RE: #2 Palana Devata-Ram

Shri Brahmadaru Smarami

Dear Ram,

No doubt one agrees with you and Lakshmi has already explained why we are looking into specifics; more so trying to 'see' the divine force astrologically, through the planets, in the chart. It is when a planet is severely afflicted and blemished beyond repair, that one turns to the goddess for her help, in removing such tamas. So a badly afflicted Venus would require Kamalatmika worship, a severely afflicted Mars, Bagala, Durga would protect a native from a very bad Rahu; and so on. Once a person overcomes such an affliction, he would have 'glimpsed' the mother by then, and the sadhana would presumably proceed towards gyana and eventually moksha marga.

Best Regards,

Sarbani

rama narayanan [sree88ganesha] Wednesday, December 28, 2005 8:50 PMsohamsa Subject: RE: Re: #2 Palana Devata-Lakshmi

SARVAM GYANANANDAMAYAMAUM GURUBYO NAMAHDear Sarbani & Lakshmi,Pranams. May i write a few lines!! Be it Satwa, Rajas, Tamas Mother is beyond these three. Rahu is not Durga but Durga Mata is kind enough to shrink herself to the level of a graha because you had invited her while you were in the grip of Rahu. The word graha indicates that you are in the clutches. How to get one out of the grip of a graha? Mother being karunya personified extends herself by manifesting before the heart soaked in Rahu and pulls one out. This is the case with all the grahas.When the child makes mischief mother takes up a scale just to stop the kid from making further trouble. The child may think that mother is ferocious(rajasic/tamasic)! It feels that it should not ask mother anything at that point of time and quickly obeys the command of Mother. After some time it places its request to mother which mother grants. Now the child thinks that Mother is so sweet!!The simplest form of Mantra is OM MATRE NAMAH. You may stand/sit before any Moorthy/vigraha and simply chant OM MATRE NAMAH.As regards Maha vidyas the very word vidya connote knowledge. This knowledge is not any attainment of some degree. It is complete transformation. The 4th from Atmakaraka in navamsa indicates Mahavidya. The 4th is infact the 64th navamsa which indicates the transformation factor. Of all the discovery it is the self discovery which is the best and of all the wealths knowledge is the best. Mahavidya aims at jeeva to be sensitive of being an amsa of the para and ultimately making the para to manifest.When it is a question of prayer both the eyes may be closed, but when it is question of knowledge then the third needs to be opened up is it not?!May Mother Bless.Warm regards.Astrologically & spiritually yours,p.s.ramanarayanan.Sarbani Sarkar <sarbani wrote:

Shri Brahmadaru Smarami

Dear Lakshmi,

Undoubtedly Durga is rajasik and hence would be associated with Bhu Shakti. That is why I mentioned in my mail to Freedom, that palana devata can be both be sri or bhu shakti. In your chart Rahu is conjoined your ishta planet Moon; so naturally it will spring to the mind that Durga is the nature of the deity. However, in practice you have always maintained that Lalita Tripurasundari is your ishta. Perhaps if you take ishta planet Moon back into the rashi chart where it is conjoined Saturn and Jupiter in Sagittarius lagna. Tripura is said to carry parampara shakti, and Jupiter is definitely strong in lagna in its own sign! And that very same Jupiter is your palana devata.

Thakur's ishta Surya is conjoined Moon and Mercury aspected by that brilliant Saturn. Did you know that he worshipped Ma as Shodasi on the day of Phalaharini Kali Puja? Guruji is apparently doing some 'wow' stuff on Thakur and Swamiji for the remedies workshop!

....and I am no authority! Thats just a false arudha.

Best Regards,

Sarbani

lakshmi ramesh [b_lakshmi_ramesh] Tuesday, December 27, 2005 5:12 PMsohamsa Subject: RE: Re: #2 Palana Devata

Om Gurave Namah

Dear Sarbani,

Sorry for jumping in, but the discussion is so very interesting, i just couldn't help it:--))

Ofcourse, Mother is all Love, but there are nuances and shades in the way she demonstrates it. She could cuddle and She could wallop too and she does both these things because She cares. Durga might be a softer version of Chamundi, but still I don't think you can call Her saattwik. She's more rajasik because She had manifested in response to the desire of the devas, in order to achieve a kshatriyan end. Infact, a couple of months ago I tried to do more Durga worship, because I keep seeing Her in dreams and since I am also running Rahu maha dasa, I thought i'd give it a try!! But, believe me, it had generated a very restless & uneasy feeling in me, so I had reverted to my earlier schedule. Do you think it happened because Jupiter and Sun are the key planets in my natal chart and I was indirectly strengthening Rahu, their arch enemy, through this worship? Perhaps Lalitha Tripura Sundari is more apt as my palana devata & ishta, because She corresponds to the Vishnu avatara of Vamana (Jupiter) who filled the Three worlds as Trivikrama.

