The stars strike all. Some feel them intensely and others fleeting by. That several of us would seek the answers to the mysterious maneuvering of planets and cosmic points is perhaps a divine arrangement. Astrologers delve deep and ponder the planets. Many of them have contributed a great deal to the demystification of cosmic phenomena. Rishis who created the astrological classics, the rajajyotishis in the durbars of Indian Kings, crystal gazers of the medieval times in Europe or the astrologers of China, all have charmed and drawn the masses to them.

History has that astrologers, firm in their conviction, faced bravely the attacks by the self-styled `rationalists’ and `scientists’ in every age. Many peaceful astrologers engaged in developing astrology scientifically have been persecuted in the name of witchcraft.

The interest in natural and holistic sciences and astrology was sustained in Russia in spite of a ban thanks to the repressive policies adopted by the officially atheistic Russian governments since 1917. It is said that an astrology enthusiast was even sent for treatment, during the period of his military service, when it was noticed that he was reading a photocopy of an astrological book. According to a story that circulates among Russian astrologers, in 1929, Stalin’s government decided to rid the Soviet Union, once and for all, of all the remaining astrologers, who still operated behind the scenes. The secret police managed to organize an astrological conference, and with most of Soviet astrologers assembled in one place, they simply wiped them out. Participants were invited to a state- sponsored banquet, and once they boarded the bus, they were sent away to quite a different destination- a concentration camp. Hardly anybody survived. It is noteworthy that even at the height of communist repression in 1939; some people were experimenting with Kirlian photography of aura of man. We are familiar in our scriptures of the extra ordinary auras of avatars.

Mr.K.N.Rao says your study of astrology does not go waste as you could have brought an earlier lifetime of work built into you in the form of your samskaras (psycho-mental tendencies). Perhaps all the astrologers who were treated brutally in Russia in their previous birth are re-born with an opportunity to develop an advanced astrological sense. May be the astrologers of today are those who had dabbled in astrology in their earlier lives.

The spread of astrology is welcome as it affirms its popularity and gives hope of its revival. However, its wild misuse is a cause for concern. Astrology to me is a perfect science. It is a super science. How the planetary position in the sky unravels, up to the day, when an event is to take place, is as amazing as many of the myriad mysteries of our universe- how the human body works at the physical, mental and spiritual levels simultaneously through sensory perceptions; the nature that surrounds us with beauty and magically regenerates itself. That too fills us with awe and admiration for the Creator.

With interest in astrology developed since childhood and having learnt it and practiced it in an organized way under the guidance of Mr.K.N.Rao for the past 20 years, I can advocate with conviction that astrology is a science that works very well.

For every astrologer the paths may be numerous but the goal remains one-a correct prediction. I can say with confidence that many systems being practiced all across the globe can deliver the same correct prediction when perfected. Vedic astrology has a definite edge over other systems due to the numerous dashas developed by great rishis, perhaps through their yogic practice.

Why do predictions go wrong?
They have to, when self-styled astrologers with superficial ideas shoot predictions from the hip or when those with incomplete knowledge and the intention to extort money, predict with nefarious and commercial motives. Astrology is growing in popularity; the media reflects, magnifies this trend. Big money is to be had from telecast of hyped up programs of predictions. People are waylaid and made to believe what, in a true sense, is not astrology. Wrong predictions are being unleashed on the gullible. All you need to look like an astrologer is a kurta and a tilak.

Predictions also go wrong when even the serious astrologer, at best, reaches a sketchy picture of things in store. We can perhaps with sincere study, arrive at a range of eighty percent knowledge of the subject. The balance twenty percent needs to be achieved by an astrologers’ intuition and insights acquired through spiritual practices. The dasha of the astrologers at the time he is predicting is also important. Wrong predictions could also result from incorrect birth data provided by the client. And even a well-meaning astrologer could go wrong through an inadvertent manipulation of facts or principles.

In view of this, before announcing predictions, it is the moral duty of the astrologer to make his client aware of these limitations. This advice may appear unviable for the commercially inclined astrologers, but it makes for sustainable and credible astrology, and is an essential statutory warning for our trade for, like nuclear buttons and surgical instruments, some astrological predictions too leave deep scars. Astrology should therefore be allowed to be practiced by only those who are conscientious and have the stamp of qualification from a recognized training school. The fact that so many seek astrological guidance should make the policy makers introduce astrology in the universities and devise ways to help institutions like Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, which imparts the best training in astrology.

