Astrology and Spirituality- Eclipses

   By KVRK Bhargav 

 (Bhargav is a student of Swami who after completing his B.Tech in Textile Engineering graduated with an MBA from the the Sri Sathya Sai University in 2001. Ever since, he has had the great fortune of waiting for Swami’s direct guidance. He has been blessed with many interactions with Swami and he pursues astrology as a hobby to understand how it complements and dovetails spirituality. He shares his insights on how the planets are not causes of fear; rather they all serve the common goal of prodding man towards his spiritual destiny of Self Realization)

 Swami sitting majestically in the bhajan hall throne, waiting for bhajans to start, beckoned one boy and enquired,  " Is there any special event tonight?The boy  kneeling down with folded hands, replied, "I don't know Swami".
Swami quickly rejoined commandingly, "Dunnapota ! Tonight there is a lunar eclipse, spend the night in prayer, small spiritual sadhana at this time can give rich dividends." That night all students did combined prayers during the eclipse time as it was the command of the divine master.

Eclipses have fascinated man since time immemorial. Eclipses and their influence on collective human consciousness is always steeped in mystery and many legends and myths have been born with them as the central theme. Let us try and unravel the mystery behind it.

Solar Eclipse geometry

Eclipses, talking purely from astronomical point of view, are occurrences  due to the relative placement of Sun, Moon and our planet Earth. Lunar eclipse takes  place on a full moon day when shadow of earth falls on the moon obscuring it from our view. Similarly, solar eclipse occurs on a new moon day when moon comes between sun and earth.

Rahu devouring sun

Ancient sages and philosophers had perfect knowledge of eclipses and their exact occurrence due to the science of astrology. Astrologically the nodes of moon Rahu and Ketu cause the eclipses. An eclipse happens when the sun, moon and the axis of Rahu and Ketu overlap. In Indian mythology, a symbolism of a snake is used to represent Rahu and Ketu which gulp down the Sun and Moon during their respective eclipses.
 The level of science was so advanced that our ancient vedic scholars were able to predict the exact occurrence, the duration and the effects of it on human beings with utmost precision. The modern science which generally deals with the physical and gross world has gained laudable expertise regarding the prediction and duration of eclipses. But when it comes to its subtle effects on human personality, mental framework and collective human affairs it falls woefully short.

Sun in astrological terminology represents the soul and the digestive fire and Moon represents the mind and the body fluids like the lymph and blood. When there is an obscuring of these planets in the gross level they exert a considerable influence on their subtle significations. The reason for exponential increase in anti social activities during lunar eclipse speaks for the influence moon exerts on human mind. Vedic wisdom suggests that we should spend this time in doing prayers and meditation as this time is very conducive for spiritual uplift. There is also a strict regimen which has to be followed regarding diet. I recall one instance in  my college days, when Swami specially sent word that the dinner session should be postponed from the usual 7:30pm to 10:00pm till the moon was released from the clutches of Rahu and Ketu. Subsequently, all the utensils were washed thoroughly and cooking commenced and we had dinner at around 10:30pm.

Ida, Pingala and Sushmana nadis and the chakras

A possible reason which I contemplate might be that the nadis Ida and Pingala which represent the lunar and solar energies in our body meet the central Sushmana nadi at the solar plexus(Manipura Chakra) and again at the brow chakra(Ajna Chakra), the two principal chakras in the body. During an eclipse the solar and lunar energies go little out of balance, mainly affecting the digestive fire at solar plexus at Manipura Chakra and the mind at the brow centre, the Ajna Chakra.
So our ancient wisdom suggests that we fast to exert minimum load on our digestive system and do spiritual sadhana to energize our mind with positive vibrations.

Darbha grass

 It is also said food items get contaminated, when the rays emanating during the time of eclipse pervade the atmosphere. Herein lies the utility and value of Darbha grass. Darbha / Kusha grass grows freely in hot and dry places. It is said that a single Darbha grass kept in food items,  protects the food from harmful affects of eclipse. Darbha grass is also used in many religious functions. It has even been proved scientifically that even X-ray radiation can be absorbed by Darbha grass. This grass should be freely used to protect foodstuffs during times of eclipse.
Let us now throw some light on the aspect of who should see and who should not see the eclipse. Every eclipse falls in a particular nakshatra of the zodiac. Individuals born in that nakshatra and those born in the corresponding triads of that nakshatra should avoid getting exposed to the rays of a particular eclipse. The triads are:
Aswini- Magha-Moola, Bharani-Poorva Phalguni- Poorva Ashadha, Krittika-Uttara Phalguni-Uttara Ashadha, Rohini-Hasta-Sravana, Mrigasira-Chitra-Dhanistha, Arudra-Swati-Satabhishak, Punarvasu-Vishaka-Poorva Bhadra, Pushya-Anuradha-Uttara Bhadra, Aslesha-Jyestha-Revati.
Eclipse falling in any one of the three forbades the individuals of all the three nakshatras to view it.

Regarding the prayers, the best and universal prayer is Gayatri mantra. One can even chant the mantras of their chosen deities and the mantras which an individual is initiated into by his preceptor. The practice of taking bath before and after the eclipse is also recommended by our  pandits. This is a special time when one can achieve mastery over a mantra, known as mantra siddhi, due to manifold increase in the potency of any spiritual endeavour undertaken during an eclipse.

When a native takes birth during an eclipse, he or she becomes sensitive to unseen realms and other realities, but at the same time makes the native prone to emotional and psychological disturbances, isolation, fears and phobias. In rare cases this birth bestows on the native keen psychological, philosophical and spiritual insights. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was believed to be born on a lunar eclipse.
Finally, one more clarification is that the effect of the eclipse is felt only when it is visible to your part of the world.

