A PEEP INTO THE STATUS OF THE TRIBAL SOCIETIES IN INDIA-Thoughts after my Arunachal Visit

Arunachal Pradesh is a unique state in many ways bounded on the three sides by the international boundary of India having Bhutan in the West, China in the North and Burma on the Eastern side. Another country Bangladesh is at some distance in South. Arunachal Pradesh is inhabited by 26 tribes which are divided into 100 sub tribes. Each tribe predominantly exists in a certain zone of the state and each one of them has a distinct identity defined by their linguistic dialect, religious practices, dress codes, administrative structure, festivals, cultural attitudes, matrimony and dispute resolution methods. There are some 50 linguistic dialects in the state. The entire state of Arunachal Pradesh is a part of the Eastern Himalayan Ranges and is home to some of the most complex water systems in the world primarily networked by the tributaries of Brahmaputra. It is a rich forest land. The British administered this part of their territory in the name of NEFT (North-East Frontier Tract) which later came to be known as NEFA (North-East Frontier Agency) which formed a part of the state of Assam administered by an agent of the governor of Assam. Until the 1962 war with China, Arunachal Pradesh was a forgotten part of India but thereafter gradually gained importance in the eyes of the Central Govt. in Delhi. In 1972, the Union Territory of Arunachal Pradesh was formed after which only the picture of modern Arunachal Pradesh emerged. The Union Territory of Arunachal Pradesh was then administered directly from the Central Govt. through a Lt.Governor. Thereafter in 1978, the state of Arunachal Pradesh was formed and the political & administrative power shifted from the Central Govt. to the people of Arunachal Pradesh. During my visit to Arunachal Pradesh between 4th & 12th Jul 2012, I had a wide ranging interaction with various categories and shades of people mostly belonging to Mishimi Tribe located in and around the Lohit District of Arunachal Pradesh. The Mishimi Tribe is spread in and around Lohit, Anjaw, Lower & Upper Dibang districts. During my various discussions, I learnt that the actual meaningful and sustained development of Arunachal Pradesh began from the year 1972 when it became a Union Territory. There are mixed reactions on the point whether the development of the state was better when it was a Union Territory or it is better after having gained statehood. Some of the people feel that the power came to the people of Arunachal Pradesh a little too soon and it would have been better had the Union Territory status continued for some more time. Arunachal Pradesh is a unique state of India which has evolved from a multi-tribal cultural background with no real political boundaries into a full fledged political establishment within the Indian Federation. It is unique in many ways making it the most appropriate sample for the study and research into the contribution of indigenous leadership for the growth and development of under privileged social groups. NEFT and then NEFA which is Arunachal Pradesh today was an out of bounds region for the majority of the civil society as it was inhabited by ferocious and aggressive tribes posing serious threat to any intruders. The Britishers earlier and the Govt. of India later preferred not to intervene or interfere in the affairs of the various tribes of this region. However after 1962, Arunachal Pradesh started gaining importance in the political considerations of the central Govt. To protect any kind of infiltration leading to resistance etc. , the Inner Land permit system was introduced for outsiders who wished to visit Arunachal Pradesh. This single step has protected to a great extent the ethnicity and virginity of Arunachal Pradesh leading to an uninterfered evolutionary process of the political system leading to the emergence of Pan Arunachal Pradesh multi tribal indigenous leadership to run and manage the affairs of the state. The maturation of the political process and leadership in this multi ethnic tribal society has been slow and often erratic but nevertheless the state has progressed slowly and steadily under its own indigenous leadership and today be it in health, education, vocational skills, employment generation, nourishment, agriculture and horticulture, it has achieved definite progress specially in the fields of education and health. During my interactions with the Mishimi Tribe, I learnt that the rate of literacy which was almost nil when NEFA was converted into the Union Territory has galloped upto almost 85% as on date and with a P.H.C. in every block, the health scenario has changed considerably. Epidemics and endemics used to take a heavy toll in the past but now the population is free of them. There are many Mishimi engineers, doctors and bureaucrats dotting the employment sector and the tribe as a whole are in a progressive trend. Even though, I could not directly interact with other tribes, I did learn that the major other tribes like the Adis and the Nyishis are even better off than the Mishimis. If it be so Arunachal Pradesh has emphatically and definitely established that if and when well meaning and responsible indigenous leadership takes charge of a deprived and backward society, that society is sure to improve its status in all spheres. One needs to look at some of the other tribal groups and societies such as Kols and Bhils of Bundelkhand of Uttar Pradesh or the Gonds and Rajgonds of Northern Andhra Pradesh and Eastern Chattisgarh not to mention many other such societies in states like Orissa, Maharashtra, Rajasthan etc. where indigenous leadership has either not emerged or is not strong enough to impact the decision making processes affecting their societies as a result of which not only some of these tribal groups have remained backward but have been left behind the main stream of development and progress. To add to their woes, the recent corporatization of the mining sector has resulted in large sections of deforestation and land grabbing making the tribal landless, helpless and ruefully exploited degrading him from the position of a forest lord to a mere laborer or even a beggar. In my opinion, the single most important factor responsible for the great disparity in the level of development between the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh and some of the less fortunate tribes in other states has been the lack of a strong responsible and impact generating indigenous leadership. The situation as mentioned here in above has led to many undesirable and dangerous consequences for the country such as the near revolt, armed or otherwise by the tribals whether as Maoists or Naxals or else becoming subjects for coercion into conversion thereby losing their natural ethnic identity. Also there has been a large scale migration from the forest to the large cities as casual laborers who belong to nowhere and are left to fend for themselves in the heartless caldron of cosmopolitan juggernauts. It is high time that the powers that be, wake up to save and restore the pride and place of the lord of the forests.

ASTROLOGY-SHREE VIDYA

The Astrological dimension of Shree Vidya
The respected & learned speakers before me have explained the salient features of ‘Shree Vidya’ yet I shall briefly draw upon the subject to develop the linkage of Astrology to ‘Shree Vidya’.
There has been a tendency in many Scholars to literally translate the word ‘Vidya’ as ‘Knowledge’. Knowledge is but a small subset of the phenomenon that ‘Vidya’ is. Information gathered or learned is knowledge which matures into understanding through the process of experiencing and ultimately graduates into wisdom when the understanding becomes an inseparable part of living. The entire process from knowledge gathering upto wisdom is denoted by ‘Vidya’. Gathering of knowledge has a degree of objectivity in it since knowledge is the object received by the individual subject. As the knowledge is digested and the chaff is removed, it loses objectivity as it becomes a part of the subject and he/she claims it to be his/her understanding. When this understanding expresses itself in behavior and action then it shines as ‘wisdom’ and the object subject notion is completely dissolved. ‘Vidya’ thus in its ultimate form is ‘Wisdom’. Another limitation in describing ‘Vidya’ as knowledge is that whereas knowledge can be temporal, situational, partial or incomplete, ’Vidya’ denotes a complete ‘Science’ within a given domain or with respect to ‘a’ subject including all the principles, concepts, axioms, equations and formulas. ‘Vidya’ therefore is the process of gathering knowledge in any subject in totality, the assimilation of such knowledge into understanding of the subject and the ripening of such understanding into wisdom related to the entirety of the subject domain. In this way, Vidya also denotes a Science.
The word ‘Shree’ has also been reduced to limited meanings as ‘auspicious’, ‘bounty’, ‘lakshmi-the consort of Vishnu’ etc. I would like to look at it differently. ‘Shree’ represents the expression of divinity which is the reason why, the word Shree is still used as a prefix to a name as a mark of respect. In the misplaced egocentric understanding nowadays ‘Shree’ is taken or used to give respect to just any individual, whereas, It was designed to give respect particularly to persons with divine grace oozing from their personality in their behavior and actions. Persons with wisdom, Gurus or selfless & generous persons were addressed as ‘Shree’ or ‘Shree-Shree’ in the Indian tradition. I would therefore, equate the word ‘Shree’ to Divine Expression or the spark of Divinity in connection to the process of creation.
In the lite of the foregoing, ‘Shree Vidya’ can be called Divine Wisdom in relation to the Science of Divinity or the Science of Creation. In that sense, it shall be in the fitness of things to call Shree Vidya’ as a Science of Divine Creation or the Divine Science of Creation which is quite an accurate connotation for it. For the beginner, it can be Knowledge, for the practioner, it can be understanding and for the Siddha or the Adept, it is Wisdom in the Science of Divine creation.
The word ‘Shree’ also denotes beauty which can be both objective and subjective. The objective understanding of beauty is connected to choice while the subjective understanding of beauty in its pure form is the right choice. The right choice is the reflection of righteousness which results from the evolutionary process as per the divine laws which can also be termed as ethics. In this sense ‘Shree Vidya’ is the ethics of aesthetics. When beauty transcends the boundaries of choice and becomes choice less appreciation of all pervasive beauty of creation, the wisdom of the realization of the Goddess Tripur Sundari happens.

‘Shree Vidya’ cannot be defined or enunciated as is the practice in modern Scientific parlance. I would like to put it in a concise form as under:-
a) The Origin;
b) The Cosmic Evolution;
c) The Paradigm and the Matrix;
d) The Macrocosm and the Microcosm- ‘Yathaa Bramhaand tatha Pind, Yathaa Pind tathaa Bramhaand’ ;
e) Interdependence and Connectivity in seamless Existence;
f) Dynamics and Processes of Evolution/Devolution;
g) Manifestations, Distribution, Hierarchy and Assigned Roles of Shaktis’ as Dieties;
h) Biological Evolution of life;
i) Human Evolution;
j) Evolution of the human perception of the entire process of creation;
k) Human action & reaction leading to creation of Karma aggregates;
l) The play out of the Karma Theory in relation to the cycle of births;
m) Laws & Rules governing Interdependence, Connectivity and Hierarchy;
n) Practices for Worship, Propitiation and Meditation etc. ;
o) Realization of Divine Wisdom;
p) Nirvana ;

