Understanding Pitra/ Brahma/ Brihaspati

Thanks to my childhood friend Kumar Sanjeet Narayan Deb, and fellow traveler on this long winding astrological journey, I have returned to the original direction of this blog: pending karma, and in my specific case, Pitra Karma, i.e. debts owed to Pitras/ Brahma/ Brihaspati. It was through Sanjeet that I made Astrologer Upadhyay who pointed out the Karmic significance of debilitated, Retrograde Jupiter in my 4th house, house of pleasure, joy, stability, Sukh Bhava! As I am, of restless disposition and nature, I diverted and will divert MANY times from track. Like a runaway train. But ultimately we have to return to track. And for me this track is of Pitra Karma. karmic debts owed to Pitra/ Brahma/ Brihaspati. I have started by donation of Yellow cloth to Brihaspati/ jupiter in a nearby Navagraha (nine planet) temple. And I have felt trickles, prickles of result! Thanks Sanjeet/ Astro Upadhyay and my aunt Bula khuri who organised a telephonic consultation with Astrologer Biren Borah in my hometwon Jorhat, who confirmed my Karmic debts to Brihaspati/ jupiter. am listening to 80's radio, check link : amazing 80's magic net radio!! So, Sukh Bhava is getting activated. by loud, swanky, electric, sexy pop songs of forgotten/ romantic, teenage, heart-crushing, 80's music. Om Brim Brihas-pataye Namah!

Since years I had been exploring deep into the roots of various lifetime issues. But after Naadi readings in Kerala and astrologer Savita Jain's revelation of Pitra Dosh in my horoscope in form of Saturn + Ketu in my 9th house, did a lot of things become clear for me. My perennial vexations of years had their roots in Pitra Karma: pending debts from past lives and dues owed to past ancestors.
WHAT's Pitra Karma/ Pitra Dosha??
Pitras are our own departed ancestors who have been thrown into pretha yoni or any other lokas because of pending karmas. They YEARN to get mukti from that uncomfortable state through the karma of their successors/ descendants. Thus Pitras are considered to be more important to a person than any other devathaas, Gods, planets. ESPECIALLY for those with Pitra Karma. They are considered equal to Gods. As WE ourselves have come into existence SOLELY because of our ancestors. If the pitras are satisfied and happy with us, they can bring joy, prosperity and a clear path to success. However pending Pitra Karma is one of the biggest obstacle on the path to siddhi/ illumination. Material Success is completely not possible if one has Pitra Dosh, pending Pitra Karma...

How To Recognize it in a Birthchart/ Kundali :

9th house in a horoscope is called house of dharma, father. When 9th house is under influence of malefic planets, this shows the indication of Pitra Karma. It also indicates lack of fulfillment of paternal desire. When 9th house, 9th lord, 9th house from the moon or the lord of 9th from the moon is under influence of malefic planets especially Rahu and Ketu, this indicates Pitra Dosh. Such natives are affected by disruption of education, employment, progress, happiness etc. Those who are physically and mentally handicapped have such affliction. MOREOVER if Jupiter is Debilitated/ Retrograde/ under influence of malefics it also indicates Pitra Dosha. As Jupiter is symbolic of placement of Brihaspati/ Brahma/ Pitra in ones chart.

Generally Pitras are defined as ancestors from our current and previous lifetimes. But Pitras are also synonymous with Lord Brahma, the universal Father/ Godhead. I realised that Pitras/ Brahma/ Brihaspati is different names of one Singular Deity. This knowledge came through a chapter "Brihaspati: The Power of the Soul" in the book 'The Secret Of The Veda' by Sri Aurobindo. In this chapter, he decodes the true nature of Brahma/ Brihaspati. He says in the original Vedic conception, Brihaspati, Brahmanspati, Brahma were three different names of the SAME vedic deity. One single god, to whom Rishi Vamadeva addresses his mystic hymns of praise. It's only later, in the Puranic theologies, that Brihaspati and Brahma have become SEPARATE  deities. Brahma is now the Creator, one of the Puranic trinity. And Brihaspati, has become the spiritual Guru/ teacher of the Gods. And the guardian/ reprsentative of the planet Jupiter!
And Brahmanspati, the middle term linking the two, has disappeared.
To Understand the TRUE nature of Brahma/ Brihaspati/ Pitras, we have to Re-Unite what has been disjoined. We have to CORRECT the value of the two separate terms Brahma and Brihaspati in light of the Original vedic conception. My Late guru, astrologer T.N. sarma used to say that only Brihaspati/ Brahma could be worshipped during Pitra Paksha. This defines synonimity of Brahma/ Pitras/ Brihaspati as one deity!

