Text 366114: 01-Apr-94 07:20 /188 lines/
link: Shyamasundara (Dasa) ACBSP (San Diego)
Receiver: Vedic.Astrology@com-link.org
("link: (Vedanga Jyotish) Vedic Astrology")
Receiver: Vedic Astrology (Symposium hosted by Shyamasundara Dasa) <336>
Subject: Worship of the incarnations
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Hare Krsna! 

In a recent text (#39694) mother Urmila has posed many
philosophical questions about the worship of different avataras
from an astrological perspective. In this letter I shall now try to
answer her. 

Mother Urmila said

"In many places, Shyamasundara Prabhu has suggested that, if a
person has an indication of bad karma in his chart, he should
worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead..." 

First I should like to say that I have introduced this method of
remedial measures as an authoritative approach as opposed to
non-sastric ones utilizing gems. Thus those persons who feel the
need can utilize this method which is suitable for devotees. Some
devotees even though suffering may just accept whatever they get
as Krsna's mercy with no attempt to make a change. This is their
choice. 

This creates two classes: those devotees who worship Krsna to get a
specific result and those who worship Krsna without motivation. Of
course it may sometimes be a fine line and those who worship the
Lord to ameliorate difficult life circumstances may have spiritual
motives. 

Urmilaji asks:

"How can a person decide how to worship a specific incarnation,
other than the ways that Prabhupada has given, such as that
chanting Hare Krishna is automatic worship of all the Lord's
expansions?"

Certainly all the avataras are present in Krsna and when we chant
Hare Krsna Mahamantra they are all invoked. Yet when ISKCON was in
danger Srila Prabhupada instituted the worship of Nrsimhadeva for
protection. Krsna has many moods, some of which are particularly
prominent in specific incarnations. Some devotees will have an
attraction to that rasa of Krsna. They should follow that. There
is certainly no harm. The Srimad Bhagavatam is not just about Krsna
Lila, but rather contains pastimes of all manner of avataras and
Krsna's relations with His devotees while in these forms. Speaking
for myself, and I think that there are many in my position, I am
not so advanced that I am only in the Gopi Bhava and can only
think of Krsna and reject Rama Lila. I would consider myself
fortunate if I could have a relationship with Krsna in any of His
avataras. Didn't Bhaktisiddhanta worship the Kurma deity that he
found. In fact he was ordered to worship Kurma by his father. And we
all know the mood of Bhaktivinode Thakura in regards to Rasalila.
Jayadeva Goswami author of Gita-govinda included in that
composition the Dasavatara Stotra. So it seems to me that while all
avataras are found in Krsna this doesn't mean that we are
restricted to only worship Krsna. It is a matter of taste.

"Is an astrologer able to give a client a mantra that will have
potency?"

If the astrologer is in the vaisnava guru-parampara then he has the
potency. 

"Can he prescribe a particular ritual of deity worship?"

Yes, with the constraint that the person receiving is qualified to
do deity worship. Otherwise more simple worship is there such as
offering incense, flowers etc. Reading mantras glorifying the lord
from the sastras, etc. 

"Yet, when I used to chant the Narayana kavaca daily, some devotees
suggested that unless Prabhupada specifically instructed me to
chant those verses, they would not have the desired effect, as
one's mantra must not only be published, but received in disciplic
succession."

We have all been initiated into the Srimad Bhagavatam by Srila
Prabhupada. Also, in the Gajendra Moksa lila Srila Prabhupada
commented that it was because of offering prayers in a past life
that Gajendra remembered prayers in the present life. Prabhupada
then recommended that devotees should recite prayers daily to the
Lord,it is one of the nine processes of devotion, vandanam. He
mentioned Brahma Samhita, as well as other prayers. There was no
restriction excepting that they should be Vaisnava prayers. 

As a devotee becomes more absorbed in the worship of a deity he
will collect various prayers to that deity and will seek to learn
the proper method of worship from qualified persons. 

"Could an individual look at his or her own chart, see that a
particular planetary placement is weak..."

Not unless they knew what they were doing astrologically. Even with
a lot of experience it is difficult to be objective when it comes
to your own chart. Few Doctors treat their families for serious
illness, they rely on another physician. Similarly with astrology.