In this way, ‘Shree Vidya’ embodies the entire structure and process of manifestation from the void upto the end of assimilation back into the void. It can also be stated as the process of conversion of Potential energy into Kinetic energy, the entire play of Kinetic energy and the dissolution of Kinetic energy back to Potential energy.
To facilitate a better understanding, the above dimensions of ‘Shree Vidya’ have been stated in some order but actually there is no sequence and everything exists simultaneously. The embodiment of Divine Wisdom or ‘Shree Vidya’ is in the form of ‘Tripura Sundari’. The very name of the Goddess describes, the essence of ‘Shree Vidya’ i.e. Creation, sustenance and assimilation. ‘Tripura’ is the all pervasiveness of the Creative force. ‘Tripura’ indicates the three stages of existence i.e. the Waking state, the Dream state and the Deep Sleep state. It also indicates the past, present & future as well as the body, the mind & the spirit. It also indicates the Gross body, the Subtle body and the Causal body as well as the Bramha Lok, the Vishnu Lok and the Shiv Lok. ’Sundari’ indicates the effulgent and flawless beauty of the ‘Goddess’ which can be seen in every aspect of creation.
Modern Science has reached a stage where the Scientist have started to visualize that there can be and there exists a theory of everything. The theory of everything also called the ‘M Theory’ shall encompass all existing and futuristic concepts, principles and theories within itself and shall be able to explain the complete phenomenon of Creation, Existence, Evolution, Devolution and Dissolution of this universe. Even though there has been a realization of sorts in the Scientific community favoring the existence of such a theory of everything, their pursuit of this theory is not destined to come to fruition. The reason being that any objective pursuit of such a master theory will fail as it can be realized only outside the subject/object domain. One has to be that to realize that. As the famous couplet of Kabirdaas says-
‘Laali mere laal ki jit dekhu tit laal, laali dekhan main gayi mai bhi hogayi laal’
Which means’ The effulgence of my Lord is everywhere and when I went to explore the source, I too became the source’.
The theory of everything which the Scientists are seeking closely resembles ‘Shree Vidya’. The only difference being that the Scientist’s approach is in the objective domain whereas the realization of ‘Shree Vidya’ is outside the domain of objectivity and can be approached only in the subjective domain.
My paper deals with the Dimension of Astrology as it emanates from Divine Science of Creation i.e. ‘Shree Vidya’. Creation, Existence, Evolution, Devolution, Perception, Experience etc. are all happening in the dimension of time, which exists in cycles called ‘Kaal Chakra’ or ‘Time Cycle’. Time is the essential fourth dimension in Creation and Existence. All existence is in motion from the micro to the macro. Motion is well defined displacement in space with respect to time. The play of Kinetic energy in space with time is at the root of all creation. The Kinetic energy is represented by ‘Shakti’ and the dimension of time is ‘Kaal’. The continuous copulation between ‘Shakti’ and ‘Kaal’ defines the continuity of ‘Creation’. This concept is depicted in ‘Shree Vidya’ upasana as the marriage between Tripura Sundari and ‘Maha Kaal’ as the essence of all creation.
Astrology stands on the ground of potential energy and reflects upon kinetic energy and interprets the changefulness of kinetic energy in perspective of time. Thus the changeful aspect of time is in intercourse with the changefulness of kinetic energy which is seen as the changefulness of the space. So the relativity of space and time becomes the karmic destination of every soul maturing into potential energy and static time called Moksha or Liberation. So long a soul as a person in life is passing through this changefulness, it is destined to particular effects or probabilities which is the subject matter of Astrology.
Every particle, planet or being etc exists in time cycles or Kaal Chakra. The concept of Kaal Chakra is always relational except when it refers to the dimension of Real or Absolute Time i.e. the time between the big bang and the big crunch called the ‘Maha Kaal’. Every being, particle, cosmic body or any form of matter have their own unique specific and well defined time cycles or Kaal Chakras. All this Kaal Chakras are mere subsets of the real time i.e. ‘Maha-Kaal’. It does translate that in every domain of creation from the micro to the macro levels, there are two elements as the two factors, one of energy and the other of time whose interplay is responsible for all the happenings in that domain of creation. These specific dimensions of energy and time are the specific representative of energy in the form of a ‘Shakti’ or ‘Diety’. The time dimension therefore enables the all pervasive dynamism in creation.
In the description of ‘Shree Vidya’, all the aspects like origin, evolution, devolution, interaction, interdependence, connectivity, perception, action, reaction, karmic interplay as well as realization are all occurring in the time dimension. The dimension of time therefore is an essential and inseparable determinant of ‘Shree Vidya’.
‘Jyotish’ is the Science which draws the relevant inputs from the paradigm and the matrix of the Cosmic Structure and links the inputs to the play-out of the karmic cycle both at the micro and the macro levels with respect to human perception from birth to death of a human being. These relevant inputs for the purposes of Astrology are the Nakshatras, the Rasis, the Planetary bodies and the Sun of our solar system as well as the earth satellite i.e. the Moon and its’ two nodes called Rahu & Ketu.
‘Shree Vidya’ embodies the entire creation as it happens, exists and gets dissolved. Astrology is a very small subset of ‘Shree Vidya’ as it deals with the happenings on earth which is an extremely minute part of the entire Universe. Astrology is therefore a study of the process of life through human perception within the framework of limited time based on the observable macro aspects of our Solar System drawing its’ rules & laws from the Universal rules & laws embodied in ‘Shree Vidya’ on the principle of ‘Yathaa Bramhaand tathaa Pind’ i.e. as in the Universe So on the Earth whether as an individual human life or as the changefulness of the environment on earth. Thus the rules & laws of Astrology are drawn from the rules & laws forming a part of ‘Shree Vidya’. In this way Astrology is a reflection of ‘Shree Vidya’ in the limited dimensions of Space & Time.
The birth of a human being at a given time & place in a given family, community and society is determined by the Karmic aggregates of the individual soul resulting from past lives. A portion of the Sanchit Karma or the Gross Karmic aggregates becomes the Prarabdha for the new birth of the individual soul. As and when, the cosmic pattern in terms of the planetary positions with respect to specific nakshatras reflects the Prarabdha pattern of the individual soul, the fertilization for life takes place through the unique set of parents who shall provide the environment suiting the new life’s journey as per the Karmic aggregates or Prarabdha. The cosmic pattern of the time of fertilization leading to the time of birth forms the basic premise for Astrological analysis of the individual life. The relevant cosmic data for the time of birth is mapped in the form of the individual’s horoscope. It can be seen that the aspects of connectivity and interdependence between the Karmic aggregates and the Cosmic structure are aspects of ‘Shree Vidya’ on which the Astrological study and analysis are based.
The Cosmic structure includes our Solar system which is in motion all the time. The elements that constitute our Solar System include the star-Sun, the planets including earth as well as the different moons of the planets. The Solar system is surrounded by innumerable galaxies and stars whose influence on our Solar system plays an important part in the happenings within the Solar system. This influence of the Cosmic system and Cosmic bodies which are outside our solar system has been factorized by Astrology in the form of nakshatras. These nakshatras or constellations dot the zodiac along which the different planets of our solar system orbit the Sun.
Astrology takes into account the motion of the planets with respect to the influences of the constellations as observed from our planet earth. The effect of Sun and the earth’s moon is also included in the matrix of determinants for Astrological analysis. Thus, the effect of the whole Universe is factorized into the Astrological formulas and analysis for the portrayal of the journey of ‘a’ human life from birth to death. The same elements are also taken into account for determining the changes of the environment on earth effecting human lives in general. In this way, the entire cosmic structure gets connected in determining the environmental effects in general and an individual life in particular. As already explained, ‘Shree Vidya’ encompasses this entire structure and the processes which Astrology takes into account, thereby establishing that Astrology is a well defined subset of ‘Shree Vidya’.
Astrology therefore deals with all the aspects of an individual’s life at the micro level and at the macro level it deals with the chronological environmental changefulness perceived as developments & variations as well as their impacts on human life and society. The former being known as ‘Individual Horoscopy’ or ‘Hora Shastra’ and the latter being called ‘Mundane Astrology’ or ‘Medini Jyotish’. In this way ‘Astrology’ is the limited reading of the process of ‘Shree Vidya’ both at the individual and the mundane levels in human perception deriving the relevant inputs for such readings from the hierarchy paradigm and the matrix of creation as per the laws and rules of the Divine Science of Creation i.e.’Shree Vidya’. The rules and formulas which form the bed rock for the Astrological readings and are an important part of Astrology are reflective of, as well as based on the laws and rules of ‘Shri Vidya’- The Divine Science of Creation.
In the modern Scientific parlance, Astrology is not considered to be a Science. It is either rejected as make-belief or superstition. It has become a subject of ridicule today. The Astrological community too has failed to eliminate the doubts and skepticism related to the great Science of Astrology in a clear and convincing manner. The questions often asked to Astrology are:-
a) Is life on earth connected or influenced by the planets etc. of our Solar System?
b) Is there something called destiny by which human beings are bound?
c) If there be destiny, Can Astrology determine it?
d) Even if Astrology can determine destiny, can it be modified by the Astro-remedial measures?
These questions are but only a few which continuously embarrass the Astrological community. The problem of the Astrologers arise from the fact that they do not have the understanding of ‘Shree Vidya’ and therefore try to answer all such questions only from the limited perspective of constellations & planets etc. Unless, Astrology is seen as an inseparable part & parcel of Shri Vidya’, it shall become a rootless branch of knowledge and will not be able to justify its derivation as well as application. In such a situation, Astrology will be like a building without a foundation which can get toppled at the slightest disturbance. Most of the problems with the modern Astrological community have happened due to the disconnect of Astrology from its Mother ‘Shree Vidya’ in the understanding of the Astrologers.
The connection between ‘Shree Vidya’ and Astrology gets established from the fact that the Goddess ‘Tripur Sundari’ is the presiding deity of the Sun which is the driving force of our Solar system. It is for this reason that Sun plays the key role in all Astrological calculations. The aspect of aesthetics which is the other dimension of the description of the Goddess is signified in her being the presiding Diety also of the planet Sukra which is the Astrological significator of the perception of beauty or aesthetics. Thus the all pervasive creative force signified by Sun and the aesthetic aspect signified by Venus are both presided over by the Goddess Tripur Sundari. This has been appropriately depicted in the portrayal of the Goddess in meditation seated on the death enchanted ‘SadaShiv’ on the navel or heart lotus with Bramhaa, Vishnu, Shankara & Eeshwara being the four legs of the pedestal. This is the best illustration of Prakriti dwelling over purusha where Prakriti happens to be the divine destiny and Purush the time dimension.
Every Science has a specific set of laws & rules which define and relate the domain which it represents. The entire set of rules and laws as existing in the domain is usually depicted as a model. This model lays out perfectly and describes all the aspects of the said Science.
The working model of Astrology is in the shape of the Horoscope. A horoscope represents the birth of a human life in the continuous process of creation indicating the planetary positions at the time of birth of an individual with respect to the birth ascendant. The birth ascendant is the point on the Zodiac which was rising on the eastern horizon at the place of birth of the individual at the time of his or her birth. A horoscope has twelve divisions equivalent to the twelve divisions of the Zodiac along which the planets are in motion. These twelve divisions of the horoscope are called rasis in general and as houses of the horoscope in Astrological parlance. By analyzing the 12 houses of the horoscope in relation to the planets located there-in at the time of birth, we can read the various aspects of the life of the individual including the personality, physical constitution, tendencies and the course of life. The structure of the horoscope indicates all aspects of the construction of the individual. One of the ancient methods of the presentation of the horoscope is designed using the ‘Tara Yantra’ which is in the form of the intersection of two concentric equilateral triangles with their apex in the opposite direction to each other with a circle around these two triangles touching all the six vertices. This has been shown in the figure below for a better understanding. This structure has been known to Tantra or Tantrik Jyotish and it reflects the basic philosophy of Tantra.




The six triangular segments formed as a result of the intersection of the two equilateral triangles form the six odd numbered inner houses namely the first, the third, the fifth, the seventh, the ninth and the eleventh houses of the horoscope. The six segments formed between the circumference of the circle and the edges of the two triangles form the other six even or exterior houses of the horoscope representing the second, fourth, sixth, eighth, tenth and the twelfth houses of the horoscope. This structure of the horoscope elucidates the basic philosophy of the creation of human life.
Let us now understand the structure of the horoscope. In most of the mammalian procreation, more so in the human procreation, there are two basic biological parental inputs for the procreation to take place. One is the male factor and the other is the female factor called the Father element or Pitru ansha and the Mother element or the Matru ansha respectively. In the ‘Nigama Shastras’ or the Vedic philosophy these have been described as the Purusha Tattva and the Prakriti Tattva whereas in the ‘Agama Shastras’ these two basic elements have been referred to as the Shiva Tatwa and the Shakti Tatwa. In ‘Kaal Chakra Tantra’, the connection between the two elements have been portrayed as Vishwanath or Mahakaal in intercourse with Vishwamata. The progeny produced therefore has both of these male & female elements forming an essential part of its total constitution which should get reflected in the structure of the horoscope as well. Apart from the two elements the progeny also gets inputs from the environment along with the birth, for its unique constitution. The environmental inputs represent the time & space known as Desha-Kaal and these should also be reflected in the structure of the horoscope.
Now let us examine the structure of the horoscope in the light of the three inputs i.e. the male element, the female element and the environmental element which go into the construction of the individual human being. The horoscope structure has three concentric figures in its design i.e. the triangle with the apex upwards, the triangle with the apex downwards and the circle around the intersecting triangles.







