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.