Sri Suktam- Key to treasure

In Hindu mythology, it is goddess Lakshmi who is the deity of wealth and prosperity. This wealth includes material as well as spiritual happiness . She is not important to humans as well as for gods also. This is evident from the mythological story in which due to curse of sage Durvaasa to Indra , goddess Lakshmi abandoned the swarga loka. This created havoc. Only after great efforts of gods she re-appear as a daughter of Sagar. Similarly, in astrology Venus is considered as natural significator of luxuries. So, Friday, which is ruled by Venus is auspicious day to worship goddess Lakshmi. In our classics there is a mention of set of shlokas in Sanskrit to worship goddess Lakshmi. This is called “Shri-Suktam”. The word “Shri” itself is an indicator auspiciousness and royalty. If one recite this mantras on Friday, then it is believe that goddess Lakshmi showers her blessings to the person. There are many variations of this mantra is available in the market. But the set of 16 mantra is more authentic. For the people whose 5th lord in their horoscope is Venus, this mantra would work as a tonic for the whole life. If a mantra is done under the influence of auspicious muhurat , then its effect multiplies by many folds. On, Diwali night, this mantra is highly recommended . It is very important that the mantra should be pronounced correctly. Even more important is the state of mind at the time of recitation. The role of “Kaal(time)” and “sthaan(place)” is the deciding factor for the outcome of mantra-saadhna.

Pitra Dev

It is often seen in the horoscope that there is a yoga of “Pitra-dosham” which is considered very deadly for the children.It is a clear indication of curse of ancestors. Also, the blessings of our ancestors are very important for the success in life. As per hindu calendar, the Krishna paksh (fortnight) of Ashwin month is very important for remembering our ancesters. During this period rituals performed for the pacification of departed souls is called as “Shradh”. After the death soul travels various planes(levels). It suffers accoding to the its deed performed on the earth. Shradh ceremony is performed to provide the solace to the soul. The last day of shradh is considered as the most important one . It is held on amavasya tithi. The pitras are believed to be the ruler of this tithi(date). Similarly offering water to souls is called “Tarpan” ceremony. As per rule the eldest son of the deceased should perform this ceremony. Otherwise spouse or brother or son-in-law are qualified to perform it. The shradh or tarpan performed on teerath is considered as best. The easiest way is to donate the food liked by the ancestors. It should be donated to Brahmin, crow and cow.Sesame seeds mixed with water is considered very sacred in the offerings. All the auspicious works are prohibited during this period. There are 6 kinds of tarpan

1) Devtarpan

2) Rishitarpan

3) Divyamanavtarpan

4) Divyapitratarpan

5) Yamtarpan

6) Manushyapitratarpan

Mantra to be recited at the time of tarpan is-

Om ye bandhava abandhva va yenya janmani bandhva |

Te sarve triptimayantu maddattenambuna swadha ||

This simple remedy is very important to ward off many hidden evils in horoscope.

The true devotion

The 13^th tithi (date) of the Shukla paksha of Jyeshtha month of hindu lunar calendar is very important for a married woman. From this day till poornima(Full moon day), fast is observed for the longevity of husband. The name of the fast is “Vat-Savitri vrat”. The word “Vat” means banyan tree in hindi which is considered very auspicious and “Savitri” was a woman with whom the legend is associated. During the fast there is a ritual of tying thread around banyan tree. It is believe that the banyan tree is symbolic representation of Lord Brahma,Vishnu and Mahesh. The lower part of root is abode of lord Brahma, the stem of tree is abode of Lord Vishnu and the upper part of banyan tree is representation of lord Shiva, all making the tree a sacred one. As per legend , there was a princess Savitri who wanted to marry Satyavan. But sage Narad was against this marriage because as per destiny the Satyavan had only one year of remaining life. But Savitri ignored the warning and married to Satyavan as she truly loved him. After completion of one year, when Satyavan was resting under the banyan tree, Lord Yama, the god of death appeared to take the soul of Satyavan to heaven. At that moment Savitri begged for the life of her husband from the Yama. But all went in vain. But she was determined to follow lord Yama till the end. The way to Yamlok,the abode of lord Yama was too difficult and full of miseries. Lord Yama was impressed by her determination. He granted her 3 boons, except the life of her husband. This was the testing time for Savitri. First she asked for the vision of the blind father in law. Secondly she begged for the lost empire of his family. Lastly she begged for a son. The last wish of Savitri put Lord Yama in great dilemma because it could not be fulfilled without Satyavan. Lord Yama accepted the defeat from the hands a woman who was so dedicated to her husband. He granted all the three boons . It is believed that Satyavan spend his dying moments under a Banyan tree on the full moon day in month of Jyeshtha. During this day parikrama of banyan tree for 108 times tying thread is considered very auspicious for the longevity of husband.

