doesn’t it?
Well, the word hour actually comes from “hora” as that is the Sanskrit word for “hour”. So there is a
relationship there as well. It also can mean “half of a zodiac sign” because that is how much of a sign that
progresses in the course of an hour. Shastra means “science”. Brihat means “great” or “extended”. Therefore
the name Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra means roughly “The great teaching from Parashara on Astrological
Science”.

I suspect the clock originated from Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, or a mixture of all three. From what I have
learned of Mesopotamia and Babylon, they also had a base 60 system I believe.
And to be clear, Vedic timekeeping did not have hours and minutes, but it had Ghatis, Palas, and Vipalas. 1 day
is 60 Ghatis. 1 Ghati is 24 minutes. 1 Pala is 24 seconds. 1 Vipala is 0.4 of a second. Also, there are even more
intricate measurements for time that they had. They have 60 Liptas in Vipala, a 0.4 second long span of time.
Then there are 60 Viliptas in a Lipta, and 60 Paras in 1 Villipta. And even beyond that, there are 60 Taraparas
in 1 para. Just thinking about all of that math can make your head hurt!

The modern western world has lost more of its ancient timekeeping knowledge in comparison, but when we
look at the clock with this understanding, we can still see a lot in common with our ancient ancestors and their
culture.

Rahu and Ketu Transiting the 12 houses

Rahu and Ketu are one of the most important long-term transits to take note of. When we talk of transits, we
must remember that they only give the fruits of what your chart already shows. For example, if there are very
little wealth yogas in your chart, a lucky transit for wealth will simply not deliver the same amount of money
as it would for a very rich person who has a lot of wealth yogas in their chart. This simply means that the rich
person put more effort into this area of life in a past incarnation, and deserves the greater fruits of wealth as a
result. The person with few wealth yogas overall and a chart that shows they need to work hard to accumulate
wealth is simply not meant to have lots of money come from a transit, no matter how great it is. This factor is
not often stated by astrologers or in horoscopes, and ignorance of it leads to a greater misunderstanding of
astrology itself.

With that said, here are some of the results that Rahu and Ketu can give as they transit the 12 houses, but
always keep your own birth chart in mind and factor that in with the outcome.

Rahu through the 1st house/Ketu through the 7th:

This can be a time of confusion for a person about how to best move forward in life. Ketu transiting the 7th
can indicate that one has been over-focused on enjoying life or on social aspects of life. The 7th being furthest
from the 1st, there is a need to shift attention back to one’s self and to pay more attention to self-
development. Sometimes this can mean also to focus more on one’s health if other parts of the chart show
that. Ketu crossing the 7th can give breakups to long-lasting relationships, and abrupt changes with one’s
relationships or ways of going about them.

Rahu through 2nd house/Ketu through the 8th house:

Rahu moving through the 2nd bhava shows the need to focus more on the earning capacity and there is often
a need to bring in more money that somehow arises during this transit. Ketu through the 8th can give a sense
of lack of support from relationships that were previously going fine, which often cause the native to shift back
attention to supporting themselves more at this time.

Rahu passing over the 3rd/Ketu moving through the 9th:

When Ketu is crossing the 9th house one finds themselves less comfortable within the culture that they live or
around the teachers and guides they are finding in life. Rahu in the 3rd is pointing to a need to update one’s
own experience of life and one’s own understanding based on their own intellect and not that of another. It is
a good time to explore curiosities and hobbies that one has been putting off. A good time to learn a new skill.
Rahu moving through the 4th/Ketu through the 10th:

This can cause one to be much more likely to move during this 18-month window that Rahu crosses the 4th.
Or they may purchase a vehicle, or travel a bit more than usual. During this transit, the workplace can seem
less fulfilling and one may find themselves spending more time at home for some reason.

Rahu crossing over the 5th house/Ketu crossing the 11th:

Rahu is pointing to the 5th house that deals with managing all of the affairs of our life. So often when Ketu is
crossing the 11th one has been too tied up in social circles or organizations of some sort. The 11th house
represents groups and society, organizations, and universities. This transit shows the need to pay less
attention to one’s social situation and more on handling their own affairs and getting their own life in order so
that they can do what they love more easily.

Rahu traversing the 6th house/Ketu transiting the 12th:

This can be a time when the native needs to pay more attention to paying their bills and keeping up with debts
and financial matters. Situations call for a need to pay more attention to the material side of life and less to
the spiritual or pleasurable side of life when Ketu crosses the 12th house. A need to focus more on one’s
health, diet, and daily routine can arise.

Rahu going through the 7th/Ketu crossing 1st:

A time to be more social and focus more on relationships. May want to just stay at home but really needs to
“put themselves out there” more during this time. It may not pay off initially but later on after Rahu leaves this
place, some of the friends, relationships, or business partners they made will end up developing into good
things down the road. This transit can also lead to children and getting pregnant, depending on the situation.
That’s definitely one way that one can find themselves needing to pay more attention to a relationship.

Rahu passing through the 8th/Ketu transiting 2nd:

Often can lead to a lot of “drama” or stressful and surprising situations during this transit. One may find
themselves having to depend more on a marriage partner at this time. Money problems can come up.
Vulnerabilities come up that need to be addressed.

Rahu navigating the 9th/Ketu crossing 3rd:

Time to let go of developing one’s own skills so much and instead help others develop theirs. Can feel more
critical of others at this time. Can cause difficulty with parents and younger siblings. One’s talents and skills
don’t seem to mean anything if they do not fit in with a greater purpose and applicability to life as a whole.
This transit makes one focus more on the bigger picture. What purpose can one put their skills towards?

Rahu crossing the 10th/Ketu crossing the 4th:

 Now is the time for action, and this period can also make one leave their home and move away. Often this is
because of a need for achievement or a job opportunity, some 10th house factor. Moving location and
changing jobs are very common at this time. More attention needs to be given to the career at this time.

Rahu passing through the 11th house/Ketu crossing the 5th:

This is a time to pay more attention to the groups one is involved in, and one may need to switch up their
social circles. The 11th house represents impersonal groups that can validate us, so one may desire to go and
get a degree in something from a university at this time. Or one may be doing the same work but want to
reach out and connect to a social group or organization. One may have been “in their own world” and needs
to put themselves out there more at this time.

Rahu crossing 12th/ Ketu in the 6th:

This is a time to relax more, take more vacations, and not be as focused on the material side of life. It is good
to spend time by the ocean during this transit, or take vacations that involve water. One may start spending
more at this time, and that can be an issue to watch out for if the chart speaks to that as well.

Hopefully you find these notes helpful as a guide through the houses, and rememeber to use the chart as well
to see what potentialities will be triggered by these transits.

I taught a course on the Nodes recently, you can find that in the “Astrology Courses” section of this site.

The Nodes are a tricky and subtle energy, but without them, life just wouldn’t be the same.

Nadia is a very skilled Western Astrologer with an impressive science background, having been a nuclear
physicist for the USSR. She explains the Lunar Nodes with really wonderful scientific diagrams that actually
show you what is going on visually when eclipses happen, and how that impacts us. This is very helpful for
giving your intuition a sort of visual framework to refer to when dealing with these concepts. This first hour is
an introduction for those who know nothing about the Lunar Nodes.

After the first hour, I then step in and cover the Lunar Nodes more in detail, their mythology, what they
represent, what they point to, and how they frequently play out as they are placed in different signs. We sort
of follow a pattern of explaining a point, then applying it to charts. Then we explain another point and apply
that to another chart, and so on.

We cover:

 Rahu and Ketu’s movements, what is actually happening visually

 Rahu and Ketu’s formation and mythology
 Rahu and Ketu in all of the signs
 Rahu and Ketu in all of the houses
 Rahu and Ketu conjunct all of the planets.
 Rahu and Ketu as significators of Ancestral Karma
 What Rahu and Ketu represent overall
 How to interpret the past life indications that Ketu is showing, with over 12 example charts.
 How to interpret the present life karmas that Rahu is pointing towards, with over 12 example charts.

4th house, aquarius, dainya yoga, eclipse, lunar eclipse, moon, prashna,Uncategorizeddainya
yoga, lajjita, mercury ashamed, sun agitated by saturn, venus ashamed

In Vedic Astrology, eclipses are seen as inauspicious events. These are not times to do anything really
important, that could be put off for another day. Many of the enlightened Yogis and Masters throughout India
have spoken of the importance of prayer and meditation during these times as a way to make the best use of
the heightened psychic energy that is present during the times of an eclipse. So while this writing is about an
unfortunate event, do not forget that these times can give great breakthroughs in our development as people.
As an astrologer, I have plenty of bad transits going over my chart to be aware of as it is, and I know my chart
well already, eclipses can just add to that mental chatter. So I choose not to dwell on the negative and worry
over that, instead focusing on my self-development during those times. Sometimes a bad thing must occur in
order for our greater development as human beings. Eclipse periods usually are harder times, I cannot deny it.
But the more effort I put into working out my Rahu and Ketu issues during an eclipse, the more magnified the
results are. So in this way, we can look forward to the eclipse periods and not fear them.

With that said, we already have one major accident or tragedy that has occurred on this day of the total Lunar
eclipse, January 31st, 2018. My heart goes out to all that have been affected. One person has died and several
have been injured, and it really is a tragedy to hear about this.

It seems that while the sign of the Taurus was rising, a train that was taking GOP lawmakers to a retreat in
West Virginia somehow hit a garbage truck, killing at least one person and injuring others. The lawmakers
themselves seem to be safe, but the garbage truck was hit.

