Jyotish Sadhana (1)

om gurave namah BAVA Conference, 2006

Copyright Pt.Sanjay Rath, 2006 1

Jyotiña Sädhanä

Sanjay RathFriday 30 March 2006, 2.45 – 4.00 pm

British Association of Vedic Astrology



The Veda• All Vedic literature is divided into two categories- the

sruti (heard) and the smriti (remembered). • Veda is from ‘vid’ meaning to know and symbolizes

perfect knowledge. • The four Vedas including the Åk, Yajur, Sama and

Atharva are the sruti and were originally ‘heard by the Mahäåñi or Vedic seers’, perhaps during meditation from the mouth of Brahma.

• This was originally only one book. With the passage of time, the quality of the human mind deteriorated and so did the longevity of man as the Yuga changed from Satya to Dväpara, Treta and finally Kali. The maximum longevity also declined from 1000 to 500, 250 and finally 125 years during these four Yuga.

• Incompetent and unable to process the vast knowledge of the Veda, they were divided into three parts called Åk, Yajur and Sama Veda and later into four including the Atharva Veda at the start of Kali Yuga.

Just before the advent of Kali Yuga, the Brahmaëas realized that the knowledge could undergo destruction or corruption due to complete deterioration of the human intelligence and it was necessary to have the Vedas recorded. The best among them was normally accepted as the Veda Vyäsa and given the task of dividing the Veda into books and this time around, Kåñëa Dvaipäyana the son of Mahäåñi Paräçara and great grandson of Vasiñöha, was chosen as the Veda Vyäsa who added the fourth Veda called the Atharva Veda. This Veda included large portions of Ayurveda and such other branches of learning.



Sruti & smriti• The Veda is a sruti and there can be various commentaries

on it based on the way it is interpreted by each human mind.

• Every being that tries to understand the Veda shall be using the six limbs or vedäïga and is limited by the extent it is trained in these vedäïga and shall also bring in the limitations of its own existence in the body.

• There can be no translation as every translator will be grossly limited by his understanding of the vedäïga and ability or skill in using them as well as suffer language problems as none of the languages can match the perfection of Sanskrit.

• The smriti includes the Upaniñad, Epics, Puräëa etc. These were remembered as the teachings of the seers and form a crucial part of understanding aids for the Vedas. Unlike the sruti which have to be heard and felt, the smriti have to be read and understood to obtain the blessings of the knowledge they contain.

A lady who heard the Måtyunjaya mantra (Åk Veda VII maëòala) repeatedly recovered from Cancer to live for four more years when the doctors had given her a maximum of one month! She never heard of the Veda nor was ever exposed to any Vedic learning prior to this. The sruti have to be heard and once they are heard, they will have a transforming effect of the one who hears – even if it is an animal. How can we hear the Veda if we do not recite them or play recorded versions? Silent recitations are meaningful if they are still being heard by the mind that is fully focused on them and is not straying. Of course, understanding of the Vedas will come when we get an understanding of the smriti literature and are sufficiently adept with perfect vedäïga.



Mind and faculties (indriya)• All knowledge and experience is the result of perception

by the organs and senses called indriyas (faculty) which are ten in number.

• The mana (mind) is the field on which the indriyas work causing perceptions that becomes a vital input for learning.

• Memory of stimuli or perceptions is the language of knowledge.

• The faculties (indriya) are divided into two groups of motor faculty (karmendriya) and sensory faculty (jïänendriya).

Karmendriya /Jïänendriya TattvaMotor Faculty /Sensory FacultySpeaking Hear Äkäça Sky Vacuum (magnetic field)Grasping Touch Väyu Air Gaseous stateWalking See Agni Fire Energy (all forms)Ejaculate Taste Jala Water Liquid stateEvacuate Smell Påthvé Earth Solid state

Vedäïga Manifested Body partÇikñä phonetics & phonology NoseChandas meter MouthVyäkaraëa grammar Feet/faceNirukta etymology EarJyotiña astrology & astronomy EyeKalpa ritual Head/hands



Vedäïga jyotiña• Vedäïga are the six limbs or body parts of the Veda. • Just as the vowels are the most basic elements of all

sounds and without which the other alphabets cannot exist independently, so also the body is most useless if without the sensory organs (indriyas) and the mind (mana).