In Thakur's chart, Saturn(his lagna lord) is just magnificent and so is Rahu, hence his worship of Mother in the form of Kali (Saturn)suited him perfectly and became a blessing for the world. So, probably it is the most powerful planet (s) and the overall tenor of the chart that influence the conscious/unconscious choice of the Devi Form.

Just my two cents because I hardly know any thing about Dasa Maha Vidyas and definitely would like to learn more from an authority like you.

Regards,

Lakshmi

Sarbani Sarkar <sarbani wrote:

Shri Brahmadaru Smarami

Dear Narasimha,

Namaste. Actually you penned my very thoughts! You wrote: This is the highest knowledge, because it enables moksha.To ask Mahavidyas for any material benefits is inappropriate. For that, one better worship other forms of the Mother. This is what I wanted to say but did not get around to it. Mahavidyas impart Brahmagyana. That is why they are called maha vidya. I find it quite amusing to see people trapped in exploring their base energies for relief from material and physical problems. What a waste of sadhana!

You are very right in pointing out that all forms of the Mahavidyas are not Nila shakti. Kamalatmika, Bhuvaneswari and Tripurasundari stand out as exceptions with Kamalatmika and Tripurasundari being embodiments of Sri shakti. Although the Mahavidyas as a group represent Nila shakti. In the Devi Bhagavat and other puranas where the inception of the mahavidyas are described, it is said that Gouri got extremely angry on Shiva as the latter prevented her from attending Daksha's infamous yagna. Shiva ran from her, however whichever corner he ran to, a terrible form of the devi appeared. He ran helter skelter to the ten dikas, running away from one fearsome devi form to another. The ten devi forms in the ten dikas are the Dasa Mahavidyas. So Kamalatmika and Tripurasundari also took fearsome forms although they are not ugra rupas; that is why perhaps we tend to make the mistake. I remember Sanjayji saying, "don't ever make the mistake that Kamalatmika is a sweet, lotus lady. She is the most difficult of them all."

What I meant by saumya forms for palana devatas are other forms of the devi. Because of the word palana being used, the discussion on the list has been on Sri Shakti. But Saraswati as we worship her (and not Nila Saraswati who is quite different and a Tara shakti) even Durga and Jagaddhatri can fit the bill along with Annapurna and Lakshmi. So we can say Durga but not Chamunda; Lakshmi but not Kamalatmika etc. Kali per se appears ugra; even Dakshina Kali. As I wrote in my earlier mail a Kali sadhaka who has Saturn/Moon/Venus as the palana devata can safely assume Kali to be his/her palana devata. He would be anyways perceiving her as Karunamayi, the All Compassionate One, who looks after him. After all She is that depending on how we perceive Her.

Best Regards,

Sarbani

Narasimha P.V.R. Rao [pvr] Monday, December 26, 2005 8:41 PMsohamsa Subject: Re: #2 Palana Devata

Namaste Sarbani and others,

My 2 cents on this. Please ignore if it doesn't make sense...

As I understand, not all Dasa maha vidyas are forms of Nila shakti. Also, it is not a question of saumya vs ugra. Dasa maha vidyas not only include Kali and Chhinna Masta, but Kamala and Bhuvaneswari too! Even within one Mahavidya, there are several manifestations that are different. For example, Bhadra Kaali and Smasaana Kaali are considerably different.

I do agree with the reservations you expressed about Dasa Mahavidyas being prescribed as palana devatas. As per my little understanding of the Mother, Maha vidyas impart the most supreme knowledge, as the name implies. She is the Chetas that causes motion in Chit. She is the reason for our independent existence (without Chetas, we would have just been Chit). She is the one who can give us the highest knowledge, i.e. knowledge of the relationship between Chit and Chetas, how Chetas manifests and works and how we can go back to the original state of Chit. Mahavidyas give a perfect understanding of the nature of Chetas. This is the highest knowledge, because it enables moksha.

