Jyotish Foundation: Principles of Vedic Astrology, Karma & Chart Interpretation (Set of 2 Volumes)

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**Contents and Sample Pages**

When we talk about Jyotișa, we are necessarily talking about light. It is a practice of walking through darkness in order to come into spiritual light so that we can bring light to the world. I did not want to learn Astrology. It was what my Gurus wanted for me. I did not really have a choice in the matter. When light begins to come to a person, that person must study light. That light first illuminates the darkness within and then banishes it by its power of illumination. Then, knowing the process, it becomes our duty to help bring light to the world. Astrology is just one of many systems for understanding and working with the light of spiritual awakening. As a child, I recall feeling often overwhelmed by the suffering of others around me. I saw people doing foolish things and causing themselves great pain. It seemed unfair to me that people did not have the wisdom to avoid the painful situations they seemed so prone to creating for themselves. In those days, occasionally I would become so overwhelmed by the suffering around me that I would lay on the back in the grass and close the eyes and stare at the light of the Sun shining bright through the closed eyelids. It was very bright, and it gave me a sense of warmth and peace. Sometimes, within this golden light blazing through my closed eyelids, I could make out a distinctive red dot. Focusing on this dot, I would become very centered. Then my consciousness would merge with this bindu or point. I would experience myself spiraling through this dot which seemed to expand infinitely like a tunnel. It felt like falling through a tunnel of light. Then consciousness of the body would be gone, and I would feel myself at one with the light of the Sun, which is the light of God, which is the same as any source of light throughout the universe. I do not know why, in my youth, I felt called to seek refuge in the light of Divinity in. this way, but it brought me great peace whenever I felt lost or overwhelmed. In time, with experience, I began to understand and accept the ways of the world around me and to begin to see the light of the Divine in everyone and everything. This is surely by the grace of my Gurus. When we come to a place in our spiritual practice where we begin to understand karma and dharma; when we have become adept at working through our own karmas; when we have realized that a life of selfish ambitions is fruitless and dedicate ourselves to selfless service, then it becomes our duty to help others. Then it becomes possible to really study and practice Astrology. Jyotișa is not a subject which can be learned by just anyone. It requires a person who is very humble, very sincere, and very compassionate. Without these qualities the study of Astrology will be impossible. I have been blessed in this lifetime to work closely with one realized master who studied Astrology from a young age. His Jyotişa Guru declared my Guruji a master of Astrology at the age of thirteen. Guruji is a remarkable soul, quite dedicated to service to humanity. He does not practice Astrology in the typical sense but uses the principles of Astrology to empower various prayogams (rituals) he performs for the benefit of humanity. Guruji can look at a person's face and see their future. Sometimes he looks at a person and he can tell that they are destined to experience an untimely death. He will not say a word to that person because he does not want to cause alarm. Silently, he will go and begin the necessary rituals to alter that person's fate. Guruji's masters did this sort of work as well and they taught him a great deal about the various tantras (ritual actions), yantras (mystical diagrams), mantras (mystical incantations), mudrās (mystical gestures), upacāras (offerings), muhūrtas (timings for ritual actions), nimittas (omens), and prāyaścittas (means of atonement) to alter the fate of humanity. Guruji sometimes reminisces about one of his masters, who would suddenly receive a premonition that there was to be a huge accident many miles away. Quietly, Guruji's master would immediately begin rituals to shift the karmas and alter the destiny of the people. That master preferred to stay out of the public eye so he could work unhindered and spent much time in the forests of Kerala with the tribal people. Much of our successes in life are due to the unseen efforts of such silent saints living aloof in the forests, using the techniques of Astrology to avert various disasters. Guruji sometimes speaks of his time with his Jyotișa Guru. His teacher, he says, was a very strict disciplinarian. Astrology students were expected to arrive promptly at 6 am at the Guru's home for teachings. If a student was a minute late, that student would not be admitted. Many days, Guruji said, his teacher would sit silently when the students arrived. Following the traditional guru/śişya protocol, the students would not dare to speak to the teacher, having not been invited to do so by the teacher speaking to them first. They would sit silently waiting for the teacher to speak. Many days, after sitting in silence all day, my Guru's teacher would announce around 8 pm "there will be no teaching on Astrology today." Many students grew impatient of sitting from dawn to dusk to receive no teachings and left the gurukulam in search of a more lenient lineage from which to learn. In this way my Guru's Jyotişa Guru used to weed out the unqualified and undesirable students. One of my masters used to remark often that the success of the disciples will be based upon the strictness of the Guru. Of course, Astrology is not simply looking at the astronomical position of Planets and Stars and making predictions. It is a mystical science of knowing the motivations, desires, and obstacles of people so that their fate may be altered. It is possible for a good astrologer to change people's destiny a great deal. And these same techniques which are used by the selfless servants of humanity are misused by many ignorant and selfish vämācāris (black magicians) to cause harm. It is obvious when we consider the true scope of practice of an astrologer, why it is necessary to be careful only to teach this mystical science to selfless and compassionate souls. The same practices which can be used to ease the troubles of society can be used to hurt others when in the wrong hands. When teaching mantras, my Guru's Guru always expected precise pronunciation from his students. Guruji has told a story of mispronouncing a mantra in the presence of his Master. His Master responded by burying Guruji up to the neck on a beach with the tide coming in. As crabs came and pinched Guruji on the lips and nose, his Master demanded that he get the pronunciation right before the tide came in and covered his head. Guruji says that he values what he learned a great deal due to the price at which it came to him. His teachers did not make studying with them easy, but they led my Master to profound knowledge and to spiritual enlightenment. Today Guruji is not a normal person.

Garanāthāmṛtänanda Giri, respectfully called "Svåmiji" by his students, is the Pithadhipati (Spiritual Director) of the Soma Matha Spiritual Center based in Schuyler, Virginia. Svämlji teaches the Vedic sciences for the peace of the world. He has published various texts, printed and online, on these subjects and has released numerous audio recordings for learning various mantras and rituals. He is an advocate for the traditional practice of the mystical Vedic sciences. In addition to publishing public teachings, Svämlji provides counsel, instruction, and blessings to sincere spiritual seekers and temples and spiritual organizations around the world. He remains busy performing rituals for the benefit of society and has recommended and performed Astrological remedies for thousands of individuals and groups in his years of practice

When we talk about Jyotişa, we are necessarily talking about light. It is a practice of walking through darkness in order to come into spiritual light so that we can bring light to the world. I did not want to learn Astrology. It was what my Gurus wanted for me. I did not really have a choice in the matter. When light begins to come to a person, that person must study light. That light first illuminates the darkness within and then banishes it by its power of illumination. Then, knowing the process, it becomes our duty to help bring light to the world. Astrology is just one of many systems for understanding and working with the light of spiritual awakening.