Hari Aum.
There are two eclipses coming up in the next two weeks. On August 7 or 8 (depending on where you live), tomorrow, there will be a lunar eclipse. On August 21, there will be a solar eclipse.
Here is a link which gives the timings and other details regarding the eclipse:
https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2017-august-7
Significance of an eclipse - a spiritual and jyotish perspective
Eclipses are given great significance in spirituality and vedic astrology. In general this period is very good for spiritual activity, and very negative for material matters.
Sivananda writes in his book 'Japa yoga': "It should be borne in mind that japa done during the time of solar or lunar eclipse will produce a tremendous effect and hence this rare opportunity should not be missed by anybody, whenever it offers itself."
Elsewhere he writes: "Those who do Japa at the time of the eclipse derive great benefits. The effect of Japa and Sankirtan during the eclipse contributes towards relieving the suffering of humanity and also of the planets. These people receive the blessings of the gods. They attain perfection quickly."
Vedic astrology states that this period is highly inauspicious for material projects such as starting a new job, signing a contract, setting off on a journey, getting married, or any other 'worldly activity'.
This is because, during an eclipse, either the sun (soul) or the moon (mind) are afflicted by one of the shadowy planets 'Rahu' or 'Ketu'. This can cause lack of clarity in thinking, decision-making, and cause emotional disturbances.
Furthermore, the eclipses take place in a particular astrological sign. While an eclipse affects everyone to some extent or another, those people are maximally affected in whose lagna/ascendant or rasi/moon sign the eclipse takes place. On a personal level, these effects may not always be negative- it depends on the nature of the individual chart- but in general, some form of change or new event can be expected relating to the house in which the eclipse takes place.
The origin of the eclipse: A puranic legend
There is an interesting ancient Puranic legend related to how the eclipse originated. The story relates to Vishnu's second avatar as a tortoise (kurma). The devas (demi-gods such as the gods of fire, sun, wind, water, etc) were weakened and afflicted by the the asuras (demonic beings). They go to Vishnu and plead for help. Vishnu advises them to seek 'amrita' or divine nectar (this makes the body strong and invincible, but does not grant immortality in the form of spiritual liberation) by churning the milky ocean. He advises them to team up with the asuras who are also keen on acquiring the amrita, as considerable effort is required for the churning.
The devas and asuras then team up and churn the ocean, using mount Meru as the churning rod, the king of serpents Vasuki as the rope, and Vishnu Himself in the form of the tortoise as the support of the churning rod. They churn for a long while, and then to their alarm, a terrible poison emerges from the ocean. The poison threatens to engulf the whole of creation and destroy everything.
At this critical moment, hearing the distressed prayers of living beings, the compassionate Lord Shiva appears. He takes up the poison and swallows it, thus preventing it from harming anyone else. His divine consort, Parvati, is determined that the poison should not enter the body of Shiva, and so stays awake all-night pressing His throat with Her hands to stop the poison descending down. She is successful and the poison remains in Shiva's throat, staining His fair skin, blue. Thus Shiva came to be known as 'Neela-kantha', the blue-throated One. (This event is also said to have lead to the annual tradition of Maha-Shivaratri, when devotees stay awake all-night worshipping Lord Shiva in a variety of ways).
The relieved devas and asuras continue churning the ocean, and now, many wonders and treasures begin to emerge one by one. A divine wish-fulfilling cow, jewels, and even the Goddess Lakshmi. On seeing Lakshmi (appear this way in this Lila, or play of God), the devas and asuras eagerly try to win Her as their wife. However, Lakshmi (symbolising auspiciousness) is the eternal wife of Vishnu (symbolising Dharma, goodness), and She chooses Him alone as Her husband. (This also symbolises the eternal truth that good fortune and happiness follows those who adhere to goodness/dharma. Good fortune and goodness are wedded together. Where there is no goodness, there ultimately will be no fortune).
The intense churning continues, and finally, at long last, there appears the God of healing and ayurveda, Dhanwantari, holding in His hand a pot with the divine nectar amrita. Seeing this, the asuras grab the pot and run off with it in haste to have it all for themselves. The gods are dismayed but Vishnu tells them not to fight the asuras but to relax and watch the play. Vishnu then assumes the form of the enchanting Goddess 'Mohini', She who deludes.