Evidence of existence of Astrology
The evidence of it can be inferred from the great epic Ramayana where astrology is a continuing theme. Lord Rama some claim lived 900,000 years ago. We have historical evidence of mundane astrology learning dabbled in during the times of Varahamihira, sixteen hundred years ago and in the court of Mughal Emperors Akbar and Jehangir 450 years ago. The great treatise Brihat Samhita and Akbarnama exist as historical evidence that cannot be challenged and are available for anyone to examine.

Good Fortune is ensured by good Karmas
The Gyan (Knowledge)- truth can be had from religious literature spread all over the world and accessible on the net too. Additionally astrology with its capacity to predict correctly brings conviction that it is the karmas alone that make or mar a destiny. A person with both spiritual advancement and astrological insight can decipher the design of destiny better than a person with one of them.

Choice of Paths
The course of destiny does not alter much. One can at best minimize or maximize the preordained by exercising free will. The agami (current) good karmas can minimize suffering and the bad ones maximize even the predestined. The jolts of sufferings of worldly life prompt many to switch paths. Some choose spiritual life when unable to cope with torments of the worldly life.

Astrology can make you responsible
By demonstrating correct horoscope readings astrology can make people realize that there is a destiny at work. When convinced that every act gets registered with the power that make the destiny, corrective steps can easily come and make people more responsible towards the society Wisdom is born from objectively assessed mistakes. History too makes a person wise. Astrology not only helps one to reflect on the past, present and future but also explains the cause of bliss and suffering.

Astrology – a grossly unutilized Brahma-Astra
Astrology can reform society. It alone has the potential to change the mindsets of people and make them more responsible. It can also help the government to deal with many of its problems.

In our newsletter series we shall take up issues that are confronting our society and offer astrological solutions. The first in the series is focused on that abiding social institution- marriage. This is being taken up in this letter.

The weakening of the Institution of marriage is a huge social problem being faced by most societies across the globe.

A hard-to-deny trend is the creation of heaven like comforts- secure and speedy travel , places of entertainment and leisure in developing countries at the cost of happiness in fragile homes.

Social researchers find this change responsible for the tug-of-war in homes that has been found breaking family ties on slight provocation and for frivolous reasons. The remarriages and re-remarriages that leave psychologically challenged children can be attached to changing social patterns and lifestyles.

On 2nd December, 2012 we had a workshop on ‘Finer Points of Marriage’ at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. It began with fundamental issue of understanding man, woman and marriage. It was highlighted that unless one can read the character of an individual correctly, these finer points cannot be drawn. Men from Mars try to learn more and more about women from Venus and women from Venus more about men. They together then try to understand marriage. At the fag end of life they are more confused. This is evident from the difference in views of even scholars and psychologists. Shakespeare said in Hamlet ‘ Woman thy name is frailty’

Astrology offers a scientific character analysis from the horoscope. A reflection on the ascendants of seven varga charts of a horoscope reveals it all. Psychologists cannot do that.

Is Marriage Destiny or Chance?
From the perspective of astrology, it is the planets and their movements that decide whether a relationship will snap or last, whether there would be happiness from it or gloom, whether there would be gains in terms of children, property and the like, or losses. Astrology helps us to plan a marriage and even strategies for its survival.

Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita that all that is happening is predestined and we are mere puppets

Marriage is still central to the way we arrange relationships in modern society. Marriage is a dominant theme in movies, books, TV serials or life itself.

Astrologically, this dominating influence can be traced to six out of the twelve houses of a horoscope, clearly slotting fifty percent of life space. It dominates the 7th house of the horoscope that confronts the Ascendant eye to eye. This perhaps causes the lifelong clash with the partner who evokes passions of love and hate.

There is much talk of the threat to the institution of marriage as the norms which were holding it together are being mercilessly demolished. The divorce rate is going up in most societies. Separation even through a trivial mismatch of moods is the order of the day. It causes tension and looms heavy over the bond of marriage.

In the Indian context, marriage is sacred, as it is seen to be a connection of at least seven lives- in the past, present and future.

Dubai may be building a Taj Mahal four times the size of the Taj Mahal built by Shahjahan in Agra but we Indians build Taj Mahals on a daily basis. We take them with our soul for even the next birth and claim to have brought the Taj Mahals conceived in our earlier births with our soul. Therefore, divorce, separation, re-marriage, multiple-marriages, that are increasingly common in Western societies are never a comfortable proposition palatable for Indians.

Too Many Sevens
There are 7 pheras (rounds). There is the belief that connection with the spouse is of 7 lives. It all has to do with the 7th house. The 7th is the most distant house and represents the society. There is always a conflict between the self and society and the spouse is a part of the society. The other houses are allotted wealth-loss, brothers -elder and younger, mother and work, children and father; and enemy and longevity.

The 7th is the most challenging house in today’s context. Here’s why.