A girl or a boy!

As per hinduism there are 16 series of sanskaar(rituals) has to be performed from the birth till death. They are
1)Garbhadhaan
2)Punsavan
3)Seemanta
4)Jatakarma
5)Namakarana
6)Nishkramana
7)Annaprasana
8)Chudakarana
9)Karnavedh
10)Vidyarambh
11)Upanayan
12)Vedarambh
13)Kesantha
14)Samavartan
15)Vivaham
16)Antim sanskaar

The first 3 sanskaar are pre-natal sanskaar which are vital for the good health of child..The life begins from the first step of conception. The “Garbhadhaan” sanskaar involving some religious mantras and muhurat ensures the birth of a healthy and virtuous child. It removes all the impurities linked with conception. Child is not only produced from the physical body of parents. This is the reason that in our shaastra there are certain days and auspicious timing of union which ensures birth of a virtuous son. It is scientifically proved that the thoughts prevailing in the minds of mother and father at the time of conception has a huge impact on the child. The lagna,the zodiac sign rising in the east direction at the time of conception gives complete information about the gender and health of child. It is clearly written in our sacred texts, how to calculate the muhurat for the birth of a child of a desired gender.For example, to get the female child ,in muhurat proper taken is care that the Venus or Moon (both female planets) should aspect the lagna. The second sanskaar called “Punsavan” sanskaar is very important for getting a male child and to prevent the abortion and to overcome any defect in feotus.. Generally it is performed in male nakshatras and in masculine days of Sunday,Tuesday or Thursday(condition apply). The 3rd pre-natal sanskaar is “Seemant” sanskaar. The purpose of this ritual is to protect mother from evil forces. A detail calculations are required to select the best muhurat for each ceremony. Some times these calculations are too complex than calculations required to launch a satellite!

Shubh Snaan

In our classics various remedies are recommended to pacify the ill effect of planet. Bathing in medicinal water is one amongst them. It is said that such remedy removes all the obstacle caused by unfavourble transit of planets. Last but not least it should be performed in an auspicious muhurat, only then this remedy gives it full positive effect. So, when the following planets are bad in transit, then bath as follows
Sun- Bad effect of malefic transiting sun could be removed if one bath with illaichi,honey,khas-khas,kesar,lotus,Roli, cinnamon,black pepper, dry ginger,cardamom
Moon-bath with lotus,conch,shell,Belpatra,Sphatic,Panchgavya
Mars-Red flower,leaves of china rose,,Naag kesar,turmeric
Mercury- honey,nag kesar,panchgavya,mint,bhringra
Jupiter-honey,seeds of yellow mustard,flowers of malti,juhi,chameli,ketki,ashwagandha,,almonds,walnut,cashews
Venus-saffron,white lotus,rose,jasmine
Saturn-Kala til,Saunph,shilajit,triphala,ashwagandha
Rahu-Doorva,Bilav patra,camphor
Ketu-Annar,Red sandal

Gemstone in which hand?

Gems remains the area of fascination for every people. Now a days it is use as remedial measure by astrologers as well as palmists. But before wearing a gem one should follow certain procedure to charge them. Then comes the real question,in which hand it should wear? There is lot of confusion about this. The following views are prevelant in the society.
View 1- Males should wear on the right hand and females should wear on left hand. The logic is simple. The right hand portion of the human body is rule by masculine energy where as left hand is rule by feminine energy.
View 2- Right handed person should wear on the right hand and vice versa. The logic is that the active hand is linked directly with the conscious mind.
View 3- The gem of planet belonging to male group should be worn on right hand, where as gem of planet belonging to female group should be worn on left hand.
View 4-Lagna to the sixth house are the right side of a male native and the other six signs remaining starting from the 7th house to the 12th house is the left side of the male native. Reverse is in the case of a female native.
View 5- All odd signs are masculine and even signs are feminine.Wear the gem according to nature of sign where it is placed.
View 6- Wearing gem on the basis of Raashi. But this theory is fail because Even for jatakas for the same raashi the role of each planet is different for different native which in turn depends upon the lagna chart.
Every view has its own merits and demerits. So next time when you wear a gem, make sure that it should be wore in correct hand.Otherwise you may land yourself in big trouble.