It is astrologically significant that this occurred right at the time that the eclipsed Moon was in the 4th house
of vehicles, and in the sign of Government, Leo. This Moon was getting the rasi aspect of Saturn and the full
eclipse effect of Rahu. When Saturn and Rahu both aspect a place, there is likely to be some trouble there. In
this case it was in the 4th house of vehicles.

The lord of the Moon was the Sun, which was quite afflicted also by being in the sign of his enemy, Saturn, and
by being with his other enemy Venus, as well as Ketu. With the Sun being afflicted on 3 accounts, we could
imagine something inauspicious related to Government could occur on this eclipse. We also saw a lot of
unfortunate government related things going on with the last eclipse in August, (Riots in US, N. Korea
threats,etc.) but that would be discussed in another article.

Over in the 7th house, the house of the other party in the case of a crash like this, we happen to see the planet
Jupiter, which is the 8th lord, the lord of tragedies and death in a chart. That 7th house is rashi aspected by
Saturn which happens to be the planet that indisputably rules over garbage men or a garbage truck. Jupiter is
ruling Mars and Mars is ruling Jupiter. So what we have here is a dainya yoga, an interchange between the
lords of the 8th and 7th houses. This is an unfortunate interchange, and indicates some sort of theme of
misery in ones life if found in the birth chart. Here it seems to point to the theme of a death, an 8th house
event, while traveling (7th). Another way to put it would be that the 8th lord in the 7th speaks to a dangerous
event while traveling, and the 7th lord in 8th speaks to an equally unfortunate event to be experienced with
another party, or while traveling or conducting business, so putting those together is not good for travel.
Jupiter ruling the 12th cusp of losses and hospitalization and being in the 7th, that does not look good either.
Jupiter in the 7th house is a “maraka” or killer for a Taurus lagna as well, but I am not sure if that idea should
really be carried over here in this context.
Venus rules vehicles so we have to examine Venus, which is delighted by Saturn. That is good and may help
the chances of survival of everyone involved. But Venus is afflicted by Ketu, who is strong at the time of an
eclipse. Venus also is agitated by the Sun, and “combust” by the Sun as well. Even further, Venus is
“ashamed” by the Sun, as well as Mercury. Quite a lot of bad things going on in this 10th house, and all
connecting to the planet of vehicles and lawmakers, Venus. Note also that Venus rules the 6th house of
accidents if Taurus is rising, giving even more of a vehicular type of 6th house karma to be experienced. The
3rd house and its Lord are significant for journeys within one’s nation as this is, and notice that it is the
eclipsed Moon that is the lord of journeys at this time. The Sun and Venus both deal with politicians, but
lawmakers and these sorts are definitely under the Venus category of politicians. It just so happens to be that
Venus rules over both the type of people involved (lawmakers) in the accident, and the nature of the accident
itself (being in a vehicle.)

Also noteworthy is that the eclipsed Moon was in Asleesha nakshtra, a nakshatra of serpents. The Moon and
serpents both have in common a quality of creeping along the ground. For example, The Moon is said to rule
the types of plants that creep along, in the context of plants… like vines and English Ivy and such. Trains are
definitely the most serpent like form of movement that a person can travel by and I wonder if this had
something to do with Aslesha nakshatra.

To conclude, this was not a lucky moment astrologically, and even in this day and age of technology we should
not neglect the proper role of Muhurta. Muhurta is called “electional astrology” in the west and is the art of
finding the most harmonious and auspicious time to undertake an endeavor such as traveling. This also serves
as an example of the use of Prashna techniques to determine details of a situation in the moment.

Also, here is another news clip about the crash, and towards the 5 minute mark they also start to talk about
another news story related to the eclipse: Forest Fires. Several Astrologers predicted that the last August
eclipse and this eclipse, both occurring in the fire sign of Leo, were likely to cause forest fire problems. Juliana
Swanson is one astrologer who definitely mentioned this in writing, and I do think I mentioned this on my
facebook page at some point. Forest fires have been a very serious problem over the last six months, and as
they mention in this video, over the last several days they had many break out in their region of Texas.

Saturn seems to have been very busy in the sign of Sagittarius. When I first wrote about this back in 2016, I
never would have guessed we would have seen so many patriarchial male role model figures take so many
falls from heights during this 2.5 year period. By the time I put the 2nd one out it was seeming very clear and
so I wanted to share. Now there have been many more stories in the media that correlate to this whole
transit, so here is a part 3.

I want to begin by saying that these are just my observations, and I do not wish to offend anyone who has
followed or learned from a guru, role model, or church leader that I mention. I am not a spiritual authority and
I cannot say ultimately about some of these topics since I was not there myself. But after writing part 2, I was
told of a number of other incidents that seemed to “fit the bill” of this transit of Saturn in Sagittarius and “a
fall from a height”. (I thank all of you readers who shared feedback of other events.) So while I do not seek to
condemn anyone myself, I do wish to write about this in order to reiterate the very important point
that when Saturn and other cruel planets are transiting and rasiaspecting Sagittarius, there can be accidents
or falls from heights. If gentle planets are there or aspecting, this can prevent it. And also with Sagittarius
being a sign of teachers, it does seem logical that if a teacher or guru figure was not being genuine, that he
would be more likely to face the negative consequences of his karma and take a fall at this time, as opposed to
other times. (But in truth, each individuals chart will show the details, and a teacher could take a fall at
another time because of other factors, of course. )
Saturn is the planet of great changes in life, as he moves the slowest and signifies the greatest increments of
change in the flow of time. He has more lasting effects than the rest. In South India, they have a saying:
“when Shani (Saturn) decides to give, no other planet can take away”. This man taught himself Archery, by
sheer practice and time, and even going back into ancient texts and trying to be as true to them as possible,
even if the techniques were not considered to be acceptable in the mainstream archery world. The things he
learned and was able to do were not “in vogue” and so he sparked a lot of controversy and negative reactions
from people. This is often the case with Shani, he has to do many of the deeds that others would deem
unpleasant, and he is often wrongly looked down upon by others. He is the servant amongst the grahas, after
all. This video came out within days of Shani first entering into tropical Sagittarius, in January of 2015. The
youtube video below was uploaded on January 23rd, 2015. Saturn had just entered Sagittarius on December
23rd, 2014. So this is really a remarkable synchronicity. At the time of this writing, it has 44 Million views! As
you will see in the video, his whole approach is “unorthodox” as is the nature of Saturn. But Saturn is the most
practical and keeps things from being overly complex. Notice how simple his style is, taken from the ancient
archery masters he studied. Even his dress is what I have previously described in my article Astrology and
clothing, to be the “uniform of Saturn”; AKA blue jeans and a black t-shirt. Saturn rules simplicity, looking to
the past, blue jeans, and the color black.

But Shani also tends to reveal to us our own failures and weaknesses. Perhaps it is this that made the archery
world so outraged at this video. There were a few videos made to rebuke this mans claims and undeniable
skill. So much that he actually had to make a follow up video where he does even more crazy archery stunts
and clarifies his approach.

His skill is obvious. But still it may take time before the archery world shifts and adapts to this newer (but
actually older) way of doing things, just as Shani is a necessary force, but is often unwelcome at first. Most
people that are in the archery world are not into this guy at all, or try to act unimpressed by him for various
reasons. He is very controversial. But no one can deny his authority in this area. But again, this sort of petty
human behavior is common when we face someone who is way ahead of our time, as it is much easier to
reject one person than to consider that they may be correct and that we have been the one who was not
correct for such a long time.

Shukra (Venus). Guru of the Asuras.

I am often asked what planets get one involved in being an Astrologer themselves. It is an understandable
question since most people studying astrology would naturally want to see if it that is indicated in their own
horoscopes. When I was reading, for the longest time there was a gap in my understanding when it came to
this question. Most of the books available state that Mercury is important for being an astrologer and that
you have to have a good Mercury to do astrology and to convey what is shown in the chart to the individual.
But there must be more to it than that, since a good Mercury can also make one many other things, like
a lawyer, a bookkeeper, or an artisan for example. What else is involved?

First, I want to define an Astrologer not as one who necessarily makes a living off of it, or is super amazing at
it, or famous, or whatever, but as one who has devoted a great portion/majority of their life and time to the
study and practice of Astrology. A person could be a nurse by trade and in the sense of what pays the bills,
but in another sense, they are an Astrologer if they are constantly contemplating astrology all day at the
hospital while working, and get home and study and practice it at night. This should be clear first.
And that is the thing with Astrology, it is a very thoughtful craft. So while I do agree that Mercury is very
helpful and important for a person to be able to convey the chart to an individual, there is more involved than
that. Mercury represents skills and our aptitude overall. In this manner, a great Mercury can really make one
great at most things. So naturally that can carry over to studying Jyotish, and Mercury loves to study. But
there must be some desire to study the heavens, to contemplate, to find symbolic meaning in life, to be
philosophical and so forth. Mercury alone is not really the planet that is going to always do that. Mercury is a
vaishya, the Merchant mentality (There are 4 castes or mentalities in human nature according to Vedic
philosophy, each one offering unique skills and abilities). To really be a counselor, an advisor, a guide that has
the best interest of the individual at heart, one must have other factors going on to indicate that. Mercury
alone is a businessman and sometimes even a trickster, it just depends. I don’t know about you, but I don’t
wanna be tricked when I go to get advice.

So the main planets you really need to see involved in a person’s makeup are the philosophical and
contemplative planets, the Brahmin mentality. Those planets are Venus and Jupiter. They are the Brahmins of
the zodiac, which means most devoted to knowledge and spirituality, to learning, educating, etc. These
planets suggest a desire for refinement in life as well. Ketu is also involved in making one an Astrologer. So
when it comes down to it, having these three planets involved heavily in your chart, and connecting to the
self-factors such as Atmakaraka, lagnesh, swamsha, and pada, you often find these people to be involved in
Astrology at some point in their life. (Look for these planets in the svamsa or 10th from it, see my previous
posts for more info on the svamsa).

