Gemstones, Rudraksha, Yagya and Mantra...Oh My!

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Dear Members,

 

 

 

All kidding aside, let me try to briefly but concisely address the huge body of

knowledge concerning astrological remedies. Think of this message as a

" Consumer's Guide " to astrological remedies. Make no mistake - there are many

people out there who are only eager to take your hard earned money and give

nothing but heartache in return-some of them are very well known. These

charlatans prey upon people's desperation and ignorance. Some of these frauds

even comprise the founding membership of a fancy sounding, so-called watch-dog

organization called the Planetary Gemologists Association. Or they might be

found running massive “specializing†in jyotish remedies. 

 

First and foremost please keep in mind that the guiding principle for

prescribing any type of remedy is that it must be as Sattvic as possible. The

farther one strays from this principle the more one has to become educated about

possible negative repercussions. As you will see later I believe that a

prasiddha mantra is the most Sattvic and most suitable of all remedies.

Secondly, one must have faith in remedies, it does not have to be an undying

absolutely resolute faith but it is doubtful that one who does not believe at

least somewhat will get any substantial results. Lastly, please understand that

many times much of our most difficult karma is fixed and quite difficult to

completely remedy.

 

Let me address each major category of remedy one section at a time. Let’s

first start with gemstones as these seem to be everybody's favorite.. It bears

mentioning that there are many schools of thought regarding remedies,

particularly when it comes to gemstones. The rules for gemstone prescription

given herein are quite conservative; I fully realize some exceptions can be made

if one’s constellations indicate so. In addition, if we really examine most

people's charts, we soon realize that its not really our moderately favorable

planets that need to be strengthened but rather our most troublesome planets

which need to be pacified (Certainly you can do both!)- pacification of

troublesome planets cannot be accomplished with gemstones (Though a benefic

planet casting a favorable aspect on a troubled planet might be strengthened

with a gemstone- as long as certain other conditions apply). For instance, take

Pisces lagna. Jupiter is lord of 1st and 10th of

course, so it is especially important to the native, as it is lagna lord and

also ruling the house of career. What if we find Jupiter debilitated in

Capricorn and aspected by two first class malefics? Will a yellow sapphire help

in this situation? No, no it won't.  Not according to my knowledge at least. A

yellow sapphire in this situation could really make things worse! Though perhaps

if Moon (Lord of trine- 5th house) casts an aspect on Ju and was favorably

placed in the chart a pearl could then be used to indirectly aid Jupiter. My

point in saying all this is that gems are seldom the remedy we think we need.

 

*****

 

Although gemstone usage is not indicated as a remedy in the BPHS, other texts

such as the Garuda purana speak of their power quite exhaustively, the Agni

purana too but to a much lesser extent. The legendary astrologer, Varahahimira,

extensively treats the " mystical " power of gems in his magnificent astrological

treatise, the Brihat Samhita. Harihara, in his monumental work, Prasna Marga,

offers explicit advice on imbibing procedures that can be used for gems.

Selecting and wearing gemstones, jyotish quality gemstone that is, is an

expensive and often confusing proposition. Ask 5 different astrologers for a

gemstone recommendation and you may very well end up with 5 different

suggestions.

 

 To get straight to the point, gems should only be worn for functional

benefics, meaning, trinal rulers. Complications arise when the graha (Unless it

is Lagnesh) in question rules both a trine and a dusthana, if this is the case

we must look at whether the dusthana is the mooltrikona sign of the graha in

question; if it is, it may be wise to pass on wearing the stone.. Many may

disagree with my position but I am trying to be as safe as possible here. Also,

I personally would not advise anybody to wear a gem of an inherent malefic

(Unless perhaps it is lagnesh) but rather, to wear the gem of a moderately well

placed inherent AND functional benefic (trinal ruler). Remember, safety first-

we do not want to take any chances with stones of inherent malefics (Unless

perhaps lagnesh), especially because you will be likely spending quite a bit of

money and you want to get it right the first time! Now, what do I mean by

moderately well placed? It means that the

graha whose gemstone you will be donning in the hope of bettering your life

should be placed in trine or kendra AND in at least a neutral sign. If the graha

in question is very well placed I see no point in wearing its stone, as it is

already strong. Remember, more is not always better!  Some astrologers may look

at the planet's position in D-9 and other divisional charts as well, not to

mention a chalita chart. Just remember, stones indiscriminately amplify the

energies that a given planet is emanating in your chart. They do not turn bad

guys into good guys but they can make good guys into better guys.

 

Now there is a theory that even a badly placed lagna lord's stone can be worn,

as it is said that lagnesh always works for the best. I think this view has

substantial merit. For those of you who are really interested in all this

gemstone business, there are Nadi texts (See the Shukra Nadi in particular)

which have their own specific suggestions for stone usage depending on one's

planetary configurations!