Mangal Dosham-Kitna Sahi aur Kitna Galat

In my previous article I have mentioned the conditions under which a person qualifies for a manglik dosha.The word “Dosha” has many meaning. In liberal sense it means disqualification. The significations of mars such as violence,anger,fire,death etc are narrated in the books with a lot of hype.Our sages laid various qualifications for marriage for both boy and girl.All the rules written in our classics are according to ancient period. They have to be interpreted carefully in this e-age. In ancient times there were many strict rules for girls. If in a girl’s horoscope one found Martian influence, it was considered bad as it lead to courage and fighting spirit. The time when classics were written there was likely chances of wars for kings and his army. So, the chances of death and injury was high.But in this age there are very few takers for the jobs of defence and the possibility of frequent wars is remote. Now the question is how a mars can affect relationship. Since it is planet of fire and anger so it can cause drift and tension. Its effect can be observed as well as averted as follows
a)These days the nature of jobs is such that people travel around the world frequently with great ease. So, husband and wife meet for very less time. Though this scenario was considered bad on old days but it is very acceptable these days.
b)With the introduction of new kinds of jobs people work at night rather than day.So there is hardly any space left for Dharma.
c)Girls are working and not the home makers only.So there is hardly anytime for fighting
d) The communications are done through emails and SMSes, a kind of drift
e) Due to social networking sites, the concept of multi-relations got a new dimension
f) Due to various professional commitments, people donot want progeny at the young age.So, space for discharge of “Pitra Rina” shrink automatically.
g) Increase in singular family instead of joint family system is very common.It is another variation of mangal dosham
The above variations are very acceptable these days. Overstressing on manga dosham should be avoided.Now come to the exceptions for Mangal Dosham.As every rule has a exception.I am presenting various rules of exception prevelant in the society.
1)In 8th house the dosha is full, in lagna 1/2, in 7th 1/4, in 4th 1/8 and in 12th and 2nd houses 1/16.
2)No dosha if mars is in its its own house or exaltation house.
3) No dosha if aspected by a benefic.
4)Mars in moveable signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) cancels the dosha.
5)If the lord of the house where Mars is situated is in Kendra (i.e. 1st, 4th or 10th house) from Lagna the dosha gets cancelled.
6)If Mars posited in above houses is debilitated, retrograde or combust; loses his strength to form a Kuja Dosha.
7).Some classics states that Mars in Cancer or Capricorn removes Manglik Dosha.
8). For Cancer & Leo Lagnas, the Mars is not evil
9)Mars is in its own sign (Aries, Scorpio) ,
10) Mars is in the house of friends (Sun, Jupiter, Moon).
11) If Mars is in the 2nd house, but in the signs of Gemini or Virgo.
12) No Dosha when Mars is in 4th house, and the signs are Aries and Scorpio.
13)If Mars is in the 7th house, but in Cancer or Capricorn.
14) If Mars is in the 8th house, but in Sagittarius or Pisces.
15) If Mars is in the 12th house, but in Taurus or Libra.
16) For Aquarius ascendant, if Mars is in the 4th or 8th house.
17) If benefic Jupiter or Venus occupies the ascendant.
18) If Mars is in conjunction or aspected by Jupiter or Moon.
Caution-However, Mangal dosham is not something, which can be totally ignored. As in certain conditions it is highly harmful.So overall analysis of chart is very important rather that people making self decision on the basis of software available in the market.

