
Study on Vedic Astrology

by Shyamasundara Dasa


Contents:

What is astrology
Fate, Freewill, and the Law of Karma
Qualifications of an Astrologer


What Is Astrology

It will be assumed that by the word "astrology" we mean Vedic Astrology. The 
Vedas have six appendices called the shad-vedangas, the six limbs of the 
Vedas. They are: siksa, chanda, nirukta, vyakarana, kalpana, and jyotisa. 

Siksa is the science of proper articulation and pronunciation of the Vedic 
phonemes (sounds). Siksa is essential because mantras are precise sound 
formulas that must be executed properly if the desired result is to manifest, 
[see creation of Vrtrasura, SB 6th canto]. 

Chanda is the science of poetic meter; in the Vedas there are eleven chandas 
such as Gayatri, Usnik, Anustup, etc. (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.21.41). 

Nirukta is the science of etymology and lexicology; a famous nirukta was 
compiled by Yaska. 

Vyakarana is the science of grammar. In ancient times Panini's Astadhyayi 
replaced all other works on the subject because of his masterful presentation 
and conciseness; it is still the standard. Jiva Goswami wrote his own 
vyakarana called Harinamamrta Vyakarana. It isn't very concise but has the 
edifying quality of glorifying Sri Krsna (God). 

Kalpana is the science of rituals and observations (viddhi). 

Jyotisa is the science of astronomy and astrology. The Yajur and Rig Vedas 
have sections attached to them dealing with astronomy, whereas the Atharva 
Veda has a section dealing with Astrology. Aside from the Vedas, many risis 
such as Parasara, Garga, Narada, Sukadeva, Bhrgu, etc., wrote on this science 
and preserved it in their sampradayas (disciplic successions).

The first pair of angas, siksa and chanda, teach us how to speak the Veda. The 
second pair, nirukta and vyakarana, teach us how to understand the meaning of 
the Veda. While the third pair, kalpana and jyotisa, teach how to use the 
Veda. Each vedanga is related to a bodily limb. Jyotisa is given the epithet 
vedacaksus, the eye of the Veda, because it allows us to see through opaque 
time and to understand how the gunas (modes of material nature) are working. 

In the Vedas great stress was made on performing sacrifices and other 
observances at the correct time in order that such sacrifices and observances 
bear fruit; this is one area of jurisdiction of the vedanga jyotisa. 

As mentioned the purpose of jyotisa, astrology, is to show us how to use the 
Vedic knowledge. Let us look at some practical examples of how this could be 
done. The famous Bhagavad Gita verse (BG 2.14) states:

matra-sparsas tu kaunteya
sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah
agamapayino 'nityas
tams titiksasva bharata
    
"O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and 
their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance 
of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of 
Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed."

The concept seems easy to understand when nothing is troubling us. Problems 
arise, however, when a person is beset by some obstacle or crisis. Then it is 
a different story because there is a tendency for us to lose our philosophical 
objectivity. This is where jyotisa (literally "light from God" jyoti - light, 
isha - God) can help by returning us to a proper philosophical perspective of 
things. Jyotisa can do this because it deals with time cycles and the science 
of time in general. Jyotisa can thus inform us when a particular effect will 
begin to manifest, how long it will last, and when it will depart. This allows 
one to act wisely, to tolerate the situation without being disturbed, because 
the teaching of the Gita is reinforced by jyotisa.

Without this positive reinforcement from jyotisa experts we may react in 
ignorance. Being caught in the temporary grip of a negative situation we may 
become depressed, desperate or in some other way mentally disturbed. In such a 
disturbed state of mind we may act in a negative or destructive way which 
compounds the negative situation we are in. Eventually the negative situation 
passes as they always do, but now we have to be responsible for our foolish 
behavior while in a disturbed mental state.

I'm sure that if you consider your own life you will recognize situations 
where it would have helped greatly to know that there was going to be light at 
the end of the tunnel, even if you couldn't see it now. Perhaps you would have 
acted differently, not out of hopelessness or desperation but out of wisdom 
and tolerance for your present situation.

The Vedas are the storehouse of knowledge, both material and spiritual. But 
such knowledge aims at perfection of self-realization. In other words, the 
Vedas are the guides for the civilized man in every respect. Since human life 
is the opportunity to get free from all material miseries, it is properly 
guided by the knowledge of the Vedas, in the matters of both material needs 
and spiritual salvation. The specific intelligent class of men who were 
devoted particularly to the knowledge of the Vedas were called the vipras, or 
the graduates of the Vedic knowledge. There are different branches of 
knowledge in the Vedas, of which astrology one important branch. 