Diagrams of the Male triangle & the Female triangle





In this design, the triangle with the apex upwards represents the male element, the triangle with the apex downwards represents the female element and the circular boundary represents the universal or the environmental element- the Desha-Kaal element or the space-time element. The rasis numbering one, five & nine therefore represent the male element and the rasis numbering three, seven & eleven represent the female element whereas the rasis numbering two, four, six, eight, ten & twelve represent the environmental or the universal element in the horoscope. It is thus very much in the fitness of the horoscope design for the individual that the triangle with the apex upwards houses the three Rasis corresponding to the three male planets i.e. the Mesha Rasi ruled by Mangal, the Simha Rasi ruled by Ravi and the Dhanu Rasi ruled by Brihaspati. The triangle with its apex downwards houses two Rasis corresponding to the female planets i.e. the Tula Rasi ruled by Sukra & the Kumbh Rasi ruled by Sani whereas the third Rasi in this triangle is an exception as it houses the Mithun Rasi ruled by Budh having both male & female characters. The structure of the horoscope therefore represents the design of an individual with respect to the inputs which go into his or her construction.

Diagrams showing the inner & outer houses






The six inner houses formed due to the intersection of the two triangles are indicative of the aspects of the individual with which he is born. These elements are engrained in his/her very design which in modern scientific parlance is called his/her genetic constitution whereas the six houses formed between the circle and the edges of the two triangles represent his/her external environment at the time & place of his or her birth. Let us examine the veracity of this statement. At first we shall look at the six inner houses formed by the intersection of the two triangles i.e. the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth & the eleventh houses.

The first house represents the Body. The Identity, the inclinations, the vitality and the constitution in general.
The third house indicates the drive within the individual and his ability to apply himself or herself to the environment.
The fifth house represents the intellect and the discriminative faculty.
The seventh house represents the aspect of Vasana or the desires which are a part of the subconscious.
The ninth house represents the Prarabdha or the destiny which is a product of the individuals karmic aggregates from past births.
The eleventh house indicates the Karmaphala which is bound to come to the individual in this birth due to his past Karmas.
As can be seen from the basic indications of the inner houses formed by the intersection of the two triangles, all the aspects indicated are brought by the individual with the birth.

Now we shall examine the six external houses formed between the circle and the edges of the two triangles to know whether these houses represent indications of matters which come from or are related to the external environment of the subject of the horoscope.
The second house indicates the financial strength & status to be enjoyed by the individual in his current life .
The fourth house represents the Family and assets .The fourth house also represents the mind which may appear to be an aspect of the basic structure of the individual but actually the mind has been described as the traffic of thoughts which are results of the reactions to the external environment or reflections of the mental conditioning due to the experiences of the external world.
The sixth house represents obstacles ,opposition & illness.
The eighth house represents the process of degradation, aging or destruction.
The tenth house represents achievement, success and profession.
The twelfth house represents outgo or expenditure.
It is established without any doubt that the exterior houses formed between the circle and the edges of the triangles in the horoscope structure are reflect the environmental factors related to the individual.
This structure of the horoscope depicts unambiguously the process of ‘Shree Vidya’ as it unfolds in creation. The two-fold continuous dimensions of evolution or expansion and dissolution or contraction are represented as the male triangle & the female triangle respectively. The apex of the male triangle has Mesha Rasi in the standard horoscope of the Kaal Purush which is ruled by the motion indicating planet Mars/Mangal. The vertex on the left hand side has Simha Rasi which is ruled by the control & administration indicating planet Sun/Ravi whereas the vertex on the right hand side has Dhanu Rasi which is ruled by the expansion oriented planet Jupiter/Brihaspati. The male triangle therefore represents well defined process of motion leading to continuous expansion of the Universe as the spiral. The apex of the female triangle has balance indicating Tula Rasi which is ruled by the planet of aesthetics which is Venus/Sukra. The vertex on the left hand has intercourse indicating Mithun Rasi which is ruled by the communication & transaction indicating planet Mercury/Budh. The vertex on the right hand side has Kumbha Rasi which is ruled by the void or emptiness indicating planet Saturn/Sani. The female triangle therefore represents engagement in intercourse with the male forces to bring about a balance in the existence of Creation leading ultimately to assimilation into the void.
The rabid expansion of the Universe represented by the male triangle is contained by the female forces through the process of engagement in intercourse to bring about the balance in creation and facilitate through the process of contraction, the assimilation into void.
The horoscope structure therefore describes the process and structure of ‘Shree Vidya’ from the beginning to the end. It also matches with the portrayal of the Goddess representing the female forces or Shaktis seated in her meditation on the pedestal of male energies as described earlier. In other words the balancing or the containing force is that of the Goddess in the Universal Design.
It is interesting that in the design of the horoscope, the dimension of aesthetics in the Universal process happens to be the part of the female triangle.
The interplay of the time cycles of the planetary motion representing the dynamics of the Cosmic Energy at any given time forms the basis for the Astrological analysis leading to specific interpretation in terms of the events and happenings as perceived in the play of life on earth. The interpretations are based on the well defined Astrological rules of connectivity and interdependence drawn from ‘Shree Vidya’. The specific planetary dispositions determine the causal matrix for the specific & unique effects perceived on earth in life. This forms the diagnostic part of Astrology. The effects which are to be mitigated or else which need to be promoted are connected to the casual matrix for determining the relevant and appropriate remedial prescription. Each of the planets is presided over by one or more Shaktis of the Goddess and by appropriately propitiating the Shakti or Shaktis, such remedial propitiation can bring desired results. The principle on which this remedial process works is based on the connectivity of the cosmic structure as well as on the philology that past Karmas can be countered or intensified by the present Karmas. The remedial process however needs to be handled only under the guidance of a Siddha Upasaka or an adept master of the Science of ‘Shree Vidya’ for it to be effective. There are other methods of remedies such as Gem therapy, Color therapy etc but these are very limited in their effect.
The Science of Astrology is the application of the Divine Science of Creation in the framework of space and time limited to play of life on earth. The masters derived the Science of Astrology from ‘Shree Vidya’ in their highest wisdom for the benefit and the welfare of human beings in general but particularly for the seeker to help in the pursuit of spiritual evolution with the ultimate goal of Nirvana. By the help of Astrological analysis a seeker can identify his karmic structure and with the help of the master workout the most appropriate root to be taken for achieving the goal. In this way, Astrology was used as an important tool for spiritual development & evolution.
Another important aspect of spiritual seeking where Astrology plays an important role is in the selection of the auspicious time or moment when the Cosmic energies are most supportive for beginning the Sadhana or Upasana of ‘Shree Vidya’ by a Sadhaka or Upasaka. Like a kaleidoscope, the ever changing pattern of the Cosmic energy structure gets differently oriented from moment to moment. In each moment, the Cosmic energy structure provides unique & specific opportunity for executing certain types of actions on earth which shall get the support of the Cosmic energy thereby magnifying and intensifying the probability of success of the undertaken endeavor. This in Astrological parlance is called the fixing of the auspicious time- Muhurtha. The Muhurtha is not only activity specific but it is also person specific. In other words fixing the auspicious time for Sadhana is the alignment of the Cosmic energy with the activity and the person carrying out the activity. The moment when such an alignment happens is the appropriate Muhurtha.
In Sadhana as well as in Upasana there is the repetition of 108 count. Whether it is repeating a Beej Mantra or performing a ritual, the number 108 has an Astrological significance. As already stated, the Zodiac along which the planets move around the Sun is dotted with stars which are exterior to the Solar system. 27 groups of such stars have been identified and given specific identity and names. These group of stars called constellations or nakshatras are the source of the Cosmic energy flowing into the Solar System. To make, the effects of each group finer, each group has been divided into four parts referred to as the padas of each constellations. Thus in all there are 27*4 or 108 such padas. By the repetition of a mantra or a ritual 108 times each section of the Cosmic energy structure is addressed and propitiated by the sadhaka or the Upasaka. This is the Astrological role & significance of 108 repitions in Sadhana or Upasana which portrays the crucial link between Astrology and Shree Vidya as determined by the masters.
In the pursuit of mundane goals Astrology has been brought down from its high pedestal to the level of serving pursuits of power, prosperity and other mundane benefits whereby it has lost it’s spiritual ideals leading to the short sightedness of the practitioner of Astrology. In the process, the great Science of Astrology has got disconnected from ‘Shree Vidya’ and thereby it has lost it’s place and respect.
In the end, it is time for the Astrological community to wake up and work for the restoration of its lost glory by re-establishing its link to it’s origin i.e. ‘Shree Vidya’, which calls for dedicated and sincere research in this direction.

THE ELEMENT OF DESTINY

The questions that are frequently asked about Destiny are:-

Is there something called Destiny? If so, what is its role in a human life?

How important is it for an individual to know his or her Destiny?

Does it help one to know one’s Destiny?

Should Destiny be factorized in our day to day living and decision making? Does it help?

Can Astrology be an accurate indicator of Destiny?

Is there a difference between Destiny and Fate? If so what is the exact role of these two?

Can Destiny be known? If so, can it be altered?

It is said that one can make one’s own Destiny by intelligently done hard work and that Astrology is for cowards. Is this true?

How does Destiny blend with human effort, endeavor or enterprise?

Will knowing one’s Destiny be interfering with it?

Does knowing one’s Destiny weaken one’s resolve and will power?

Can human evolution be explained by Destiny?
Has Astrology predicated the destined course of human evolution in the past?

Can Destiny be established through scientific evidence?

If individual Destiny is is the sole determinant of all happenings in one’s life then what is the explanation for major tragedies such as earthquakes, air crashes, wars or epidemics in which many people lose their lives?

The answers to the above questions shall get developed in the course of the detailed analysis of Destiny from all possible angles which shall be carried out in the following paragraphs.

Life is a stream of experiences; it is akin to a journey. Every journey essentially has a destination. The progress in any journey has to be ‘directed’ towards the destination otherwise the journey may not turn out to be fruitful since the destination may not be reached. This directional element due to which the journey converges towards the destination is called the Destiny for the journey. Without the element of Destiny guiding a journey, the journey becomes an aimless wandering; therefore for any journey to be meaningful; it has to have its Destiny.

The process of Life, forms an essential part of the Universe which is a huge, complex and a perfect system in itself. If any sub-system of a system is chaotic in nature then the system cannot remain a system. Such a system shall get destroyed eventually. Thus it follows that life has to be systematic and certainly not chaotic in nature and it also follows that life has an objective to be fulfilled and this objective is the destination for ‘a life’. It is imperative then, for every life to have its Destiny. Destiny therefore is an undeniable fact of everyone’s and for that matter every living being’s life.

In terms of the theory of Karma described in the foregoing chapter, the portion of the total accumulated Karmas of a living being (the Sanchit Karmas), to be exhausted in the present life for a living being is the Prarabdha Karma or the Destiny for that being for the current life. This definition of Destiny is appropriate from the point of the theory of Karma but actually Destiny of a life for a living being is much more than that. The Prarabdha Karma describes the causative formulation and in some ways the content of the individual Destiny but it provides only one part of the story so far as the purpose of a life or Destiny is concerned.