Brihaspati (Jupiter) Guru to the Devas.

Then you often find Mercury connecting to these planets in some way, via conjunction or rasi aspect, or ruling
them, especially if they are going to make a business out of it. Mercury rules business as well as curiousity, so
they may just talk about it a lot if the business isnt indicated by other factors in the chart. This you will really
find happening a lot! Jupiter, Venus, or Ketu in the lagna, or 10th, or with the Lagna lord is very, very common.

Now you have the ingredients as far as planets go. But to be more precise, we need to see the 8th house
connected to Ketu to make one an Astrologer, at least if they are going to spend a large portion of life involved
in it. One example I can think of is the Lord of Ketu being in the 8th, another is Ketu simply being in the 8th,
another is with the 8th Lord and Ketu rasi aspecting each other, and still one more example I can think of has
the 8th lord conjunct ketu.

If all these factors come together you will often see an Astrologer or someone who is involved somehow in
dealing with the Soul’s journey and its many lives. There is more to determining any career than this but now
you have the basic ingredients to find if one is going to be an Astrologer from the birth chart.

one more thing, a predictive Astrologer is often shown more by Venus. A psychological astrologer or more of a
spiritual advisor type of astrologer can be shown by Jupiter. Venus is the Guru to the Asuras, the worldly
forces of materialization and the senses. Naturally, Venusians take after this quality and tend to give great
guidance to people for worldly matters. Jupiter is the Guru to the Devas, the heavenly forces of
consciousness, ideas, and inner life. Therefore, Jupiterian Astrologers will perhaps not be as inclined to predict
but will give great spiritual counsel about where you are and the type of person you are, your dharma.
The Vedas are considered the earliest literary record of Indo-Aryan civilization and the most sacred books
of India. They are the original scriptures of Hindu teachings, containing spiritual knowledge encompassing all
aspects of life. The philosophical maxims of Vedic literature have stood the test of time, and the Vedas form
the highest religious authority for all aspects of Hinduism and are a respected source of wisdom for mankind
in general.

The word Veda means wisdom, knowledge or vision, and it serves to manifest the language of the gods in
human speech. The laws of the Vedas have regulated the social, legal, domestic and religious customs
of Hindus up to the present day. All the obligatory duties of Hindus at birth, marriage, death etc. are guided by
Vedic rituals.

Origin of the Vedas

It is difficult to say when the earliest portions of the Vedas came into existence, but it seems clear they are
among the very earliest written wisdom documents produced humans. As the ancient Hindus seldom kept
any historical record of their religious, literary and political realization, it is difficult to determine the period of
the Vedas with precision. Historians provide us many guesses but none are guaranteed to be precise. It is
thought, though, that the earliest Vegas may date back to roughly 1700 BCE—the late Bronze Age.

Who Wrote the Vedas?

Tradition has it that humans did not compose the revered compositions of the Vedas, but that God taught the
Vedic hymns to the sages, who then handed them down through generations by word of mouth. Another
tradition suggests that the hymns were "revealed," to the sages, who were known as the seers or
“mantradrasta” of the hymns. The formal documentation of Vedas was done mainly by Vyasa Krishna
Dwaipayana around the time of Lord Krishna (c. 1500 BC)

Classification of the Vedas

The Vedas are classified into four volumes: the Rig-Veda, the Sama Veda, the Yajur Veda and the Atharva
Veda, with the Rig Veda serving as the principal text. The four Vedas are collectively known as “Chathurveda, ”
of which the first three Vedas--Rig Veda, Sama Veda, and Yajur Veda--agree with one another in form,
language and content.

Structure of the Vedas

Each Veda consists of four parts--the Samhitas (hymns), the Brahmanas (rituals), theAranyakas (theologies)
and the Upanishads (philosophies). The collection of mantras or hymns is called the Samhita.

The Brahmanas are ritualistic texts that include precepts and religious duties. Each Veda has several
Brahmanas attached to it.

The Aranyakas (forest texts) intend to serve as objects of meditation for ascetics who live in forests and deal
with mysticism and symbolism.

The Upanishads form the concluding portions of the Veda and is therefore called the “Vedanta” or the end of
the Veda. The Upanishads contain the essence of Vedic teachings.

The Mother of All Scriptures

Although the Vedas are seldom read or understood today, even by the devout, they no doubt form the
bedrock of the universal religion or “Sanatana Dharma” that all Hindus follow. The Upanishads, however, are
read by serious students of religious tradition and spirituality in all cultures and are regarded as principle texts
within the body of mankind's wisdom traditions.

The Vedas have guided our religious direction for ages and will continue to do so for generations to come. And
they will forever remain the most comprehensive and universal of all ancient Hindu scriptures.

“The One Truth the sages call by many names.” ~ Rig Veda

The Rig Veda: The Book of Mantra

The Rig Veda is a collection of inspired songs or hymns and is a main source of information on the Rig Vedic
civilization. It is the oldest book in any Indo-European language and contains the earliest form of all Sanskrit
mantras, dating back to 1500 BCE- 1000 BCE. Some scholars date the Rig Veda as early as 12000 BCE - 4000
BCE.

The Rig-Vedic ‘samhita’ or collection of mantras consists of 1,017 hymns or ‘suktas’, covering about 10,600
stanzas, divided into eight ‘astakas,’ each having eight ‘adhayayas’ or chapters, which are sub-divided into
various groups. The hymns are the work of many authors, or seers, called ‘rishis.’ There are seven primary
seers identified: Atri, Kanwa, Vashistha, Vishwamitra, Jamadagni, Gotama and Bharadwaja. The rig Veda
accounts in detail the social, religious, political and economic background of the Rig-Vedic civilization. Even
though monotheism characterizes some of the hymns of Rig Veda, naturalistic polytheism and monism can be
discerned in the religion of the hymns of the Rig Veda.

The Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda were compiled after the age of the Rig Veda and are ascribed to
the Vedic period.

The Sama Veda: The Book of Song

The Sama Veda is purely a liturgical collection of melodies (‘saman’). The hymns in the Sama Veda, used as
musical notes, were almost completely drawn from the Rig Veda and have no distinctive lessons of their own.
Hence, its text is a reduced version of the Rig Veda. As Vedic Scholar David Frawley puts it, if the Rig Veda is
the word, Sama Veda is the song or the meaning; if Rig Veda is the knowledge, Sama Veda is its realization; if
Rig Veda is the wife, the Sama Veda is her husband.

The Yajur Veda: The Book of Ritual

The Yajur Veda is also a liturgical collection and was made to meet the demands of a ceremonial religion. The
Yajur Veda served as a practical guidebook for the priests who execute sacrificial acts while muttering
simultaneously the prose prayers and the sacrificial formulae (‘yajus’). It is similar to ancient Egypt’s “Book of
the Dead.”

There are no less than six complete recessions of Yajur Veda--Madyandina, Kanva, Taittiriya, Kathaka,
Maitrayani and Kapishthala.

The Atharva Veda: The Book of Spell

The last of the Vedas, this is completely different from the other three Vedas and is next in importance to the
Rig Veda with regard to history and sociology. A different spirit pervades this Veda. Its hymns are of a more
diverse character than the Rig Veda and are also simpler in language. In fact, many scholars do not consider it
part of the Vedas at all. The Atharva Veda consists of spells and charms prevalent at its time and portrays a
clearer picture of the Vedic society.

edas are the knowledge given by God to Humans so that the Humans would know how to live their life and
attain the objective of the human's life. Hence, as obviously expected, Vedas do contain information on all the
knowledge that would not only be needed to live an ideal human life but also the knowledge that would
quench the curiosity to understand why the Vedic knowledge is the correct knowledge...

Structure of the Vedas

We will now enter into the inner sanctum sanctorum of the Vedas and look at the treasures contained
therein.

It is to be born in mind here that conventionally speaking, it is the Samhita that is indicated when we use the
word Veda. Rig Veda means Rig Veda Samhita. So also is the case with the other Vedas. The Brahmanas,
Aranyakas and Upanishads have independent names.

Rig Veda Samhita

Of all the four Vedic Samhitas, the Rg. Veda Samhita is the oldest and occupies a pride of place in the Vedic
literature. The whole of Rig Veda Samhita is in the form of verse. It is a collection of Sooktas or hymns
revealed to various Rishis at different periods of time. Hence a variety of ideas, styles of language, grammar,
historical and cultural factors are found here. This Samhita contains masterpieces of poetic compositions like
the famous Purusha Sooktam and the morning prayers to Ushas, the goddess of dawn. It was said to have 21
Shakhas but now only five of them are known to exist.

According to the ancient tradition, the whole Rig Samhita has been divided into 10 Mandalas. The Mandalas
are subdivided into Anuvakas, the Anuvakas into Sooktas and Sooktas into mantras as follows.

Rig-Veda Samhita ► Mandala ► Anuvaka ► Sookta ► Mantra

Rig Veda contains 10552 mantras spread over 1028 Sooktas and 85 Anuvakas in 10 Mandalas. The topics dealt
with in the Rig Veda Samhita can be classified into 3 groups.