Tara Chakra

n astrology, a very special place is allotted to planet Moon. A strong moon is capable of removing many doshas single handedly. Now the question is how to judge the strength of moon? For this we use the Tara Bal. The word “Tara” means star and the “Bal” means strength. This give fair idea that which “Nakshatra” is good or bad for a native. If Tara is favourable then it gives strength to Moon. As a result strong moon gives strength to Sun & strong sun gives strength to all planets in horoscope. The strong moon triggers the source of strength of all planets.
Concept
Step -1
Note down your Nakshatra Number and treat it as a Starting point or allot the number 1 to it. This will be your Janam Nakshatra.. For Example A native born in Swati Nakshatra, then “Swati” will be his Janam Nakshatra
Step-2
Begin the counting from your “Janam Nakshatra” and name the following nakshatras sequentially as follows Janam(Already stated in step1),Sampat,Vipat,Kshema,Pratyari,Sadhak,Vadha,Mitra,Adhi-Mitra.Since we have 27 nakshatras in all, therefore after allotting 9 types of names to them we will have 9 groups of 3 nakshatra each.
In an above example the naming will be as follows
Janam(Already stated in step1) – Swati, Shatbhisha, Ardra,
 Sampat-Vishakha,Porva Bhadrapad,Punarvasu
Vipat- Anuradha,U Bhadrapad,Pushya
Kshema- Jyestha,Revati,Ashlesha,
Pratyari- Moola ,Ashwini,Magha.
Sadhak- Porva. Ashada,Bharini,Porva Phaguni,
Vadha- U. Ashada ,Kritika,UPhaguni,
Mitra- Shravana ,Rohini,Hasta,
Adhi-Mitra- Dhanishtha,Mrigshira,Chitra

Rule-

1.From the Janam Nakshatra, the 3rd, 5th and 7th nakshatra is bad. So Vipat,Pratyari and Vadha are bad
2. 2nd,4th, 6th and 8th are best
3. 1st(Janam) and 9th are medium
In a following chart the dasha of saturn was not good because it is in U.Ashada nakshatra which is 7th from his janam nakshatra


Remedy

For Vipat tara- donate salt of 3 tolas(1 tola = 12g approx),raw sugar

For Pratyari tara-donate salt of 5 tola

For Vadha tara-donate salt of 7 tola,Gold,Til

For Janam Tara-donate vegetables

Diamond is not for everyone!!

Recently I found an article in which just to promote the sales of Diamond one company advertise vigorously. But from astrological point of view this may not be correct. Gems are concentrated form of energy. Every planet in nav-grah is associated with particular gem stone. Diamond is associated with Venus. Venus is natural benefic planet. This is a general statement. At the same time Venus is not functional benefic for all the people. It means that role assigned to it is not for good. In simple words it may work as villain for a particular horoscope by becoming markesh,the killer plant or by becoming badhakesh, the planet causing obstacles.
For lagans like Aries,Leo,Pisces, Cancer, Scorpio, Saggitarius its highly dangerous to wear Diamond
For lagans like Taurus, Gemini ,Virgo,Libra,Capricorn,Aquarious its highly beneficial.
Above all its very important to check the placement of Venus in a sign & house, which can modify the above result to great extent. For that it’s important to consult astrologer.

Sarpa Dosham

Meaning

It is often seen than despite having good Dasha the good results does not accrue to the native.Before analysing the "Sarpa Dosham" it is necessary to identify the badhak planet.The word "Badhak" means obstruction. In horoscope there are certain position from a house which are called badhak sthan & it's lords are called Badhakesh

How to Determine
From the Movable sign the 11th house from it is called badhak sthan
From the Fix sign the 9th house from it is called badhak sthan
From the Dual sign the 7the house from it is called badhak sthan



Sarpa Dosha
In Astrology the plante Rahu represent the " Snake" or "Sarpa"
Rahu along with Badhakesh plays the major role in creating dosha in horoscope .
Any connection of Rahu with the Lord of badhak sthan is dangerous.
Even placement of Rahu in 6/8/badhak sthan creates dosha.
Jupiter the divine planet if at all get associiated with Badhakesh having rahu/gulika in trines created the same dosha.Sun- Rahu or Moon- Rahu Conjunction is also responsible for the above dosha


Remedy
Donate small eggs of gold/copper if Rahu is in Dual Sign
Donate small eggs of silver/copper if Rahu is in movable Sign
Plant Trees if Rahu is in fix Sign