There is a little difference between the vipras and the brahmanas. The vipras 
are those who are expert in karma-kanda, or fruitive activities, guiding the 
society towards fulfilling the material necessities of life, whereas the 
brahmanas are expert in spiritual knowledge of transcendence. This department 
of knowledge is called jnana-kanda, and above this there is the upasana-kanda. 
The culmination of upasana-kanda is the devotional service of the Lord Visnu, 
and when the brahmanas achieve perfection, they are called Vaisnavas. Visnu 
worship is the highest of the modes of worship. Elevated brahmanas are 
Vaisnavas engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, and thus 
Srimad Bhagavatam, which is the science of devotional service, is very dear 
to the Vaisnavas. And as explained in the beginning of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, 
it is the mature fruit of Vedic knowledge and is superior subject matter, 
above the three kandas, namely karma, jnana and upasana. 

Amongst the karma-kanda experts, the jataka expert vipras were good 
astrologers who could tell all the future history of a born child simply by 
the astral calculations of the time (lagna). Such expert jataka-vipras were 
present during the birth of Maharaja Pariksit, and his grandfather, Maharaja 
Yudhishthira, awarded the vipras sufficiently with gold, land, villages, 
grains and other valuable necessaries of life, which also include cows. There 
is a need of such vipras in the social structure, and it is the duty of the 
state to maintain them comfortably, as designed in the Vedic procedure. Such 
expert vipras, being sufficiently paid by the state, could give free service 
to the people in general, and thus this department of Vedic knowledge could be 
available for all.

As previously explained astrology is a limb of the Vedas, literally the 'eye of
Vedas.' Now we shall investigate what astrology is and how it works.

Astrology is essentially a language, a mystical cryptogram created by Sri 
Krsna. Each of the planets according to Srila Parasara Muni, father of 
Vyasadeva, is intimately connected with one of Krsna's avataras and ultimately 
is a manifestation of that particular avatara. As any language has parts such 
as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc., astrology is no different except 
that in this language the parts are planets, signs, houses, aspects, etc. It 
is the language of time.

The horoscope and the zodiac belt are often referred to in the literature as 
the kala cakra, wheel of time. The horoscope is like a big clock, except that 
while we are familiar with clocks that have three hands, the horoscopic clock 
has ten hands made up of the Ascendent, Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, 
Venus, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu. And while the clocks of normal experience 
measure in hours, minutes, and seconds; the hands of the kala cakra measure 
much longer spans of time. A complete cycle of the ten hands from the Lagna 
(ascendent) to Ketu take respectively: one day, one year, 27 days, two years, 
one year, 12 years, one year, 30 years, 18 years, and 18 years. A complex 
clock indeed--one only Sri Krsna could create. 

To create a horoscope requires the exact date, time and place of birth. The 
reverse is also true; given a chart, a learned astrologer can tell the date, 
time, and place of birth. This time-keeping feature of astrology is used today 
in archeology and history to date personalities and events based on recorded 
horoscopes or other astronomical observations such as eclipses and comets.

We have introduced two analogous systems with reference to astrology: 
astrology as language, and astrology as a super clock. We have done this to 
illustrate the neutrality or non-causal nature of astrology. Just as a 
language can be used for good or bad; to create edifying literature such as 
the Srimad Bhagavatam or a mundane novel with zero spiritual merit. In the 
same way, astrology can describe any phenomena that exists, whether it be 
divine, such as Sri Krsna or the life of an insignificant entity like me. The 
the planets do not cause the events that take place in a person's life but 
they are capable of describing, measuring and timing them. This is possible 
only because of the Lord's Supreme will.

Another way to look at astrology is as a sophisticated and systematic science 
of laksanas; that is, symptoms or signs. There are numerous examples from the 
sastra where omens and physiognomy are used in relation to Sri Krsna. The 
science of omens or nimitta is directly a branch of astrology. The study of 
physiognomy or bodily symptoms [laksana] is called Samudrika Sastra, after 
Samudraraj, the lord of the sea, who, from his vantage point, was able to 
study the perfect bodily construction of Sri-Sri Laksmi Narayana. Hasta 
Samudrika, the science of palmistry, is a specialized sub-branch of Samudrika 
Sastra. It should be remembered that astrology, palmistry, and physiognomy are 
all intimately related.