The first group is in praise of the deities like Agni, lndra, Varuna, Mitra and others. The Vedic deities
numbering 33 are assigned to the three regions of the universe viz. earth (Prithvi), heaven (Dyaus) and
intermediary space (Antariksha). Although these deities appear as personifications of forces of nature, they
are actually different facets of Brahman, the Only One Supreme Reality. The famous mantra on this
point ‘ekam sat viprah bahudha vadanti’ meaning ‘Truth is one, sage’s call it by various names’ occurs in this
Samhita.
The second group is concerned with philosophical speculations like the origin of the Universe and the real
nature of human beings. Although the Samhita is a book of laudatory hymns still all the later ideas of Vedanta
including Jnana and Bhakti are found therein at least in a rudimentary form. However, advocacy of worship of
God with form and qualities - Sagunoposona - is predominant.

The proclamation contained in various mantras show that it teaches eka-devata-vada or monotheism and not
polytheism. For example, the Samhita states that God creates the world out of Himself and rules over it; He is
omnipresent (present everywhere), omnipotent (all powerful) and omniscient (all knowing), He is ever perfect,
infinitely compassionate, easily approachable by the devotees and He grants us immortality. But the idea
about actual process of creation of the universe finds a place only in the later Vedantic literature i.e. the
Upanishads.

The third group deals with several secular subjects like marriage, war etc., which show the nature of society of
those times. A just and equitable social order existed. However, social life was conditioned by spiritual
consciousness. There was Samanvaya or harmony of life here and hereafter. Satya (truth) and Dharma
(righteousness) are glorified and Amritatva (immortality) as the goal of life was accepted.

The Brahmanas, Aranyakas and the Upanishads of this Veda are

1. Aitareya and Kausitaki Brahmanas
2. Aitareya and Sankhyayana Aranyakas and
3. Aitareya and Kausitaki Upanishads

Yajur Veda Samhita

It is a collection of Yajus or the mantras in prose which give procedural details to the Adhvaryu priest for the
proper performance of Yajnas. The popular hymn in praise of Lord Siva - Sri Rudraprasna – finds a place in this
Veda. The other famous prayer Purusha Sooktam also occurs here with some modifications.

Yajur Veda Samhita is in two parts viz. Krishna Yajurveda and Shukia Yaiurveda. Krishna Yajurveda was taught
by sage Vaishampayana. It is considered older than the Shukla Yajurveda. Today a vast majority follow the
Yajur Veda. Krishna Yajurveda is common in the South and Shukla Yajurveda in the North.

Krishna Yajurveda Samhita is said to have contained 85 Shakhas but only four of them are available now out of
which the Taittiriya Samhita is widely prevalent especially in South Jndia. It deals with detailed descriptions of
sacrifices like Rajasuya, Vajapeya, Somayaga etc. The other three Shakhas are not so well known though they
also deal with similar sacrifices.

Related to this Samhita are-

1. Taittiriya Brahmana
2. Taittiriya and Maitrayani Aranyakas
3. Taittiriya, Katha, Swetaswatara, Maitrayani and Moha Narayana Upanishads.

Shukla Yajurveda Samhita is said to have been brought to the knowledge of the World by the famous sage
Yajnavalkya from Vaajasani which means the Sun God. Hence this is also known as Vajasneyi Samhita, This is
entirely in verse form.
Out of 17 Shakhas of this Samhita said to hove been existed; only two viz. Kanva and Madhyandina Shakhas
are presently existing. The former is common in South India while the latter is popular in the North. This
Samhita also deals mainly with Yajnas like Agnishtoma.

Related to this Samhita are-

1. Satapatha Brahmana. This is a work extensively serving as a general guide to all the Vedas.
2. Brhad-Aranyaka and
3. Brhadaraanyokoponishad and Isavasyopanishad.

Samaveda Samhita
Samaveda Samhita is the highly commended scripture of Hinduism. However it is not considered as an
independent work. All the mantras of the Rig Veda which are useful to Udgatir priest for chanting in the Yajnas
to ensure the grace of the Gods have been brought together in this Veda. ‘SA’ means a mantra of the Rig
Veda, ‘AMA’ means musical notes. Hence a Saman is a mantra of the Rig Veda set to music. The word Saama
also means that which brings peace to the mind. Although this Veda is said to have 1000 Shakhas only three
are available now.

Unlike the mantras of the other three Vedas, the mantras of Samaveda are simply known as Saman having
seven svaras or musical scales. Therefore, Saama Gana or singing of hymns as per the rules of Sama Veda is
said to be the basis and source of the seven svaras or notes fundamental to the Indian music systems.

The special virtue of Sama Veda is that although its mantras are from the Rig Veda they are set to music which
is greatly conductive to the spiritual evolution of a human being and to qualify oneself for receiving the grace
of the Gods. Hence, Sri Krishna says in the Gita (Ch.10 Verse 22) ‘vedaanaam saamavedosmi’ meaning ‘among
the Vedas I am the Sama Veda’. Similarly, in the Lalita Sahasranama, one of the epithets used to describe the
Divine Mother is ‘Saama Gaana Priye’meaning one who is pleased with the recital of Saman.

Affiliated to this Samhita are-

1. Out of 9 Brahmanas of this Veda Tandya Maha Brahmana is the biggest and most important.
2. Only one Aranyaka of this Samhita is available which is called Talavakara or Jaiminiya Aranyaka.
3. The well known Chandogya Upanishad and the Kenopanishad, which is also known as Talavakaropanishad,
are from this Veda.

Atharva Veda Samhita

Atharva means purohit or pundit. This Veda is said to have been brought to light by a Sage called Atharvan and
hence this name. This is also called Brahma Veda because it is assigned to the Brahma priest who supervises
the conduct of the Yajnas. The mantras in this Veda are both in prose and verse forms,

As the Atharva Veda Samhita has some special features it stands apart from the other three Vedas. It deals
more with things here and now than with the hereafter and the sacrifices are utilized as a means to them.

This Veda contains many types of mantras designed to ward off evils and hardship as also to destroy enemies.
Besides this it deals with diseases and their cure, rites for prolonging life, for fulfilling one’s desires,
construction activities, trade and commerce, statecraft, defense systems of the country etc.
Many hymns deal with creation and emergence of the Universe. The hymn extolling the wonder of creation is
called Prithvi Sooktam. Amidst these mundane subjects high philosophical ideas are also found in this Veda.
The literary style of this Veda is highly sophisticated.

Most of the Shakhas of Atharva Veda are lost. Out of the 9 Shakhas known to have existed under this Samhita
only two are available now. They are Pippalada and Saunaka. Only one Brahmana called Gopatha Brahmana
has been discovered. No Aranyaka of this Veda has come to light so far.

There are a number of Upanishads which are associated with this Veda. The three well known Upanishads viz.
Prasna, Mundaka and Mandukya as also the Kaivalya Upanishad belong to this Veda.

In class this past week, we discussed the meaning of life. In this post, I would like to discuss the meaning of life
based on Hinduism. According to Hinduism, the meaning (purpose) of life is four-fold: to achieve Dharma,
Artha, Kama, and Moksha. The first, dharma, means to act virtuously and righteously. That is, it means to act
morally and ethically throughout one’s life. However, dharma also has a secondary aspect; since Hindus
believe that they are born in debt to the Gods and other human beings, dharma calls for Hindus to repay this
debt. The five different debts are as follows: debt to the Gods for their blessings, debt to parents and teachers,
debt to guests, debt to other human beings, and debt to all other living beings. The second meaning of life
according to Hinduism is Artha, which refers to the pursuit of wealth and prosperity in one’s life. Importantly,
one must stay within the bounds of dharma while pursuing this wealth and prosperity (i.e. one must not step
outside moral and ethical grounds in order to do so). The third purpose of a Hindu’s life is to seek Kama. In
simple terms, Kama can be defined as obtaining enjoyment from life. The fourth and final meaning of life
according to Hinduism is Moksha, enlightenment. By far the most difficult meaning of life to achieve, Moksha
may take an individual just one lifetime to accomplish (rarely) or it may take several. However, it is considered
the most important meaning of life and offers such rewards as liberation from reincarnation, self-realization,
enlightenment, or unity with God.

Having described the meaning of life according to Hinduism, I now briefly offer my thoughts on this subject
matter. I feel that religion provides its followers a set of goals to achieve in life, and in doing so, provides a
meaning to each follower’s life. Without such guidance, one would likely conclude that life is ultimately
meaningless. Therefore, for those individuals in the world who feel that there is no meaning to life, is belief in
a religious faith is all that is needed to change their minds?

4 Objectives of Human Life

According to Vedic philosophy human life has a definite purpose. Whilst the final Goal of life is "Moksha",
there are three other (intermediary) goals of life. These together are called four objectives or pursuits of life,
which are as follows:-

1. DHARMA - Righteousness
2. ARTHA - Acquisition of wealth by proper means and its right use
3. KAMA - Fulfillment of noble desires
4. MOKSHA - Liberation or the final Goal
It is essential to have the proper understanding of these objectives (as also because these terms are highly
used in our daily language to mean different things). We shall describe these briefly in the following paras:-

DHARMA

This is the first and foremost objective or pursuit of life. Dharma is a Sanskrit word and it has no exact
equivalent in English language. It has much wider significance than the word 'religion', in its ordinary sense, as
currently in vogue in the existing conventional forms. The word DHARMA has been derived from its root Dhri
which means 'to uphold', 'to adopt', 'to safeguard', etc. In essence, therefore DHARMA means that which is
worthy of being upholded or being practiced. Thus, DHARMA is a comprehensive term which covers an entire
range of values.

DHARMA has two factors: (a) Genuine faith and devotion to God, as all noble qualities emanate from God; and
(b) Practice of righteousness in ones life, also called as 10 basic principles of Dharma. The above two factors
can be the unifying basis for all conventional religions. Hence, it has also been called as Sanatan (forever) or
Manav (human) Dharma.