Mohini walks up to the asuras (who are squabbling among themselves as to who should get to taste the nectar first), and seeing Her wondrous beauty, the asuras are stunned and lose their ability think clearly. Mohini then sweetly offers to distribute the amrita fairly between them, and the asuras eagerly agree, thinking it would be very nice to receive the nectar from the hands of this charming lady. She also manages to persuade them to agree to the devas being given a share of the amrita.
Mohini then requests the asuras and devas to stand in two rows facing each other. She then walks between the two rows, supposedly to give the divine nectar to both the demi-gods and the demons. However, She only gives the amrita to the demi-gods and not the demons. Most of the demons are too enchanted by Her appearance to notice what She is actually doing. However one demon, realises what is happening and quietly enters the row of the demi-gods, and stands between Surya (Sun god) and Chandra (Moon god) to receive the nectar.
This demon receives the nectar and has just drunk it, when the Sun and moon gods notice his presence and raise the alarm. They inform Lord Vishnu, who promptly releases His famous discus, the Sudarshan Chakra. The whirring Chakra cuts off the head of the demon, but as he had already drunk the nectar by then, his body is now 'immortal'.
The de-capitated head becomes a living being called 'Rahu'. And the headless body, becomes a living being, called 'Ketu'. These two parts of the demon, furious with the Sun and Moon gods for informing Vishnu and leading to the de-capitation, declare their enemity to these gods.
They swear that they will cause suffering to the Sun and Moon gods, and all living beings, periodically by the phenomenon known as the 'eclipse'. During an eclipse, either Rahu or Ketu, causes suffering to the Sun or the Moon god, according to this legend. Furthemore, as the human being is a microcosm of the macrocosm, the 'eclipse' of the Sun/Moon causes corresponding disturbance and upheaval within human beings (and also other living beings).
Thus ends the story of the eclipse.
This story is said to have an esoteric meaning. The devas and asuras are two forces within us, the forces of good and evil in our minds, which are ever doing battle. During an eclipse, the forces of evil try to overcome those of good, and therefore this time is especially conducive to spiritual practices which call upon the Supreme Being for protection and deliverance.
The churning of the ocean is also said by some to be a metaphor for meditation. When one 'churns' the mind or meditates, often the first thoughts that arise may be negative (anger, fear, and other suppressed emotions)- this represents the 'poison' in the story. But if one patiently continues one's efforts, later 'treasures' emerge from the ocean of the mind, such as peace, bliss, wisdom, virtue and feeling the presence of the divine. And finally, realisation of the immortal nature of one's being, 'amrita' is obtained.
World peace and the eclipse
As per the advice of my Guru Sivananda, I plan to take the opportunity of the eclipse tomorrow to do some extra sadhana. This will be for my own spiritual progress and also for the reduction of suffering on this planet and for world peace.
Eclipses are regarded as having a negative impact on global events generally. While the eclipse affects the entire Earth, those areas where the shadow of an eclipse falls are believed to be more affected. As always, it is important to remember that vedic astrology does not say that planets and their shadows are the cause of human problems. Astrology states that the planets merely indicate the good and bad karma that is to come. An eclipse is generally an indication of upcoming negative karma to be experienced.
With various people predicting a third world war in the near future (and the alarming negative attitudes of some world leaders and violent religious groups), it is vital that we all pray to God for peace. The saints say that prayers and mantras work, and frankly, I feel we don't exactly have any other better alternatives than to believe them and give it a try.
To accept that war and nuclear destruction is inevitable, and feel hopeless, is giving in to asuric negative thinking. A war may happen if God wills it, and then we will have to accept it. But until then, we must do our duty as per the saints, and pray, do japa, kirtan etc to our utmost ability to reduce the possibility of such a war.
There is already much suffering, particularly in some countries, on this planet. We already have a serious duty to pray for the relief of suffering of these people. Let us do this daily, and also take the opportunity of the upcoming eclipses to do some intense prayers for the welfare of all.
Om Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
May all beings be happy.