The point that I am making is that astrology and related subjects are valid 
sciences applicable to both the divine and mundane sphere because they are 
non-causal, rather they are symptomatic of higher laws.


FATE, FREE WILL AND THE LAW OF KARMA

In the following section we will examine what the sastras have to say about 
karma; and in what way if any, a devotee of God is under the influence of his 
past karma.

In the ancient Mediterranean world there was a long standing philosophical 
battle between Fatalists and proponents of Freewill. It would be inappropriate 
to discuss their viewpoints, but suffice it to say that such a controversy 
clearly indicates an imperfect understanding of the law of karma.

Life is essentially an interplay of both fate and freewill where our fate is 
simply the reaction to our previous exercise of freewill. At every point in 
time we find ourselves in different environments which present different 
options for us to choose from. We have the freedom to choose "a" or "b," but 
once we have made the choice, we don't have the freedom to accept or reject 
the reactions to our choice. We have to accept! The reaction may be 
instantaneous or it may take many lifetimes before it fructifies.

And like the process of cooking where many discrete flavors blend together to 
create a new flavor, in the same way different reactions will blend together 
and when they are fully ripe, we experience them in the form of some 
environment which may be good or bad. We can't escape the environment, but 
while experiencing the environment, we will again be presented with different 
options from which to choose. This of course brings us full circle.

The word karma is derived etymologically in Sanskrit from the root word kri, 
"to create, to make." Thus karma relates both to action and the fruits or 
results of our actions. The Bhagavad Gita 8.3, gives a concise definition of 
karma: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The indestructible, 
transcendental living entity is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is 
called adhyatma, the self. Action pertaining to the material bodies of the 
living entities is called karma, or fruitive activities."

We are all familiar with the classification of good karma, bad karma 
[vikarma], and naiskarma or akarma [non-action, devotional service]. But from 
the Vedic literature many details are supplied that most of us are ignorant 
of. The following information on karma is paraphrased from the Govinda Bhasya 
of Baladeva Vidyabhusana. 

Karma is divided up into two categories; sanchita karma (stored up), and 
kriyamana karma (newly created); sanchita karma is further sub-divided into 
another two categories namely anarabdha karma (effects which have not yet 
begun) and prarabdha karma (functional karma which is already acting). It is 
questioned whether or not these two karmas (sanchita & kriyamana) are 
destroyed and made non-adhering respectively, through the majesty of the 
Divine Wisdom. The purvapakshin (anti-thesis) objects that neither the 
kriyamana karma can be loosened, nor the sanchita karma burned up by vidya 
because it is well known that: "The karma is never exhausted or weakened in 
its force even after a lapse of hundreds of millions of eons. It is exhausted 
only when its consequences are suffered. Verily one must suffer the 
consequences of his acts, whether they be good or bad." [no source given]

The Vedanta Sutra (VS) 4.1.13 refutes this view:
"On obtaining that [vidya] there take place the non-clinging of works done in 
the present life, and the destruction of works stored up which were done in 
the past life. Because this is so declared [in the Upanisads]."

When a nirapeksa devotee (totally detached mahabhagavata) gets Brahma vidya 
(God realization) then his kriyamana karmas can not cling to him for the 
Chandogya Upanisad 4.14.3 says: "As water doesn't cling to a lotus leaf, so 
no sinful act clings to one who knows Him thus!" 

And Chandogya Up. 5.24.3 says:
"As the tuft of the Isika reed entering into the fire is quickly reduced to 
ashes, thus indeed are burnt all his sins, who knowing the Lord, thus offers 
an agnihotra."

The doubt then arises as to whether it is only the sinful reactions that are 
destroyed but not the pious reactions, because the pious acts are done in 
accordance with scripture. Thus it is not correct that as soon as vidya 
originates a man gets mukti. For, if he has un-exhausted good works; he must 
go to Svarga, etc.

The siddhanta sets aside this view in the next sutra, VS 4.1.14:
"The same is the case with the other [namely, the good deeds]; the stored-up 
good deeds are destroyed and the good done in the present life do not cling to 
the man. He verily gets mukti on the falling off of his prarabdha karmas."