The ten basic principles of Dharma are the following:-

1. Forbearance:- It is the quality to remain calm and composed in all circumstances.
2. Control of mind:- One should exercise full control over the mind which is always restless and changing.
3. Kshama (Forgiveness):- It is virtue of those who are physically and morally strong. However, it is not
desirable to forgive a habitual wrong doer.
4. Non Stealing:- One should not steal or take away or acquire anything which belongs to others, without
paying its proper price and without permission of the rightful owner
5. Shauch (Cleanliness):- One should keep the body, mind and physical environment clean and pure.
6. Wisdom:- One should always try to gain wisdom through study, self experience and wise company.
7. Control of Senses:- One should keep one's sense (of action and knowledge) under control and become their
master. There are five senses of Knowledge and five sense of action.
8. Knowledge:- One should acquire knowledge both of physical and spiritual domain from all possible sources
9. Truth:- One should practice truth in thought, words and deed
10. Non Anger:- One should try to remain calm and balanced even in the face of provocation.
ARTHA (Wealth)

ARTHA or the acquisition of wealth is the second most important pursuit or objective of human life. DHARMA
comes first and ARTHA has to be based on Dharma. The observance of DHARMA takes priority. The following
are the forms of ARTHA:-
1. Knowledge is the greatest wealth; both material and spiritual. Material Knowledge relates to our worldly
life, requirements and activities, while spiritual knowledge relates to spirit, God and inner life. Material
knowledge is necessary to live worldly life and it can be gained thru proper education, intellecual pursuits and
everyday experience, etc. However, the spiritual knowledge is much difficult to acquire. Spiritual knowledge
leads to self realisation. It can be attained through the hard practice of yogic discipline
2. Health is another form of Wealth. One has to acquire and practice the knowledge of attaining good health,
which includes the well being at physical, emotional and mental levels. Good food, proper regular exercise and
good thoughts are some of the fundamentals of good health.
3. Contentment is another wealth. It means abstinence of desire to possess more and more of life
requirements and material possessions. It aso implies that one should work honestly, try his best and be
satisfied with the results of his efforts. Contentment give mental peace and moral strength t remain calm in al
circumstances
4. Material Wealth is another wealth. It should be acquired keeping the DHARMA. Some portion of money
should be used for charitable purposes. It should be expended only for the necessities and not for one's greed
(luxuries). One should not become slave of the material wealth but should master it.

KAMA (Controlled fulfillment of desires)

The third pursuit of Life is KAMA - the desire for the satisfaction of sensual urges in which sexual gratification
occupies the prime position. On a wider scale, it includes fulfillment of other material desires also.

KAMA is two faceted.

- One (controlled and beneficial desire) acts as a catalytic agent for actions in life. Much of the personal and
worldly progress is the result of desire to achieve something, to discover something new.
- Another (uncontrolled or not beneficial desire) can lead to destruction.

It is therefore utmost important to gain knowledge on differentiating between the facets and then to
entertain the desires in a controlled way. Let us now examine how desires are produced.
- Desires are produced in the mind through thought process when mind dwells on the objects of senses.
When this happens, attachment to external objects is produced. From attachment springs desire.
 - The desire goes on increasing and one desire leads to another and so on. Like fire to which fuel is added,
KAMA grows more and more with indulgence are overwhelmed by KAMA, the soul also gets deluded and the
result is deterioration and destruction.
- Therefore, we should keep KAMA under proper check and at its desirable level in order to make life useful
and purposeful.
- We should limit out desires to as low as necessary for the daily living and fulfilling ones duties. Desires which
arise out of lust, greed and anger should be curbed absolutely.
- Such control should be enforced from the beginning through wisdom and discrimination. In another words,
control of desires should be observed through proper understanding about the consequences of the desires;
and should not be by suppression as suppressed desires will bounce back. Repeated reminders, checks and
strong determination are useful tools to avoid harmful desires. The observance of principles of DHARMA plays
a vital role in the curbing and control of unwanted and harmful desires.

MOKSHA (SALVATION)

This the fourth an final objective of human life. It is the state of liberation from misery and pain which are so
abundant in human life. It is the state of Ananda (perfect bliss) after attaining which nothing more remains to
be attained.

Human life is unique. He (/she) is at the top of all creation. Only human beings, unlike other living beings, are
endowed with higher intelligence, an ability to think, analyse and discriminate between right and wrong.
Unless these endowments are used to full advantage, there is not much difference between human and
animal life. Only human beings can go beyond the animal level and reach higher spiritual goals.

The attainment of MOKSHA is extremely difficult to achieve. This usually takes efforts on many births (and
rebirths) and may or may not be achieved in one's current span of life except in a few rare cases. It requires
arduous spiritual practice, constant and unselfish devotion to GOD an attitude of non-attachment, etc. Our
knowledge, selfless action, pure and constant devotion are some of the means which are helpful in attaining
MOKSHA.

The attainment of Moksha is the highest goal of life. This the final objective of human life. But there is no
instant Moksha. One has to first go through and attain the first three objectives of DHARMA, ARTHA and
KAMA. Taking sanyasa (renunciation) from the very beginning from world life, except in certain rare cases, is
not recommended. Life has to be first lived at the material level, when ARTHA (wealth) has to be acquired and
subsequently all noble desires have to be fulfilled, but all these are required to be attained within the
constraints of DHARMA. Thus KAMA and ARTHA have to be accomodated within the over all control of
DHARMA

et me give you some thoughts on what I think is the purpose of human life:
1. There is no reason why we are on planet Earth. The universe was born (perhaps created by GOD), and
through randomness and chaos, life was created. Through all this messiness, human beings were
created.
2. As human beings, we evolved to have consciousness and a sense of ‘self’ in order to interact
and collaborate with other human beings, to survive, and become more powerful.
3. Humans are weak. We are fleshy pieces, soft, without hard claws, teeth, and we are slow. We learned
to co-evolve with other humans, to work together, to build tools, to help one another rear our
children, to build homes, to build communities, and to build technologies to make us more powerful.
4. First proposition: To be free of mental disease or disorders, we need to be SOCIAL. The more isolated
we are, the crazier we get. Consider that solitary confinement is probably the worst torture. Also
consider Tom Hanks on ‘Cast Away’ — where he makes ‘Wilson’ (volleyball) his friend, because to be
human is to be SOCIAL, to have FRIENDS, and to INTERACT with other human beings. If we have
nobody to interact with, we invent friends — perhaps this is where ‘imaginary friends’ comes from
when we are kids, because we have nobody to interact with?
5. To be happier, and more joyful — be more social. Talk to more people, strangers, friends, family, etc.
6. The purpose of having a brain and consciousness is to INTERACT with other humans. So in your life,
whenever you do anything– ask yourself, ‘Is this activity bringing me CLOSER or FURTHER away from
other humans?’
7. Second proposition: Human beings are the best drugs. We do (almost) everything to be more social.
We go to parties to be social. We go on ‘social’ media to interact with other humans. We watch films,
because we live vicariously through the ‘exciting’ lives of those on the silver screen. We make art, to
please ourselves– but also to share them with others. Consider, ‘Would I make photos, if I could never
share the photos with others?’ For me, I would not shoot photos if I couldn’t share them with anybody
else.

