Hari Aum.
Vedic astrology is known as 'Jyotisha' in Sanskrit. Jyotisha literally means divine light ('jyoti' means light and 'isha' means God). Jyotisha is said to be a helpful aid for human beings going through the various ups and downs of life on this planet.
The law of karma is the basis of jyotish. As we sow, so shall we reap, says this law. It is said that we have all been through numerous lifetimes and undergone many experiences. We may not remember all of these with our conscious minds, but the memories are believed to be stored deep within our unconscious/subconscious layers. All our karmas are said to be stored within an aspect of our being known as the 'causal body'. A portion of the karma stored in the causal body is set aside to be experienced by us in a particular lifetime. It is this portion of karma which is seen in the Vedic astrology chart (we are believed to have been born at the exact time when the sky above reflects our karma for that lifetime).
Nine celestial entities are said to point out our karma to us (in the form of our Vedic astrology horosope). If we know how to decipher their message (i.e. we have knowledge of Jyotisha), we can have an idea of the probable good and bad times in our lives. We can also learn how to manage our karma well and ideally, how to transcend it (this is the path of spiritual practice which enables us to discover our true eternally-free nature beyond all bonds of karma).
These nine celestial bodies include the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and two mysterious shadowy entities (astronomically these are the two points where the orbits of the Earth and Moon intersect). The shadowy entities are called the North and South nodes of the Moon in astronomy. In Jyotisha these are respectively known as Rahu and Ketu. For the sake of simplicity, I will use the commonly used term 'planets' to describe these nine (though they are not all planets of course).
These nine planets are called 'grahas' in Sanskrit. 'Graha' means that which grasps, which seizes. What do they grasp or seize? The answer is our mind, our consciousness. The nine grahas or planets take turns in giving us the results of our karmas. At any point of time in our life, two of them in particular are dominant i.e. we will exprerience our karmas related mainly to what they indicate in our chart. Depending on the placement of these two planets in our vedic astrology chart, they may represent good, bad or mixed karmas.
The periods of time dominated by the planets Rahu and Ketu are well-known for giving us the experience of our most challenging karmas. One may have success, failure or a mixture of the two during their phases, but there will undoubtedly be challenges. These two planets are regarded as 'explosive' in nature, in the sense that they can cause sudden dramatic changes and difficulties in our lives. Needless to say, this can prove very difficult from a material perspective. From a spiritual perspective, this can be a period of great spiritual growth (if we approach the challenges the right way) but often through significant suffering.
So let us look a bit more closely at Rahu and Ketu and what they represent. These two planets have some significant similarities and some major differences. They are always placed in opposite zodiac signs in one's Vedic astrology chart.
Rahu, the North node of the moon, represents a number of things, mainly materialistic. It is the planet of desire; desire for wealth, for pleasure, for success, for name and fame. And no ordinary desire either--it represents great desire, some even say obsession. Now the extraordinary mental energy generated during Rahu periods of our lives can produce great worldly success.
For example, a scientist obsessed with solving a particular problem may work day and night to find a solution. Similarly a businessman with a desire to set up a successful business may find the intense energy of Rahu helpful in achieving this aim.
It all depends upon the position of Rahu in the chart; the third, sixth, tenth and eleventh houses which represent various material domains of life are said to be particularly good placements for this materialistic planet.
Now while fulfilling material desires may lead to worldly success and fame, these produce the reverse results in spiritual life. Spiritual obstacles are many; some spiritual teachers including Sivananda, say they can broadly be divided into three groups. The names of these in Sanskrit are are follows:
1. Kamini-- this literally means 'woman' but essentially represents physical desire as an obstacle for both men and women spiritual seekers.
2. Kanchana- this means gold which represents all forms of wealth and property.
3. Kirti- this means fame, being well-known; it represents the egoistic desire for recognition.
Battling with these three constitutes the major work of spiritual life when it comes to purification of the mind.