• Similarly, the knowledge of the Veda is incomprehensible without the vedäïga or special sensory limbs of the Vedas that aid its complete understanding.

• The extent to which each of these six faculties is developed in the individual will determine this understanding and perception of the Veda.

Vedäïga Translation Body partSenseÇikñä phonetics Ear HearChanda meter Mouth TasteVyäkaraëa grammar Feet TouchNirukta etymology Nose SmellJyotiña astrology Eye SightKalpa ritual Head Think

Vedäëga Jyotiña is the eye of the Veda and would rank second only to Kalpa (the head of the Veda symbolizing the Mind). Any attempt to study the Veda without the Vedic eye or Jyotiña would be akin to the ‘five blind men trying to define the elephant!’The scope of Jyotiña should be learnt and understood from standard texts and our lectures including the three wings of Gaëita (Mathematics), Horä Çästra (Astrology) and Saàhita (Allied subjects), before undertaking the study of this vast subject.



Jyotiña Sädhanä

• Sädhanä refers to any action, object, path or knowledge that is leading straight to a goal, furthering goals or objectives (including all spiritual or material goals).

• Jyotiña is a vedäïga and the most vital ‘eye of the Vedas’. It is that knowledge that leads to the ultimate spiritual goal and which bridges the great divide between the material and spiritual worlds.

• As a sädhanä, Jyotiña has the objective of mastering the knowledge associated with the ordering of the sapta loka (seven worlds) and sapta tala (seven netherworlds) including understanding of the quality of time through its five limbs (païcäëga), the graha and upagraha (planets), stars, precession etc. and their effect on life of the individual or group (lagna) and karma (tenth house – the throne).

This is no simple task and among the six vedäïga, this is the most difficult to master and is figuratively called the ocean of knowledge. Even the ‘most learned’vedänta scholars sometimes look for an escape route when it comes to jyotiña - be aware that there is no escape from learning and knowledge. You can either restart now or defer it to another incarnation.The objective of jyotiña sädhanä is to develop that supreme ability of sight in the individual that he can see God - both in the complete manifested physical universe as well as the spiritual worlds, and perhaps even beyond. Jyotiña provides the tools and means to open the third eye that enables this comprehensive sight. Such a person rises to the level of a Vedic seer and becomes a ‘trikälajïa.’ Every Vedic seer, be he Paräsara, Atri, Vasiñöha or any other seer, had comprehensive knowledge of each of the vedäïga including jyotiña. This task seems impossible for one lifetime and that is because of its present stage of disorganization where we have considerable confusion about (1) its scientific roots, (2) philosophy, (3) definitions, nomenclature, methodology, (4) and lack of global coordination. A lot of work has already been done and is continuing with the hope that the future generations will get enlightened.



The Three Eyes

• The three eyes available to every person are the right eye ruled by the Sun, the left eye ruled by the Moon, and the third eye ruled by Lagna (Jupiter /Agni devatä).

• Females have the left ruled by the Sun and right ruled by Moon instead due to reversed count.

• The objective of any Jyotiña sädhanä or spiritual practice would be to ‘open the three eyes’ to perfect vision and be able to see beyond the limits of the seven colors of the rainbow which is symbolized by the ‘sight of the seven planets – Sun to Saturn’.