In Sanskrit, the word Jyotish, translated as “science of light,” refers to the profound and mathematically
sophisticated form of astrology originating in the ancient Vedic traditions of India. Sometimes known as Vedic
astrology, Jyotish describes the planetary patterns at the time of our birth and can give us valuable clues to
understanding our life’s journey. Through careful analysis of these cosmic influences, Jyotish can help us to
realistically evaluate our strengths and challenges in order to optimize our full potential. By forecasting the
changing trends and periods of our lives, Jyotish can also enable us to make more evolutionary choices. It
offers practical remedial measures to alleviate areas of difficulty, giving us the confidence to manifest our true
destiny and create success, happiness, and harmony on all levels.
The Difference Between Jyotish and Western Astrology
Jyotish is distinctly different from what we think of as astrology here in the West. The difference is that in
Jyotish we use the sidereal zodiac, which is based on the fixed, observable positions of the constellations, as
we see them in the sky. Western astrology, in contrast, uses what is called the tropical zodiac. The tropical
zodiac is based, not on the fixed, observable positions of the constellations but rather on the relative and
changeable position of the sun.
Because of a phenomenon called “precession of equinoxes” and a wobble in the axial spin of the Earth, the
tropical positions have gradually moved away from the fixed, sidereal constellations at the rate of about one
degree every 72 years. By the time most of us were born, the tropical positions, and therefore the Western
astrology chart, have moved away from the fixed, observable positions by about 24 degrees. In short, there is
a difference between these two astrological systems by that many degrees.
In Jyotish, we don’t think of people in terms of their sun sign, as we do in tropical astrology. Instead, we enter
the chart through what is called the “ascendant,” the constellation that is rising on the Eastern horizon at the
time of a person’s birth. This sets up the relationship between the planets at the time of birth to the event of
the birth and gives clues about an individual’s personality, physical body, and the way the person presents
themselves to the world. We think of a person first in terms of the ascendant.
The Ascendant Sign of Aries
In the subsequent series of articles, I’ll discuss some of the traits and qualities that are associated with each of
the twelve ascendants. Today we’ll focus on the sign of Aries. Remember that here we’re speaking of the
sidereal ascendant of Aries, not the sun sign. If you know your Western, tropical chart, just subtract 24
degrees from all the planetary positions and ascendant to get your Vedic chart.
We’ll begin with Aries Ascendant . . .
Aries is a “fiery” sign, as opposed to the earth, air, and water signs. The fire signs are often associated with
transformation of energy and may in some way express the traits of the Pitta dosha, the fiery metabolic profile
we learn about in Ayurveda.
Aries is a Cardinal or “movable” sign, as opposed to the “dual signs” or the “fixed signs.” The movable signs
like to initiate activities. Aries is ruled by or represented by the planet Mars which, in its positive expression,
can give courage, passion, and energy to the Arian. It can make the Aries person adventurous with a
pioneering spirit. They can be excellent athletes and self-starters, and they benefit from engaging vigorous
physical exercise.
Reflecting the first constellation of the natural zodiac, people can sometimes exhibit a youthfulness and even a
naïve self-centeredness or “me first” attitude. They often know what they want and may sometimes become
impatient, impulsive, and impetuous about getting it. Like the Ram, which is the symbol of Aries, Aries people
can become combative, competitive, angry, and aggressive if they are challenged or frustrated in getting what
they want. They sometimes enjoy “butting heads.”
The real work for Aries ascendant people is to learn to cultivate patience and cooperation, especially in
partnerships.
The Vedas speak of a variety of matters. So how are we to accept the view that their most important teaching
is the concept of Self-realisation expounded in the Upanisads constituting the Vedanta? They mention a
number of sacrifices like agnihotra, somayaga, sattra and isti and other rituals in addition. Why should it not
be maintained that it is these that form their chief purpose?
What are the rites to be performed at a marriage? Or at a funeral? How best is a kingdom(or any country)
governed? How must we conduct ourselves in an assembly? You will find answers to many such questions in
the Vedas. Which of these then is the main objective of our scripture?
The Vedas tell you about the conduct of sacrifices, ways of worship, methods of meditation. How is the body
inspired by the Self? What happens to it (the body) in the end? And how does the self imbue the body again?
We find an answer to such questions in these sacred texts. Also we learn from methods to keep the body
healthy, the rites to protect ourselves from enemy attacks. What then is the goal of the Vedas?
The Upanisads proclaim that all the Vedas together point to a single Truth (Kathopanishad, 2. 15)What is that
Truth? "The Vedas speak in one voice of a Supreme Entity revealing itself as the meaning of Omkara. "
There was a judge called Sadasiva Ayyar. He had a brother, Paramasiva Ayyar, who lived in Mysore. "The
Vedas deal with geology, "so wrote Paramasiva Ayyar. "In those early times, people in India looked upon the
sun and the moon with wonder, " some Westerners remark. "it was an age when science had not made much
advance. People then regarded natural phenomena according to their different mental attitudes. Not all are
capable of turning their thoughts into song. But some have the talent for the same. The songs sing by people
in the form of mantras constitute the Vedas. "
Though the Upanisads declare that the Vedas speak of the One reality, there is an impression that they speak
of a variety of entities. There is a well-known stanza on the Ramayana:
Vedavedye pare pumsi jate Dasarathatmaje
Vedah Pracetasadasitssaksadramayanatmana
"Vedavedye"=one who is to be known by the Vedas. Who is he? "Pare pumsi"=the Supreme Being. The
Supreme being to be known by the Vedas descended to earth as Rama. When he was born the son of
Dasaratha, the Vedas took the form of Valmiki's child Ramayana. According to this stanza, the goal of the
Vedas is the Supreme Being or Omkara, the One Truth. Just as the kathopanisad speaks of "sarve Vedah", the
lord says in the Gita:"Vedaisca sarvair ahameva vedyah"(I am indeed to be known by the Vedas)
Considering all this, we realise that, although the Vedas deal with many matters, all of them together speak of
one goal, the One reality. But the question arises why they concern themselves with different entities also
when their purpose is only the One entity?
It is through the various entities, through knowledge of a multiplicity of subjects, that we may know of this
One Object. Yoga, meditation, austerities, sacrifices and other rites, ceremonies like marriage, state affairs,
social life, poetry: what is the goal of all these? Itis the One Reality. And that is the goal of the Vedas also. All
objects and all entities other than this true Object are subject to change. They are like stories remembered
and later forgotten. (In our ignorance) we do not percieve the One object behind the manifoldness of the
world. The Vedas take us to the One Reality through the multifarious objects that we do know.
To attain this One reality we need to discipline our mind in various ways. Performing sacrifices, practising
austerities, doing the duties of one's own dharma, building gopurams, digging ponds for the public, involving
ourselves in social work, samskaras like marriage, all these go to purify our consciousness and, finally to still
the mind that is always agitated. (cittavrtti-nirodha). The purpose of different works is to help us in our efforts
to attain the Brahman.
"Ved"[from"vid"] means to know. The Upanisads proclaim:" The Atman is that by knowing which all can be
known. " The goal of the Vedas is to shed light on this Atman. The rituals enjoined on us in their first part and
the jnana expounded in the second have the same goal-knowing Iswara, the Brahman or the Atman. The
beginning of the beginning and the end of the end of our scripture have the same ultimate aim. During the
"mantrapuspa" ceremony at the time of welcoming a great man this mantra is chanted:"Yo Veda dau svarah
prokto Vedante ca prathisthitah. " These words are proof of the words mentioned above. The mantra means
:" What is established in the beginning of the Vedas as well as their end is the One Truth, the Reality of Isvara.
" The works associated with the beginning and the jnana associated with the end-there is no difference
between the goals of the two.
For the rituals that are divided in a thousand different ways and for the knowledge(jnana) that is but one, the
subject is common. That is the Vedas have a common subject. The senses are incapable of perceiving the Self.
They are aware only of outward objects and keep chasing them. This is mentioned in
the kathopanisad(4.1).when one's attention is diverted from the object in hand we say "parakku parppadu"[in
Tami] Our object is the Self. To be diverted from it and to look around-or look away-is to be "paramukha"-it is
the same as "parakku parppadu". It is this idea that is expressed by the kathopanisad. But the mind does not
easily remain fixed on our goal. So it is only by performing outward functions that we will gain the wisdom and
maturity to turn our look inward. We will develop such inner vision only by refusing to be dragged down by
the mind and the senses, and for this we must perform Vedic works.
After learning about, or knowing all other matters by inquiring into them and by making an assesment of
them, we are enabled to grasp that by knowing which we will know everything. That is the reason why the
Vedas deal with so many branches of learning, so many types of worship, so many different works and so
many arts and so many social duties. By applying the body in various rites we lose consciousness of that very
body. By directing our thoughts to various branches of learning, by examining various philosophical systems
and by worshipping various deities the mind and the intellect will in due course be dissolved.
We are more conscious when we are engaged in evil actions than otherwise. By thinking about evil matters
the mind becomes coarser. Instead, if we perform Vedic sacraments and worship and chant Vedic mantras for
the well-being of the world, the desires of the body and the mind will wilt. Eventually, we will develop the
maturity and the wisdom to gain inner vision. In this way we will obtain release here itself("ihaiva") Release
from what? From samsara, from the cycle of birth and death. When we realise that the body and the mind are
not"we" and when we become free from them-as mentioned in the Upanisads- we are liberated from worldly
existence.
The purpose of the Vedas is achieving liberation in this world itself. And that is their glory. Other religions
promise a man salvation after his departure for another world. But we cannot have any idea of that type of
deliverance. Those who have attained will not return to this world to tell us about it. So we may have doubts
about it or may not believe it at all. But the Vedas hold out the ideals of liberation here itself if we renounce all
desire and keep meditating on the Self. Moksa then will be within our grasp at once. there is no room
for doubt in this.
Other paths give temporary relief like quinine administered to a person suffering from malaria. If malarial
fever is never to be contracted by the patient again the root cause of the disease must be found and
eradicated. The Vedic religion goes deep into the root of life and cuts away that which separates it from the
supreme being The freedom realised in this manner is eternal and not "temporary relief"(from the pains and
sorrows of worldly existence)
The karmakanda of the Vedas deals with matters that give only such temporary relief. However, it must be
realised that a man racked by difficulties cannot at once be placed in a position where he would all the time
delighting in his Self. Through the " Temporary relief" gained from performing Vedic rites, his consciousness is
freed from impurities and he becomes "qualified" for everlasting peace. Sacrifices, vows, philanthropic work,
and so on, do not take us to the final goal but they are necessarily to reduce ourselves physically, to cleanse
our consciousness and make our mind one-pointed in our effort to reach our final goal.
A variety of subjects are spoken in detail in the Vedas but all of them have the one purpose of leading us to
the Vedantic enquiry into Truth and jnana. The concluding portion of a work, speech, article etc, is usually the
most significant. If we want to find what so-and-so has said in a speech or in an article, we do not have to read
all of it. We glance through the first para and, skipping through, come to the last. Here we get the message of
the speech or article. We are able to decide on the content of either by going through the first and concluding
passages. The first and last parts alike of the Vedas speak of the Paramatman; so that can be said to be the
"subject" of the Vedas.
The government enacts many laws. But, later in the course of their enforcement, doubts arise with regard to
their intention. Then another law is enacted to settle its meaning:it is called the law of interpretation. In this
way Mimamsa has come into being as the law of interpretation for the Vedas which constitute the eternal law
of the Lord. I will speak to you in detail about Mimamsa which is one of the fourteen branches of the Vedic
lore. But one aspect of it I should like to mention here itself.
According to Mimamsa sastra, there are six ways in which to determine the meaning of the Vedic
pronouncement or "vakhya". They are listed in this verse:
Upakrama-upasamharau abhyasao purvata phalam
Arthavado pappati lingam tatparya-nirnaye
"Upakrama" and "upasamhara" together form the first method. The other five are "abhyasa", "apurvata",
"phala", "arthavada" and "upapatti". These six are employed to determine the meaning or intent not only of
Vedic passages but of, say, an article or discourse.
"Upakrama" means the initial part of work, treatise, and "upasamhara" the conclusion. If the first and
concluding parts of a work speak of the same idea, it is to be taken as its subject. "Abhyasa" is repeating the
same thing, the same idea, again and again. If the same view or the idea is repeated in a work, it must be
understood as its theme. "Apurvata" denotes an idea not mentioned before or mentioned for the first time.
So a view or idea expressed afresh in the course of work or discourse is to be taken as the purpose or message
intended. "Phala" is fruit, benefit, reward or result. If, in the course of work or speech, it is said, " If you act in
this manner you will gain such and such a fruit or benefit", it means that the purpose of the work or speech is
to persuade you to act in the manner suggested so that you may reap the fruit or "phala" held out.
Suppose a number of points are dealt with in a work or discourse. Now, based on them, a story is told and, in
the course of it, a particular matter receives special praise. This particular point must be regarded as the
purpose of the work or speech in question. The method employed here is " arthavada ". If a viewpoint is
sought to be established with reasoning it must be treated as the subject of the work concerned. Here you
have " upapatti ".
A gentleman told me his view of the Vedas based on his reading of the first and last hymns: "The chief point
about the Vedas is fire worship (Agni upasana). In the upakrama there is 'Agnimile' and in the upasamhara also
there is a hymn to Agni. Both the beginning and the end being so, the purpose of the Vedas (their 'gist') is fire
worship". Agni is the light of the Atman, the light of the jnana. The light of jnana is nothing but the spirit of the
Self which is the knower, the known and the knowledge:this is the ultimate message of the Vedas.
However, to understand the hymns in question in a literal sense and claim that the Vedas mean fire worship is
not correct. The greatness of our scripture consists in the fact that it does not glorify one deity alone. The
Vedas proclaim that the Atman, the Self, must be worshipped, the Atman that denotes all the
deities(Brahadranyaka Upanishad), 4. 5. 6 : "Verily, O Maitreyi, it is the Self that should be perceived, that
should be seen, heard and reflected upon. It is the Self that must be known. When the Self is known
everything is known". This truth that the Yagnavalkya teaches his wife Maitreyi is the goal of the Vedas.
What is the implication of the word "goal"? Now we are here at a particular point. From this point, where we
start, we have to go to another point which is final. Such a meaning is suggested by the word"goal". "Atah" is
what is pointed to at a distance("that") as the goal. "Itah" is where we are now(here), the starting point. From
"here"we have to go "there" to reach the goal.
But as a matter of fact, is not "that", the goal, here itself(this)? Yes, when we recognize that everything is the
Brahman, we will realise that "that" and "this " are the Brahman-in other words, "that"and "this" are the
same. What we now think to be "this" becomes the true state denoted by "that".
Like "atah" the Vedas refer to the Paramatman as "TaT"which means "that". At the conclusion of any rite or