Great astrologerVarahamihira says in his magnum opus Brihat Samhita on astrology, "People knew how eclipses were formed.They knew that they were not formed by the snakes.The snake- connection is an allusion to drive home the message of conflict between spiritual (Ketu) and material (Rahu) wishes by which our life is entangled with the snakes trying to gulp our soul(sun) and mind (moon)."

Astrology and Spirituality- Ketu

.By KVRK Bhargav

 (Bhargav is a student of Swami who after completing his B.Tech in Textile Engineering graduated with an MBA from the the Sri Sathya Sai University in 2001. Ever since, he has had the great fortune of waiting for Swami’s direct guidance. He has been blessed with many interactions with Swami and he pursues astrology as a hobby to understand how it complements and dovetails spirituality. He shares his insights on how the planets are not causes of fear; rather they all serve the common goal of prodding man towards his spiritual destiny of Self Realization)

As one walks towards the shopping complex in Prasanthi Nilayam from the mandir, one cannot help but notice the idol of Lord Ganesha standing majestically with an umbrella in the right hand and kamandalu in the left hand, accepting the worship of the devotees. Clad in an ochre fabric waist down,  belly protruding out encircled by a serpent, sacred thread adorning the body, wearing a beautiful garland of darbha grass, having a golden hue,  tripundra on the forehead with a vermillion dot in the middle; Vaman Ganesha as he is popularly called is a treat to the eyes of the devotees. 

Why are we describing Vaman Ganesha in an article on Ketu?

In vedic traditions Ketu is linked to Ganesha who is considered the first born child of the universe, Lord Ganesha is the primordial principal which we worship before starting any undertaking and Ketu also is the primordial power of the creator, the head of all planets and stars. Ketu represents the unpredictability inherent in the universe. According to scholars and pundits worship of standing Ganesha is the best panacea to reduce the ill effects of Ketu.

Ketu is the southern node in the intersection of the planes of the trajectory of earth around the sun and moon around the earth. In the legends Ketu is considered the torso of the demon Swarabhanu whose head is known as Rahu as explained in a previous article.

Ketu

Ketu, if strongly influences the first house of personality, makes a person short and corpulent.  Ketu is considered the oldest among planets, hence it gives a person appearance of being older than his age. It also gives a fiery constitution.

Ketu is considered the jnana karaka, the significator of knowledge. In ancient vedic symbolisms he is represented without a head i.e. lack of ego. It has a hood of a serpent in place of head suggesting a deep connection with the serpent power and its culmination in the Sahasrara Chakra.

Ketu is the planet of extremes, it gives a ruthless temperament like that of Hitler or the philanthropic virtues like that of Mother Teresa, depending on whether it is working in a lower level or higher level. Similarly, it makes a person highly indulgent or totally aloof and austere.

Ketu is the veiling power of the mind, it prevents us from seeing the reality, but the same Ketu also shows us that all knowledge is a veil to the reality and exhorts us to unlearn everything to reach the state of self realization.

It represents the samskaras which we bring from our past, the traits we are good at and the pool of knowledge which we have mastered in our past births. In combination with Rahu it creates a perfect balance prompting us to achieve mastery over ourselves by using the past traits in a constructive way to achieve our objectives in this birth represented by the futuristic Rahu. Rahu is the force that tries to make us outgrow our roots while Ketu makes us hold on to them. The balance is struck when one imbibes all the positives from one’s roots and utilizes them for the betterment of the individual.

Ketu stands for confinement and austerities which a yogi undergoes to realize his true self. It is a planet of self negation. Under strong influence of ketu in a horoscope a person tends to take up professions like monks, nuns, nurses, philanthropists. Swami Vivekanada had his Ketu placed in the sixth house of Puritanism, opposition, criticism and ill health. He had to face all this because of his monkhood but the same Ketu gave him the indomitable strength to overcome all opposition.

Whichever house it is placed in a horoscope, it creates an element of doubt regarding that aspect of life. If it is placed in the first house of self, the individual will be low on morale and confidence or the individual can have a detached look towards life. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had Ketu in first house making him totally detached from worldly life.

 If placed in the tenth house of occupation, it gives a struggle in one’s career or makes him function in a higher plane of existence. Sri Ramakrishna Paramhamsa had Ketu in the tenth house which kept him totally away from all worldly ambitions. This is because Ketu suggests that this particular aspect of life has been explored time and again by the individual in the past. In the present incarnation he has to come out of this known frontiers and explore new vistas, represented by Rahu in this birth. In Ramakrishna’s case, Rahu in fourth house of faith and devotion made him an exemplary devotee of god in the annals of history.

 Unlike Rahu which prompts us to seek desires and makes us to take actions to fulfill them, Ketu makes us to negate our impulses and creates a doubt in us, in the fulfillment of the desires. This can be at times very painful, as we are thrown out of our zone of comfort, and made to wade through new and unexplored waters.

 Ketu can give power of intense concentration, deep perception and penetrating insight.

As it is the planet of past all the vocations involving past like historians, antique dealers, archaeologists, art restorers have strong Ketu influence. In the period of Ketu, an individual gets interested in esoteric pursuits. Ketu can also give strong intuition and knowledge of past births in its period. Many riddles of life hitherto difficult to understand are solved in this period.

Ketu in its darker side is very similar to Rahu. It is the cause of pestilence like plague and cholera. It is solely responsible for all incurable and mysterious diseases which cannot be diagnosed. It is a planet of violence and causes all the crimes in the society. All earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and catastrophes related to fire are believed to be caused due to the strong influence of Ketu.

Propitiating Lord Ganesha as mentioned earlier, is best remedy to alleviate the ill effects due to negative influences of Ketu. Basil (Tulsi) is the best herb to increase the positive qualities of Ketu. Coconut and Horse gram also increase positive Ketu energy.