Human mind searches for a purpose in Existence or Creation which has to be fulfilled by all sentient beings taken together. A small part of this perceived purpose of Creation gets connected or assigned to, and needs to be accomplished, by every living being. The Human perception is central to this scheme. The Prarabdha Karma (individual Destiny) with which a living being is born-with, matches with the role assigned to that living being in the scheme ascribed to Creation for the current life. In the process of exhausting the Prarabdha Karma (individual Destiny) by living its life, the living being accomplishes the role and task enjoined upon it as per the Grand Design of Creation.

Destiny therefore has two dimensions to it. One is the exhaustion of the Prarabdha Karma (individual Destiny) in the present life of a living being and the other dimension is the fulfillment of the objective of the self-evolutionary process of Creation or the Grand Design of Creation. In this manner the unique Karmic orientation of the individual being in the form of its Prarabdha Karma (individual Destiny) serves the process of Creation. Of the two dimensions of Destiny, one is individualistic in nature which is relevant for the living being whereas the other is Universal in nature pertaining to the Grand Design of Creation. Normally we look upon Destiny purely from the point of view of the individualistic dimension and associate our own achievements or failures to it; in the process we overlook the other dimension of Destiny which supersedes its individualistic component.

If we look around in nature, we shall find this duality of Destiny in every aspect of living. When we enjoy a tasty fruit, we release the seed. The eating of the fruit apparently serves our own desire or purpose but the releasing of the seed, thereby making it available for regeneration of that particular plant species, is the purpose of Creation which has been inadvertently facilitated by our action. The process of procreation is another example wherein the partners engage in the act for pleasure but in the process they procreate new life. The pleasure seeking of the process is the individual goal for each partner but procreation is the goal of Creation which is achieved by the partners through the conjugal process.

The dual dimensions of Destiny also bring forth the fallacy of the arguments in favor of Freewill & Doership propagated by the Self-Help Gurus and the like. Such arguments are based on the false premises that personal goals alone need to be achieved in one’s life and that Creation is meant to facilitate individual effort and endeavor. The importance of the Creation’s objective for each and every life is either not known to the propagators of Freewill & Doership or they think that it can be ignored. In fact the Creation’s process is primary and the individual objectives are secondary in the scheme of Destiny. The individualistic dimension of Destiny is actually subservient to the Universal dimension of Destiny. The propagators of Freewill & Doership have turned this reality on its head. Unless it is categorically understood that Creation is supreme and the living beings are but mere tools in the hands of Creation, we shall only be fooling ourselves. Our Prarabdha Karma (individual Destiny) is always subservient to the Grand Design of Creation and never vice-versa. Our individual Destiny gets designed on the basis of our Prarabdha Karma but its purpose is to always facilitate the self-evolutionary process of Creation.

The evolution of life, from the unicellular organism to the complex
Human Being is a part of the Grand design of Creation or the self-evolutionary process of Creation which has got facilitated by the specific roles played by the whole lot of sentient beings from time to time, matching with their Prarabdhas (individual Destinies) all along. The sum total of all Prarabdha (individual Destiny) of all beings for an epoch is always in consonance with the Grand Design of Creation for it to progress on its self evolutionary path. The evolution of the Human Being has been as per the agenda of Creation through its process of self evolution and not arbitrarily through the process of trial & error or by chance; in faxt, it has been destined that way.

The Cosmic Destiny or the Grand Design of Creation has been framed from the probable moment of the Big Bang in and by its own self evolved ‘set & structure’ of cosmic laws. The Destiny of the Universe therefore is linked to the Destinies of all its sub-systems. This has been and continues to be the process of self-evolution within the Universe. This rule applies to all the subsets and subsystems of the Universe including the Human Being.

That there exists a dual dimension in Destiny, can be best illustrated by the paradoxical nature of the law of Probability, which has puzzled the philosophers ever since Pascal enunciated the principles of this important branch of mathematics, so much so that von Neumann, one of the greatest mathematicians, called it ‘Black Magic’. The paradox of Probability lies in the uncanny precision of the formulas of Probability in predicting the outcome of a large number of individual events, each one of which is, in itself unpredictable. In other words, a large number of uncertainties together produce a certainty or a large number of random events produce a lawful outcome. It gets established even mathematically that every event has two dimensions to its outcomes which may not appear to be related or may even appear to be contradictory; one dimension is the result which is relevant for an individual event whereas the other dimension is the outcome which is relevant for the whole domain of such events, of which, the individual event may be only a very small part. These two dimensions are reflective of the two dimensions of Destiny, described in the foregoing paragraphs.

Arthur Koestler has cited examples which establish the two dimensions of Destiny explicitly. He cites from the statistics of the New York Department of Health which showed that the average number of dogs biting people per day was: 75.3 in 1955, 73.6 in 1956, 73.5 in 1957, 74.5 in 1958 and 72.4 in 1959. The uniformity in the statistical data related to dog bites is startling and the obvious question arises as to how did the dogs know when to stop biting and when to resume the same? Another example he takes is from the statistical data available for the number of fatal kicks given by horses of the German cavalry in the 19th century. The uniformity in this case too was amazing, leading to the same question as to who controlled the number of fatal kicks of the horses and how? Yet another case is that of the murders in England and Wales for howsoever different reasons or situations. The average number of murders per million of population was: 3.84 in 1920s, 3.27 in 1930s, 3.92 in 1940s, 3.30 in 1950s and 3.50 in 1960s. The close similarity in the numbers is surprising, to say the least. Certainly there was no ‘murderers union’ which was regulating the number of murders to be committed in each decade.

The modern scientific answer with respect to the above examples is possible only through the laws of Probability and Science admits that it cannot explain these phenomena by physical forces. The theory of Probability therefore has become an indispensible tool for physics, genetics, economics, insurance, opinion polls, sociology etc. The ‘Black Magic’ of von Neumann has been taken for granted by Science but there is no scientific explanation for it. To ask ‘why’ is to ask ‘why there is the Universe’? The explanation of this phenomenon is however possible only in terms of the two dimensions of Destiny. The individualistic dimension of Destiny governs the outcome for the individual at the micro level and the Universal dimension of Destiny governs the outcome at the macro level, for any event. The link between the two sets of outcomes is established by the formulae of Probability. Modern physics has also realized the holistic vision that the ‘whole’ is necessary for the understanding of the ‘parts’, as much as the ‘parts’ are necessary for the understanding of the ‘whole’. This has been aptly summed up by Prof. David Bohm, when he says: “Thus one is led to a new notion of unbroken wholeness, which denies the classical idea of the analyzability of the world into separately and independently existing parts”. Thus modern Science accepts that individuality cannot exist independently on or of its own but can exist only as a logically linked part of the whole or the Universe. If this be true, which it surely is, then how can there be any individual Destiny unless it is an integral part of the total or the Universal Destiny.

There is the interesting case of Paul-the octopus which could predict correctly the results of all the nine soccer world cup 2010 matches, including that of the finals, which were referred to it. Paul-the octopus would open the lid of the box representing the winning team, out of the two boxes presented to it, representing the two teams playing the particular match, just before the contest commenced. How did the octopus know the result of the match beforehand is a question which shall be debated or researched upon but what is more important is the fact that the results of the matches were destined, notwithstanding the quality of play, the efforts of the players or the course of the match. Which player shall score a goal and which ones shall fail in their attempts was guided by the Destiny of the concerned individual players but the Destiny of the whole match was already fixed otherwise how the octopus could correctly make its prediction of the result of each of the nine matches referred to it.

The foregoing example establishes unambiguously the following facts:-

(1) that the individual Destiny plays out in a way so as to facilitate the process of the Grand Design of Creation;

(2) that the individual’s Destiny is always subservient to the Universal Destiny.

(3) that Destiny can be known or predicted.

The following mythological story appropriately highlights the importance of the the Universal dimension of Destiny in influencing the individual Destiny:-

There was a poor farmer in a small village who was one morning sitting under a tree, grudging his abject poverty. Soon a group of the King’s soldiers went past him announcing with drum beats that whosoever is able to interpret the dream seen by the King would be rewarded with five hundred gold coins. The poor farmer thought that what if he could interpret the King’s dream but alas he was not skilled in that art. At that very moment, a small bird perched on a branch of the tree above him, announced that it knew about the King’s dream and that it could tell the meaning of that dream as well. The farmer got excited and requested the bird to let him know about the dream. The bird agreed to do so but on the condition that the farmer shall share the reward, fifty-fifty with the bird. The farmer agreed to the bird’s proposal. The bird told the farmer that the King had seen a jackal sitting on his throne which meant that some of his close confidants were planning a coup. The enlightened farmer went to the King’s palace and narrated the dream as well as its significance to the King. The King was fully satisfied with the interpretation and he rewarded the farmer with the promised five hundred gold coins. On his way back the farmer contemplated and thought that what use the bird will have of the gold coins and hence he decided to avoid the bird by taking another route on his way back to his home. Meanwhile the prophecy came true and the King was able to protect himself due to the prior information. The farmer became prosperous and lived happily till one day the soldiers of the King were back on his door asking him to report to the King immediately to interpret another dream seen by the King. The farmer was afraid but he had no option but to try to find the bird and ask for its help. So the farmer went back to the same tree and to his astonishment the bird welcomed him saying that I know why you are here? The farmer asked for forgiveness for the last occasion and sought the bird’s help. The bird told the farmer that this time he should ensure that the reward shall be honestly shared. The farmer agreed. The bird then told him that the King has dreamt of a big fire in the palace which meant that the Kingdom shall be attacked by a neighboring ambitious and greedy King and that the King should reinforce his army appropriately. The farmer went to the palace and explained the dream as told by the bird. This time the King rewarded the farmer with a thousand gold coins. On his way back, the farmer again avoided the bird and came home. Once again the prophecy came true and the King could crush the aggressor because he was prepared. The farmer became even more prosperous and was busy enjoying life but one day the King’s soldiers were back again asking him to report to the King urgently. The farmer became terribly afraid thinking of the consequences but he had no other option but to try to locate the bird once again. Fortunately he found the bird on the same tree and this time too, the farmer expressed his apologies to the bird which again agreed to help but on the same condition that the farmer should share the reward fifty-fifty to which the farmer agreed once again. The bird told him that this time the King had dreamt of a flock of swans flying over the palace which indicated that the time ahead was one of great peace & prosperity for the Kingdom. As before the farmer went to the palace and explained the dream. The King was very happy and this time he rewarded the farmer with two thousand gold coins. On his way back the farmer went straight to the bird and offered the whole reward to it and sincerely apologized for his previous actions. He blamed himself of being dishonest, ambitious and greedy for which he begged for the bird’s forgiveness. The bird told the farmer to distribute the money within the poor and the needy but more importantly it told the farmer not to feel so guilty about his conduct on the two previous occasions. Explaining this, the bird told the farmer that on the earlier two occasions the environment was influenced by deceit, ambition and greed because of which the programming of deceit, ambition and greed became overwhelming and irresistible in the farmer’s own behavior too. It told the farmer that on this occasion the environment was under the spell of goodness which motivated the farmer to come and offer the full reward to it and beg for forgiveness for previous mistakes.

