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It is the soul, not the sperm which is born!! In accordance with the kind of prarabhda karma that it has to undergo, the soul chooses the time, place and the parents and the precise genetic mapping. These details can be read in the Buddhist Lama, Lobsang Rampa's books, though they have not been exactly told so in Hindu scriptures. The way the basic amino acids combine in groups of 3 (the basic symbols for the three gunas?)and the way such sequencing results in major histo compatibility to make each individual distinct from the other perhaps are the methods at physical level the soul employs(?)to make its sojourn on earth as per the requirements.

Yes. I also think that the sages, even if they have known the future happenings of the person who sees the nadi readings, would not be for revealing it. May be partly revealed to that extent needed to help the person to go ahead. If everything is revealed, that would have an impact on the actions of the person, like a tough person becoming mellowed and a vice versa, thereby creating new actions which would influence the predictions so far made. There is story recorded by some astrologer of yore in which a person is doomed to die within a year and his friend predicted to gain a fortune. On knowing this prediction, the former became more charitable and god fearing thinking that his days are numbered. The latter became more careless, lazy and arrogant too thinking that anyway he is going to receive a fortune. One day just before the completion of the stipulated time, when they were walking in a forest, the second person who was to receive a fortune indeed spotted a bag of gold and was happy to have got it. As they proceeded, a bear charged towards them. The second one in a hurry to escape,accidentally dropped the bag of gold and climbed a tree. The former one was not too quick to rush but in an instinct he just fell on the ground and feigned dead. The bear neared him but was attracted by the bag od gold.It then picked it up and ran into the deep forest. The one who was predicted to die, had overcome it and the other who was predicted to get a fortune, got it but lost it. The two were too perplexed at the developments and went to see the same seer who predicted so. The seer had this to say. The kind of destiny for their cumulative karma was as predicted on that day they first came to see him. But their actions in the intervening period further influenced their cumulative karma in such a way that what they experienced after one year was again the result of cumulative karma until then. Destiny is like a see-saw that is in motion always. It only depends on what we are and what we do. It is as Lord Krishna says, 'karmani yeva adhikaarasthe'- we can influence only our actions. The result is not in our hands- its a cumulative one. This is also what William Blake reflects in Auguries of Innocence To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour. If we live as though only this moment is under our control and fashion our responses in a responsible way, future will be what we want it to be.

The information on Nile that you have given must be certainly taken up for further research in Puranas. Another interesting information was given by Kapil Sibal, the minister for S & T that the south eastern tip of Antartica where an Indian team of scientists is carrying out research has all features of rock morphology in such a way that there is every reason to conclude that this was very much an extension of western ghats in the western sector which is now filled with Arabian ocean. This and other findings such as the one on Nile, Meru, Mayas and even Sumeru in Sumathra are strong indicators that this land mass was one and peopeld by those who followed sanatana dharma. When land forms drifted apart, the culture continued however with modifications with successive generations and sometimes to such an extant, that the original sanatana dharma itself was lost at many palces.

According to scriptures I have quoted in my mail (Brahma sutra & Chandoghya upanishad), the soul is born the moment it enters the womb. That means the embryo is very much a life form and termination of it or usage of it for the purposes of research or genetic engineering, however noble they may be, amounts to killing or sishu-hasthi dosha. Though it has been clearly stated by these two pramanas that enjoyment for the fruits of previous action do not happen to the soul during its journey down to the womb, the same has not been said after it is born as an embryo. But we do have one clue to this question of whether the soul undergoes the enjoyment of its previous action in its foetal form from numerous passages in Rig veda and Ramanuja's philosophy (based on them)that the soul undergoes its enjoyment of paapa & punya in the dream state. Since the foetus is very much capable of having dreams, whatever it undergoes in that state must be the result of its karma. (This can be corroborated by numerous researches that have proved that the foetus does have a sense of survival even as early as a few days after formation.) Thus it can be deduced that the embryonic life form which is used for genetic or research purposes is undergoing the results of some kind of its prarabhdha karma. Ethically, therefore such research is not correct, thereby bringing out new set of karma for the one who does, who funds / encourages and those receive the benefit of such research. This is in tune with how the result of consuming non - vegetarian food is distributed among those who kill, who sell and who eat. This version may sound dogmatic, but this is how the Age of Kali spreads its tentacles.

