Jyothish -Vedic Astrology-Intro
The purpose of life is to experience happiness. Unfortunately we undergo a cyclical periods of joyful moments and sufferings in life. Why and who makes this happen?.
It is the law of nature to have changing patterns of seasons. This is because change in Energy patterns happens in all forms of Energy (example Heat-Energy and Pressure-Energy) in nature. When Earth tilted angle is closer to sun, we experience more heat-energy (summer) and when less, we experience it as winter.
Energy is constantly being used (both in nature and in our life) to make changes and also needs to be refilled. When there is energy surplus, we experience it as joy and in deficiency, we experience it as suffering.
All the Energy, we use for creating a human body, maintaining it and transforming it, uses Universal or Cosmic Energy. Like the Government system, we have to pay tax for using the natural resources of Pancha Bhootas or the five elements (Earth, water, fire, air and space). The tax collector and auditing system office is the Saturn-Energy officer in the Cosmic government system of the 10 Planets as illustrated by Jyothish or Vedic strology.
No one is immune to this Cosmic tax whether it is the president of USA or a farmer in Asia or a bussinessman in Europe or scientist in Australia. This influence is felt by all atheist, or a religious Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, spiritual or a saint, equally. All are subjected to this universal cycles of changes and cosmic laws.
Jyothish or Vedic astrology uses mathematical calculations to calculate every individual's Energy level that has been Self-assigned in various aspects of life. This Energy balance sheet is the horoscope of an individual. These Energy levels are desginated as symbolic figures and to give a human connection represented as Saturn, Sun, Moon, etc. They are infact "Energy" beings in the higher dimension. .
The most Crucial difficult period is the tax collecting period of the saturn's seven and half period or Sade Sathi in one's life. Whatever we owe as unpaid tax-energy from the last financial year (previous birth(s)) is collected as Energy in this period. The loss of energy is felt as loss of health (physical, mental), wealth (bussiness, profession), relationship, name, fame, power, security, etc.
This auditing period occurs once in every 30 years of every human being (whether you beleive in astrology or not) for 7.5 years. So we will encounter 3 rounds of saturn period in our life time. Every segment of the 2.5 increases with its magnitude of effect (the last being generally very tough).
Other Saturn Periods: Saturn also does mini-auditing between these 30 years, called kandaka-shani and ashtama-shani (based on the aspect Saturn audits in the 4, 8th and 12th houses). Houses are like the department of a government system and the different attributes of life (Health, personality, wealth, relationships, profits, loses etc). Once in every 10 yrs, a 2.5 year period of saturnic watch on us also happens. These mini-auditing periods are less intense, but the severity is more when some one experiences both the mini and major auditing of life at the same time.
Lack of Sacrifical acts causes this effect. All these effects are encountered because we dont have enough sacrifices done in life to convert Energy to Luck or merit-Energy to spend it as prosperity in life. What we have not done as charity/donations/good will/gratitude/compassion/helpfullness/ will be forcibily done in this period or taken out as loss. We cannot restraint these sacrifical acts (duty) just to our family members and friends but to the whole community. Example a person sacrificing his life for a country is rewarded more than for saving his family member. So we have to do more for the community welfare than our own self or family welfare to be "Taxed" less by Saturn. If not, "Prosperity-Energy" will be forecibily taken and be forced to suffer (gain awareness) or forced to spend time and energy for doing rituals as a compensation (Pari-haaram). This is an Universal law which no one is tax-exempted from. (The Government laws for income tax and tax-exempt all reflect the same cosmic laws).
The rituals of Saturn are mis-understood or taken literally.
Feeding the crows means not just the physical act of feeding, but also the implied meaning also has to be done. Crow is symbol of intelligence (see these amazing research videos of crows intelligence). This means if we give more importance (feed) to our intelligent mind rather than our likes/dilikes emotional mind, we will have less saturnic malefic influence. In return how our intelligence reward us, Saturn rewards such noble acts.