Naag Devta

The “Panchmi tithi” of lunar calendar in the month of shravana shukla paksha is celebrated as “Naag-panchmai” in India. On this day people pray to snake god. As per legend the snakes also consumed the “Amrit”, the divine nector and attained immortality. They are the children of Sage Kashyapa and Kadru. The kingdom of snakes is “Paatal Lokam”.According to hindu mythology there are 9 snake which are worshipped. They are as follows
1) Vasuki(The snake who participated in the great churning of ocean)
2) Takshak(The powerful snake who killed King Parikshit)
3) Sesha (On which Lord Vishnu resides in vaikunth)
4) Ananta (the great devotee of Lord Vishnu)
5) Kailya (who was killed by lord Krishna and attain the moksham)
6) Padmanabha (the guardian snake)
7) Kambala (the powerful descend of snake kingdom)
8) Dhartarashtra(the powerful descend of snake kingdom)
9) Shankhapala(the powerful descend of snake kingdom)

The pooja is done to avoid snakes bites and get rid of their curse from previous birth. In a horoscope if there is a presence of Kaal-Sarpa Yoga, then this day is very important for that native because this dosha is caused by the Rahu and Ketu which are considered as head and tail of snake respectively. In certain cases these planets single handedly creates havoc in the horoscope by forming “sarpa dosham”. There are many methods to perform the pooja on this day. People keep fast.on this day. Generally a pot of milk is kept near the ant hill as an offering. On this day digging of ground is strictly prohibited.

Nakshatra Shaanti

According to astrological classical books every constellation is associated with certain plant or a tree. One can easily perform the propitiation of constellation called Nakshatra Shaanti by worshipping the associated tree.Following are the trees associated with each nakshataras
1) Ashwini-Vishmushti
2) Bharini- Amla
3) Kritika-Gullar
4) Rohini-Jamun
5) Mrigshira-Ber
6) Ardra-Baheda
7) Punarvasu-bamboo
8) Pushya-Peepal
9) Ashlesha-Nag Kesar
10) Magha-Vat
11) Porva Phalguni-Palaash
12) Uttar Phalguni-Pakar
13) Hasta-Reetha
14) Chitra-Coconut
15) Swati-Arjun/Jarul
16) Vishakha- Kaith
17) Anuradha- Maulsari
18) Jyeshtha-Devdaar
19) Moola-Anjan
20) Poorva aashada-Giloi
21) Uttara Aashada-phalsa
22) Shravana-Ark
23) Dhanishtha- Shami
24) Shatbhisha-Kadamba
25) Poorva bhadrapad-Aam(Mango)
26) Uttar Bhadrapad-Neem
27) Revati-Mahua

Nakshatra Daan

The donation of a particular thing in a particular nakshatra is called “ nakshatra daan” and it has its own significance. But its important to donate only specific thing associated with the nakshatra at the time of donation. Following are the things to be donated in each nakshatra.
1)Ashwini - Donate a chariot with good horse(a vehicle in modern contex) –
2)Bharani - Donate Til Dhenu
3) Kritika – donate milk products
4) Rohini –donate ghee
5) Mrigshiraa - Donate milk
6) Aardra – donate Til
7) Punarvasu - Donate Pooaa (a kind of Indian sweet bread)
8) Pushya - Donate gold (any yellow metal in modern context)
9) Ashlesha - Donate silver
10)Maghaa - donate Til
11) Poorvaa Phaalguni - Donate vehichle
12) Uttaraa Phaalguni - Donate gold
13) Hasta - Donate gold
14)Chitra - Donate a bull to a brahmin
15)Swaati - Donate the thing you like the most
16)Vishakha - Donate grains
17)Anuradha - Donate clothes
18)Jyeshtha - Donate vegetables
19)Mool - Donate fruits
20)Poorv Ashaadha - Donate dahi
21)Uttar Ashaadha - Donate jaggery
22)Shravan - Donate books
23)Dhanishtha - Donate cow
24)Shatbhisha - Donate sandalwood
25)Poorv Bhaadrapad - Donate Urad
26)Uttar Bhaadrapad - Donate clothes
27)Revati - Donate cow
Note-Every charity has a specific effect .