Brahma Sutras speak about this and so also upanishads like Chandokya. The descent happens in 5 stages which are described as panchagni (5 agni). The soul while descending comes along with water (rain, the 1st agni–water is an agni in having the capacity to eat up agni), enters the earth (2nd agni) and then enters the food (in plants) such as rice and corn, herbs and trees, sesame and beans”. (Chan- V-X-6) (the 3rd agni). It then enters the man (the 4th agni) as the food he eats and rests in him for 2 months. While the descent in the initial stages is quick, by the time the soul enters the plant, ‘the escape is beset with more difficulties,’ (Chan). That is, the process is not reversible by the time the soul comes to this level. That is why no birth is accidental.The moment the soul enters the womb (5th agni), the body is born(Brahma sutras –3-1-27).The pramana we have as “Then the soul gets connected with him (the man at the 4th stage) who performs the act of generation” (Brahmasutras – 3-1-26) and“For whoever eats food and performs the act of generation (the soul ) becomes that thing” (Chan –V-X-6)are of tremendous help in understanding the question raised here. Till the time the soul enters the womb, it is only undergoing the process of being born. It is 'born' only when it enters the womb and takes a body, is the import of Brahma sutras and Chandhogya upanishad. Consistent with scriptural pramana, the man begets his own son or the man is born as his son (or daughter–the term here is common gender) whereby it is meant that the soul which until the previous stage was quick in its descent and not affected by the medium through which it traveled, gets ‘sysnthesised’ ( my own words for our understanding) or readied so that the moment it enters the ovum it gets a body depending on the residual karma it has. In this context I think it is relevant to muse over why Parashara, the famous father of Veda Vyasa should beget his son in a way that is unacceptable. If it is lack of knowledge of morals, then it is said that it can not be so. For he himself had not pardoned the manor woman in ‘illicit’ relationship in his smruthi. If it is lust, once again it can not be so. For, what appeal a fisherman’s daughter with ghastly smell onher body can have on a saint of supreme level? Moreover is it the right way for a person of Vyasa’s stature to be born? The only plausible answer can be that Parashara in his strength of tapas, could have ‘seen’ the entry of the soul of Vyasa in his body and all that he needed was a womb to enable it to get a body.The first one on his sight could have been Satyavathi and the rest is known to all of us. As one having sound knowledge of moral and ethical implications of the act of generation, he granted her the boons to make her a virgin as before.

I have not read or heard about Nile being described in puranas. Perhaps some description of some river around Mount Meru could have been there. But one interesting information is that a volcano by name Meru, which is oft mentioned as a mountain in the centre of the universe in Hindu texts and a river by name jumbhoo which is supposed to have originated from Meru, giving the place its name Jumbhoo dweepa, exists in Tanzania and a river by name Jumboo is descending from this volcano.This Meru is on the equator perhaps making it to be at the centre of this world! If by continental drift, this Meru got separated from the present Bharatha varsha, there is every possibility that the river Nile also must have been mentioned (by another name) in texts as somewhere near the legendary Meru. A good piece of work to do research on this subject is to study the Jumbhoo dweepa nirmana patalam of Shanthi parvam of Mahabharatha, wherein Sanjaya describes in many chapters the location and features of all land forms of this world in those days, which he saw through his newly acquired Door drushti. These chapters occur just before the commencement of Bhagavad Gita.

-----(from the mail)---------- 21. Personally, I am intrigued by the word MAYAN as well as by theories. Did they get the name from Hindus? The word Maya in Sanskrit means ILLUSION. The name of Lord Buddha's mother was MAYA -------------------------------- My opinion:- This term has been the core of Hindu philosophy. If one takes up the meaning as illusion, what one arrives at is Shankara's philosophy. If one looks at the other meaning, namely one who is very powerful, it becomes the core of Ramanauja's philosophy whereby it is interpreted that God created this world out of Maya, that is, great power. Many a tricky issue of Hindu philosophy can be satisfactorily explained, only if we take up this meaning.