Facts I unravelled about the original Vedic Brihaspati:
1. The original existence out of which all creation is made is sailam, water. This watery subconscient existence is obscure, unstable, fluid, indeterminant. The first need of Creation is to make a stable formation out of this flux. Brihaspati is he, who out of this wayward flux, creates a Stable/ physical manifestation of the world. He does this by firmly establishing  the limits and definitions of Earth/ material reality. Brihaspati does this by applying great force. By imposing a mighty constraint, constriction on the flux/ flow of the subconscient.
2. The energy flow from the 2nd Chakra to the 1st chakra is depictive of this process. The 2nd chakra Swadhistana, is ruled by Vishnu/ Varuna, symbolised by the watery realms of the subconscient. Its ruling animal is Makara, a crocodile like creature inhabiting the watery/ fluid/ indeterminate subconscient realms. However the 1st Chakra, Muladhara, is ruled by Brahma and symbol is a elephant of massive strength, who creates Stability/ formation from thw watery/ flux realms of the  2nd Chakra. By using a great force, constraint. By setting limits, contraction to material reality.

Hence Brahma/ Pitras/ Brihaspati rules the Muladhar/ ROOT chakra, the sources of our Karmic/ Cosmic lineage!! And it is  He, who creates stability / ORDER out of Chaos!

Log 11: Vague trip to Patna

Boundary dissolving Neptune creates vague, ambiguos half becomings, wayward tangents. In this light I landed up with my contractor friend in Patna. There was a building apartment to be executed and I accompanied him. My role was vague/ undefined/ unclear/ OBSCURE. Perfectly Nepunian obscurity!!! Due to extreme cold, fog our train journey of scheduled 12 hrs was delayed by an additional 12 hrs. Cold, foggy Patna was in grasp of deathly cold at 3 degrees. We visited the site briefly and entered our hotel, a surprisignly warm haven. I drowned myself in Herman Hesse's Magister Ludi/ Glass Bead Game. A novel of immense metaphysical proprtions. I had grappled with the intellectual mountains of the immensely LENGHTENED train journey.  Reaching Patna randomly, cooped up in a warm insulated hotel room, I was in perfect non- territory to eschew upon the epical work by Hesse. Morning, my contractor  colleague was up and doing push ups. Somehow crawled out and joined him. It was 'coincidentally' COLDEST day in PATNA at TWO degrees celsius. We set out in the cold morning, visiting the site, markets for local materials. Freezing, hungry till afternoon. It was the perfect Neptunian journey of vague objectives, delays, randomness. WHY  did i have to LAND UP in Patna of all places to freeze my butt, when i was doing it perfectly in freezing New Delhi.  NOW ALL TRAINS ARE DELAYED DUE TO COLD WAVE/ FOG. Perfect Neptune trip. Entrapped in a strange new city with nothing but a copy of Herman Hesse's Magister Ludi/ Glass Bead Game. Odd/ obscure/ vague. PErfectly NEPTUN

Ian.