Baladeva Vidyabhusana comments that vidya destroys reactions to good works 
also. No doubt, good deeds are done in conformity with the laws of the Vedas; 
but it can not be said that, therefore, they are not in conflict with vidya. 
They are opposed to vidya, in this much that their result is to produce 
heavenly joy and Svargic bliss; while the fruit of vidya is release; and as 
Svarga and mukti can't co-exist together; therefore punya, though Vaidic, is 
opposed to vidya. He further goes on to say that from a Vedantic point of view 
even punya is papam. And that in the Chandogya Upanisad 8.4.1 the word papam 
is applied to both duskritam and sukritam:

"This Self is a Bridge (refuge) and a support, so that these worlds (may be 
kept in their proper place and) may not clash with each other. Night and day 
do not pass that Bridge, nor do old age, nor death, nor grief, nor the good 
deeds, nor the evil deeds (of men). All evils turn back from Him, because He 
is free from all evils. He is Brahman, the Great Refuge."

Also Brhad Aranyaka Up. 4.4.22, says:
"Him (who knows), these two do not overcome, whether he says that for some 
reason he has done evil, or for some reason he has done good, he overcomes 
both, and neither what he has done, nor what he has omitted to do, burns 
(affects) him."

Consequently in the Gita it is stated that all action, whether good or bad, 
are destroyed when knowledge is obtained. "As a blazing fire turns wood into 
ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to 
material activities." (BG 4.37)

The word sarvakarmani is generic and refers to good deeds also. Thus it is 
established that both kinds of punyam as well as both kinds of papam are 
respectively destroyed and made unclinging by vidya. And, with the destruction 
of the prarabdha karmas, the man gets mukti. Therefore it is not a meaningless 
statement to say that on the origination of vidya a man gets mukti.

Now we come up to a very important point in the discussion of karma and its 
destruction by the action of vidya, the Divine Wisdom. Since vidya destroys 
both sorts of sanchita karmas namely good and bad; then it must reasonably 
follow that the body of the man should fall from him, because the body is the 
effect of such karmas; and when the karmas are destroyed, the body naturally 
falls off. If this be so, then anyone who gets divine knowledge, must 
immediately pass out of this world, and so the teaching of the Divine 
knowledge by the knowers of Brahman becomes an impossibility.

As we mentioned before the sanchita karma has two sub-categories: prarabdha 
and anarabdha; one which has commenced its fruition in this world, and the 
other which has not. The doubt is then raised as to whether both of these 
kinds of sanchita karma are destroyed by vidya, or only the anarabdha karmas?

The purvapakshin maintains that in the Br. Ar. Up. 4.4.22 already quoted above 
it is said that both these are destroyed. No exception is mentioned in regards 
to the prarabdha karma; and because the action of vidya is uniform, therefore 
both sorts of sanchita, mature as well as immature, are destroyed by vidya. 
The siddhanta is established in the next sutra of VS which sets the erroneous 
view of the purvapakshin aside.

VS 4.1.15: "But only the immature karmas of the former lives, namely, those 
karmas whose effect has not yet begun, are destroyed by knowledge; because 
that is the limit of the life of the jnanin; (namely) the limit of the life of 
the wise is the period over which his former karmas which have begun to 
produce their effects extend."

It is said in the sruti that a man lives on even after acquiring vidya, if his 
prarabdha karmas are not exhausted. The Chandogya Upanisad 6.14.2 says: "For 
him there is a delay only for as long as he is not delivered from his body." 
Also in Srimad Bhagavatam (SB) 10.87.40 it is said:

"When a person realizes You, he no longer cares about his good and bad fortune 
arising from past pious and sinful acts, since it is You alone who control 
this good and bad fortune..."

This shows that it is the will of the Lord, that the man who has obtained the 
Divine Wisdom, should go on living in this body, so long as his prarabdha 
karmas are not exhausted. Vidya is supremely powerful and can destroy all 
karmas but out of deference to the will of Sri Krsna she doesn't destroy the 
prarabdha karma for we see that divinely illumined sages, full masters of 
Divine Wisdom, are living on this earth and their bodies do not fall down as 
soon as they get vidya. We further see that they teach others and are not 
inactive, consequently, we must admit that it is the will of the Lord that 
such men should continue to live, in order to spread knowledge of Brahma vidya 
among mankind.

It should be noted that it may take more than one life to exhaust the 
prarabdha karma, even in the case of a nirapeksa devotee. This is dealt with 
in VS 3.4.52:

"Similar is the case with the mukti. There is no invariable rule of the time 
of its fruition, because it depends upon well ascertained conditions, because 
it depends upon well ascertained conditions."