The above story brings out the influence of the Universal dimension of Destiny on the individual’s Destiny in a given time & space, quite emphatically. It also shows that the Universal dimension of Destiny is the dominant factor in the overall play of Destiny. Thus the law of interdependence in Existence is fulfilled by the fact that Destiny gives little or no room for an individual to act freely.

The question that obviously arises is, as to ‘How’ or ‘By what method’ can Destiny be known?

Whereas there can be various methods of looking into the future both for knowing the individual as well as the Universal Destiny but one of the ancient and tested methods is provided by Astrology. As has been already stated in the foregoing chapter, Astrology takes the clues from the dispositions of planets (of our solar system) on the Zodiac, for indicating the course of Destiny at any given time, be it the Destiny of the individual or for our world-the Earth. The Destiny of the individual can be known from the individual’s horoscope drawn for the time and place of birth of the concerned individual whereas the trends of the world can be known by applying the principles and methods provided by Mundane Astrology. These methods shall be taken up in detail while answering questions on Astrology in the later chapters.

Destiny can be known and Astrology is one of the ancient and tested methods of knowing it but then one would like to know ‘What is the use of knowing one’s Destiny?’ or ‘Does it help in any way to know one’s Destiny?’

Knowing one’s destiny is like being aware of the weather forecast. One can take necessary precautions for the inclemency of the weather if the same has been forecast and one is aware of the weather forecast. Much in the same manner, by being aware of one’s destiny too, one can prepare oneself accordingly to face the emerging situations. Awareness itself is a great help in Life. The following illustration shall explain this fact further:-

Prof. John and Prof. James from South Africa are invited for a conference in Srinagar (Kashmir-India) which is scheduled to be held in December. Prof. John has an Indian friend whom he consults for knowing the weather conditions in Srinagar during December. On being advised that Srinagar is extremely cold during December, Prof. John carries his woolen gear along, on the trip. Prof. James has no knowledge of the weather condition in Srinagar during December and therefore he does not make the necessary arrangements. As a result when both the gentlemen land in Srinagar for the conference, Prof. John is prepared whereas Prof. James is not. The lack of awareness of the weather conditions has made the difference in the preparedness of Prof. James.

Much in the same way, the awareness of one’s destiny can help
one in bracing oneself for the likely future scenario. Knowing destiny is like knowing the road map to the destination which helps in moving towards the destination smoothly and comfortably. Ask a sailor to know how important navigation is while sailing at sea. Navigation is not at all possible without the knowledge of the coordinates of one’s current location and that of the destination as well as the direction of the winds and the nature of the Ocean at the time of sailing. Piloting an aircraft successfully also needs the skill of navigation which again is based on the necessary data for the route to be taken in flight. The knowledge of the required data for effective navigation is akin to the knowledge of destiny for the appropriate navigation of life for the individual. Effectively navigating one’s life therefore can be possible if and only if there is awareness of destiny. Factorizing this awareness into the decision making process for one’s future course of action can make a huge difference in the timing as well as the quality of one’s actions which undoubtedly shall make a difference in the achievements both at the individual and the Universal levels.

The awareness of one’s destiny is like the stick in the blind man’s hand which helps him to not only find his way around but also helps him in avoiding obstacles and pitfalls in his way. Knowing one’s destiny too helps one find the right path as well as helps in avoiding the obstacles and the pitfalls on the path. Yet another simile can be, one’s presence in a dark room. If one is aware of the location of the door in the dark room then one can find it with minimum difficulty but if one is not aware of the location of the door then not only one shall keep hitting the walls or stumbling on things present in the room but one may not find the door at all. The fact that awareness of destiny can be of a great help can never be over emphasized.

Another dimension of the knowledge of one’s Destiny is the possibility of maneuvering it within the available space to create opportunities for one-self. Within the available space, there is a possibility of remedial actions for the modification or correction of the destined course. It may appear to be contradictory to whatever has been stated here-in-earlier but actually it is not so. As in the case of a sick person, the sickness happens due to the unique constitution of the person being adversely affected by the person’s own past actions of commission or omission or due to an external infection which by the help of proper diagnosis and medication or surgery can be cured or managed, so too in the case of destined challenges or difficulties being faced by a person due to his past
Karmas, the undesirable effects due to Destiny can be modified or mitigated by applying appropriate remedies after proper diagnosis. For example if one has misbehaved with the boss and the boss has initiated disciplinary action for one’s inappropriate behavior, then if one sincerely apologizes at the right time to the boss, there is a good possibility that the boss will pardon and withdraw the disciplinary proceeding. The act of apologizing is a remedial action which if done sincerely and timely, will negate the due punishment. However not all effects due to past Karmas can be modified, managed or corrected. As has already been explained in the foregoing chapter, the Dridha Karmas or the fixed Karmas cannot be altered or negated in any manner whatsoever. Only the Dridha-Adridha and the Adridha Karmas or the semi-fixed and the variable Karmas can be maneuvered with. For example, if a utensil made of glass falls down, it gets broken into pieces and there is no way to restore it back to its original form but if a utensil made of metal falls down then it can be put back in its place. The falling and breaking into pieces of the glass utensil is of the Dridha Karma category whereas the falling of the metallic utensil can be of any one of the other two categories of Karmas.
Which portion of Destiny can be managed and which cannot be
managed can be identified by the help of Astrological analysis. Astrology can also provide the suitable and appropriate means & methods for altering or correcting the effects or the course of Destiny related to the Adridha or the Dridha-Adridha Karmas. The detailed description of these methods shall be dealt with in the later chapter on Remedial Measures.

The understanding of Destiny shall not be complete without stating the fact that even knowing one’s Destiny as well as being able to get the correct and timely advice about the remedies is possible if and only if one is destined to get the same. The prior statement is for the general population however the same cannot be said about the highly accomplished one, whose elevated mind can go beyond Destiny and erase out Destiny through non-identity (Nirvana) because Destiny works only in ‘Identity’ whereas it gets dissolved in non-identity (Nirvana). From the point of view of Destiny, such a one is either having Prarabdha (individual Destiny) that reaches him or her into the state of non-identity or that person can be an incarnation of the Principle beyond Destiny.

Even the knowledge of one’s Destiny as well as that of the remedies or the methods for maneuvering it, is of little help, if one’s Destiny comes in the way of the acceptance of the remedies and their being carried out as prescribed. In other words, any intervention in the course of Destiny is also a part of Destiny. It should however be made clear that an intervention in the course of Destiny can be possible only within the context or space provided by the overall design of the individual Destiny. An intervention can be best understood as the enabling-of or the disabling-of an existing program in the given system; the introduction of any new program is completely ruled out. Another question that arises at this stage is that-

‘If intervention in the course of destiny is possible, even in a limited way, then does it not affect the course of Universal destiny, which goes against the description of the Universal destiny stated here-in-earlier?’
The linkages between individual destiny and Universal destiny are never violated whether or not there is any intervention in the course of individual destiny. The intervention is likely to be effective if and only if the Universal destiny provides the opportunity and the space for such an intervention to succeed. This is an important point and this also explains as to why-

a) an intervention may not be sought for;

b) an intervention sought for is not available in time;

c) an intervention sought for and available in time may not be appropriate;

d) an intervention sought for, made available in time and appropriate in quality may not be heeded or may be followed erroneously;

In all the above cases, intervention is blocked due to the Universal destiny not supporting the cause despite the individual Will for it.
It is interesting to observe how the drama of the Universe carries on and the only master of this whole show is Creation howsoever we may wish to call it. Creation is always in control of itself and whatever semblance of control, if any, we feel we enjoy in our day to day living is only there because of the space provided by Creation.

A discussion on Destiny shall remain inconclusive if its dynamic nature is not highlighted. As we live our lives, we keep on exhausting some of our past Karmas and also keep on creating new Karmic aggregates. This continuous process of exhausting and creation of Karmas keeps on changing the configuration of our Destiny on a regular basis. Thus it can be seen that Destiny is actually dynamic in nature and this is why it is not synonymous with Fate. Fate is a fixed entity and can be equated to the fixed element of Destiny or the Dridha Karma. Fate therefore can best be described as a subset of Destiny. It is erroneous to equate Fate with Destiny as a whole.

It is obvious from the foregoing that Destiny is dynamic and of a highly complex nature which then leads one to the obvious question that:-

‘If Destiny is as complex and dynamic as described so far, then is it possible to keep track of it at all times and if so how?’

There is no doubt that Destiny is complex and dynamic but even then it is possible to know the present Destiny of an individual at any given time and place. Astrology has developed methods for reading the present Destiny for any individual at the time and place of reference or inquiry. The twists and turns of Destiny as it unfolds can be traced beginning with the birth of the individual to the time and place when he or she prefers to know about the current scenario with respect to Destiny. The method for knowing the current state of one’s Destiny shall be described in the later chapter on Astrology.

When we talk of Destiny, it is always in terms of a subject or entity, be it an individual, a group, a community, a society, an enterprise, a nation, an institution, or a group of nations. In all these cases the entity which forms the subject of Destiny is well defined in terms of the dimensions of space and time. In other words the aspect of Destiny is applicable to finite and clearly definable entities within the boundaries of space & time. All such entities are subsets of what we know as the Universe. The two dimensions of Destiny i.e the entity’s own Destiny and the Destiny assigned to the entity by Creation or the Universal destiny, form an essential part of the overall Destiny for the entity at any given time. When we talk of the Universe, we deal with an entity whose boundaries are not determined in terms of time & space. All we know is that the Universe is infinitely huge and it is ever expanding. There are various hypotheses on the evolution of the Universe but no one is certain about how & when exactly the Universe came into being. It is therefore impossible, at least, as of now, to include the Universe in the list of entities who’s Destiny can be predicted or known with any degree of certainty or accuracy. Creation alone knows the purpose and the course of Destiny of the Universe.

However when we consider our Earth or what we call our own world,
as an entity, there is a better possibility of knowing its Destiny. The Destiny of the world too is largely in the hands of Creation but nevertheless, it can be known for the short term by the help of the methods of Mundane Astrology even though this too has serious limitations. The world by itself has no Prarabdha Karmas or the Destiny of its own, other than the total Prarabdha of all beings inhabiting the world at any given time, which is impossible to assess, hence in its case, only the Destiny enjoined to the world by the self evolutionary process of Creation at any given time can be known through Mundane Astrology. The destined course that the world shall take, can be known only for the short run since the purpose and objective of the world’s coming into being and its existence falls in the domain of the self evolutionary process of Creation.

Who could have known except for Creation itself that the unicellular organism shall become a complex form of life in the form of the Human Being? Since Creation alone has the complete freedom to Know, to Will and to Act, it can change the course of the World’s Destiny anytime at Will. This overpowering and controlling aspect of Creation is evident in the calamities and tragedies that take place wherein a large number of people suffer casualties or extreme suffering. In most of such cases the individual destinies may not be indicating death or suffering at the time of the occurrence of the tragedy but the Universal Destiny overrules the direction and content of the individual destinies in the moment. The destructive dimension of Creation puts a full-stop to the flow of individual destiny and places its own agenda above all. The self evolutionary process of Creation has an inbuilt system of destruction too for it to facilitate the process of self evolution in a certain manner and direction. Much like the process of gardening, in which the sprucing up and weeding out of plants is done to give the garden a desired look, Creation uses its destructive forces in the self evolutionary process to promote the Grand Design of evolution. This fact of life once again establishes the superiority of the Universal Destiny as well as the subservient nature of the individual Destinies.