Log 10: Funda of Letting Go

Todays 3rd Jan, 2013. Delhi's in the grip of chilling cold, deathly winter. The sun seems to have taken a complete vacation. And in the beginning of this New Year, herein, I want to share the Neptunian funda of Letting Go. BEFORE anything NEW comes into our life, we must make ROOM for it. By clearing out OLDER stagnant energies. Everyone's so excited in the beginning of  each New Year, expectant with new promise of NEW things to happen, newer way of doing things, new resolutions, etc. BUT, that can NEVER happen, without us first, LETTING GO. Without us, first sacrificing, letting go of older way of doing things. Once you begin the process of letting go, automatically, you CREATE the cause for Newer energies to move into your life. So the whole New cycle begins with first step. The step of Letting Go..
Now that the chinese, Dragon Year is coming to an end, and Snake year, beginning in Feb'13, I suggest we use the month of January to begin our final cleansing processes of Letting Go, Cleaning and Clearing. Cheers!

Log 09: 2012-2013 in Chinese metaphysics

Neptune gives us the ability to dissolve boundaries, stuckness. And access wisdom by transcending boundaries. In my earlier post, Log 08, I have already discussed my experience of the prior Dragon Year, 2012. In this post I want to shed some light on some analogy between our Vedic Rahu Ketu cycles/ transits and Chinese zodiac. Thanks to Neptune energies I could dissolve my rigid Vaastu viewpoint and access wisdom ACROSS boundaries....

On one post I found that the Dragon year, 2012 preceded by the Serpent year, 2013 earmarks a new unfolding in human development. I cannot but help compare our Rahu (Dragons Head) with the Dragon year, 2012. And compare Ketu (Dragon's Tail) with the Serpent Year, 2013.  The Dragon, the mythical oriental beast, is a Yang, supermasculine creature. Comibination of Uranus, Pluto, Rahu energies. Power and upheaval incarnate. For me it symbolises Dragons Head/ Rahu. And Serpent for is mystical, Yin, Tantric, Occult secret incarnate. Combination of symbo Neptune/ Ketu/ Saturn energies. And the juncture of the Dragon/ Serpent years (2012/2013) for me symbolizes Rahu Ketu., Dragons HEAD- Serpents TAIL,  Urobros, the Cosmic Serpent that is eating it's own tail. The beginning and closure of a cycle! So I repeat below:

Dragon Year 2012: Head/ Super Yang/ Rahu, Uranus, Pluto/ Raudra

Serpent Year 2013: Tail/ Super Yin/ Ketu, Neptune/ Pitras
And since this cycle comes every TWELVE years, it also conjuncts with the MahaKumbh in Allahabad. Which occurs after every TWELVE yaers. I see a lot of analogy/ parrallels between our Vedic cycles and the Chinese Zodiac cycles. especially this Twelve year cycle thingy!
Neptune is the planet that dissolves boundaries and helps us see underlying waves beneath.Thanks to boundary dissolver , Lord Neptune, I'm seeing vaster waves/ cycles of interconnected waves. Though, like Neptune misty view..hazily.. ; )

Log 08: Reviewing 2012: Dragon Year.

Happy New Year, 2013! Today's 1st Jan, 2013. Rather than the usual "may your coming year be.." this and that, I want to pause for a moment and retrospect about 2012. A year full of events, shifts, ruptures, evolutions, movement, eccentricities, etc for me. I'm in Chinese Zodiac: OX (1973). See link: My OX self in Dragon year 2012. THERE was a lot of Breathless action. SO MUCH ruptures and movements. Dragon's a combination of Uranus+ Pluto + Rahu energies, 2012 year. So obviously, my Neptune type energy got razzzled!! We shifted out of our 7 year long stay at GK 2, to move to Vasant Kunj. Then shifting house again within ONE month. Father in laws cancer treatment, continous trips in and out of hospital. Long stays. Then I moved to Guwahati for a loong time. Worked with IIT students Snehal Ghag on my first graphic series on Rahu Ketu. Movie festivals. And full of events, movements, travels, etc. Then AGAIN I returned to Delhi, and we RETURNED to our former place of Seven years residence. sangeeta quit her job, started her own practice. then again, return to Gwhy after shifting, to take take back our adolscent maid, who was going crazy n Delhi. Then again a long stay in Guwahati, roaming with Lueit to Tura, shillong many trips. Then formation of Gravity activity centre. fathers winemaking workshop. Finally AGAIn back to Delhi in Nov, for father in laws treatment. Then staying in New House, converted SUDDENLy into an office. Movement after limitless movement. So that was the year of the Dragon for me. I quote: "2012, Year Of The Water Dragon: Dragon years occur every 12 years but Water Dragon years only occur every 60 years.  The last Water Dragon year was in 1952.  Dragon years are characterized as dramatic, full of lavish and unpredictable events". Very DRAMATIC. Now this year's of the Snake, much better suited for "ox' sign like me. That way, 2013, the year of the Snake is better predicted for me: My OX prediction in Snake year. Cheers to all of you. Neptune is the planet that enables us to dissolves our boundaries, structure in order to access wider insight/ inputs. So I'm being able to understand my past year BEYOND the defined structure of my Vedic astrology calculations. Cos, Neptune's a solvent. Neptune dissolves boundaries! Happy new year, 2013!  Cheers!

