Guest guest Posted January 15, 2002 Report Share Posted January 15, 2002 Dear Guruji, Thank you for taking me into the group of students for astrology. I apologise for replying so late. I had a change of job and the associated problems and I have just - I think so - got over the transition and hence started to concentrate on the lessons. I have to say that I sincerely appreciate your efforts to take this structured course of astrology and that too totally free of charge. My sincere prayers to Lord Murugan to bless you all, the teachers, with long and peaceful life. I pray Lord Ganesh and hope the course will continue without any obstacles. Although I am late in starting, I tried to attempt all the three lessons and because of that I deliberately avoided looking at the previous answers from other students. Lesson 1: Astronomical Definitions: Answers: Q.1: The ecliptic is the Sun’s path or called Ravimarga. This path, forming a curved line, once a year touches the Tropic of Cancer, during summer solstice and once the tropic of Capricorn, during winter solstice and crosses the equator twice a year at the time of the equinoxes. Due to the Sun’s movement in the ecliptic, seasons are changing. There are six seasons, each lasting during the period of Sun’s transit in two signs. In the Utharayana, also called Saumayayana, Sun’s entrance to Capricorn to his entrance to end of Gemini, three seasons or ritus occur: Shishir (when Sun is in Capricorn and Aquarius), Basant (in Pisces and Aries) and Greeshma (in Taurus and Gemini). Once the Sun enters Cancer, the Dhakshinayana or Yamayayan starts and lasts till the end of its presence in Sagitarius. The three seasons are Varsha, Sharad and Hemant during the Sun’s stay in Cancer and Leo, Virgo and Libra and Scorpio and Sagitarius, respectively. Q.2: When the Sun reaches the southernmost point during the winter solstice (Dec 23); during this time, the parts of the globe beyond the northernmost points will not have Sunrise. Similarly, when the Sun reaches the northernmost point during the summer solstice (Mar 21); during this time, the parts of the globe beyond the southernmost points will not have Sunrise. This is mainly due to the Sun’s extreme declination either to the south or north. Q.3: Parasara states that there are two classes of heavenly bodies: the non-moving ones, called nakshatras and the moving ones, called the planets or grahas. On both sides of the ecliptic, the sun’s pathway the heavens, there is an imaginary belt of 9 0 – 9 0 inside which all the planets revolve. This broad belt of 18 0 is called the Zodiac. This Zodiac has been divided into 27 equal parts and each part is known as the nakshathras or the non-moving bodies. The planets or grahas which are 9 in number, including the two chaya grahas and these are the moving bodies, as they are moving continuously through the asterisms or nakshathras in the Zodiac. The celestial condition – the planetary position and pattern/combination, at birth influence to determine the pattern of whole life of human beings from conception to death. The planets during their constant movements sometimes get activated and sometimes get depressed depending on their positions in relation to the non-moving bodies or nakshathras. The nakshathras also serve as reference points due to their fixed nature, to determine the position of the planets which are constantly moving. However, both have influence on the human beings. Q.4: The astronomical principles in my own chart: 1. The ascendant or lagna is calculated according to the local Sunrise time to the local longitude and latitude of my place of birth. 2. The positions of houses or rasis, ascendant and planets (all moving bodies or points) are given with reference to the nakshathras and the rasis (non-moving bodies). 3. The ayanamsa is used to convert the chart from the Sayana to the Nirayana Zodiac. 4. Sun in my chart, is in Cancer, hence in Dakshinayana and the season is Varsha. 