Hari Aum Tat Sat
There are two eclipses coming up in the next two weeks. On August 7 or 8 (depending on where you live), tomorrow, there will be a lunar eclipse. On August 21, there will be a solar eclipse.
Here is a link which gives the timings and other details regarding the eclipse:
https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2017-august-7
Significance of an eclipse - a spiritual and jyotish perspective
Eclipses are given great significance in spirituality and vedic astrology. In general this period is very good for spiritual activity, and very negative for material matters.
Sivananda writes in his book 'Japa yoga': "It should be borne in mind that japa done during the time of solar or lunar eclipse will produce a tremendous effect and hence this rare opportunity should not be missed by anybody, whenever it offers itself."
Elsewhere he writes: "Those who do Japa at the time of the eclipse derive great benefits. The effect of Japa and Sankirtan during the eclipse contributes towards relieving the suffering of humanity and also of the planets. These people receive the blessings of the gods. They attain perfection quickly."
Vedic astrology states that this period is highly inauspicious for material projects such as starting a new job, signing a contract, setting off on a journey, getting married, or any other 'worldly activity'.
This is because, during an eclipse, either the sun (soul) or the moon (mind) are afflicted by one of the shadowy planets 'Rahu' or 'Ketu'. This can cause lack of clarity in thinking, decision-making, and cause emotional disturbances.
Furthermore, the eclipses take place in a particular astrological sign. While an eclipse affects everyone to some extent or another, those people are maximally affected in whose lagna/ascendant or rasi/moon sign the eclipse takes place. On a personal level, these effects may not always be negative- it depends on the nature of the individual chart- but in general, some form of change or new event can be expected relating to the house in which the eclipse takes place.
The origin of the eclipse: A puranic legend
There is an interesting ancient Puranic legend related to how the eclipse originated. The story relates to Vishnu's second avatar as a tortoise (kurma). The devas (demi-gods such as the gods of fire, sun, wind, water, etc) were weakened and afflicted by the the asuras (demonic beings). They go to Vishnu and plead for help. Vishnu advises them to seek 'amrita' or divine nectar (this makes the body strong and invincible, but does not grant immortality in the form of spiritual liberation) by churning the milky ocean. He advises them to team up with the asuras who are also keen on acquiring the amrita, as considerable effort is required for the churning.
The devas and asuras then team up and churn the ocean, using mount Meru as the churning rod, the king of serpents Vasuki as the rope, and Vishnu Himself in the form of the tortoise as the support of the churning rod. They churn for a long while, and then to their alarm, a terrible poison emerges from the ocean. The poison threatens to engulf the whole of creation and destroy everything.
At this critical moment, hearing the distressed prayers of living beings, the compassionate Lord Shiva appears. He takes up the poison and swallows it, thus preventing it from harming anyone else. His divine consort, Parvati, is determined that the poison should not enter the body of Shiva, and so stays awake all-night pressing His throat with Her hands to stop the poison descending down. She is successful and the poison remains in Shiva's throat, staining His fair skin, blue. Thus Shiva came to be known as 'Neela-kantha', the blue-throated One. (This event is also said to have lead to the annual tradition of Maha-Shivaratri, when devotees stay awake all-night worshipping Lord Shiva in a variety of ways).
The relieved devas and asuras continue churning the ocean, and now, many wonders and treasures begin to emerge one by one. A divine wish-fulfilling cow, jewels, and even the Goddess Lakshmi. On seeing Lakshmi (appear this way in this Lila, or play of God), the devas and asuras eagerly try to win Her as their wife. However, Lakshmi (symbolising auspiciousness) is the eternal wife of Vishnu (symbolising Dharma, goodness), and She chooses Him alone as Her husband. (This also symbolises the eternal truth that good fortune and happiness follows those who adhere to goodness/dharma. Good fortune and goodness are wedded together. Where there is no goodness, there ultimately will be no fortune).
The intense churning continues, and finally, at long last, there appears the God of healing and ayurveda, Dhanwantari, holding in His hand a pot with the divine nectar amrita. Seeing this, the asuras grab the pot and run off with it in haste to have it all for themselves. The gods are dismayed but Vishnu tells them not to fight the asuras but to relax and watch the play. Vishnu then assumes the form of the enchanting Goddess 'Mohini', She who deludes.