Log 07: High Drama vs crawls pace

FINALLY Rahu in Scorpio - and Ketu in Taurus over.  After 1.5 years. Rahu in scorpio and Ketu in taurus was rupturous for me, man!!!! today. Yesterday, Sunday, night 9:40 pm, 23rd Dec, 2012, old cycle ends, and a new begins.  For next 1.5 years Rahu in Libra and Ketu in Aries. The next cycle of 18 months. A new wave. Doomsday etc is bullshit. It such imperceptible planetary transits that bring Changes. And the differences. Last Log/ Post I wrote about the spectacular boring non-event of "Doomsday". We merely hype up events to FILL UP the VOID inside. We crave drama in our empty insides. In our routine, mundane  empty lives. Looking "forward" to some fantastic imaginary cosmic event as "doomsday". Because we love DRAMA and  Hype. We are in AWE of dramatic changes. Yesterday at the very moment of Rahu Ketu transit into Libra Aries such high drama. Uranian rupture, Plutonian upheaval:
Yesterdays Headlines: DELHI PROTESTS take Violent Turn. 150 injured, policeman critical. Massive Demonstration in India Gate over Bus gangrape of young 23 yr old girl a week ago. Conflict between police and protesters. Hooligans join mob. Teargas, stone pelting, PCr vans , DTc buses damaged. Heart of the capital.  I was out with contractor , helping him purchase a Tablet PC in Lajpat Nagar. Far from the throbbing crowd, lathi charging police, tear gas, and violence and the uproar. I was in my fringe Neptune crawlspace.  Neptunian changes are crawling slow. They creep upon us. Like cancer.  Every morning after heavy food, late nights, especially winters, I have blood residues in my morning spit. Is it cancer? Why am I too lazy to find out. Satisifed with my ayurvedic doc's advice, that its a sign of intestinal irritation. I'm procrasinating. Hiding my head in the sand. Neptunian escapism. But one day, I wake up. I'll finally realise. Once it's too late. All the rupturous high drama and protest over the brutal gangrape of 23 year old, I feel, like other Indian dramas will be soon FORGOTTEN by the public. Public memory is chillingly short. But blood residue in my spit will continue. Until one day its too late. The temporary/ illusory rush of high drama VERSUS the cold, critical permance of crawling reality.. The latter wins....

Log 06: Doomsday Updates

10:30am, everyone's saying the world will end today, 21st Dec, 2012, the end of the Mayan calendr. As far as our Vedic astrology perspective, no such thing. All planets in their usual aspects. NO out of the ordinary scenario. BUT what compelled to think about Doomsday is from the synchronicity standpoint. Millions if not billions of people, all around the world, thanks to internet, social media, are going to focus on Doomsday today. They will think of today, 21st Dec, 2012, as the END of the world. COULD there be any effect of SO MANY people concentrating on ONE SINGLE TOPIC at the SAME TIME? God knows, And the writers of  ever popular "The Secret" will know. With their "thoughts become things" theory. And all those who believe in "creative visualisation". I'm writing on Doomsday is because I "accidentally" found the book James Redfield's "Celestine Prophecy" (very popular in our college days, mid '90's). In his book, Redfield talks about the end of the Mayan calendar signfying end of one level and beginning of a new level of consciousness for humanity. An era that signifies a evolution of human awareness, cognition, perspectives. For those who are attuned/ aware of SYNCHRONICITY,  meaningful coincidences in their lives. Even the popular Kung Fu Panda says "there are no accidents". True, since the 90's there has been an overall awareness of synchroncities, overall design, etc. Hence, for "accidentally"  having found my favourite college book, James Redfields "Celestine Prophecy" I am going to update LIVE on this post, on Doomsday, to see if  there is any rise in synchronicity/ coincidence levels on this Doomsday. New Delhi, 11:40 am.