Unfortunately during Rahu periods, our desire for all three emerges to varying extents, based on our own past karma. As a result, we may find ourselves inexplicably drawn to kamini, kanchana and kirti, in defiance of all good sense and reason. Despite knowing that this is not at all good for our spiritual lives, we may find ourselves pulled in these directions. This can lead to a significant spiritual downfall. Both amongst materialistic and spiritual people, these three desires wreak havoc and produce much misery. There are numerous examples of this all around us.
Another special property associated with Rahu is the tendency to see right as wrong, and wrong as right. The tendency to be deluded, to create illusions and believe them emerges during Rahu periods. This poses a serious obstacle for the spiritual seeker as seeing things clearly as they really are, is a vital skill for progress on the spiritual path.
It is essential to recognise these challenges because we will all experience Rahu periods of time in our lives. It does not mean that these periods will be equally difficult for everyone (as this depends upon our individual karma). However, for the majority of people, whether material or spiritual, Rahu is said to generate very significant turmoil and trouble in life. The Rahu phases can also be quite long depending upon our chart; we may spend well over a decade or even two under a significant influence of karmas associated with this graha. That is a long time to be doing battle with such strong materialistic karmas.
How then can we handle the challenging intensity of Rahu? As spiritual seekers, how can we ensure that our lives are not destroyed by karmas propelling us towards the spiritually destructive triad of kamini, kanchana and kirti?
Before we discuss how to handle the energy of Rahu, let us have a look at Ketu, another graha capable of producing tremendous challenges in our lives. The South Node of the moon, Ketu, is in some way the diametric opposite of Rahu. Where Rahu creates material desire, Ketu creates disinterest towards worldly things and detachment.
These spiritual feelings of detachment may arise naturally from the subconscious mind in a person undergoing the karmic experiences associated with Ketu periods of time. Alternatively, during such periods, they may experience sudden, unexpected tragedies that produce intense grief; and in the aftermath of the grief, comes the feeling of detachment from the world. A feeling arises that the world cannot truly give us everlasting happiness and one needs to look for this within, in the domain of the spiritual world rather than the material. This deep understanding, this awakening, is vital for spiritual life as it leads one to embark upon the journey within and motivates one to keep going upon the spiritual path no matter what obstacles one may encounter along the way.
Ketu is therefore regarded as a vital planet representing our past helpful karmas for enlightenment. A good placement of Ketu in the chart is said to indicate good past karma for spiritual development, good potential in spiritual life. Ketu is a tough and brutal teacher. It teaches by deprivation, it removes wealth, people, pleasures and comforts from life. It strips away all attachments and leaves us feeling that we have no support in the world.
Through sudden shocks and traumatic events, Ketu gives us lessons in detachment and grants us valuable insights into the true nature of this ephemeral world. Ketu periods of life are often lesser in duration than that of Rahu, which is just as well because they can feel very intense and challenging.
So how can we handle our tough karmas represented by Rahu and Ketu? How shall we deal with the overwhelming material desires produced during Rahu periods and the shocks and trauma of Ketu phases? Without the right approach, we may see a trail of destruction and suffering in our lives.
The right approach in my view is to never rely solely on oneself. It is a huge mistake to trust the human mind, the seat of Maya (the power of illusion of Nature), filled with dualiaties (good and bad etc), that is ever-changing and famously ever-restless. The human intellect is also influenced heavily by our mind and ego and is often unable or unwilling to see things as they truly are. We are all prone to see and believe what we want to rather than what actually is.
What then is the correct approach to handle these difficult karmas in life? The answer is to seek the grace of God. This is literally the only thing that can protect a spiritual seeker all the way from their current stage of evolution, whatever that may be, until they attain liberation. This alone can ensure there is no spiritual downfall, no going astray from the path of dharma/righteousness. This alone preserves all that is noble within us and enables us to grow spiritually.