Mukti which is the characteristic fruit of vidya may be delayed till the next 
life if prarabdha karmas remain that must be worked out. If there are no 
prarabdha karmas to be worked out, then mukti takes place in that very life. 
But if there are prarabdha karmas which are not exhausted in one life, then 
the man must take another birth to get mukti; for mukti can never be partial. 
Why do we say so? Because the condition of mukti is a definite condition, 
fully ascertained in the sastras. Thus in the Chandogya Up. 6.14.2, it is laid 
down that a man who finds a guru obtains the knowledge; but there is delay in 
his getting mukti so long as his prarabdha karmas are not exhausted:

"In the same way does a man who finds the guru, obtains the knowledge. For him 
there is delay only so long as his prarabdha karmas are not exhausted. Then he 
reaches the perfect."

This Chandogya text shows a well determined rule of mukti that the man who has 
vidya, obtains mukti, not immediately, but on the exhaustion of his prarabdha 
karmas. There is a similar rule laid down in the smrti sastra call Narayana 
Adhyatma: "The man who has acquired vidya gets immortality. There is no doubt 
in it. He goes to mukti at once when his prarabdha karmas are exhausted; but 
if his karmas are not exhausted, then he has to take many births, and on the 
exhaustion of such karma he goes to the world of Hari."

No doubt it is a rule that vidya exhausts all karmas, yet the force of 
prarabdha karma is not exhausted and remains active because the Lord has so 
willed it. What, however, is the state of consciousness of a mahabhagavata, 
and how is his experience of prarabdha karma different from mine? In Bhagavad 
Gita 6.20-23 Krsna gives the following description of spiritual absorption:

"In the stage of perfection called trance, or samadhi, one's mind is 
completely restrained from the material activities by practice of yoga. This 
perfection is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind 
and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated 
in boundless transcendental happiness, realized through transcendental senses. 
Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he 
thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is 
never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual 
freedom from all miseries arising from material contact."

Here we see the condition of a jivanmukta, one who is liberated while still 
embodied. Though he is encased in the gross and subtle body which is the 
product and enjoyer of prarabdha karma still he doesn't suffer because he is 
experiencing spiritual ecstasy. He is free. It is the gross and subtle body 
that suffers and enjoys the karmas. So ultimately he is not subjected to 
karma, but is free.

There are many examples from sastra of great devotees who were beyond the body 
and lived on another dimension. Lord Caitanya would fall into a divine swoon 
and be transported to Vraja to witness the sporting activities of the gopis 
with Krsna. Meanwhile, in the external world His associates would be trying 
their best to bring Him back; when they succeeded He was often displeased. In 
the life of Syamananda we have another vivid example. When Syamananda was 
being examined by his guru, Hrdaya Caitanya, about the change of his name from 
Duhkhi Krsna to Syamananda, and his new tilak, Syamananda went into meditation 
and in his siddhasvarupa approached Radharani to resolve his problem. Another 
example is that of Haridasa Thakura whose body was beaten, yet because he was 
not on the bodily platform, he remained unaffected.

Our Srila Prabhupada was also on such a platform. Hari Sauri Prabhu informs me 
that once while he was serving Srila Prabhupada he noticed that Srila 
Prabhupada's jaw was swollen because of a toothache, yet Prabhupada didn't 
complain. A few days later Hari Sauri noticed that the swelling was reduced 
and inquired from Prabhupada if his toothache was gone. Prabhupada replied 
that in the night a tooth had fallen out. On searching Prabhupada's bed he 
found the tooth and was amazed to see that it had a huge hole in it. Anyone 
else with such a rotted tooth would have been in extreme agony, yet Prabhupada 
was unphased.

What is the mechanism that allows a mahabhagavata to be encased in a body yet 
be unaware of it. This is explained in the Srimad Bhagavatam 3.28.34-39:

"'By following this course, the yogi gradually develops pure love for the 
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari. In the course of his progress in 
devotional service, the hairs of his body stand erect through excessive joy, 
and he is constantly bathed in a stream of tears occasioned by intense love. 
Gradually, even the mind, which he used as a means to attract the Lord, as one 
attracts a fish to a hook, withdraws from material activity.'

'When the mind is thus completely freed from all material contamination and 
detached from material objectives, it is just like the flame of a lamp. At 
that time the mind is actually dovetailed with that of the Supreme Lord and is 
experienced as one with Him because it is freed from the interactive flow of 
the material qualities.'