Our basic instincts and sensuality attract us to many opposites, including, most importantly, the opposite sex. This natural stirring of love and passion, brings joy, often changes lives in fundamental ways.

The 7th house not only attracts us to the opposite sex but to many more opposites

The most revered classical text, Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra mentions wife, travel, trade, loss of sight, sex, death and the like as areas governed by the 7th house.

Phaldeepika another great classic recommends that all about desire, passion, sexual desire, a way, people, husband, road and wife should be read from the 7th house.

Desire- War- Death – The 7th represents all Three
In his presentation ` Glimmer of Hope in a strife torn World’ during the Global conference on Mundane Astrology at Vishakhapatnam from 1-4 October, 2010, Mr. K.N. Rao convincingly demonstrated through the horoscopes of many heads of states, prime ministers and presidents that they were engaged in war in the dasha of the lord of the 7th house, the planets in the 7^th house or planets aspecting the 7^th house. Clearly the 7th represents, the spouse, the society, war and also death. The classical and the researched are on the same line.

Mundane astrology suggests that we see – war, foreign countries, disputes, international affairs from the 7th house.

It can be called the house of Dreams, Desire and Death. When swayed by desires, the discretion is lost.

In ashtanga yoga the 7th is the house of dhyana (concentration), Concentration amidst diversion.

Why Vows are kicked in Kaliyuga?
Why marriages in India last more than marriages all over the world? The reason is a ritualistic approach that reminds one of the commitments made in the presence of the sacred fire with almost everyone you know present. The 7 vows of marriage prevent easy break of marriage. The sacredness of a ritual called`phere’ (going around fire (Agni)) 7 times is emphasized to prevent a break for frivolous reasons. These seven vows serve as anchor to keep the couple together amidst odds.

With each phera the couple makes a vow in presence of the holy fire and witnesses in form of the wedding guests.

What does each pledge signify?
The relationships that begin with lust or love to have vows but if the bond is not protected from the fear of adverse repercussions from fire and planets, it breaks on slight provocation. The society too plays an important role in the survival of marriage. If remains a silent spectators to wrong doings, the divorce rate and separations will go up. In India the Judicial system has become conscientious. They do not allow the couple to separate easily. Rituals help cement the bond. In absence of a sacramental bonding, the relationship is likely to break easily. A sacramental marriage in any society is a vow in itself. It is absent live-in relationships.

What is Lust
Lust or infatuation or attraction is ` just an intense desire’. It involves excitement and urgency, primarily related to sex. In present times it is found that this feeling invariably disappears on promises made in lust rage not fulfilled or the partner getting attracted to someone else or a mismatch of moods bringing change of attitude resulting in disputes.

What is Love
Although this starts with the feeling of attraction, it goes beyond that and is a more longstanding. It develops as a sense of warmth in the heart for the partner. A marriage with love combined with vows should be a lasting one. However, this does not happen always as when a person is in love his/her reasoning ability is impaired for this reason you call love blind. A dis-balance is caused which takes time to normalize. After normalization it is the dashas that start to anchor his/her moods.

Partnering could mean sleeping with the Enemy
A marriage partner or a business partner could be an adversary we opt to live and work with. We invite them to our fold as they appear to be desirable companions. One for fulfilling our needs in our Grihastha ashram and other to amplify our energy for rapid growth to realize our dreams for acquisitions and success as 1 and 1 make 11 not 2.We hate and love them!

Often, inspite of disputes and knowing well that they have turned out to be our adversaries, we do not part, for we need them. One may part with the business partner swiftly, whenever the bond cracks severely but with the spouse one cannot part so easily even after a dispute, since the legal, societal, moral and karmic bindings are strong. Once a partner is chosen, it is a karmic binding for life. Our shastras have therefore rules defined for the commitments with the opposite sex what we now know as marriage. With common law marriage, live-in –relationships, gay marriages gaining acceptance and recognition from law, it’s time we review the institution of the traditional marriage with cultural, social, moral and karmic bindings.

Are marriages made in a heaven or do we have a choice
The karma theory cites rinanubandhan ((debt of past lives) as a probable reason for choice of people who surround us. Does the divine power that plots our destiny decide our partner before our birth? This question can be best answered by astrologically inclined and the spiritually evolved.

New Researches A Challenge
It is a challenge to produce new researches. The classics written in a male dominated society on could visualize death that could separate one in a marriage. We are in a different world today. We have to see classics only as hints.

With love laid bare, can greed be far behind?
So in today’s world a quick buck can be made from those runaway passions,　the profiteers can profit from love. Why should not they leave a known human weakness unexploited -Viagra had to come for men and now for women. The market also includes those whose sex life is or has been rich.