Only within the protective sphere of God's grace can a spiritual seeker hope to win the dreadful battle within oneself and survive all of the strife on this planet without becoming embittered and miserable. If we look around us, we may find that a number of people who have lived a few decades on this planet are gloomy, despairing, bitter and cynical.
They may have been through various difficult experiences during the course of their lives and it has not improved their nature or made them happy. They have been changed, and not for the better. In the twilight years of their lives, they find no peace and happiness in life; only regrets and restlessness. A sad fate indeed. How shall we avoid a similar unfortunate fate?
The grace of God helps us to handle challenges in life as gracefully as possible. Nobody enjoys suffering and challenges but, if they are going to come our way (and they very likely will, though the extent may slightly differ), we might as well learn to handle them with as much presence of mind as possible.
That presence of mind, that graceful acceptance of whatever has come our way, that willingness to embrace life as it is, and adhere to the path of dharma (which leads to liberation) at all costs, that comes only by the grace of God. There is no other way.
Amidst all the trials and tribulations of human life, the grace of God is the one beautiful thing. It manifests in our lives as everything we have been given, both materially and spiritually. It assures us that we will not fall even in the most terrible times. We may despair at ourselves, but the grace of God will not withdraw from us, no matter how dreadful we may feel we are, no matter how terribly the world treats us. In the midst of pandemics and wars, faced with climate change and all manner of calamities, the grace of God remains with us. We only have to want it to be able to access it.
To open ourselves up to receive the grace of God, we need to make a little effort. The sun shines upon us all equally, but if we shut ourselves up indoors, we cannot benefit from it. We need to open the door and go outside to bask in the sunshine. The same applies to the light of God's grace. The opening the door involves doing some regular spiritual practice according to one's own taste and ability.
One spiritual practice that is particularly effective in ensuring that the infamous ego (our most dangerous enemy in spiritual life) is kept under control is the practice of the name or mantra of God. Why? Because the name or mantra is God Himself. And contact with God by reciting His/Her names gradually transforms us. It does not happen overnight, but it does happen, slowly and surely, steadily, like a plant grows in the sun, or like a flower gradually blooms. The transformation is inevitable, and it can be helped or hastened by us trying our level best to live an ethical life.
An ethical life, from a yogic perspective, involves committing especially to the three great practices of ahimsa (non-violence), truthfulness (in thought, word and deed as far as possible) and brahmacharya (attempting to control the unruly senses). One may not be perfect at practicing these, but one does need to sincerely try and keep at it.
If we have a favourite mantra or name of God, then daily recitation of these will reduce the impact of our karmas, including the intense ones related to Rahu and Ketu. It is said that the practice of mantra japa helps to destroy all negative karmas, creates new positive spiritual tendencies in the mind and takes one rapidly towards the experience of spiritual liberation.
Feeling that one is dependent upon God, a servant of God, can also help to experience the grace of God. In yoga philosophy, the ahamkara (I-sense or ego, the sense of feeling separate from others, and often wanting to be superior to others) is a core obstacle in experiencing the grace of God.
There is a mantra recited in the Sivananda yoga centres all over the world, that helps to bring down the self-destructive, egoistic feeling-- it is a variation of the ashtakshara of Narayana and goes like this:
Om Namo Narayanaya, Dasoham tava Keshava.
This means:
Om salutations to Narayana, I am your servant Keshava.
(Note- Keshava is a name of Krishna)
The word 'servant' can have negative connotations in worldly life as it is often associated with things like being forced to undertake unpleasant or lowly work, exploitation, poverty and material suffering.
However in spiritual life, a servant of God has a very different connoation. A servant of God, one who serves God, is a fortunate and blessed person. Such a person receives the grace and protection of God and experiences the peace and bliss of God.
So, to say 'Dasoham tava Keshava' is essentially saying, 'Please make me Your servant, O God, as I wish to serve you'. It creates a feeling of humility, a vital quality that is needed to experience the grace of God.
Speaking of the power of humility in drawing the grace of God, I would like to conclude by narrating a story highlighting this from the famous spiritual epic, the Mahabharata.