To ask Mahavidyas for any material benefits is inappropriate. For that, one better worship other forms of the Mother. If you don't want to transcend Chetas, but want to be limited by it and want to manipulate it to apparently benefit your limited existence within it, there are other forms of Mother who can do that for you. Mahavidyas are relevant only when you want to transcend.

I hope more learned Devi bhaktas do not find my views too silly.

May Jupiter's light shine on us,

Narasimha

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sohamsa , "Sarbani Sarkar" <sarbani@s...> wrote:>> Shri Brahmadaru Smarami> > Dear Freedom and Sanjayp,> > Sanjay Prabhakaran has specifically given the Dasa Mahavidyas for the palana> devatas. To the best of my knowledge, whether westerner or Indian, beginner> or advanced, the Dasa Mahavidyas are to be prescribed only under very> special circumstances and only when the jyotishi is sure that the Mahavidya> will not be misused or misunderstood. Dasa Mahavidyas help in rescuing the> native from deep distress and mire, when all other avenues fail. I have been> taught in my initial classes, that Mahavidya is to be rarely prescribed. Of> course, I see a different trend nowadays. Palana devata will naturally be> not one of the Mahavidyas, but a saumya rupa of the devi. Saumya may include> either Sri or Bhu shakti. On the other hand, if you meet a native who has> been a Kali sadhak for centuries, and his palana devata indicates Saturn or> Saturn/Moon associations, then one would obviously prescribe Kali as the> palana devata for such a native. Such a sadhaka would anyways not perceive> Kali as a nila shakti but as the All Compassionate Mother. > > So I think we look at saumya rupas whenever prescribing Devi mantras, unless> there are other indications or necessities in the chart. Palana devata> deities therefore can not only be forms of Lakshmi, but Saraswati, Durga,> Annapurna, Jagaddhatri etc.> > Best regards,> > Sarbani> > > > freedom [freedom@s...] > Sunday, December 25, 2005 3:22 AM> sohamsa > RE: Re: #2 Palana Devata> > Hare Rama Krsna> > So the Form of the Palana Devatta is of a Devi, but isn't still best to use> a Sri Shakti rupa? > > To teach beginner or intermediate students to give a nila shakti form for> Palana Devata based on Navamsa when they don't understand the full> implication that nila shakti rupas have in the Rasi can be dangerous. Most> people associate the graha shaktis only with the kali rupas. Even Sanjay> Prabhakaran's list did not clearly separate them all. > > In the end, any form of the Mother will sustain us, and it doesn’t matter> too much as long as we call out to Her, but we are jyotishis who are> supposed to understand the devas. To the normal westerner who perceives the> most famous Indian devatta and the most obscure in relatively the same way,> isn't better to take them to the most sattvic form (for a sustaining> purpose). To tell them to worship Gaja Laksmi instead of Tara for Palana> devatta purposes would be the safest method of worshipping the Devi. Unless> that nila shakti also had a beneficial role in the rasi, which takes much> more understanding than simple calculation of placement from an divisional> charakaraka. > > Namah Sivaya> > > Sanjay Rath [guruji@s...]> Saturday, December 24, 2005 5:34 AM> sohamsa > RE: Re: #2 Palana Devata> > ~~ om sadâúiva gurave namah ~~> Dear Swee, Narasimha, Freedom and 'Adhyaayin' (is that your name? Please> correct me)> > It all depends on the level or view point. Freedom is right but Narasimha is> more correct. Palana at the physical world level has to do with food and> nurturing and this is the bhoga which we get due to the *naivedyam* offered> to the Palana devatä. Naivedyam is associated with Jala tattva, so it has to> be a DEVI form and the Palana devatä is a devi form. > > Freedom, in your chart, Satrun and Rähu are in the 9th house from your> Karakamsa and hence they also represent your Dharma Devatä. So in your chart> the dharma devatä and Palana devatä are having the same indications, and> hence I advised you to worship the dharma devatä Who will also act as the> Palana devatä.> > From the Guna devatä viewpoint, Vishnu is the sustainer and is the palana> devatä but then this is for the Atma and not for the Amatya...which is more> mundane or worldly life. So Narasimha's learning is more correct as he has> advised on the basis of Tattva devatä and Jala tattva is the giver of> naivedyam and bhoga for Palana devatä....Devi.> > With best wishes & warm regards,> Yours truly> Sanjay Rath> > Webpages: http://srath.com http://.org http://sjcerc.com Atri> SJC: 15B Gangaram Hospital Road, New Delhi 110060, India> Phone: +91.11.25717162> -

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