The long term Destiny for the World is therefore impossible to predict. In fact any consideration to be given to the Universal dimension of Destiny while looking at an individual’s Destiny can only be for the moment or for the immediate future. A long term view of the Universal Destiny can be hazardous or erroneous to say the least and therefore it has to be assessed repeatedly from time to time for the time and place of reference or consideration. The science of Astrology does take these facts into consideration and has devised accurate enough methods for assessing an individual’s destiny as well as the Universal Destiny for a given time & space.

Knowing Destiny is important and useful but most of the time an indication of the trend or the likely course of Destiny is enough, rather than knowing the exact detail of it. A businessman would like to evaluate a business proposal in terms of its viability, he may not be interested to know the exact profit or loss the proposed business is likely to make. Similarly a student may like to know about the most suitable direction of his or her higher education rather than the exact score he or she shall obtain in the examination. A sick man may want to know the possibility of his getting well in the coming days and not the exact date when he shall be completely fit. The trends or indications of the likely course of Destiny are fairly easily determinable by the help of Astrology which in itself is very helpful for making important decisions in life. A simple and pragmatic approach to knowing the trend of Destiny should be adopted by those who wish to refer to it.

Until and unless there is complete awareness and understanding of the multi-dimensional nature of Destiny, it is extremely difficult to comprehend its working in the day to day living. It is certainly not surprising that there are contradictory attitudes towards Destiny in the common person’s mind. Like for any technical subject of which the layman’s knowledge can often be misleading, the inappropriate understanding of Destiny too makes it controversial and a subject of uncalled for debate. I have tried to bring out as vividly as possible, the various dimensions of Destiny and I sincerely hope that the readers shall not only get the answers to their many questions on Destiny but they shall also get a deeper understanding of its complexities and its working in one’s Life.

Often people get influenced by the layman’s understanding of Destiny to believe that all talk of Destiny is foolishness and that it is meant for the cowardly, who want to hide behind Destiny to cover up their own failures or to justify their own inabilities and shortcomings. Nothing can be more self defeating than the holding of such notions. Knowledge of Destiny can in fact be extremely helpful in deciding correctly on a future course of action. It can help in timing the actions suitably and can also help in avoiding any obstacles in the way. Being aware of one’s strengths and weaknesses can never be termed as foolishness or cowardice. The opportunities that come our way in life are indeed rare and the resources available to us at any given time are but scarce. To evaluate the viability of an apparent opportunity for investing one’s scarce resources is not by any means a simple task. Losing a good opportunity or wasting the scarce resources on an unviable one, can be disastrous. Those who are able to invest their scarce resources on the most suitable opportunity that comes their way are more likely to be successful in life. Knowledge of Destiny can be a dependable guide in these matters. However there is no denying of the fact that only those, who are destined to obtain the knowledge of Destiny and derive benefits from it, shall be able to do so.

By now the readers shall be able to connect that the Karmas of the past, reflect and are causative in the formulation of Destiny, as it happens to unfold itself in one’s present Life from time to time in consonance with the Grand Design of Creation which also establishes beyond doubt that the notions of Freewill & Doership are mere illusions caused by the erroneous egocentric thinking and belief.
The understanding that Astrology stands on the foundation of the theory of Karma and its derivative in the form of the element of Destiny, is not only crucial but it is essential before even attempting to know about the Science of Astrology in the true sense.

THE KARMA THEORY

The questions that are normally asked with respect to the theory of Karma are:-

What connection is there between the present life & past actions?

What is Karma and how does it affect our lives?

Is there rebirth?

What is the role of our present actions with respect to our Karma bondage?

What is the connection between Karma & Astrology?

Can the Karmas created by past actions be modified or nullified and can Astrology help in this respect?

Is Karma the ultimate determinant of all our experiences in life?

Is it possible to know one’s Karma through Astrology?

If Karma determines all aspects of the present life then are we responsible for future Karmas? If so why?

Karmana is a Sanskrit word which means action or deed together with its effect. The word Karma is a derivative of Karmana. It is both a noun as well as a verb. Any action undertaken by an individual becomes his/her Karma and the result accruing from that action is called Karmaphal or the result of the action. Even though Karma & Karmaphal are different they both are often referred to as Karma. The word Karma therefore refers to both the cause & the effect. The cause is the action or the deed undertaken by the individual and the effect of that action or deed is the result or the fruit of such an action.

The Universe or the Cosmos is a system having its set of rules which are self evolved. These rules govern the process of self evolution of the Cosmos from ‘Being to Becoming’. This ‘Being’ to ‘Becoming’ has evolved from the non-living to the living and further by the self evolutionary process the living being developed into the human being having a developed faculty of Perception. It is the human perception which has created Karma. The forms of life which have no perceptual choice of Action and live only by their Instinct do not create Karma. The perceptual choice of action which has not been completed remains etched as memory in the human mind in the form of a conditioning which leads to rebirth for the completion of the uncompleted action. This whole process is called the ‘Cycle of Karma’.

Karma is basically an Indian concept and therefore it forms an essential & important part of all pan-Indian Philosophies, be it the Buddhist philosophy, the Sikh philosophy, the Jain philosophy or the various variants of the Vedic & the non-Vedic philosophies. It is therefore very important to understand the Karma theory as originally enunciated in the Indian thought.

The Indian concepts of the Karma theory are based on the premise that the body of a living being is merely a vehicle for ‘a’ part of such a being’s total Journey of Life. The death of the body does not mean the end of the journey of Life for the being. In other words the soul of the being or the Jeeva* takes up one body after the other which can be in the form of any living being ranging from a unicellular organism to the human form including the plant, the animal or the bird forms. This process is commonly known as ‘Rebirth’. The concept of rebirth is not understood and therefore not accepted by the majority of thinkers & philosophers outside the Indian fold, even though as shall be explained here-in-later, the concept of rebirth is not only logical but is the only plausible explanation for the Universe being a Cosmos and not a Chaos.

The theory of Karma stipulates that for every action undertaken by an individual for a selfish or egocentric motive, there is both an external as well as an internal effect. The external effect is in the form of an event or a happening whereas the internal effect is the formation of a compulsive tendency or a Vasna. As the individual repeats similar actions, the compulsive tendency or the Vasna gets strengthened, ultimately becoming a prominent part of the individual’s personality in the form of a predisposition to act in a certain way under certain circumstances. This predisposition is known as the Samskara. The following example illustrates this fact:-

A person is motivated by friends to join in drinking liquor for the first time in a party. He enjoys the experience and sheds his resistance to drinking and he starts taking liquor frequently. Due to a weak ‘Will’ he increases the frequency of drinking gradually losing all control to become a drunkard. A Vasna (compulsive tendency) for drinking had been created in him which got strengthened into a Samskara. This Vasna (compulsive tendency) ultimately became so strong that he had to be taken to a rehabilitation centre for his reconditioning.

A Vasna (compulsive tendency) once formed is hard to reverse if it becomes a Samskara. If not reversed it remains in the subconscious and is carried forward to the next birth. The Vasna (compulsive tendency) gets motivated by selfish desires spurred by greed or lust. In fact any form of craving leads to the formation of a Vasna (compulsive tendency) even if it is a mild one. Persons with a weak ‘Will’ are more likely to create new Vasnas (compulsive tendencies) and they also find it difficult to erase the existing ones. Vasnas (compulsive tendencies) influence the behavioral patterns as well as all other aspects of the individual’s life.

*Jeeva- Sanskrit word for ‘soul’ indicating the Atman (consciousness) +mind+ intellect +ego entity of a being.
Any desire motivated or egocentric action undertaken by the individual also becomes the cause for some external effect. It is the law of nature that every action shall have an equivalent effect or reaction in the opposite direction i.e. towards the source of the action which is the individual himself. If this reaction or the consequence for the action is not experienced by the individual for some reason either fully or partially, then such an unexhausted reaction becomes the bondage due to Karma which the individual has to exhaust by experiencing it at a later date either in the present birth or in another birth in another body. The collection of all the unexhausted reactions of the desire motivated and egocentric actions of an individual are together called the Karma aggregate or as Karma in common parlance. The following example illustrates this process:-

If the same drunkard as described in the previous example comes home and beats his wife and the wife suffers but is unable to retaliate, the drunkard has created Karma bondage as he has not experienced the consequences for his action. This Karma gets added to his existing Karma aggregate which shall be exhausted by the drunkard in a future birth in the form of an equivalent suffering. If however the wife informs the police and the drunkard is suitably punished for his crime then hypothetically there is no creation of Karma to be exhausted by him in future having suffered the consequences of this action.

As per the theory of Karma, the next birth of the Jeeva (soul) is determined both by the Vasnas (compulsive tendencies) created by the individual Jeeva (soul) in past births as well as by the aggregate of Karma remaining to be exhausted in future births. The Vasnas (compulsive tendencies) form the criteria for the unique personality in the new birth and the aggregate of Karmas forms the basis for the experiences in the new birth for the individual Jeeva (soul).

It is important to know about the types of Karmas as well as the role of each type of Karma with respect to the creation of Vasnas as well as the Karmic bondages. There are basically four types of Karmas namely the Nitya Karmas, the Naimitya Karmas, the Kamya Karmas and the Nishidha Karmas.

The Nitya Karmas are the daily chores or natural activities of life which one has to carry out to live and exist in the body. The Karmas that fall in this category are the choice-less daily routines of cleaning the body, feeding the body and attending to the calls of nature etc. These Karmas are of an essential nature and do not therefore bind the individual in any manner whatsoever.

The Naimitya Karmas are those Karmas which are to be carried out by an individual as obligatory duties which become assigned to him due to his presence in a particular environment. These set of Karmas include duties towards the family, towards the relatives, towards the neighbors, towards the community and towards the country etc. Some examples of the Naimitya Karmas are paying one’s taxes, caring for the parents, casting one’s vote etc. The abdication of the Naimitya Karmas creates the Karmic bondage whereas the fulfillment of the obligatory duties without assigning any choice may prevent any Karmic bondage. Naimitya Karma conditioned by human perception leading to choice will certainly cause Karmic bondages.

The Kamya Karmas are those Karmas which an individual undertakes for the fulfillment of his or her desires. These include all such activities which are carried out for sense gratification and enjoyment. This is the category of Karmas which create Vasnas & Karmic bondages. Even in this set of Karmas, those actions which are undertaken for the satisfaction of Needs are not binding for the individual. Only those actions which are undertaken for fulfilling the Wants are responsible for the creation of Vasnas and the Karmic bondages. The following illustration shall clarify the difference between a need & a want:-

A person needs to buy a car for travelling to & from his office. If he buys an ordinary car which meets his requirements then he has fulfilled his need but if he purchases a Ferrari as he desires to show-off to his friends then he is fulfilling his want. The need fulfills a requirement whereas the want satisfies the ego. The need may however expand to necessity and thereon into desires and wants.

The Nishiddha Karmas are those Karmas which are forbidden. The actions which cause suffering to anyone including oneself or to humanity as a whole fall under this category. The acts of theft, misappropriation and other forms of crime are Nishiddha Karmas. All civil societies have made these Karmas punishable and all religions have defined these Karmas as Sins. The performance of these Karmas causes Karmic bondages of a grave nature.

From the above classification and description of Karmas it becomes clear that carrying out the Nitya Karmas, the Naimitya Karmas and the need based Kamya Karmas do not create any Vasna or Karmic bondage for the individual, on the other hand however the omission of Naimitya Karmas, the carrying out of the egocentric Kamya Karmas or the Nishiddha Karmas does create Vasnas & Karmic bondages.

