Article by Capt Manas Swain

Vedic Astrology has been adopting the nine planets since from pre-historic era. They are Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu & Ketu. When the planets from Sun to Saturn have their physical existence & are visible in the sky, Rahu-Ketu duel does not have a specific existence, physical shape and size. They are correctly termed as shadowy planets. How a non-existing body without any physical shape can influence to a large number of terrestrial lives? It might be of much unconvincing to the western clairvoyants those who claim to have some astrological knowledge. Western fortunetellers are always in search of a logical or scientific analysis whenever any old or new theory comes to their sight though the theory most of the time may be logical. To their wonder instead of reorganization of the extra saturnine planets (most of the astrologers do not include them in their astrological analysis), the Hindu astrologers includes two non-existing body i.e. Rahu & Ketu. It reminds us the eighteenth century French philosophers ‘the-Enlightment’ theory, which said that, the reason & science not religion would advance the human progress.

It was followed for sometime at western countries & later discarded by the same people. The Vedic Astrology is a very mysterious theory, as same as the mysteries behind the entry of the soul into the womb of the mother & eschatology. No body can explain these things lucidly that, why cannot we captivate the soul in an enclosed enclosure after the demise of a person or can we explain or specify how & when a new soul comes into the mother’s womb? That means, sometimes we cannot explain & understand the infinite as well as indefinite mysterious events happening around us. We become perplexed at times. But the Vedic seers were not so. To them, some occurrences were not to be analyzed by equations or reasoning but by seer perceptions. They had the advantage of having ‘Gyana – Chakhyus’ or ‘Enlightened Vision’. But for a twenty first century person there is still some indirect ways to proof such things.

First of all, how far it is rational to pump the idea about the influence of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto into the predictive astrology? It will not be out of place to mention here that, in no Vedic context there is a mention of the extra saturnine planets. When a German astronomer first discovered Uranus in 1781, the Western astrological upstarts linked this planet to various good & bad events happened during 1781. From 1781 to 1846, they did not have any predictive analysis of the other two planets, which were still to be discovered. They even assigned the rulership of Uranus by extracting one from the Saturn.

Their work on Uranus seems to have been finished after that. But, if anyone from these upstarts are not answerable to the allotments of Uranus’s exaltation point, Moola-trikona point, their permanent relationship with other planets, the constellations under its rulership, its sex, the letters represented by it, signification, hue, astral gems, retrogression, acceleration, Karakatwas, its benefic points in Astaka varga, Mahadasa years etc.? But then, where these things will be fitted? Astrology is very orderly & systematic, and not according to the whims & fancies of the modern schematic astrologers. Sadly, these so called astrologers did not stop here. When Neptune and Pluto were discovered in 1846 & 1930 respectively, they accommodated them into their so-called research analysis. Some even went to the extent to analyze that, the Empire State Building was built due to the discovery of Pluto; hence according to the modern astrologers its influence on earth as the planet is conformed. I wish if they could co-relate the collapse of twin towers of W.T.C. with the discovery of a new planet, but unfortunately for them there was no new discovery of planet at the time of the disaster or before.

Pluto is the God of wealth in Greek mythology. The modern assigned Pluto as the ruler of Scorpio sign. Therefore, they are not only holding them up ridiculing themselves due to their paralogism, but at the same time the Hindu astrology becomes a subject of detrimental. Now some people literally suggest us to include the newly discovered minor planet Chiron (but recently reckoned to be a very large comet) into the predictive astrology. Recently, on august 8, 2006 a newspaper of India named had published an article on the Solar system. It writes, ‘our solar system would have 12 planets instead of nine under a proposed ‘‘Big Bang’’ expansion by leading astronomers, changing what billions of schoolchildren are taught about their corner of the cosmos’.

It will not be much late to see this planet’s rulership over one rasi from the Zodiac and its influence at the same time on the earth as well. They will not be at all concerned of Chiron’s or any other planets’ astrological signification discovered later on. May be after some years, there will be another discovery of a planet in the solar system and then another one. Who knows how many other such planets are yet to be discovered in the sky? But, one thing is certain, the so-called modern astrologers will include them one by one into the predictive astrology. And not only that, the twelve rasis will be distributed among these newly discovered planets after striping the rasis from the traditional ‘9’ planets (Navagraha) from the system. After hundreds years or so, somebody will discard even the Uranus, Neptune & Pluto by saying that they are old & obsolete enough and are uninfluenced to the earthly objects. Again new thesis & theories while supporting the new sassed out planets of that era will be seen printing. Let me sensitize the modern age astrologers- the Basics.