"Then, again, if chanting Hare Krishna is worship of all the
incarnations (and I just listened to a tape where Prabhupada states
that it is), then wouldn't chanting nullify all karma?  How, then,
do the effects in our charts come to pass with mostly unfailing
accuracy?  (I can attest to this, at least to some extent, in my
own chart.)  If we say that this is not karma but the will of the
Lord, then what good will it do to worship the Lord for release
from His own will?" 

Please re-read the philosophy paper on astrology or the part I
posted Fate, Free-Will and the Law of Karma. In short, though Bhakti
is powerful enough to destroy all karma by the will of Krsna the
functional karma--prarabdha karma which is already acting is not
destroyed. The prima facia evidence of this karma can be seen in
the mirror--you have a body. If this karma were to be destroyed your
body would fall off. Thus as soon as someone became Krsna Conscious
poof! They would leave this place and no preaching would go on.

The chart of an individual tell us basically two things: his
psychological makeup and what situations he must face. Both of
these are conditioned by our p-karma, however the only place
where we can express free-will is in the former. The only thing we
have the freedom to do is to control the way we think. The whole
enterprise of Krsna Consciousness is to willfully change the way we
think, change our psychology--to one which is in sync with Krsna.
That is the meaning of being Krsna Conscious. To always think of
Krsna and to do things according to Krsna's instructions. It is
very simple but very hard to do.

So what does this mean in real life in regards to astrology. Well
when we are faced with the part of the chart we can't change we
have a choice. To either react in some conditioned way or to deal
with the situation in a Krsna Conscious way. That is our freedom. 
And the more KC we are the more transcendental we will be in such
situations. Not that we won't break a leg as destiny determines but
that we are not overly disturbed when it happens, but rather remain
equipoised in happiness or distress. This is true freedom from
material life. (See BG 6.20-23)

For example suppose a devotee because of their past habits were
very licentious and had many sexual affairs. Perhaps in this life
these kinds of activities would be prominent in their lives and
they would be constantly bombarded by opportunities for sex and
fall down. What to do? How would an astrologer who saw such a
configuration in a devotee's chart deal with it. I would first of
all recommend that he get married (depending on several factors
such as ability to maintain a relationship) this will help fix the
mind. Increased sadhana, worship of the deity, etc. These can help
a person to curtail their lust. Then if they are accosted by some
member of the opposite sex as destiny prescribes they will be more
likely to choose a KC response as did Haridasa Thakura when placed
in such circumstances. 

Some things can be changed by proper atonement and penance. The
sastras are full of many examples of persons in various
difficulties because of past karma, who did tapasya to neutralize
the sin by atonement. It depends how serious the situation is.
Somethings can't be neutralized. This brings to mind a prayer by
St. Francis of Assissi:

My dear Lord,

Please give me the serenity to accept those things I can not
change. And please give me the strength to change those things that
can be changed. And please give me the wisdom to tell the difference
between the two. 

"That seems to be the mood of the astrologer in the story, who at
first hoped to counteract his destiny by going on pilgrimage but
then accepted his fall down as Krishna's desire. (It doesn't seem
spiritually healthy, however, to think of fall down as Krishna's
desire, as was the case for Maharaja Privavarta.)"

No where was it indicated that it was Krsna's desire that the
astrologer fall down. By his p-karma the astrologer was put into a
very tempting situation, but he still retained the choice to embrace
the woman or not, he chose to. He was simply resigned to his fate
that by destiny he was placed in such a circumstance but the
responsibility was his own. Still it would be considered an
accidental fall down, and if a devotee has an accidental
un-premeditated fall down the Lord forgives him. How many of us if
placed in a similar situation would react the same way as he did?
Hari Sauri told me that asked Srila Prabhupada if a nocturnal
emission was a fall down? Srila Prabhupada said that it was. Why?
Because there is still choice. With practice it can be stopped. 

"Then, again, if we don't want to be guilty of imitating an uttama
adhikari, should we counteract our karmic situation just as we wear
a winter coat and see a doctor?"

As mentioned before we have to be careful that we don't develop a
type of karma-kandha relationship with Krsna.
(Text 366114) ----------------------------------------------