----(from the mail)---- 19. Like Hindus, Mayans believe in a universe of infinite cycles of time. Mayans believe that our solar system is 7th of that kind. Hindus mythology talks about 7 heavens 7 hells and 7 earths. ------- My opinion:- I think the reference here is to the 7th cycle of Manvanthra and not 7 heavens etc. There is an opinion that sage Bhrigu migrated to far lands with his disciples and his followers became the fore-runners to Mayan civilisation. Along with him the knowledge of architecture and astronomy also travelled and became native to Mayans.The palace of wax mentioned in Mahabharatha, the Pushpaka vimana of Kubera which later came to be possession of Ravana and the land bridge across Sethu to reach Lanka were all built by luminaries of Mayan origin. It is therefore highly probable that knowledge of astronomy of Vedic people also got down with them. As such the present human system is guided by the 7th Manu, Vaivasvata, who is the son of Sun. The information about the next manvanthra perhaps throws more light on this. The next manvanthra is said to be the son of Sun and his wife Chaaya. Chaaya means shadow and there is every possibility ot believe that a shadowy binary of the sun might come very near or collide with the sun to produce a new world!

--- (from the mail)---- MAYAN THEORIES 18. Like Hindu astronomers Mayans computed the length of MAYAN CALENDAR ENDS on December 21, 2012 MAYAN CALENDAR ENDS on December 21, 2012 MAYAN CALENDAR ENDS on December 21, 2012 What will happen after that date? I for one believe that all the humanity will enter into a super consciousness after that day, when all of us think alike------entering into NIRVIKALPA SAMDHI ------------- MY OPINION:- From the articles on this date available on the net, I understand that this date marks the beginning of something creative and positive.This also happens to be the winter solstice aligning with the centre of our galaxy which is an yearly phenomenon. I would like to know if on 21-12-2012, it aligns exactly along with centre of galactic origin. In other words, I would like to know whether this day in 2012 coincides with vaikuntha Ekadasi, because on that day, the earth goes farther away from the centre of our Milky way galaxy (sagittarius) and is closer to the point of origin in outer space. If this happens to be Vaikuntah Ekadasi, then we must all definitely sit up and watch the night sky to fathom from where we (our galaxy evolved:-)) This is the implication of this date (of Mayan system) in our Hindu system. Perhaps in 2012, the alignment is exact. One interesting note on this winter solstice or more specifically the vaikuntha Ekadasi day is that some of the worst earthquakes have taken place around the Full moon day following the Vaikuntah Ekadasi. When most of planets closer to the earth have been part of this alignment and with our galactic centre (Sagittarius) coming in line with the centre of origin in outer space with earth, sun and the moon in between, the results have been disastrous, as happened recently which triggered off a tsunami in South East Asia. But in 2012, the 2 major planets namely saturn and Jupiter would not come anywhere near this alignment. That is perhaps why this period has been termed to be creative (not destructive) in Mayan system. Its like receiving a fresh air of fragrance from the seat of brahma deva, from the lotus in which he is seated.

The details about how Ravana got the Pushpaka Vimana is found in Sundhara khanda of Valmiki Ramayana.It was built by Vishwa karma and was in possession of Kubera, the step brother of Ravana. Ravana did a difficult penance appeasing Brahma deva to conquer Kubera and he did succeed in it and therefore came to possess the wealth of Kubera, a prized one among them being the Pushpaka vimana.

Research articles by David Frawley on the myth of Aryan invasion can be read at http://www.geocities.com/dipalsarvesh/aryan0.html. The antiquity of Vedic culture is discussed in 27 articles proving it to be indegenous and as mother of all civilisations of the world.