Can we have a fairy tale love? A reality check. How do we characterize modern marriage Are two people satisfied in their relationship? Can we term earlier marriages in a male dominated society successful, since they lasted, in most cases till death did them part. Do we ignore the fact that there was no scope for a woman to assert her rights freely and dispute unjustified actions as she was economically dependent? Can we term those marriages also successful where a man married another woman inspite of a devoted wife because both marriages lasted lifelong? Can you have the concept of happy marriage of a literate to a semi-educated woman, who may have devoted herself to rearing children and attending household chores, blissfully unaware of her potential and devoid of aspirations? But, for understanding what is happiness and unhappiness is we have go back to our shastras. When you have expectations, you have unhappiness.

A Horoscope Matching of today too requires innovative Methods
Matching of horoscopes by　merely seeing the points out of 36 is　woefully inadequate.　These days the　instant computer results leave many hearts broken for no reason as the self-styled astrologers and computer software’s quickly churn out matching results that have no basis. We have a colleague in Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan whose marriage has crossed 50 years; it is a beautiful and blissful marriage still with only 13 points in matching.

The　dosha samya matching by some astrologers does not answer the purpose of matching when we have highly educated women outpacing men in many fields. Shudh jatak matching, a part of bhava milaan is also to be viewed in modern context. An evaluation in totality with desh kaaland paatra is required. My half written book `Choosing a Partner’ is gathering dust. I intend making it a comprehensive book for Horoscope Matching. I am also updating the Chapter Selection of Spouse of my book Indian Marriage in Modern Urban Educated Society with the 2^nd edition.

NEWS ZONE

The Seminar and Convocation of 14th October, 2012 began with the presentation of some case studies of people who faced challenges in their middle age by the research scholars of Junior Research group under the guidance of Mr.K.N.Rao. It was explained by Mr.Rao that the middle age is a transformation from teenage or early adulthood when one is dependent on parents.. In middle age he is on his own, has his own family, his profession, and his children whose problems of study, career and children worries him. What do the dashas and yogas indicate in middle age is a fascinating study.

The second half of the program had a well-attended Convocation. Hon’ble Justice Mr. Vipin Sanghi, Judge Delhi High Court who was the Chief Guest in his address said “I am not an Astrologer but I belong to family which believes in honoring Hindu traditions. We have been consulting astrologers. I came closer to astrology through Yogi Bhaskaranandji, whose disciple is Mr.K.N.Rao, the founder of this Institute. Sometime around 1984 Mr.K.N.Rao was invited to my house by my father Shri G.L.Sanghi. He was requested to call Mr.Rao to our house by Yogi Bhaskaranandji . I was student pursuing law at that time. The entire family became friendly with Mr. Rao

Hindu Jyotish is an integral part of Hindu traditions. Shodasamskaras muhuratas based on astrology can be seen practiced all around us though the bulk among them witnessed are the marriage and death samskaras The traditional values and way of life practiced by Lord Rama and Lord Krishna as mentioned in our puranas come to us in some form or the other therefore even today the 16 samskaras and astrology are an inseparable part of Hindus

Over a period of time priorities have changed. Whatever causes tension becomes the subject of consultation both for astrologers and the judiciary. These days it is marriage and property. Both of understand the changing pulse of society better than people from other professions

Like the western scientists, India’s scientist oppose astrology blindly, without producing a single evidence, and not even bothering to learn astrology to refute many researches that have been done by astrologers. This is clearly injustice.

Bal Thakeray
We were expecting a major event when Rahu came in conjunction with the Sun in the western direction of India as Vishakha nakshatra represents the south west direction in the Koorma Chakra. The death of Bal Thakeray brought Mumbai to a halt on with 2000000 mourners in the funeral. He was a visionary with an unmatched political acumen. He could catch son-of-soil sentiments in people and through this swung them away to his party at a time one no could think of a replacement of Congress. He leaves a political legacy of pride and fear.

Assumed Birth Time : Date of Birth: 23rd January, 1926 7:00 Bombay

Sun Jupiter in the Ascendant. Lagna in shubha kartari .Ascendant lord in the 11th with the 11th lord and most planets around the Lagna show a towering personality.

Business and Economy
Fitch has again warned of downgrade. Both Fitch and Standard & Poor’s earlier this year cut their ratings outlooks to negative. Astrologically also the Chaitra Shukla Pratipada horoscopes for 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 do not promise a stable economy.

US – a stormy revival
The super storm sandy brought with it winds of change favoring US and Obama. This was expected in the dasha of Mars with relatively strong chaitra shukla pratipada chart of the US.