Mohini walks up to the asuras (who are squabbling among themselves as to who should get to taste the nectar first), and seeing Her wondrous beauty, the asuras are stunned and lose their ability think clearly. Mohini then sweetly offers to distribute the amrita fairly between them, and the asuras eagerly agree, thinking it would be very nice to receive the nectar from the hands of this charming lady. She also manages to persuade them to agree to the devas being given a share of the amrita.
Mohini then requests the asuras and devas to stand in two rows facing each other. She then walks between the two rows, supposedly to give the divine nectar to both the demi-gods and the demons. However, She only gives the amrita to the demi-gods and not the demons. Most of the demons are too enchanted by Her appearance to notice what She is actually doing. However one demon, realises what is happening and quietly enters the row of the demi-gods, and stands between Surya (Sun god) and Chandra (Moon god) to receive the nectar.
This demon receives the nectar and has just drunk it, when the Sun and moon gods notice his presence and raise the alarm. They inform Lord Vishnu, who promptly releases His famous discus, the Sudarshan Chakra. The whirring Chakra cuts off the head of the demon, but as he had already drunk the nectar by then, his body is now 'immortal'.
The de-capitated head becomes a living being called 'Rahu'. And the headless body, becomes a living being, called 'Ketu'. These two parts of the demon, furious with the Sun and Moon gods for informing Vishnu and leading to the de-capitation, declare their enemity to these gods.
They swear that they will cause suffering to the Sun and Moon gods, and all living beings, periodically by the phenomenon known as the 'eclipse'. During an eclipse, either Rahu or Ketu, causes suffering to the Sun or the Moon god, according to this legend. Furthemore, as the human being is a microcosm of the macrocosm, the 'eclipse' of the Sun/Moon causes corresponding disturbance and upheaval within human beings (and also other living beings).
Thus ends the story of the eclipse.
This story is said to have an esoteric meaning. The devas and asuras are two forces within us, the forces of good and evil in our minds, which are ever doing battle. During an eclipse, the forces of evil try to overcome those of good, and therefore this time is especially conducive to spiritual practices which call upon the Supreme Being for protection and deliverance.
The churning of the ocean is also said by some to be a metaphor for meditation. When one 'churns' the mind or meditates, often the first thoughts that arise may be negative (anger, fear, and other suppressed emotions)- this represents the 'poison' in the story. But if one patiently continues one's efforts, later 'treasures' emerge from the ocean of the mind, such as peace, bliss, wisdom, virtue and feeling the presence of the divine. And finally, realisation of the immortal nature of one's being, 'amrita' is obtained.
World peace and the eclipse
As per the advice of my Guru Sivananda, I plan to take the opportunity of the eclipse tomorrow to do some extra sadhana. This will be for my own spiritual progress and also for the reduction of suffering on this planet and for world peace.
Eclipses are regarded as having a negative impact on global events generally. While the eclipse affects the entire Earth, those areas where the shadow of an eclipse falls are believed to be more affected. As always, it is important to remember that vedic astrology does not say that planets and their shadows are the cause of human problems. Astrology states that the planets merely indicate the good and bad karma that is to come. An eclipse is generally an indication of upcoming negative karma to be experienced.
With various people predicting a third world war in the near future (and the alarming negative attitudes of some world leaders and violent religious groups), it is vital that we all pray to God for peace. The saints say that prayers and mantras work, and frankly, I feel we don't exactly have any other better alternatives than to believe them and give it a try.
To accept that war and nuclear destruction is inevitable, and feel hopeless, is giving in to asuric negative thinking. A war may happen if God wills it, and then we will have to accept it. But until then, we must do our duty as per the saints, and pray, do japa, kirtan etc to our utmost ability to reduce the possibility of such a war.
There is already much suffering, particularly in some countries, on this planet. We already have a serious duty to pray for the relief of suffering of these people. Let us do this daily, and also take the opportunity of the upcoming eclipses to do some intense prayers for the welfare of all.
Om Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
May all beings be happy.
Hari Aum Tat Sat
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