5. In my chart, only Kethu and Saturn are above the horizon and the rest are below the horizon. Assignment on Lesson 2: Q:1. The role of God in my life: My Atma, the soul, the conscious self is God and He exists in me as in each one of us and other species. I am born with the three gunas, Satwa, Rajas and Tamas. My aim is to control the mind, the three gunas and rise above the level of the gunas to be able to attain the ‘Brahman’ and eventually mix with the Paramatma. To do this, I must cut away the Avidyamaya by Vidyamaya, the knowledge; I should break away from the desires of life and seek liberation. This is possible through regular meditation of the Lord. To reach him through this Bakthi Marga, Lord Maha Vishnu has given the knowledge through the four Vedhas which has been passed through the long line of seers. God will help me to liberate myself through regular prayers and meditation with good deeds to reach him. Q.2: I usually pray every day in the morning before starting my daily work, after lighting a lamp. During the last few months, I have started to meditate, although I have not achieved the technique completely. Recently I have started to perform Mritunjaya Mantra both morning and evening. With these, I feel that I am going in the right direction. Q.3: I do not find any difference between the two statements, as they literally mean the same thing. God exists in all, humans, other species as well as inanimate objects. Q.4: As far as I have seen, a priest does his daily pooja and rituals for the Gods at the temple and only performs archanas or poojas when the devotee requests and pays for them. Even then, he does that particular action without actually helping or guiding the person to reach God. The true jyotish should look to guide the person’s Atma towards God. Q.4: List of Sanskrit words with their meanings: Atma = Soul Avatar = Incarnation Agni = Fire Asura = Demon Akash = Sky Ananta = Total happiness Avidya = (A + Vidya) without education/knowledge Bhakthi = Devotion, love and faith towards God Bhagavatam = Puranic story/Story of God's actions on earth Bhagwan = God Brahma = The Creator, One who came from the umbilicus of Lord Vishnu Das = One who is obedient, like servant, in a sense Deva = Immortals Gandharva = Similar to Deva Gita = The holy instructions told by Lord Krishna to Arjun at the battlefield, Krukshethra Gyana = Knowledge Isha = God Jala = Water Jyotish = Astrology Jyoti = Light Jyotisha = Astrologer Jeeva = Life, Soul Karma = Deed, Action Maha = Great, Big Mahabharata = Big Bharatham or India Manu = The first male created by Brahma Marga = way Maya = Illusion Moola = Root Narayana = Another name of Lord Vishnu; also means without end, infinite Paramatma = God, Original soul (Param + Atma) Purusha = Male part or Male Parakriti = Female part or Action Pritvi = Air (I think!) Rajas = One of the three gunas, in between Satwa and Tamas Satwa = One of the three gunas, higher than the other two gunas Satarupa = The first female created by Brahma Shakthi = Goddess; also power Sri = Wealth; Adjective, male, added for respect Srimad = adjective, female, added (as Sri) for respect Sthavara = Plants, fixed Surya = Sun Sukra = Venus, also the teacher of demons Tamas = One of the three gunas, the lowest one Tapasya = One who does penance and attains power Tatwa = Priniciple Upadesa = Instructions taken from a guru or from God Vayu = air Veda = The books of instructions given by God, four in number Vedanga = Parts or limbs of Vedas Vidya = Education Yaksha = Like a small metal plate with matras inscribed and worn after prayers for protection Yama = Lord of Death Assignment 3 Q.1: Sun should be given the overall lordship. Sun has Paramatmamsa which is the higher and purer form of Atma. Sun is Atma or the soul of all that exists, whether inert or moving. The Sun is vital to the very existence of things. As the word Atma means Self, the Self of man is studied and cosidered from the condition and function of the Sun in the birth chart. Q.2: I cannot draw the diagram using the computer. Hence, I can answer in words: The earth is at the centre of a circle and the 360 degree circle - circumference, in one plane - divided by 12 spokes giving 30 degrees of each representing the 12 signs. Narayana is infinite in radius. It is said that the finite radius is defined by planets and terminated or limited by the Saturn. Hence the plane upto saturn - enclosing all the other planets, which obviously have lesser distance from the earth, hence below the Saturn's distance from the earth - will be the area of Nara and all the area beyond Saturn's orbit will be that of Narayana. Once again, my apologies for late entry and sincerely appreciate your help and advice. Chidambaram. 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