work it is customary to say "Om TaT sat". It means, "That is the Truth".
We add the suffix "tvam" to some words:"purasatvam", "mahatvam" and so on. Here "tvam" means the
quality or nature of a thing. The quality of "mahat" is "mahatvam". The nature of "purusa" being a "purusa"is
"purusatvam". All right. What do we mean when we refer to the truth, the Ultimate Truth, as "tattvam"?
"Tattvam"means" being TaT". When we speak of enquiry into tattva or instruction in tattva it means enquiring
into the nature of the Brahman(or rather Brahmanhood or what is meant by the Brahman. )
If the Vedas proclaim the Paramatman as "Tat", that is a distant entity, how does it help us? Actually, it is not
so. What is far away is also close by. The Vedas proclaim:"Durat dure antike ca"
Once the parents of a girl arranged her marriage to a boy who happened to be a relative. But the girl said "I'll
marry the greatest man in the world. "She was stubborn in her decision and the parents in their helpnessness
said to her "Do what you like. "
The girl thought that the king was the greatest of men and that she would get married to him. One day, as the
king was being taken in a palanquin, an ascetic passed by. The king got down and prostrated himself before
the sanyasin and got into his palanquin again. Witnessing the scene the girl thought to herself:"I was wrong all
these days in thinking that the king was the greatest of men. The ascetic seems to be greater. I must marry
him. "She then followed the holy man. .
The ascetic stopped on his way to worship an idol of Ganapati installed under a pipal tree. The girl saw it and
came to the conclusion :"This Ganapati is superior to the sanyasin. I must marry him. " She gave up her chase
of the ascetic and sat by the idol of Ganapati.
It was a lonely place and no devotee came up to worship the god. After some days a dog came and relieved
itself on the idol. The girl now decided that the dog must be greater than Ganapati. She went chasing the dog
and as it trotted along, with the girl keeping pace with it, a boy threw a stone at it and it wailed loudly in pain.
a young man saw this and reprimanded the boy for his cruelty. The girl now told herself "I had thought that
the boy was superior to the dog. But here comes a young man to take him to task. So he must be the greatest
of them all. "Eventually it turned out that the young man was none other then the groom that her parents had
chosen for her.
The girl in the story went in pursuit of one she thought was far away but in the end it turned out that what she
had sought was indeed closeby.
"You look for God thinking him to be far from you. So long as your ignorant(that is without jnana)he is indeed
far from you. Even if you look for him all over the world you will not find him. He is in truth with you. ""Durat
dure antike ca, "says the sruti(Farther than the farthest, nearer than the nearest).
When we look afar at the horizon it seems to be the meeting point of the earth and the sky. Suppose there is a
palm-tree there. We imagine that if we go upto the tree we will arrive at the point where the earth and the
sky meet. But when we actually arrive at the spot where the tree stands we see that the horizon has receded
further. The further we keep going the further the horizon too will recede from us. "We are here under the
palm tree but the horizon is still far away. We must also go further to overtake it. "Is it ever possible to
overtake the horizon? When we are at a distance from the palm the horizon seems to be near it. But when we
came to it the horizon seemed to have moved away further. So where is the horizon? Where you are that is,
the horizon. You and the horizon are on the very same spot. What we call "That" the lord who we think is far
away, is by your side. No, he is in you. "That thou art, "declare the Vedas-He is you(or you are He).
"That you are "or "That thou art"(Tat Tvam Asi)is a Vedic mahavakya. The "Tvam" here does not mean the
quality or essential nature of any entity or object. The word has two meanings:"essential
nature"("beingness")is one meaning; and" you "or "thou" is another. The Acarya has used "Tvam" as a pun in a
stanza in his saundaryalahari.
It is a combination of the two words "taat" and "tvam" that the word "tattvam" has come into use. Any truth
arrived at the conclusion of an inquiry is "tattva"-thus it denotes the One Truth that is the Paramatman.
What we call "I", what we think to be "i", that indeed is Isvara; or such awareness is Isvara. If you do not
possess the light within yiou to discern this truth you will not be able to even concieve of an entity called
Isvara, The consciousness of "I" is what we believe to be the distant "That". "That and you are the same, child
"is the Ultimate message of the Vedas.
What we call "this"("idam") is not without a root or a source. Indeed there is no object called "this" without a
source. Without the seed there is no tree. The cosmos with its mountains, oceans, with its sky and earth, with
its man and beast, and so on has its root. Anger, fear and love, the senses, power and energy have their root,
Whatever we call "this " has a root. Whatever we see, hear and smell, what we remember, what we feel to be
hot or cold, what we experience-all these are covered by the term"idam". Intellectual powers, scientific
discoveries, the dicoveries yet to come - all come under Idam and all of them have a root cause. There is
nothing called "idam" or "this"without a root. Everything has a root or a seed. So the cosmos also must have a
root cause; so too all power, all energy contained in it.
To realise this Truth examine a tamarind seed germinating. When you split the seed open. you will see a
miniature tree in it. It has in it the potential to grow, to grow big. Such is the case with all seeds.
The mantras have "bijaksaras"(seed letters or rather seed variables). Like a big tree (potentially)present in a
tiny seed, these syllables contain immmeasurable power. If the bijaksara is muttered a hundred thousand
times, with your mind one-pointed, you will have its power within your grasp.
Whatever power there is in the world, whatever intellectual brilliance whatever skills and talents, all must be
present in God in a rudimentary form. The Vedas proclaim, as if with the beat of drums:"All this has not sprung
without a root cause, The power that is in the root or seed is the same as the power thast pervedes the entire
universe. Where is that seed or root? The Self that keeps seeing all from within, what we call "idam" is the
root.
When you stand before a mirror you see your image in it. If you keep four mirrors in a row you will see a
thousand images of yourself. There is one source for all these images. The one who sees these thousand
images is the same as one who is their source. The one who is within the millions of creatures and sees all
"this" is the Isvara. That which sees is the root of all that is seen. That root is knowledge and it is the source of
all the cosmos. Where do you find this knowledge? It is in you. The infinite, transcendent knowledge is present
partly in you-the whole is present in you as a part.
Here is a small bulb. There you have a bigger bulb. That light is blue, this is green. There are lamps of many
sizes and shapes. But their power is the same-electricity, electricity which is everywhere. It keeps the fan
whirling, keeps the lamps burning. The power is the same and it is infinite. When it passes through a wire it
becomes finite. When lightning strikes in flashes, when water cascades, the power is manifested. In the same
way you must make the supreme Truth within manifest itself in a flash. All Vedic rites, all worship, all works,
meditation of the mahakavyas, Vedanta-the purpose of all these is to make the truth unfold itself to you-in
you-in a flash.
Even the family and social life that are dealt with in the Vedas, the royal duties mentioned in them, or poetry,
therapeutics or geology or any other sastra are steps leading towards the realisation of the Self. At first the
union of "Tat" and "tvam"(That and you) would be experienced for a few moments like a flash of lightning.
The Kenopanisad(4. 4) refers to the state of knowing the Brahman experimentally as a flash of lightning
happening in the twinkling of an eye. But with repeated practice, with intense concentration, you will be able
to immerse yourself in such experience. It is like the electricity produced when a stream remains cascading.
This is moksa, liberation, when you are yet in this world, when you are still in possession of your body. And,
when you give up the body, you will become eternal Truth yourself. This is called "videhamukthi"(literally
bodiless liberation). The difference between jivanmukthi and videhamukthi is only with reference to an
outside observer; for the jnanin the two are identical.
The goal of the Vedas is inward realisation of the Brahman here and now. we learn about happenings in the
world from the newspapers. The news gathered by reporters stationed in different countries, at different
centres, also through news agencies. It is recieved through letters, telegrams or teleprinter messages. There
are things that cannot be known by such means, things that are not comprehended by the ordinary human
mind. should we not have a special newspaper to keep us informed about them? The Vedas constitute such a
paper. They tell us all about things that cannot be known to ordinary news-gatherers and also about things
occuring in aplace where there is neither telegraphy nor any teleprinter. It is through the medium of this
newspaper that the sages who possess trans-sensual powers keep us informed about matters that are beyond
this world and beyond the comprehension of the average man.
There are, however, certain portions in the Vedas that are to be discarded. "To be discarded" is not to be
taken to mean to be rejected outright as wrong. There cannot be anything wrong about any part of the Vedas.
Even to think so is sacrilegious. There are matters in these texts that are prelimnary to an important subject or
that lend support to it. According to the arrangement made by our forefathers the important part is to be
retained and the other prelimnary or supporting portion is to be excluded. Certain things are necessary at a
certain stage of our development. But these are to be excluded as we go step by step to a higher stage.
There are then passages that are of atmost importance and have the force of law. These are to be accepted in
full, Things that are to be discarded belong to the category of "arthavada" and " anuvada".
The Vedas contain stories told to impress on us the importance of a concept, stories that raise ideas to a
higher level. The injunctions with which these stories are associated must be acepted in full but the stories
themselves may be discarded as "arthavada", that is they need not be brought into obsevance.
What is "anuvada"? Before speaking about a new rule or a new concept, the Vedas tell us about things that we
already know. They go on repeating this without coming to the new rule or concept, that is things known to us
in practical life and not having the authority of Vedic pronouncements. This is "anuvada".
Anuvada and artavada are not of importance and are not meant to convey the ultimate purpose or message of
the Vedas. What we do not know otherwise through any other authority and what the Vedas speak of is
"vidhi". And that is the chief "vada", the true tattva, the true intent of the Vedas.
To explain further. What is mentioned in the Vedas but can be known by other (mundane) means is not
incontrovertible Vedic authority. The purpose of the Vedas is to make known what is not known. They speak
about things we know and do not know, but their chief purpose is the latter- what they state about what we
do not know. It is out of compassion that they speak about what is known to us as a prelude to telling us what
we do not know. But if telling us they deal with things that we do not know? If the Vedas deal at length with
the things that we are ignorant about, would it not be ridiculous to discard them and retain only what we
know already? Indeed such an act would be sacrilegious. The question, however, arises: why should things
known to us have been dealt with at length?
The Vedas could have been silent about them. Well, what is that we know, what is that we do not know?
There are two views about all mundane objects, worldly phenomena. Do all the objects that we percieve
constitute one entity or are they all disparate? Opinion is divided on this. Based on our physical perceptions
we regard all objects to be separate from one another. It is only on such a basis that our funtions are carried
out properly in the workday world. Water is one hting and oil is another. To light a lamp we need oil [to feed
the wick]. We cannot use water for the same. But if the lamp flares up and objects near by catch fire we will
have to put it out with water. With oil the fire will only spread. We have thus to note how one object is
different from another and to learn how best each is to be used.
To view each object as being distinct from another is part of "Dvaita", dualism. Many of the rituals in the
Vedas, many of the ways of worship found in them, are based on the dualistic view. As Advaitins (followers of
the non-dualistic doctrine) we need not raise any objections on this score. We must, however, find out
whether or not the Vedas go beyond dualism. If they do not, we have to conclude that their message is Dvaita.
But what is the truth actually found expressed in them?
The non-dualist truth is proclaimed in a number of hymns and in most of the Upanisads, but this is not in
keeping with our outward experience. The ultimate Vedic view is that all objects are indeed not separate from
one another but are the outward manifestation of the same Self.
Our religious and philosophical works have two parts - purvapaksa and siddhanta. In the purvapaksas or initial
section of a work, the point of view to be refuted [the view opposed to that of the author of the work] is dealt
with. If we read only this part we are likely to form an impression opposite to what the work intends to
convey. To refute an opinion other than one's own, one has naturally to state it. This is the purpose of the
purvapaksa. In the siddhanta section there is refutation of the systems opposed to one's own before the latter
is sought to be established. scholars abroad are full of praise for the fact that in our darsanas or philosophical
works the views of systems opposed to those expressed in the darsanas are not concealed or ignored but that
their criticisms and objections are sought to be answered.
From what is said before, does it mean that non-dualism is incorporated in the purvapaksa of the Vedas so as
to be refuted in the latter part? No, it is not so. The jnanakanda in which the Upanisads lay emphasise on non-
dualism is the concluding part of the Vedas. The karmakanda which speaks of dualism precedes it. So if the
Vedas first speak about the dualism that we know and later about the non-dualism that we do not know, it
means that the non-dualistic teaching is the supreme purpose of the Vedas.
I will tell you why the dualism in te purvapaksa in the Vedas is not rebutted. The works and worship performed
with a dualistic outlook are not a hindrance for us to advance on the path of non-dualistic experience. On the
contrary, they are a means to make precisely such progress. So the works and worship are not to be taken as
constituting a point of view opposed to the main message of the Vedas and to be refuted in the second part.
First the flower, then the fruit. Similiarly, we have to afvance to non-dualism from dualism. The flower is not
opposed to the fruit, is it? Do we despise the flower because the fruit represents its highest [natural
development]?
From the non-dualistic standpoint there is no need to counter other systems, viewed on their own proper
levels. It is only when these levels are exceeded that the need arises to counter them. That is how our Acarya
and other exponents of non-dualism countenanced other systems.
By the grace of Isvara scientific advancement so far has done no injury to things Atmic and indeed modern
science takes us increassingly close to Advaita whose truth hitherto could not be known by anything other
than the Vedas. In the early centuries of science it wasd thought that all objects in the world were different
entities, seperate from one another. Then scientists came to the conclusion that the basis of all matter was
constituted by the different elements, that all the countless objects in the world resulted from these elements
combining together in various ways. Subsequently when atomic science developed it was realised that all the
elements had the same source, the same energy.
Those who meditate on the Self and know the truth realise that this power, this Atman, is made up of
knowledge, awareness. And it is knowledge (jnana) that enfolds not only inert objects but also the individual
self to form the non-dualistic whole.
Whether it is one energy or one caitanya, the One Object that both vijnanins (scientists) and jnanins (knowers)
speak of is not visible to us. We see only its countless disguises as different objects, that is we see the One
Object dualistically [or pluralistically]. You need not seek the support of the Vedas for this, for what is obvious.
Why do you need the testimony of the Vedas for what our eyes and intellect recognize? If they speak of a
truth that we are not aware of but which we can realise from what we know, and if this truth is proclaimed to
be their final conclusion, we must accept it as their ultimate message. This message is the doctrine, the truth,
that the individual self is inseperably (non-dualistically) dissolved in the Paramatman to become the
Paramatman.