 

 

As most people are wearing stones for material upliftment it may be helpful to

look at the planet's position from arudha lagna and/or Rajya Pada- this is a

more controversial statement as a precious few very fine astrologers I know of

do not take a planet’s position from AL as an important consideration, though

only insofar as gemstone prescription is concerned. At the risk of driving you

crazy by introducing yet another theory, some astrologers say not to wear the

stone of the atma karaka- though I don't really see the validity of this rule.

Here are two points that you can take very seriously. One must never wear the

stone of a planet that is inherently inimical to lagnesh. In addition, one must

never simultaneously wear two inimical stones.

 

As an aside, I've not seen anyone really discuss the timing or rather the

dynamic use of gemstones. I am very curious to see how ashtakavarga analysis and

dasha/gochara analysis comes into play. Say you have Pisces lagna, Jupiter is an

unabashed inherent and functional benefic for this lagna. Say Ju is moderately

well placed and not possessing extremely high shad-bala but according to

ashtakavarga Jupiter gives a very low BAV score in XYZ house and is currently

transiting XYZ house. Might it be wise then to shelve the gem at this juncture?

I don't know. But the question is highly interesting.

 

Now we come to how to select and wear the stone itself. Many questions abound in

this area with mostly no real definitive answers. Among a few of the most oft

repeated queries: Should the stone be natural or can it be treated? Does it have

to touch the skin? What are the clarity and size requirements? What hand should

I wear it on? Which finger should I put it on?

 

Let’s start with the natural vs. treated issue. To be on the safe side I

highly suggest getting an all natural, non-heated stone. Each stone has

treatments that are specific to it. For instance; red coral could by dyed, a

yellow sapphire could be heated, an emerald could be filled with

oil....etc...Don't let your gem dealer talk you into getting a treated stone,

insist on getting certification from a reputable laboratory (GIA for diamonds

and AGL for colored stones- there are other reputable labs)  that the stone in

question has not been treated in any way- this is important as most jewelers in

India essentially sell junk stones. A jyotish quality yellow sapphire can go

from anywhere from 500 to 1000 USD per carat. How much did you pay for you

yellow sapphire? I've seen some yellow sapphires sell for 100 to 200 USD. If you

buy these you are essentially buying yellow colored glass- its pure junk that

will not do anything for you. The pearl may be an

exception to the " all-natural " rule. Real, round, completely natural, white

pearls are simply unavailable unless you are willing to spend thousands of

dollars. If you must, try going for a tissue -nucleated South Sea pearl, as big

and white and round as possible- I cannot guarantee that these will work for you

though!

 

Now let’s discuss clarity and size. In my mind the answer to this question is

cut and dried. Always pick clarity over size if you must pick one over the

other. You, must, must get an eye-clean gem at the least.  Eye clean means

there are no visible " defects " in the gem that can be seen without the aid of

magnification. The following is NOT an exhaustive list of common flaws found in

particular gemstones: no black specks in yellow sapphires, no dents in pearls,

no specks in diamonds, no white specks or hairline cracks on the backside of red

corals (Most Red Corals come in a cabochon cut- you must inspect the backside as

many defects are usually present here). They say that it is virtually impossible

to get a suitable eye clean emerald these days (without fine hairline fractures)

- my answer to this is quite simple- if you can't find one then don't get one.

We cannot bend the rules and allow for exceptions just because mother nature

does not gift us

with the same treasures she gave in abundance when the ancient texts dealing

with gems were written. I know what you are thinking. Why did he say what he

said about the Pearl ? Isn't an artificially nucleated pearl bending the rules?

Yes, it probably is...so maybe you shouldn't get that either. Are you beginning

to see a pattern here? I'm not really fond of gems as remedial measures; there

are simply too many qualifications to consider.

 

I just don't know how big a particular stone must be for it to become effective

or whether this even matters at all. Some tantric authors like Harish Johari

spell out very specific size requirements and prohibitions. I can't really say

if this is valid. My instinct tells me that one should get something reasonably

large, say a yellow sapphire that is 2 carats or more-obviously this can't be

done with diamonds or rubies unless you are mega-rich. In which case I must ask,

what do you need a stone for any way?! I estimate that a jyotish quality Ruby

may exceed 10,000 USD in cost! Yes, you read that right. Before you are

completely overcome with disappointment at thought of not being able to afford a

stone you should know that many astrological gem dealers also offer much less

expensive alternate stones. Having never used them, I cannot comment on their

efficacy. I suppose if you can acquire one for a modest price it might be worth

trying. In fact,

Varahamihira does mention some of the alternates in his Brihat Samhita.