1. Update 1: Only synchronicity in last few days: a lot of sci-fi book, especially short stories, with few mandatory stories on global catastrophes, worlds end landed in my lap. At friend Kareems bookshop, Nehru Place. Where I often paint together with him. Also finding Celestine Prophecy which made me write this post anyway. Reading scifi giving sense of global perspective.
2. Update 2: Was on facebook video chat with Neha, and other chats after a long time. Sharing my doomsday invite to people. Neha said 7.2 richter earthquake in san fransisco. lets check.
3. Update 3: Am on online video chat with a friend/ counselee. Teaching Ketu and Jupiter mantars. Wife's office employee hasn't come. SO had to wait. So on chat. Video too. It was HER destiny to learn on doomsday, on LIVE video chat for me. i wrote: " doctors/ healers/ service providers think that they r GREAT. wrong! its the NEED of the wounded/ ailing/ agonized that creates them. NO disease, NO doctor. today i understood that.its the patient that creates the skill in the doctor.. its the patient that creates hospitals etc etc, NOT the other way around.."
4. Update 4;  Evening, 8:53 pm. whole day went by in stagnation, brain fry, was "coincidentally" stuck at home. video chatting whole day. For a guy who doesnt even come online. Later domestic duties. couldn't have been a MORE duller day. One noticeable thing, Doomsday was really SPECTACULARLY BORING! Unimaginably boring. Atrophy in the brain. I just wanted to see for myself. so much for this STUPID HYPE about DOOMSDAY. Horse shit !!!! ***)(*&^%$#!!! ( curses, Tintin's Captain Haddock style). Only one thing, this will make good ironic mundane comedy later. This Neptune log updates. Quite a  lot of my friends are excited over 'doomsday'. But i knew it held NO vedic merit. Only the exit of Rahu Ketu from Scorpio, Taurus respectively, day after, late Sunday night, 23rd December,  can bring some changes. That too slowly and gradually. NO eureka, Uranian rapture/ ruptures for me. Only the mollass like, crawling, boring, super slow, Neptunian dissolution.  Too slow even to perceive. I thought of a new title to this blog: Neptune Logs: crawling like mollasses.. super slowness!! Ha ha!
5. Update 5. Actually its the same upate 4. Just wanted to put down something: Un- happening, non-Event like Neptune. So crawling slow, its NOT an event. Merely a regular mundane, ordinary day. boring to death. Crawl of Neptune. Doomsday: NON- event. SPECTACULARLY BORING!!!

Log 05: Outer planets- ALWAYS there within

My first blog ever, in 2007, when i began blogging, was titled: "At the fringes/ edges/ margins". Yesterday when I was updating this blog description, I used fringes, margins to describe the outer planets, namely,  Uranus, Neptune, Pluto. I realised that the influence of the Outer Planets have always been there deep within me. It is only I who took so long, so much effort, to merely find WHAT is it I was trying to describe. Even after dedicating my blog exclusively to Rahu Ketu, a blog on Lord Saturn, a blog on Karma, a blog exclusively on Ketu, i was still miles away from WHAT it was I had been trying to describe. The portfolio of the Outer Planets included disruptions, change, transformation, crisis, the very meta dynamics of Evolution and completely opposed to Structured systems. The realm of quantum uncertainties, fuzzy logic, lines of flight, ruptures, deviations. The very seeds of Mutation and Evolution. All those who love X Men series, superheroes, supernatural, odds and far out things would be so delighted by the workings/ transits of the Outer Planets. AND the vedic nodes Rahu Ketu.
But primarily, it's a great satisfaction to be reaching somewhere, which has always been there within me from the earliest childhood memory till date. And which topic is the only thing I'm naturally specialised to talk about. And especially Neptune. With its blurred edges, diffused boundaries, spilling margins. With its ambiguities, fuzziness, and slippery edges. Finally, I can talk about what I want. Within.