The Hindu Gotra System – Identification

The Gotra is a system which associates a person with his most ancient or root ancestor in an unbroken male
lineage. For instance if a person says that he belongs to the Bharadwaja Gotra then it means that he traces back
his male ancestry to the ancient Rishi (Saint or Seer) Bharadwaja. So Gotra refers to the Root Person in a
person’s male lineage.
The Gotra system is practiced amongst most Hindus. See here for a List of Hindu Gotras practiced by different
sections of the Hindu Society

Brahmins identify their male lineage by considering themselves to be the descendants of the 8 great Rishis ie
Saptarshis (The Seven Sacred Saints) + Bharadwaja Rishi. So the list of root Brahmin Gotras is as follows

 Angirasa
 Atri
 Gautam
 Kashyapa
 Bhrigu
 Vasistha
 Kutsa
 Bharadwaja

These 8 Rishis are called Gotrakarin meaning roots of Gotras. All other Brahmin Gotras evolved from one of
the above Gotras. What this means is that the descendants of these Rishis over time started their own Gotras.
The total number of established Gotras today is 49. However each of them finally trace back to one of the root
Gotrakarin Rishi.

The word Gotra is formed from the two Sanskrit words Gau (meaning Cow) and Trahi (meaning Shed).
Note that the English word Cow is a derived word of the Sanskrit word Gau with the same meaning Gau.

So Gotra means Cowshed, where in the context is that Gotra is like the Cowshed protecting a particular male
lineage. Cows are extremely important sacred animals to Hindus and there were a large number of best breeds
of Cows that ancient Hindus reared and worshipped, and hence the name Gotra referring to the system of
maintaining individual male lineages seems more appropriate.