'Thus situated in the highest transcendental stage, the mind ceases from all 
material reaction and becomes situated in its own glory, transcendental to all 
material conceptions of happiness and distress. At that time the yogi realizes 
the truth of his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He 
discovers that pleasure and pain as well as their interactions, which he 
attributed to his own self, are actually due to the false ego, which is a 
product of ignorance.'

'Because he has achieved his real identity, the perfectly realized soul has no 
conception of how the material body is moving or acting, just as an 
intoxicated person cannot understand whether or not he has clothing on his 
body.

'The body of such a liberated yogi, along with the senses, is taken charge of 
by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it functions until its destined 
activities are finished. The liberated devotee, being awake to his 
constitutional position and thus situated in samadhi, the highest perfectional 
stage of yoga, does not accept the by-products of the material body as his 
own. Thus he considers his bodily activities to be like the activities of a 
body in a dream.'

Purport to 3.28.38:

The following questions may be posed. As long as a the liberated soul is in 
contact with the body, why don't the bodily activities affect him? Doesn't he 
actually become contaminated by the action and reaction of material 
activities? In answer to such questions, this verse explains that the material 
body of a liberated soul is taken charge of by the Supreme Personality of 
Godhead. It is not acting due to the living force of the living entity; it is 
simply acting as a reaction to past activities. Even after being switched off, 
an electric fan moves for some time. That movement is not due to the electric 
current, but is a continuation of the last movement; similarly, although a 
liberated soul appears to be acting just like an ordinary man, his actions are 
to be accepted as the continuation of past activities. In a dream one may see 
himself expanded through many bodies, but when awake he can understand that 
those bodies were all false. Similarly, although a liberated soul has the 
by-products of the body--wife, children, house, etc.--he does not identify 
himself with those bodily expansions. He knows that they are all products of 
the material dream. The gross body is made up of the gross elements of matter, 
and the subtle body is made of mind, intelligence, ego and contaminated 
consciousness. If one can accept the subtle body of a dream as false and not 
identify oneself with that body, then certainly an awake person need not 
identify with the gross body. As one who is awake has no connection with the 
activities of the body in a dream, an awakened, liberated soul has no 
connection with the activities of the present body. In other words, because he 
is acquainted with his constitutional position, he never accepts the bodily 
concept of life.'

Text 39 
'Because of great affection for family and wealth, one accepts a son and some 
money as his own, and due to affection for the material body, one thinks that 
it is his. But actually, as one can understand that his family and wealth are 
different from him, the liberated soul can understand that he and his body are 
not the same.'"

There are two similar verses in the 11th canto of SB.

"Just as a drunken man does not notice if he is wearing his coat or shirt, 
similarly, one who is perfect in self-realization and who has thus achieved 
his eternal identity does not notice whether the temporary body is sitting or 
standing. Indeed, if by God's will the body is finished or if by God's will he 
obtains a new body, a self-realized soul does not notice, just as a drunken 
man does not notice the situation of his outward dress. The material body 
certainly moves under the control of supreme destiny and therefore must 
continue to live along with the senses and vital air as long as one's karma is 
in effect. A self-realized soul, however, who is awakened to the absolute 
reality and who is thus highly situated in the perfect stage of yoga, will 
never again surrender to the material body and its manifold manifestations, 
knowing it to be just like a body visualized in a dream." (SB 11.13.36-37)

Here we see that the perfect God intoxicated yogi is un-aware of whether or 
not he is wearing a body! Just like a liquor intoxicated man is unaware of 
whether or not he is wearing clothing. In such a perfectly detached mood Krsna 
takes charge of the body's functions "until its destined activities are 
finished" and "as long as one's karma is in effect." These statements of 
course further explain and verify what the Vedanta Sutra says about prarabdha 
karma.

In his comment on VS 3.4.16, Baladeva Vidyabhusana gives us more insight into 
the position of a sage who has acquired vidya but not mukti. He says that 
vidya has the power to burn to ashes all karmas, yet the illumined sage, who 
is harmonized with the will of the Supreme Lord, allows the prarabdha karmas 
to continue to produce their effects, in order to carry out the will of the 
Lord, and to spread His glory in this world. The sage allows the vidya to 
singe the prarabdha karmas, but not to reduce them to ashes. The prarabdha 
karmas of such a sage are like a half-burnt cloth, which retains its texture, 
and looks like a cloth; but which at the slightest touch, falls into pieces. 
The wise sage is dressed in such a prarabdha karma, and carries on the 
activities generated by such karma.