The Vedic word ‘Graha’s English translating is not exactly ‘planet’. The world ‘Graha’ means impactness. It is only these nine planets who have their solo authority to be the root, reason and meaning of the evolution, sustention, and destruction. They are in other way called, ‘Graha Rupi Janardana’, means it is the God who is in the form of planets ruling us. That is why Sun-only a star, Moon-a mere satellite (One of the Earth’s), the invisible but ever reactive Rahu-Ketu duels are also having the status of planets. These planets got their status not by Rishis or Vedangis of that time but through a series of mythological background and selection by Brahma, Vishnu & Maheswara. Though other planets have number of Moons, they were restricted to get the status of the planet. The word ‘Graha’ is only linked to astrology-the science, which has its own identity like its counterpart-astronomy.

In case of modern or western astrology, which claims to have only rational approach, never raised question on the laws about the status of Sun & Moon as planets, except the question of status of Rahu & Ketu. They always draw of astronomy to pollute astrology. Whether they are having astronomical support to carry on that the Sun & Moon are also planets? When they have no support then why such ado about Sun Signs? The new planets of the solar system & the planets yet to come to limelight are not given the status of ‘Grahas’, through they are rightly called planets. If the Vedic seers could visualize the influence of Grahas without any telescopes or astronomical apparatus then had they not had the same for other members of the solar system? Like this, there were as many as ninety stars have been discovered till yet, but still only the cream of them i.e. the twenty-seven stars are having a ruling over us. Without any supportive proposition about the newly discovered planets, new books & research articles impregnated with self-made thesis will throng into the bookshops inside India first & then abroad (Because, India is the first choice to inject vulgarism & poisonous hoaxes). Its mere example is the madness of the present young generations’ claim to be zodiacally aware after reading Linda Goodman’s ‘Sun sign’ from a railway station and Sunday supplements from Newspapers.

As the Vaastu Sastra is having nine planets to rule the nine grids of land or house, it is not far to see some Vastu books will be field with newly discovered planets e.g. Uranus, Neptune & Pluto, also to rule some part of our land or house. Or it may even happen that instead of making of land or house nine parts it will be 12 parts to facilitate these three new planets. How it will be done should be left to the so-called researchers.

The seven planets represent seven colours as seen in a rainbow i.e. ‘VIBGYOR’. Other two colours i.e. Ultra Violate and Infra red though present in the cosmos, they are invisible to the naked eye like their representative invisible planets i.e. Rahu & Ketu. So the question is what colour representation should be for Uranus, Neptune & Pluto. Should it be like the present day concept cars ‘colours – steely blue, aqua green, moon dust grey, etc.?

It seems after some years the Indian followers will not lag behind. They may compose strotas or Slokas (Chanting of Mantras) for Uranus, Neptune & Pluto as we have Strotas to pacify for the basic nine planets like Shani Gayatri, Mangal Strotas, etc. It may not be out of place to mention that the so called research fellows may even construct temples for Uranus, Neptune & Pluto as this happens now a days in India. Recently at some places of India temples are building up in remembrance of film starts.

Some also claims that, each & every member of our solar system may it be a mere star or comet or natural satellite, whichever may be, it has an impact on earth. The world ‘impact’ has two meanings for us. One is direct or practical which the scientists refer to. This is electro-magnetic in nature & is more suitable to the astronomers & rationalists. But the other impact is purely perceptive & indicative, which is more suitable to the astrologers (Hindu?). The astronomers discovered sixteen natural satellites of Jupiter & twenty or more o Saturn’s till yet. But still to our surprise none from these groups comes forward to include these natural satellites into the predictive purpose. Let me mention here that, the Hindu astrology has allotted some pages on upagrahas of sub-planets of the parent planets. Gulika, Mandi, Yamakantaka, Dhooma, Parivesha, Vyathipatha, Indradhanu, Upaketu are some examples. If the new planets like Uranus, Neptune & Pluto have concretize their place in the western astrological books, why the Moons of the major planets have yet to be linked (falsely) to the predictive astrology.

In the A.M. July 2001 issue, Mrs. G. D. Vasudev wrote thus, ‘such claim are a sad reflection on the arrogance and foolishness of those who claim to be repositories of “Scientific temper” and “Rationalism” of land. Here goes a saying, ‘sow the wind & reap the whirlwind’. Means, the way you intercept & interpret this hoary science, the same way you will get the result. Otherwise, out astrology might not go beyond the Sun signs. The Modern Varahamihira Dr. B. V. Raman writes in his book, ‘Hindu Astrology & The west’, at page 166, “A word of caution to some of the Indian astrologers who would like to look progressive” before the western world. These remarks are intended for a certain section of astrological upstarts who pose themselves as authorities in the science and whose only qualification appears to be that they cater to popular terms by writing popular predictions in certain obscure daily papers and occasionally indulge in undignified criticism of Hindu astrology and whose knowledge of astrology does not usually extend beyond trines, squares, and opposition”…

Are we all forced to renounce the theories of thousand years old because of the present day astronomers can not understand the greatest knowledge of the cosmos and greatness of astrology?

There Are Only 9 by Capt Manas Swain