Navgrah Vatika

In astrology it is believe that there are 9 planets which are controlling the destiny of person. To minimize the ill effect of nav grahas one of the easiest method is to plant the nav-grah vatika (garden) near the temple. Each planet is associated with a sacred plant which has to be plant in a 3 by 3 grid as follows.
Ark(for sun) in the centre
Palash(for moon) in the South east
Khair (for mars) in the South
Apamarga(for mercury) in NorthEast
peepal (for Jupiter) in North
Doomar(For venus) in East
shami(For Saturn) in West
Durvaa (for Rahu) in South West
kusha (for Ketu) in North West

Til- an easy remedy

As per classics “sesame” popularly known as “Til” in northern region of India was produced from the body of sage Kashyap. It is believe that if a person offer it to God,Pittras or Brahmin he would be free from the ill effect of malefic planets. Offerings can be made in the form of Snaan,Daan,Tarpan,Havan or Food. As per mythology Saturn belongs to Kashyap Gotram.So sesame is considered as the best remedy for pacification of Shani. One should light a lamp of sesame oil in the evening. This process is called “Deep daan”. During Makar sakranti in the month of January when the sun enters the Capricorn(the zodiac sign of Saturn who is a son of Sun god), it is very auspicious to offer sesame to fire god at night. People distributes jaggery(Gud) with sesame(til) on this day. It is a symbolic representation of Sun and Saturn respectively.

Shodash Upchaar Pooja

Hindus generally believe in “sakaar pooja” which means they need some form to pray god. For example, we all know that air is present everywhere, but still we need fan to feel it. To worship god , there are certain rules and procedure. It is believe that the 16 step pooja called “ Shodash-upchaar” pooja is the best form to worship the god. The word sodash in Sanskrit means “sixteen”. Following are the important steps in order to worship God-

Step 1 Avahan-welcome of gods
Step 2 Asana-offering of seat
Step 3 Padhya-offering water for washing feet(by sprinkling water)
Step 4 Argya-washing hand(by sprinkling water)
Step 5- Achamany-washing mouth
Step 6 Snan- water is offered for bath
Step 7- Vastram- Clothes are offered to god
Step 8- Yagyapaveet-sacred thread is offer
Step 9- Aabharnam- offer ornaments
Step 10- Gandh-offer sandalwood paste
Step 11- Pushpam-offer flowers
Step 12- Dhoopam- offer dhoop or aggarbati(incense stick)
Step 13- Deepam- lightening of lamp
Step 14- Naivadya-offering food
Step 15- Archana-reciting mantras and prayers
Step 16- Namaskaram- Salutation of god

Evil eye

The concept of “Buri Nazar” (evil eye) is very popular and creates ripples in the mind when any one heard about it. This is transfer of negative energy. When a person constantly think negative about another person or object the negative thoughts accumulated in the mind. This vibrating energy when transfer to another object, then it causes harm to it. For example when a person is affected by evil eye, then his thinking pattern may get disturbed badly. It might cause unexplainable diseases which are unexplain even by the world of medical science. Similarly when an object falls under the effects of evil-eye then it might be damaged. Intrestingly, it is the first gaze of the person which is important. Once it is neutralized , then there is no harm.
Even in china people put a octagonal mirror in front of their houses to prevent the evil effects entering the house. It is called “Shar” in china. On the same concept in India 7 chilies and a lemon is hang on top of the front door. Some of the effective methods of removing the evil eye are as follows
1) Wave salt over the head of the afflicted person and throw it in the running water.
2) Use red chilly and repeat the above step, but instead it is thrown in fire.
3) Hang 7 chilies and a lemon on top of the front door
4) Apply black spot on the forehead of children, if they are the sufferers
5) Black pot is hang on top of the house
6) Black thread is tied below the new vehichle.
7) Take a bowl of mustard oil and look your image in it. Then burn it outside the house.
8) Take seven red chilies, rock salt, mustered seeds, a piece of Fitkari and a lemon and put it in a small bag. And rotate the things three times clockwise and three times anticlockwise and ask the sufferers to spit for three times on the bag and throw all the articles at a distant place.
9) In an alum method , it is rotated 3 times around the affected person and then thrown in fire(But it is very dangerous method from spiritual point of view)
10) Use coconut and rotate it around the person in odd number and then break it at the cross road.
11) On the shadow of person place a lamp and put 7 chilles in it.
It is not only the human being responsible for the evil-eye, even animals also cast evil eye to human being. It is beleive that the wife of oil vendor,goldsmith and washerman possess more powers. So, there are many rituals to prevent from the aftermath of evil eye which varies from place to place and religion to religion.