Activity starts with conditioned and unconditioned reflexes that constitute Nitya Karmas which further leads the mind into Naimitya Karmas. The Naimitya Karmas create unfulfilled spaces in the mind and the deliberations for fulfillment lead to desire motivated or Kamya Karmas which may sometimes take a wrong turn into conscience prohibited or Nishiddha Karmas.

The question that arises at this juncture is that why only the consequences of desire motivated or egocentric actions cause the formation of Vasnas (compulsive tendencies) & Karmic bondages for the Jeeva?

The answer to this question lies in the fact that when an individual acts for the sole purpose of satisfying his or her desires, motivated by his or her ego, then the reactions or consequences of such an action are naturally directed towards him or her-the doer. The individual is directly responsible for such acts. On the contrary when the actions are carried out as a part of one’s duty without ego-gratification being the purpose, the reactions or consequences of such actions are not directed towards the individual. In this case the reactions or the consequences are borne by the ‘Totality’ or the existence as a whole because when the ego is absent there is no individual and the being gets merged into totality or the whole of existence. In the absence of the individual, it is the totality or the whole of existence which acts through the particular body-mind-intellect mechanism and therefore the totality or the whole of existence alone becomes responsible for such actions or their consequences.

The theory of Karma further stipulates that this universe is bound by cosmic rules that reflect in the mind of the human being. The human mind is thus a store house of cosmic actions & reactions derived through the evolutionary path unto human evolution. These actions & reactions lead to more actions & reactions thereby creating aggregates of Karmas. The unresolved aggregates which are carried by the psychic energy comprise the Jeeva (soul). Thus the human soul & mind carry the entire universe in its intelligence and perceive anything and everything in the cycle of Karma.

As per this theory the Atman (consciousness) is bound by desires through the intellect, the likes & dislikes through the mind and the identity through the ego. The bound Atman (consciousness) becomes the Jeeva which carries the record of the algebraic sum of all the Vasnas (compulsive tendencies) and the Karma aggregates and takes on one body after the other for the neutralization of the accumulated Vasnas (compulsive tendencies) & the aggregates of Karma. This cycle of births continues till all the Vasnas (compulsive tendencies) & the aggregates of Karma are totally neutralized where after the Atman (consciousness) gets released from the bondage of the intellect, mind & ego to become one with the Primordial energy-the Brahman.

The Astrological connection to this whole process emanates from the orientation of the Jeeva (soul) which alone is responsible for a new birth. By the rules of the five-elemental composition known as Prapancha, the Jeeva condenses into a conditioned body through the process of birth. This demarcates the body-mind limitations of the Jeeva as per the Vasnas (compulsive tendencies) and the Karmic aggregates, enabling the unique personality as well as the course of experiences depicted within the specific parameters of the individual’s astrological chart or the horoscope drawn for the time & place of his or her birth. The astrological chart therefore shows the Karmic bondage of a soul through its body-mind conditioning. The cosmic rules create the specific planetary configuration at the time & place of birth of the individual matching with the individual’s Vasnas (compulsive tendencies) and Karmic aggregates. This process establishes the role of the cosmic structure of Karma in human life. It should be noted here that the astrological premises at the time & place of the birth for a human being are only reflective of that Jeeva’s Karmic orientation and certainly not causative in nature as is often misunderstood even by some from the Astrological community.

Astrology is only indicative of the pattern of the Jeeva’s current journey of life and not the cause for the same in any manner whatsoever.

The human mind, intellect and ego mechanism is not oriented to agree to or to accept this formulation which apparently gives a fatalistic impression thereby leaving little or no room for human effort and endeavor in creating one’s own destiny of choice. Such an understanding of the Karma theory is incorrect. If we are bound by our destiny in a certain way, it is only as a result of our own past actions and deeds. In the3 manner in which our limitations have got created due to our past actions, so we can undo those limitations or bondages by our future deeds. By appropriately programming our future actions and effectively executing them we still have the freedom and power to chart a desired course. This in fact is the basis for the Remedial Measures suggested by Astrology. The following example shall explain this further:-

The boatman is able to take his boat easily across a rapid stream by orienting the boat appropriately and applying the oars suitably. The flow of the stream is countered by his maneuverings effectively and the boat is able to move in a direction different from the direction of the flow of the stream. The direction of the flow of the stream is akin to the Vasnas & the Karmic bondage of the Jeeva and the skill of the boatman is the ability of the Jeeva to maneuver its desired course by appropriately orienting its actions in this life. Those who can do so are successful in achieving their goals.

The freedom to act is always available to the human being and any despondence in this regard is misplaced as well as self defeating. Astrology helps in identifying the likely pattern of life, the strengths & weaknesses of the personality as well as the challenges of the journey of life in the present birth, knowing which an enterprising individual can make a difference to his or her life. A word of caution however needs to be given at this juncture. Not all the Karmas can be maneuvered-with by the individual hence one needs to be aware of the Karmas that can be tackled and those which cannot be maneuvered.

The theory of Karma describes three types of Karmas with respect to their maneuverability namely the Dridha Karmas, the Dridha-Adridha Karmas and the Adridha Karmas.

The Dridha Karmas are those Karmas whose effects are fixed for an individual in a given life. These Karmas cannot be maneuvered or altered. Buddha called these Karmas as written in stone. Some examples of the Dridha Karmas are one’s parentage, one’s place of birth and the physical & physiological characteristics of the individual’s body etc.

The Dridha-Adridha Karmas are those Karmas which are semi-solid in nature i.e. these Karmas can be modified or maneuvered by intense application and hard work. Buddha called these Karmas as written on sand. Some of the examples of the effects of these Karmas are the strong Vasnas, the capacities of memory and learning, lethargy etc.

The Adridha Karmas are those Karmas whose effects can be modified or maneuvered quite easily by the help of discipline and corrective remedies. Buddha called these Karmas as written on water. Some examples of these Karmas are the minor Vasnas such as eating habits, manners etc.

The above classification of Karmas is conditioned by the dimensions of time & space. In other words in a given society in a given epoch certain Karmas may become Adridha Karmas whereas the same Karmas may become Dridha-Adridha Karmas in another society in a different epoch. The best example is that of marriages. To marry outside one’s own community was difficult a couple of hundred years back in India hence it was a Dridha-Adridha Karma (fixed Karma) but now it has become easier for an individual to marry outside his community hence it has become an Adridha (non-fixed) Karma now.

By the help of astrological analysis it is possible to identify the category of Karma which is affecting an individual at a given time. By the help of such identification the effects of the Karmas can be maneuvered appropriately if they fall in the categories of the Adridha (non-fixed) or the Dridha-Adridha (semi-solid) Karmas. Those effects due to Dridha Karmas (fixed Karmas) cannot be maneuvered and have to be experienced by the individual. The following quote from the Bible appropriately describes this aspect of Karmas :-

God give me the strength to change what I can change;
give me the strength to accept what I cannot change
and also the Wisdom to know the difference.

The theory of Karma also describes the process of the accountability of the Karmas. Whereas the algebraic sum of the Vasnas is carried forward to the next birth which forms the sum total of our sub conscious from which our inclinations and tendencies manifest to give us our Personality; the Karmas which we have to experience and exhaust in a given life are only a part of our total Karmas. The sum total of all our past Karmas is called the Sanchit Karmas or the accumulated Karma aggregate. The portion of the Sanchit (total) Karmas which is relevant for the present life are called the Prarabdha Karmas or the destiny for the present life. The Karmas we create in the present birth are together called the Agami Karmas or the Karmas to be exhausted in future. The Agami (future) Karmas get integrated to the remaining Sanchit (total) Karmas after the deduction of the Prarabdha Karmas or the destiny at birth, to form the new Sanchit Karmas for the future births.

The theory of Karmas clearly describes as to what constitutes an action, a deed or Karma. It describes three stages of actions or deeds namely the Kayik Karmas, the Vachik Karmas and the Manasik Karmas.

The Kayik Karmas are those Karmas which are carried out by the body or gross actions in the physical world. These comprise of our deeds.

The Vachik Karmas are those Karmas which are expressed as speech or as communications. These comprise of our expressions.

The Manasik Karmas are those Karmas which remain at the thought level and are yet not expressed as actions or speech. Our fantasies come in this category of Karmas. these comprise of our thoughts.

All the above Karmas can create Vasnas and bondages. These Karmas can be for the higher goals of doing deeds for the general good or may be for the baser goals of gratification of senses for fulfilling personal and selfish desires. The righteous deeds are termed as Shreyas Karmas and the deeds motivated for selfish ends are called the Preyas Karmas.

The Shreyas karmas do not create any new Vasnas or any Karmic bondage. In fact the performance of these Karmas gradually obliterates and neutralizes the existing Vasnas as well as the existing Karmic bondages. Some of the examples of Shreyas karmas are the acts of charity and service to society.
The Preyas Karmas create new Vasnas or strengthen the existing ones as well as they create Karmic bondage for the future in the form of Agami Karmas. Some of the examples of the Preyas Karmas are taking bribes or abdicating one’s duties for selfish ends.

Thus it can be concluded that Karma as deeds is the cause, Karma as Karmaphal or consequences is the effect and Karma as Shreyas Karmas or righteous deeds are the remedies for neutralizing the Karmic bondages as per this theory.

The theory of Karma not only explains the various aspects of individual lives but it also explains the Universal process as it reflects upon the individual at the macro level. The premise that existence is bound by Karma is as much true for an individual being as for the Universe as a whole reflecting on the individual. The whole Universe is in motion be it the planets, the stars or the galaxies. It is a dynamic universe. The continuous activities taking place in the Universe are in the structure of cause & effect which reflect as Karmas in the human life. Like a Kaleidoscope the Universe gets reoriented every moment in human perception as the cause and effect-the Karma cycle. The structure defined by the theory of Karma is the common thread which runs through the whole of existence.

This theory is complete in itself as it explains all aspects of the process of the creation of Karmas, their role in the orientation of ‘a’ life as well as the way of the dissolution of the bondages due to Karmas. It explains the cause & effect relationship for our design, as we are, as well as fully establishes the premises for our experiences in a life. But for this theory, it shall be difficult to explain the reasons for the unique conditions an individual is born in, the unique personality that the individual possesses and the unique set of experiences the individual passes through during the journey of life. At the same time this theory is not fatalistic in nature as it provides the space and the method for the individual to maneuver himself out of his limitations by carrying out appropriate actions in the form of Shreyas Karmas. In this way it promotes hope and not despair.

The scientific evidence for Karma theory

The theory of Karma puts into a logical perspective the whole of existence. It explains the ‘Why’ of things as they are or as they happen and provides the linkages between the otherwise apparently unconnected aspects of life both at the micro level as well as at the macro level thereby establishing the fact that the Universe is a Cosmos and not a Chaos. Modern science has still to answer many questions which the theory of Karma explains logically & appropriately.

Having thus described the theory of Karma in detail it is necessary to evaluate this theory against the scientific understanding as on date. The process of life as well as that of existence as explained by science should be in consonance with the theory of Karma for it to be acceptable to the modern human intellect. The key aspects of this theory shall be hereafter tested through the available scientific knowledge of the day.

The basic premise or the foundation of the theory of Karma is that life and existence are bound by the cycle of Karmas alone.

