Astrology And Theory Of Karma

There is a beautiful Sanskrit Verse written by  Sri Shankaracharya,called “Bhaja Govindam”.Here is an extract:

“punarapi jananam punarapi maranam
punarapi jananii jathare shayanam
iha samsaare bahudustaare
kripayaa apaare paahi muraare”

Meaning-“Born again, death again, birth again to stay in the mother’s womb! It is indeed hard to cross this boundless ocean of samsara. Oh Murari! Redeem me through Thy mercy.”

The cycle of birth and death is based on the theory of Karma ,the cause and effect theory similar to Newton’s Law of Motion. We need to understand the type of Karma and the degree or strength of Karma in our lives.

What are the types of Karma we encounter?

Type of Karma	Definition	Astrological Indication
Sanchita	The total karma accrued as a result of our planetary actions in previous lives.	Shown by the placements in our birth chart (janma kundali).
Prarabdha	Karma from past lives destined to play out in our present incarnation.	Shown by the cycles (dashas/bhuktis) based on the moon’s position at our birth and by transits (gochara) to our natal planets.
Kriyamana	Karma we’ve generated through our actions in this lifetime.	May be seen in a chart for the present moment (prashna).
Agama	Karma we are setting in motion through our current plans.	Revealed in a chart for the beginning of a new project (muhurta).

DEGREE OF KARMA:

According to the yoga tradition, karma comes in three strengths. First, there’s the karma

that’s easy to change,the “flexiKarma”. For example, if you sign up for a course in “finance for non-finance executives” but then decide you’d rather take a “Yoga course”, you can change the courses quite easily.

Second, there’s karma that can be altered only with substantial self effort. If you graduate with a degree in Computer Engineering, but then decide you’d rather be a dentist instead, you can go surely go back to college and get a dental degree, but dont you agree it is difficult though.

There is time , money and deep study,and hard work involved.. The vast majority of karma playing out in our lives falls into these two categories,the Flexi Karma or the “self Effort” Type described earlier.

The third type is fixed karma. These are the lessons we can’t get out of the experiences we must undergo for the sake of our spiritual growth .They have to deal with the issues that this karma brings along with it, whether they like it or not. Others may inevitably have to go through a traumatic event like the loss of a loved one or a serious accident or illness.Once this fixed Karma is experienced,there would be spirtual Growth again.

Only a small portion of our total karma is unalterable, however.

We can rewrite it as under.

Karmic Strength	Definition
Adridha	Flexible karma we can easily change with a little effort.
Dridhadridha	Karma we can change if we use considerable self-effort.
Dridha	Karma which cannot be changed by human effort. Only God can alter fixed karma.

The Dridha Karma can be nicely illustrated by imagining a Cow tied to a post in a field. The cow can definitely graze in the circle fixed by the length of the rope.This  Rope is the “Dridha Karma”.The Cow has ofcourse two major options.The first,just curse the fate,lye down,doing nothing and perish or get up and graze in the limited Area. This is where free will comes into play.

What about the length of the Rope? Is it not possible to increase this?

Yes,this is possible by surrender to the Almighty God.

Role of Astrology and Karma:

Suppose your destination is Delhi and you are traveling from Mumbai.

You come across many Road signs,humps,signals,toll Gates as you travel.

You have the steering and the brakes under your control.If you see a Red signal,what do you do? Brake and slow down,and stop.You are not driving a fully automated car controlled by some one.

Vedic Astrology chart or Jataka as it is called in Sanskrot, is like a Road map with Signals and Road signs,directions on our way to our destination. The primary benefit of astrology is to learn how to navigate through the map of our karma and make wise, discriminative choices  to avert or minimize negative karma. Vedic astrology also gives remedial measures – chanting mantras, practicing meditation, performing worship and fire ceremonies, giving donations to charities, wearing gems, reciting affirmations etc. There are specific remedies that can be prescribed for specific negative karma.

Let us use this God given “Jyotish” or “light of Knowledge” in a positive way to

Brighten our lives.

Swami Sri Yukteswar, guru of Paramahansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi writes:

“A child is born on that day. and at that hour when the celestial rays are in mathematical harmony with one’s individual karma. His horoscope is a challenging portrait, revealing his unalterable past and it’s probable future results…The message boldly blazoned across the heavens at the moment of birth is not meant to emphasize fate – the result of past good and evil - but to arouse man’s will to escape from his universal thralldom. What he has done he can undo. None other than himself was the instigator of the causes of whatever effects are now prevalent in his life. He can overcome any limitation, because he created it by his own actions in the first place and because he possesses spiritual resources that are not subject to planetary pressure.”

Yes,knowledge of Astrology alone cannot save us from our Karma.Let me again end with the quote from Bhaja Govindam,from where I started-

Bhajagovindam Bhajagovindam Govindam Bhaja Moodhamathe
Samprapte Sannihite Kaale Nahi Nahi Rakshati Dukrinkarane

Meaning:” Seek or Worship Govinda, Seek Govinda, Seek Govinda, O Ignorant one!! When the death comes at the appointed time, all your theoretical knowledge like Grammar etc will not save or rescue you.from this cycle of Birth and Death”

Let us never forget GOD…but have full faith in him combined with our Human effort.

MATHEMATICAL FORMULA FOR SUCCESS:

FAITH IN GOD+ HUMAN EFFORT= SUCCESS.

All the best

AVAM