Log 04: Karmic lessons of Rahu transit thru Scorpio

In the last three years Rahu Ketu has been transiting thru their signs of debilitation in the Zodiac. For those of us with Rahu Ketu problems in our natal chart, these have been trying times. But also and opportunity to repay our Karmic debts. An opportunity for purification. This current Rahu transit thru Scorpio ( 6 jun 2011- 22nd Dec 2012) has its own challenges and indirect spiritual opportunities.

Scorpio being my 2nd house, I'm learning Karmic lessons regarding finances, close people, family, friends, cash flow, speech. If I have been unceremonious, hurtful, callous in my speech in past incarnations, this had been my time to learn what it feels like to be on the receiving end. If I had denied others cash flow in forgotten pasts, this has been my moment to feel the heat myself. Ultimately in the universe, we reap what WE HAVE sown in prior incarnations. No escape from Karmic Law. But its difficult to understand/ comprehend this WHEN we're going through a ROUGH time.
Usually, Ketu is associated with the "Sting in the Tail" but in this case for me it's been the reverse. Its Rahu which has brought its lethal sting in the tail in its current transit. In the last two months of its 18 month transit, I have begun feeling the FULL heat only in these past two months. From the beginning of November, the stings began. the stings to the heart, mind, body, soul, ego, pride, etc etc. Sharp stabs to jolt the carcass out of the skin. But then its Scorpio we're talking about. In these past two months, it's been difficult to imagine that stings/jolts/ stabs could come from so many directions. But Karmically, many smaller frequent stabs are better than  ONE singular backlash. So like my friend Bitu says, "installments are Far better than ONE single down payment.."! So I guess that's a Karmic lesson I had to learn in this current transit. Though rather difficult. At least some Karmic repayments are done with. Now two more weeks left, until this 18 month transit ends on 23rd Dec. Let's hope for the best, yet expect the worst!!  ;)

Log 03: Tarpan Ritual at Shanti Kunj, Haridwar

I had written a earlier article on visiting Shanti Kunj ashram at Haridwar in May '12, as suggested by astrologer Savita Jain to perform pitra tarpan ritual. This time around, I went with friend architect Hemant. He had been suggested to do the ritual by Savita Ji. We're supposed to go Saturday evening, but postponed. Finally left suddenly without plan, on sunday afternoon at 3. I was already having cold, allergy, cough. But still Pitra Tarpan ritual is a great process. Not to be missed, if the the opportunity comes your way. especially for someone who has Pitra Dosh , like me, Saturn Ketu conjunction in the 9th house.
We reached at late evening, December cold. I was having gas, breathing problems and had forgotten to take my Asthalin along. They said we couldn't move out after 10pm, so no dinner. Indirect fasting. Night couldn't sleep due to gas, suffocation. Nightmarish torture as compared to the first time. Morning bath at 4am. Cold. Luckily gas powered geyser. Then, set out for medical shop to get Asthalin. None. Took Aciloc and Deriphylin for gas and severe acidity. Finally, sat in main hall with 23 others for Pitra Tarpan ritual. Through a topsy- turvy, serpentine trail, had somehow made it.
Ultimately a pilgrimage is about trail , tribulation, testing and NOT a tourism trip, or joyride. so, second time I could despite all obstacles, Pitra tarpan Ritual at Brhma muhurta, dawn. Whew! The Return journey was long , winding and a COMPLETE joyride. Thankfully! Neptune brings us unplanned events/ activities Outside structure. If we respond, great!!