As we know, the entire Universe is in a state of dynamism in the form of motion, expansion, creation as well as assimilation of new galaxies, stars, planets, meteors, quasars etc. and much more. It is as a result of this dynamism that the Universe is what it is. Moreover all existence of sentient and insentient beings is possible because of the activities both repetitive and non-repetitive happening in the Universe. Taking the case of Earth, it is well established by science that life would not be possible on Earth if it was not rotating on its own axis as well as around the Sun. Living on Earth would have been impossible in the absence of Gravity. Even the process by which Earth has attained its present livable state is the result of complex Universal activity which changed the hot planet to the habitable planet that we live in. The tectonic activity has moved the continents over the millions of years to give the present geographical shape to the Earth which has resulted in the evolution of Life and thereon unto evolution of the human being. All this dynamism has not ceased and is continuously going on causing changes on Earth bit by bit so much so that the Earth shall not remain the same millions of years down the line as a result of it.

From the above description which is well established by scientific research of many years, it can be easily derived that all life and all existence has come into being and continues to progress & evolve only due to unhindered & continuous Universal dynamism. We know that all dynamism stands on the rule of cause & effect that condenses into the theory of Karma connected to life. Thus the basic premise of the theory of Karma that all existence is bound by Karma gets fully established by scientific knowledge gained through human perception.

The Karma theory is based on the premise of rebirth.

Before we proceed to the scientific evaluation of the concept of rebirth let us apply the principle of logic to the process of life to see whether rebirth logically falls in place in the way science perceives life.

That, one is responsible for one’s deeds-good or bad- is an established fact. One gets rewarded for the good deeds and is punished for the bad deeds. This law of existence is universally applicable. Even nature punishes for going against the laws of nature. If we observe the birth of individuals, we shall find that some are born in prosperous families where they enjoy all the luxuries & comforts which are not a result of their earning or effort of their present life whereas some are born in conditions of utter poverty and they suffer all kinds of hardships for which they cannot be held responsible at the time of their birth. How do we explain this phenomenon?

Similarly there are persons who are criminal minded and are a nuisance to society as well as to their own families but they remain unpunished for their deeds throughout their lives for various reasons and they leave this world that way. If there is a system which regulates the process of rewards & punishment for living beings then what is the explanation for such criminals to be getting away without suffering due punishment?

The above examples may be extreme in nature but there are various shades & possibilities with regard to the beginning & the end of a life which raise similar questions. The laws of Nature which govern the process of life cannot support such a chaotic scenario. It is therefore certain that there must be a method of accountability in Nature or Existence which is not directly perceivable to the human intellect but can be derived. This method or law is nothing else but the theory of Karma which stipulates through the process of rebirth the process of reward & punishment for past actions. No doubt this logic is inferential in nature but it prudently explains the apparent anomalies of life.

Some from the scientific community have studied the concept of rebirth directly and have come to the conclusion that rebirth is not a fig of imagination but is a determinable fact. In this context the observations made on the basis of the research carried out by the Russian physicist Prof. George Lakhovsky is noteworthy. Prof. Lakhovsky writes in his Doctrine of materialization & dematerialization and I quote:-

“It thus follows that all beings who lose their lives are not dead in
reality, in the absolute sense of the word, but continue to live with
their full consciousness in other regions of the Universe. They could perfectly well be reborn, on earth through a previous rematerialization and relive with the fullness of their personality in flesh & bones.”

“This reincarnation of human beings on other stars can explain certain facts otherwise difficult to account for. Thus how can we
understand the extraordinary aptitudes of a man of genius born of mediocre parents? The laws of heredity seem superseded and are powerless to account for the exceptional qualities of this man. On the contrary everything is explained by the effect of the transmission of a complex human range through space at the time of conception.”

Dr. Ian Stevenson M.D., University of Virginia has thoroughly investigated more than six hundred cases covering different regions & communities of the world and has established that there is reincarnation or rebirth. Similar studies have been carried out by Prof. Chatterjee of the Rajasthan University in India in reported cases where the native has remembered the previous birth. He found that the subjects not only remembered the full details of their past lives but also identified the relatives, the residence etc. without any external help.

It has been thus possible to establish the continuity of life in another form after the death of one body by various studies, some of which have been reported above. The evidence of rebirth can be found in all societies and across all regions of the world which only goes to prove the basic assumption of rebirth on which the theory of Karma has been founded. The scientific evidence in support of the continuity of life from the past can also be derived from the science of Genetics.

As per the principles of Genetics, it is known that the genes of the parents are passed on to the progeny. The genes of each parent represent the basic design or the characteristics of the parent or the parent itself. The genes of the progeny born from the two parents are developed from the parental genes which in itself is a unique combination of the two sets of genes. Thus the parents continue to live jointly in a new life in the form of their progeny even after their death. How the genes of the parents will get integrated to generate the new set of genes is yet to be established conclusively by science. However it is known that even if the whole set of genes of the parents do not get actively manifested in the progeny, they lie dormant within the progeny and can manifest in the next or later generations emerging from their progeny. Thus the parents live through their progeny all the time. Is it not a form of rebirth?

The unique combination of manifested genetic design in the progeny achieved through the mutation of the two sets of parental genes cannot be arbitrary or random in nature but it must be according to some formula or law hitherto unknown to scientist. This missing link is the control in the hands of Creation by which it can design the next generation to suit its larger purpose or design. The souls-in-waiting after death condense into a new birth when the design of Creation matches in some way with their Sanchit (total) Karmas. The part of the accumulated or Sanchit Karma which matches with the design or the need of Creation at a moment becomes the Prarabdha Karma (destiny at birth) for the Jeeva (soul) in the new birth which takes place at that moment. All the aspects of Genetics fit into the concept of rebirth propounded by the Karma theory except for the missing link of the basis for the mutation of genes for the progeny. This missing link too shall come to light for the scientists in future as the frontiers of science keep expanding in search of the Ultimate Truth.

In the context of the above, Prof. Lakhovsky’s following observations are most relevant:-

“We all know, besides, that fertilization often does not occur until
the end of several months and even after several years. This delay of impregnation may be due to specific radiation of the male or female which are not always in resonance with the radiation of materialization. The organism from the first cell, in its development is the materialization of rays-------continues its development to evolve under the domination of the same specific complex of radiations coming from the being that originally gave its life.”

“ All this explains how every living being microbe, infusoria, plant, animal, man reproduces itself to infinity-------where its complex of radiations finds favorable conditions of resonance and so materialize themselves in various parts of the Universe to eternity. These materializations by the propagation of the radiations------can repeat itself indefinitely in the infinity of time & space.”

From the foregoing observations of Prof. Lakhovsky some hints of the missing link in the understanding of the process of Genetics for the mutation of genes in a new birth can be visualized. The above stated ‘favorable conditions of resonance’ for the materialization of life, are in the form of Creation’s intervention for the birth of a living being, the basis for which is provided by the theory of Karma. That the Karma theory cannot be overlooked is realized by Lakhovsky when he says :-

“We should not put aside without profound examination the theories that place special importance to the marked influence on human destiny------at the moment of conception and birth of a human being.”

That there is rebirth is also established by the studies carried out in the field of Psychiatry and Parapsychology. The renowned Psychoanalyst Carl Jung talks about the collective unconscious, the energy that surrounds us and contains the memories of the evolution of the entire human race. These memories are a part of us and are continuously updated in the light of our experiences as they are carried forward in our journey of life through different births in different bodies. The pioneering work of Dr. Brian Weiss in this field is particularly noteworthy. Using the process of Regression analysis, Dr. Brian Weiss was able to tap these memories to reveal the past birth experiences of the subject individuals successfully. He could establish linkages of the current behavioral patterns of an individual to his or her previous birth events and experiences. These researches have proved beyond doubt that there is continuance of life after the death of a body and that there is rebirth. Scientists have realized the limitless ramifications of the process of rebirth particularly in the fields of Medicine and Psychiatry.

As can be seen from the foregoing there is enough clinching scientific evidence to prove the tenets of the Karma Theory including the process of rebirth. Everything translates to frequency of energy which manifests both as light & sound or better to say, as radiation & vibration. Nothing gets lost from the cosmic structure. The light form of the mind does not dissolve after death. While the body after death dissolves in the process of assimilation, the mind waits for a connective vibration to come back into form and materialize into another body to take a new birth. The term Jyotish is translated as the science of light. Astrology is the science which links the process of materialization of light frequencies into living beings unto the course of their journey in their new life.

Even though the theory of Karma is founded on sound principles, it can be of any use, if and only if, the destiny of the individual can be known for a given life so as to enable the individual to chart the future course of action accordingly. Astrology is the subject which takes the clues from the stars and the planetary disposition on the zodiac at the time & place of birth of an individual to predict his/her personality as well as the Destiny. As already stated here-in-earlier Astrology is only indicative and not causative in nature. The clues are taken from the solar system but there is more to it than a mere interpretation of the positioning of planets & stars at the time & place of birth of an individual.

Indian Astrology is based on the principles of philosophy which describes the three level existences of living beings. This philosophy states that a living being has three bodies namely the Sthoola Sharira or the gross physical body, the Sookshma Sharira or the Astral body and the Karana Sharira or the Causal body. These three bodies exist concurrently for the living being and are interlinked. The Karana Sharira or the Causal body is consonant with the Karmic orientation of the being which decides the current status of the being’s Karmic aggregate. In modern psychology the Karan Sharira or the Causal body is known as the ‘Collective Unconscious’. This Causal body creates the Sookshma Sharira or the Astral body which is actually a radiation package reflecting the Causal body. The radiation package emanates from the cosmic radiation and remains connected to the Cosmos. The solar system consisting of the Sun, the Moon and the rest of the planets is the major contributor of the unique orientation of the Astral body. Thus the Karmic aggregates represented in the Causal body get condensed in the form of the cosmic radiations creating the Astral body.

The Astral body takes birth in the form of the Sthoola Sharira or the gross physical body at the time & place when the configuration of the solar system matches with the design of the Astral body. The design of the gross physical form of the living being is therefore guided by the Astral body which in turn reflects the Causal body that reflects the Karmic aggregates of the living being in question. The gross physical body including the faculties of the mind, intellect and the ego reflect the Astral body of the living being at the time of birth. The same consciousness of the living being permeates all the three bodies. The death of the gross body does not mean the death of the living being as the being lives on through the Causal & the Astral bodies albeit with the updated orientation of the Karmic aggregates.

This aspect of existence of the Astral body is called the ethereal state of a living being by the scientists. Shri K.N. Rao in his book-General Astrology-refers to the experiments carried out by Dr. Raymond, M.D.. Dr. Raymond observed that many people who suffered severe heart attacks saw their astral body getting detached from the physical body and that they watched the doctors & nurses carrying out the treatment on their physical body. Dr. Raymond gives an interesting instance of a person who was involved in a serious car accident and he saw his astral body getting out of the physical body. After he was restored back to life he recounted his out-of-the-physical-body experience. Many such instances are available in the ancient Hindu texts as well however often they are dismissed as mythological stories.

This arrangement of the entity of a living being is the foundation for the astrological mapping of the current Karmic orientation of that living being in the form of the Horoscope drawn at the time & place of birth. The horoscope of the individual thus reflects and connects to the Astral body of the individual thereby indicating the Prarabdha or the Destiny of that individual for the present birth.

The astral connection of the destiny of a living being in the present life is visible in the horoscope and can be read and interpreted by learned astrologers. This connection of the astral body to present destiny of a living being can be influenced or maneuvered-with under certain conditions which forms the basis for the remedies used by astrologers for mitigating difficulties or for promoting good. Destiny needs to be understood as an integral part of human existence and not as merely an element reflecting Chance or Probability.