 

I'll quickly go over some other considerations. The best bet is to wear the

stone on the right hand, ring finger. Pendants should be fine too. Of course

there is the concept of Ratna- Arpana which involves donating a stone in order

to reap it benefits, clearly in this case the stone never touches the body at

all! To be on the safe side have the stone set so it touches the skin- though it

will probably work fine even if its somewhere really close but not touching your

skin. When you are ready to put the stone on for the first time do it on the day

of the graha who rules the stone, do it in the hora of that graha as well, so

early morning. Though do soak the stone in milk overnight first. You may even

wish to recite the graha or devata mantra for the stone in question each week on

the appropriate day and hour. There is one last crucial consideration I have

left out and this involves testing the stone before purchasing it.

 

You must, must test the stone for a week or so before purchasing it. If your

jeweler refuses then you need to find another more accommodating jeweler.

Speaking of jewelers...don't ever let a jeweler give you a gem recommendation,

the conflict of interest is simply too high. Back to the topic at hand,

carefully tape the stone to your hand or tuck it under your pillow and

" test-drive " it. Bad thoughts, feelings, dreams and events apart from the

every-day bad stuff we think about and experience would instantly lead me to

discard the stone- don't throw it away, send it back to your jeweler   Do NOT

ignore a negative Nimmita (Omen)! Ok, I've said a mouthful, lets move on to

other commonly prescribed remedial measures.

 

*****

 

Moving on to rudraksha beads. These fascinating beads are actually the dried

seeds of the rudraksha berry. There is much Puranic lore available on the

subject of rudraksha beads. However, one thing not seen in Puranic literature is

the mapping of various rudraksha beads to different planets; this seems a

marketing gimmick concocted by con artists of yesteryear and continuously

perpetuated by con artists ever since. Most Indians know that the rudraksha bead

is associated with Lord Shiva. The Padma purana says that the 5 Mukhi rudraksha

is suitable for all to wear. So if you want to wear a 5 Mukhi then you can

likely do so. Legitimate 5 mukhi rudraksha beads are easy to find and very

inexpensive- though my guess is that you will need to sincerely practice Shiva

mantras on a consistent basis to empower them. Nepalese rudraksha beads are

priced higher than the Java variety. Don't ask me which is better. I have only

experimented with the Nepalese variety. 

Some people say that all rudraksha beads are user-friendly; in my personal

experience this statement does not at all hold water. There is a very famous

member of the Planetary Gemologist association who touts the 14 Mukhi rudraksha

bead as the be-all and end-all of remedies, as you might guess by now; one size

does not fit all, especially the very expensive 14 Mukhi.  It is my belief that

rudraksha beads are primarily tools to be used to aid in meditation; indeed I

have experienced their tranquilizing effects first-hand. But as a remedy for the

material world I do not think these are very appropriate. So don't fall for the

tall claims made by the various too numerous to count rudraksha bead hypsters.

There is a very well known seller of rudraksha beads on the internet- they

market the beads as if they are some kind of talisman that can be used to gain

advantage is any type of situation. They sell custom malas for attracting the

opposite sex, for

winning in litigation, for enhancing your business prospects...well the list

goes on and on. Oh yes, and they also sell 200 dollar “jyotish qualityâ€

gemstones. Caveat emptor. Well, I think I've said all I wanted to say about

rudraksha beads.

 

*****

If something can be sold, people will figure out how sell it. Nothing is sacred,

perhaps nothing ever was, not in this yuga at least. Dear reader, have you

noticed the proliferation of dubious yagya promoters on  the world wide web?

Crudely put, yagya or yajna is essentially a Vedic fire ritual, performed by

priests on your behalf, in order to attain certain goals which are essentially

stated in the sankalpa (An opening statement if you will). A (with

many, many members), that “specializes’ in jyotish remedies, which  I

alluded to in my introductory paragraph, sells all varieties of yagya for the

not so small price of 600 USD and up. That’s not a small amount of money for

most Westerners and is a staggering sum for your typical Indian. A yagya should

be performed by the pious and pure, and by those who thoroughly know the strict

procedures! Individuals like these are rare- they mostly belonged to another

Yuga. Furthermore,  a yagya

should not be arranged by the ravenously money minded charging exorbitant sums.

Far better to learn how to do a simple yagya or homa in the sanctity of one’s

home - this is how real progress can be made. Not by paying off a money-minded

mercenary to pay God knows who, if anyone at all, to chant away your sins. It

would be totally logical and expected at this point to inquire into the

difference between buying a gem from a money-minded jeweler versus arranging a

yagya via a money-minded intermediary and a just as money-minded priest!  I

think the main issue here is that a gem is an object that it will do its job no

matter the character of the person who sells it to you (assuming it is

prescribed correctly and is of jyotish quality)  whereas a yagya heavily

depends on the individual psyche of the one who performs it. In the same way a

judge will not listen to the statements of a mentally deranged attorney it is

doubtful that whatever forces are being

called upon in a yagya will listen to a corrupted priest (and believe me, there

are many). Please do not waste your time or money on these yagya services. Much

better to learn how to perform them in a simple manner by yourself, sincerely

and on a consistent basis.