Sesame oil lamp reflects having light of awareness of higher Self within us. See Selftual-Awareness for this symbolism. Not just lighting lamp be pleasing to Saturn, but also spend time and Self-reflect in the light of Awareness to get rid of Saturn's malefic influence.
Chantings reflect the positive qualities that are the qualities of our real-Self. This is the only way we can be reminded and make a distinction between our energy depleting Ego-Self and the sacrificial energy generating Divine-Self.
Our Ego prevents Sacrifical acts including-charity/donations/good will/gratitude/compassion/helpfullness/forgiveness/simplicity/truthfullness etc. Hence, ego is inflated in this saturn period to purify/transform itself.
Make sure we keep doing sacrifical acts all the time (not just at Saturnic period alone), so that not only this life time but also all the future life-times (till Moksha) to avoid a rough ride in Saturn period.
Blessings: In tax collecting period, tax officer returns the excess tax collected and also the tax exempted for donations done. Similarly not always for everyone saturn period need to be difficult. As tax returns, Saturn period also could be beneficial in getting Energy for fullfiling our material desires. In saturnic period, for some marriages do happen, children are born, bussiness do get started or one gets wealth that was not previously difficult. Suffering or blessing in saturn period all depends on our own acts in the past and in the present. Difficulties in Saturn period is not a punishment, but lessons to be self reflected for inner evolution.
Auditing: The objective of every auditing is to improve the quality of a system. This Saturn auditing in our life helps us to have inner evolution embracing everyone as our own Self. This is the highest quality (divinity or non-divisibility) one can attain in the end of life resulting in Moksha. It is our choice and free will how long we need to undergo this auditing to reach this highest quality of our life time.
How to avoid the intensity Sade Saathi?
Keep paying the taxes duly every month a certain percentage by donating as charity to someone who does work without distinction of caste, creed, age, sex, religion, nationality etc.
http://www.uni5.co/index.php/en/jyothish-vedic-astrology/jyothish-vedic-astrology-intro.html
click to read the mis-conceptions about Astrology as a superstion or pseudo-science.
Read this article on why some have luck and others dont have?
Suggested readings:
2. Remedies for saturn period.
3. Excellent Malayalam Astrology-Talk- Dr.Gopalakrishnan.
4. What is your sade sati status?
6. Other sites- reliable astrology
http://factmyth.com/western-classical-element-theory-as-a-metaphor/
இருமலும், சோகையும், ஈளையும், வெப்பும்
தருமம் செய்யாதவர் தம்பாலது ஆகும்
உருமிடி, நாகம், உரோணி, கழலை
தருமம் செய்வார் பக்கல் தாழகிலாவே
- திருமந்திரம் 263 263: All Ailments come to you , if you fail to do Charity -Thirumandiram
Cough and cold, Anaemia, asthma and colic pain--
Such the lot of those who nothing in charity give;
Snake and thunder, sore throat and fleshly ills,
Approach not them that others' needs relieve.
16 IN PRAISE OF THE CHARITABLE
251: The Charitable Realize the Self Who the self realise, seek and adore the Feet of the Lord; Who the self realise, most freely give in charity; Who the self realise, Lord of Tattvas become; Who the self realise, Kin to the Lord in dear amity.
252: Charity is Within Reach of All Easy to all to offer in worship a green leaf to the Lord, Easy to all to give a mouthful to the cow, Easy to all to give a handful, sitting down to eat, Easy to all, good, kind words on others to bestow.
253: Evils of Hoarding The food that feeds the needy--that alone true charity is; True men they who that simple truth do find; But they who hoard, like water in pool past access, To eat and gorge--to Charity's ways are they blind.
254: Give Charity When You Have Dirt driven away, with Wisdom you fill not your mind; In days of plenty, empty is your charity's exchequer; What avails it, though wide awake, if hell-fire spreads around, What avails it, then, if impoverished of heart you are?