There are two types of texts, sruti and smruthi. The books of eternal truth such as Vedas and upanishads are knwon as sruti texts. The texts that have been created by mortals about the cultural issues are known as smruthi. Smruthi texts differ from time to time, i.e., in each yuga. Manu smrithi was written in Krutha yuga applicable only to that yuga. For the present Kali yuga, Parashara smruthi has been made as the rule book. (Parashara was the father of Ved vyaas). The rules of this book (for Kali yuga) are not too strict as Manu smrithi, particularly the verses pertaining to women. We must remember that Parashara himself sought a relationship with Satyawathi that could not be accepted by the moral values of our society, and Satyawathi as wife of Shantanu, was responsible for involving Ved vyasa, in begetting the three sons of Mahabharatha fame in methods not acceptable. This itself signals that rules for this yuga are defined on the basis of happenings that commonly occur in this yuga.Manu smruthi is studied for academic interest and to see how rules for mankind had changed with time. Kama suthra is not to be mixed or confused with these texts. It is an independant treatise and as has always happened, anyone desirous of writing a book on their topic of choice is free to write.And that is how it was written..

I have gone through many leaves of Nadi astrology and read many an interpretation by knowledgeable persons. And this is what I have observed. There is a pattern in all predictions, in that the past and the character personification of the person have been told almost precisely, but the same can not be told of the future. The writings seem to be the result of discussion between the sages and their disciples by taking up any particular point of time and proceeding with the probable planetary positions at that point of time. They further analyse the probable past and future and also the present happenings for the person. The nadis of certain rishis conatain the names of the person and his / her parents and even his / her spouse's name. But invariably none of them tell about the name of the spouse if the person is not married at the time of seeing the Nadi. There are many other NAdis which do not tell about the names of any, only a reference in the form of a puzzle is made. This is one area that researchers in astrology are puzzled about as the existing/ known rules of astrology only indicate the probabble names and not the exact names themselves. Perhaps, the rishis have done it in thier tri-kaala jyana. I have seen that in 9/10 cases the future that is predicted does not happen in toto. That which is predicted immediately after seeing the Nadi only seem to happen and here again only if the pariharas are done as stipulated. The Nadi readings in general about far future are vague and not specific. Only an outline is shown. I have come across instances when the person is led (or mis-led) in to doing something as per NAdi directions but end up in more misery, only to go to Nadi again to see the respective Khanda (chapter) to see for more detailed versions. More often than not, this chapter begins with discussion between the sage and the disciple about the non-happening of the issue in question and tells that the person would again approach for remedies!! This goes to show, not everything is revealed in the first reading itself and the person gets somewhat addicted to going to the NAdi reader every now and then. From all this and from my own observation of many horoscopes, the following is what I have understood. > Nadi astrology is best suited for finding out propitiations (pariharas) which no living human is capable of telling in such precise terms and I request the redaers to stop at just that. Because the purpose of Nadi wrtiters has not been to predict your future. It is purely an academic exercise by them in understanding more on astrology. They may not and need not delve on all issues with the same earnest. > The vagueness connected with future predictions seem to indicate that it is not possible to predict what is coming out of sanchita karma. Perhaps only those indicated by prarabhdha karma are easy to predict. Infact the propitiations are more to do with sanchita karma (in which case it is possible to influence the results of sanchita karma)and not with prarabhda karma. >The future at any time seems to be like what we encounter while playing a video game. At any given time, if we play smartly by bagging a + ve point, we just skip some hurdles, but would anyway land up at a place a little ahead, once again to face new hurdles. At every stage we have to play it deligently. Its not that I scored a point here and I can finish it well. The hurdles go on and sometimes if we click rightly, we may skip an entire game and get elevated to a higher game. Our life also goes on like this. Apart from the actions we do which take us to places, these propitiations too help us move ahead - may be upto a level, and not to the entire duration of our life. Nadi predictions must be taken in this way only. > I have also noticed that those who have seen NAdi readings either become total addicts (and keep going back to the reader to see this or that chapter. Every time, the hurdles do not vanish completely is something they fail to accept) or become better persons with better realisation about their actions from then on. What I infer from this is that one must become aware of his actions and undersatnd that he/he must bear responsibilities for his/ her actions. Propitiations can help only to some extant.