*****

 

To conclude,  I will ever so briefly tackle the vast and complicated subject

known as mantra shastra. Mantras can be used for both material and spiritual

benefits. Often, a mantra will make an impact on both a material and spiritual

level- this is a great thing! When practicing mantra, three items are critical:

devotion, pronunciation and consistency. A good 108 bead rudraksha mala or tulsi

mala would be VERY nice as well.  A few repetitions here or there won’t do

the trick- stick with one mantra and practice for an hour or two everyday, or at

least 30 to 40 minutes- for as long as it takes. Don’t go by this 40 day rule

nonsense; while I am certainly sure that more than a few people have experienced

amazing things from the outset of their practice this is more the exception than

the rule. Think about anything you have done in life that was worth achieving,

did the results come quickly or easily? I bet the answer is no. Anything worth

achieving

takes time to fructify, there are no short-cuts.

 

Choose a prasiddha mantra which is safe to recite like “Om Namo 

Narayanaya†, “Om Namah Shivayaâ€, or simply “Namah Shivayaâ€, these do

not require initiation and as stated, are safe. The Gayatri mantra is also

prasiddha but I believe is better recited after receiving initiation from a

competent guru. Vedic mantras like the Gayatri really require good

pronunciation. If you really want to “focus your fire†then reciting a

prasiddha mantra of one’s Ishta Devata would be simply fantastic. Just

remember, stick with one mantra- don’t jump around from mantra to mantra.

Various texts have mapped out the devata correspondence with the planets- please

refer to BPHS, Prasna Marga or Jaimini.

 

If you want to recite a non-prasiddha mantra then you should know that there are

various tantric texts which specialize in highly complex rules governing the

prescription of such mantras- these are quite complicated and much beyond my

comprehension at present. In my estimation it would take a life-time to fully

understand and master all the rules. Seek somebody qualified to assist you if

you desire to practice a non-prasiddha mantra. I won’t name any of the texts

here because I do not want to encourage their casual use. You can't just

wily-nily start reciting bija mantras or even certain Vedic mantras- they could

be inimical to you even if your pronunciation and rhythm are perfect!

 

As a bonus I'll quickly address fasting and charity. A word of caution first, I

know the least about these remedies. Some say to fast on the day of the upapada

lord in order to improve relationship prospects. Others say fasting on the day

of the UL lord cannot be done if the UL lord rules the 2nd house. I quite

frankly do not who is correct. It is personally hard for me to believe that

fasting on any day would incur you negative karma. Of course I have seen people

fast on days owned by the troublesome planets in their chart- so I guess you can

fast on Saturday if you Saturn is not favorable for you. I do not know if

fasting works- I have not tried it. At the very least fasting once a week would

be very beneficial to your health (Please ask your doctor first) so you really

have nothing to lose by trying it.

 

The concept of charity as a remedial measure is interesting. Perhaps try giving

on the day, hour and proper nakshatra transit of the planet which is troubling

you, it is prudent to either give an article related to the planet in question

or give money to a charity that is associated with the troublesome planet. For

example, if Saturn is troubling you then you might want to make a substantial

(But reasonable, I want you to still be able to eat!) gift on a Saturday- on the

hora of Saturn, perhaps also incorporating tithi and nakshatra elements to a

charity that feeds lonely, elders who are unable to procure their own food. In

the end I cannot say how effective this would be. I have not personally gone

this route nor have spoken to anybody who has in a serious way.

 

The form of remedial measure that will work best for the native has to be

determined by somebody competent . It will likely be of no use to prescribe a

mantra to somebody who will not recite it or has an exceedingly weak 5th lord

(Lord of house of mantra). Similarly, some planetary configuration may preclude

the use of charity as an effective remedial measure but may demand fasting as

the optimal route etc...

 

*****

 

Good luck and please do not hesitate to ask me any questions and/or to correct

my very limited knowledge. Please note: I do NOT give gemstone recommendations

nor do I prescribe any remedies for that matter. I do NOT give recommendations

for jewelers. I will NOT refer you to anybody either. Please do not fall prey to

astrologers selling expensive remedies . One astrologer with a presence on the

web comes to mind, he claims his remedies are almost guaranteed to work because

he uses a " special " prasna methodology only known to him (and a few " select "

others) in order to determine if his remedy prescription will work- please do

not succumb to this patent nonsense. Please do not fall prey to any astrologer

trying to sell you an expensive kavach and things of this sort.

 

 

 

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