The scene is the battlefield of Kurukshetra. The five Pandava princes and their army face their cousins, the Kauravas and their much larger army. The Pandavas have sincerely tried to adhere to dharma throughout their lives. The Kauravas are committed to the path of adharma/unrighteousness (they erroneously dismiss dharma as unimportant and as secondary to fulfilling their numerous material desires).
Ashwatthama, an important member of the Kaurava army, is one of the warriors who knows great mantras of war. Some mantras are said to be associated with weapons (and can even summon divine weapons). Such mantras are like a knife; they can be used for good or evil (much like a knife-- which can be used to heal when held by a surgeon, or to kill when wielded by a murderer).
A crucial stage is reached in the war, when Ashwatthama decides to summon a powerful weapon belonging to the Supreme Being Narayana Himself. This weapon is known as the 'Narayana astra' (astra means weapon in Sanskrit). Nothing can defeat this weapon, the mantra of which was taught to Ashwatthama by his father, Drona, the great warrior-guru (not spiritual Guru) of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. In triumph, feeling sure that the battle will now be over, he invokes this tremendous weapon, that is permitted for use only once by any warrior.
Upon being called by Ashwatthama, the Narayana astra weapon appears, blazing with terrific heat, light and power. It then advances rapidly towards the Pandavas and their army to fulfil the purpose for which it was summoned i.e their complete annihilation.
At this critical moment, Krishna comes to the rescue. He is an avatar of Narayana Himself and therefore knows the secret of disabling His own weapon. That secret is complete humility and surrender before the weapon. The Narayana astra would grow more terrible and destructive when faced with arrogant opposition.
Krishna therefore immediately commands all the five Pandava brothers and their army to instantly lay down all weapons and surrender to the mighty weapon that is advancing upon them. Trusting Him completely, they all quickly obey.
Well, nearly everyone obeys; the only exception is the hot-headed (but well-meaning) Pandava Prince Bhima. He regarded himself as being a very strong warrior who would never surrender before anyone or anything, including even a divine weapon! He felt it was unethical for a true warrior to ever surrender and refused to obey Krishna. This was not a good move.
When the entire Pandava army lays down their arms in humility before the divine weapon, the Narayana astra moves away from them leaving them completely unhurt. However, to the horror of the Pandavas, they see Bhima roaring with anger and determined to fight the weapon. As he does so, the weapon blazes even more brightly and advances upon and engulfs him. He is about to be destroyed when Krishna and Arjuna rush to his rescue; they forcibly take away his weapons and compel him to surrender for his own safety! He finally sees sense and agrees. Thus he too is saved from the wrath of the weapon.
Ashwatthama is greatly disappointed at the pacification of the Narayana astra. Meanwhile, the Pandavas rejoice having been saved from destruction due to their implicit trust and obedience to Krishna and His grace. The battle continues and is bloody and brutal, but at every step, the Pandavas follow the same strategy-- intelligent and valiant fighting guided at all times by the core principle of humility and serving the Divine. Needless to say, despite the war being absolutely terrible with losses on both sides, the Pandavas are victorious and dharma is restored in the kingdom.
So there you have it. An example of the power of humility, of surrender. Humility is often seen as a sign of weakness in the modern world, but it is not so according to the yogis. It involves giving up of the ego, the key obstacle that stands between the soul and God. As a result, it enables one to attain closeness to God, to experience one's true immortal nature as being a part of God. It is therefore perhaps the most powerful tool for spiritual advancement.
Let us therefore say with all humility, as the yogis advise:
Om Namo Narayanaya, dasoham tava Keshava.
Om Namo Narayanaya, dasoham tava Keshava.
Om Namo Narayanaya, dasoham tava Keshava.
May Krishna, Narayana, bless us all with humility so that we may emerge victorious over all our challenging karmas, and that we may thus scale the spiritual heights in this very lifetime.
Hari Aum Tat Sat.