Èy<bŠ< yjamhe sugiNx< puòIvxRnm!,%vaRékimv bNdnam! m&TyaemaeR]Iy mam&tat!.tryambakkaà yajämahe sugandhià puñöévardhanam|urvärukamiva bandanäm måtyormokñéya mämåtät||

The right eye (Sun) leads to sustenance, prosperity, good health, protection of body etc, while the left eye (Moon) leads to longevity, emotional stability, love for all, social success, family and friendship ties and everything that the individual needs. The third eye is situated between the eyebrows on the forehead and is vertically upwards (unlike the other two eyes which are horizontally placed on the face). It is created from the last two Sanskrit syllables ‘ha’ and ‘kña’ which represent Çiva[1]. While the two physical eyes manifest physically, the third eye does not manifest physically as it is the ‘thinking eye’ and is that with which the mind sees things using the intelligence. The three eyes merge into the pineal gland which is at the center of the brain and regulate all activity of the animal. The Åk Veda speaks of the three eyes in the highest prayer to Lord Çiva by Mahäåñi Vañiñöha called the Måtyunjaya mantra. Paräçara extols the use of this mantra in the Båhat Paräçara Horä Çästra and this is supported by even relatively recent works like Praçna Märga. By worshipping the ätmaliëga with the Måtyunjaya mantra, we can overcome even the hardest karma that causes terrible suffering by clouding the vision that leads to economic prosperity (Sun), social success and health (Moon) and supreme knowledge (Lagna/Jupiter).

[1] The beginning akñara ‘a’ in Acyutädi varga and ‘ka’ in Kaöapayädi varga represents Brahma, the creative aspect of God; the middle akñara represents Viñëu the sustainer and the last akñara ‘ha’ and ‘kña’ represent Çiva the dissolver or destroyer.



The Path

Mantra japa: Constant repetition of a mantra while concentrating or meditating on the deity (mantra devatä) is called japa. There are two types of mantra japa -Upäàsu japa – mantra is repeated in a low voice by moving tongue and lips so that the practitioner alone can hear it. This is recommended initially so that the practitioner gets the feel of the mantra and energizes the atmosphere in the room where he is to chant.Mänasa japa – mantra is repeated silently in the mind without producing any sound so that none excepting his mind hears it. This is recommended for the spiritual sädhanä.



Sädhanä RequirementsThe texts say…1. Only a Brahmin should

study Jyotish2. Has mastery of the subject

+ mathematics including 10 types of planetary motions, 5 siddhanta, various Horä like BPHS or Garga etc.

3. Is very truthful…4. Well versed in mantras,

Veda, tantra5. Ability for logical analysis

and inference, brilliant6. Leads a pious life, is

spiritual and god-fearing7. Initiation into Siddhi

mantra

We understand this as…1. Gäyatri mantra initiation

and regular recitation2. Worship Gaëeça {Gaja

mukha} or any Vedamürti –Nandi {Go-mukha}Åk Veda; Ajaikapāda {Aja mukha}; Hayagriva {Haya mukha}; Hanuman {Hanu mukha}.

3. Perform Satya vrata or worship Iñöa devatä Viñëu

4. Blessings of the Iñöa Devé5. Yes. Brilliant like Sürya6. Grace of Çiva – control ‘3D’:

Dama, Däna, Dayä i.e. self control, donation and mercy {for suffering not sufferer}

7. Guru’s kindness



The seven steps

1. tat saviturvareëyaà bhargo devasya dhémahi| dhiyo yo naù pracodayät|| Gayatri: Visvamitra: RV 3|62|10

2. om lakñaläbhayutäya siddhibuddhisahitäyagaëapataye namaù|| Gaëeça: Çiva Puräëa

3. om namo bhagavate väsudeväya| Viñëu: Viñëu Puräëa, Bhagavat Puräëa

4. pävakä naù sarasvaté väjebhirväjinévaté | yajïaàvañöu dhiyävasuù || Sarasvaté: RV

5. hrauà| jyotirmantra vija6. om namaù çiväya| Çiva païcäkñari or jyotirliëga

mantra7. hare räma kåñëa| Any mantra given by guru or any

Dakñiëämürti, Dattätreya, Sadäçiva, Båhaspati mantra.

Documents

Jyotish Sadhana (1)