255: Give Charity Here and Now Of yourself knowing little, caring naught for your good, Unmindful e'en of poverty of tender youth taking no care, Before Death's stern, relentless summons arrives, Let noble charities your redeeming goodness declare. 67
256: By Your Charities Lord Knows You To him who renounces, no kith or kin has he; To him condemned to beg, no true delights has he; To him who charityless is, the Lord denies His Presence; By the measure of thy charity done, the Lord is known to thee.
257: Charity Leads to Life Eternal Some in charity overflow; by such noble deeds done, Noble gods they become in human beings' high esteem; And the many who hold this fleshly body their dear God, To them comes Death, saying; "I, your God supreme."
258: Charity and Devotion Twin Escorts to Heaven Our life's boat across the foaming sea of Karma flies; Twin the pathways to dispel the labour and the strain; Glory giving tapas and charity the heavenly escorts, To us and our dear kin from life's battle vain.
259: Charity is Your Life's Prop Earthly desires to worldly objects attached, No end know; but in charity's noble way, E'en the little things you give, sure props provide; All the rest meekly take as the Lord's gift for the day
17 WAY OF THE UNCHARITABLE
260: The Hoarders are Sinners The ripened nux vomica falls profitless on ground; Such the barren wealth of those who charities deny; With usurious greed they bury deep their treasures, The hardened sinners, true fruit unknowing, thus live and die.
261: Life is Fleeting; Give While You Live The aeons pass, the unreturning ages go; The allotted span of life daily dwindles away; This irksome body, as if squeezed by some power unknown, 68 Perishes: seeing this yet, they learn not charity's way.
262: Give and Escape Hell Charity denying, they know not the Lord's Feet to praise, Nor enter they the precincts of the City of Siva's Grace; Their ears inclined to those who falsehoods preach, They stand to sin enslaved, condemned to hell's hot embrace.
263: All Ailments Assail, If in Charity You Fail Consumption and anaemia, asthma and colic pain-- Such the lot of those who nothing in charity give; Snake and thunder, sore throat and fleshly ills, Approach not them that others' needs relieve.
264: End is Nigh; Do not Deny The Lord adored by all the world, yet they praise not, To the needy poor, even the smallest bit ye deny, Nor'll ye tend the garden e'en with one potful of water; Will ye for ever stand in Hell? Ye whose end is nigh.
265: Loneliness Comes of Denial Unescorted, alone, the charity-less their last journey make, And miss their track; journeying thus, in birth-cycle caught They know not how the binding Karmas to dispel, And so slip and fall to be irretrievably lost.
266: Compassion Leads to God They, whose hearts melt in charity, see the Feet of the Lord, The steadfast of faith attain Swarga's might, But those sinful ones of charity befeft, helpless, forsaken, Engulfed in passions low, pass into eternal night.
267: Denial Leads to Misery Bliss and pain--these two woven into the web of life, Result from deeds of our own devising; The bliss of giving they knew, and yet the fools gave not, The shrivelled of heart, to charity unwise, its glory unknowing. 69
268: Denial Leads to Sinful State The Lord of blemishless glory, from death and birth immune, Permits none to enjoy bliss, unearned by worthy deed; Giving and gifting--of these always think; Deny and cause pain; You stand condemned to the Pasu state indeed.
269: Giving is Aiming True Seek not wealth that many reckon as life indeed, Nor waste your days on fools, of wisdom dark, But turn your feet to the eternal Home and praise the Lord, Then true bowman you prove, hitting straight the mark.
557: Further Ten Attributes of Niyama 132 Tapas, meditation, serenity, and holiness Charity, vows in Saiva Way and Siddhanta learning Sacrifice, Siva puja and thoughts pure --With these ten, the one in Niyama perfects his Ways
1820 Lord is Gracious Aimless I wandered, On me He planted His golden Feet, In purity He entered, and made me pure In charity He entered, and gave me the bliss of ambrosia What ho! this gracious act! In wonder limitless, I stand bedazed.
193: Give in Charity Now and Here Same the rice of life that in all body-pots boil; The Five are the fuel that feeds and kindles the burning Three, Gifts of rice in charity give, lest birth flame anew, The days missed of such deeds are for ever lost to Thee