Baladeva further opines about a nirapeksa thus: "But the great difference in 
his life before the origination of vidya and in his life after the origination 
of such vidya consists of this; that before such origination, he feels the 
good and bad effect of his karmas, but after the origination of such vidya, 
his center of consciousness being fixed on the Lord, he is so much absorbed in 
the Lord, that he never perceives the effects of these karmas."

For the sake of completion I want to mention in brief one more thing about 
prarabdha karma as it is discussed in the wonderful Vedanta Sutra commentary, 
Govinda Bhasya. The topic is Vicarious Atonement. Apparently in different 
Shakhas (recensions) of the Vedas, namely the Kausitakins and Satyayanins, 
there it is mentioned that in the case of extremely ardent lovers of Sri 
Krsna, vicarious atonement takes place. This means that the prarabdha karmas 
of these nirapeksas are divided into papam, and punyam, and that the 
papa-karma, evil karma, is given to his enemies to suffer, and the 
punya-karma, good karma, is given to his friends to enjoy. Thus the prarabdha 
karma is still worked out, but vicariously, and the body of the nirapeksa 
falls down and he goes back to Godhead.

What, however, is the situation of less advanced devotees? Sometimes we hear 
that Sri Krsna minimizes our karma; instead of having our hand cut off we 
supposedly get a small cut as token punishment. This actually is just the 
humble attitude of the devotee, he knows that he has been greatly sinful and 
deserves equally great chastisement. Yet, because the devotee sees all the 
actions of Krsna as being mercy he thinks that he is not being chastised as 
much as he deserves. This is exemplified in the history of the Avanti Brahmana 
(SB 11.23) who simply tolerated his prarabdha karma as the mercy of Sri Krsna. 
Lord Brahma has summarized the situation in the famous verse SB 10.14.8:

tat te'nukampam su-samiksamano
bhunjana evatma-krtam vipakam
hrd-vag-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jiveta yo mukti-pade sa daya-bhak

"My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy 
upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds 
and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is 
surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim."

It should be obvious from the previous discussions that the more we are able 
to absorb ourselves in the process of devotional service, specifically 
chanting the maha-mantra, the more we are able to exist on the spiritual 
platform and become unconcerned with the effects of our prarabdha karma. That 
is why it is sometimes stated in certain scriptures like Sri Harinama 
Cintamani or the Nrsimha-kavaca that namabhasa averts malefic planetary 
influences, demons, etc.

In conclusion the sastras all declare that even the most perfect mahabhagavata 
devotee must experience his karma until the body falls off, what to speak of 
less advanced devotees. But, in the case of mahabhagavatas, because they are 
not on the bodily platform, ultimately they are not affected. Others are more 
or less affected according to their degree of realization. That is why it is 
said in the eleventh canto that in this material world the only happy persons 
are the perfected sadhus and the fools; everyone else is miserable.


Qualifications of an Astrologer

In ancient times before you could be an astrologer, you had to be a sadhu, a 
Sanskrit scholar, a mathematician, and an astronomer. This meant only the most 
intelligent brahmanas became astrologers, after many years of study. Not that 
after reading a couple of books you call yourself an astrologer. Varaha 
Mihira, the famous author of many classical astrological and astronomical 
texts dedicates a whole chapter in his Brhat Samhita to the qualifications of 
an astrologer. I will not quote from it, but do note that he was very strict, 
stressing the noble nature of the astrologer, his brahminical training and 
pure life style, rigorous training in Yoga, philosophy, mathematics, 
astronomy, astrology, niti-sastra, mantra, and various branches of knowledge. 
Astrology is not a joke and must be treated with the greatest respect. It is a 
powerful tool in the hands of an able practitioner, but it can be equally 
dangerous in the hands of the untutored.


 There are six branches of astrology: Gola, astronomy; Ganita, calculations 
  based on planetary position; Jataka, birth horoscope; Prasna, answering 
  specific questions; Muhurta, choosing a time to start something; and 
  Nimitta, omens.

 Vedanta-Sutras of Badarayana with commentary of Baladeva [Govinda-bhasya],
  translated by Rai Bahadur Srisa Chandra Vasu, Oriental Books Reprint 
  Corporation, New Delhi, Second Edition, 1979. VS 4.1.13-19, pgs. 692-702.

 The repetition indicates the end of a chapter.

